The Science Behind Gray Hair and How to Hack it Naturally

August 6, 2018 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

While genes and age do play role, you can slow down and even stop the graying process with some natural hacks.
Pigment cells called melanocytes give your hair its color. When you stop producing this melanin, hair begins to turn gray.
Researchers recently discovered that going gray is a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in your hair particles, which bleaches your hair from the inside.
Usually an enzyme called catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, but as you get older, catalase production starts to slow down.
A 2016 study offered another intriguing possibility — that targeting the molecular pathways that govern hair pigment could restore hair color.
What you can do to reverse gray hair now: try a pseudocatalase cream, load up on antioxidants, and take an anti-gray hair pill.

[/tldr]

Like most people, you probably think that gray hair is a natural part of growing older, or that it’s simply genetic. While those factors do play a role, you can slow down — and possibly even reverse — the graying process with some natural hacks. So put down the bottle of hair dye and read on to find out how to get rid of gray hair naturally.

What causes gray hair?

“There are pigment cells called melanocytes in your hair follicles which give your hair its color, called melanin,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, author of “Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.” “When you stop producing this melanin, hair begins to turn gray.”

People typically start going gray after the age of 30 — from there, the likelihood of turning gray increases 10 to 20 percent every decade.[ref url=”https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/grayhair.html”]

Sure, age and genes do play a hand in deciding when you start to go gray. But what is it exactly that causes your body to stop producing melanin? The question has stumped scientists for decades, but a handful of recent studies provide some answers.

Gray hair and catalase

In a 2009 study, researchers discovered that going gray is simply a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in your hair particles, which bleaches your hair from the inside.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223131123.htm “] Yep, bottle blondes love hydrogen peroxide for its bleaching effect, but it’s also a chemical that your hair cells make naturally.

Here’s where things get interesting — usually, a hardworking enzyme called catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. But as you get older, catalase production starts to slow down. The result? Hydrogen peroxide starts to accumulate in the body.

“Hydrogen peroxide plays a major role in essentially bleaching out the hair pigment centers,” says Ronald Peralta, cancer survivor and co-founder of hair supplement Nutrafol, in a recent Bulletproof Radio (iTunes) podcast episode. “Gray hair is nothing less than a reflection of a reduction of catalase enzyme, one of the more potent antioxidants.”

Catalase isn’t the only enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide. Glutathione peroxidase, the body’s master antioxidant produced by the liver, turns hydrogen peroxide into water.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3159114/ “] Because glutathione production lowers as you get older, it’s a good idea to supplement. To get more glutathione:

Take glutathione supplements (500-1000mg on an empty stomach at bedtime)
Add grass-fed whey protein to your diet. Research shows that taking 10 grams of whey twice a day increases glutathione levels in the body by 46 percent.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15463873″]
Eat foods rich in vitamin C, which raises glutathione in red blood cells.[ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/58/1/103/4715823″]
Exercise regularly. Working out boosts your body’s antioxidant levels, including glutathione.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17925621″]

Mnt signaling and gray hair

A 2016 study offered another intriguing possibility — that targeting the molecular pathways that govern hair pigment could restore hair color.[ref url=”https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(16)30405-3″] By studying stem cells in mice, scientists at New York University’s Langone Medical Center found that a signaling pathway called Edn/EdnrB interacts with other pathways, particularly the Mnt signaling pathway. This process creates more melanocytes — cells that form melanin in the skin and hair.

The study was the first to find a link between these signaling pathways and hair and skin pigment. The findings suggest that developing a drug or other therapy to target these pathways may help bring back some color to gray tresses.

What you can try now to treat gray hair

Try a pseudocatalase cream

A topical cream called PC-KUS, described as a “pseudocatalase”, works on people with vitiligo — when your skin loses its color in patches. Like gray hair, scientists believe that vitiligo is also caused by too much hydrogen peroxide in the body. The idea is that PC-KUS mimics the effects catalase, as your body’s own production of the enzyme drops. In a 2013 study, patients with vitiligo saw pigment return to their skin and eyelashes after exposing their skin with pseudocatalase to sunlight.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23629861″]

In another study, 90% of patients with vitiligo on their face and hands saw complete improvement after applying pseudocatalase, combined with sun exposure, every day, when used for at least 4 months.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7599386″]

While promising, these studies were all done with the goal of treating vitiligo, and not gray hair. So far no studies have looked at pseudocatalase’s ability to restore natural hair color. Since both gray hair and vitiligo are caused by a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in the body, researchers simply surmise that what works for vitiligo will work for gray hair.

So should you try pseudocatalase? It might be worth waiting until more solid research shows that it works to repigment hair, otherwise it could be money down the drain.

And if you prefer plant-based products, pseudocatalase might not be for you. A lot of brands use a combination of sodium bicarbonate, manganese chloride, calcium chloride, and disodium edta, along with petroleum and parabens in their pseudocatalase products. Some of those ingredients are safe, while others, like manganese chloride, are considered high hazard by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental advocacy organization.

