MCT for Health

We already know that in order to maintain a healthy metabolism, we need to keep our mitochondria in very good condition. But how do we do that? When I tried to find out what the usual composition of cardiolipin, one of the most important phospholipids in a healthy mitochondrial membrane, is, I always found that it contains a high percentage of tetralinoleoyl cardiolipin (4L-CL), i.e. cardiolipin containing four linoleic acid chains. Cis-vaccenic acid (cVA) comes in second, and only further down do we find, for example, DHA (in mitochondria from the heart), oleic acid, or other polyunsaturated fatty acids. In some studies, researchers have tried to replace linoleic acid with the long-chain fatty acids ARA and DHA, but the results are not particularly encouraging. For example, in this study , they tried to remodel cardiolipin by manipulating the enzyme ALCAT1 and achieved the incorporation of more DHA into cardiolipin, but they obtained the best results after shutting down remodeling v...

We know that some plant compounds are poisonous to us, and some of these compounds are also found in foods that we commonly eat. Our ancestors therefore developed a number of sophisticated methods for preparing such foods so that they would not harm us. Lectins are among these compounds, and you can read about them, for example, in the book called "The Plant Paradox" by Dr. Steven Gundry. I was going through previously saved studies and one caught my attention: it reported that some plant lectins mimic the effects of insulin, sometimes even better than insulin itself. They act on insulin receptors for a longer period of time, and the effects can be seen as suppression of lipolysis as well as activation of lipogenesis. In other words, they make sure that we can easily store fat, but also that we never use it. These are test-tube experiments. We therefore do not know whether these experiments have any practical impact on real life. But if diseased intestines can allow bacterial...

So I was going through some older studies I had saved, and this one caught my attention. I don't remember seeing it at all, but it illustrates beautifully how deceptive things can be. What is it about? Essentially, it is a study of how adding fiber (fructo-oligosaccharide, FOS) to the diet favorably affects metabolism. Perfect. Opinions on fiber vary widely. My view is that fiber in the large intestine triggers signaling similar to overeating. The presence of undigested food in the large intestine signals that we have eaten more food than would have been necessary, and so the intestinal bacteria feed on it as well. What comes out of this is quite a lottery, because each of us has a different composition of bacteria in our gut, so we don't know what those bacteria will actually produce. If things turn out well, the bacteria produce acetate (and other short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs), and this signals to the body that there is indeed enough fuel, and the body adjusts accordingly. ...

Why are there so many light sensors in adipose tissue? Until today, I have always considered the influence of light only in terms of its direct effect on the functioning of enzymes in mitochondria . It is time to change that.  A strange question occurred to me, the one you see in the headline. Could modern LED displays on computers and mobile phones, with their limited emission spectrum, be causing not only the epidemic of myopia , but also metabolic problems and obesity? So I started investigating.  First, I asked artificial intelligence whether it happened to know anything about it:  AI quote  “Yes — OPN5 (opsin 5, neuropsin) has a demonstrable connection to the regulation of metabolism and thermogenesis, but so far mainly from experiments in mice. And interestingly, the connection with the thyroid gland was not directly confirmed in the key study.  What is known so far  OPN5 is a light-sensitive receptor. In the brain, specifically in the preoptic area o...

The Introduction from AI Myopia in children and adolescents is increasing significantly both in the world and in the Czech Republic. The trend is described as an "epidemic" and is mainly related to lifestyle (more time spent on close-up screens, less time outdoors in daylight), partly also to genetics and earlier/better diagnostics. According to an extensive meta-analysis (276 studies, over 5 million participants from 50 countries, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology): The prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents (approximately 5–19 years old) has increased from 24% (1990–2000) to approximately 36% (2020–2023). This corresponds to approximately 1 in 3 children/teens. The highest incidence is in East and Southeast Asia (often 50–80%+ in older schoolchildren/teens; e.g. Japan or South Korea have very high values). In Europe and some other regions, it is lower, but it is also increasing. The prevalence is higher in adolescents than in younger children, in g...