Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Micronutrients for Health & Longevity | Episode 70

Sulforaphane levels in broccoli are lower when it's cooked. But adding one gram of mustard seed powder to cooked broccoli increases the sulforaphane by fourfold. 

The plant, Moringa, has similar effects to broccoli. This can be bought in a powdered form and added to smoothies. 

Omega 3 fatty acid is another essential macronutrient. People with low omega-3 index have higher all-cause mortality and lower lifespan.

• Wild game has a higher concentration of micronutrients (e.g., zinc) and omega-3 versus conventional.
• Grass-fed meat is better as factory farmers feed cows corn to fatten them.
• Fish is a great source of omega 3 but is higher in mercury. 
• Plant sources of ALA would be walnuts and flaxseeds. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, the best it to supplement with microalgae oil as they have DHA.
• Supplementation is a good way to get a high dose of Omega 3s.

Vitamin D is essential for various aspects of our brain and body health. Vitamin is a steroid hormone we produce when we’re in the sun, depending on how much melanin we have on our skin, whether or not we’re wearing sunscreen, and how old we are. 

Vitamin D gets converted into a steroid that regulates some of the human genomes and plays an important role in activating the innate immune system.

Vitamin D3 is a good way to supplement. Vitamin D2 is often a plant source. 

Being deficient in magnesium makes it more difficult to make Vitamin D. Magnesium is also involved in making ATP, the energetic currency of our cells. 

Our bodies need ATP to do anything, including repairing DNA enzymes. You can’t look in the mirror and see DNA damage from lack of magnesium, but it is there. 

Dark leafy greens are high in magnesium, for example, kale, spinach, chard, and romaine lettuce. Magnesium in dark leafy greens is less bioavailable, but cooking can release it. For supplementation, magnesium malate would be best.

Cold exposure (11 minutes per week, up to the neck) has been shown to increase brown fat which increases metabolism and the ability to feel comfortable in cold temperatures. 

Regular use of sauna and other heat exposure can reduce mortality by cardiovascular events, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Heat changes the way in which proteins are configured at the molecular level: Heat shock proteins (HSP) ensure cells of the brain and body don’t misfold.

• Recipe for heat exposure: 57 minutes per week spread out across sessions. 
• Cold exposure (safe but cold) a couple of times a week.