Load up on antioxidants to treat gray hair

“Catalase is one of the more potent antioxidants,” says Peralta. “But as we get older, our antioxidant levels begin to drop.”

You can ramp up your catalase production by taking antioxidants like ashwagandha, curcumin, saw palmetto, and vitamin E, says Peralta.

In one study, ashwagandha — an ayurvedic herb — protected white blood cells in rats from free radical damage caused by hydrogen peroxide.[ref url=” http://www.phcogj.com/article/320″] In another study, 3 grams of ashwagandha powder a day for a year increased the amount of hair melanin in middle-aged men.[ref url=”http://altmedrev.com/archive/publications/5/4/334.pdf”]

You can also eat more catalase-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, cucumbers, radishes, and celery.

Pop an anti-gray hair pill

L’Oreal announced back in 2011 that it was developing a pill to treat gray hair. The cosmetics giant said the pill would use an “undisclosed” fruit extract which acts in the same way as tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2), an enzyme that protects hair pigment.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15357835″]

The company promised the pill would be natural and could be taken as a dietary supplement. The drawback? You have to take the pill every day for the rest of your life for it to keep working.

No word from L’Oreal on when the pill is set to be launched.

Other companies have already released pills that promise to reverse gray. SeroVital Hair Regeneres uses a combination of melanin and keratin (the protein that makes up your hair), along with antioxidants like cacao and turmeric, to repigment the hair and lessen hair loss. The company claims people start to see results after 60 days of taking two pills a day, coupled with a scalp massage using their serum.

The government has gone after some companies for making unsubstantiated claims about their anti-gray hair products. The Federal Trade Commission fined Go Away Grey and Get Away Grey — different supplements that promise to up your levels of catalase — for misleading consumers by claiming their products could restore natural hair color, without any scientific evidence.

Other gray hair home remedies

You can also dig around in your kitchen pantry for some natural gray hair remedies. When you’re done putting coconut oil in your pan, massage some into your scalp. In ayurveda, gray hair is caused by too much pitta dosha (aka high body heat). Ayurveda suggests massaging your scalp with oil, which helps release any excess heat and keeps your hair nourished and strong. You can also blend up an onion and apply the juice to your scalp for 30 minutes — folklore says it increases levels of catalase on the skin.

But take these home remedies with a pinch of [pink Himalayan] salt — there’s no science that says they work.

And remember, many cultures consider a sprinkling of gray — and even a full head of white hair — to be a sign of wisdom. So focus on keeping your brain sharp and your body strong — that’s what’s really going to keep you looking, and feeling, young.

Should You Drink Breast Milk to Build Muscle?

August 1, 2018 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

Mothers are making thousands of dollars selling their pumped breast milk online to bodybuilders.
Some bodybuilders claim breast milk helps build muscle mass more than any other food.
Breast milk is actually much lower in protein than cow’s milk, and bodybuilders, specifically large men, need much more protein.
Buying breast milk online has other downsides — it’s expensive, risky, and hard to come by.
Breast milk alternatives include organic, grass-fed, full-fat raw milk, colostrum, and whey protein.

[/tldr]

Mothers are making thousands of dollars selling their pumped breast milk online — to bodybuilders.[ref url=”https://nypost.com/2018/03/02/woman-makes-thousands-selling-breastmilk-around-the-world/”] Before you raise an eyebrow, consider this: some bodybuilders claim breast milk helps build muscle mass more than any other food. “I made the greatest gains of my life on breast milk, an unrivaled 35 pounds,” wrote one user on a bodybuilding.com forum. Hey, it’s full-fat and raw. But should you really drink it? Read on to find out what the experts say about breast milk’s nutritional profile, whether it really could help you perform better, and alternatives if drinking human milk is not your thing.

What’s in breast milk anyway?

Breast milk is a kind of magical elixir — for babies at least. It will actually change and adapt to serve the baby’s needs. When a baby is sick, for instance, the mother’s milk produces more leukocytes — white blood cells that fight infection and disease.[ref url=”https://www.nature.com/cti/journal/v2/n4/full/cti20131a.html”]

So what are you getting when you drink breast milk? According to the USDA National Nutrition Database, an 8-ounce glass of breast milk provides:

172 calories
2.5 grams of protein
10 grams of fat
16 grams of carbs

Breast milk is 87% water, 7% lactose (milk sugar), 3.8% fat, and 1% protein. (Keep in mind that breast milk can change depending on the time of day the mother pumped and how many days she’s been lactating.)

Macronutrients aside, people are really drinking breast milk for its abundant growth factors — proteins that stimulate cell growth.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586783/”] For bodybuilders, it’s the high level of a protein called insulin-like growth factor (IGF) that appeals the most. IGF grows muscles and helps tissues repair more quickly, shortening recovery time.[ref url=”https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/bjp.2008.153 “][ref url=”https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0398-4”]

Should you drink breast milk?

Studies show that IGF levels are highest in colostrum — the milk produced during the first few days after birth. IGF in breast milk drops over time as the baby’s gut, tissues, and immune system get stronger.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18259111″] So if it’s bigger biceps you’re after, you’re better off choosing colostrum (more on that later).

