The use of high-dose biotin supplements has increased almost 30-fold over the last twenty years for such problems as diabetes, smell and taste disorders, disorders of the hair, skin, and nails, and multiple sclerosis.

Studies show it can improve diabetes, and case reports show it can miraculously recover lost smell and taste even when smell and taste were lost as a result of surgery or the side effects of medications or other supplements.

Yet, some studies show multiple sclerosis gets worse on high-dose biotin. I personally developed clumsiness, short-term memory loss, and a short temper on high-dose biotin.

Some studies show it makes blood sugar get better, yet it made my blood sugar get worse.

High-dose biotin can also cause wide-ranging errors in lab tests with the potential to mask recent heart attacks, pregnancies, or allergies; to misdiagnose thyroid conditions; to give false signals about the presence or progression of tumors; to falsely raise vitamin D, B12, and folate levels; to falsely alter many hormone levels; to generate false positives for HIV and hepatitis; and to lead to unnecessary surgery and possibly even death as a result of diagnostic errors.

Most people need more biotin than they get.

Some one in 30 people need high-dose biotin for genetic reasons, and most other people should be getting lower doses.

So, how do we know how much we need, and whether we are getting the right amount? When is the right time to break open the bottle of the ten-milligram capsules?

This article covers the safety and efficacy of high-dose biotin for all the conditions documented in the literature, its potential anti-fertility effects, and how and when to balance it with other vitamins.

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Get permanent access to the video and podcast, and get the written and fully referenced article, here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/when-high-dose-biotin-is-truly-needed

The most useful tests are the ones no one ever orders.

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The written and fully referenced article, the podcast, and the permanently available video can be found here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/how-to-interpret-ketone-ratios-and

Question: Can NAC hurt your gut health? Short Answer: N-acetylcysteine or NAC can be used at a dose of 600 to 2,400 milligrams per day for 5-10 days to disrupt biofilms and make it easier for antimicrobials to kill bacteria. Animal studies suggest that acute doses up to 6 grams do not deplete mucus or cause ulceration, but that an acute dose of 17.5 grams can deplete mucus and cause ulcers within two hours. Human studies suggest that 10 grams per day can be used for 24 weeks with fewer than 1 in 6 people complaining of gastrointestinal side effects. Yet, chronic use of NAC will thin the mucus, disrupt the biofilms used by normal healthy microbiota, and possibly deliver excessive sulfur to certain components of the microbiome. Therefore, I would not use it except for specific, targeted reasons, and I would not use it at a dose higher than needed or for a duration longer than needed.

This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-nac-biofilms-vitamin

In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:

• Why Would Vitamin C cause muscle pain, joint pain, and brain fog?

• How to Find the Root Cause of Autoimmunity?

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This snippet is from the May 13, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:

• GLA to lower hydroxyhaemopyrrolin-2-one?

• When would I use the StrateGene and Genova Methylation Panel for nutritional testing?

• Energy metabolism as a root cause of gut issues?

• Nutrition for skin healing?

• Nutrition for hypnic jerks?

• Suggestions for snoring or sleep apnea?

• Nutrition to protect against restaurant meals?

• What is the cause of crusty eyes in the morning?

• What causes brain fog?

• How much oxalate should one eat each day?

• Should I be concerned about low alkaline phosphatase?

• What nutrients give tall children to short parents?

• Energy metabolism impairment mimicking Wilson's disease.

• Can taking digestive enzymes reduce our own production?

• Rapid-fire response to non-winners from the question contest.

Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-may Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Each person has one to six highly unique unlocks that will only work for them, and this is how to find them. This podcast is only available here for the next 48 hours.

This video is a free preview of a full-length 69-minute podcast. You can access the full video, full podcast, and the written and fully referenced article here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/unlocking-performance-and-longevity

Question: How can I protect against oxalates? Short Answer: Getting 300-400 mg calcium between food and supplements at each meal will minimize oxalate absorption. Maintaining postprandial urine pH in the 6.4-6.8 range by getting 3-5 grams of potassium per day from food or from organic acid salts such as potassium citrate will prevent its crystallization in the kidney. Reducing dietary oxalate will prevent any possible damage in the gut.

This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-blood-glucose-and-oxalate

In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:

•  Why Should Postprandial Glucose Be Kept Under 140 mg/dL?

If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:

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This snippet is from the April 12, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:

• What Causes Hypercholesterolemia and Does It Matter?

• How to Reverse Coronary Calcification?

• How to do a comprehensive nutritional screening

• How long after eating improperly cooked egg whites should I wait to take biotin?

• Is the extrusion process as harmful as some claim?

• How long can one fast before micronutrient deficiencies become an issue?

• Do B vitamins compete with each other for absorption?

• Why is thirst a symptom of diabetes?

• Do I agree with Peter Attia that ApoB should be driven as low as pharmacologically possible?

• During a fast, does the body break down muscle?

• How do you rest and refeed your brain?

• Why would someone have high RBC magnesium but low serum magnesium?

• GLA deficiency?

• Should we eat for our ethnicity?

• How convincing are polyphenol studies?

• Can coronary calcium be driven by oxalate?

