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Switch Off the Cell Danger
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Switch Off the Cell

Danger Response
Niki Gratrix, BA, Dip ION, NANP

Dr. Davidson: Hello, this is Dr. Jay Davidson from Niki: Well, it’s really important, especially as it
DrJayDavidson.com. Thank you for joining me relates to mitochondria because most people do
on The Mitochondrial Summit. My guest is Niki have some understanding of the mitochondria
Gratrix and we’re exploring how to switch off the are the engines, the power plant of the cell. And
cell danger response by stimulating the vagus most people have that understanding. It produces
nerve. something called ATP, which is the energy
currency of the body, if you like.
But before we do, a little bit about Niki. Niki is an
award-winning nutritional therapist, functional But what recent research is showing—and this
medicine practitioner, and transformation coach is the work of Dr. Robert Napior who is a hero
helping people to optimize energy. In 2005, she of mine and a major researcher in the area.
co-founded one of the largest mind/body clinics He’s really the one who’s popularized the term,
in integrative medicine in the U.K. The results “cell danger response.” We’ve learned that the
with patients at the clinic were published as a mitochondria don’t just do this energy production
preliminary study in 2012 in the British medical role. They have a major role in cell defense.
journal Open.
So when under threat, the mitochondria switch
In August of 2015, she hosted the largest ever from being a power plant into a battleship, if you
free online health summit on overcoming like, with major health implications. So when we
fatigue interviewing 29 world-leading experts on talk about the cell danger response, it’s very much
optimizing energy with over 30,000 attendees. centered around the function of mitochondria.
So amazing. Since 2015, she’s spoken on over And in response to a threat, the mitochondria
40 large online health summits reaching over a switch from normal functioning into specialized
million people worldwide. Love it! Niki, welcome functioning to fight off whatever the threat may
to The Mitochondrial Summit! be.

Niki: Thank you so much for having me, Jay. It’s a And I use an analogy of London, London City
super exciting and important topic so very good. during The Blitz, during the Second World War.
So during The Blitz and the Second World War,
Dr. Davidson: Yes, I’m super excited to hear the basically the whole city was in lockdown. And
cell danger response. Maybe we can dive right there’s all kinds of changes that take place that
in there. First on defining that, what is the cell include things like rationing energy. And some
danger response or CDR? of the things that are happening are exactly the

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same things that are happening at the cell level. a psychological stress, chemicals, bugs, viruses,
electrical or electromagnetic stress.
So some of the changes that we see in London
during The Blitz, for example, so you have But the key thing is when we get stuck there,
rationed food. Everybody starts to live down in the so when the cell danger response gets stuck
tubes like the London Underground Tubes. And in defense mode, rather than normal energy
we would make sure that the enemy, if you like, production mode, this is where the onset
didn’t get our resources. So this is what happens of chronic complex illness really starts, and
at the cell level. proliferates, and continues, and is perpetuated.

So the cell danger response involves things like So one of the things we can think about when we
less production of ATP, partly so that the energy, talk about the cell danger response, it suggests to
which might be a bug or a virus can’t access that us that ask not what caused your illness, because
and use it against us. Okay. Things like the cell often the triggers are well gone, but ask what is
membranes were thickened in the cell danger still blocking you from healing? So quite often,
response for two things, keeping the energy out, something that triggered the cell danger response
but also providing the defense mechanism so we like a chemical, is now cleared out.
stop bugs coming in.
But it’s when we get stuck, when the mitochondria
And all kinds of things where essentially that are still stuck in this cell danger response, and for
the huge thing happening is that we have less various reasons, the healing stop taking place.
energy. And that’s why in most chronic complex And that’s when symptoms become chronic. So
illnesses, one of the most stated symptoms in we want to unblock the healing process. And we
medical records is fatigue. And when we have could talk more about that in the context, also, of
mitochondrial dysfunction, this post-exertional how this links maybe to the vagus nerve, as well.
fatigue, fatigue is very much the cause in all
symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction. Dr. Davidson: That is awesome! It’s such a great
description. So I’m immediately thinking, based
So these are the changes that we see. It’s all part on your cell danger response of energy factory
of self-protection, but it obviously has major to switching to battleship, a good example is if
implications, especially for illnesses like chronic somebody gets a, “flu,” they usually get very tired.
fatigue syndrome where we’ve done a lot of And it’s like, “Get your rest.” Is that essentially
research in the area that it’s related to post- because the mitochondria’s switched from ATP
exertional fatigue. production to, boom, cell danger response, and
energy production is essentially shut down, and
And that is literally the cell, through protection, now we’ve went into more of the immune system
shutting things down and turning from a power mode?
plant into a battleship, essentially, with all the side
effects and the things that we would experience Niki: Exactly that. So the resources that were
with chronic complex illness, essentially. originally for energy production get siphoned
to antiviral, antibacterial, and inflammatory
But what’s very important about the cell danger responses. We’ve only got so much resources
response, as well, is that it may have been in the body. And literally, those resources that
triggered by something. It can be triggered by were just there when we’re generally healthy,
the usual suspects. It can be by a physical stress, and we’re not under stress, and we’re safe, and

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there’s no bugs around, then we can fully express fit in with the mitochondria and the cell danger
in that way, as soon as there is a bug there or response?
there’s some kind of trigger, the resources are
siphoned into literally the nutrients, the molecules Niki: Well, what’s really fascinating, this is so
are switched away from ATP into things like an interesting, is that the stages of the cell danger
antiviral pathway. Exactly that. And that’s why response appear to be matched by equivalent
we get incredibly tired when…Well, it’s one of the changes in the vagus nerve expression. So there’s
reasons why people get very tired when they have the work of an eminent psychiatrist called Dr.
the flu, as you say. Stephen Porges who helps a lot of psychology
practitioners and helps people with the
Dr. Davidson: That makes sense. And then if understanding of the impact of trauma. And so
somebody has a chronic infection, bacterial, viral, just bear with me because I’ll connect this in.
parasitic, or something, that could then put them
chronically into this state, which is probably why So it turns out most people realize we have
it’s so common to have fatigue and energy issues the fight/flight response where we have the
when you have chronic illness? sympathetic side of the autonomic nervous
system that gets triggered by a stressor, fear,
Niki: Exactly that. So this is, it’s really profound. and it can be any kind of threat like a bug again,
This is based on an area of systems biology, which or a chemical. So we can have this fight/flight
is why, essentially, everything’s connected to response, which is the sympathetic side of the
everything. So when you have poor mitochondrial autonomic nervous system.
function, that affects every other organ because
you have mitochondria in practical every single The other side is the parasympathetic vagal nerve
cell so you’re going to be more likely to have side, which is the rest, digest, detoxify side. And so
things like leaky gut. When the cell danger we all think the vagus nerve, we want to stimulate
response becomes chronic, things like leaky gut, the vagus nerve because that’s the rest, digest,
liver detoxification issues, these kinds of things detox, or our healing side. But it turns out the
slowing down. vagus nerve actually has two sides to it, as well.
This is Porges’ theory that Dr. Robert Napior has
And so it’s all a knock on effect. And everything tied into the cell danger response.
affects everything. So, yes, it’s very much a
systems approach. And it’s very interesting when The two sides of the vagus nerve is the ventral
you’re considering it from more of the metabolic and the dorsal. So what we see in trauma is we
health, rather than the old conventional medicine don’t just see people who’ve had trauma in a fight/
model, which is just one bug, kill the bug, and flight response all the time. There’s also freeze
then you’re healed. That’s not how modern health response. Now if you speak to trauma specialists,
and disease really works in the modern age in the they’ll say, “There’s this freeze response. My
types of illnesses that we see that are so common clients aren’t in fight-or-fight, they’re in a collapse
today. mode. Almost like a hibernation like shut down
like playing dead, exactly like playing dead.
Dr. Davidson: It makes a lot of sense. So where
does the vagus nerve fit in? Because in my And what Porges did was said, “This is actually the
schooling, we were taught the vagus nerve is dorsal part of the vagus nerve, which kicks in.”
known as the wandering nerve that goes to Just like when we see animals playing dead, it’s a
every single organ in the body. So how does this response to threat again. Okay. So the response

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to threat is either fight/flight. But if we can’t do communication between the brain and the cells.
that, we collapse and we play dead. So it’s almost So the upshots of all this—so what does that
like there’s a hierarchy of responses. If we can’t mean for people? —is that when you stimulate
fight, we can’t fly away, we can’t run away, so we the ventral part of the vagus nerve, it tells the
play dead. And that’s the dorsal side of the vagus cell’s danger response, “Everything’s okay, you can
nerve. heal now. It’s a fundamental part of healing.