Breast milk is also much lower in protein than cow’s milk, says Amy Goodson, a sports dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Dallas, Texas.

“In comparison, an 8-ounce glass of cow’s milk provides 8 grams of protein, so it’s much higher than breast milk,” she says.

A bodybuilder needs .8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. So a person weighing 225 pounds will need between 180 and 200 grams of protein a day.

“Drinking breast milk, even a lot of it, does not put a dent in the daily need,” says Goodson. “Drinking cow’s milk is a much better nutrient bang for your buck, and will give you over three times the protein than drinking breast milk.”

You can learn more about how to find your ideal protein intake here.

Other downsides of drinking breast milk

It’s hard to come by: You can’t just stop by the store and buy yourself some breast milk. Instead, you have to put in the time to find a mother online who is willing to sell you her milk.

It’s expensive: Breast milk averages about $1 per ounce online — that comes to about $8 for a glass of milk.

You don’t know who you’re buying from: Some people get their breast milk off Craigslist, others from sites that are dedicated to breast milk sales. Whatever you choose, you’re still placing your trust in a stranger.

It could be contaminated: You can’t be sure that the person you’re buying from cleaned their pump parts correctly — pump equipment needs to be regularly sterilized to kill bacteria. HIV can also be passed on through the breast milk, so you’re taking a health risk buying from someone you don’t know.[ref url=”https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/maternal-or-infant-illnesses/hiv.html”]

Breast milk alternatives

Now cow’s milk isn’t a Bulletproof food, unless it’s organic, grass-fed, full-fat raw milk (how’s that for a mouthful?). If you don’t have a local farmer in your area who stocks it, read on for some other options.

Colostrum

Colostrum is the first milk produced by mammals after giving birth — usually for the first 2-5 days — before regular milk comes in. Colostrum is nicknamed “liquid gold” for good reason — it’s full of growth factors and immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody that protects infants from infection.

It’s also higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than mature milk.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/392766 “][ref url=”http://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume1number1/colostrum-its-composition-benefits-as-a-nutraceutical-a-review/ “] Studies show that colostrum supplements from cows can build muscle and improve athletic performance. [ref url=”http://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume1number1/colostrum-its-composition-benefits-as-a-nutraceutical-a-review/”]

“Colostrum has a high IGF content which can aid in muscle growth,” says Bob Seebohar, sports dietitian who has advised the US Olympic Team.

Colostrum also helps with recovery. Extreme exercise can damage your intestinal lining — colostrum can stop this from happening and prevent heat stroke following a heavy workout.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21148400″]

You can find colostrum in Bulletproof Whey Protein powder.

Whey protein

“While many bodybuilders might lean towards breast milk for its high whey protein content (60% whey), it is negligible when considering how much you would have to consume to get the appropriate amount,” says Goodson.

You’re better off choosing to supplement with a grass-fed whey protein powder — unlike breast milk, it’s cheaper and more readily available.

Grass-fed whey protein has roughly 15 grams of protein per serving (2 scoops). Whey protein promotes extra muscle growth and decreases muscle soreness after a workout.[ref url=”https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-7-51″]

“While breast milk is certainly healthy and the preferred fuel for newborns, there is zero data that it is more superior to the well-researched benefits of whey protein or other protein sources for adults,” says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD of www.MohrResults.com.

It also helps your liver produce glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant. Glutathione scavenges free radicals and strengthens your immune system.[ref url=” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1782728″]

You don’t want to get your entire daily protein requirement from whey — it’s high in the amino acids cysteine and methionine, which can cause inflammation if consumed in high amounts. To avoid this, add some grass-fed collagen protein powder to your whey so you get a balance of different amino acids.

Ketamine to Neurofeedback: The Brain Hacking Episode – David Feifel #513

July 31, 2018 by Dave Asprey

This podcast episode is all about the brain because the guest is a master clinician, certified neuropsychiatrist, and brain scientist named Dr. David Feifel.

Feifel founded the Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute in San Diego after having been a professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego for more than 20 years. He developed the world’s first ketamine infusion program for psychiatric disorders and then integrated that practice into the UCSD’s Center for Advanced Treatments.

In this episode, we talk about how the brain actually works, using ketamine in psychiatry, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and much more.

You wanted more brain hackers, you got more brain hackers. Enjoy the show!

Watch the Full Episode

Follow Along with the Transcript

Ketamine to Neurofeedback: The Brain Hacking Episode – David Feifel #513

Links/Resources

Website: kadimanp.com
Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com
Twitter: @KadimaNPI

Show Notes

How we are all dealing with “mental states” all of the time 00:08:43
It is scary that the laypeople can directly alter their brain, these days 00:10:48
How the field of neuroenhancement works 00:13:29
Why enhancing the brain is different than enhancing something like a kidney 00:14:39
What is the brain’s purpose 00:15:39
Set and Setting is extremely important when using psychedelics 00:20:30
The reason David has not tried ketamine but uses it in his practice 00:33:16
How dangerous is Ketamine? 00:38:20
What could make Ketamine dangerous 00:40:00
Risk/reward is the key to medicine (not, “do no harm”) 00:44:06
“If anyone tries to explain to you how ketamine or anti-depressants work, don’t believe them.” 00:48:19
The language of the brain is “the firing” 01:01:54

Go check out “Headstrong” and “The Bulletproof Diet” on Amazon and leave a review!

