So that can obviously be very problematic. Methyl mercury, which we're familiar with in terms of fish, is also a problem.But it's hard to say how big of a problem it is.
the C gets a little chemical added to it called a methyl . And a methyl is just if you remember from chemistry high school, uh it's a carbon with three hydrogens. It's very simple molecule. It gets stuck on that piece of the the DNA molecule. That's called DNA methylation and that will help
But it's sort of the in-between levels are harder to quantify, because there are so many individual differences, and because consuming fish, which is sort of the largest source of methyl mercury, is also really good for you in lots of other ways. So it's this strange balance between, fish is really good for you and your cognitive development, but mercury is really bad for you
And then you compare it to methamphetamine, they are essentially the same drug. Methamphetamine has an additional methyl group that probably doesn't contribute to its biological activity or pharmacology. I have done the studies in which I've compared the two drugs in the same people, and I measured behaviors--
There's-- we used to think that there was going to be five to 10 genes that we would recognize-- we would be able to find that accounted for autism. With something called methylation, you can change gene expression due to environmental input.
So you can't focus or pay attention or concentrate. It prevents the energy production to preventing adenosine which needs to be methylated and so you lose energy in your body in your cells. It prevents methylation of neurotransmitters so you can't produce serotonin and-and-and epinephrine and adrenalin which help you focus. And you also can't produce antioxidants like glutathione which protect you against inflammation and help you detoxify from heavy metal; so this will all jam if something is-is-is poisoning
Lee: Mm-hmm. Tod: that makes them easier to swallow. So, when you see people throwing stink bombs on your decks and stuff, you're first instinct is to use a hose and wash it off. But when you wash off the methylcellulose, moisture activates it and makes it super slippery so you can't wash anything off of it. So, it looks really chaotic, but it's, it's really very well planned. One of the only spontaneous things that we threw was this, there was this horrible vegan salad dressing that we no one like on the ship.
because the genes that were once turned on correctly in my young cells, that that control system, these These there are enzymes that remove these methyl groups um and put them back on. So the cells controlling these things, they shouldn't
And there's lots of confounders. So clearly having too much methyl mercury is toxic. And we know that because of an unfortunate incident in Minamata, Japan a number of years ago.
But one thing we can say is that, fish that are higher up on the food chain, which usually means the big ones that eat the littler ones, are going to have more concentration of methyl mercury than ones that are lower on the food chain. Which means if you eat sardines, you're going to get less mercury than if you're eating shark or swordfish, for example.
I had to slip that in in case you forgot I was Catholic. Hot like the permafrost releasing methyl hydrates.
It's very simple molecule. It gets stuck on that piece of the the DNA molecule. That's called DNA methylation and that will help determine that pattern of DNA methylation determines whether this particular gene will be switched on, say to make an optic nerve, or switched off so that it's becomes a liver cell. And that happens as we're in the womb and we
Instead, they relied on a chemical looping through the back to stay cold. And the best chemical for the job was methyl chloride, a toxic and virtually odorless gas. So if it somehow leaked from the fridge, it could kill you without warning.
particularly the C which I'm showing you here in this red part of the the molecule, the C gets a little chemical added to it called a methyl . And a methyl is just if you remember from chemistry high school, uh it's a carbon with three hydrogens.
that healthy people were using a lot of these drugs. So the drugs that I was examining such as methylphenidate, which is also known as Ritalin the most common drug treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, was being used by healthy people.
I could even take a buckle swab of your mouth, and I could go back to my lab. I could read what's called the DNA methylome. It's really just measuring which of the letter Cs out of those A, C, T, G, which of those have a methyl
You know that they're cholesterol-lowering drugs. Ritalin, otherwise known as methylphenidate, can help ADD people to stay focused, but many report that they feel a loss of creativity.
for like a whole week. When we're anywhere within a half mile of that, cause that how bad it stinks. And in fact, we don't see anyone on their decks for maybe a week after an attack. And the other thing that we throw is called methylcellulose, which we throw on top of the stink bombs. And methylcellulose is the chemical substance coats pills-- Lee: Mm-hmm. Tod: that makes them easier to swallow. So, when you see people throwing stink bombs on your decks and stuff, you're first instinct is to use a hose and wash it off. But when
body to be used because you're taking so much in. And then it says, "Where can I go?" So, since creatine is now being taken in through a supplement, these methyl groups are available in your body to go elsewhere to do work and they like to synthesize adrenaline. And that's why you feel more uh um energetic, so to speak.
UV sun exposure. It'll also give you some of the most impressive erections you've ever had in your life, so be warned. And what else have we got? Oh my gosh. There's methylene blue where people take it and they think it's going to make them live forever. Don't take this. It literally will stain your nails blue and your hair blue. These two here stimulates building muscle. This one can aid with healing after an injury. And
because the genes that were once turned on correctly in my young cells, that that control system, these chemicals on the DNA molecule, the methyls , are getting erased. So aging is an identity crisis of the cells.