And amazing, what Napior actually has done is And it’s the part that gets switched off when
connected in and said, “This seems to be reflected the cell danger response is in full whack, the
in the cell danger response, as well. There’s a vagal tone is down and there’s a low heart rate
stage in the cell danger response where there’s variability, which is the test of vagal tone. And so
a stress response, but then it’s also possible that’s when the whole system is either in freeze or
for the cell danger response to create a type of stress mode and basically, you’re in chronic illness
hibernation response. And it’s reflecting what’s and you don’t have energy, and so on.
happening in the vagus nerve.
So one of the key things, how do we reverse the
So essentially, everything’s connected. And what’s cell danger response? Because of this connection
happening at the cell level is happening at the with the vagus nerve, there’s a few different
nervous system level. And I’m just going to use the things we can do. One is we’ll talk about what are
example of chronic fatigue because that’s the area the practical ways you can simulate the ventral
where we have post-exertional fatigue. That is an side of the vagus nerve? We want to shut off the
idea where the mitochondria have gone into what fight/flight response and get out of the dorsal
we call a dauer response, which is they’ve gone side, which is the collapse side. And we want the
into hibernation as a defense mode for playing ventral side.
dead.
The ventral part of the vagus nerve is where
And usually, you can correlate that with a vagus we feel good. We feel happy. We feel socially
nerve that is docilly stimulated in a free state. So connected. We feel uplifted. We’re in a state of
the point being, we now have the understanding well-being. And that literally will get reflected
about how psychology plays into mitochondrial at the cellular level. So the mitochondria’s like
function. Essentially, when we think about the listening. It’s amazing thing to consider. So that’s
stress response, we now have a much bigger part of it. There’s a couple of other things, as well.
picture of understanding stress isn’t just about a
cortisol response, it’s reflected at the vagus nerve Sleep is medicine, circadian rhythm management
level. And that gets translated, it’s the cellular is medicine, and exercise and the correct pacing,
level. and obviously food, this is all medicine for the
cell danger response for the mitochondria to
So the stress response is now a vagus nerve which help it reset itself and reprogram itself back into
wants you to go into fight/flight or it might go into normality. I hope that made sense? It’s a little bit
the collapse mode. And then it’s just mirrored by of a complex area, but.
what’s happening in the mitochondria, as well. So
the mitochondria’s listening to the vagus nerve. Dr. Davidson: Yeah, just see if I’m connecting the
dots properly. So if somebody has, let’s say they
Now when we talk about the vagus nerve, have a chronic stressor, a chronic infection, that
it’s connecting into the brain and it’s the their mitochondria switches from ATP production

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to the battleship lock down immune system device. And I know we’re going to get questions.
mode, then does that then switch the vagus nerve There’s isn’t a specific device on the market yet
into the dorsal part, which is essential that playing that I would personally recommend that has
dead, collapsation, hibernation type mode? So been tested enough and clinically validated, but
you’re saying that the mitochondria then dictates they’re coming out some of the very expensive.
what happens with the vagus nerve in switching The more clinical data there is behind it, the more
that off? And then those work in synergy where expensive, in the thousands. But you’ll see more
you stay stuck in that mode? and more of these devices coming out in the
marketplace.
Niki: It’s probably bi-directional, the relationship
between the vagus nerve. See everything affects But the good news is anything that raises heart
everything. And it’s a bi-directional relationship. rate variability, that increases vagal tone. So this
So definitely mitochondria speaking to the vagus is where it just reinforces how important it is
nerve and the vagus nerve is also speaking to the for some of these lifestyle aspects that you can
mitochondria. And the thing that’s particularly stimulate your vagus nerve every day by having
interesting about the vagus nerve, there’s been a lifestyle that includes things like meditation,
some stunning research papers done on what loving, kindness meditation, positive social
happens when you stimulate the vagus nerves? relations. Exercise if you do it, definitely raises
heart rate variability and stimulates the vagus
And there’s been experiments where they, they nerve. There’re about 40 different things—qigong,
actually did an electrical implant and stimulated yoga, a little bit of fasting does it, as well, so do
the vagus nerve in people with extreme, very green vegetable juices, and beets, not too many
severe autoimmune. It was arthritis. The patient for the sugar side.
was cured in eight weeks. Completely back
to normal just with a vagus nerve stimulator. But anything that raises heart rate variability,
Then they replicated that with an external, not we need to send these messages to the brain.
implanted, not a surgical procedure just an We need the brain to get the message that it’s
external electrical stimulating device. And they’ve safe now. That you feel safe. That’s the key
cured fibromyalgia, they’ve cured depression with takeaway. When we feel safe, and calm, and
this stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation. okay, and whatever that may be that we need to
create that emotional state, the vagus nerve is
And FDA approval for vagus nerve stimulation are the communicator between the brain and what’s
a whole range of issues now, whether it’s epilepsy, going on at the cell level.
lots of different major chronic complex illnesses
like that. So that’s how I got interested in this So this also explains why psychological trauma,
work because I was seeing these amazing results early life stress, yeah, especially early childhood
from stimulating the vagus nerve. And I didn’t stress, the communication is the brain via
realize how that is directly connected with the the vagus nerve and then it’s speaking to
CDR and mitochondria, as well, and how you’re the mitochondria. And then you get it, it’s bi-
switching off the cell danger response and helping directional. And you have these knock on effects.
that healing process so that the mitochondria So this is why the quality of our social relations,
normalizes again. our psychological state is so very important. And
that these states need to be cultivated.
And the good news is there’s tons of ways to
stimulate the vagus nerves that is not using a So if we don’t cultivate joy, if we don’t cultivate

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meditation time, if we don’t cultivate things that Niki: It does.

raise vagal tone on a daily basis, that’s all going
to prolong…It’s a core part of the healing is that Dr. Davidson: It simply just makes sense. So do
we do those things that stimulate the vagus you believe the future then is that there’s going to
nerve. And by the way, the vagus nerve, when be more of these “maybe some type of stimulator
you stimulate it, it switches off inflammation. The devices that can then trigger that…” Is it the dorsal
vagus nerve is in charge of doing that. side of the vagus nerve that’s good?

And what they found is that’s why they were able Niki: It’s the ventral we want.
to cure the arthritis client, for example, where
they just gave the electrical stimulator. But it turns Dr. Davidson: Ventral, ventral. Ventral’s the good.
out, the vagus nerve tells the immune cells, “It’s Dorsal is the hibernation side.
fine, we don’t need you to keep creating all this
inflammation. Like calm down.” But when the Niki: Yes--
communication gets blocked and the vagus nerve
isn’t being heard, because it’s in dorsal state, Dr. Davidson: Okay.
the information’s crazy. So we want to cultivate,
not only for healing, but also prevention of daily Niki: That’s exactly right. And there will be more
processes. devices due to come out. There’s one they’re
trying to get FDA approval from, it was actually Dr.
And I get my clients to, first thing in the morning, Norman Doidge talked about it. I think it’s called
to have like maybe three or four things they do. the PONS device. And it’s having amazing results
Gratitude journaling is a great thing. Essential oils with various people who are pretty severely ill.
increase heart rate variability. Like use everything, And it’s either his first or his second book, Dr.
sunlight, time in nature, water therapy, these Norman Doidge, who’s the brilliant neuroscientist
are all nice things to do. But we need to be even researcher.
more aware about these are practical things that
don’t cost very much. And they are resetting the And, yeah, they were reversing MS with that. So
nervous system. And that also just helps you they literally switch off the inflammation. And
beware if you have unresolved trauma that’s it’s a device where you actually place a plate on
keeping you in a state of stress. the tongue. And the tongue is stimulating vagus
nerve. And that is actually how it works.
If you have PTSD, you get the help you need
to resolve that because when you don’t, your Dr. Davidson: Interesting.
mitochondria are in a stress mode. And it’s called
the cell danger response. And they are responding Niki: Yes, it’s very interesting. But it’s putting
to that, as well. Your cells are listening. And the the fire out in the brain. It’s calming both sides
vagus nerve is the communication between the of the brain so you get in to a healing state. And
brain and the cell. So we have a much bigger then that literally does get translated. It switches
picture now of what we mean by stress response. off the information. And then see everything is
Right? That makes sense? connected in the body. You just can’t isolate one
area. But I think the beauty of this work is it’s the
Dr. Davidson: Wow! Yeah, it connects so many first time with Dr. Robert Napior work where he
dots. brought in Stephen Porges, he’s a psychiatrist
who works with the psychology side, into with the

