capsaisin for pain relief

The chemical capsaicin that gives hot peppers their spiciness also reduces levels of something called substance P in the body. This is why some people use capsaicin to treat pain. Patches with an 8% concentration of capsaicin effectively treat pain for up to twelve weeks, and they do this just by reducing levels of substance P. Capsaicin cream for arthritis works by depleting substance P around a joint. Hearing this, some people go out and eat a lot of hot peppers or cover their meals in cayenne pepper to reduce their pain levels. You can try simply cooking with more cayenne pepper or taking cayenne tablets. The downside of this is that peppers belong to the family of nightshade vegetables. Many people (about 20 percent) are sensitive to nightshades. For these people eating nightshades causes inflammation, which does not help reduce levels of substance P. If you are one of those people, use pure vanilla bean instead! Both capsaicin and vanilla work by interacting with your vanilloid receptors. Pay attention to your body, and if you start experiencing joint pain after eating nightshades, switch to pure vanilla.

exercise to boost hormones

Exercise is a simple testosterone booster, and it’s one of the most powerful health promoting treatments around. Both men and women experience a sharp increase in testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) after strength training sessions.1 But high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which involves pushing yourself to your edge with intense exercise followed by a brief rest, is even more effective at increasing testosterone and HGH levels in both men and women.2 It’s also a great option if you’re short on time.

1. William J. Kraemer et al., “Endogenous Anabolic Hormonal and Growth Factor Responses to Heavy Resistance Exercises in Males and Females,” International Journal of Sports Medicine 12, no. 2 (May 1991): 228–35, https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-1024673.

2. Patrick Wahl, “Hormonal and Metabolic Responses to High Intensity Interval Training,” Journal of Sports Medicine & Doping Studies 3)

you need the D

One of the many problems with the Western diet is that it’s lacking key micronutrients that we need to create hormones, specifically vitamin D, which is essential for testosterone production. As you read earlier, almost everyone is now deficient in vitamin D because of our overavoidance of UV light. This is likely a major reason behind the decrease in testosterone levels. A study published in 2010 looked at the vitamin D and testosterone levels of more than two thousand men over the course of a full year. The results showed that men with healthy vitamin D levels had more testosterone and lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) than the men who were vitamin D deficient. SHBG binds to hormones so your cells can’t use them. If you have too much of it, your testosterone levels will drop.

• E. Wehr et al., “Association of Vitamin D Status with Serum Androgen Levels in Men,” Clinical Endocrinology 73, no. 2 (August 2010): 243–48, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03777.x.

you need cholesterol

Here’s how your body makes testosterone: cholesterol→ pregnenolone→ androstenedione→ testosterone.

Testosterone begins with cholesterol. In fact, you synthesize every single sex hormone from cholesterol. This is one reason that a “heart healthy” low-fat, low-cholesterol diet is horribly aging. Research confirms that men who eat saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and cholesterol have higher testosterone levels than those who follow a low-fat diet.

• Jeff S. Volek et al., “Testosterone and Cortisol in Relationship to Dietary Nutrients and Resistance Exercise,” Journal of Applied Physiology 82, no. 1 (1997): 49–54, https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1997.82.1.49.

exercise to live long

Research shows that adults who regularly engage in intense exercise have significantly longer telomeres, those protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. As a result, people who exercise regularly are a full decade younger than their peers on a cellular level.

• Larry A. Tucker, “Physical Activity and Telomere Length in U.S. Men and Women: An NHANES Investigation,” Preventive Medicine 100 (July 2017): 145–51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.04.027.)

MCP for heavy metal detox

Modified Citrus Pectin is a powerful for heavy metal detoxification. It’s good at removing lead, cadmium, arsenic, and thallium. In one study, about 15 grams of modified citrus pectin powder per day for five days caused the study subjects to pass significantly higher levels of metals through their urine. Specifically, the amount of arsenic leaving the body increased by 130 percent, cadmium levels increased by 150 percent, and lead levels increased by 560 percent.