If you like today’s episode, check us out on Apple Podcasts at Bulletproof.com/iTunes and leave us a 5-star, positive review.

Why Ketamine Infusions Are the Next Wonder Drug for Depression

July 31, 2018 by Team Asprey

Ketamine, which gained notoriety as a club drug in the ‘90s, is gaining momentum as a wonder drug for the treatment of depression
Ketamine, which works directly on brain receptors, can offer relief from depression symptoms in as little as 24 hours — as opposed to traditional antidepressants, which work on shifting hormonal balances in the brain and can take up to 8 weeks to become effective
Ketamine infusion therapy can be an effective way to manage depression symptoms — but only under the supervision of a medical doctor

There’s a new treatment that’s gaining traction as a wonder drug for depression — and that’s ketamine. According to its advocates, medically administered ketamine infusions have the potential to revolutionize the way doctors treat depression — and give people struggling with depression unprecedented relief from their symptoms.

On a recent Bulletproof Radio podcast episode (iTunes), Dave spoke with neuropsychiatrist Dr. David Feifel, one of the first people to use ketamine to treat depression. “I had patients who it’s basically taken them from being suicidal to living a very full and complete life,” said Feifel. “[Some] return on a periodic basis and some of them have just stopped coming in [because they’ve been cured].”

For people struggling with depression, treatment is crucial. Unfortunately, traditional treatments don’t work for everyone; about 30% of people with depression don’t respond to traditional pharmaceutical treatment, and even for people who do respond, antidepressants can take up to eight weeks to take effect — which, when you’re struggling with depression, can feel like a lifetime.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 16 million American adults struggle with major depressive disorder. And, for many, depression can be debilitating; depression is the leading cause of disability for Americans between the ages of 15 and 44, costing the US economy a whopping $210 billion per year in lost productivity and missed days of work.

Disclaimer: This article and video feature a medical procedure performed by a medical professional. Do not try this at home. All information, content, and material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

What is ketamine?

Before we jump into how ketamine works — and why it’s such an effective treatment for depression — let’s talk about what, exactly, ketamine is.

Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, along with drugs like PCP and nitrous oxide. It’s currently a class III scheduled drug (meaning it’s approved for use in hospital or medical settings). At high doses, ketamine is an ideal anesthetic, since it causes sedation and amnesia without suppressing respiratory function or lowering blood pressure.

In lower doses, ketamine can cause hypnotic states, altered perception of sight and sound, pain relief, and dissociative states. These dissociated states can make you feel detached from your body or from your surrounding environment (similar to an out of body experience).

Because of the dissociative effects and visual and auditory effects it can produce, ketamine gained popularity in the club scene as a hallucinogenic (most commonly known as Special K). But while the drug definitely has potential to be abused recreationally, when used under medical supervision, studies show ketamine infusions have the potential to be a complete game-changer for people struggling with severe, treatment-resistant depression.

“When traditional treatments don’t work, [ketamine] is the least harsh, safest, and fastest-working option that provides long-term relief,” says Dr. Francisco Cruz, a board-certified psychiatrist at Ketamine Health Centers, a ketamine infusion center in Miami, Florida.

How do ketamine infusions work on depression?

Research into ketamine as a treatment for depression is new, so doctors aren’t entirely sure why ketamine is so effective, particularly for patients who haven’t responded to more traditional treatments — but most doctors believe it’s thanks to the way ketamine interacts with the brain.

While traditional antidepressants shift the balance of hormones called neurotransmitters in the brain, ketamine works directly on receptors. Ketamine blocks NMDA (also known as glutamate) receptors, which are widely believed to play a major part in depression — and as it blocks that receptor, it changes the way brain cells communicate, directly impacting other receptors in the brain, including the opiate receptors, which affect depression and pain responses.

“Ketamine is a dissociative agent that works on the neurotransmitter glutamate,” says Cruz. “By antagonizing the glutamate receptor, it has downfield effects on other neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin and the opiate system.”

Because ketamine works on receptors — and not on shifting hormone balances — the effects are dramatically faster. While traditional antidepressants can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to start taking effect, ketamine starts to work almost immediately — sometimes within minutes. During a study of ketamine’s effect on people with treatment-resistant bipolar depression,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=25313512″] participants experienced a reversal of a significant symptom — loss of interest in pleasurable activities — within 40 minutes of their first ketamine infusion.

The fact that ketamine infusions provide near-immediate relief from depression symptoms can be a literal lifesaver — particularly for people struggling with suicidal ideation. A study from the American Journal of Psychiatry[ref url=”https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17060647″] found that ketamine was able to significantly reduce suicidal thoughts in participants with major depressive disorder in just 24 hours — and without any of the lasting negative side effects typical of other depression treatments.