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mitochondria work. And it’s like, “Wow!” Niki: Yes, and that’s Porges’ work. And it helped
all of us psychology practitioners understand how
So that’s true systems biology. It’s truly a holistic somebody, they’re traumatized, but they’re not in
approach. But we now understand how that fight/flight. They’re not in sympathetic. Oh, they
works. People have known that things like are in parasympathetic, but they’re in the wrong
meditation, obviously, changes the epigenetics side. They’re in the collapsed side, which is the
for the good side, but people didn’t know that it dorsal side, which is the play dead mode, which
actually is directly speaking to the mitochondria, then switches everything else off. And then the
as well. And people didn’t realize the mitochondria vagus nerve isn’t doing its anti-inflammatory job
have this role to play, which is way beyond just or all the other things that it does that makes us
energy production and that it, also, can create feel good.
the defense response, as well. But we could, also,
if we have time can talk about a few of the other And I know that’s quite a lot for people to take on,
practical things people can do to get out of the cell to know about. But, yes, Polyvagal Theory, that’s
danger response, as well. all it means is there’s two sides to the vagus nerve.
And the ventral side is the good side, thus we
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, yeah. First, just for ought to stimulate that. When there’s high vagal
clarification, so we’ve got sympathetic versus tone, that means we’re in rest, digest, detoxify,
parasympathetic. Sympathetic, the fight or flight, healing state.
I’m going to either run from the bear or fight the
bear. Parasympathetic often gets like you said the I think it explains people who are in depression,
rest, digest, like typically, that’s why we want to sit as well. So someone is traumatized and they’ve
down, calm our body down before we eat so we gone into depression mode, they’re not in fight/
can get in the parasympathetic mode. flight. You look at the statistics and you look
at the autonomic nervous system, they’re not
But you said, essentially, it goes deeper, that the overstimulated on the sympathetic side. They’re
parasympathetic splits off. And it’s not just being actually in collapse mode.
parasympathetic, but it’s actually being ventral
portion of the parasympathetic that you want And it was Porges who came along and said, “I
to stimulate. And is that ventral then side, that’s think that’s because they’re actually in the dorsal
more keyed in with the rest, digest, and healing dominant state of the parasympathetic side. So
more than the dorsal? it’s an important clarification which has now been
applied to the cell danger response, as well, which
Niki: Yes, so Stephen Porges’ theory, it’s actually is Napior being ahead of his time there, I think.
called Polyvagal Theory meaning we all thought
the vagus nerve is like one thing. No, it’s poly. It’s Dr. Davidson: Yeah, I love that. So what are some
two things, the ventral and the dorsal side. And it other things that you would recommend for the
literally is different. Like one of the parts that the listener here as we wrap the interview up, Niki, on
ventral side, I believe is myelinated. The dorsal just their brilliance? I not only love your accent,
side is not. They start in different areas. And they you have such a great heart and spirit. And I just
end in different areas. They almost really are two love listening to you. And obviously, you’re just so
most different nerves. knowledgeable. So I’m really enjoying this.

Dr. Davidson: Wow! Niki: Well, thank you, thank you, I hope it’s useful
to people. That’s the main thing. Yes, so what are

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some other things that are really foundational food is critical to this. Ideally, try to not eat about
that people can practically do to help support three hours before bed time. So as soon as you
the mitochondria switch back into normal energy eat food too late, too close before bed, the body
production? is looking at that and taking it as a single of, “Oh,
it must be daytime because we’re still processing
So some really key things is the circadian rhythm food.” It’s basically temperature, activity, light,
management and the quality of sleep, it’s so and…There’s four of them. I’ll think of the fourth
important. Getting the rhythm back so that the one in a minute. Light, temperature, activity, and
cell actually…It’s at night when we sleep when food timing, that’s the four. Okay.
this process of autophagy takes place, which
is essentially where the body cleans up dead So three hours before bed, avoid eating. Light,
proteins, and old proteins, and cleans them up, first thing in the morning, get bright sunlight. So
chucks them out, and make sure that we’re living that’s telling the brain to switch everything on.
off healthy proteins. And literally, when the hypothalamus gets that
message, it’s actually going through the optic
When we block autophagy, you’re living off nerves in the eye. And its real thought that there’s
yesterday’s proteins. So we need sleep to help another nerve that takes this light information
the CDR response, to help it switch back, and and works on the circadian rhythm.
reprogram itself, and rebuild cells, healthy cells
again that aren’t damaged, that aren’t out of what. And we have clock genes. So our hormones
So sleep’s really important. switch on in response to these light signals, these
temperature signals. So literally, if we don’t get
And here’s some tips to really help people get that like get it nailed, if you like, so bright sunlight
really good sleep. I think people may have heard first thing in the morning, first 30 minutes on
of it or maybe not, but there’s certain practical waking up.
things that you can do to help this. So one thing is
when it gets dark, make sure that you’re switching If you don’t live in a sunny climate, you can get
all your…Ideally, you have all your bulbs, your these SAD lamps from Amazon that’s pretty
lightbulbs to to orange. If people in your family affordable. Ten thousand lux is about right. And
don’t like that, get your blue-blocking light glasses you can literally just be doing other things, but
going. You can buy them for ten bucks at Amazon shine it about six inches away. The light is coming
right. Wear them when dusks start. into the eyes. You’re getting the message. It’s like
a shot of caffeine without doing the caffeine. It’s
I’ve had people who had insomnia that cured great. And you can micro dose it through the day,
their insomnia just with blue-blocking glasses. as well.
They were looking at their iPads, and iPhones, and
all the rest of it, which is all blue light. That blue Do your activity earlier in the morning. Get
light literally goes into the brain. It’s speaking to outside and get as much sunlight as you can.
the hypothalamus, which is then saying, “Oh, it’s Don’t wear the blue-blocking glasses during the
daylight.” No, we want to start retraining the brain day. I’m hearing people who are getting these
to say, “No, we need to calm down. It’s going into glasses and they’re saying, “Oh, my prescription
nighttime.” So we want to block the blue when it glasses are all blue-blocking.” I’m like, “No,
gets dark. we want the blue light during the day. That’s
important. It’s antidepressant, its mood lifting,
So use your blue-blocking glasses. But timing of it’s the right message. It’s only at night when we

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switch off you want complete darkness during the specifically. But if you do have the kind of post
night. exertional fatigue piece, pacing is a fundamental
requirement. And if you are constantly overdoing
And I know this is different for different people, it, you will be doing damage at the mitochondrial
but I say to people try and go to bed towards…If level if you’re overdoing it and don’t do nothing,
you are trying to recover from an illness, get into either because then you’ve got…
bed earlier towards like nine to nine-thirty. Some
people are going to have a little bit of a different It’s a balance. There’s a sweet spot. There’s a
biological clock slightly, but most of us, it’ll do you sweet spot. Don’t do too much, but don’t do
really well to go to bed earlier, nine to nine-thirty. nothing, either, because we actually need a bit
And if you’re worried about, “Oh, I’m going to of hormesis. We need a bit of stressor to keep
lose productivity because I work until midnight,” the mitochondria functioning and adapting to
is really bad if you’re doing that. You’ll be more increased demands. Just like when we do weight
productive in the morning by going to bed earlier. training, the mitochondria adjust. The same. You
need to give them a bit of stress. It’s only when we
So I think that’s about five or six things that give too much. And then it prolongs it. So there’s
manage circadian rhythm. But remember the a sweet spot. So get your activities in balance,
body, everything’s connected, everything’s as well. And there’s no external prescription. It’s
speaking to each other, everything’s monitoring listening to your own body.
what’s happening. Your mitochondria’s watching.
So we want to maximize your sleep. Sleep is the So if my body is going in to stress and I’m going
restorative time. The brain cleans out the toxins into post-exertional fatigue after an amount of
when we sleep, the lymphatic cells. Like the cells activity, that’s your signal it was too much. And if
of the brain opens up. The debris’ cleaned out at you’re pacing good, you’re doing plenty of activity,
night, but only do it when you have good sleep. So and you’re not getting post-exertional fatigue,
sleep is absolutely fundamental to help reverse every now and again bounce the boundary. Do a
cell danger response. little bit more and you go, “Oh, I can do this now.
I can do a little bit more.” And then you edge up
I’ve mentioned activity. Temperature should be and you start doing more.
cooler at night, warmer during the day, as well.
So we want to make sure that the bedroom is So I’m always careful about exercise when we’re
completely dark and that we’re cool. So in terms speaking about it to people who may have some
of activity, just the pacing side. I think this is kind of illness going on because, although exercise
more important for people on the bit of the post is great and it’s one of these major factors,
exertional fatigue side of things. Pacing’s really obviously, in the healing state of a mitochondrial
important. dysfunction, you got to play it a little more careful.

