World No.1 Biohacking Expert: I Tested 100,000 People's DNA. This Diet Will Kill You - Gary Brecka

Gary Brecka, a human biologist, and Dr. Carrie Jones discuss the impact of genetic methylation on health, highlighting the importance of understanding gene mutations and nutrient deficiencies. Brecka explains how genetic mutations, like those in the MTHFR gene, can lead to various health issues, including mental illness and gut problems, and emphasizes the importance of supplementing with activated nutrients. They also discuss the significance of community, purpose, and simple health practices like grounding, breathwork, and red light therapy in promoting longevity and overall well-being.

• Anxiety often lacks a specific external trigger and is tied to internal deficiencies.
• Gary Brea, a human biologist, emphasizes the importance of internal health in managing anxiety and other common ailments.
• Deficiencies in specific nutrients can lead to mental health issues like ADHD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and sleep disorders.

"No one really tells people that have anxiety what it is, and this is why very often people don't have a specific trigger they can point to."

• Anxiety is often misattributed to external factors instead of internal deficiencies.

"The truth is that they are deficient usually."

• Nutrient deficiencies are a common underlying cause of anxiety.

• Genetic testing can identify mutations that contribute to health issues.
• Common gene mutations, like those affecting methylation, can lead to various health problems.
• Gary Brea advocates for widespread genetic testing to identify and address these deficiencies.

"You did it to look at whether your parents gave you a gene mutation."

• Genetic testing can reveal inherited mutations that impact health.

"It's one of the most overlooked things in all modern medicine."

• Genetic mutations and their health impacts are often neglected in conventional medicine.

• Five key practices can help prevent chronic diseases.
• Focus on nutrient deficiencies and genetic predispositions.
• Regular testing and monitoring of health markers are crucial.

"There's five things that I would commit to doing on a regular basis."

• Specific lifestyle changes and regular health monitoring can prevent chronic diseases.

• Methylation is a critical process involving nutrient conversion in the body.
• Deficiencies in essential nutrients can disrupt methylation and lead to health issues.
• Correcting these deficiencies can significantly improve health.

"Methylation is essentially nutrient deficiencies in the human body."

• Methylation problems are often due to nutrient deficiencies.

"We believe very often that disease and pathology are happening to us, not something that happens within us."

• Health issues are often internal rather than external.

• People often know more about their businesses than their own bodies.
• Basic health data can guide personalized health interventions.
• Regular testing for biomarkers is essential for optimal health.

"We have more data on our businesses than we do on our Temple."

• People prioritize business data over personal health data.

"I just really encourage people to get data, basic data on their body."

• Basic health data is crucial for personalized health management.

• Many people are deficient in essential minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids.
• These deficiencies can lead to various health issues.
• Addressing these deficiencies should be the first step in any health intervention.

"It is astounding how many people are clinically deficient in some of those basics."

• Many people lack essential nutrients.

"That's where all human beings should start."

• Addressing basic nutrient deficiencies is the starting point for improving health.

• Three key biomarkers: glycemic profile, hormone panel, and nutrient deficiencies.
• Glycemic profile includes glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and insulin levels.
• Hormone panel and basic nutrient levels (vitamin D3, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B12) are also important.

"I would say three: glycemic profile, hormone panel, and basic nutrient deficiencies."

• Monitoring these biomarkers provides a comprehensive overview of health.

"Blood sugar is the root of all evil."

• Blood sugar regulation is crucial for overall health.

• A one-time genetic methylation test can provide valuable insights.
• Key genes to test: MTHFR, MTR, MTRR, AHCY, and COMT.
• These genes affect how the body processes nutrients and can indicate predispositions to certain health issues.

"A genetic methylation test is a test you'll do once in your lifetime."

• A single test can provide lifelong insights into nutrient processing.

"These five genes relate to how my body processes the things that I put into it."

• Understanding these genes helps in managing nutrient deficiencies and health.

• Anxiety can be linked to gene mutations affecting neurotransmitter breakdown.
• COMT gene mutation is specifically related to the breakdown of catecholamines.
• Proper supplementation can help manage anxiety symptoms.

"No one really tells people that have anxiety what it is."

