Paul Saladino

I can just walk up to any plant outside here and go start eating its bark. So that plant out of necessity, historically, has developed or was created with defense chemicals to dissuade insects, fungi, humans, animals from eating it without regard to what's in it. And this is not the stuff of fairy tales, not opinion, this is botanical science. Plant defense chemicals are real.

I can just walk up to any plant outside here and go start eating its bark. So that plant out of necessity, historically, has developed or was created with defense chemicals to dissuade insects, fungi, humans, animals from eating it without regard to what's in it. And this is not the stuff of fairy tales, not opinion, this is botanical science. Plant defense chemicals are real.

I can just walk up to any plant outside here and go start eating its bark. So that plant out of necessity, historically, has developed or was created with defense chemicals to dissuade insects, fungi, humans, animals from eating it without regard to what's in it. And this is not the stuff of fairy tales, not opinion, this is botanical science. Plant defense chemicals are real.

There are so many plants that if we go eat them, we'll die immediately, right? I mean, think about mushrooms. There are so many poisonous mushrooms that do this. Mushrooms are kind of stuck in the ground too. Mushrooms are a different story for the most part, but they're an interesting story separate from plants. They're not in the same kingdom as plants. They do reverse respiration.

There are so many plants that if we go eat them, we'll die immediately, right? I mean, think about mushrooms. There are so many poisonous mushrooms that do this. Mushrooms are kind of stuck in the ground too. Mushrooms are a different story for the most part, but they're an interesting story separate from plants. They're not in the same kingdom as plants. They do reverse respiration.

There are so many plants that if we go eat them, we'll die immediately, right? I mean, think about mushrooms. There are so many poisonous mushrooms that do this. Mushrooms are kind of stuck in the ground too. Mushrooms are a different story for the most part, but they're an interesting story separate from plants. They're not in the same kingdom as plants. They do reverse respiration.

They inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide like us. Plants inhale carbon dioxide, exhale oxygen because of photosynthesis. So mushrooms are interesting. We can talk about them too. But the whole plant idea is that plants, out of necessity, contain defense chemicals, right?

They inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide like us. Plants inhale carbon dioxide, exhale oxygen because of photosynthesis. So mushrooms are interesting. We can talk about them too. But the whole plant idea is that plants, out of necessity, contain defense chemicals, right?

They inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide like us. Plants inhale carbon dioxide, exhale oxygen because of photosynthesis. So mushrooms are interesting. We can talk about them too. But the whole plant idea is that plants, out of necessity, contain defense chemicals, right?

And those defense chemicals can be harmful for humans at the level of our gut, at the level of our immune system, at the level of absorption of nutrients. And some people are uniquely sensitive to plant defense chemicals. Historically, when hunter-gatherers eat vegetables, they almost always ferment them. We don't do that so much. Think about how we eat grains today.

And those defense chemicals can be harmful for humans at the level of our gut, at the level of our immune system, at the level of absorption of nutrients. And some people are uniquely sensitive to plant defense chemicals. Historically, when hunter-gatherers eat vegetables, they almost always ferment them. We don't do that so much. Think about how we eat grains today.

And those defense chemicals can be harmful for humans at the level of our gut, at the level of our immune system, at the level of absorption of nutrients. And some people are uniquely sensitive to plant defense chemicals. Historically, when hunter-gatherers eat vegetables, they almost always ferment them. We don't do that so much. Think about how we eat grains today.

And I haven't really mentioned grains a whole lot. I'm not a huge fan of grains. I think most humans get much healthier when they stop eating grains, probably because we eat grains by just cooking them. And that gets rid of some of the defense chemicals, but not all of the defense chemicals. So take oatmeal, for instance.

And I haven't really mentioned grains a whole lot. I'm not a huge fan of grains. I think most humans get much healthier when they stop eating grains, probably because we eat grains by just cooking them. And that gets rid of some of the defense chemicals, but not all of the defense chemicals. So take oatmeal, for instance.

And I haven't really mentioned grains a whole lot. I'm not a huge fan of grains. I think most humans get much healthier when they stop eating grains, probably because we eat grains by just cooking them. And that gets rid of some of the defense chemicals, but not all of the defense chemicals. So take oatmeal, for instance.

Oats are high in a compound called phytic acid, which is a big molecule that chelates minerals. And if you cook oats into oatmeal, and oats are a plant seed, right? It's been rolled into like a little flat oat. If you cook oats into oatmeal,

Oats are high in a compound called phytic acid, which is a big molecule that chelates minerals. And if you cook oats into oatmeal, and oats are a plant seed, right? It's been rolled into like a little flat oat. If you cook oats into oatmeal,

Oats are high in a compound called phytic acid, which is a big molecule that chelates minerals. And if you cook oats into oatmeal, and oats are a plant seed, right? It's been rolled into like a little flat oat. If you cook oats into oatmeal,

You degrade maybe 40% of the phytic acid, but still 60% is left, meaning that if you're eating oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, and say you're putting milk on your oatmeal, you're not absorbing as much of the calcium or magnesium in the milk because the phytic acid in the oats is binding it and it's going out in your poop.

You degrade maybe 40% of the phytic acid, but still 60% is left, meaning that if you're eating oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, and say you're putting milk on your oatmeal, you're not absorbing as much of the calcium or magnesium in the milk because the phytic acid in the oats is binding it and it's going out in your poop.