So if you are in boom and bust, like you’re doing Dr. Davidson: Totally, awesome. I’m also thinking
so much work activity, whether that could be about what you said that if you eat late at night,
emotional or physical and you’re in the boom then it’s triggering your body that it’s daytime.
and bust, meaning you push yourself and then That maybe if you are jumping time zones that
you collapse, that is prolonging the mitochondrial maybe intermittent fasting in earlier in the day
dysfunction. So the pacing’s important. is not good, that if you’re skipping time zones
or what not, and that’s all off, you actually want
Some people don’t really have that issue, to eat earlier to then trigger that it is daylight,

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potentially. Have you thought about that with the Dr. Davidson: Awesome! You’re just so
different time zones? knowledgeable. I want to thank you for coming
on the summit and dropping your knowledge
Niki: Yes. So there’s things you can do to really bombs. It’s going to help so much for the listener
speed up re-regulating the body into the local to help connect the dots of…Because we’ve known
time zone. So I would get into as much as you that a lot of these things are beneficial, but to
can. If you’re wide awake, but it’s dark outside, understand at another level, I think is just going to
don’t turn all of the white lights on and all the help us so much.
blue lights on. So it really makes a difference, as
well, to connect directly to the earth barefoot Niki: I hope so. Yeah, it’s a bit of a complex area
in the local time zone. So there’s definitely an of systems biology. But it’s so valuable. It’s an
electromagnetic process going on there when amazing, new, expanded awareness that we
your feet is directly connected to the earth. have with this connection between the nervous
system, and what’s going on at the cell level, and
So yes, I do all of those things that…If you think what’s going on psychologically, as well. So it’s all
about temperature, light, your activity levels, and connected. And the good news is it’s reversible if
the food timing, and connecting to the earth in you know what the right things to do. So it’s good.
your local time zone, you speed up how quickly
your body suddenly goes, “Oh, we’ve changed Dr. Davidson: There is hope. Well, thank you
time zones.” And you’ll climatize much more for listening to The Mitochondrial Summit. Make
quickly. Yes, people don’t realize you can actually sure to share this interview with your friends
hardly have any jet lag if you do that and quickly and family and also consider adding this summit
adapt. So yeah, it’s good to know when it comes to to your library by clicking the order button. And
the circadian rhythm. If you know about that, you don’t forget to visit Niki Gratrix at NikiGratrix.com.
can actually overcome jetlag. Maximum blessings. This is Dr. Jay Davidson.

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Toxic Mold and Your

Mitochondria
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP

Dr. Davidson: Hi, this is Dr. Jay Davidson from Dr. Davidson: Yeah, well it’s a topic I think we’re
DrJayDavidson.com. Thank you for joining me on all learning the importance and how things really
The Mitochondrial Summit. My guest is Bridgit connect. It’s a lot of times through our own
Danner. And we’re going to explore toxic mold experience, like you said in your bio, you’re a
and mitochondria. But before we do, a little bit specialist in hormones and nutrition. And then all
about Bridgit. Bridgit Danner has been a licensed of a sudden, you got exposed to mold. And it’s like
acupuncturist since 2004, a certified-functional you were basically forced to become an expert in
diagnostic practitioner since 2015. She has that to get well yourself. Diving into mold, what is
given over 12,000 treatments in her career. Her toxic mold? Describe that for us.
interest in natural health grew from a concern in
protecting the environment. Bridgit: Yeah, toxic mold has been around a
long time, although some people are just being
As a child, she was donating her allowance to introduced to the concept. Now there’s many
Greenpeace and writing cosmetic companies types of mold. And many of them are not harmful
to ask about their practicing, which just shows to our health, but some are. They can be in foods
where her heart is. While busy running Integrative we eat like grains, and rotten fruit, that kind of
Wellness Center, she developed an environmental a thing. But they can also be in our homes, the
illness due to toxic mold in her home. way we build our homes. What’s interesting, Jay,
is that some of what we do in our home is due to
Already experienced in hormone management modern construction.
and nutrition, she became acutely aware of the
powerful impact of the environment on her But actually, mold was even mentioned in the
health. She now focuses on online education Old Testament about like scraping off this layer
about detox at BridgitDanner.com where of unhealthy stuff and discarding it. And then
she also offers functional lab testing and in the veterinary field, this subject of mold and
specialized supplements. Bridgit, welcome to The mycotoxin illness is really common because
Mitochondrial Summit! animals are eating this green feed often that can
make them quite sick, and unable to reproduce,
Bridgit: Well, thank you, for including me, Jay. I or is killing them. So these are things that we’ve
think mitochondria is such an important topic. been dealing with culturally for many years.
So I was just very excited to get involved in this
cause. Just to name off a few names of the types of
mold that are toxic just to list a few of the more

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common ones are aspergillus, penicillium, And then other times, it was somewhere that
stachybotrys, fusarium. What really makes you you were living or working. And you just weren’t’
sick is not the mold itself, although the presence aware. It’s not always so potent that you know
of mold is needed to make the next thing which right away. It’s this chronic exposure is really the
is these mycotoxins. So some of the names most dangerous. I was in my house for almost 10
you may have heard are aflatoxin, ochratoxin, years by the time we found mold.
trichothecenes, gliotoxin.
Dr. Davidson: Wow!
So there’s a lot of different names, and species,
and stuff. You don’t have to memorize all that, but Bridgit: Yeah, it’s a long time. So let’s just say
having some awareness of where molds could hypothetically we had moved out of that house a
be present in your home, in your workplace, in couple of years sooner or we never knew about
your food supply. And then learning a little bit the mold, I wasn’t one of those people. I didn’t
about symptoms can let you know could there be know we had a mold problem. So I think that’s
any tie-in here with my own health and my own possible, as well, to just not even know where it
energy levels as we get to talk about mitochondria came from.
today.
Dr. Davidson: In your household with your own
Dr. Davidson: Awesome! Yeah, mold’s such an story, being in the house for 10 years, was it
important topic. I see it that the idea of, “Oh, just yourself that ended up with symptoms? Did
yeah, I had my house checked a few years ago anybody else in the household have them?
for mold.” But in reality, mold could surface at
any time because you could develop a leak, or Bridgit: So I was the sickest, for sure, and for the
some water overflowing, or water infiltration longest. But when we had the question come up,
somewhere and not even realize it. And now all of “Should we check for mold?” My husband was very
a sudden, you have an issue when you ruled it out suspicious of it just because of some things in our
previously. Was that at all like in your history? house. And as he started to learn about it and
we got more exposed through our remediation,
Bridgit: Ah, no, when we checked out house, which we can talk about, he was definitely like,
it was full of mold so it wasn’t like an old thing “I’m affected by this, too. This kind of explains why
came back. But one thing interesting that I have I need five cups of coffee a day. And like I’m so
found in the last couple of years is some people tired.”
are testing their bodies for mold and have mold
present or mycotoxins present. And they don’t So and my son, luckily, was seemingly unaffected.
know even where it came from. So sometimes we We did test his urine later. And he did have some
know, “I get sick when I’m in my apartment, I’m at mycotoxins present in his body. Does it maybe
work, whatever.” For some of us, we don’t even make him more fidgety? Maybe. He’s also 10,
know when we were exposed, which is scary to they’re fidgety. It’s hard to say. But kids can have
me. So I didn’t really know that was possible until I ADHD as a symptom of mold. There’s a wide
started seeing it in some of my clients. spectrum of symptoms and manifestations.

Dr. Davidson: Is that where food sourcing of But mostly, my son seemed to be okay. We never did
mold comes from? the genetics test for the three of us. But it could be
that he has better genes for it. Or it could just be that
Bridgit: Sometimes it’s the food sourcing, yeah. he’s younger and just has a healthier system still.

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Dr. Davidson: Interesting. So what do you see thinking. And it really was physical. I was just so
being major symptoms that might be a red flag tired on the cellular level that we’ll talk about. Just
for the listener because you’re like, “Oh, my son’s the idea of like having to get up and having to do
ten and he’s fidgety, but ten year old’s are.” I’m it all over again was pretty depressing. So luckily,
like thinking of my daughter like, “Yes, let’s work we got out of that stage. I recovered my health,
on spelling.” And she’s like sits down for half a for the most part. But those are some things that I
second and she goes and runs around. And you’re experienced.
like, “Just sit down for a second, would you?”
And I don’t think we have mold. So I’m thinking Some other things that happened are rapid
obviously it might be challenging to identify that weight gain, muscle wasting, and complete loss
just with kid behavior, but. of motor function. People end up in a wheelchair
and don’t know why. Different psychiatric diseases
Bridgit: Yeah, and as you know, you have so many are linked to mold. Skin rashes, diabetes, blood
symptoms overlap. So I’m going to tell you what sugar management, Parkinson’s, MS, these are
I experienced and I’ll tell you some other group more diagnoses and symptoms, but it could be
of things that I didn’t experience that I do hear involved in cancer, heart disease. It’s just such a
about. So, for me, honestly, I think, really the first big disruptor at the cellular level that it can go to a
thing for me was just my immune system not lot of different systems of the body.
working well, getting sick a lot. I had pink eye. I
had Epstein-Barr. I was just sick a lot. Dr. Davidson: Did you struggle with brain fog?
You mentioned memory recall, but I’m just…As
And then I got again really, I got strep throat. soon as you said memory recall, I was thinking of
Closer to when I got diagnosed, I got strep throat. my wife when we were exposed to mold ten plus
I didn’t recover well. And then I really hit this years ago. And she was trying to study and she
extreme fatigue. Just really tired. And this was just couldn’t remember anything. And there was
another, what I would say is a clue, like if you’re definitely a lot of brain fog, though, too. So she
eating well, you’re going to be on time, you’re was like the flashcard queen, we’d always call her.
doing yoga, you’re doing all the things that you’re But it was hard for her to remember things. And
supposed to do, and you’re just bone tired, or sick that just brought me back because you said that
all the time, or whatever, something else is going symptom.
on.
Bridgit: Yeah, at my worst, I was just in a fog all
And that’s, I think, often is a toxin. If they’re day, for sure. But something that really stood out
just like, “We can’t figure this out,” I often think to me that I don’t deal with anymore is like I would
that’s a toxin. Insomnia for a long time. When I have a thought. And then I would have to think it
got the sickest, really horrible short-term recall, five more times to remember it. I could eventually
like horrific. For years, I was also dealing with remember it. Like if I was going to write an email
digestive issues, hormonal imbalance. And then and I’d be like, “Oh, wait, who was I going to write
again, as I got sicker, when we opened up our to?” And then I’d have to retrace my thoughts and
home, muscles twitching, like my eyelids just be like, “Oh, yeah, I’m writing to Jay.” And then I
spontaneously twitching, more asthma. was like, “What am I writing?”