• Anxiety is often misunderstood and misattributed.

"They are deficient usually in a complex of B vitamins."

• B vitamin deficiencies are common in those with anxiety-related gene mutations.

• Regular testing and personalized supplementation can address many health issues.
• Understanding and addressing genetic predispositions can lead to significant health improvements.
• Basic lifestyle changes and nutrient supplementation can prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life.

"I just really encourage people to get data, basic data on their body."

• Personalized health data is essential for effective health management.

"Find the raw material that's missing and put it back in their body."

• Addressing specific deficiencies can lead to significant health improvements.

• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is crucial for various bodily functions.
• The darker the skin complexion, the higher the risk of Vitamin D3 deficiency.
• Vitamin D3 is unique as it is synthesized by the human body through sunlight exposure.
• Deficiency in Vitamin D3 can lead to compromised immune systems, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
• Vitamin D3 acts both as a hormone and a vitamin.

"Without the people in the street, you would see that 50% of them are clinically deficient in vitamin D3 cholecalciferol, you know, the sunshine vitamin."

• Highlights the prevalence of Vitamin D3 deficiency in the general population.

"Vitamin D3 is the only vitamin that human beings make on our own. Every cell in the body has a receptor site for vitamin D3."

• Emphasizes the unique nature of Vitamin D3 synthesis and its widespread importance in the body.

"When we're deficient in this vitamin, this nutrient acts like a hormone sometimes, it acts like a vitamin other times."

• Vitamin D3's dual role in functioning as both a hormone and a vitamin.

• Many people are also deficient in Vitamin B12, with levels often less than 500.
• Hormone deficiencies are common, often due to nutrient deficiencies rather than endocrine issues.
• Deficiencies in DHEA and elevated SHBG can affect hormone levels.
• Supplementing with DHEA and Vitamin D3 can normalize hormone levels without external hormone intake.

"The majority of them are also B12 deficient if you look at the vitamin B12 you'd see it's less than 500."

• Highlights the common deficiency of Vitamin B12 in the population.

"By putting some of these raw materials very often DHEA and vitamin D3 alone back into men with deficient levels of testosterone or deficient levels of free testosterone... you see that the hormone levels rise back to the normal range."

• Shows the effectiveness of supplementing with DHEA and Vitamin D3 to normalize hormone levels.

• A significant percentage of the population is pre-diabetic due to high intake of refined carbohydrates.
• Pre-diabetes is not solely due to high sugar intake but also high glycemic carbohydrates like white flour, rice, and potatoes.
• Poor glycemic control can lead to various health issues, and knowing one's nutrient deficiencies can help manage it.

"You would see a shockingly high percentage of people that are pre-diabetic. It is an absolute pandemic right now because of the amount of processed foods."

• Emphasizes the widespread issue of pre-diabetes due to processed foods.

"When we eat diets high in refined carbohydrates even things that we don't consider to be sweets it overpowers our pancreas and our blood sugar gets out of control."

• Explains how high glycemic carbohydrates affect blood sugar control.

• Nutrients like amino acids in the gut become neurotransmitters, forming the basis of mood and behavior.
• Deficiencies in amino acids like tryptophan, phenylalanine, or tyrosine can lead to deficiencies in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, potentially leading to mental illness.

"Nutrients like amino acids in our gut become neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters form the basis of all mood; they drive our emotion and govern our behavior."

• Highlights the role of amino acids in forming neurotransmitters that affect mood and behavior.

"Is it possible that an amino acid like tryptophan or phenylalanine or tyrosine, which become serotonin and dopamine, the deficiencies in these amino acids could lead to deficiencies in hormones which could actually lead to deficiencies in neurotransmitters that would be labeled as mental illness? Yes."

• Connects amino acid deficiencies to potential mental health issues.

• Gathering basic information on hormone balance, glycemic control, and nutrient deficiencies can significantly improve health.
• Supplementing for deficiencies can lead to optimal health and performance.

"If we would get basic information, basic data on the body, hormone balance, glycemic control, nutrient deficiencies... you would see your body begin to thrive in ways you never thought possible."

• Stresses the importance of understanding and addressing basic health data for overall well-being.