• Isaac Eliaz et al., “The Effect of Modified Citrus Pectin on Urinary Excretion of Toxic Elements,” Phytotherapy Research 20, no. 10 (October 2006): 849–64, https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1953.

your kale is full of metal

Kale and other brassica vegetables such as cabbage are exceptionally good at taking up thallium from soil. A 2006 peer-reviewed paper by Czech researchers confirms this to be true of kale,1 and a 2013 study from China found the same issue in green cabbage.2 In fact, brassicas are so effective at soaking up thallium that in 2015 Chinese researchers found they could use green cabbage to purify soil of thallium.3 In other words, the cabbage soaked up all the thallium in the soil, leaving the soil itself toxin-free. Think about that the next time someone offers you a kale smoothie or coleslaw made with conventionally grown cabbage!

1. J. Pavlíčková et al., “Uptake of Thallium from Artificially Contaminated Soils by Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala),” Plant, Soil and Environment 52, no. 12 (December 2006): 484–91, https://doi.org/10.17221/3545-PSE.

2. Yanlong Jia et al., “Thallium at the Interface of Soil and Green Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.): Soil-Plant Transfer and Influencing Factors,” Science of the Total Environment 450–51 (April 15, 2013): 140–47, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.008.

3. Zenping Ning et al., “High Accumulation and Subcellular Distribution of Thallium in Green Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. Capitata L.),” International Journal of Phytoremediation 17, no. 11 (2015): 1097–104, https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2015.1045133.)

curcumin for memory

A 2018 study out of UCLA confirms that a daily dose of curcumin—the active ingredient in turmeric—improves memory and mood in people with age-related memory loss. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled study, forty adults between the ages of fifty and ninety who complained of memory issues were assigned to one of two groups. Group one received a placebo, while group two received 90 milligrams of curcumin twice daily for eighteen months. All forty participants took standardized cognitive assessments at the study’s inception and then at six-month intervals. Thirty of the participants also underwent positron emission tomography (PET) scans to monitor brain amyloids before starting and then again after eighteen months. The results revealed that the participants who took curcumin experienced markedly improved memory and attention abilities. In fact, the people taking curcumin improved their memory scores by an average of 28 percent over eighteen months. This group also noted mood improvements, and their brain PET scans showed less amyloid buildup.

• Leigh Hopper, “Curcumin Improves Memory and Mood, New UCLA Study Says,” UCLA Newsroom, January 22, 2018, http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/curcumin-improves-memory-and-mood-new-ucla-study-says.)

PQQ

Research on mice supports PQQ’s ability to kick mitochondria into high gear. Specifically, it can increase mitochondrial density to provide more energy,1 reduce inflammation,2 boost metabolism,3 combat oxidative stress,4 improve fertility,5 improve learning and memory ability,6 and protect the heart.7 PQQ also activates PCG-1 alpha in the same way that exercise can, which sparks mitochondrial biogenesis.8 This means that one supplement can enhance your existing mitochondria and help you grow new ones, all while acting as an incredibly powerful antioxidant.

1. K. A. Bauerly et al., “Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Nutritional Status Alters Lysine Metabolism and Modulates Mitochondrial DNA Content in the Mouse and Rat,” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1760, no. 11 (November 2006): 1741–48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2006.07.009.

2. Calliandra B. Harris et al., “Dietary Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Alters Indicators of Inflammation and Mitochondrial-Related Metabolism in Human Subjects,” The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 24, no. 12 (December 2013): 2076–84, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2013.07.008.

3. K. Bauerly et al., “Altering Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Nutritional Status Modulates Mitochondrial, Lipid, and Energy Metabolism in Rats,” PLoS One 6, no. 7 (2011): e21779, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021779.

4. Kana Nunome et al., “Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Prevents Oxidative Stress-Induced Neuronal Death Probably Through Changes in Oxidative Status of DJ-1,” Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 31, no. 7 (July 2008): 1321–26, https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.31.1321.