“Studies have shown ketamine infusion therapy relieves suicidal ideation within 24 hours without harsh side effects like memory loss, which often happens with treatments like electroshock,” says Cruz. “On the contrary, patients reported minimal side effects with ketamine infusion therapy.”

What to expect during a ketamine treatment

Dave Asprey and Bulletproof Radio Executive Producer Selina talk through the ketamine procedure with Dr. Matt Cook

If you’re struggling with depression, have had little success with more traditional treatments, and want to explore ketamine infusion as a potential treatment, the first step is to speak with your doctor. While your primary care physician likely won’t be able to provide ketamine infusion therapy at their office, they can refer you to a reputable center that specializes in using ketamine as a treatment for major depressive disorder.

Once you’re referred to a ketamine infusion center, you can expect to do an initial assessment with a doctor to determine whether ketamine therapy is right for you. During this assessment, you’ll go over both your medical and mental health history. You’ll also want to let your doctor know of any medications you’re taking; there are a few medications that may interact with ketamine (like Lamictal and certain benzodiazepines) and you may need to adjust your dosage or when you take your medication.

Ketamine and substance abuse

This is also the time to come clean about any past or current struggles with substance abuse. It’s important for your doctor to know if you have a history of addiction before you start ketamine therapy — but addiction struggles won’t necessarily disqualify you from receiving treatment. In fact, ketamine treatment may provide an added benefit when it comes to dealing with your addiction issues.

“We do a drug test during our initial assessment even before considering scheduling an infusion session. However, a previous history of addiction is not a contraindication to treatment,” says Cruz. “Actually, there are research studies going on now using ketamine to treat addiction… [Ketamine is] also a good, non-addictive alternative to opioids when it comes to treating chronic pain — which is essential in a time when opioid-abuse is plaguing our community.”

You should also let your doctor know of any additional conditions you’re struggling with, as ketamine might be able to provide relief in other areas. “Ketamine can also be used to treat a slew of conditions like PTSD, OCD and fibromyalgia,” says Cruz.

In the video above, Bulletproof Radio Executive Producer, Selina, tries a ketamine infusion to treat phobic anxiety.

Ketamine dosage and side effects

Once you’ve gotten the green light to move forward with ketamine for depression, you can schedule your first infusion. Ketamine is administered through an IV and sessions typically last 45 minutes. You’ll want to bring someone with you to your ketamine infusion sessions, since you definitely won’t be able to drive home.

“Short term side effects include a dissociative state, mild sedation, and possible dizziness/nausea,” says Cruz. Luckily, those effects should wear off in a few hours. “There are no significant long-term side effects that have been reported.”

When it comes to how much ketamine you need to take, there’s no “magic dosage” — the amount of ketamine needed during infusions will vary from person to person. Your doctor will start with a low dosage and continue to adjust until the dosage that effectively treats your symptoms.

“We dose in weight, and the typical anesthetic dose is probably four to eight milligrams per kilogram. The dose that we use starts anywhere from a quarter of a milligram, .25 milligrams per kilogram, up to two, sometimes two and a half, three milligrams per kilogram,” explains Feifel.

Interestingly, you have to be awake during the treatment in order for it to treat your depression, says Feifel. When used at higher doses, as a tranquilizer, patients don’t wake up with the same antidepressant effect.

As for the number of treatments your doctor will recommend — how many infusions you’ll need will all depend on where you are, what you’re struggling with, and how your body responds to the ketamine treatments (at Ketamine Health Centers, a total of six infusions over three weeks is recommended to maximize the effects of the ketamine — but the number of treatments following that initial course will depend on each individual).

Feifel says ketamine is like dialysis for the mind. “The treatment for depression requires repeated administration. It’s not just a one time thing,” he says. While some people require periodic treatments, others no longer need it.

What not to do with ketamine treatment

Clearly, ketamine infusion therapy is an incredible tool if you’re struggling with major depressive disorder — but that doesn’t mean you should try to take treatment into your own hands.

Using ketamine as a treatment for depression under the supervision of a medical professional and hitting the club and scoring some Special K are two completely separate things — and while getting ketamine infusion therapy from a specialized doctor can be life-changing, attempting to administer your own ketamine treatment can be extremely dangerous.

The dissociative state caused by ketamine can, under the wrong circumstances, put you in danger (which is why it’s historically been used as a date rape drug). Compounding the danger factor, if you don’t get your ketamine infusions from a doctor, you also have no way of knowing the dosage or what’s actually in the drug — which can put you at serious risk.

Bottom line: ketamine should only be used under the supervision of a doctor. Doctors will not prescribe ketamine for patients to take home, and there’s a reason for that — the dangers far outweigh the risks.

Should you take ketamine for depression?

Ketamine has the potential to completely revolutionize the way doctors are able to treat major depressive disorder — and if you’ve struggled with treatment-resistant depression, it could be the wonder drug you’ve been looking for. Talk to your doctor to find out if you’re a candidate for treatment, and to find a ketamine clinic near you.

