In this episode we discuss:

• The research behind vitamin A toxicity and whether vitamin A is really a poison
• Whether you need to be concerned about the use of Accutane
• Whether retinoic acid is toxic because it’s used as a chemotherapeutic agent
• Whether Grant Genereux’s claims about vitamin A toxicity are valid

Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide

Free Energy Balance Mini-Course: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy/

Check out the Energy Balance Solution program here: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/solution/

The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/

Click here to check out the show notes: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-120-vitamin-a-toxicity-retinoic-acid-toxicity-accutane-and-whether-hypervitaminosis-a-exists

Timestamps:

0:00 – intro

1:15 – why we're examining Grant Genereux's take on vitamin A toxicity and the evidence behind his claims

4:50 – conceptualizing the amount of vitamin A needed for toxicity

7:07 – is hypervitaminosis A (vitamin A toxicity) real?

9:27 – cautioning against the idea of "detox" as an excuse for negative effects and vitamin A toxicity as an unfalsifiable hypothesis

12:36 – is there a conspiracy to poison the masses with vitamin A?

18:36 – how likely is it that you have vitamin A toxicity?

22:30 – problems with the first in vivo study that Grant uses to support vitamin A toxicity

35:14 – vitamin A toxicity in the studies Grant cited require massive doses of vitamin A that would be impossible to obtain from diet

42:44 – Grant’s cited research actually supports the safety of vitamin A

50:52 – more of Grant’s cited research supporting vitamin A safety

58:25 – further research supporting that extremely high doses are required to cause vitamin A toxicity

1:07:57 – whether vitamin A toxicity is driving autoimmunity

1:09:54 – whether retinoic acid is toxic based on concerns regarding the use of Accutane

1:15:40 – how conflating Accutane with retinoic acid is misleading

1:22:12 – whether retinoic acid is toxic because Accutane is used as a chemotherapeutic agent

1:29:37 – evaluating Grant’s claim that retinol automatically becomes “toxic” retinoic acid

1:35:05 – our concluding thoughts on Grant’s arguments regarding vitamin A toxicity

• Whether vitamin A toxicity exists and is something you need to be worried about
• Whether Grant Genereux’s claims about vitamin A deficiency are valid
• Whether vitamin A is actually a poison rather than a vitamin
• What we think about the current state of the Ray Peat forum
• The research on vitamin A deficiencies and whether vitamin A deficiencies exist

Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide

Free Energy Balance Mini-Course: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy/

Check out the Energy Balance Solution program here: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/solution/

The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/

Click here to check out the show notes: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-119-vitamin-a-toxicity-examining-the-evidence-for-vitamin-a-deficiency

Timestamps:

0:00 – intro

1:09 – why we’re discussing vitamin A toxicity and Grant Genereux’s perspective

4:53 – closedmindedness within the “low vitamin A” sphere and how it compares to Ray Peat’s work

7:33 – how a low vitamin A diet can have benefits

9:27 – cautioning against the idea of "detox" as an excuse for negative effects and vitamin A toxicity as an unfalsifiable hypothesis

12:33 – the importance of evaluating information objectively while avoiding censorship, tribalism, fearmongering, and religiosity

21:17 – concerns with the current state of the Ray Peat Forum and how to recognize unsubstantiated claims

26:45 – Grant's initial critiques of the original studies on vitamin A deficiency are extremely weak and unsubstantiated

41:48 – introducing Wolbach’s 1925 study on vitamin A deficiency

45:47 – refuting Grant's argument that the retinoic acid in the vitamin-free casein would have caused toxicity

52:35 – refuting Grant's argument regarding confounding variables in lard and butter

1:02:53 – research on vitamin A deficiency and whether vitamin A deficiencies exist

1:20:32 – the necessity of vitamin A for pregnancy, fetal growth, and development

• Why serotonin is NOT the “happy hormone” and you may not want to increase it
• How serotonin and depression relate to stress and energy balance
• Whether SSRIs are effective for depression
• How SSRIs actually work, their impact on metabolism, and whether they’re the best treatment option for depression
• The real drivers of depression and anxiety

Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide

Free Energy Balance Mini-Course: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy/

Check out the Energy Balance Solution program here: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/solution/

The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/

Click here to check out the show notes: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-118-the-truth-about-serotonin-and-ssris-why-serotonin-is-not-the-happy-hormone

Timestamps:

0:00 – intro

0:58 – the research showing that serotonin is not the “happy hormone”

4:56 – serotonin’s role in driving the stress state that leads to depression

8:26 – the overlap between anxiety and depression and why they are both characterized by elevated serotonin levels

10:27 – the origins of the idea that serotonin is the “happy hormone” and how serotonin became a marketing tool for pharmaceutical companies

14:49 – serotonin is increased during fasting and starvation and why increasing serotonin should not be our goal

20:16 – serotonin is increased during stress, shock, and infection and leads to learned helplessness

29:04 –SSRIs use in neonates causes depression in adulthood

31:35 – the serotonergic system as an adaptive stress response to a lack of energy

39:09 – serotonin’s role in energy redistribution under stress

43:15 – how SSRIs inhibit mitochondrial respiration, glucose metabolism, and energy production in the brain and liver

47:13 – how SSRIs can reduce symptoms and how the brain responds to SSRIs

52:42 – the true drivers of depression and anxiety

1:01:30 – how serotonin relates to stress hormones, including cortisol, and energy balance