
Mastering Nutrition
Welcome to the Mastering Nutrition podcast.
Mastering Nutrition is hosted by Chris Masterjohn, a nutrition scientist focused on optimizing mitochondrial health, and founder of BioOptHealth, a program that uses whole genome sequencing, a comprehensive suite of biochemical data, cutting-edge research and deep scientific insights to optimize each person's metabolism by finding their own unique unlocks.
He received his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from University of Connecticut at Storrs in 2012, served as a postdoctoral research associate in the Comparative Biosciences department of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Veterinary Medicine from 2012-2014, served as Assistant Professor of Health and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College from 2014-2017, and now works independently in science research and education.
Latest episodes

Oct 4, 2021 • 4min
Does TMG have to be taken in the fasting state? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #291
Short Answer: While the body will tend to use TMG for methylation in the fasting state, it is normally found in food, so you should be able to absorb it with meals and hold on to it for later use, much as we do with folate. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Oct 1, 2021 • 8min
Is urinary mycotoxin testing useful for indoor mold exposure? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #290
Short Answer: When I had a serious case of indoor mold-induced illness, I tested my urine and my apartment dust for mycotoxins. Both were high, but the classes of toxins were totally different between the two, making me think the mycotoxins in my urine came from food rather than my apartment. Symptoms going away when outside of the apartment was a far more useful clue, so I think you should consider the cost of a vacation, the cost of mycotoxins, and assume you get more information out of taking the vacation, and then decide which to do. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

4 snips
Sep 30, 2021 • 12min
Ferritin sky-high without hemochromatosis? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #289
Short Answer: Even if genetics and other bloodwork don’t look like hemochromatosis, sky-high ferritin justifies trying to lower it with blood donation or phlebotomy if inflammation markers are low. If this doesn’t work, oxidative stress should be investigated. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 29, 2021 • 15min
Will the booster shot be worth it? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #288
Short Answer: If optimizing for efficacy, the booster shot will likely be worth it for Pfizer, whereas other vaccines don’t have clear evidence of declining efficacy yet. If optimizing for safety, one should be skeptical of the booster since a 3-dose regiment hasn’t been tested in clinical trials. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 28, 2021 • 11min
How to use carbs and glycine for sleep. | Masterjohn Q&A Files #287
Short Answer: To get adequate raw material for melatonin synthesis in the brain, carbs can come any time of day and are best if high-glycemic. To suppress brain histamine levels, carbs in the evening, with low protein and relatively low fat, is best. From among protein, collagen is best at night for the glycine. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 27, 2021 • 6min
What are the downsides to taking prescription calcitriol for bones? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #286
Short Answer: It requires more frequent dosing and has some risk of hypercalcemia, and it would be best to make sure you have adequate D and magnesium and aren’t overdoing anything that could deplete D, such as other fat-soluble vitamins, first. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 26, 2021 • 8min
NEW! Version 7 of the COVID Guide!
Newly updated September 25, 2021, and now in Version 7: https://chris-masterjohn-phd.myshopify.com/products/the-food-and-supplement-guide-for-the-coronavirus This guide provides my recommendations for nutritional and herbal defense against COVID. This version covers 41 randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard of evidence, as well as many other studies providing context for interpreting the trials. Since much of this research is recent, not all of it is peer-reviewed. However, I have used my own expertise in nutritional sciences and extensive experience evaluating research to fully review the quality of this evidence myself. This protocol represents the best of science-backed strategies for nutritional and herbal anti-COVID defense. The gold standard of evidence in medicine is the randomized, controlled trial, or RCT. In RCTs, people are randomly given a treatment, or not. That this is determined at random means people’s health, behavioral traits, and choices play no role in the outcomes. This helps us be more confident the treatment really works, or doesn’t work. We now have 41 RCTs on the ability of nutrients, herbs, or other natural compounds to fight COVID. While these trials are usually small, some haven’t been peer-reviewed yet, some are funded by supplement manufacturers, and most haven’t yet been replicated by different researchers from different institutions and different parts of the world, they are the best evidence we currently have and serve as the highest priority evidence used in this guide. In evaluating these trials, the most important things I looked for were whether the trials were done well, whether the data were reported clearly, and whether the interpretations were sound. However, I also considered the funding source, whether different groups had come to similar results, how much of the data was peer reviewed, and whether the substance is an essential nutrient. Based on these considerations, I categorized anything that made the cut into three tiers: “Essentials,” “Best Add-Ons,” or “These Might Help.” Having better quality, more trustworthy, more consistent data, and having essential nutrient status pushed the strategies up toward the Essentials tier, while lacking these qualities pushed them down toward the “These Might Help” tier. Those with intermediate support are included as Best Add-Ons. The guide includes suggestions on how to tailor the protocol to your individual needs, your personal risk, your environmental risk, and your own risk tolerance. It also includes full instructions on how to implement the strategies. When you buy it, you will get free updates the research continues to emerge. The guide is currently in version 7 and was last updated on September 25, 2021. By the way, you can also get the report for free if you pre-order a copy of my Vitamins and Minerals 101 book. But if you don't want to pre-order the book, you can order it here: https://chris-masterjohn-phd.myshopify.com/products/the-food-and-supplement-guide-for-the-coronavirus The format of the report is a downloadable PDF. As soon as you complete your order, you will also receive an email with your download. The guide is 59 pages and contains 157 references. Once again it's at chrismasterjohnphd.com/covidguide

Sep 24, 2021 • 12min
Does quinolinate sometimes indicate niacin or inflammation instead of B6? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #285
Short Answer: B6 cannot be ruled out, though inflammation and estrogen could also be involved. While it is possibly a regulated means of increasing excitatory effects of quinolinate, it makes sense to assume it may respond to B6. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 23, 2021 • 7min
Why would 5,000 IU vitamin D cause tooth sensitivity? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #284
Short Answer: While it is unclear, it could relate to vitamin K depletion, hypercalcemia, or compensation in acid-base balance. First and foremost, use the full testing algorithm in Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet (available at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheatsheet) rather than just testing 25(OH)D to determine deficiency. Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Sep 22, 2021 • 15min
What’s the best and most affordable diet for a hungry teenage boy? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #283
Short Answer: A half a gram to a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, no more than 20-40 grams of that from protein powder, and whole foods supplying the targets for vitamins and minerals, erring on the side of overshooting them. Lentils and other legumes as primary carb foods and supply a portion of protein, and adjusting quality of meat to what you can afford, can help with budgeting. This video was mentioned: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lite-videos/2018/07/24/track-vitamin-mineral-intake Watch the video or listen to the podcast with the links below. You can obtain a full transcript of the episode by signing up for the Masterpass at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a Please consider supporting my work by making a purchase using these links at one of my affiliates: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/foursigmatic, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/paleovalley, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/seekinghealth, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestralsupplements, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/magicspoon, https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/lmnt Plenty more at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/support! If you would like to be part of the next live Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, sign up for the CMJ Masterpass, which includes access to these live Zoom sessions, premium features on all my content, and hundreds of dollars of exclusive discounts. You can sign up with a 10% lifetime discount here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/q&a DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.
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