Ask Me Anything: The Truth About Supplements, Gut Health, and Wellness

WELCOME TO EPISODE 223

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Beautifully Broken podcast.
0:37
We are going to do an ASK Me Anything, so I'm taking a question from viewer mail.
Freddie Kimmel, what are you supplementing with at the moment?
And I'm going to get to my list, but you know, I have more to say than that.
You know, I've got more.
There are some supplements I think are magical and fall under the must have category.
0:58
And from my personal experience, many of these tools can be potent.
They can be potent drivers of robust health, better sleep, muscle tone, brain health, supporting detoxification, even longevity.
I think there are components like NAD precursors, stem cell boosters, certain peptides that I would consider as a luxury item and even though they're cost prohibitive for some, they are wonderful additions to a longevity stack in a protocol if you can afford them.
1:32
I think like most of my core health beliefs and working theories, they are changing over time and I'm going to be shifting my opinion in the future when I have access to new information.
I think that's a good rule, and I want to talk about my theory.
I would imagine that if we opened up your supplement cabinet, you're covered at home.
1:53
Most human beings would have no idea why they were taking most of the supplements they have or what the mechanism of action was or it was intended to be.
I really think that's true.
I think especially in the biohacking space that there is a trend to over supplement.
2:10
And if I do a quick search of the Journal of Hepatology and Frontiers and Pharmacology, there are multiple studies, multiple highlighting areas of concern like mega dosing, antioxidants, excessive protein intake, and examples of overwhelming the liver.
2:28
Supplements like NAC, NAC and acetylcysteine and vitamin C in very high doses can paradoxically lead to oxidative stress and they can impair liver function.
Excessive protein that can often seen bodybuilders but has been associated with a non alcoholic fatty liver due to increased metabolism or a demand on the liver.
2:51
Taking multiple supplements simultaneously.
I've had friends message me on social media and say their liver function was tanked that can give the body extra oxidative stress liver enzyme elevation.
And I will tell you my personal mini story of this is that my BUN rate, my blood urea nitrogen level.
3:11
The BUN is something you'd see on ACBCA complete blood count that is a basic metabolic panel that is related to excessive protein intake.
So I just want to walk you through this example of protein metabolism and nitrogen.
So when I consume protein, the body is metabolizing that into an amino acid, which is used for tissue repair, enzyme production, a bunch of stuff.
3:36
But the breakdown of the amino acid generates nitrogen as a byproduct, primarily in the form of ammonia, which is toxic to the body.
So we're conversion, the conversion to urea, the liver is converting the ammonia into urea.
That is a less toxic compound.
3:52
Again, that's going to be a burden on that organ.
You want it to be doing other things, not overwhelming your body.
And that bun rate elevation on ACBC is a flag.
It's to say, wait a minute, you got too much of this, you don't need it.
Your system has too much of it.
4:07
So I have some personal experience with this.
You know, it's easy to do when we're in the quest of health to bypass like the intuitive nature of the body.
I've never bought the idea that one person would need to take a supplement seven days a week doesn't resonate.
4:25
I look at a tree, I'm looking at a tree outside.
Right now it's barren, but in the spring it'll bud and then it will fruit and then it transitions again into winter.
So we go through these transitions through seasons.
Nature does this, the body does this.
So I personally, I've always cycled on and off supplements.
4:43
I think any time we follow the guiding principles of nature, we can identify safety Nets by using common sense.
So this if I buy a supplement bottle and it says take 2 pills every day forever and ever, that has never resonated with me and it doesn't make sense.
5:00
We evolved as hunter gatherers, so nobody was panicking when they didn't have their vitamin C or their multivitamin or their paleo greens powder didn't happen.
In fact, going without things can be a great hormetic stressor for the body.
You know, another area worth addressing is that most supplement companies contain extremely weak formulations and they tend to do this process of fairy dusting.
5:27
Sean Wells talks about this.
They'll fairy dust in extra ingredients without amounts to clinically impact cell health, yet they're going to claim the benefit of everything on that label.
I just saw one yesterday.
It's a multivitamin claiming to boost energy and immunity.
5:44
In the supplement is vitamin D 3200.
I us magnesium 50 milligrams, ginseng extract 20 milligrams.
Let's just take two vitamin D3.
Research shows that a daily dose of 2000 to 4000 IU is typically required to elevate blood levels for immune support and bone health.