5. Francene M. Steinberg, M. Eric Gershwin, and Robert B. Rucker, “Dietary Pyrroloquinoline Quinone: Growth and Immune Response in BALB/c Mice,” The Journal of Nutrition 124, no. 5 (May 1994): 744–53, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/124.5.744.

6. Kei Ohwada et al., “Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Prevents Cognitive Deficit Caused by Oxidative Stress in Rats,” Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition 42, no. 1 (January 2008): 29–34, https://doi.org/10.3164/jcbn.2008005.

7. Bo-qing Zhu et al., “Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Decreases Myocardial Infarct Size and Improves Cardiac Function in Rat Models of Ischemia and Ischemia/Reperfusion,” Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 18, no. 6 (November 2004): 421–31, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10557-004-6219-x.

8. Pere Puigserver, “Tissue-Specific Regulation of Metabolic Pathways Through the Transcriptional Coactivator PGC1-alpha,” International Journal of Obesity 29, Supplement 1 (March)

chromium & vanadyl

A powerful intervention to controlling your blood sugar is to take 400 to 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate daily with 25 to 100 mg of vanadyl sulfate, ideally at the same time you eat carbohydrates. These minerals lower the blood sugar spike that occurs after meals, even if you have healthy blood sugar levels. In diabetic animals, vanadyl sulfate lowers blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.10 And chromium reduces glucose levels and insulin resistance to help prevent type 2 diabetes. These supplements are quite affordable, but evidence suggests taking higher doses than the government recommends.

• Patrick Poucheret et al., “Vanadium and Diabetes,” Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 188, no. 1–2 (November 1998): 73–80, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006820522587.

• Henry C. Lukaski, “Lessons from Micronutrient Studies in Patients with Glucose Intolerance and Diabetes Mellitus: Chromium and Vanadium,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, November 8, 2000, https://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/conferences/lukaski_abstract.html.)

go get some sun

A recent study of twenty-nine thousand women in Sweden who were tracked over twenty years concluded that “avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking.” The study showed that people who avoided the sun had a reduced life expectancy of between 0.6 and 2.1 years.1

1. Pelle G. Lindqvist et al., “Avoidance of Sun Exposure as a Risk Factor for Major Causes of Death: A Competing Risk Analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden Cohort,” Journal of Internal Medicine 280, no. 4 (October 2016): 375–87, https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12496.)

excess blue light

Excess blue light also causes inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, primarily because of its impact on glucose control. In the evening, exposure to blue light causes a peak in glucose levels, leading to higher blood sugar and an increase in insulin resistance.1 This means your blood sugar is higher than it should be, and your body doesn’t adequately move that sugar out of your bloodstream. The result is that you are at a greater risk of weight gain2 and developing type 2 diabetes

1. Bhagyesh R. Sarode et al., “Light Control of Insulin Release and Blood Glucose Using an Injectable Photoactivated Depot,” Molecular Pharmacology 13, no. 11 (November 7, 2016): 3835–41, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00633; Marla Paul, “Exposure to Bright Light May Alter Blood Sugar,” Futurity, May 19, 2016, https://www.futurity.org/bright-light-metabolism-1166262–2/.

2. Nataliya A. Rybnikova, A. Haim, and Boris A. Portnov, “Does Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure Contribute to the Worldwide Obesity Pandemic?,” International Journal of Obesity 40, no. 5 (May 2016): 815–23, https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.255.)

reduce blue light

Other than a cup of coffee right before bed, nothing is more like kryptonite for your sleep than bright blue or white light in the evening. It truly makes you old in several different ways. Blue light is everywhere—we get normal amounts from the sun, but we get large, unbalanced doses from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used in energy-efficient bulbs and to illuminate the screens on TVs, computers, tablets, and smartphones. Blue light has a short wavelength, so it produces more energy than light frequencies with a longer wavelength, like red light. The odds are high you’ve heard some of this already but dismissed how big of a problem it is on your path to optimal health.