Then you start to really correlate, aha, that's what this does. Right. And I was going to get to methylation. Right now, genome sequence is coming down.
They have these sensory hypersensitivities, like aversions to loud noise or certain kinds of tastes. That happens by virtue of these chemical tags, like this methyl group that lies atop an area of a given gene.
Right now, genome sequence is coming down. But the ability to get to epigenetics, in terms of methyl groups, things like that, talk to us about all the other rich information that's necessary to really draw those conclusions.
most of us; and had a lower life span. And what they did was they took pregnant rats and they gave them certain supplements that were methylating supplements that are-are nutritional supplements that regulate gene expression. But these are nutrients that our bodies have used since we've evolved and are used across all life species to actually regulate turning on and off of genes. It's called methylation.
100%. What is that? So, there is a mechanism, so creatine is the biggest methyl scavenger in the body and without boring your viewers, but methyl groups are used for everything. They're also used to synthesize something called adrenaline and our neurotransmitters. You know, the things that we get excited about. So, when you
They're also used to synthesize something called adrenaline and our neurotransmitters. You know, the things that we get excited about. So, when you take in too much creatine, typically on an empty stomach or in a dehydrated state, that will spare methyl groups in the body to be used because you're taking so much in. And then it says, "Where can I go?" So, since creatine is now being
I could read what's called the DNA methylome. It's really just measuring which of the letter Cs out of those A, C, T, G, which of those have a methyl group, a C and 4 Hs on there.
This is an example of data from the paper that we are hopefully publishing soon with Steven Horvath, who discovered this clock. We can see that the mice that are normal are in blue, and they're aging at a certain rate, according to these DNA methyl marks on the DNA. But if we scratch the genome and cause epigenomic changes, we can age the mouse 50% faster.
So why is that? I kind of primed you in thinking about this by giving you a picture of a fish, so many people are thinking about methyl mercury, which is part of our diet, and we worry about it in that sense.
good for you, for your health. Because generally-speaking, they're high in Omega-3's. They don't have high concentrations of methyl
And a methyl is just if you remember from chemistry high school, uh it's a carbon with three hydrogens. It's very simple molecule. It gets stuck on that piece of the the DNA molecule. That's called DNA methylation and that will help determine that pattern of DNA methylation determines whether this particular gene will be switched on, say
We're actually open systems, so we can use energy to reset the system. Now, the man on the left won the Nobel Prize for learning how to take an adult cell and make it a stem cell, wiping all of the DNA methylation off the genome, wiping it clean so that those cells could be rebuilt into anything you want.
If there are things that stop this enzyme from functioning like heavy metals, mercury, lead, it jams that biology and that creates a whole series of things so this wheel can't turn and you end up, for example, not being able to methylate or turn on dopamine receptors. So you can't focus or pay attention or concentrate. It prevents the energy production to preventing adenosine which needs to be methylated and so you lose energy in your body in your cells.
turn and you end up, for example, not being able to methylate or turn on dopamine receptors. So you can't focus or pay attention or concentrate. It prevents the energy production to preventing adenosine which needs to be methylated and so you lose energy in your body in your cells. It prevents methylation of neurotransmitters so you can't produce serotonin and-and-and epinephrine and adrenalin which help you focus.
And you also can't produce antioxidants like glutathione which protect you against inflammation and help you detoxify from heavy metal; so this will all jam if something is-is-is poisoning this enzyme. The good news is there are ways to help this. For example, you can unblock it using methylcobalamin which is a special form of B12 that actually can open up the system. And I've seen kids for example with attention deficit or autism or behavior issues, you give them the right form in the right way of this methylcobalamin and they literally
this enzyme. The good news is there are ways to help this. For example, you can unblock it using methylcobalamin which is a special form of B12 that actually can open up the system. And I've seen kids for example with attention deficit or autism or behavior issues, you give them the right form in the right way of this methylcobalamin and they literally focus and pay attention. You know these kids don't look at you, they don't look at you in the eye, they don't pay attention; they'll literally wake up and they'll focus and they'll
And what they did was they took pregnant rats and they gave them certain supplements that were methylating supplements that are-are nutritional supplements that regulate gene expression. But these are nutrients that our bodies have used since we've evolved and are used across all life species to actually regulate turning on and off of genes. It's called methylation. So things like B12 and folate, zinc, and so forth, B6, they regulate this-this-this modulation of your genes.
and lives a long time. And if you don't have adequate levels of nutrients you can't actually regulate your brain function properly. So having adequate levels of nutrients particularly the methylating nutrients: B6,