6:07
So a 200 IU, we're a little bit off the mark.
Not saying it can't happen, but where I'm just looking at the research available to us today.
Magnesium, the recommended that the RDI is very low.
It's 3 to 400.
You know, Carolyn Dean's been on the show and she would say we need much, much more because magnesium is present in over 300 cellular processes.
6:31
So at 50 milligrams, it's unlikely to change energy metabolism, muscle function, stress reduction.
You know, many of these supplements that were fairy dusting in can be toxic.
They can be harmful to you.
That the industry as a whole is amazing because we have access to a lot of things and it's also unregulated and a company can claim basically anything they want.
6:56
So it's hard.
It's hard.
I want to hammer this home and this is maybe people are bored of hearing about this.
In my experience, and I've had a good twenty year run, you know, it, it being you know, really I'm a I'm a person who's excited about potential, excited about health.
7:14
I see so many things work so well within my body, but my truth is I've never taken a supplement that can touch the impact of eight hours of sleep, a toned nervous system, walking 10,000 steps a day, adding 10 lbs of lean muscle to your frame and exposing the body to morning sunlight.
7:35
And really these last two, the strong sense of purpose and a strong sense of community.
That is the wind in your sail to bring you forward to greatness.
Full stop.
So if you want to save yourself an enormous amount of cash and you think your health needs improvement, I would address the above and I would just reassess.
7:58
The ROI in a supplement is very hard to quantify.
They're hard to track.
Frequent labs can make that cost prohibitive.
And so there we are, right?
I promise you I'll get to my supplement list and answer this question.
But you know, I can't make it short.
8:13
It's got to be a whole episode.
So over the years, I will tell you my supplement game has changed dramatically.
I've had times where I had three kitchen cabinets full of pill bottles and then I've gone from taking nothing just to see, you know, how much worse for the where would I be?
8:32
At a bare minimum, I think it's helpful to define the word or the concept of supplementation.
I'd say supplementing is supplementing things we are missing in our nutritional profile, both from a macro and a micronutrient level.
Example, if I don't get enough protein requirement for the day, I supplement with a whole food protein source, which is whole animal protein that I'm using now.
8:54
You know, it's currently the equipped brand EQUIPT.
I'm not sponsored by these guys.
I don't have a code.
This is on the recommendation of Doctor Ashley Beckman.
It's organic, there's no fillers, there's no sugar.
It's 20 grams of digestible protein and it's low histamine.
9:13
Yup, It mixes excellent in water.
They have vanilla, they have plain, they have chocolate.
It's easy, efficient.
It's a great governor on quality control, especially when I'm traveling to all these events.
And I found that if I mix that with Paleo Reds, Paleo Reds combines a dozen fruits and vegetables for their phytonutrient or their red and purple food groups into a supplement to optimize health.
9:38
And then Paleo Greens, which is one serving of Paleo greens is equivalent to one serving of green fruits and vegetables in a little powder that's been dehydrated, not cooked.
It's like a complete meal and I really miss it when I don't have it.
It's gone from my cupboard today.
9:55
I did my last two scoops a couple days ago and it tastes great.
And I know I'm kind of checking all the boxes for whatever I don't get in the food.
I digress.
I don't want to do my list yet.
Before I get into that, I want to remind and I want to affirm you are the variable in this equation.
10:14
What are your goals?
What's your medical history?
What do you struggle with?
What's your age?
These are the things we got to ask ourselves before we say, oh, I'll just take what Freddy's taking right from this season's podcast.
10:30
What is your gut barrier like and what are you able to process?
You know, episode 218, we looked at beyond the plate, the role of the microbiome.
That's a huge factor.
I think that actually Trump's what we're eating.
So for most people, I do think there's an essential list.
10:49
We should at least explore and examine and understand what an essential stack might look like.
Maybe you're not supplementing anything at all.
This would be a great thing for you to examine and maybe upgrade your health and see what a three to four month tester trial looks like.
11:06
Maybe you're in the camp where you're over supplementing, right?
And you just need to pull back.
And so 5 or 6 things might feel less intimidating and you may get more value.
I'm not a doctor.
Quick note, this is not medical advice.
You really do need to consult a medical professional and it's a solid plan to obtain a comprehensive blood and lipid profile to see where you're deficient.
11:27
I just, I always want to say it's a jumping off point, right?
That's what the podcast is.
It's just for you to jump off and explore because your body is the variable, your body's the magic.