• Works with high-profile individuals like Dana White, Steve Harvey, and Kendall Jenner.
• Emphasizes that his message is for the general public, not just celebrities.
• Aims to educate and inspire the masses to make health changes.

"Dana White, Steve Harvey, Stephen A Smith, Steve Aoki, Kendall Jenner... I don't necessarily want to be known as like a celebrity biologist or working with professional athletes and a-listers."

• Lists some high-profile clients and clarifies that his message is for everyone.

"My job is to put information out to the masses that is educational enough to inspire them to make a change."

• Emphasizes his mission to educate and inspire the general public.

• Experienced a significant personal and professional transformation.
• Initially focused on wealth, later realized the importance of serving humanity.
• Uses his knowledge to help people live healthier, happier, and longer lives.

"I spent so many years of my life not in service to humanity... I woke up one day and said what the hell am I doing. I have so much information... I could help people live healthier, happier, longer lives."

• Describes his personal transformation and realization of his mission to serve humanity.

"I found my purpose from my pain."

• Indicates that his purpose in life emerged from his own experiences and pain.

• Worked in the life insurance industry, predicting life expectancy for large policies.
• Realized the human aspect behind the data and felt restricted by legal limitations.
• Witnessed how nutrient deficiencies and medical errors could significantly impact health and mortality.

"We were charged with predicting the life expectancy of people for large life insurance and investment companies... The science of predicting that mortality is very accurate science."

• Describes his role in predicting life expectancy and the accuracy of the science behind it.

"I started to realize that there were human beings on the other side of these spreadsheets... I felt like I was really getting to know these people."

• Realized the human element behind the data and felt a personal connection to the individuals.

"I wanted to call them and just say Mrs. Jones, stop taking the corticosteroid, start supplementing vitamin D3, get your B12 level to here, let's fix your hormones."

• Expresses his frustration at not being able to directly help individuals due to legal restrictions.

• Observed that simple deficiencies were often mistaken for pathological conditions.
• Noticed that modern medicine often overlooks basic nutrient deficiencies.
• Believes that addressing these deficiencies can significantly improve health and prevent disease.

"I would see what would happen when simple deficiencies would be mistaken as a pathological condition... clinical deficiencies in vitamin D3 for prolonged periods of time eventually present as rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms."

• Observed that nutrient deficiencies were often misdiagnosed as more serious conditions.

"No one was looking at these basic nutrient deficiencies that we would see run in blood work that would cause all of these diseases to exacerbate."

• Criticizes modern medicine for overlooking basic nutrient deficiencies.

• Analyzed extensive data from medical records and gene tests.
• Found that addressing nutrient deficiencies can improve various health markers like homocysteine, hemoglobin A1c, and triglycerides.
• Advocates for using data to make informed health decisions and improve overall well-being.

"We see 20,000 new Gene tests a month... We see what happens when you have high homocysteine and you put a patient on an amino acid called trimethylglycine and the homocysteine comes down."

• Highlights the extensive data analysis and its implications for health recommendations.

"Very often disease is not happening to us, it's happening within us... because of deficiencies in the human body, not pathology in the human body."

• Emphasizes that many health issues are due to nutrient deficiencies rather than inherent pathology.

• Modifiable risk factors such as diet and lifestyle choices significantly impact chronic diseases and life expectancy.
• Correcting upstream issues rather than just treating symptoms can lead to better health outcomes.

"These are modifiable risk factors and I think how many times you know I would be reading a medical record I go well I know what this is going to happen this is just going to get worse because this patient has anemia."

• Many chronic conditions stem from lifestyle decisions that can be modified to improve health.

"These are all sort of symptoms of further upstream issues right like something that a decision that someone has made in their life typically that has caused them to develop these conditions."

• Implementing preventive measures at both societal and individual levels can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases.
• Filtering environmental toxins before they enter the body is crucial for maintaining health.

"We should think about having an invisible fence around us right like a little force field and we should filter things before they make it to the temple."

• Drinking filtered water to remove contaminants like fluoride, chlorine, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals.

"You can drink tap water and if you drink tap water your body will filter out the fluoride, the chlorine, the microplastics, the pharmaceuticals or you can filter your water before you drink it."

