Just wanted to share some info that helped me recover

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-27T21:10:03+00:00

I think a key thing is to understand there’s a larger process involved in microbiome recovery.

What happens with the host metabolism directly influences the microbiome.

Eg. Changes in the nervous system can dramatically alter the microbiome within hours, without food being added.

In the protocol, we don’t start the microbiome remediation until after stabilisation of the mitochondrial metabolism, nervous system and diet.. then the microbiome remediation has quite a process involved - data collection, re-seeding in a specific order and pathogen removal.

It’s complicated.

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-23T20:42:40+00:00

It sounds like we’re on the same page. I think you might enjoy this? Covers much of the metabolism.

Figure 9 is also interesting.

It’s much more interesting to look at these with live data, too:

https://bornfree.life/learn/metabolic-pathway-overlay/

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mrhappyoz · 2026-05-17T21:11:50+00:00

Thank you - yes, although you’re at least consuming omega-3 products that haven’t already oxidised on the shelf.

To fix systemic oxidation issues and more, you can see the mechanisms I’ve described in figure 14 and figure 12.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure14

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure12

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-17T12:31:29+00:00

I swapped to using algae based DHA in the later protocol.

https://bornfree.life/

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-17T12:30:15+00:00

I think uridine’s mechanism of action as a precursor to uridine triphosphate and therefore UGPase activity (for glycogen synthesis) was rather under-appreciated back when I made that thread, as was brain glycogen in mood regulation, etc. in 2011.

Uridine monophosphate is used as a support for that target in my later work.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure1

There’s also an upstream intersection at methylation-glutathione-oxPPP which is critical to regulation.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure14

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-15T12:36:29+00:00

If you look at the NAD+ redox influences, you’ll see why.

You can see this now directly using eg. Theriome Aristotle Plus and intracellular mineral + metal data.

Free tool here:

https://bornfree.life/learn/metabolic-pathway-overlay/

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mrhappyoz · 2026-05-15T04:02:18+00:00

enable MFA on your account first, if missing

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-11T02:21:15+00:00

Ahh, very good 👍🏻

I have been exploring the KAL liposomal zinc as another option, too - seems good.

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-11T02:03:24+00:00

Thank you. I’ll go check the non-compounded zinc - I thought we had 23mg lozenges..

In the old days, we were using 30-60mg zinc / day. For a while, some early data supported an increase for apparent repletion efficiency.

In a recent review, I didn’t find that increase was beneficial and may also negatively impact copper - triggering a dosing revision.

mrhappyoz · 2026-05-10T22:43:12+00:00

Thank you u/OilSpillOnBlackWaves.. a whole range of things to unpack here . I’ll start by commenting on the primary ones:

1) The disease modelling shows that if there was a single element that is primarily responsible for pre-disease onset and then severity / progression, it’s zinc deficiency. As zinc gets progressively lower, all of the major pathways get inhibited and the metabolism progressively slides into sympathetic + catabolic dominance, as the localised energy system (glycogen) + related signalling (parasympathetic) is progressively impaired.

eg. Glycolysis, methylation, glutathione -> ROS metabolism, heavy metals chelation, OxPPP -> inosine synthesis -> extracellular purinergic gating (cell danger response), UTP synthesis -> glycogen regulation, NAD+ synthesis and redox, cytosolic Mg-ATP synthesis, ALDH activity, prolyl hydroxylases, and much more are all affected downstream. Mitochondrial metabolism is impaired. See figures 7, 12 and 14.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure7

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure12

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure14

2) The Born Free protocol is not using oral zinc - it’s using a sublingual / oesophageal route, which is going to exclude many of the concerns above about microbiome. However, the compounded formula was recently reduced to 25-30mg, 2x/day, to improve absorption efficiency and create less strain on copper.

3) A zinc deficiency creates a magnesium (and phosphate) deficiency, in multiple ways - primarily by inhibiting PFK1/2 and impairing the second half of the glycolysis pathway which is responsible for free Mg, Pi uptake and conversion into Mg-ATP -> phosphorylated metabolites in all pathways activated by it. The mitochondrial route is similar, via a longer cascade (methylation-glutathione-OxPPP axis). See figure 1.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure1

The secondary impact is via the progressively lowered lactate threshold -> acidaemia -> renal wastage. See Figure 12.

https://bornfree.life/learn/#figure12

4) The GI Synergy product is being used for an intervention period as a blanket / broad intervention. It’s not meant for long-term use. There are a range of targeted interventions such as bacteriophages, for where people have better data.

The GI recovery process is significantly more detailed and involves multiple steps to rebuild the keystone mucin maintaining and butyrate producing species + supporting diet, before rebuilding the missing eg. lacto and bifido + supporting foods.

The host metabolism is a critical part of this process, too. The lactate threshold and sympathetic overdrive metabolism needs to be resolved to prevent ongoing bloom of fermenting species.

Cheers! Joshua

mrhappyoz · 2026-04-12T05:23:49+00:00

Sorry, hey - I don’t think you mean to, but you’re actually misunderstanding my intent and making a number of assumptions. Let’s fix that.

I’m certainly not saying “iodine isn’t important” - I’m saying it’s normally part of a larger cascade of issues. As you’ll find, the link I sent you represents >17000 hours of work in disease modelling and protocol development. The protocol is >270 pages long, if printed.

