Q&A: January Rapid Fire

I've never heard a podcast on nicotine that I was impressed with because tobacco is usually bashed, or if the podcast is about tobacco it is all about energy and the teacher aspect of the plant. That was the primary inspiration to have this monologue on why I smoke a cigar almost everyday. I talk about: the antivírál, anti fungal, and neuroprotective effects of cembranoid diterpenes in tobacco and how their mechanism of action differs from nicotine, how tobacco protects us from organophosphates, the controversial research on pregnancy and how smoking tobacco reduces complications, my four top supplements that every smoker should be taking everyday, the multiple ways that melatonin supplementation protects the lungs and vascular system, the cadmium and tobacco connection and which supplement remedies that problem, and much more. Big tobacco did not sponsor this podcast and I have no affiliate link for cigars, although I share my favorite brands at the end. You are on your own on sourcing them. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: www.huemanpictures.com  

The topic of fluoride is a big one so this is just an introductory show about why I personally use it and question the health educators that say nobody should use ever it. Rather than dive into studies in this show, I talk about the advantage of fluorapatite over hydroxyapatite and how utilizing sodium fluoride topically provides all day protection from acid attacks and demineralization of the enamel. I talk about the roles of magnesium and vitamin K2 in regulating oral health, why I chew xylitol gum, my thoughts on Dr Ellie's protocol, and which flosser and toothbrush I use.  My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: www.huemanpictures.com  

In this month's Q&A show, I answer questions in a rapid fire fashion. Listener questions include: How we keep our animals flea free? What do I recommend for postpartum hair loss? Any updates on my mold situation? Can you take Dissolve It All (Mitolife systemic enzymes) at the same time as other supplements? What are my favorite supplements and practices for liver health? What do I think about peptides? How do you correct a zinc and copper imbalance? What are my biggest regrets in my health journey? Why do I prefer niacinamide over TruNiagen (nicotinamide riboside/NR)? What are the best supplements for a pilot to take? My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: https://www.huemanpictures.com  

There is a lot of all-or-nothing approaches in the health community on social media and I've noticed that the nuanced conversation around alcohol consumption is no exception. In this episode I talk about what alcohol gets converted into as it travels through our body, how it affects the gut and liver, alcohol's effects on our brain, and how the two enzymes that we use to metabolize it are dependent upon NAD+. I focus primarily on a multitude of solutions that vary in cost: why I prefer niacinamide to raise NAD, the study that showed how inhaling controlled amounts of carbon dioxide can increase alcohol clearance threefold, the complex relationship between alcohol and melatonin and why I don't agree with all of the internet articles saying to not mix them, how ascorbic acid/vitamin C mitigates many of the effects of alcohol including the changes in brain chemistry, the role of vitamin E in protecting from alcohol consumption, my favorite electrolytes to take before and after drinking, and the genetically modified bacteria shot I take everytime I drink, and why I love the Botanist dry gin. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: www.huemanpictures.com  

It has been really interesting to research mold and learn about the different approaches that people have to it. Seth Jones, founder of Superstratum Labs, joins me in this episode to talk about why throwing out all of your belongings that have been exposed to mold is a thing of the past. In the past fifteen years I've heard many stories about people moving out of their moldy homes and living in tents to restore their health. With a proper protocol, like what Seth designed, using hypochlorous acid, chlorine dioxide, and an innovative mold resistant coating that you can douse your bathroom in every month or two, we do not have to react in extreme ways to mold exposure anymore. He talks about mold testing versus mycotoxin testing, the negative health effects of mycophenolic acid, why we don't use bleach to kill mold, how and why we use chemistry to oxidize and break down mycotoxins, the three main areas in the home you'll find mold, why an oversized HVAC system is a huge problem, why to not use ozone on mold, how to use hypochlorous acid on your garden, why he likes nasal sprays for mold illness, and more. Order SuperStratum Lab home detox kits:  https://superstratumlabs.com/?ref=BLACKBURN Use the code BLACKBURN to save 10% My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: www.huemanpictures.com  

The night before I was to fly out to visit my family for Christmas I witnessed my basement raining down tons of water underneath my bathtub post soak. It turns out that all three contractors that worked on that custom lodestone bathtub did not check that it was sealed underneath the rocks. I've had the tub for four years and ever since then it has been feeding mold underneath in the drywall and insulation. The surprising thing is even with the exposure for at least the past three years I have been building my business, switching to a solo podcast format which takes more brain power, juggling multiple homestead building projects on top of Mitolife, and generally thriving in life. There's no doubt that there are levels of intensity of exposure. My situation is different from someone in a New York apartment with a landlord that doesn't care about its tenants thats been moldy for decades. However, the fact remains that I have definitely been exposed to mycotoxins and I have lived my life for the most part unfazed. I credit my robust health to the solutions that I share in this podcast. I was tagged in a FB mold reel this morning and the solutions were an air filter company that sends free units to influencers to promote them (scam), a crystal energy harmonizing device (very low priority), and crystal singing bowls. I almost spit out my coffee. This is the reason why I have this podcast and why I'm still on social media. Enjoy the real solutions to myctoxins that I share in this podcast. I talk about my favorite air filter that I have zero financial kickback from, the top supplements that someone should prioritize with mold illness, how high dose clean zeolite powder indirectly helps with mycotoxins, the mechanisms of how mycotoxins disrupt our cellular membranes, and the most affordable at-home protocols for restoring health from mold exposure. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Studies I reference: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8945704/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231718300934  

