Could the complex diseases of today be healed by addressing the fats and oils of the cell membrane?
This is an interesting idea to examine as the membrane carries the signals in our body, without a healthy membrane, signaling will cease to exist.
While cells carry out complex processes to run the chemistry of life—I am here to tell you that taking care of your cells can be a bit less complicated. I invited Jessica Kane Berman from Bodybio to share valuable information about why cell membrane health is critical to our overall health and how we can supplement to optimize function.
Hit play on the video or read the transcript below:
Bodybio s a Wahls Protocol® Sponsor. I am grateful for the partnership with this company and sponsorships like this are part of how we are able to produce so many informational resources at no cost to you. I have used affiliate links in this article. I hope that you do find the information shared to be beneficial!
Read the transcript below:
Dr Terry Wahls:
It’s Dr. Wahls. I’m here with Jessica Kane Berman from BodyBio. And BodyBio is a company that is sponsoring the seminar. They also make this wonderful product, phosphatidylcholine, PC, which I use every day. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen me with my PC pudding on a regular occurrence. Now, these partnerships are really very helpful in making what we do more widely available to the public.
And they’re also are really very valuable, because they help support the research that I do. People ask me every day, “So what is part of your daily routine?” And PC pudding is part of my daily routine. And sharing the interviews with the sponsors who make the products that are part of my daily routine, are the way that I share with you products that I believe in and why they are so profound.
So let’s get into this today. And we’re going to ask about some of the very special attributes and the intricacies of balancing the microbiome and balancing the membranes that are so vital to our health in our vitality. So Jess, let’s talk about membranes and why they’re so important, and why some of the products that you’ve developed are so, so very helpful.
Jessica Kane Berman:
Absolutely. I think first, thank you for having me. And second, if I’m a little heavy sounding or short of breath, it’s because I’m eight months pregnant. So excuse that, please. So I think when we talk about inflammatory conditions, like MS, and you’re talking about a condition of the central nervous system, I think what’s really important is to look a little bit at the biology of what’s going on in the body. So obviously, we know that white matter is made up of glial cells that surround neuronal cells and these transmit electrical signals. In MS, we get lesions of the white matter. And obviously, we know the importance of inflammation and what it causes and how it causes this degeneration. But the common word that you’re hearing is cells. And cells are really our foundation for our health and they’re overlooked so often.
And one of the most important components of the cell, and what’s really responsible for that language that’s spoken between the cells, is the cell membrane. And that is really why BodyBio was created, is to look at cell membrane health and address the deficiencies that can happen through autoimmune disease, through environmental toxins, through biotoxins, through our world that we live in. And especially, even as we age, even if you’re just a normal, healthy person, as we age levels of our phospholipids, which is one of the components in our cells, the main component, decrease over time. And so really our main star products, as we’ve talked about, and as people know, is something that you use with BodyBio PC, is it’s a complex of the phospholipids that make up that cell membrane.
And it’s a very delicate balance between what phospholipids are on the outer layer and what phospholipids are in the inner layer. And so ours is a mix of those important phospholipids that play off of each other for that important balance to really help with the structure and foundation of our cell wall.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
I want to say to everyone who’s listening, that we can remove a nucleus from a cell and the cell will still function fairly well, at least for a while. But if you damage the cell membrane, the cell dies. It is just so vital that we have a healthy membrane and for that cell to interact with the environment, the world, all of those signals go through the membrane. And people know that I’m really excited about the little organelles that create the mitochondria and actually, many little organelles that are vitally important. But each one of those little organelles, those little substructures in the cell, are wrapped in their own membrane. That’s why paying attention to membrane health really is the foundation of cellular health. So the products that you have that I use every day are the balance oil and the PC. Now, do you want to comment as to why those two products are so useful to healthy aging and to repairing the myelin?
Jessica Kane Berman:
Of course. So myelin is fat. And these are healthy fats, if you’re really to simplify it. And in order to protect our myelin, in order to re-myelinate, we must have these healthy fats and we must have the health of a cell really at the forefront of our healing. And so the two work very closely together, because one is responsible for the phospholipids. Another huge component of the cell membrane is cholesterol. Healthy cholesterol levels are very important. And the other element are essential fatty acids. Now, there is a huge campaign against PUFAs and polyunsaturated fats. There are two different things to look at here. There are healthy, essential fatty acids that are non-oxidized, that are cold pressed, that are treated carefully. The mitochondrial cell membrane apparently has about 80% linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is also the vegetable oil that almost everyone in the planet says to avoid.
Now, you want to avoid those heated canola oils and seed oils and vegetable oils. You never want to heat them. You want to treat them very carefully. And that’s why we make balance oil, which is that cold pressed, hexyne-free, very carefully treated linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid blend. And so those are the two [crosstalk 00:07:18] mother essential fatty acids.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
That’s the omega 6 and the omega 3.