But this is where the problem solving comes in.
That's really fun.
And while I don't have the credentials to tell you what to do, I can wax intellectual with you.
11:44
I can give you my opinion, but I really like to.
I'll point to a medical professional who I respect, and that's Doctor Peter Attia, who's very conservative and you know, I align with him on most things.
His short list is omega-3, vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins for methylation support.
12:06
Let's just talk about those.
There's a couple other he'll add on once in a while, but pretty conservative.
So omega-3, something rich in EPA and DHA.
Omega-3 fatty acids support cardiovascular health and they help with inflammation.
So Peter aims to take a daily intake of approximately 2.5 grams of EPA, one of DHA.
12:27
You want to find a brand that's clean, effective.
I've gone from Nordic Naturals, you know, I don't have one that I absolutely rave about, but I can tell you my inflammation is better when I commit to this.
And 2.5g, that's a high dose.
12:43
You know, it's, it's not going to be 1 pill.
So that's something to keep in mind, right?
Vitamin D I do assign to this.
I'm pretty consistent and I check my level.
So I'm right between this range where Peter recommends be between 40 and 60 nanograms per milliliter.
13:00
What you're going to be doing is some people are going to need 5000 IUA day.
That's what Peter does.
And many professionals in the functional medicine and the biological medicine space will look to incorporating AD supplement with vitamin K2, which helps for absorption.
13:18
Magnesium, right?
We talked a little bit about magnesium involved in numerous biochemical reactions.
Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function.
Doctor Peter Atia recommends 1 gram of magnesium per day.
13:33
You know, you see a lot of supplements with 50 milligrams, 500 milligrams.
So just look at your dosing accordingly.
And you're going to be utilizing various forms like magnesium oxide, citrate, chlorate, L3 and eight to get into the body.
Doctor Carolyn Dean, who is on the show episode 2 O2, she's my Bible.
13:52
And her RNA formulas, her RNA reset her magnesium.
It's a measurable difference in my sleep score, my deep sleep and muscle tone.
Now again, this is one where I'll run out of and I like her so much.
14:07
I'm not going to go to Whole Foods.
I'm not going to grab one off Amazon.
And I'll just, I'll kind of wait until I'm like, man, I really missed that.
And I think the idea this again, this 300 enzymatic processes, I'm a body of enzyme reactions.
If those are not optimized, everything could be looked at as deleterious.
14:25
It's like the workouts I do, the walks I do, talking all day long and using all this brain power without refueling the tank, the enzyme process tank, everything could be viewed that I'm investing in my health is bad because I'm just pouring from an empty cup to everybody else and I'm not restocking my fuel.
14:45
So I really want you guys to go back and listen to episode 2 O 2 with Doctor Carolyn.
B vitamins, you know, B6B9B12.
These vitamins are crucial for energy metabolism and neurological health.
So we say that supplementing with B vitamins health helps with methylated forms, right?
15:03
Methylated forms of B9 and B12 along with vitamin B6 are going to support homocysteine levels and overall health.
I use Thorn methyl support.
I'm going to do a podcast on methylation because I think it's something that I often hear.
15:19
And I'm like, Oh yeah, methylation.
It's a good process.
Kind of like a home EC class.
We wanted to be sure we could sew.
I would make a huge vote for having a methylation workshop in high school.
I think it would just be fascinating and just do the basics.
But methylation is supporting the body's methylation cycle.
15:37
This is a biochemical process essential for numerous physiological functions.
So methylation involves the transfer of a methyl group that's one carbon 3 hydrogen atoms to various molecules, which regulates the biological pathway including detoxification, DNA repair and more.
15:56
It makes the body function like it does, especially if you have a blueprint, a blueprint for an undesirable outcome.
Your B vitamins can support the cell functioning when there's a nutritional deficiency and that is so common with today's food plate.
16:12
I got to tell you, it's a big one really powerful tool in the autism community for allowing kids to have more coherent thoughts and behaviors is methylation support.
You can go look on NH and pub menu can find a lot of value there.
16:28
So I would just tell you that those those are Mike, that's like the core list, right?
I think this could save you money.
I think you could have so much value return in your life.
If you looked at that list that we did about the lifestyle factors, you know, The Walking and the sleeping and the going to the gym and and the muscle.
16:46
And you added in this just this core stack and you just said, well, what would happen if I did that for four months?
I would be fascinated.
I would be fascinated.
