Every cell constantly makes resource allocation decisions
Dr. Jared Rutter states that every one of our cells, every second of every day, is making resource allocation decisions about what to do with the stuff it has.
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Cancer metabolism executes the mutational program: mutations are instructions, metabolism supplies the building blocks
Rutter explains that a cell's genome is the instructions for making a new cell and its constituents, but a cell with the right genetic instructions still cannot build a new cell without the metabolic building blocks — the 'lumber, bricks, and mortar.' Layered on top of a cancer's mutations is its unique metabolism, which enables those mutational instructions to be executed.
described
MPC: the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier
MPC stands for mitochondrial pyruvate carrier. It sits in the mitochondrial membrane and provides a specific channel that lets pyruvate enter the mitochondria, where it can be burned to extract energy and make ATP. It has been known for 60-70 years that mitochondria must have such a carrier, but the protein was only identified recently.
Discovery of MPC1 and MPC2
MPC1 and MPC2 were identified as the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier through a collaboration between Rutter's lab (using yeast and human cells) and Carl Fummel's fly genetics lab, triangulating data from multiple model systems. The proteins were strongly hypothesized to be important because they are present in every cell that has mitochondria — yeast, plants, and animals. The identification has since been validated many times over, and Jean-Claude Martinou's lab in Geneva published the same discovery at the same time.
Cancer is resource allocation gone awry: transformed cells allocate toward building more cells
Dr. Jared Rutter argues that a cancer cell is a cell making a resource allocation decision all the time, but when it transforms into a cancer cell, that resource allocation becomes very much about building more cells. A tumor is a tumor because the one cell that was the first bad actor decided to allocate resources toward building more cells — duplicating itself again and again into a cluster of cells.
Excess energy overpowers mitochondria, generating genome-damaging reactive species
When mitochondria are overpowered by excess extracted food energy (before conversion to ATP), the cell enters a state highly susceptible to generating reactive species that damage the genome, create mutations, and damage proteins. Excess energy must be considered as a problem from the level of the whole organism down to individual cells and even the mitochondria within those cells.
Make the shrimp salad to order — dressing ahead cooks the shrimp and makes it weepy
Don't make the shrimp salad ahead of time; the whole dish revolves around being fresh, vibrant, and in the moment. If dressed ahead, the salt and lemon will slightly cook the shrimp, draw out moisture, make it weepy, and lose the beautiful à la minute texture. Make it to order.
Deciding on a vitamin-mineral supplement: cost, diet variety, and activity level
Huberman offers a decision framework for vitamin-mineral supplements: first ask whether the cost is within the range you can afford and want to pay, then ask whether you are able to regularly ingest enough foods with enough variety to cover your vitamin-mineral needs from food alone. For people who are extremely physically and/or mentally active, or following an intermittent fasting schedule without ingesting much food, a vitamin-mineral supplement likely makes sense. Vitamin-mineral supplements should be ingested with food to avoid stomach upset.
Tongkat Ali: 200-600 mg/day; check blood work 8-12 weeks in
Huberman describes Tongkat Ali as beneficial for both men and women at dosages of 200 to 600 milligrams per day to increase free testosterone by reducing sex hormone binding globulin, and suggests blood work be done 8 to 12 weeks after initiating the protocol rather than earlier.
Consequential creator advice requires independent verification before Today can promote it.
Cycle Fadogia agrestis: 12 weeks on, one month off, obeying label dosages
Huberman recommends obeying the dosages of Fadogia agrestis recommended on product labels and cycling it: taking it for 12-week periods and then cycling off for a full month before repeating. He also suggests considering starting at a lower dosage and observing its effect on your hormones with patience.
Consequential creator advice requires independent verification before Today can promote it.
Fadogia agrestis: 600 mg/day, cycle on and off, start low, high doses toxic
Huberman describes taking Fadogia agrestis at 600 milligrams per day to potentially elevate libido, sperm production, and testosterone, noting many people — not all — report these effects. He thinks it's wise to cycle it (8 weeks on/2 weeks off, or 12 weeks on/one month off), to consider starting with a lower dosage and observing hormone effects, and warns it can be toxic at high dosages.