And then I became so tired, Jay, like so completely So I could do it, but it would just every time,
exhausted, I just started to not want to wake up it would take me like various repetitions to
in the morning, which is a scary thing to start remember what I was about to do. And that was

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pretty scary. You can push through a lot of that I know that’s something you address in your
and function. We have to function. So it was just practice, Jay. And I think it’s just how people feel,
very slow going. right. If you don’t have the batteries, you don’t
have the energy to fight what’s going on right
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, mold’s such a scary thing, when they need it the most. So it’s a pretty scary
though, because it suppresses your immune situation.
system. So any underlying things in your body can
potentially flare up and you can contract more A few more things that it does, it inhibits protein
things and just magnifies that situation. So you synthesis, RNA and DNA synthesis. It can create
mentioned mitochondria. What’s toxic mold or cell death. Let’s see what else I have in my notes
mold impact on our mitochondria? here. It creates oxidative stress, which is again
the opposite of what you want. So someone’s
Bridgit: Yeah, so this is really, really interesting. probably talking right here, the mitochondria
And you have a number of guests, I don’t know create some oxidative waste products. So it’s good
how many have gone into the structure of the to have antioxidants. But when you have toxins
mitochondria, but mitochondria are within your in the system, it’s creating even more oxidative
cell. And they have their own DNA and their own stress at exactly the wrong time you need it.
membrane. But they’re not very well protected.
They don’t have a great protection against outside So it’s quite a cascade of what happens with
toxins. So the toxins can come in and they have a mitochondria with toxins. I think it’s like one of
whole list of what they can do. like the top three things going on with mold is it’s
this interaction with the mitochondria. And yeah,
So, first of all, is they hit the membrane. Toxins again can make just so many diverse, different
can disrupt that membrane’s ability to transmit symptoms because potentially any cell in the body
messages. It can become swollen. The nutrients isn’t getting enough energy, isn’t reproducing this
can’t get in. So that’s a big deal. As you know energy source correctly, etcetera.
from the detox world, that membrane needs to
be healthy. And then they can get in past that Dr. Davidson: So summarizing a couple of
membrane and disrupts what’s called the cristae, the notes that you said, toxic mold negatively
the inner membrane, that are all like folded up, affects the ability for mitochondria to make ATP,
those can be disrupted and dysregulated. and then it also affects its ability to make more
mitochondria or more factories that make ATP,
The toxins can attach to it. It’s called a DNA essentially.
adduct, which can create further mutations
like cancerous mutations. It can prevent the Bridgit: Yes, yes, yeah.
mitochondria from reproducing or reproducing
in a healthy way. You don’t want to reproduce Dr. Davidson: Okay. And then on the membrane,
mutations. First, it’s going to affect the you were talking about it affecting the membrane.
mitochondria’s just ability to do its job, which is So if we look at like the human cell, you have a
making ATP. So you can have less energy for that double fat-layer membrane, but then you have
particular cell or whole body systems. mitochondria inside the cell. That mitochondria
have a membrane or a wall around it, as well, just
So if you’re exposed to these toxins, and now your like the cell does, too. Correct?
liver isn’t working right, your brain isn’t working
right, it makes it a lot harder to overcome them. Bridgit: Yes, and that membrane can be

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damaged. And then nutrients can’t get it. I would And then the last one that people know
imagine I have seen this written, but I imagine about mold that’s heard of is just the chronic
toxins can’t get out correctly, either. And there’s inflammatory response syndrome. So we talked
just different mutations can happen in the about the brain, we talked about mitochondria, but
structure of the mitochondria, which again could just creating this chronic inflammation everywhere
potentially replicate. So people don’t need to that can re-flare so easily is just an important
memorize all that, necessarily. But I think it helps mechanism to know about when it comes to toxic
to understand it a bit better. And, to me, as I mold. And it’s again, we have a hard time working
learned some of this stuff when I was sick, I’m like, against that mechanism. Once it turns on, it can be
“Oh, yeah, this is like kind of how I feel. You know, I really slow. And you have to be very patient.
feel this, this drain to my body.”
I still can get retriggered by things that I’m exposed
Dr. Davidson: So you just gave a sigh of relief to because I still haven’t completely shut off that
to the listener that’s got brain fog, “Okay, I don’t system for myself. And to be honest, I may never
have to memorize this. I just, I didn’t hear that.” So fully because of the way my brain was affected
moving in to more practical things, if you will, less from 10 years of chronic exposure. So I’m just
academic type stuff, what would you recommend if primed to react to things in my environment. Not
I’m suspecting that I might have mold in my home, to say I can’t get a ton better, but just to also know
where do I start? Do I test myself? Do I maybe test that I may never get to a point where I can work
my home? Are there some distinctions or obvious until one in the morning or drink five glasses of
things that may be considered first? wine.

Bridgit: Yes. Do you mind if I say one last thing to Like there are certain things that I think will always
that last question before we go? trigger me. And I’ll always have to be conscious of
that. I don’t know if that’s your wife experience or
Dr. Davidson: Oh, sure. not. But yeah, I just wanted to mention those other
mechanisms besides the mitochondrial effect.
Bridgit: Okay. So I mentioned that I think
that mold and mitochondria is one of the top Dr. Davidson: Well, 10 years is a long time.
dysregulators, the way it dysregulates the
mitochondria. I just want to briefly mention the Bridgit: Yeah.
other couple. One is that mold is really a potent
neurotoxin. And when the brain, just like the Dr. Davidson: And my understanding of mold
mitochondria directs so much, the brain directs so is that basically every exposure you have, your
much, too. body heightens its reaction that it just had. So if
you’re continually exposed, your body continually
So when the brain’s affected, then the digestion reacts higher, and higher, and higher to more
can be affected. So many things can be influenced. inflammatory type responses, more things that are
And mold likes fat so it goes to the brain, which going on with the body negatively.
has a lot of fat. And this gets really a pretty scary
thing. And as we talk about things to do for the So clearing the environment, pulling yourself away
body, it’s important to keep in mind that mold… from it, or remedying the environment is one of
Well, I think, the neuroinflammatory effects of those first steps to just let the body calm down. So
mold is something to give a lot of thought to and I think time is an important factor in the healing
work on that system. journey, at least things that I’ve seen because my

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wife definitely was real sensitive for a while. currently. And I want to just briefly mention all of
them. If you own a home, you may want to get
When we were living in Wisconsin at the time, a mold inspector to come in. And they can see
she wouldn’t even go into this natural health food where you may have leaks or moisture in your
store because they had, and you could smell it, home. They can test the air, which has its pros
they had mold issues. They had a leaky roof. So and cons. So they can also test for like drywall
she’d go in there. And she’d be like brain fogged samples and send that in. So it is pretty thorough,
for the next two days. And so I’d run in there but not probably something worth doing if you’re
quick. Grab some items that we need. Come back renting.
in the car. And we’d go on to the next type of
grocery store. If you are renting or want to test more for health
reasons, there are a few things you can do. The
But what I’ve seen over time now, as time’s cheapest is to get a mold plate like a petri dish.
definitely, it’s been probably five years even And there’s a company called ImmunoLytics
since that, she’s less reactive. So we can jump that you can buy the plates and talk to them
on a shuttle in the Orlando airport. And there’s afterwards. Initially, I had not heard the best
one specifically that, we’d get in there, it’s like, thing about doing the mold plate, it doesn’t test
oh, man, just horrible mold. And she doesn’t for mycotoxins as much as mold growth. But I’ve
feel great, but she bounces back within like 10 since heard better things about it and to have
minutes, where before, it would probably knock someone talk to you, I think is really valuable. You
her down for a week. You know what I mean? So… can run multiple tests, which is valuable. And you
can still get some information pretty quickly at a
Bridgit: Yeah. And I want to specify, too, it’s reasonable price.
not just the mold that can knock me down. It’s
other things, as well, I’m sure you’re discussing. A couple of other options, the one that we did at
So beyond mold, just chemicals can really affect our home was a mycotoxin dust test where you
mitochondria, and heavy metals, and alcohol, I collect dust behind your fridge. And you need a
think is a really big trigger so lots of things. But, good amount of dust. And you mail that in. And it
yeah, it’s good to hear that story. And just to know tests for mycotoxins that are the ones that make
like some of this is slow go, but you can keep you sick. And then lastly, you can run an ERMI test,
getting better. And why wouldn’t you want to? So I which is also a dust test usually involving doing
just keep experimenting. I’m happy to share what some vacuuming. And they can assess the level
I’ve done. of risk that you have in your home. And this is
the test I’m leading towards the most now, even
But yeah, to talk about testing, let’s start with the though it’s not one that we ran ourselves because
home, which is often really where I suggest to there is some grey areas.
test. If you think your environment currently, it
is compromised, that’s really where you need to For instance, I had a client whose home wasn’t
start because unless you address that, you really too bad. He had a little leak in his bathroom. But
won’t get better. Often, it’s the home because his workplace was the worst. So that was good
that’s where we spend the most time. But it could information to have to just get that assessed. Do
be a car. Cars can get wet and moldy. Or it could you have any questions about that before I go on
be your workplace. to the body?

