This article is not medical advice. Before starting on any health or diet related regimen you should seek the advice of your Primary Care Physician or an M.D.
In Naturopath circles, sometimes you will hear some say, "something is up with chicken, something is not quite right....". Well, if its your main or only source of protein, this article may be eye opening.
One of the most important compounds for the body to have in sufficient quantities is L-Carnitine. Its needed to use fats for energy, along with B2, to create acetyl coenzyme a, and feed it into the krebs cycle for energy. B2 is its own monster, needing Iodine, Selenium, and Molybdenum to be activated. Over 100 genes that use b6, also depend on B2. B12 needs B2 to be functionally competent (its needed in the MMACDC gene along with glutathione) to enable intracellular B12 to be activated.
Ok, back to Chicken Little and L-Carnitine. The only way to really get substantive quantities of carnitine in your diet is through beef. Yep. But your body can synthesize (make) carnitine from :
L-Methionine
L-Lysine
NAD (B3)
B6
Iron
Vit C
LOW B3 and Low NAD (Chicken Little is Tired, and Has Lots of Co-Infections)
uh, oh. So, if you don't eat beef, which is relatively high in iron, you actually use iron to make carnitine. Um, this is interesting. Even better, you use B3 / NAD by staying on a chicken only diet too - uh oh. NAD is the most common cofactor in the human body, followed by Magnesium, and.........B6. Uh oh. You use B6 too by being on a chicken heavy diet to make carnitine. B3 is critical to activate a number of anti bacterial, and anti viral responses by the immune system. When we are depleted in B3/NAD we can have trouble clearing infections and see high levels of co infections in Chicken Little. The Potential for Low NAD/B3, Low B6, Low Iron. No Bueno. And we are just getting started....
Low Ferritin (Iron Stores), Chicken Little Keeps Getting More Tired
To store iron into ferritin, not only do you need acetyl co a into the krebs cycle (B2, Carnitine) , the krebs cycle needs iron (at the Aconitase gene), and you need B6 in the heme pathway. um. Then finally if you are lucky to create enough heme to couple with iron, HMOX1 is the gene that stores heme-iron into ferritin (long term iron stores). Wanna guess what its cofactor is ? NAD (B3):). No wonder poor little chicken little can have low ferritin and get tired:(. Maybe he is anemic, maybe short of NAD, B3, B6, etc.
Low Methionine: Liver, Glucose, Methylation Issues; Low Glutathione and Taurine
What about methionine ? Yep, can get depleted too making carnitine endogenously, and this effects liver function and can result in blood glucose regulation issues. It can lead to high homocysteine and methylation cycle issues too. No bueno. And how do you think our body makes cysteine ? Yep, from methionine. Cysteine is the typical rate limiting factor in glutathione synthesis. Oh, so now we have the potential for low glutathione, and as such inflammation, higher oxidative stress, poor detox, and lower krebs cycle functioning (energy) because glutathione is needed for the Aconitase gene (again) in the krebs cycle too. Where do i see the most dysfunction in the krebs cycle on Organic Acids tests ? Aconitase. Because of this, low Alpha Keto Glutarate production occurs, which is needed to activate D3 into D O25, to help store calcium into bones. Guess what Alpha Keto Glutarate is known to do ? Reverse osteoporosis. Glutathione is needed for B12 to become functional - its a cofactor in the MMACDC gene. Without enough glutathione, B12 cannot process intracellularly, and builds up high in the serum blood. These are the folks who have high serum B12, and are tired as heck, and don't even supplement with B12. There are entire facebook groups around B12 issues, and chronically ill folks with high serum b12 who don't supplement with it. What do high levels of cobalt (B12) in the blood do ? Blocks the heme pathway at the UROD gene. No heme = no CYP450, no GPX, no Catalase, no SOD2, no NOS, no NAD. No Bueno. Taurine is also made from methionine. Uh oh. Taurine is needed for bile acid synthesis. If you have poor bile acid synthesis, you may have mal digestion, and an inability to breakdown your food for nutrients. It is also a key ingredient in calming over stimulated NMDA receptors, which can often be the case with exposures to pollution, mold, head injuries, and EMF sensitivity. Who is low in cysteine, glutathione, ferritin, and taurine ? Good old chicken little.
Low Lysine: Connective Tissue Issues, Low Albumin, Low Iron Absorption
What about lysine ? Well, its used in connective tissue formation, impaired fatty acid metabolism (from carnitine deficiency), anemia (poor iron uptake from the GI tract without lysine), and systemic protein-energy deficiency (decreased albumin production). Who has low blood albumin ? Chicken little does:). Lysine supplementation on a chicken heavy diet may be beneficial.
High Histamine From Anserine - Chicken Is The Food Highest In Anserine - Demands More B2, B3/NAD, Molybdenum, Copper, and Selenium
Chicken is the food highest in a histamine precursor called anserine. Anserine (a dipeptide that is broken down into 1-Methylhistadine) is turned into histamine. Who has high 1-Methylhistadine levels in their blood on Nutreval tests. Chicken little does. Our DAO enzyme (uses copper) turns the histamine into hydrogen peroxide (a free radical), and aldehydes. Copper can get depleted here. Aldehyde is processed by ALDH (aldehyde genes) which uses B3 (NAD) and Molybdenum. Hmm. The hydrogen peroxide gets processed by Catalase (requires even more copper, NAD), or GPX1/GPX4 (uses B2, selenium), or MPO (uses calcium and heme). So now we have more copper, more NAD/B3, and more B2 demand, and of course now we see why so many people are low in molybdenum too:). MPO produces a caustic inflammatory compound called HOCL (Hypochlorous Acid). But it gets better. The other pathway for the histamine to get broken down in the absence of lots of bifido bacteria is the MAOA gene - which turns it into hydrogen peroxide (again), and uses B2 to do so, and then CAT, GPX, and MPO step in here again. Why does chicken little sometimes have sulfur issues ? Because sulfur requires B2 and Molybdenum (SUOX gene) for the body to process it. So now we have high levels of histamine, and much more demand on B3/NAD, B2, Molybdenum, Selenium, Copper, Heme, and Calcium. And to make the nest even more intertwined, B2 needs Selenium and Molybdenum to be activated.
Research has shown that copper absorption and bio transformation from Cu2+ to more bioavailable states is assisted in the presence of B3. Hmmm. If chicken little is low in copper, maybe its because he used all his B3 taking care of all that Anserine that gets turned into histamine:). Of course, never to miss an opportunity supplement companies like MitoSynergy have come out with a copper supplement CunerMuspir that has Niacin, it doesnt appear like its cheap though:). Niacinamide, a well tolerated non flushing form of B3 is pennies by the pound. Copper and Niacinamide has shown absorption benefits in research. You can either pony up any pay for the well packaged and marketed version, or if you think chicken little needs a little extra B3 anyway, just take copper with your B3:).
If you don't eat beef, consider acetyl l carnitine supplementation and checking the status of some of nutrients used here : B2, B3, B6, C, Copper, Iron, Selenium, Molybdenum, Iodine, Ferritin, L-Methionine, and L-Lysine. Or consider beef for dinner:). This is especially important on higher fat diets that require lots of B2 and carnitine.
Lets help Chicken Little get his legs back:)
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