Jessica Kane Berman:
Yeah.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
And so we need both of those essential fats, because our cells do not have the ability to make those fats. And those fats are essential to our lives. So we have to consume them. Now, back to you, Jess.
Jessica Kane Berman:
Now, there’s often an imbalance. And there can be an imbalance where people have very high levels of omega 6, which can be inflammatory. And then you think by taking a fish oil or something, it’s going to lower it. But then you’re going to have an imbalance the other way. So there’s a very delicate balance. And one of the greatest things we can do for inflammation is to eliminate those vegetable oils, the bad, heated oils, and really carefully address the essential fatty acids we put into our body, so the right omega 6, the right omega 3, treated carefully, the right type of fish oil treated carefully, so not heat extracted. You always want to look for CO2 extracted or cold pressed fish oil, or just to eat fish.
One of my favorite ways of getting the right amounts of DHA and EPA is caviar. And it doesn’t have to be $500 caviar. It can be $20 fish roe, but it’s one of the purest forms. So combining our essential fatty acids with our phospholipids, you’re really addressing the health of the membrane, the fluidity of the membrane, and the ability for that membrane to do all of its most important work.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
There’s a growing awareness that biotoxins can be a problem. I’m thinking of Lyme toxins. I’m thinking of mold toxins, that for some individuals, they’re having a hard time clearing those, and that’s contributing to brain fog, fatigue, and maybe exacerbating their autoimmune condition. Here in Iowa, we had the Derecho and there was extensive flooding just north of us in the Cedar Rapids area. And so there was a flare of people dealing with mold in their homes, water damaged buildings. And I saw that there was a flare of autoimmune conditions. Is there a role for PC for those patients that are struggling with those kind of toxins?
Jessica Kane Berman:
Definitely, because it’s part of the detoxification system and part of our body’s detoxification system. The number one thing we hear from those people who have been exposed to a consistent stretch of biotoxins, and they have a high toxic load, is that when they start taking PC, they feel Herxheimer reactions. So they may feel headachy, or achy, or have kind of an initial reaction to it. And I’ve spoken at length about this. You can learn a lot on our Instagram about dosing, but it’s really important to start very slow and very low, and literally take half a capsule or half a teaspoon, even a quarter of a teaspoon, of PC. And do that for a few weeks to build up. And then you can start to increase the dosage little by little. So whereas you and I may take much more than somebody who’s just starting out, especially if you have been exposed to biotoxins, I think it’s very important to really start low, because it does have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
And I think that’s a great general principle. My goal, when I’m having people start a supplement program, is to start with very low doses, be very mindful of your clinical response, your mental health, and ask your family about your mental health, because you won’t have good insight yourself, and your physical complaints. And then gradually make changes. If you feel like there’s any flare of your mental health, your family perception matters more than yours. And any flare of physical symptoms, then your body’s telling you that that dose was too great. And you need to back off. Some of the folks-
Jessica Kane Berman:
Listen to your body.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
Just muscle through, power through that’s terrible advice. And I also would say that for physical training. You always want to have recovery time. So listen carefully when we’re adding the PC. Now, let’s talk about aging. You may have noticed, I used to have really lovely brown hair like you, but it’s turning a bit more gray. And I’ve seen it look a little bit more white. And I’m having less brown in the back. So I’m thinking more that 70 is looking really quite young to me and 80 is looking pretty young. And I joke, my goal is to be to 120, maybe 150. So what role does PC have in helping me meet my goal for a healthy brain that’s going to work well when I’m 120, or maybe even 150?
Jessica Kane Berman:
I think it plays a huge role. I think cellular health is going to be something that becomes a lot more prevalent in health enthusiasts and in healthy aging longevity, health span conversations, because disease is ultimately what gets us all and disease occurs in the cells. So the longer we can keep our cells healthy and our cells working and maximizing the health of those cells, the better. I think there’s a lot of things that play a part in healthy aging, your environment, obviously, the health of all your organelles and all the organ systems that are working in the body. But there are, they say, upwards of 70 trillion cells in your body. And really, where we come from and our ethos of the company is, how do we help people, everyone’s living longer, how do we help you live better?
And it’s a huge push for cellular health. So I think it’s going to become something that’s much more popular. I think people are sometimes intimidated by things like phosphatidylcholine and linoleic acid and words that sound very scientific. And that’s something we’re taking into consideration, because we really feel PC and phospholipids are something that everyone can be on and everybody can benefit from in terms of the health of their cells, especially as we age.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
Yes, as we age, that accelerates many chronic diseases. It increases the risk of cognitive decline, increases the risk of frailty and falling. And an important part of stopping that, reversing that, good diet, good sleep, plenty of exercise and particular attention to your nutrition. And I am making the choice to have my PC pudding. I have that every day. And I do intermittent fasting. So every other day, my bowl of PC pudding is all that I have with my cup of tea. And so I’m very excited. Today I get to have a couple bowls of soup in addition to my bowl of PC pudding. But I just think the health benefits of the PC pudding is so great that I continue to have it even on my otherwise fasting day.