• Citrulline for vasodilation

• How to reduce catabolism

• Rapid-fire run-through of orphaned questions from the submission contest, including a detailed look at Nadia’s thyroid numbers

Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-april

Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Question: Why should postprandial blood glucose be kept under 140 milligrams per deciliter? Short Answer: When blood glucose rises above 140 mg/dL, this is the approximate point at which it spills into the polyol pathway at a greater-than-normal rate, which represents a suboptimal state of metabolism that is likely to hurt antioxidant status and compromise detoxification pathways as well as the recycling of vitamin K and folate. It must be kept in mind that a healthy person will adapt to glycemic loads they consume regularly. Thus, a one-time spike above 140 mg/dL should never be used to conclude anything whatsoever. Only repeated spikes above this level with repeated consumption of the same glycemic load over several days to several weeks should be used as a cause for concern.

This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-blood-glucose-and-oxalate

In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:

• How can I protect against oxalates?

If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:

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Learn more about the Masterpass here:

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This snippet is from the April 12, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:

• What Causes Hypercholesterolemia and Does It Matter?

• How to Reverse Coronary Calcification?

• How to do a comprehensive nutritional screening

• How long after eating improperly cooked egg whites should I wait to take biotin?

• Is the extrusion process as harmful as some claim?

• How long can one fast before micronutrient deficiencies become an issue?

• Do B vitamins compete with each other for absorption?

• Why is thirst a symptom of diabetes?

• Do I agree with Peter Attia that ApoB should be driven as low as pharmacologically possible?

• During a fast, does the body break down muscle?

• How do you rest and refeed your brain?

• Why would someone have high RBC magnesium but low serum magnesium?

• GLA deficiency?

• Should we eat for our ethnicity?

• How convincing are polyphenol studies?

• Can coronary calcium be driven by oxalate?

• Citrulline for vasodilation

• How to reduce catabolism

• Rapid-fire run-through of orphaned questions from the submission contest, including a detailed look at Nadia’s thyroid numbers

Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-april

Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

Watch the full-length video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhgGGbdw4zE&t=8621s

 Get my free 51--page report, Methylene Blue: Biohacker's Delight or Playing With Fire?, here:

 https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/the-guide-to-methylene-blue

Get the written and referenced version here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/the-guide-to-methylene-blue

This is a 51-page guide in which you will learn the following:

The Origin of Methylene Blue

The Entry of Methylene Blue Into Medicine

From Malaria to Many Uses in Medicine

How Methylene Blue Works

A Redox-Reactive Dye

The Blue Bottle Experiment

Methylene Blue Radicals, Photoexcited States, and Demethylated Metabolites

Methylene Blue Can Oxidize and Reduce Many Targets

Methylene Blue Can Rewire the Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain

Rewiring the Respiratory Chain Does Not Make It Better

Methylene Blue Increases Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrogen Peroxide Kills Microbes, Has Hormetic Benefits, But Is Still Ultimately Toxic

Methylene Blue Causes Redox Cycling of Hemoglobin Methylene Blue Is a Strong Monoamine Oxidase A Inhibitor

Methylene Blue Inhibits Nitric Oxide Synthase Mechanistic Conclusions Is Methylene Blue Fundamentally Hormetic?

Methylene Blue Fails in Alzheimer’s, and Causes a Worrisome Side Effect

Whether Methylene Blue Helps Or Hurts Depends on Whether You Need It

Natural Alternatives for Hormesis and Rewiring the Respiratory Chain

Who Should Use Methylene Blue?

Once more you can get it here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/the-guide-to-methylene-blue

Question: What is the relationship between copper and estrogen?

Short Answer: Estrogen moves copper from the mother’s bloodstream to the fetus during pregnancy. Its action at the intestines is poorly understood but I believe estrogen and progesterone interact to promote intestinal copper absorption. Maintaining pregnancy-level hormones while not pregnant poses a risk of promoting too much absorption of copper from food without transferring it to a growing baby. Copper status should be monitored when using supplemental hormones to avoid copper toxicity. This is a clip from a live Q&A session open to CMJ Masterpass members. In addition to this episode, you can access two other free samples using this link:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/questions-on-hair-graying-copper 

In that batch of free episodes you will also find the answer to this question:

• How to slow or reverse graying of hair?

If you want to become a Masterpass member so you can participate in the next live Q&A, or so you can have access to the complete recording and transcript of each Q&A session, you can save 10% off the subscription price for as long as you remain a member by using this link to sign up:

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https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/about

This snippet is from the March 14, 2023 AMA. The full recording and transcript is reserved for Masterpass members. Here is a preview of what’s included:

• How to slow or reverse graying of hair?

• What about that new erythritol study?

• Can nicotinamide riboside cause hemolytic anemia in someone with G6PDH deficiency?

• Why is citric acid alkalinizing?

• If I switch my vitamin E to tocotrienols, am I missing anything?

• Vitamin A deficiency and toxicity symptoms at the same time?

• Vitamin A in pregnancy

• How long should I wait to measure whole blood riboflavin after making a change to my supplement?

• How to stack supplements for blood pressure?

• Rejuvant calcium alpha-ketoglutarate for anti-aging?

• Are dietary AGEs a problem?

• Is it safe to keep taking high-dose zinc?

• What’s the best way to get phosphorus?

• Weight loss question.

• How to eat to 80% full

Here’s a link to the full AMA: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/recording-and-transcript-of-the-march 

Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here.

This is now subscribers-only and is available here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/why-would-citrate-or-malate-cause