The Secret Ingredient Inside Fish Guts, Immuno-Rejuvenation 101, The Magic Of Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat, “The Father Of Functional Medicine,” Dr. Jeffrey Bland.

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Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat (let’s call it “HTB” so as not to get too long in the tooth) is a hardy plant that has been farmed in Asia for generations but is largely unknown in the rest of the world.

Modern analyses have revealed that HTB contains significantly higher levels of phytonutrients compared to common buckwheat—up to a 100-fold increase of certain immune-strengthening flavonoids. It also contains other nutrients that help build, maintain, and protect muscles and lean tissues throughout the body, improve how the body deals with certain toxins, aid in producing cellular energy, and more.

Yes, that’s all from one tiny humble buckwheat plant. Thanks to those health benefits, HTB is a go-to ingredient of mine in the kitchen, and I feature it in several recipes in my Boundless Cookbook. The mastermind behind HTB is Dr. Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., a Clinical Biochemist known as the “Father of Functional Medicine.”An immunity expert, the founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), best-selling author, thought leader, and educator, Dr. Bland is also the president of Big Bold Health, the company that produces HTB. Big Bold Health's mission is to engage people worldwide to actively participate in reshaping the conversation about immunity, resilience, and the interconnectedness of plants, people, and the planet. Dr. Bland is advocating for the power of immuno-rejuvenation to enhance immunity at a global level.

Dr. Bland began his career as a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Puget Sound where he studied Vitamin E and its effects on cellular aging. He is known as the founding father of the functional medicine movement which was coined in 1991 the same year he created the IFM with his wife, Susan Bland. The IFM has since trained over 100,000 clinicians to translate scientific advances in the areas of genomics, epigenetics, nutrition, and lifestyle into solutions for notoriously challenging clinical problems. Dr. Bland was at the forefront of establishing standards for evidence-based formulations, quality ingredient sourcing, and ethical manufacturing practices.

The revolutionary concept of immuno-rejuvenation is actionable through specific alterations in diet, nutrients, gastrointestinal and respiratory, sleep, activity, lifestyle, lymphatic, and behavioral interventions is Dr. Bland's specialty, and that's what we discuss in today's show.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

 –What is Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat (HTB)?…08:34

  • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat (BEN10 is active for 10% off single products, but will not work for bundles or subscriptions) 
    • Not genetically related to the pulse family or the cereal grain family
    • It’s not a grain, it’s a fruit seed
    • Food cultivated in the Himalayan mountains
  • Thrives in most hostile places in the world
  • Genetically evolved to produce anti-stress compounds in the plant
  • Imparts benefits when eaten 
  • Brought over to the U.S. by colonists for its hardy constitution but was lost as a food item 200 years ago
  • The only growers were Professor Sam Beer, a former Cornell University professor, and his wife Lucia, a nurse
  • Dr. Jeffery eventually bought Angelica Mill
    • Now have a regenerative organic cooperative
    • Started researching the best way to grow it
  • Boundless Cookbook
  • Emily Reiss, Ph.D., soil scientist

-Is Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat hard to grow?…13:15

  • There is a learning curve but the plant is not demanding
    • Doesn't require irrigation
    • Doesn't require pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer
    • Tends to grow very tall and is hard to harvest
  • Had a genomic evaluation of the genes of the seed
    • Fortunate to have the seed called wild Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
    • Has the highest level of phytochemicals that are immune strengthening
  • There are over 450 different unique phytochemicals in Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
  • Common Buckwheat has genetic similarity
    • Common buckwheat is Fagopyrum esculentum
    • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Fagopyrum tataricum
  • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat has 50 to 100 times higher immune-strengthening phytochemicals compared to common buckwheat
  • The food lab is doing food and recipe development  
    • Gourmet chefs have started production of savory and sweet products
  • Has just produced, for the first time ever, organic Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat sprout powder
  • Sprouting with the right duration triples the level of phytochemicals in the plant
  • The Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat sprout powder is going to be used for food and supplement products
  • Roots tracing back to a centenarian or a very long-lived population in China
    • Grown on the foothills of the Himalayas
    • Tartary Buckwheat is one of their major food products
  • The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner

-The connection between hybridization of plants and gluten intolerance…18:49

  • Higher amounts of gluten based on the hybridization of wheat in the U.S.
  • The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World by Charles Mann
    • Norman Borlaug (the wizard, known as the father of the green revolution ) believed strongly in hybridized products, fertilizers, and pesticides to produce extraordinarily high yields
    • William Vogt (the prophet) architect of American environmentalism
    • Discusses how to produce sustainable agriculture that is friendly to the planet and people
  • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat is self-pollinating
    • Has not changed genetic structure for millennia
  • Common Buckwheat is insect-pollinated
    • Brings genetic changes
  • The genetic structure of Italian wheat differs from that of the North Dakota wheat
    • Hybridizing brings out characteristics that you desire to have; you change more than one variable
    • Easy to harvest
    • Higher yield per acre
    • Better tolerance to chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers
  • Hybridizing of plants changes them genetically; over time the plant picks up different characteristics and things that change its composition
    • Carbohydrate structure are not the same
    • Composition of protein and protein levels are not the same
    • Vitamin and mineral content are not the same
    • Plant phytochemicals are not the same
  • Hybridization introduces new molecules that the body's immune system reacts to
    • People get allergies and inflammation
  • Gluten intolerance is a response to changes in the architecture of plants
  • Genetic hybridization makes people more sensitive to all sorts of different variables, not just gluten

-Interesting information about gluten…24:38

  • Gluten are proteins that are members of the prolamin family
  • There are other prolamins that are not gluten that can have potential anagenic or immuno-related effects

-Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat products and their benefits…25:13

