#217: Ben Lynch, ND: Methylation, Metabolism & Dirty Genes

Gene expert Dr. Ben Lynch helps us to better understand which flavor of genes we  have and how that may affect things like food cravings, fat adaptation and hormone  metabolism. 

If you crave sugar and sweets, it’s not that you’re broken, he says. You may have a flavor of COMT or MAO that influences neurotransmitter breakdown and metabolism. 

This episode is brought to you by:

Try Somnifix.com, the worlds only hypoallergenic mouth tape, studied at Harvard.
https://www.somnifix.com

Health IQ, an insurance company that helps health conscious people like weightlifters, cyclist, keto dieters and vegetarians get lower rates on their life insurance.

Get a Free Quote: http://healthiq.com/HIH

Now for today’s show…

I think this knowledge is super helpful when it comes to personalizing a diet and exercise program that will work for you in the long term. 

Dr. Lynch and I also dive into the methylation cycle and how it is involved in the 
synthesis of many key molecules needed to burn fat for fuel

Hope you enjoy the convo.

Show notes and video: https://highintensityhealth.com/2017

 

 

He’s got a great new book out, called Dirty Genes—I posted a quick summary of that, here: https://highintensityhealth.com/2017

Key Takeaways:

05:21 Methylation occurs in every cell all over the body. In the brain it makes neurotransmitters.
06:23 Carnitine is required during intermittent fasting, ketosis and general fat consumption.
07:39 One sign that you are not methylating well would be an active startle reflex.
09:24 Methylation’s primary job is to turn off genes. It does turn some on.
10:17 Most methyl groups are found in protein. The cobalamins produced by gut bacteria is used only by our gut bacteria.
13:40 Stop taking folic acid.
21:24 Methylation plays a minor but significant role in detoxification.
23:49 Foods to support detoxification include cruciferous vegetables, eggs, and broccoli and radish sprouts eaten together.
27:05 If you are having high reactive nitrogen species or high reactive oxygen species, your attempts at keto will fail.
29:04 If NQO1 is not functioning well, CoQ10, vitamin C, glutathione and vitamin E supplements may do harm.
29:46 High dopamine quinone levels are found in those of us with dementia, neurological disorders, and Parkinson’s. The vitamin needed to run NQO1 is riboflavin.
32:00 Estrogen quinones lead to estrogen sensitive cancers.
32:26 Excessive levels of dopamine in your brain will lead to more norepinephrine and epinephrine.
40:30 If you have a faster COMT, eat more protein and perhaps supplement with more tyrosine.
42:00 Fast COMT/inattentive folks fidget and move to stimulate their brains to make dopamine.
43:37 Slower COMT is associated with PMS, estrogen based cancers, insomnia and higher blood pressures.
50:15 A fast MAOA depletes your serotonin levels and burns through your tryptophan.
56:34 You don’t have to be on a ketogenic diet to burn fat.
01:00:03 Excessive exercise and overtraining causes inflammation, which causes increased blood sugar, which kicks you out of ketosis.
01:03:40 The other Super Seven Genes
01:05:28 Check your arsenic levels.
01:06:20 Stop thinking disease and focus on function.
01:09:35 Every action you take cleans your genes or dirties your genes.
01:10:45 Dr. Lynch’s morning routine is one of personal growth and deep work.
01:16:00 Dr. Lynch’s desert island nutrient is liposomal glutathione.
01:17:05 Dr. Lynch’s elevator pitch: The cure for all conditions is preventing it.