So there’s four different options I know of Dr. Davidson: Well, so I was thinking the dust

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test was the ERMI, but it’s actually a different one when you’re in a relationship and one person is
then. So another company has a dust test and unaffected and implies that you’re crazy. That’s a
then there’s ERMI companies that, also, they’re rough thing. But if they can, yeah, if they can see
checking? this data, that’s helpful for them or helpful for
people like me who are like, “Ah, I don’t want to
Bridgit: Yeah, I’ll just give names because I know have to go through all this.” “But, you know, here’s
people like that. The test that we used for dust the information, our home is really making us
and mycotoxins, by the way, was by RealTime Lab. sick.”
And there is another company I’m getting familiar
with called Envirobiomics, yeah, Envirobiomics, Dr. Davidson: Why do you think our mind always
that runs this ERMI test, which doesn’t just test for wants to find like what’s the test that’s 100%?
mycotoxins, it tests for like other toxins, as well, So if you were to rate, “Oh, I’m going to go get
like endotoxins. I’m just still getting familiar, but ERMI testing or dust testing, zero percent is it’s
it seems a little bit more comprehensive in some not effective or not accurate at all and 100% is
respects. So yeah, there’s just companies doing a it’s perfect every time, where would you put that
little bit different things. clinically now, just in your opinion?

But I think what’s most important is to know if Bridgit: Well, I’m most interested in this more
you have a problem because it’s a big decision comprehensive ERMI test right now. But again, I
to move, or to sell your home, or move your ran a mycotoxin. Just a straight mycotoxin dust
workplace, whatever it is. So we don’t always need test. So I’m more familiar still with the mycotoxin
testing. But I think this is a pretty important one dust test. And I think it’s good because mycotoxins
because you’re not going to make bad decisions are what make us sick. But as I learn more, I’m
just like on a whim or a hunch. You’re going to pretty interested in the ERMI and how it rates
want to see some data to let you know, “Yeah, we things. And I’m going to interview these folks
have a problem.” soon.

Dr. Davidson: Well, maybe, maybe one person There’s more to mold than just spores and
in a relationship might, but the other one might mycotoxins. There’re other categories that make
be completely opposite, where it’s like, “No, I love up the weight of the mold and the toxins that I
this house. There’s no way I could ever move.” You don’t even fully understand yet. It sounds like
always get that difference of the person struggling this test tests for… Because you don’t want to
like, “I’ll do whatever.” And then the other person’s miss things. So it sounds like it just tests more
like, “No, no, there can’t be, there can’t be mold.” categories of toxins and molds.

Bridgit: Sometimes or sometimes it’s reversed. Dr. Davidson: I guess my question is can you rely
So I was the sicker one in our home. And I just off of running one test to rule mold in?
really wanted to bury my head in the sand. And
honestly, I was extremely tired. And I see this with Bridgit: Oh, I see what you’re saying. Mmm, I
people who reach out to me, too, you just have think these are--
this like inertia to like stay where you are. You
don’t want to do all this work. You’re exhausted. Dr. Davidson: Because it would be awesome if we
So sometimes it’s that. could.

Or yeah, sometimes it’s like you said, it’s tough Bridgit: Yeah, it’s pretty good. It’s pretty good. You

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want to make sure you’re collecting in an area that main floor of your house so we can work on
you think is affected. You don’t want to go to the your basement.” So all that stuff, it was full of
cleanest area and test in there. So that’s a great mycotoxins was now in our main living space. Like
question. I think it’s more common that you get I can’t even believe that happened. But that’s the
false negatives in body testing than in the home. kind of thing that a contractor may not think of,
I haven’t personally run into someone being like, they were like, “Oh, let’s put up the tent and blah,
“I thought my home was making me really sick, blah, blah.”
but now it seems like it’s fine.” I haven’t really seen
that. And that stuff is covered in toxins so I got way
worse, three times worse, once we started
Dr. Davidson: Okay. Well, if mold shows up in a remediating. And then the process of getting
dust test, or an ERMI test, or you find mold in a sicker and realizing we had more areas of the
test you run for your body, does that mean we house we wanted to work on, that’s when we
have to move right away? Can we actually clean moved out. And that was a good decision. But
the environment so that we can stay where we’re then we made another dumb decision, which was
at? to bring some things with us. So we didn’t bring a
lot of things, but we brought some of our clothes,
Bridgit: Jay, this is a highly debated issue, but I some toys for my son, whatever, enough that we
will give my opinion. I didn’t understand all the re-infected the new space we were in.
steps when we found out our house had an issue.
And I had just replaced myself at my practice to So whereas, at first our health felt really good
work from home. So I was home all the time. And there, after a while, it started to not feel as good.
we talked to some people. And I know you had So it can become a very paranoia because that’s a
to tent off the area and stuff. So we knew a few weird process where, “The mold is following me,”
basic things, but we made some major, gigantic but you have to be really careful. We ruined both
mistakes. And many contractors also made of our cars. We had to sell both of our cars from
mistakes because they don’t really get the health transporting stuff around. So I tend to tell people,
implications of it. So can you stay in your home? please err on the side of being really, really
caution. Don’t stay in the same spot. Don’t bring
Sometimes, again even with the ERMI test, you things with you.
could wall off an area and be another part of the
house. But if you’re quite sick, I would say no. And However, you can potentially remediate the
if you’re doing a major remodel, I would definitely original space enough to move back in. I used to
say no. There is nothing convenient about going also not say that. We didn’t move back into our
through this mold stuff. And you just have to home in the end. But I’ve seen people, again be
accept it. So we ended up moving into my parents’ incredibly, incredibly careful, cleaning out ducts,
home, which was like 30, 40 minutes away. It was getting rid of couches, washing walls, doing
like a huge pain in the butt commute after we did everything right and being, yes, able to move back
that, but it was definitely the better decision, but in to the same space.
initially, we didn’t make it.
To be honest, I think it’s almost is easier just to let
I was home while all the remediation was going things go and move on because you have to just
on. This was a giant mistake that even when I be so careful. And I think we just felt like, “Well,
say it, it’s embarrassing. We were told, “We’ll why risk it? Why after being so sick, would we risk
move everything out of your basement into the moving back in?” It’s fine for the next person, but

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we are very sensitive to whatever was growing in Bridgit: Yeah, it’s a very depressing rabbit hole.
that home. So if there’s any of it left, why take on Some people feel like, “Well, is there any place
that risk? that’s safe?” And, “Yeah, there are places that are
safe?” Luckily, like your wife, you get this mold-
Dr. Davidson: Have you heard any statistics on sniffing nose when you’ve removed yourself. So
how many buildings or homes could potentially we actually toured a school for my son when we
be affected with some type of toxic mold? moved here. And I couldn’t even finish the tour.
I’m like, “This school is full of mold. There’s no way
Bridgit: Yeah, I think it’s going to usually say one I’m sending my son here.”
in four. It could be higher. And then one in four of
don’t have the genes to identify mold toxins in our So you do get better identifying. But you can also
bodies enough to tag it and move it out. So the make repeat mistakes. I’ve had people move into
odds are pretty high. Places like, unfortunately, a new condo and they felt, “Well, this will definitely
school buildings that aren’t maintained properly be cleaned.” But sometimes things are behind the
with budgets. walls. And you just don’t realize.