The data is convincing, and it’s easier than you think to transform blue light into only a minor problem. Blue light is not all bad. Exposure to blue light during the day wakes you up, makes you more alert, and can even improve your mood. White- or blue-light emitting goggles and panels are used to treat a number of issues such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), jet lag, and premenstrual syndrome.1 The problem is that newer artificial lights like LEDs and compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs don’t contain most of the infrared, violet, and red light that’s found in sunlight. Instead, they increase the intensity of blue light to a level that our eyes, brains, and bodies haven’t evolved to handle. This is what has come to be known as  “junk light” because it’s just as unhealthy and aging as junk food. You’re bombarded with junk light throughout the day and for much of the night—when you’re on your phone, working at your computer, or watching TV—and all this blue light exposure messes with your sleep.2

Blue light shifts your circadian rhythm in part by suppressing melatonin, the hormone that tells your brain when it’s time to sleep. This tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime 24/7. Normally, the pineal gland, a pea-sized gland in the brain, starts releasing melatonin a couple of hours before it’s time to go to bed. But blue light can mess with this process by stimulating a type of light sensor called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in the retina of the eye. These sensors send light information to the circadian clock, telling the body when it’s time to sleep and wake up using more than just melatonin.3 When light sensors are stimulated by blue light at night, you have a harder time falling asleep.

A 2014 study found that people who read from a light-emitting device before bed took longer to fall asleep, slept less deeply, and were more alert than people who read a printed book.4 The amount of blue light you’re exposed to at night has also been linked to rapid aging. The mitochondria in your eyes have to produce a lot more energy than normal to process blue light. When the mitochondria in your eyes are overtaxed, the rest of your mitochondria get stressed, too. This causes metabolic problems and inflammation throughout the body, which of course increases your risk of a premature decline in health.

One study found that adults who were exposed to blue light while eating in the evening had higher glucose levels, slower metabolisms, and more insulin resistance compared to adults who ate in dim light.5 Get some old school low-watt incandescent bulbs, and/or a dimmer swtich to keep the intensity down. It’s way cheaper than diabetes. People exposed to high levels of outdoor blue light at night also have a higher risk of developing breast cancer and prostate cancer, compared to those who had less exposure.6

Other studies have found that a disrupted circadian clock increases your risk of cancer.7 Blue light exposure is also linked to obesity and metabolic disorders, which are both significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Blue light can also lead to macular degeneration—damage to the retina that often leads to vision loss.8 More than 11 million people over the age of sixty have some form of macular degeneration, so it’s a significant issue.9

• 1. Robert E. Strong et al., “Narrow-Band Blue-Light Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults and the Influence of Additional Nonseasonal Symptoms,” Depression and Anxiety 26, no. 3 (2009): 273–78, https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20538.

• 2.Gianluca Tosini, Ian Ferguson, and Kazuo Tsubota, “Effects of Blue Light on the Circadian System and Eye Physiology,” Molecular Vision 22 (January 24, 2016): 61–72, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26900325; Anne-Marie Chang et al., “Evening Use of Light-Emitting eReaders Negatively Affects Sleep, Circadian Timing, and Next-Morning Alertness,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 112, no. 4 (January 27, 2015): 1232–37, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1418490112.

• 3. Tosini, Ferguson, and Tsubota, “Effects.”

• 4. Chang et al., “Evening Use.”

• 5. Karine Spiegel et al., “Effects of Poor and Short Sleep on Glucose Metabolism and Obesity Risk,” Nature Reviews Endocrinology 5, no. 5 (2009): 253–61, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.23.

• 6. Ariadna Garcia-Saenz et al., “Evaluating the Association Between Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study),” Environmental Health Perspectives 126, no. 4 (April 23, 2018): 047011, https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1837.

• 7. Aziz Sancar et al., “Circadian Clock Control of the Cellular Response to DNA Damage,” FEBS Letters 584, no. 12 (June 18, 2010): 2618–25, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2010.03.017.

• 8. .Tosini, Ferguson, and Tsubota, “Effects.”

