#46 - Chris Masterjohn, Ph.D.: Navigating the many pathways to health and disease - NAD and sirtuins, methylation, MTHFR and COMT, choline deficiency and NAFLD, TMAO, creatine, and more

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Mar 25, 2019

Chris Masterjohn, Ph.D., an expert in nutrition science and biochemistry, dives into the nuances of health in a fascinating discussion. He sheds light on the role of choline deficiency in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and shares insights about how methylation affects overall well-being. The conversation also covers the potential benefits of NAD supplements for aging and health, alongside the significance of the MTHFR and COMT genes. With engaging anecdotes, Chris emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of nutrition and health.

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INSIGHT

Choline, Fatty Liver, and NAFLD

Choline deficiency causes fatty liver because VLDL can't transport fat out.
Enough choline can clear triglycerides from the liver, regardless of the cause of fatty liver.

INSIGHT

Choline's Protective Role in Fatty Liver

Rodent studies show that choline or its precursors prevent fatty liver, even with high sucrose, alcohol, or fat intake.
Humans develop fatty liver on low-choline diets, suggesting choline's importance.

ADVICE

Choline Dosage for NAFLD

Supplement with approximately 1200mg of choline to treat NAFLD.
Getting this much choline from food alone can be challenging.

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In this episode, Chris Masterjohn, entrepreneur, independent researcher, and doctorate in nutrition, elucidates the latest research on the risk and benefits of NAD supplements, and shares his personal intuition on the topic. We also dive deep into choline deficiency and its role in the rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. From there, Chris enlightens us on the importance of methylation, a simple yet profoundly important biochemical process affecting our physical and mental health. He also describes the variations of the genes MTHFR and COMT, enzymes which play important roles in methylation and which have profound impacts on our well-being.

We discuss:

Chris’s background, falling in love with biochemistry, and decision to pursue research over medicine [7:45];
Choline: what it is, why it is important, and how a deficiency can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [11:45];
NAFLD: increasing prevalence and potential causes [25:00];
TMAO: Should we be worried about the TMAO content in choline and our foods? [39:15];
Types of fatty acids: How they may predispose us to different types of illnesses [53:30];
Why don’t we see low VLDL in patients with NAFLD? [59:45];
Understanding flux, and how machine learning may affect medicine in the near future [1:03:15];
NAD: How it works, supplements, sirtuins, and the central role of the liver [1:09:30];
Intravenous NAD [1:33:00];
Oral NR: Is it the optimal way to get more NAD? [1:38:30];
What is the possible harm of taking an NAD precursor? [1:47:15];
The MTHFR gene [1:49:45];
The methylation pathway [1:58:15];
The COMT gene [2:04:30];
Creatine: The uses and benefits and its important role in methylation [2:10:15];
Dietary strategies for MTHFR: choline, creatine, folate, and glycine [2:16:45];
How to mitigate the negative effects of NAD supplements [2:23:45];
A case study of a person with high homocysteine [2:28:00];
What is the level of evidence that you need to take action? [2:32:15];
Does Chris supplement with NAD precursors? And can it improve symptoms of rosacea? [2:35:45];
Decision making in the face of inconclusive data, and trying to disentangle the placebo effect [2:39:00];
What does Chris believe to be true that very few people would agree with him about? [2:43:15];
How to follow Chris’s work [2:48:45]; and
More.

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