• Upon waking, drink mineralized water with Celtic Sea salt or Baja gold salt to replenish trace minerals.

"I would take 10 ounces of water and I would add either a Celtic Sea salt or a Baja gold salt to my water."

• Avoid table salt and opt for salts with higher mineral content like Baja gold sea salt, Celtic salt, or pink Himalayan sea salt.

"Forget table salt. I would just get that permanently out of your life."

• Incorporate essential fatty acids like DHEA, EPA fish oil, and Omega-3 supplements into your morning routine.
• Establish a morning routine that includes sunlight exposure, grounding, breath work, and cold showers.

"I would take a DHEA EPA fish oil supplement or a fatty acid supplement with DHEA or EPA oil, an MCT oil."

"Develop a morning routine that included the basics from Mother Nature: sunlight, grounding, breath work, cold shower."

• Grounding involves direct skin contact with the earth, which helps in re-polarizing blood cells and improving overall health.

"When you touch the surface of the Earth when bare feet touch bare soil, grass, sand, we discharge into the Earth and by that I mean you actually change the polarity in the body."

• Grounding helps in separating red blood cells, increasing their surface area for better waste elimination, detoxification, and regeneration.

"When you touch the surface of the Earth for a few minutes you will repolarize those prick your finger 10 minutes after you come inside put it back on that same slide look at your blood it's going to look like eggs slither around in a bowl of oil."

• Grounding requires direct contact with natural surfaces like soil, grass, or sand; indoor floors do not provide the same benefits.

"You got to touch bare dirt, soil, grass, sand."

• Grounding mats and PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) mats are alternatives but can be expensive.

"You can buy a pulse electromagnetic field mat, a PEMF mat. They cost about five grand."

• Breath work is essential for engaging auxiliary muscles of respiration, improving oxygen intake, and reducing carbon dioxide levels.

"I use something called a hypermax which is based on Dr. Van Arden and Dr. Otto Warburg's Nobel prize-winning work."

• Practice breath work daily, such as the Wim Hof method, to enhance respiratory efficiency and overall health.

"I do a Wim Hof style of breath work. I do three rounds of 30 breaths with an extended breath hold every single morning."

• Keeping small promises to oneself, such as a consistent breath work routine, builds self-confidence and reliability.

"I make little promises to myself and I try to keep them and I find that I lose confidence in myself when I consistently break really small promises to myself."

• Red light therapy involves exposure to specific wavelengths of light that have therapeutic effects on the body.

"It's referred to in the literature as photobiomodulation."

• Red light therapy reduces inflammation, increases microvascular circulation, and enhances mitochondrial function.

"They have a very specific effect in the mitochondria, the PowerHouse of the cell."

• It also improves collagen production, skin health, and overall cellular energy efficiency.

"It has a very positive effect on collagen, elastin, fibrin, and it's known to improve angiogenesis, the new blood vessel formation."

• Red light therapy can be used at any time of the day and does not interfere with circadian rhythms.

"I sometimes will do my red light bed right before bed, sleep like a baby."

• Hydrogen water is created by adding hydrogen gas to water, which has various health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving athletic performance.

"Hydrogen water is the best water that you can put in the human body."

• Numerous clinical studies support the therapeutic benefits of hydrogen gas in the body.

"There's a website called hydrogenstudies.com that has about 1350 studies on the site."

• Use a hydrogen generator bottle to infuse water with hydrogen gas for daily consumption.

"This is a little hydrogen generator. It's basically adding hydrogen gas to the water."

• Implementing preventive health measures, such as filtering water, grounding, breath work, red light therapy, and hydrogen water, can significantly improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

"By just learning how to do breath work, ground, and use red light therapy, you can significantly improve your health outcomes."

• Peptides such as Seaglide and Wovi are effective for managing type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity.
• These peptides can lead to issues like gastric emptying and paralytic gut if not used correctly.
• It's crucial to combine peptide use with resistance training to prevent loss of lean body mass.
• Vanity use of these peptides can lead to undesirable effects like "sunken face" due to fat loss from the face.

"If you're taking a seatide or tepati you want to make sure that you're also on a [...] good strength training regimen because just taking these you [...] don't get to spot remove fat."