• 9. .Bright Focus Foundation, “Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Facts and Figures,” last modified January 5, 2016, https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-figures.)

kill senescent cells

fisetin, a polyphenol found in seaweed and strawberries. One study showed that high doses of fisetin could kill up to 50 percent of senescent cells in a particular organ.1 While research on how to use fisetin to most effectively destroy zombie cells isn’t complete, research indicates that it is a cognitive enhancer.2 This is likely thanks to its direct antioxidant activity and ability to increase levels of other antioxidants in your cells. More antioxidants equals less oxidative stress and more energy throughout the body, including your brain!

• 1.“Animal Data Shows Fisetin to Be a Surprisingly Effective Senolytic,” Fight Aging!, October 3, 2018, https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2018/10/animal-data-shows-fisetin-to-be-a-surprisingly-effective-senolytic/.

• 2.Pamela Maher, “How Fisetin Reduces the Impact of Age and Disease on CNS Function,” Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition) 7 (June 1, 2015): 58–82, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961687.)

shorten telomeres with exercise

Exercise is another important way of preventing early telomere shortening. Researchers in Germany looked at telomere length in four groups of people: those who were young and sedentary, those who were young and active, those who were middle-aged and sedentary, and those who were middle-aged and active. There wasn’t much of a difference between the two groups of young people, but when the participants were middle-aged, the change in telomere lengths was striking. The sedentary middle-aged folks had telomeres that were 40% shorter than the young people, while the active middle-aged folks had telomeres that were only 10 percent shorter than the young people. In other words, the active group reduced their telomere shortening by 75 percent.1 Exercise significantly reduces perceived stress levels and inflammation,2 which may help to explain these results.

• 1. Gretchen Reynolds, “Phys Ed: How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young,” New York Times Well, January 27, 2010, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/phys-ed-how-exercising-keeps-your-cells-young/?scp=1&sq=how%20exercising%20keeps%20your%20cells%20young&st=cse.

• 2. Angela R. Starkweather, “The Effects of Exercise on Perceived Stress and IL-6 Levels Among Older Adults,” Biological Research for Nursing 8, no. 3 (January 2007): 186–94, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17172317.

glyphosate

In May 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” based on animal studies showing that glyphosate caused tumor growth and higher incidents of cancer. The WHO investigation also found that glyphosate is probably genotoxic (meaning it causes mutations in DNA) and increases oxidative stress, which triggers inflammation and speeds up aging. Glyphosate also mimics estrogen, which might explain why it causes human breast cancer cells to grow in vitro.5 Roundup itself is directly toxic to mitochondria6 and even more toxic to human placental cells than glyphosate7 alone. Even more worrisome, the gly- in glyphosate stands for glycine, an amino acid prevalent in collagen, the protein in your skin’s connective tissue. Glyphosate is actually a glycine molecule attached to a methylphosphonyl group (which happens to be a precursor to chemical weapons). This means that when you consume glyphosate it can be incorporated into your collagen matrix just like glycine. In 2017, the Boston University School of Public Health released research showing that glyphosate substituting for glycine disrupts multiple proteins necessary for kidney health and may contribute to kidney disease.8

• 5.Siriporn Thongprakaisang et al., “Glyphosate Induces Human Breast Cancer Cells Growth via Estrogen Receptors,” Food and Chemical Toxicology 59 (September 2013): 129–36, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2013.05.057.

• 6.Francisco Peixoto, “Comparative Effects of the Roundup and Glyphosate on Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation,” Chemosphere 61, no. 8 (December 2005): 1115–22, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.03.044.

• 7.Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff, “Glyphosate, Pathways to Modern Diseases IV: Cancer and Related Pathologies,” Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry 15 (2015): 121–59, https://doi.org/10.4024/11SA15R.jbpc.15.03.