I have been hearing about iron overload since 2012 from various natural health educators. In 2019 the seeds that were sprouted in my mind fully developed as I completely embraced the idea that everybody has iron overload and nobody is iron deficient. I went full steam ahead with that idea for the next several years, making it a core part of my health message. I practiced what I preached and donated blood twice. The first time I felt superhuman - very mentally clear and energetic. The second time I donated blood it gave me extreme fatigue, brain fog, and muscular weakness that took me a long time to recover from. This show is not meant to disparage or restart a fight, but to make it crystal clear to those that don't follow me on social media my stance on iron. Many women and even some men (former vegans/vegetarians) are suffering from the symptoms of iron deficiency such as hair loss and fatigue. Most people are unaware that ascorbic acid suppresses hepcidin at 1000mg dose which increases non-heme iron absorption. That is important to know if you are trying to build your savings account (serum ferritin) with supplementing iron bisglycinate. I also talk about how L-lysine amino acid is underrated for restoring your iron status, the role of vitamin E, and how the widespread heavy metal toxicity makes iron deficiency worse. I talk about why serum ferritin is in fact an accurate representation of tissue iron stores according to top iron researchers, why zinc is crucial for proper iron metabolism, how you can tell if you are deficient in iron without any bloodwork, the best iron supplements i've found, the permanent brain damage to the baby that occurs if a pregnant women is iron deficient, and I ask why the Root Cause Protocol people never talk about iron deficiency without anemia and the three different stages. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by George Henner: https://georgehenner.bandcamp.com  

I receive a lot of health questions about how to remedy various debilitating conditions. One of the more concerning questions I receive frequently is regarding kidney failure. Why is there an epidemic of people with failing kidney function? It comes down to mitochondria dysfunction. Instead of focusing in one one study like most health educators do, my goal with these short shows is to paint broad strokes and cover the entire subject from a birds eye view all the way down to the mitochondrial level. Most importantly, as I cover various health conditions in future episodes, I will focus very heavily on the solutions, citing research and mechanisms to back up each of the proposed supplements or protocols. In the case of the kidneys, it comes down to one protein: mitochondrial transcription factor A, or TFAM. When that critical protein inside mitochondria in your kidneys becomes deficient, energy production falls and tissue function decreases, hence, kidney failure. It always comes back to mitochondria. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by George Henner: https://georgehenner.bandcamp.com Two studies I referenced: Mitochondrial Energetics in the Kidneys https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5965678/#:~:text=The%20kidney%20is%20one%20of,pressure%20in%20the%20glomeruli5. Loss of Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (TFAM) in Tubule Cells Causes Renal Failure https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3346980  

In this months Q&A episode I answer listener questions including: What are my thoughts on B vitamins? Should we supplement them or get them from food? What is one thing the anti PUFA crowd gets wrong? What are my thoughts on testing omega 3:6 ratio from a dried blood spot sample? What do I think about Dr Matthew Walker on Diary of a CEO Podcast saying "don't supplement large doses of melatonin"? What is a good dose of melatonin for kids? Have I ever taken melatonin to lower anxiety? What do I think about red light and PEMF mats? What is my parasite strategy? What belief or mindset shift created the biggest change in my health? I share why I think vitamin B3 as niacinamide/nicotinamide is one of the most important ones to take, how B3 protects against several different types of cancers, why cigars don't protect from pathogens in oysters, the immense stress lowering effect I felt when I stopped demonizing ascorbic acid, zinc, iron, and vitamin D supplements, and why I think the should observe the diets of deer and elk with the PUFA conversation instead of getting lost in analyzing endless research studies.  My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co BLACK FRIDAY SALE STARTS MONDAY 11/24 Some of the studies cited in the show:  NIacinamide skin cancer study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4570055/ Niacinamide non hodgkin lymphoma study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37467318/ PUFAs as Anti-Freeze article: https://www.anbg.gov.au/cryptogams/underworld/panel-13/index.html Music by George Henner: https://georgehenner.bandcamp.com

There are many different philosophies in the natural health world about where people should start with their health. Some focus on increasing carbs, some focus on increasing protein, some focus on both. I've heard people in the Ray Peat community say that heavy metal detox is a fad and its not important. For the first half of the show I break down why I think its a great place to start, the biochemistry of exactly how heavy metals harm our cells, how car exhaust contributes to their accumulation, and my thoughts on tracking using HTMA and the Oligoscan. In the second half I talk about solutions, starting with the most affordable to the least affordable. I reference a study looking at the difference in heavy metal excretion of 5 metals using sweating in a sauna or sweating during exercise and which one they found to be more effective. I talk about why I supplement magnesium, zinc, shilajit, and high dose melatonin everyday, and how fiber and high dose zeolite powder can also help. This is by no means a comprehensive show that includes every nuance of heavy metal toxicity. The focus was to make it interesting, digestible, and share actionable steps no matter where you are financially. My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by George Henner: https://georgehenner.bandcamp.com