@alex155 said in Serotonin question:

for those who are afraid of tryptophan and serotonin, this study about B. subtilis will be interesting, what bacteria should be avoided, but I assure you that you won't even be able to take a shit without serotonin... and for now I will continue to experiment on myself

B.subtilis has shown to be capable of secreting polymyxin, difficidin, subtilin, and mycobacillin. 20210426_190216.jpg
https://microchemlab.com/microorganisms/bacillus-subtilis/

thus reducing overall unwanted bacteria.

I'd also seriously question the idea that forcing your body into being 10% bodyfat is healthy and not reliant on stress metabolism.

@lobotomize-me said in need advice:

taurine

I'd stop taking taurine, but not abruptly, every other day. Taurine is used for making bile. We want to avoid stagnation. Afterwards cut the dose to max 500 mg, once a day. And see how you react (adapt the posology).
Note that 10 % fat is not enough, if you want to avoid problems with hormones and thermoregulation. I'd target 20% fat.

useful info:
Taurine plays a crucial role in bile production by acting as a substrate for the formation of bile salts. These bile salts, formed by conjugating bile acids with taurine or glycine, are essential for emulsifying fats and aiding in their digestion and absorption in the small intestine. The liver synthesizes bile acids, which are then conjugated with taurine and glycine, and stored in the gallbladder. Upon ingestion of fatty foods, these bile salts are released into the intestine, where they help break down fats.

I think I got an answer after thinking and sleeping and thinking about this for a long, long time. I could not put the difference between the alpha isomer and the gamma isomer in a context that is practical. Saying alpha is nucleophilic and gamma is electrophilic does not make me know which really to take. So I end up taking one over the other or both of them, just so I am safely protected whatever that means. But that just means I'm stumbling in the dark and no expert can ever give me an explanation I can really use.

Then it hit me. And I had to check with my Delphi Ray Peats AI to see if my 'more practical' explanation makes more sense. And he agreed with me.

So here it is. Boiled down and extracted of its essence, alpha-tocopherol based tocopherols are more useful when taken when you are eating out and you know you will be eating an unavoidable amount of PUFAs which always accompanied foods served, especially in popular restos where taste is paramount and chefs are paid for flavor and not for health (but of course as who goes to healthful restos but vegans and is veganism even that healthful but we can agree the flavor is zero). So, the bottom line is use it when you eat where you know you'll be eating a lot of PUFAs. Hopefully that won't be the case often, and doesn't give you an excuse to eat out too often and thinking the alpha tocopherol-heavy vitamin E is an amulet to ward off the lipid peroxidation devil.

In short, it is taken to keep the lipid peroxidation from getting atarted.

OTOH, gamma-tocopherol is meant to be taken for keeping the oxidized cholesterol in the plaque lining our blood vessels from undergoing further oxidation. Oxidized cholesterol, as Ray Peat clarified with me, is not all fully oxidized. It continues to oxidize as plaque. I think it should be called continually oxidizing cholesterol to be more accurate and to be less misleading. Gamma to opherol then is useful for those of us who have a past history of taking PUFAs and which have come to be part of our plaque as continually oxidizing cholesterol.

I've stopped taking PUFAs at home for 9 years already, but I have a PUFA past, so I would be big on taking gamma-tocopherol-heavy mixed tocopherols for my vitamin E supplementation.

I suspect the lipid peroxidation it carries out requires my body to use albumin (as well as other antioxidants such as uric acid) as an antioxidant to counter the oxidative stress caused by lipid peroxidation. As albumin gets oxidized and gets excreted thru urine (characterized by urine foam or froth), it depletes my serum albumin and this lowers the blood volume (as albumin attracts sodium and sodium attracts more water) and this is a main cause of my high blood pressure.

Anyway, to keep this topic from devolving, suffice it to remember gamma-tocopherol is needed for lipid peroxidation already begun and continuing in the plaque of our blood vessels.

But when I eat out, or when I am on food trips on travels, I'll bring a d-alpha tocopherol-heavy vitamin E with me.

I think people have been pretty civil here without any heavy-handed enforcement from the moderators. The main things are no violent threats, no spam, no AI slop. You can mute and block people who offend you, or even better, gently ridicule them.

@DavidPS said in Gut Bifidobacteria Populations in Human Health and Aging:

Bifidobacteria is considered a keystone ins\testial species and its propulations appear to decline with age.

aeecb699-aa85-4e9f-8f24-d37342dd1b1e-image.png

Gut Bifidobacteria Populations in Human Health and Aging

I have been supplementing with the probiotic Bifidobacterium Infantis in the hope of restoring more youthful levels of the bacteria. I have not tested my levels of Bifidobacterium Infantis so I do not know if it works. The thread has some information about it helping with digestion.

@pittybitty Mixed tocopherols, the cleanest supplement you can find, 400 IU as needed, is what I'm doing.

@Milk-Destroyer 1. Yep, 25 capsules and you're right, might've been an issue with the supplement. Although i noticed some positive results like whiter teeth which makes me think it might not be the supplement.