Why Scars Happen, Plus the 7 Best Scar Treatments

July 30, 2018 by Dave Asprey

You might think scars are cosmetic, but they can be painful, itchy, sore, and cause long-term problems like insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Scar tissue is made of collagen, the same fibers that hold together normal skin cells, and fibrin, fibers that link together like mesh.
In scar tissue, the collagen fibers align in the same direction, which makes a much less flexible adhesion when cross-linked with fibrin protein fibers.
The result: the color is different, the texture isn’t as flexible and is sometimes itchy or painful, pores and hair follicles do not return. Scar tissue is inferior to skin in more ways than you can count.
Read on to find out why scars form and the best scar treatment for them.

You might think of scars as harmless, cosmetic flaws, but there are plenty of reasons people seek scar treatment. In addition to aesthetics, scars can be painful, itchy, sore, and even cause long-term problems like insomnia, anxiety, and depression.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3417728/”] People with noticeable scars lose self-esteem[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10563682″] and may find themselves on the receiving end of social stigma.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7761868″]

Scars can be small enough to forget about, or they can seriously impact your life. You’re not vain if a scar bothers you enough to seek out scar treatments.

Chances are, you’ve been told that your scars will be there forever, and that’s not always true. My friend, former sunglass model Andy Hnilo, essentially regrew the skin on his face after he was severely injured in a life-changing car accident. You can hear about that in this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast (iTunes). To see him today, you’d never know he had any type of facial injury.

Point is, for certain types of scars, there are things you can do to regenerate your skin. Read on to find out why scars form and what you can do to get rid of your scars.

Why do you get scars?

There’s a pretty good chance you have a few scars somewhere on your body. (Pierced ears? That’s two, right there.) Scars happen almost every time a scratch or cut gets deep down to the dermal layer of the skin or beyond. They form as a normal part of your body’s tissue repair.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125033/#B6″]

Scar tissue is made of collagen, the same fibers that hold together normal skin cells, and fibrin, fibers that link together like mesh. In scar tissue, the collagen fibers align in the same direction, which makes a much less flexible adhesion when cross-linked with fibrin protein fibers.[ref url=”http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1843/1385.short”]

The result is skin that doesn’t look or behave like non-injured skin. The color is different, the texture isn’t as flexible, the scar is sometimes itchy or painful, and pores and hair follicles do not return. Scar tissue is inferior to healthy, undamaged skin in more ways than you can count.

Some camps hold that scars are permanent and there’s not much you can do to treat scars. Others believe you can fade them, and some believe you can completely get rid of scars and restore your old skin. Here are some things you can do to treat scar tissue.

How to treat scars naturally

There’s a distinct difference between skin that’s held together by collagen and skin that’s fused together with fibrin. Collagen gives your skin its soft, flexible, bouncy quality. It makes your skin thick and also helps your skin cells hold water, which makes it appear smooth. Fibrin in scar tissue makes it stiff and less flexible.

So, when you have an injury, you want to boost your skin’s natural collagen production as much as possible while minimizing the amount of fibrin your skin produces. Here are a few ways to nudge collagen production in the right direction to minimize your scars.

1. Microneedling for scars, acne scars and stretch marks

One to four treatments of microneedling followed by four weeks of topical creams containing vitamins A and C resulted in 40% thicker epidermis in patients with scars and other skin concerns.[ref url=”https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/2008/04000/Percutaneous_Collagen_Induction_Therapy__An.46.aspx”] Microneedling followed by platelet-rich plasma (PRP: platelets separated out from your own blood) is especially effective for acne scars.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338464/”] You have to do this at the doctor’s office. At-home microneedling devices (aka dermarollers) offer similar, but less effective, results.

2. Silicone patches reduce scars

Silicone patches demonstrated more effective collagen production for burn scars. Four months of wearing a silicone patch at night significantly reduced scores on the Vancouver Scar Scale, which tells you how severe a scar is.[ref url=”https://www.burnsjournal.com/article/S0305-4179(08)00132-0/abstract”] The effects were even better when silicone patches also contained vitamin E[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-4362.1995.tb00628.x”] or when used in combination with topical onion extract.[ref url=”https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/jowc.2007.16.6.27070″]

3. Take collagen peptides

Unless you’re super into organ meats, you’re probably not getting much collagen in your diet. Your body can only make collagen if it has the right building blocks to produce it.

While you’re healing from anything, it’s a good idea to take collagen peptides, and combine them with a little extra vitamin C. Vitamin C is crucial for your body to be able to assemble peptides into collagen fibers in your skin.

4. Laser treatment for new and old scars

Laser treatment is well-established as an effective treatment for certain types of scarring in only a few treatments.[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2007.33059.x”][ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.1996.tb00497.x”][ref url=”https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/8192370″] How few? One study showed that raised, red scars less than a year old were completely resolved in less than 3 treatments. Scars over a year old were resolved in less than 5 treatments.[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.1995.tb00270.x”]

5. Enzyme therapy for scars

Systemic enzymes are enzymes that you take in pill form, and they act on your whole body.