I love simple programs.
I love when we don't make it complicated.
I really do.
Now Are you ready?
17:03
Are you ready?
Let's see what I'm taking.
So again, a little disclaimer, my health history includes metastatic cancer, Lyme disease, toxic mold.
However, today I'm in a place of high functionality.
I'm different, so I supplement differently.
17:20
I have taken the I'll.
I'll tell you the most I've ever supplemented was when I was lost in the weeds, struggling through Lyme disease.
Honestly, because I was in so much pain and my joints and my brain was so offline, I was desperate.
17:36
So everything I read and every author I followed, everybody had a different gimmick.
They had a plan.
It's not gimmick.
They really believe what they were pushing.
But it was unbelievable what I was taking and I always felt bad.
I reacted to supplements.
I overreacted.
17:52
I will tell you, if I had a time machine to go back, I'd say Freddie, your nervous system, your nervous system is not in a place to accept more information.
And when we take a molecule or a substance, we're giving our body information.
There was such chaos happening.
From a nervous system regulation standpoint, I would intuit that my limbic system, the limbic loop, was the big governor on allowing those things to work.
18:17
That's a working theory.
Again, today I'm in a very different place.
There are, of course, remnants of some of that nervous system dysfunction, but I'm doing pretty good.
So today, let's talk gut health.
I put these in categories because I think that's helpful.
Gut health #1 Something I'll always do is proteolytic enzymes I use for Brenza.
18:38
Now that is an enzyme stack of proteolytic enzymes designed to help breakdown fibroid in the blood.
It would also help digest, you know, sticky plasma.
It would help digest food particles that could have made it through the lining of my small intestine.
It can also help with the malleability of scar tissue.
18:56
And this is something that I've dosed high on an empty stomach, not with food to help support scar tissue because I've had a lot of small bowel complete and partial obstructions.
That's been something that's really worked for me.
Another thing with digestive support is GI Pro Max.
19:15
The GI Pro Max is like a digestive powder and what I describe to people as it is a powder that you take one scoop a day and it just makes your poops form so beautifully.
It's incredible.
19:31
Anything from like a better S curve of your stool to complete formation and it doesn't make you go to the bathroom more.
What it does do is it just it's like it feels complete.
So it's one of my favorite pooping supplements.
19:47
When I'm traveling, I'll do microbiome labs mega IgG.
This is immunoglobulin support.
So this is a dairy free mega IgG.
I find when I'm traveling out of the country and excessively and I can't get clean food, this is something that I'll take with the meal that would bind to anything from the environment and really support like a.
20:08
Healthy immune response in my gut.
It's more of a security policy than anything.
And then probiotics in the gut is bifido maximus.
Dr. Grace Lew, Gut Health Institute.
Again, it's a bifido high strain.
It's something that I'm building up to four capsules.
20:24
I've noticed again, less inflammation in the colon, better bowel formation, more frequent bowel movements 'cause I'm like A1A day guy.
I hope this isn't too much, but this really is like moves me towards that two, sometimes 3 bowel movements and I just feel better on it.
20:40
I've gone off of it once.
So now I'm back on.
I'm stacking up to that kind of three to four pills.
Let's go sleep, sleep.
Here's my sack again.
We got the magnesium right.
Magnesium's like sleep and muscle function and neurological function and everything, but the magnesium's in there.
20:56
Glycine has been something that I've experimented with in the past.
Listen to a podcast with Huberman like 2 weeks ago.
He had a specialist on there, can't remember his name, but they were talking about two to three grams of glycine, even up to 10 grams of glycine to down regulate the nervous system.
21:13
And I got to tell you, at the end of the day, my challenge is that I can't wind down.
That's the tough part for me.
So it's been highly impactful and very, very helpful.
The other thing I've done for sleep is Key on Sleep, Ben Greenfield's company.
21:28
It's just all these anything from magnesium and I don't have the list in front of me, but Key on Sleep.
It's been really profound for helping the body really make that transition into OK, the the looping thoughts work mode.
It's time to wind down 2 hours before bed.
21:45
Same with the glycine.
Those have been really, really profound for me.
Let's do travel because I have a little immune now.
I could argue the mega IgG is in the immune stack.
It's the vitamin D plus K210 drops a day, 5000 IU and the other immune support that I've been playing around with.
22:03
This is a one week add in.
You're like Freddie.
This is more than five things is called Crypto Co Max.