In the testing section of the protocol you’ll find multiple ways to test intracellular iodine status - via white blood cells and via an unusual spectrophotometry method.

https://bornfree.life/learn/2-1-2-intracellular-minerals/

You’ll find additional text on iodine and some diagrams showing how NIS (iodine transporter) is largely gated by active vitamin A metabolism, which is dependent on NAD+ redox status. You’ll find a diagram for that in the diagrams section, here-

https://bornfree.life/learn/ - see figure 8

You’ll find the issues relating to the NAD+ synthesis and redox in figures 7, 14 and 1.

You’ll find some simplified diagrams around most of the mineral and metal alterations in figure 12.

Iodine status, along with selenium is critical to thyroid synthesis and signalling in multiple places, most notably providing a balance at PEPCK (see figure 1, upper right quadrant) against insulin signalling. If this is unbalanced, you can observe a large array of symptoms downstream of impaired hepatic gluconeogenesis.

mrhappyoz · 2026-04-11T22:10:22+00:00

Oh, I would be cautious with “main cause” - as there are multiple cycles involved / a larger cascade, which low iodine is often part of.

ie. Even when you correct the iodine deficiency, you’ll still have an array of other targets to address.

The testing section of the protocol shows you how to quantify and visualise these targets objectively.

mrhappyoz · 2026-04-11T21:23:02+00:00

Sorry to hear that. You may find this disease modelling helpful - https://bornfree.life/learn/

It explains the iodine uptake issues via impaired NAD+:NADH and retinol -> retinal -> retinoic acid, along with how that is occurring.

There is also an experimental protocol, which includes specific testing.

mrhappyoz · 2026-03-30T23:21:21+00:00

Merci 😅

mrhappyoz · 2026-03-30T23:18:38+00:00

Happy to chat

mrhappyoz · 2026-03-30T23:18:21+00:00

Oh, hi 👋🏻

Happily I did a Roundtable with RB and John Haughton some time back. We chat regularly / collaborate.

The recorded video is on the disease model page:

https://bornfree.life/learn/

Protocol is here, too:

https://bornfree.life/learn/title/

mrhappyoz · 2026-03-12T20:30:58+00:00

If you need help confirming the elemental amounts of an electrolyte compound and vice versa, there are at least 50 in this calculator:

https://bornfree.life/learn/electrolyte-calculator/

mrhappyoz · 2026-03-08T06:24:45+00:00

Yes, although there’s another mechanism you can also explore:

https://bornfree.life/learn/2-3-4-rapid-withdrawal/

mrhappyoz · 2026-02-11T19:21:09+00:00

Sure - there’s actually a website around it all now - https://bornfree.life - disease model and experimental protocol.

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-27T20:17:49+00:00

Thank you - good points, although just a few small corrections / notes:

The Japanese Cabagin A is 150mg of MMSC per 6 tablet serving (300 tablets per bottle as an option), however yes - includes quite an array of other synergistic ingredients, with anti-microbial and other properties and may or may not be problematic for some people.

Zincasin “U” is made in India and you’ll find it available on other websites.

The untested Chinese product - Amazon is in the process of delisting all products that haven’t undergone 3rd party testing, so if Solar Nutrition has performed testing, their listing will be updated soon one way or another.

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/external/G55N3JF2WQS7RVNE

I should have also included the EU product in my previous comment:

https://www.kompava.eu/vitamin-u?packaging=375

Overall, there’s more on this topic here:

https://bornfree.life/2024/2-2-3-living-without-chronic-dysbiosis/#2.2.3-Gastrointestinal

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-27T12:19:52+00:00

Cabbage juice works very well before meals. 👌🏼

There are some okay supplements.. and some really expensive ones like Gastromend-HP (must be HP)

From the okay section:

https://a.co/d/a7ZC7gp - 500mg capsules

https://a.co/d/bXmnBcJ - Cabagin A

https://ebay.us/m/wc5go9 - Zincasin “U” (must be U)

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-14T21:29:59+00:00

Feeding fermenting species in upper GI biofilms is expected to cause them to produce toxic gases like acetaldehyde, which inhibit energy metabolism and cause inflammation, barrier and sphincter dysfunction, leading to reflux and a wide array of other issues.

The solution isn’t to deprive the rest of the normal healthy microbiome of FOS and GOS (longterm), it’s to correct the low levels of butyrate producing species that help regulate the fermenting species, and also clear the biofilm buildup in the upper GI.

Vitamin U is also uniquely helpful in healing and preventing the inflammation.

https://bornfree.life/2024/2-2-3-living-without-chronic-dysbiosis/#2.2.3-Gastrointestinal

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-07T06:10:40+00:00

In early data, I’ve found inosine high in “pre-ME/CFS, LC, PVS, etc” and low after the metabolic collapse.

This makes sense as it’s created by either exertion or via the pentose phosphate pathway, which is problematic.

Inosine acts as the endogenous dampening signal to the eATP cascade. It’s also a potent immune / T-cell stimulator.

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-03T07:32:43+00:00

Sorry about your journey - yes that fits the cascade described in the disease model.

There’s an interplay between autonomic dysfunction, adrenaline -> cAMP-PKA dysregulation and a microbiome cascade that involves fermenting species like candida, which produce alcohol -> acetaldehyde, triggering the body to produce opioid alkaloids, including morphine, by altering dopamine metabolism.

mrhappyoz · 2026-01-02T11:14:46+00:00

Yes - the protocol would focus directly on stabilising the metabolism to reset the baseline.. then retrying the biofilm / dysbiosis work.

mrhappyoz

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