• Emphasizes the importance of combining peptide use with strength training to avoid muscle loss.

"People are getting stide face or wovi face they're saying now where like their cheeks get really sunken in their eyes."

• Highlights the adverse aesthetic effects of peptide use for vanity purposes.

• The speaker expresses immense satisfaction with their career, which aligns with their passion and intellectual curiosity.
• The ability to interact with leading minds in various fields is a significant source of joy.
• The challenge of scaling personal interaction with an increasing audience is noted.

"I feel like I live somebody else's life [...] I can't believe that I found something that I would otherwise do for free and somehow monetized it."

• Reflects the speaker's amazement and gratitude for their fulfilling career.

"As I've become more popular [...] I've become a little more distant from the folks that I initially sought to serve and support."

• Discusses the challenge of maintaining personal interaction with a growing audience.

• The speaker values family involvement in their professional life, noting it as a significant blessing.
• Discusses the importance of community and its impact on health and longevity.
• Isolation can dramatically reduce life expectancy, as seen in both human and animal studies.

"The greatest blessing in life is when your you see that your kids have a passion [...] they think enough about me and what I'm doing to want to follow in my footsteps."

• Expresses the joy of having children who are passionate about and involved in the speaker's work.

"If you wanted to cut somebody's life expectancy in half at any age put them in isolation."

• Highlights the severe impact of isolation on life expectancy.

• Retirement often accelerates mortality due to a loss of purpose.
• Blue zones with high life expectancies share common themes of mobility and purpose, not just diet.
• Assisted living in these zones involves family care rather than institutionalization.

"Mortality accelerates postretirement [...] must have something to do with the loss of the sense of purpose."

• Suggests that loss of purpose post-retirement accelerates mortality.

"Blue zones [...] Mobility into older ages and a sense of purpose."

• Identifies mobility and purpose as key factors in longevity.

• The speaker finds ethical issues in the life insurance industry, particularly the lack of direct interaction with patients.
• Databases predicting mortality could revolutionize medicine but are withheld for business reasons.

"I wasn't allowed to have any contact with the patient or the treating physician [...] I really wish that database would see the light of day."

• Discusses the ethical dilemma of not being able to interact with patients and the potential impact of predictive databases.

"It would upend modern medicine in a way in my opinion that would be catastrophic."

• Suggests that revealing these databases could disrupt current medical practices.

• The 10x genetic methylation test identifies actionable genetic information related to methylation.
• Methylation is crucial for converting raw materials into usable forms in the body.
• Variants in methylation genes can lead to various health issues, but they can often be managed with supplements.

"We take in folic acid or its derivatives but we convert it into a usable form called methylfolate [...] this process is called methylation."

• Explains the importance of methylation in converting nutrients into usable forms.

"If you have any glitches in the pathway you're not going to be as efficient so you would want to correct for your one variant Gene there."

• Discusses the need to address gene variants to maintain efficiency in methylation.

• The test results can indicate susceptibility to various conditions and inform actionable steps.
• Specific gene variants can affect sleep, mood, gut health, and detoxification capabilities.
• The speaker's test results showed a variant in the lower gut gene but overall good genetic makeup.

"You most likely have trouble activating B12 [...] you would want to therefore take the activated B12 form the methylated B12 form."

• Provides a practical example of how to manage a genetic variant with supplements.

"When you can materially change somebody's life by fixing those gene mutations that's when you're really making an impact."

• Emphasizes the transformative impact of addressing genetic mutations.

• The role of community in extending life expectancy is emphasized.
• Isolation is detrimental to health, significantly reducing life expectancy.

"If you put a human being in isolation you will cut their life expectancy in half."

• Reiterates the severe impact of isolation on life expectancy.

• The speaker aims to promote healthier, happier, and longer lives through their work.
• Acknowledges the importance of continuing to spread their message for the benefit of others.

"I want to see people live healthier, happier, longer lives more fulfilling lives and I will be that by continuing to get the message out."

• States the speaker's mission to improve lives through their work.

"I've had loads of people reach out to me since our last conversation and speak to the value that your advice has had on their lives."

• Highlights the positive impact of the speaker's advice on others.