People have used enzymes successfully to fade and resolve scars. Here’s some of the preliminary science behind enzymes as a potential scar treatment:

Cleaning scars with a papain (papaya enzyme) cleanser resulted in better collagen formation and more complete cell formation in rats.[ref url=”https://scialert.net/fulltextmobile/?doi=pjbs.2010.596.603″]
A case study found similar results. Using a bromelain (pineapple enzyme) based cleanser resulted in better skin healing and quality.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6033487/”]
Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme, which means that it digests protein. Silkworms produce it and use it to dissolve their cocoons. It is powerful enough to dissolve fibrin,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26044292/”] the protein that gives scars their stiff, tough quality.
Wobenzym seemed to decrease severe c-section scarring, but the study was too small to reach statistically significant results.[ref url=”https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pavel_Calda/publication/311796514_Effect_of_systemic_enzymotherapy_on_Cesarean_section_scar_healing/links/58931088aca272f9a559a630/Effect-of-systemic-enzymotherapy-on-Cesarean-section-scar-healing.pdf”]

Any combination of enzymes can be marketed as a systemic enzyme, so check labels carefully and choose the combination based on what you want to address. Serrapeptase is the heavy hitter when it comes to scars.

A few notes on systemic enzymes

Don’t take systemic enzymes while wounds are fresh. They will break up fibrinogen, which your body needs to form blood clots and scabs to sew itself up. You need fibrinogen at first to keep wounds from reopening.

Don’t take systemic enzymes while menstruating. It will interfere with stopping your flow when it’s time.

Systemic enzymes work only when taken on an empty stomach. If there’s food in your system, systemic enzymes will digest your food and there won’t be any dissolving action left for your scars. Take them at least two hours after you’ve eaten and one hour before you’ll eat again. Ideal times would be first thing in the morning if you intermittent fast, or before bed if you didn’t snack after dinner. Your functional medicine doctor will tell you how much you should take and how often.

Certain populations have special cautions around systemic enzymes. People with blood disorders, the elderly, children, and other circumstances call for specific instruction. Consult your functional medicine doctor.

If you have piercings, keep them in during enzyme therapy. Your healed piercings are scars too, and might heal over when you didn’t necessarily want them to.

6. Surgical scar removal

A skilled plastic surgeon can work miracles on severely scarred skin. Set up a consultation to discuss what’s possible for your scar treatment. It’s ultimately up to you if you decide to leave it or go through with surgery.

7. Hyperbaric oxygen for treating severe burn scars

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) shows promise as part of scar prevention and healing, specifically for severe burns. Not only did HBOT reduce the length of hospital stay for burn victims with significant skin surface area burns,[ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/article-abstract/10/5/432/4786434″] it also reduced the need for surgery in up to 80% of burns.[ref url=”http://dspace.rubicon-foundation.org:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4369″]
Further research is needed to find out why, but preliminary studies show that hyperbaric oxygen improves collagen synthesis after burns.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305417907001192″]

It’s tempting to want to attack your scars from all possible angles, but it’s crucial to work with a plastic surgeon and a functional medicine doctor to fully evaluate the type and severity of scarring you have, then take that information and design the best scar treatment program for you.

What Is Trans Fat – and Should You Worry About It in Beef and Butter?

July 30, 2018 by Team Asprey

Industrially-produced trans fats in processed and packaged foods pack some heavy health risks.
Natural trans fats such as CLA, found in grass-fed meat and dairy, can benefit your health.
The slight differences in molecular structure between natural and artificial trans fats spell major differences for your body.
Aim for a diet with zero industrially-produced trans fat, but don’t worry about those from grass-fed meats and dairy.
Use this list of trans fat foods to avoid while grocery shopping

Trans fats are well known to cause bad cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity.[ref url=”http://www.eurekaselect.com/75988/article”] The very thought triggers images of deep fryers, tubs of margarine, and other trans fat foods, like those mysteriously shelf-stable packaged cakes. It’s so universally accepted that trans fats will damage your health, that the FDA declared a trans fat ban, with June 2018 as its deadline for food manufacturers to remove artificial trans fats from their products.

But if trans fats are so bad, why do you feel, perform, and look better when you’re loading up your coffee with butter? In case you didn’t know, small amounts of trans fat naturally occur in red meat and dairy products. But should you worry about this type of trans fat in your grass-fed steak? Turns out, all trans fats are not created equal, and while artificial trans fats certainly deserve their bad reputation, those produced naturally fit into a healthy diet, and may even reduce the risk of some diseases.

What is trans fat?

Trans fats (or trans-fatty acids) are made through the partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats, which can occur naturally and industrially. Adding hydrogen atoms straightens out the molecular bonds in a fat, making it more solid at room temperature. The food industry uses hydrogenation as a cheap way to make foods last longer on the shelf, enhance their textures, and withstand repeated dunks in the deep fryer.

For baking, partially hydrogenated fats are an artificial intermediate between unsaturated and saturated fats. This seemed like a great idea back in the ‘50s, when we wrongly thought saturated fats were bad for you, but we still wanted those flaky pie crusts. Nowadays, science shows that these industrial trans fats are kryptonite, and have no role in nourishing your body.

