693 episodes

Hi, I'm Chris Masterjohn and I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences. I am an entrepreneur in all things fitness, health, and nutrition. In this show I combine my scientific expertise with my out-of-the-box thinking to translate complex science into new, practical ideas that you can use to help yourself on your journey to vibrant health. This show will allow you to master the science of nutrition and apply it to your own life like a pro.

Mastering Nutrition Chris Masterjohn, PhD

    • Health & Fitness
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

Hi, I'm Chris Masterjohn and I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences. I am an entrepreneur in all things fitness, health, and nutrition. In this show I combine my scientific expertise with my out-of-the-box thinking to translate complex science into new, practical ideas that you can use to help yourself on your journey to vibrant health. This show will allow you to master the science of nutrition and apply it to your own life like a pro.

    Is Whole Food Vitamin C Really Different? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #330

    Is Whole Food Vitamin C Really Different? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #330

    Question: Is whole food vitamin C superior to natural because it is part of a tyrosinase complex?
    Short Answer: Vitamin C is nearly ubiquitously distributed in plant tissues, and is never bound to any enzyme as a structural complex. Vitamin C promotes absorption of iron from plant foods, inhibits copper absorption, and de-loads copper from ceruloplasmin, which may play a role in distributing copper to tissues. Vitamin C is not capable of destroying ceruloplasmin. These functions follow directly from vitamin C as an electron donor and there is no evidence whatsoever that whole food vitamin C behaves differently in these respects than synthetic vitamin C. However, daily needs in most contexts are 2-400 milligrams of vitamin C per day, which is below the dose shown to potentially cause problems with copper. Getting this from whole foods or whole food supplements is better than using synthetic vitamin C because it avoids GMO corn and Chinese synthetics and provides a host of other beneficial constituents alongside the vitamin C.
    This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-hair-trace-mineral-analysis
    In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:
    Is Hair Mineral Testing Useful?
     What's the Deal With Seed Oils?
    If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/qanda
    Learn more about the Masterpass here:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/about
    This snippet is from the June 16, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:
    Butyrate for Hashimoto’s? What else?
    What in the comprehensive nutritional screening is helping to interpret lactate/pyruvate and ketone ratios?
    Is the solution to a respiratory chain disorder to take Niagen?
    If I have high manganese on an HTMA, do I need to detox?
    Should CFS patients target reducing their serum BH4?
    What to do about low alkaline phosphatase?
    If my glucose spikes above 140, should I eat fiber and take ACV before the meal, eat cinnamon with the meal, chew slowly, and move for ten minutes after my meals?
    Difficulty getting Quest to do the lactate/pyruvate ratio correctly.
    Is 38 milligrams of niacinamide enough to rule out niacin deficiency as a cause of low NAD+?
    How does optimizing body composition help optimize energy metabolism? Can impaired energy metabolism make someone fatter?
    Is monounsaturated fat the best fat?
    Manganese followup.
    Do you need to stop taking biotin before a biotin test?
    What in "a bunch of supplements" flip the lactate/pyruvate ratio from high to low?
    NAD infusions, yay or nay?
    Why do I feel better after a warm shower, even better than after sunshine?
    Should I cut back on vitamin A if I have toxicity symptoms but cutting back makes me get sick?
    Do home blood drop tests have to be pricked at the finger?
    Is it true that my boyfriend was just born a night owl?
    How much eating out is too much?
    When measuring ketones, lactate, and glucose at home to optimize energy metabolism, what time of day should we take the measurements?
    Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-june-a55
    Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.
     

    • 23 min
    What's the Deal With Seed Oils? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #329

    What's the Deal With Seed Oils? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #329

    Question: What Is the Real Issue With Seed Oils?

    Short Answer: The main issue with seed oils is that they present an oxidative liability. They do not acutely cause oxidative stress, but their polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are more vulnerable than any other macronutrient to oxidative damage. Oxidative stress can increase because of nutrient deficiencies, toxins, infections, other sources of inflammation, alcohol, or smoking, and it will inevitably increase as a function of aging. As oxidative stress increases, more PUFAs in the tissues mean more damage. At least 0.6 milligrams of vitamin E should be gotten per gram of PUFA in the diet, but vitamin E cannot fully protect against PUFA, so their intake should be moderated to the very low levels needed, as obtained by eating fatty fish once or twice a week, eating eggs daily, and eating 4-8 ounces of liver per week. Additional secondary problems with them include residual solvents and heat damage prior to intake, but the main issue is that we do not want to increase our tissue PUFA content more than needed.
    This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-hair-trace-mineral-analysis
    In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:
    Is Hair Mineral Testing Useful?
    Is Whole Food Vitamin C Really Different?
    If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/qanda
    Learn more about the Masterpass here:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/about
    This snippet is from the June 16, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:
    Butyrate for Hashimoto’s? What else?
    What in the comprehensive nutritional screening is helping to interpret lactate/pyruvate and ketone ratios?
    Is the solution to a respiratory chain disorder to take Niagen?
    If I have high manganese on an HTMA, do I need to detox?
    Should CFS patients target reducing their serum BH4?
    What to do about low alkaline phosphatase?
    If my glucose spikes above 140, should I eat fiber and take ACV before the meal, eat cinnamon with the meal, chew slowly, and move for ten minutes after my meals?
    Difficulty getting Quest to do the lactate/pyruvate ratio correctly.
    Is 38 milligrams of niacinamide enough to rule out niacin deficiency as a cause of low NAD+?
    How does optimizing body composition help optimize energy metabolism? Can impaired energy metabolism make someone fatter?
    Is monounsaturated fat the best fat?
    Manganese followup.
    Do you need to stop taking biotin before a biotin test?
    What in "a bunch of supplements" flip the lactate/pyruvate ratio from high to low?
    NAD infusions, yay or nay?
    Why do I feel better after a warm shower, even better than after sunshine?
    Should I cut back on vitamin A if I have toxicity symptoms but cutting back makes me get sick?
    Do home blood drop tests have to be pricked at the finger?
    Is it true that my boyfriend was just born a night owl?
    How much eating out is too much?
    When measuring ketones, lactate, and glucose at home to optimize energy metabolism, what time of day should we take the measurements?
    Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-june-a55
    Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.
     