It's cryptolysis.
It's an herb that supports people who have had Lyme disease or a Borrelia infection.
I've noticed it's guys, I'm telling you 5 days.
22:21
I don't usually tolerate herbs that are associated with Lyme well and I don't have a current infection, but there's a history in my immune system and I don't think we ever get rid of these things, but I've noticed way better mobility tolerated it very well.
I'm very hopeful.
22:37
I want to do a podcast just on crypto Co Max.
It's not a crypto currency.
It's your for crypto license Co Max and there's Artemismo.
There's some other herbal tinctures, but it is in a fat formula.
So again, real excited about it.
22:53
I mean, I noticed it in three days.
I said magnesium, I'm on my I take Thorne, I take methylation support, that's my B vitamins.
And then the last two I have are like body supplements.
So what I do for my body?
Well, Mark Faulkner got me out of taking creatine monohydrate from Thorne and now I'm on con hyphen Crete CRET concrete creatine HCLI.
23:18
Love it.
No bloating, no gastrointestinal issues whatsoever.
And then I'm doing precision aminos.
So again, I had that elevated BUN rate.
I said, well, what am I going to do?
And my, my nurse practitioner, Caleb Greer, he said, why don't you step down, take a protein shake out and really focus on two scoops of the precision aminos twice a day.
23:40
So that's what I'm doing.
The BUN rate had come down already, but I want to keep going because I'm aware of how much I put out.
You know, I'm aware of how much I put out.
Most of the things I mentioned in this podcast have a code for beautifully broken.
I'll put that in the notes.
That's not what the show is about.
23:55
The show is to really get us critically thinking about supplementation.
And I love it, right.
It was my first weigh in.
I was like a supplement nerd.
And then I realized, wait, I don't know what these things do.
I'm spending a lot of money.
I'm grasping at straws.
I don't know what the bigger picture is.
24:11
When I started to get into a quarterly lab review, you know, quarterly 4 * a year.
Yeah, I do blood work, full CBC and lipids and a lot of other things through the clinic, through DAS Sign Health.
And I've learned a lot.
I learned a lot.
I know where I need support.
24:27
And listen, I'm committed to doing this.
I'm committed to being like, I'm going to turn 47 in February.
I'm rocking in the 50.
I just want to keep doing good.
I would love to have the health and vitality have today well through my 80s and 90s.
And that is the goal.
24:42
I hope you like this episode.
I love you so much.
Big love.
Let's do it.
We're gunning.
Bye Guys team.
26:20
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26:40
So I endorse it because it works, but also due to the extensive research and scientific validation the company has done.
So in an independent in vitro report, this is very important.
We compared Armor Gel to seven other similar skin care products, such as triple antibiotic ointment, the standard of care.
27:01
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27:20
So the Silver Biotic Spoon Gel stands out not only for its performance, but actually it's price point.
So this is a must have for moms, for coaches, nurses, doctors, anybody concerned about the body's largest organ in the skin.
And in today's environment, I just saw a fact where MRSA infections are up 35% since 2020.
27:43
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So we just need to be prepared.
Don't wait for an emergency room trip.
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28:00
And they are not only a sponsor of the podcast, but they are friends, and I support what they're doing in the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning in.
28:16
If you enjoyed today's show, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and please leave us a review.
Five stars if you loved it.
And before you leave, there is one big way you can continue the learning and the deepening of this relationship we started in this very episode.
28:34
You can go to beautifully broken dot world and check out our brand new website store.
Listed are all the Wellness technologies, the supplements, the educational courses that I love and I personally use.
Most of them offer significant discounts just by using the link or the discount code, which is normally beautifully broken, and they do support the podcast through affiliations.
29:00
Now we have a brand new feature.
If you want to see the beautiful faces of our gaffes and watch me unbox and review products, you can head over to our new YouTube channel, Beautifully Broken World.
I do have to tell you, our Only Fans page is under construction, so stand by for that.
29:21
This last announcement is from my vast team of Internet lawyers.
The information on this podcast is for educational purposes only.
By listening, you agree not to use the information found here as medical advice to treat any medical condition in yourself or others.
29:38
And you're always going to consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having.
My closing.
The world is shifting.
We need you at your very best.
So please take the steps to always be upgrading.
Remember, while life can be painful, putting the pieces back together is a beautiful process.
29:58
I love you.
I'm your host, Freddie Kimmel.
Big love.