Fortunately, you can avoid foods with artificial trans fats by eliminating ultra-processed foods from your diet (more on that in a bit).

This doesn’t mean that your diet will be entirely trans-fat-free: dairy and meat from ruminant (grass-eating) animals contain naturally-produced trans fats, but not the kind you need to worry about. Bacteria in the guts of ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep and goats naturally hydrogenate small amounts of unsaturated fats found in their diets, such as linoleic acid and vaccenic acid, into beneficial trans fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The slight differences in molecular structure between natural and artificial trans fats spell major differences for your body.

Why industrial trans fat is bad for you

Artificial trans fats are just that: artificial. These are fats that nature never intended to hydrogenate, and your body doesn’t really know what to do with the end product. This leads to chronic inflammation, increasing your risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.[ref url=”http://www.eurekaselect.com/75988/article”] Trans fats raise the ratio of bad LDL to good HDL cholesterol.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20209147″] Studies also link artificial trans fats to various cancers, pregnancy complications, and weaker brain function.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551118/”][ref url=”http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0128129″]

The World Health Organization recently released a plan to help countries eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from their food supplies, claiming that this action could save 500,000 lives annually from death by cardiovascular disease.[ref url=”http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/14-05-2018-who-plan-to-eliminate-industrially-produced-trans-fatty-acids-from-global-food-supply”] All things considered, industrial trans fats are the absolute worst fats for your health.

What about trans fat in butter and beef?

So, trans fat foods = bad, right? Most people are surprised to learn that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a popular health supplement, weight-loss aid, and star component of grass-fed butter, is actually a trans fat. CLA, and its precursor, vaccenic acid, are naturally produced by microbes in the first stomach (rumens) of grass-eating animals such as cows, so you ingest it in your grass-fed meat and dairy products.

In many ways, CLA actually works in the opposite way as industrial trans fats in your body. Unlike other trans fats, CLA actually raises your good cholesterol (HDL).[ref url=”https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/natural-trans-fat-less-harmful-than-artificial-version”] Multiple studies have shown that vaccenic acid and CLA had no adverse impacts on cardiovascular risk, and some show that they improve cardiometabolic risk factors.[ref url=”https://watermark.silverchair.com/332.pdf”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26210489″] Studies link CLA to weight loss, building muscle, and lowering your risk of diabetes. This anti-inflammatory superstar is also important in boosting your immune function, fighting cancers and heart disease, and protecting your bones.

The best natural food sources of trans fat CLA are grass-fed beef, butter and full-fat dairy.

How to avoid trans fat foods

The Dietary Guideline for Americans and the European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention both recommend limiting trans fats to as little as possible, while the European Guidelines specify “preferably no intake from processed food, and <1% of total energy intake from natural origin.”[ref url=”https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/DGA_Recommendations-At-A-Glance.pdf”][ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj”] While these recommendations are spot on for industrial trans fats, Dr. Clemens von Schacky, head of preventive cardiology at the University of Munich, warns the generalization of natural trans fats may be harmful: “It is important to note that no evidence is cited supporting the reduction in natural trans fats, so there seems to be simple extrapolation from health effects of industrially produced trans fats to health effects of naturally occurring trans fats.”

His study followed a group of at-risk patients in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health study. Among his participants, those with higher intakes of naturally occurring dairy trans fat were less likely to die of cardiovascular events such as sudden cardiac death.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26396230″] While this study does not show a cause-and-effect link, it definitely supports that more research is needed to fully understand the differences between naturally and industrially-produced trans fats. Without any direct evidence, von Schacky believes, “the advice to cut down on intake of trans fats from natural origin is counterproductive.”

Ideally, aim for a diet with zero industrially-produced trans fat, but don’t worry about those you get from grass fed meats and dairy.

Walking through your grocery store, this might seem like a piece of (packaged) cake: Everything on the shelf says 0 g trans fat! Thanks to lobbying by packaged food companies, a sneaky loophole was written in to the FDA’s ban on trans fats: any food item containing under 0.5g of trans fat per serving can be labeled as 0 g.[ref url=”https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm053479.htm”] A CDC-published study found that 84% of packaged foods with trans fats still listed “0 grams.”[ref url=”https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/14_0161.htm”] Even small amounts add up, meaning that consumers are tricked into eating unhealthy amounts of industrial trans fats without a clue.

Your best bet for avoiding hidden trans fats in food is to avoid packaged and processed foods entirely. When that’s not possible, go straight to the ingredients list to check for canola oil, or any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

Here’s a list of common trans fat foods to avoid:

Margarine
Unnatural peanut butter
Granola bars
Cookies
Crackers and snack mixes
Tortillas
Prepared cakes and pies — especially those with frosting
Cake and brownie mixes
Pancake and waffle mixes
Microwave popcorn
Candy with cream filling
Frozen dinners
Ice cream
Doughnuts and muffins
Fast food
French fries
Fried or battered food, including fish sticks and chicken nuggets
Frozen pizza
Biscuits, crusts, and anything with a flaky texture
Shortening
Non-dairy creamers
Breakfast sandwiches

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