    • 30 min
    Is Hair Mineral Testing Useful? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #328

    Is Hair Mineral Testing Useful? | Masterjohn Q&A Files #328

    Question: How useful is hair trace mineral analysis (HTMA) for nutritional testing?
    Short Answer: Hair trace mineral analysis is included as an optional add-on in the comprehensive nutritional screening from Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet, because it can capture data for some ultra-trace minerals for which there are no better-validated tests, and it might capture a pattern that might not be picked up as quickly with blood work, such as a mineral transport issue. However, its utility is limited by the fact that hair mineral content is not well validated as a test for any specific mineral, is generally anti-validated when there is enough science on a mineral (such as zinc, where hair zinc does not go down in deficiency), and should not be used as a central piece of data without corroboration from other more well-validated tests, which exist for most of the nutrients.
    This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-hair-trace-mineral-analysis
    In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:
    What's the Deal With Seed Oils?
    Is Whole Food Vitamin C Really Different?
    If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/qanda
    Learn more about the Masterpass here:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/about
    This snippet is from the June 16, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:
    Butyrate for Hashimoto’s? What else?
    What in the comprehensive nutritional screening is helping to interpret lactate/pyruvate and ketone ratios?
    Is the solution to a respiratory chain disorder to take Niagen?
    If I have high manganese on an HTMA, do I need to detox?
    Should CFS patients target reducing their serum BH4?
    What to do about low alkaline phosphatase?
    If my glucose spikes above 140, should I eat fiber and take ACV before the meal, eat cinnamon with the meal, chew slowly, and move for ten minutes after my meals?
    Difficulty getting Quest to do the lactate/pyruvate ratio correctly.
    Is 38 milligrams of niacinamide enough to rule out niacin deficiency as a cause of low NAD+?
    How does optimizing body composition help optimize energy metabolism? Can impaired energy metabolism make someone fatter?
    Is monounsaturated fat the best fat?
    Manganese followup.
    Do you need to stop taking biotin before a biotin test?
    What in "a bunch of supplements" flip the lactate/pyruvate ratio from high to low?
    NAD infusions, yay or nay?
    Why do I feel better after a warm shower, even better than after sunshine?
    Should I cut back on vitamin A if I have toxicity symptoms but cutting back makes me get sick?
    Do home blood drop tests have to be pricked at the finger?
    Is it true that my boyfriend was just born a night owl?
    How much eating out is too much?
    When measuring ketones, lactate, and glucose at home to optimize energy metabolism, what time of day should we take the measurements?
    Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-june-a55

    Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

    • 24 min
    Secrets to Superior Cognitive Performance (Without Drugs)

    Secrets to Superior Cognitive Performance (Without Drugs)

    Nutrition is far more powerful than drugs to improve cognitive performance.
    We start by looking at cocaine, Adderall, and Ritalin, and show why these drugs cannot possibly hold a candle to nutrition.
    Optimal nutrition can definitely optimize the function of dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, histamine, creatine, and the methylation system, and in doing so can simultaneously optimize focus, motivation, sustained attention, and mental flexibility, and methylation, all while eliminating anxiety, depression, and distraction.
    Yet, popular nutritional cognitive stacks in the nootropic space do not have convincing evidence behind them, and this is probably a result of them trying to do too many things in one capsule.
    This presentation covers the low-hanging fruit of nutrition for brain power, supplements that help, the importance of individual nutritional optimization, and the central power of finding one's genetic "health super-unlock."
    For my simple protocol to optimize methylation, see here:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/mthfr-protocol
    For more detail on finding your own personal genetic health super-unlock, see here:
    https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/unlocking-performance-and-longevity

    • 51 min
    Vitamin C, Whole Food Vs. Synthetic: Does It Matter?

    Vitamin C, Whole Food Vs. Synthetic: Does It Matter?

    Debunking the myth that vitamin C in plants is found in a special "tyrosinase complex."
    For the written article with references, see here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/vitamin-c-whole-food-vs-synthetic
    For issues of vitamin C dosing and balancing with other nutrients, see these two links:
     https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/the-powerful-duo-how-glutathione
     https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/balancing-vitamin-c-and-glutathione-d6f
     

    • 7 min
    Fact-Checking Gary Brecka on Rogan: A Deep Dive into MTHFR and Methylation

    Fact-Checking Gary Brecka on Rogan: A Deep Dive into MTHFR and Methylation

    Watch or listen to the full critique here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMPvCiOkEtQ

    • 6 min

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