Consequential creator advice requires independent verification before Today can promote it.
Testing metabolic flexibility with fat, carbs, and fasting while measuring gas exchange
Dr. Thompson endorses a way to test metabolic flexibility: eat fat and observe what happens, eat carbs and observe what happens, and fast and observe what happens, while measuring gas exchange. When fasting, the body is supposed to be burning fat, and when eating carbs, it should be burning the carbs.
In your 20s, get tested for DHEA, the androgen pathway, and estrogen metabolites
Dr. Sara Gottfried says in your 20s she'd want to know about DHEA and the whole androgen pathway, and to get tested for estrogen metabolites because some are protective and others cause problems in the body.
Run a nutritional panel covering antioxidants, B vitamins, glutathione, and red blood cell magnesium
Dr. Sara Gottfried recommends running a nutritional panel looking at antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, and plant-based antioxidants measured in blood; testing the B vitamin range because genetic polymorphisms may reduce absorption of folate (B9) and B12; testing glutathione levels because it's such an important lever; and measuring red blood cell magnesium (whole blood) rather than serum to assess magnesium deficiency.
Adding two fruits and one vegetable daily helps but is not sufficient if produce intake is low
Andrew Huberman suggests that if you are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, you can spike an otherwise healthy diet with two pieces of fruit a day and one vegetable, but that this is not sufficient. He also notes that salads you make yourself or buy at a really good market provide sufficient fiber, vitamins, and minerals, unlike most salads.
Host's practical suggestion with an explicit caveat that it is not sufficient.
Drink 40-50 ounces of skim milk daily for extra protein; whole milk only in small volumes
Jesse drinks 40-50 ounces of skim milk every day, chosen for the extra protein boost throughout the day. He explains the choice is purely about calorie impact: drinking large volumes of whole milk daily adds excess calories that can damage caloric goals. If you are not drinking a lot of milk each day, he says go ahead and have whole milk, since it provides benefits worth getting at low volumes.
Eat cruciferous vegetables nightly for sulforaphane's recovery and muscle benefits
Jesse makes sure to have some form of cruciferous vegetables (bok choy, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) on his plate every single night. He explains they contain sulforaphane, which provides anti-inflammatory benefits for hard-training individuals, and that sulforaphane inhibits myostatin, which signals muscle breakdown, so inhibiting it should enable new muscle growth.
Eat 6 egg whites every morning for 24 grams of protein
Jesse eats 6 egg whites every morning for breakfast, which provides 24 grams of protein. He calls it a good start to his morning and a reason it will always be part of what he does every single day.
Fadogia agrestis: reported effects, narrow dosage window, and toxicity concerns
Huberman describes fadogia agrestis as a supplement with potent effects whose effective dosage ranges must be kept narrow to avoid issues. Taken at 600 milligrams per day, many people (not all) report elevated libido, sperm production, testosterone, and in some cases estrogen. Whether you will be a responder or non-responder cannot be known except by trying it. He cautions that fadogia agrestis can be toxic to testicular cells and perhaps other cells at very high dosages.
Consequential creator advice requires independent verification before Today can promote it.
Use whey protein to reach daily protein thresholds; potato protein as a plant-based substitute
Huberman says whey-based proteins can be very useful for getting to and above a protein threshold for muscle building and other purposes. For those who don't want to take whey-based protein, he points to potato protein as perhaps a great plant-based substitute, citing data discussed by Dr. Lane Norton.
Protocols you can run
WHY · 2 of 60 published protocols · Fuel
Morning Hydration Protocol
Upon waking, before anything else, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water. This single, timed action is directly instructed by the creator with no missing details.
Take Daily Targeted Supplements
Take a methylated B vitamin complex daily if you have the MTHFR mutation.
Source analyses
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