Jessica Kane Berman:
I have not tried the recipe yet, which is shocking, because I know how many people have benefited from it. And I’m just one that takes a tablespoon. I just follow it with water and take my tablespoon a day. But I really want to try it, because I think it’s also a great addition even for my children. I think they’d like it.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
Well, you know-
Jessica Kane Berman:
I’m going to make it a point.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
Yes. It’s delicious. And then you could add the variety of spices. So right now I’m adding ginger, cinnamon, cocoa and we have berries that we’ll have in. So I still have a bunch of aronia berries. So I have this beautiful purple pudding. And so some days I add chia seed. So I’ll make it in the morning and then I have it in the evening. And some days I add just inulin and put it in the refrigerator and will just have it gelled up from being in the refrigerator and I’ll have it that way. And some days I don’t put in aronia berries. I might put in frozen raspberries or strawberries. So I’ll go with a variety of a different berries and it’s the highlight of my day.
Jessica Kane Berman:
So you’re getting all those beautiful polyphenols. And you’re getting just a great kind of support for a healthy inflammation response. And I think it’s a great recipe. And I’m going to make it a point to make it.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
And it’s delicious. And my daughter’s like, “You eat some strange stuff, but that really is quite delicious.”
Jessica Kane Berman:
This is true, but nutrition is a huge part of it. And I think what you’re doing to help people understand how much that role of food and nutrition can help with your inflammation, which helps to contribute to all these diseases that we have going on, it’s such an important and critical part of this.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
It is huge. And for everyone who’s watching, I often am asked, am I on disease-modifying drugs? The answer is no. I’ve been off, with my neurologist’s blessing, since 2008. I still see my neurologist. I still get periodic MRIs. They continue to look great. And we attribute that to my diet, my lifestyle and my supplement program, which does include a healthy dose of PC and balance oil. So Jessica, this has just been so wonderful. I always enjoy talking with you and I thank you for being a sponsor. I thank you for the support you give our research and the wonderful work that you and your company are doing. Now-
Jessica Kane Berman:
Thank you for everything you do.
Dr. Terry Wahls:
And for all of you who are watching, please leave a comment below. What did you learn from today’s… What was the key message that you learned? What is the one thing that you are going to start doing? We would love to hear. Please go over to my website at TerryWahls.com. Sign up for the newsletter and there you get my research updates, great articles, great offers from people like Jessica and other wonderful partners. And get engaged. Read our newsletters. Download our diet cheat sheet and become part of the Wahls Warrior community. Now, much love to all of you. And thank you so much, Jess.
Jessica Kane Berman:
Thank you.
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About Jessica Kane Berman, Chief Marketing Officer, BodyBio
BodyBio has been a part of my life as far as I can remember. My grandfather, Ed Kane, founded BodyBio when I was a child and his food and lifestyle choices had a huge impact on the entire family. We grew up avoiding sugar, eating organic produce, and avoiding pesticides. When I was 20 years old I suffered from debilitating digestive problems and went under the care of allopathic doctors, trying everything from a restrictive diet to endless testing, nothing helped. I decided to sit down with my grandfather for answers. I started a daily supplementation of vitamins, digestive enzymes, and BodyBio Phosphatidylcholine, and noticed almost immediately healing and resolution. It was this experience that helped me fully understand the potential that vitamins and supplements can have on our health and it changed my life. I’m grateful for the healing I experienced and after a successful career in the art world, decided to leave and begin work at BodyBio with the goal of spreading the word and promoting health.
BodyBio has been trusted by physicians for over 25 years. The company was developed out of targeted blood chemistry analysis and epigenetic testing – investigating some of the most complex disorders in the world. The findings from that research led my Grandfather to create a very specific line of supplements to address cellular health. I have been a part of BodyBio for the last two years and am leading the marketing team in helping my Grandfather bring his research and findings to everyone, not just doctors. In two years, I have spearheaded the rebrand of BodyBio, our new website, and focused our marketing on how we can help educate those seeking better health with our vast knowledge on “cell membrane medicine” – a true understanding of how health at the cellular level is directly correlated to our health.
I am constantly amazed at the lives I’ve seen changed – from micro-preemies to seniors — and am committed to the improvement of health at the cellular level for all.
About Body Bio:
BodyBio is an NSF-approved nutritional research and development company focused on the creation of supplements that assist in treating complex health issues. We believe that healing disease begins with addressing the fats and oils of the cell membrane. To support membrane health, we have developed and independently produce a variety of vitamins and supplements that focus on human health and wellbeing at the cellular level. Our founders have dedicated the last 30+ years to analyzing the fatty acid and lipid composition of our cells and how internal and external factors impact our health.