I remember in Puerto Rico where we were living Dr. Davidson: Yeah, I agree. We looked at
after the hurricane. I was caring about recovering something before we moved into the house that
schools and how there was water damage. And it we’re in now. We must have looked at probably
just made me so sad because it’s often in those 20 to 25 houses finding something that we liked.
settings that people just don’t understand. And But then so many of them like, “Sniff, sniff, nope,
they sign the budget. And then our kids are not, nope, I can smell it in the closet. Nope.” And I
getting exposed. So there’s definitely more places immediately took it off the list because obviously
to it, yeah, about one in four. after what we went through, just like what you
went through, it’s like it doesn’t matter how much,
We live in Arizona now, that’s on purpose because “Oh, that house really seems cool,” if it’s a risk
the moisture level is very low. The mold can factor at all for health, not going to do it.
happen anywhere. There are some houses we’ve
toured here that have mold because they’re Exactly. Wow! Were there any key, as we’re
older construction. If you’re in a more humid wrapping this interview up, Bridgit, were there
environment, greater chances, you want to keep any big things for you in your journey that really
your humidity down. That’s one thing I learned. helped as far as maybe something you did in your
And you want to properly maintain your home, home, or something you took supplemental wise,
things like drainage, and gutters, appliances. But or diet wise?
accidents happen so just if you have something,
dishwasher, drain, leak, or whatever, you need to Bridgit: Yeah, I know this can be a depressing
make sure you do a really careful job of fixing it. conversation, but there’s a lot of things I found
that have helped. And that I’m still doing. And that
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, it really makes you think I’m helping a lot of people, which makes me really
like, “Oh, my child’s struggling in school and can’t happy. I actually got an email just today saying,
pay attention.” It’s like, Well, it might just be the “Well, I’ve been in this new apartment for a couple
environment they’re in. It might be that their of months. I thought I’d be doing better, but
classroom’s got mold. And they’re affected.” It’s things seem to be getting worse.”
really, it’s like a rabbit hole when you really open
it up. So why could this be, right? Because your

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body finally is having some space to work on So just straight fish oil, clean, not from Walgreens,
detoxifying the load that’s in your body. like nice, clean fish oil. I do a liquid because you
can get more of it. It’s really helped me when I’m
So I remember having that same experience when inflamed and flared-up. Sometimes I’ll do a couple
we moved to Arizona. I subconsciously hoped I’d scoops of that a day when I’m really flared up. It’s
be completely cured. But the fact is now, I’m the an anti-inflammatory for the brain that we talk
mold, it’s following me around. So it is a process. about earlier, for the gut, which is always affected
First it’s only getting out of the environment. when there’s mold.
Learning all about that. But then it’s cleaning out
your body. Magnesium, again I do a powdered magnesium
that you mix in water. And it’s a magnesium
My top three, and I have a long list for you, but chelate. So it’s not to help you have a bowel
my top three things are dry brushing. I think that’s movement, it’s to actually get it into your cells.
a really helpful thing for creating some energy Magnesium has been very helpful for me when
in the morning and moving your lymph. Sauna, I feel inflamed and the brain likes it. It does a lot
which probably is coming up in this summit, I of different things in the body. It helps you sleep.
think it’s so powerful. It helps you to detoxify from Phosphatidyl choline is, I think, very helpful in
all sorts of things. And if you can’t afford to have acute situations.
one or you’re in, like we were in a transitional
space, just use one at a gym. It doesn’t have to be And for that brain fog you mentioned, of
fancy, but just get some sweating done. everything I’ve used, that’s been the most
powerful for my brain. Again, I do a liquid. And if
I really like doing green drinks. Just giving your I’m really flared-up, I’ll do it even two, three times
body some nutrition to detoxify. I just do a light… a day. And it’s not cheap, but if you’re really flared-
Actually, I’m drinking one right now, but it looks up and you can’t even function, why not dose at a
ugly because I added blackberries, but usually few times a day and get that under control.
it’s green. So there’s lemon, little baby kale, and
spinach leaves, cilantro, honey, and then some We do a CoQ10. We’re talking about mitochondria
blackberries. And then I just strain it so it’s very here so we do one that’s water soluble and has
light, but it’s hydrating, it’s alkalizing, it’s giving me a positive charge so it can really get into the cell.
some like chlorophyll for oxygenating my cells and I found that pretty late on my journey. But when
supporting my liver. So I’m a big fan of like having I found it, I was really impressed. I was almost at
that be a part of your morning routine. And it only that point where I was like, “Ah, I can’t try anymore
takes a few minutes. So those are some of the supplements,” but I still take it every day. I really
things I start with. like it.

I’ve got a bunch of supplements that helped me, I think like chlorophyll or chlorella not as much for
personally. And I was really quite sick. So I’m binding and detoxifying, but just getting oxygen
not just like, “Oh, I heard this helps.” Like I know to your cells is really great. So if you don’t have
this helps because it helped me. And we’re all time to make a drink just supplementing with
a little different when we’re inflamed or what’s chlorophyll, as tolerated. Some people don’t
happening, not every single thing I’m going to do well on chlorophyll. B12. Just doing like a
mention is going to help the person listening, but sublingual B12 seems to give me some energy. It
some of them will. So you just have to experiment. works for red blood cells and getting that oxygen
delivery. So that’s something that’s helped me.

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Binders, as you know about, Jay. You manufacture There’s a lot of symptom management when
binders. It’s just important to just move toxins out. you’re in the thick of mold because you can’t
And again, we’re all a little different. I’ve had some breathe properly, you can’t sleep, your periods
clients not react well to binders, but I’ve never are off. So I don’t know, it’s almost to me you
had that. I’ve always been fine with binders. And can almost organically focus on what’s off. Like
just as a daily clean up or when you’re flared-up is sometimes, I’ll be more focused on my gut, then
great. I’ll be more focused on my hormones. And I’m
always gently detoxing because it does take a
Silver is something that’s helped me with my while, like you said.
immune system being weakened from mold.
Doing colloidal silver. I have a little bit more on essential oils and foods,
if you like?
Dr. Davidson: Colloidal, okay.
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, yeah, if you want to fire them
Bridgit: Yeah. And olive leaf, I’ve also used. off quick for us, that would be awesome.
Everyone’s different, but for me my immune
system really is often what took the hit. And in Bridgit: Yeah, a few things to be careful to avoid.
the winters, I’d have to take a hot bath every night I see alcohol is quite a neuroinflammatory thing.
because I was so cold. I just always felt like I was And it can lead to leaky gain. Avoiding gluten,
on the verge of being sick. So vitamin D, silver, dairy, and potentially moldy foods like cheese,
olive leaf are three things that helped me. and grains, and coffee. I was just reading about
apple juice can be moldy so we talk about kids.
And when you talk about the gut, and you do a
lot of work on gut infections and biofilm, that’s And essential oils can be a really nice supportive
an important area to address. Who knows what thing. Some of them kill mold directly if you’re
came first, if it was like the mold or the brain cleaning your home, but not necessarily toxins
that weakened the gut? But if you’ve got now like thyme, cinnamon, oregano, clove. And then
these infections, you do need to treat them. some of them can just help with some of the
You’re going to get some relief. We also do symptoms like I said like something as simple as
immunoglobulins and spore-based probiotics for peppermint as an antihistamine and can help you
gut health and even in conjunction with some of with breathing. And then something as simple
the things you do with parasites and bacteria. And as like grapefruit oil can help move lymph while
that works a lot. you’re going through the process.

When I was really sick, I remember someone Dr. Davidson: Awesome, peppermint for
saying, “Well, all these other things don’t matter, histamine and grapefruit for the lymph, got to
I just need to detox.” But really, you have to do remember those.
everything all at the same time is what I find. So
you can’t just like ignore the gut while you detox. Bridgit: Yeah.
You guys may have more procedure in your
program, Jay, but I think it’s okay to like just have Dr. Davidson: Yeah, there’s so much to the
some overlap. Of course, you don’t want to be topic, but there’s hope. Identify if you’re in an
taking 50 supplements at once, but sometimes environment that is not safe and start learning
you need to manage the symptoms while you about it. Obviously, you dove in deep into this,
work on another piece. Bridgit, because you’re living it for 10 years. And

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now it’s like you have experience to share with the Bridgit: Great! Well, I’m really happy to share. And
world and what helped you to get through. if people need more resources…I know it’s a lot.
You just have to dig in and learn it. And we’ve got
One of the interesting things that Dr. Todd Watts a lot of resources on our site you can find, as well.
and I found just in some testing, if you run the
urine test to see if you have mold or mycotoxins Dr. Davidson: Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you
in your body, the gliotoxin and the trichothecene for listening to The Mitochondrial Summit. Make
group, if that comes up, one of the number one sure to share this interview with your friends and
thing to support is liver bile duct drainage. That family and also consider adding this summit to
fungus, that mycotoxin, just seems to absolutely your library by clicking the order button.
just clog that liver bile duct uo.
And don’t forget to visit Bridgit Danner at her
Bridgit: Mmm, yeah, I didn’t talk about that. But website. Really easy to remember, BridgitDanner.
yeah, that’s a great tip. com. So Bridgit is B-R-I-D-G-I-T and then Danner
is D-A-N-N-E-R, so BridgitDanner.com. Maximum
Dr. Davidson: I thought that was really blessings. This is Dr. Jay Davidson.
interesting, those specific mycotoxins if anybody
runs a mycotoxin test. But yeah, I just want to
thank you so much for coming on here, Bridgit,
and sharing your knowledge and experience. Just
being open to it. And I’m sure the listeners got just
a lot of gems.