• 8.Stephanie Seneff and Laura F. Orlando, “Glyphosate Substitution for Glycine During Protein Synthesis as a Causal Factor in Mesoamerican Nephropathy,” Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology 8, no. 1 (2018): 541, https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0525.1000541.

high-glycemic post workout meals

Glycemic load is a term that describes the effect of food on blood sugar. The higher the glycemic load, the more it spikes your blood sugar and insulin. There has been a growing public awareness to the glycemic factor and how it affects our health. Nevertheless, this has been one of the most misunderstood issues, particularly in the area of sport nutrition. One of the most common fallacies is that high-glycemic protein meals promote muscle gain. Commercial protein products are often packed with a high sugar content, claiming to deliberately spike insulin and thereby promote muscle gain. It has been speculated that since insulin is an anabolic hormone, it will promote protein deposit in the muscle when overspiked. That’s the idea … but that’s not what happens in real life.

In real life, high-glycemic protein meals are countereffective to your muscle. There are two reasons why:

• First, exercise causes temporary disruption in glucose utilization in your muscle. That’s due to muscle microtrauma (the wear and tear of the muscle tissue). Hence, right after exercise, your muscle can’t tolerate high-glycemic meals.

• Second, high-glycemic meals impair your insulin, disrupt your muscle mTOR, and shatter your muscle protein synthesis. mTOR is the biological mechanism that builds your muscle, and it can’t be fully activated when your insulin is insensitive

Chronic intake of high-glycemic meals has been shown to cause hyperinsulinemia, a condition in which insulin is chronically overspiked. Hyperinsulinemia has been linked to uncontrollable fat gain as well as irreversible damage to insulin receptors and devastation of the muscular system.

whey

Whey is a by-product of cheese manufacturing. It was initially discarded as waste or used for animal feed, but later on scientists discovered that it was an outstandingly beneficial food. Not only was whey found to be a most viable protein source, but it has also gained a reputation as one of the most powerful immunosupportive foods available. The nutritional properties of whey are truly remarkable. But to make use of them, you have to be careful about the whey that you choose. Not all whey products are the same.

Unfortunately, most whey products today are derived from ultrapasteurized milk of factory-farm cows. These products are typically overly processed, overheated, and damaged. Also, beware of products labeled as whey isolate. These are devoid of vital nutritional cofactors and therefore don’t fit the criteria of quality protein.

The protein industry is a booming business. To maximize profitability, many manufacturers choose to produce cheap proteins often drenched with chemical additives and toxic substances. Based on 2010 consumer reports, some of the most popular whey protein brands in the United States were found to contain alarming concentrations of heavy metals. That’s including cadmium, arsenic, and lead. Quality is not a concern when money is the main motive. To make you buy their product, protein distributors use false claims supported by pseudoscience. The truth is that most commercial proteins today, including whey products, are unfit for human consumption (or even animal consumption).

low sperm quality!!

In a study done on 474 males in Loma Linda, researchers discovered some very striking differences in the sperm quality of vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians versus those who consumed meat. Yes, sperm quality! This is actually a very useful measure for assessing the nutrient adequacy of a diet. Studies at Harvard show that men who consumed the most fruit and vegetables had the worst sperm quality. These poor broccoli-munching fellows demonstrated both a lower number of sperm and sperm that seemed lackadaisical rather than the energetic critters they’re supposed to be. The study of Loma Linda males echoed these findings: “Lacto-ovo vegetarians had lower sperm concentration. Total motility was lower in the lacto-ovo and vegan groups versus non-vegetarians. Vegans had lowest hyperactive motility …The study showed that the vegetables-based food intake decreased sperm quality . In particular, a reduction in sperm quality in male factor patients would be clinically significant and would require review.”

collagen acts like fiber

It appears that animals and humans can ferment collagenous tissues from animal meat into short-chain fatty acids. Collagen is the protein that composes most of the connective tissue in our body, including bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. A study done on cheetahs, examining the ability of their microbiota to ferment these connective tissues into short-chain fatty acids, found the following conclusion:

“Collagen induced an acetate production comparable with [plant fiber] and a markedly high acetate-to-propionate ratio (8.41:1) compared with all other substrates…This study provides the first insight into the potential of animal tissues to influence large intestinal fermentation in a strict carnivore, and indicates that animal tissues have potentially similar functions as soluble or insoluble plant fibers.”

A nose-to-tail carnivore diet provides ample amounts of collagen for the production of short-chain fatty acids.