#001 Dr. Terry Wahls' Protocol That Reversed Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Rhonda Patrick interviews Dr. Terry Wahls, a physician who reversed her secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis through a micronutrient-dense diet based on paleo principles. They discuss the critical role of specific micronutrients and essential fats for mitochondrial function and overall cellular health.
Deep Dive Analysis
12 Topic Outline
Introduction to Dr. Terry Wahls and her work
Importance of micronutrients for mitochondrial function
Essential micronutrients for mitochondrial health
Impact of aging on cell membrane fluidity and nutrient absorption
Prevalence of magnesium deficiency and its consequences
Dr. Wahls' personal experience with high green vegetable intake
The Triage Theory of micronutrient allocation
Color-coding of micronutrients in fruits and vegetables
Critical role of sulfur in mitochondrial function and detoxification
Benefits of sulfur-rich foods and mushrooms
Dr. Wahls' journey reversing secondary progressive MS
The Wahls Protocol clinical trial and its impact
5 Key Concepts
Mitochondrial Function
Mitochondria are the energy-producing machines within cells, essential for various cellular processes. They require a 'whole family' of micronutrients, including B vitamins, minerals (magnesium, zinc, sulfur), and essential fats, to function properly and maintain their membrane structure.
Membrane Fluidity
The cell membranes, including those of mitochondria, become more rigid with age. This rigidity can hinder the entry of essential micronutrients into cells, suggesting that older individuals may require higher levels of these nutrients to overcome age-related absorption issues.
Triage Theory
Proposed by Dr. Bruce Ames, this theory suggests that when micronutrient intake is insufficient, the body prioritizes short-term survival functions over long-term health. Essential micronutrients are shunted to critical immediate processes, leading to insidious damage and decline in long-term health functions like DNA repair.
Color-Coded Micronutrients
Nature has color-coded micronutrients in fruits and vegetables, making it easier to design a nutrient-dense diet. For example, dark green plants are rich in magnesium (at the center of chlorophyll) and vitamin K, while red and yellow vegetables contain beta-carotenes.
Sulfur's Role in Mitochondria
Sulfur is crucial for maintaining the inner membrane structure of mitochondria, which is vital for proper mitochondrial metabolism and energy production, especially for processes like neurotransmission. It also forms important thiol groups that act as potent antioxidants, such as glutathione.
7 Questions Answered
Dysfunctional mitochondria contribute to the development of various diseases, including neurodegenerative and autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis, because they are essential for energy production and numerous cellular processes.
Mitochondria require a range of micronutrients including the entire family of B vitamins, minerals like magnesium, zinc, and sulfur, essential fats (saturated, cholesterol, omega-3, omega-6), vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
Magnesium is crucial for mitochondrial function and acts as a cofactor for almost every DNA repair enzyme in the body. Approximately 56% of the US population is deficient in magnesium, which can impair DNA repair and contribute to insidious damage over time.
The Triage Theory posits that when micronutrient intake is low, the body prioritizes nutrients for short-term survival functions (e.g., blood clotting with vitamin K, heart beating with magnesium) over long-term health processes (e.g., DNA repair, preventing vascular calcification). This leads to a 'micronutrient deficit' that accumulates over decades, contributing to chronic diseases.
Nature has color-coded micronutrients in fruits and vegetables. Consuming a wide variety of colors, such as dark greens (for magnesium, vitamin K), reds, yellows, blues, and purples, helps ensure a diverse intake of necessary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Sulfur is critical for maintaining the inner membrane structure of mitochondria, which is vital for proper metabolism and energy transport in the brain. It also forms important thiol groups that act as potent antioxidants (like glutathione) and is found in foods like the cabbage family, garlic family, and mushrooms.
After conventional medicine failed, Dr. Wahls researched mitochondrial health and micronutrients. She reorganized her diet based on Paleo principles to maximize nutrient intake from food, leading to a dramatic recovery from being wheelchair-bound to cycling 18 miles within nine months.
