Q&A 460: Sex & Fertility, Smart Drugs, Can Cholesterol Increase Testosterone, The Truth About “Natural Flavors”, Is Nitric Oxide Bad? & Much More.

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Listener Q&A:

Want to submit your question for Ben to answer on the podcast? Submit here or send a direct message on InstagramTwitter, or Facebook. To make it easy to spot, preface your question with “Q&A Podcast Question: (ask question here)” and keep it concise, please.

Q: I have a question regarding “Natural Flavors.” Bobby at Flavcity teaches to avoid all food with natural flavors and that the ingredients do not have to be disclosed. Can you please address the topic? It is so confusing when shopping “clean” products and you see “Natural Flavors” used in the ingredients list…42:34 TO EDITOR: I REQUESTED THAT BOBBY'S ORIGINAL IG POST BE EMBEDDED HERE BUT LOOKS LIKE THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.

Ben Recommends:
  • Ben doesn't avoid “Natural Flavors” altogether
  • Where do they come from?
    • From all around us: fruits, vegetables, spices, trees, leaves, etc.
    • Flavorists are both chemists and artists that work in the “flavoring” industry
  • Both natural and artificial flavors are synthesized in laboratories
    • Artificial flavors can come from anything, such as petroleum and synthetic chemicals
    • Natural flavors are derived from natural food sources only
    • Natural and artificial flavors can be the exact same molecules
      • Nutritionally the same
      • Both used in the modern world to enhance foods
  • A flavorist helps reduce cost and environmental impact by finding ways to mimic flavors in the natural state
  • FEMA evaluates GRAS status (Generally Recognized as Safe)
  • Examples of natural flavorings:
    • Isoamyl acetate derived from bananas for banana flavoring
    • Citral derived from lemongrass for citrus flavoring
    • Benzaldehyde from almonds for cherry flavoring
    • Castoreum found in anal secretions from beavers
    • Acetoin from butter
  • Ben doesn't trust the FDA on substances like MSG
    • FDA claims that the glutamate in MSG is chemically the same as the glutamate found in food proteins
      • L-Glutamic acid is naturally found in protein and bound
      • D-Glutamic acid is not made synthetically and is not bound
    • MSG is made from fermented sugar, beets, corn, tapioca starch, and cassava
      • Promoted as safe
      • Ben disagrees
  • Kion Energy Bar and Kion Aminos both use good natural flavors based on extensive research
  • Ben is careful with processed foods, though more concerned with blood sugar spikes and vegetable oil

Q: Hello Ben, can you comment on nitric oxide production from red light therapy, now we are hearing that stimulating nitric oxide production could be more harmful than helpful?…58:55

Ben Recommends:
  • Contrary to popular belief, more nitric oxide is not better
    • Nitric oxide is considered a reactive oxygen species
      • Can create inflammation and cell-damaging free radicals
  • Reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide can have beneficial and deleterious effects depending on concentration and exposure time
  • More than 20 minutes of red light therapy can cause excess reactive oxygen species generation
    • Further aggravated by consuming blood flow precursors, such as arginine, citrulline, or Viagra prior to red light therapy
  • Red light therapy helps cells make more adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
    • Relies on activation of mitochondria
    • ATP is produced by ATP synthase
      • Like a tiny motor that operates in the fluid the mitochondria
      • Light allows faster output of ATP
  • To stave off potential deleterious effects of nitric oxide production from red light therapy, you can:
    • Take Methylene Blue (use code BEN to save 10%)
    • Consume high amounts of antioxidants

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Ask Ben a Podcast Question

6 thoughts on “Q&A 460: Sex & Fertility, Smart Drugs, Can Cholesterol Increase Testosterone, The Truth About “Natural Flavors”, Is Nitric Oxide Bad? & Much More.

  1. Julie Lara says:

    Where is the link for reliable Mexidol?

    1. Brandy Q Barnett says:

      Came looking for this😊

      1. Vajra says:

        There is product link in the description of this video https://youtu.be/qRMXqe6yYrU?si=hyeYs_Ij2qY4Ykt7

  2. Carlos says:

    Hey Ben I went to try the nootropics and wanted to try the Buy once smallest set that retails for 129, but it only let me chooser the 399 one. Maybe funnel is glitchy. thanks

    1. Ben Greenfield says:

      The buttons are just swapped. If you click on the World Domination one, it takes you to the subscription for Brilliance on Demand.

  3. Jane says:

    Are you sure the study recommended 200mgs of selenium? That seems very high, I though 200 mcg was the high end.

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