  • Sam and Lucia Beer put together an artisanal mill that produced coarse flour
    • Can be considered as not of baking quality
  • An artisanal mill uses traditional methods of milling – stone milling techniques
    • A nutrient-friendly process
  • Jeffrey bought Angelica Mill when Sam and Lucia retired 
  • The benefits of Tartary Buckwheat consumption
    • Better sleep
    • More energy
    • Better digestion
    • More cognitive clearance
    • Less chronic pain

-Dr. Bland's take on the immune system…33:13

  • Immune systems cells are replaced every 3 months
  • Are these new cells better than the ones being replaced?
  • COVID showed us that our immune systems are not as healthy as we thought
  • The U.S. had the poorest outcome of any of the developed countries in terms of SARS-COVID-2 infection
  • Improving immune system function by taking away damaged immune cells that carry bad memories, have been injured, and carried a legacy of bad experiences
    • Exposure to chemicals
    • Exposure to trauma
    • Poor-quality diets
    • Previous infections like the Epstein-Barr virus
    • Air pollution
  • Taking away damaged cells with bad memories – zombie cells 
    • Cells that become inflammation-prone (SASP – Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotypes)
  • Immune senescence is the aging of the immune system; the converse of that is immune rejuvenation
  • In immune rejuvenation, the body triggers processes that remove damaged cells
    • Autophagy and mitophagy
  • Development of an immuno-rejuvenation program
  • Big Bold Health

-How is immuno-rejuvenation different from other longevity programs…38:51

  • Magic pill mentality to reverse the process of aging
  • The alternative is to look at long-living cultures and learn from them
    • Implement historically proven things that are available
  • Ben’s advice for a healthy life
    • Walking 10,000 steps a day
    • Exposure to cold
    • Lift something heavy 3 times a week
    • Avoid vegetable oils and alcohol
    • Moderate calorie and carbohydrate intake
    • Intermittent fasting
    • Supplements should be stacked on top of a healthy lifestyle
  • HTB Rejuvenate
    • Concentrate of the flavonoids found in Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
    • Two capsules are equivalent to eating about one portion size of the Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
  • Finished clinical trials with 50 individuals
    • 90 days supplemented with 4 capsules of HTB Rejuvenate
    • There was a measured reduction in immune age
    • Demonstrated that the epigenetic impact on immune cell aging by taking this complex mixture of polyphenols from Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat can be modulated
  • TruDiagnostic
  • Immunity+ Program
    • Initial test of Dr. Jeffery at age 75
    • Immune age was 69
    • After the 3-month program, immune age was 54
  • Podcast with Dr. Daniel Stickler and Ryan Smith:

-The anti-aging movement and Microbiome Rejuvenate…47:35

  • A lot of things are happening in understanding biological aging
  • Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To by David Sinclair
  • Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life by Mark Hyman
  • You can do simple things every day to be healthier
    • More important than senolytics
  • Living a good lifestyle is the best principle
  • After 10,000 hours of Tartary Buckwheat research
    • 25% of the seed is the hull or the husk
    • Chemical analysis of the husk revealed that there are phytochemicals in the husk that are not found in the endosperm in the flour, like isoorientin and vitexin, and prebiotic fibers like D-chiro-inositol
  • Isoorientin and Vitaxin are prebiotic phytochemicals that help nourish the microbiome
  • D-chiro-inositol is very high in whole fibers
  • Microbiome Rejuvenate with
    • Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1501 
    • Beta-glucan from microgreens
    • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
  • 2 capsules a day of the Microbiome Rejuvenate are equivalent to about 10 billion organisms (BEN10 is active for 10% off single products, but will not work for bundles or subscriptions)

-Fishing operations in Alaska…53:39

  • Family hobby
    • Boating up to Pacific Coast and Alaska
    • Met a lot of interesting people
  • Dave Little fishing company
    • Degree in marine architecture
    • Designed his own boats
  • Fish are processed on the boat and to freezer 20 minutes after getting caught
  • Every part of the fish is used except the guts
  • Analysis of the fish gut revealed bioactive molecules as well as
    • Natural astaxanthin
    • Pro-resolving mediators found in the original fish oils that you don't find in most commercially processed fish oils
    • Active vitamins A and D
    • EPA, DHA, DPA and EHA
    • All sorts of oils are normally lost during the processing of most commercially processed fish oils
  • Produced the first full-spectrum natural oils from the original fish
  • Fish Oils (BEN10 is active for 10% off single products, but will not work for bundles or subscriptions)
  • Pro-resolving mediators Resolvins, Protectins, and Maresins have a very strong ability to quench the inflammatory process
  • Ben's photobiomodulation or infrared light therapy combined with
  • Regenerate by Sayer Ji

 –New research on soil…1:05:32

  • Interested in the soil architecture and the mycorrhizae of the soil
  • Soil analysis showed that there are ways to improve soil health
  • Field trials had amazing results like soil influences seeds and improves the whole plant
  • Big Bold Health (BEN10 is active for 10% off single products, but will not work for bundles or subscriptions)

-And much more…

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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Jeffrey Bland:

– Podcasts:

– Books:

– Other Resources:

Episode sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Dr. Jeffrey Bland or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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2 thoughts on “The Secret Ingredient Inside Fish Guts, Immuno-Rejuvenation 101, The Magic Of Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat, “The Father Of Functional Medicine,” Dr. Jeffrey Bland.

  1. Chino says:

    Is Dr. Bland’s fish oil on the market? Where can we find it?

  2. Alexander Lowery says:

    I bought a bag of this a few weeks ago. I went on Amazon and looked up nutritious flour, this seemed to be the best. I listened to this show last night and was pleasantly surprised I bought a super flour. Glad to support Dr. Bland and my immune system.

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