Yes, Cypro was interesting for me too. I think it helped my poops but made me moody and tired to the point where it wasn't really worth it.

You're right, I've stopped everything except thyroid. Interestingly, 50mg Niacinamide makes the diarrhoea from milk less severe. It's still diarrhea so still pretty shit lol

Appreciate your help 🙂

All three posters above in this thread raise some very good points.

The problem I have with a term like "dopamine fasting" is that the proponents - although well-meaning - make it sound like dopamine release is the villain. It doesn't ask the question why people, increasingly in my observation, feel the need to consume what is called supernormal stimuli in order to increase their dopamine levels. The current dopamine fasting trend sounds like high dopamine releases are the problem itself and not just a symptom.

OP mentions the anecdote with the kid that gave up computer games after abstaining for 30 days. I know people like that from real life, so it's not just anecdotes. But what happens if you abstain for 30 days and your problems are still the same after those 30 days - whether the problem is hormonal or psychological? Wouldn't you just continue doing the same stuff as before? My guess would be that the kid lost the desire for computer games, because he spent time with friends, maybe playing some sports, spent more time outside, and realized that this is actually better than counter strike.

I remember in one episode of the GE podcast Danny asked Dr. Peat about porn addicts, and Peat said something like "I think they just need a girlfriend". While that may have been a partial joke and is not as easy as it sounds, I think there's also some truth to it. If you have the experience that "the real thing" is better, more fullfilling and less shallow than pixels on a screen, that might abolish your desire for the fake alternative.

I have tried meditation in the past and it helps me to just deal with life and become calmer. I have never looked into any connection to thyroid function, so I don't have any input here. The only thing I know is that experienced meditators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex and a better connectivity between certain brain areas.

@orgon wow cool
thanks for the info

@newyear2025
Stop doing coffee with collagen between meals. Do it with meals or don’t do it. Or add milk and sugar.

Protein and caffeine on empty stomach… 😐

@heyman It's probably the single safest approach after just cutting it off clean, which is very difficult to do if not trained, especially on one's self.

I would drop all supplements and eat only what i crave while trying to include orange juice, dairy and eggs, and see how that goes. rice with butter for when i crave starch.
The vast majority of supplements cause problems. Have you tried bag breathing?

Thyroid and microbiote
Does the thyroid impact the microbiome? (Conversation with Google IA)
Yes, the thyroid gland and the gut microbiome have a reciprocal relationship, meaning they influence each other. Thyroid hormones can affect the composition and function of the gut microbiome, and conversely, the gut microbiome can impact thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism.
How Thyroid Impacts Gut Microbiota?
Altered Gut Microbiota Composition:
Studies have shown that thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, are associated with changes in the types and amounts of bacteria in the gut. For example, some studies have found a decrease in beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in hyperthyroidism, while others have observed increased levels of certain bacteria like Veillonella and Paraprevotella in hypothyroidism.
Immune System Modulation:
Thyroid hormones can influence the immune system, and the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in shaping the immune system. Alterations in the gut microbiome due to thyroid issues can lead to immune dysregulation, which can potentially contribute to or exacerbate autoimmune thyroid diseases. (As our diet has several components that modulate the immune system this might explain why our diet contributes to a more stable thyroid function, when bringing appropriate useful nutrients like Se, I or Fe).
DOI: 10.4236/fns.2012.33059
Thyroid diseases can exacerbate disturbances in the microbiota. Inducing immune-inflammatory responses, altering iodothyronine metabolism, and affecting thyroid-associated micronutrient absorption are potential pathways through which the microbiota and metabolites are involved in thyroid homeostasis. Nevertheless, the causal relationships between gut microbiota and thyroid diseases, how gut microbiota modulates thyroid autoimmunity, and the specific mechanisms by which a particular bacterium or core flora triggers thyroid diseases, are still poorly understood.
Source: Front. Endocrinol., August 2022
The relationships between the gut microbiota and its metabolites with thyroid diseases.
How Gut Microbiota Impacts Thyroid (through the thyroid hormone synthesis)

The gut microbiota can influence the availability of essential nutrients, like iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron, which are crucial for thyroid hormone synthesis.

Inflammation and "Leaky Gut"
Dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiome) can disrupt the gut barrier, potentially leading to increased inflammation and "leaky gut," which can further impact thyroid health and potentially contribute to autoimmune thyroid conditions.
Summary
In essence, the thyroid and the gut microbiome are intricately linked, and disruptions in one can affect the other, highlighting the importance of a healthy gut for overall thyroid health and vice versa.

@16characterstwas @EagleTwoRomeo

Hope those help.
Again, I wouldn’t take more than 4 or 5 mcg per hr, since that’s around the amount the body normally produces per hour (If I really wanted to take more i would take 4 or 5 mcg/hr several times a day rather than all at once)
Above all It’s important to go by how one feels. If i got jittery I’d stop and then when restarting make sure i took it less frequently, ie a lower total amount per day.

Is it possible that I'm disrupting my peristalsis by eating too much fiber?

fiber.png

Now brand has a nice vit e with gamma.