16 Actionable Insights
1. Exceed RDA for Healing
If you are in a diseased state and seeking to heal, consume nutrients far beyond the Recommended Daily Allowance to overcome significant micronutrient deficits and support repair work.
2. Maximize Micronutrients Through Food
Research specific micronutrients and reorganize your diet, using paleo principles, to maximize the intake of these nutrients directly from whole foods, rather than relying solely on synthetic compounds.
3. Fuel Mitochondria with Key Nutrients
Ensure your diet includes the full family of B vitamins, minerals like magnesium, zinc, and sulfur, and essential fats (saturated fat, cholesterol, omega-3, omega-6) to support mitochondrial function and healthy cell membranes.
4. Consume High Volume of Daily Greens
Add a significant amount of greens to your daily diet, potentially 9-12 cups raw or cooked, to address deep micronutrient deficits and support healing, as demonstrated by Dr. Walls’ recovery.
5. Eat Three Servings of Greens Daily
Aim for at least three servings of greens daily to promote health, as they are rich in magnesium (from chlorophyll) and vitamin K, which are crucial for various bodily functions and long-term health.
6. Eat a Rainbow of Colors
Design a micronutrient-dense diet by consuming a wide variety of colorful vegetables, including greens, yellow, red, blue, and purples, as nature color-codes different micronutrients.
7. Consume Cruciferous Vegetables for Cancer Prevention
Eat cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, kale, and collards, as they contain sulforaphanes that activate tumor suppressor genes and help eliminate precancerous cells.
8. Include Sulfur-Rich Vegetables
Incorporate sulfur-rich vegetables (e.g., cabbage family, garlic family) into your diet to support mitochondrial membrane structure, provide potent antioxidants, and aid detoxification pathways.
9. Don’t Avoid Sulfur Foods Due to Flatulence
Do not stop eating sulfur-containing foods, such as garlic or cabbage family vegetables, simply because of concerns about flatulence, as this can lead to detrimental sulfur depletion with negative health consequences.
10. Eat Mushrooms to Boost Immunity
Consume mushrooms for their sulfur, B vitamins, and beta-lactans, which are potent in stimulating natural killer cells and boosting immune function, and for potential mitochondrial antioxidant benefits.
11. Adopt a Paleo Diet
Consider adopting a paleo diet by eliminating gluten, dairy, and eggs, as this was an initial, foundational step in Dr. Walls’ successful health recovery protocol.
12. Increase Micronutrients with Age
As you age, consider consuming higher levels of micronutrients to counteract increased membrane rigidity, ensure nutrients can enter cells readily, and slow down the aging process.
13. Protect Mitochondria from Poisons
Actively protect your mitochondria from environmental poisons such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, as these substances can damage their function and overall cellular health.
14. Maintain High Green Intake While Traveling
When traveling, ensure you continue to consume a high volume of greens to prevent a decline in cognitive function and energy levels that can occur when micronutrient intake drops.
15. Follow The Walls Protocol
Implement the step-by-step program detailed in “The Walls Protocol” book to guide your dietary and lifestyle changes and reclaim your health.
16. Support Research & Learn from The Walls Protocol
Support Dr. Walls’ research by donating to TerryWalls.com, or learn her specific protocols for micronutrient-rich eating and lifestyle changes by reading “The Walls Protocol” book.
4 Key Quotes
The most critical thing is, am I getting these essential fats, am I getting the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, am I getting sufficient minerals? And of course, a sufficient supply of antioxidants.
Dr. Terri Walls
You've got a very, very deep hole. So not only are you not meeting the nutritional requirements for maintenance, if you want to heal, you have to go far beyond the recommended daily allowance of nutrients so you can dig out of your micronutrient deficit.
Dr. Terri Walls
Nature has color-coded the micronutrients. Absolutely. And I think that makes it, at least according to my plan, easier to design a micronutrient-dense diet because you can follow the colors, you get your greens.
Dr. Terri Walls
The root of the problem begins in the cell, and the root of the cell's health is the micronutrient environment.
Dr. Terri Walls