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Mitochondrial
Solutions
Todd Watts, DC, PScD

Dr. Davidson: Hi, this is Dr. Jay Davidson from cell outside of the mitochondria, there’s a process
DrJayDavidson.com. Welcome to another called glycolysis where we take a sugar, break it
interview of The Mitochondrial Summit. Today, down into a pyruvic acid or pyruvate. That’s the
I have my good friend, one of my best friends, end part.
Dr. Todd Watts. And he’s going to be discussing
solutions for mitochondria. Welcome to the And that’s the part that comes into the
summit, Dr. Watts. mitochondria. During that process, we make a
little bit of energy, a little bit of ATP, right. And as
Dr. Watts: Thanks for having me here. long as everything goes well, then that pyruvate
molecule will enter into then the mitochondria.
Dr. Davidson: So every interview, he’s got to Once it’s in the mitochondria, it goes through this
throw some biochemistry in. I know he wants to process to be converted to Acetyl CoA. And Acetyl
talk about solutions. But why don’t we dive into CoA is the molecule that will go into what we call
biochemistry first because, of course, that’s your Krebs cycle.
passion.
And that Krebs cycle is where we create molecules
Dr. Watts: So looking at what the whole summit like NADH, FADH2, these are things that will help
is, is the mitochondria. That’s what I love to talk to, basically, fuel the electron transport chain that
about all the time, anyways. So the big part is how will allow us to then attach a phosphate on to an
does it operate? And then why is it important? And ADP molecule to make ATP. And that’s the end
what’s affecting it? Because once we understand thing, right, we want ATP because ATP is going to
the deeper part of why it’s not working right, then be the energy molecule that fuels all these 500
we can go and find the solutions. plus enzymatic reactions in our bodies, as well
as the signaling molecule that helps our immune
Dr. Davidson: Which means you want to explain system understand there’s something we’re
the biochemistry first? fighting for.

Dr. Watts: Yes. Like, I want to explain the Dr. Davidson: So backing up just to see if I’m clear
biochemistry, which is what I love to do. So on this. Pyruvate, is that made outside of the cell?
looking at how to make energy, there’s two parts
to energy. There’s the aerobic respiration, right, Dr. Watts: Yes.
that we do, which is within the mitochondria. And
there’s the anaerobic respiration. So there’s, in the Dr. Davidson: Okay. And then it goes inside the

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cell to then get converted to Acetyl CoA? get energy from energy? Because the Ketogenic
diet is really popular out there. Or fasting’s really
Dr. Watts: It’s made inside the cell in the cytosol. popular. And it breaks down fat. So we take fat,
And then goes into the mitochondria. and that’s, when it’s broken down, it’s converted
to a molecule called fatty acid, so three fatty acids
Dr. Davidson: Okay. And then that’s where the and a glycerol molecule. Those fatty acids are
Acetyl CoA comes in to further. So essentially, what are transported in to the mitochondria. And
pyruvate is the initial step of energy or movement then from there are broken down into Acetyl CoA.
for mitochondria to make ATP?
So it goes through this process called fatty acid
Dr. Watts: So it is the process of taking a sugar oxidation, basically breaking down that fatty acid
molecule or a protein, which gets converted to a launching carbon molecule into thee Acetyl CoA
glucose molecule, and then breaking it down into molecules that go through the Krebs cycle and
a three-carbon molecule. And that process will then the same process as a sugar. It’s just that
happen through the glycolysis reaction. And so it’s sugar does it from a standpoint of glycolysis.
just the end, what we call end metabolite or end
product of glycolysis. Dr. Davidson: So you can either use sugar, which
could be protein, two sugars or a carbohydrate,
And then if we have enough oxygen at that point, obviously is sugar, to ATP. You could use fatty
then it can be converted and go into and be acids or fat, basically to then make ATP. What
utilized to make ATP or energy with oxygen called happens when it’s anaerobic and you make lactic
aerobic respiration. And lots of people understand acid, is there an ATP production in the lactic acid?
jogging will get that aerobic respiration. But if
you do, let’s say, a sprint, you do what we call Dr. Watts: No, lactic acid then is recycled back
anaerobic respiration that basically takes pyruvate through the liver and then converted back to
and converts it to lactic acid, which most of us pyruvate and goes through its process of breaking
understand, “Oh, my muscles are sore. Like, I down.
worked out a couple of days ago.” We’re all sore
from that workout that we were doing because of Dr. Davidson: Okay.
the anaerobic respiration.
Dr. Watts: So it really comes back to the liver
So we weren’t jogging, we were lifting and pushing takes care of lactic acid. The thing about it is we
our bodies really hard, fast. And we know our don’t want to go towards lactic acid because
muscles ran out of oxygen and in that point people can get the buildup of lactic acid. And
convert it to lactic acid. there’s a condition called lactic acidosis that other
doctors talk a lot about. But it’s the process of
So when I’m working with somebody that has why do they have it? So is it a lack of oxygen? So
chronic illness or somebody that say with Lyme it could definitely be a lack of oxygen, especially if
disease, or mold toxicity, or chronic fatigue, a they have a lot of mold in them, right?
number of different things, what I look at is are
they producing energy? Because if they can’t But the other thing it could be is toxins. So
produce energy how are they going to perform all there’s that reaction called the PDH or pyruvate
these enzymatic reactions that need to occur? dehydrogenase complex that takes pyruvate and
converts it to Acetyl CoA. And stuff like heavy
Now the other thing we look at is fat, “How do we metals can cause a breakdown in that process. So

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lead, arsenic, mercury, other radioactive elements Dr. Watts: Exactly. And that’s why when people
can all break up that process or inhibit those talk about bacteria by being so much more of
enzymes that are supposed to convert that. bacteria and microbiome than our own cells
within the body, and part of what contributes
So then the pyruvate, what does it do? It has to go towards that is the mitochondria. So with being
back into and convert to lactic acid. Or if there’s multiple types of mitochondria per cell…
a lack of oxygen, it can’t convert. So it then goes
over into lactic acid. And you know, what you see with athletes is they
have more mitochondria, right, because they have
Dr. Davidson: Does that overburden the liver better utilization of oxygen. When they’re working
then if you are constantly making a lot of lactic out, their cells are creating more mitochondria or
acid? more mitochondria come into those cells to help
with all that aerobic respiration.
Dr. Watts: Absolutely, because this is occurring in
the liver, right, is typically there’s a lot of infection Dr. Davidson: So clinically with the clients that
going on in there. And the liver’s overwhelmed you guys see in your office with your doctors and
in this process that’s happening. So if the liver’s things, what are you seeing as far as like infections
overwhelmed because of all these infections, and toxins that damage the mitochondria most?
which infections seem to have a high infinity for You listed a lot off. Is it that whole gamut or other
the liver with everything that happens there, then specific things? Like, even for instance, the liver,
the function of the mitochondria is really brought you said infection really tends to like the liver. Are
down. there certain infections that you find clinically?

And that’s what we want to look at is, is okay, Dr. Watts: Yes, so what’s coming into my clinic,
how many mitochondria are in each cell in the at least that I’m seeing, is people that have Lyme
liver? How many mitochondria in each cell of disease, the co-infections, Babesia loves the
the heart, in the brain? Well, we’re looking at liver, also Epstein-Barr and many viruses really
somewhere between 2,000 to 10,000 per cell. love the liver. There’s parasites that can affect it.
The mitochondria is really important for utilizing Liver flukes, strongyloides can get up in there,
oxygen in the cell. The mitochondria is really sometimes roundworms. So it clogs it up and then
important for creating energy. And then not only it backs everything up. And the key part to having
that, but also cell signaling and immune response. successful liver is to having a non-toxic liver. That
means things have to be moving through. And
Dr. Davidson: You hear people talk about how as things aren’t moving through, and things are
many cells we have in our body and how huge backing up, these infections put out byproducts
of a number in the trillions it is, but you just said like pneumonia, for example.
that some individual cells have up to 10,000
mitochondria per cell. And that suppresses the body’ ability to make
energy. And it suppresses the function of the
Dr. Watts: Per cell. mitochondria so they don’t work so well. So if
you think about being and you want to have all
Dr. Davidson: So does that mean our this energy to work out, but you’re in a super-hot,
mitochondria are astronomically way bigger than hot climate and lots of humidity, then you feel
even our human cell number? sluggish because of that. Well, the same thing with
the mitochondria, if they’re in an environment

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that’s not conducive to them, then what happens we can look at it. One, you look at saturation.
with that environment is that it’s going to be less Being sure they’re able to get the exchange
functional. through their lungs. Two, there’s that profusion
index that you can look at. And so diving into the
Dr. Davidson: Okay. So essentially, the cause of research and how accurate that is and moving
what’s diminishing mitochondria at the cellular that forward, that’s helped me, at least get some
level and with all the biochemistry pathways you gauging of where somebody may be. And then
went through, chronic infection, toxins, those later on, see how much better it is. Yeah, there
are the main things. And obviously mold lowers are some other things we’re looking into of how
oxygen, but mold produces toxins like biotoxins. can we measure this to be a higher level than just
oxygen saturation.
Dr. Watts: Exactly. So it’s really important and
it suppresses oxygen utilization. And then you Dr. Davidson: Yeah, because you’ll see oxygen
consider some of the radioactive elements where saturation typically is pretty high for most
that really breaks down the cell. And when you individuals. But the profusion index seems like
have all these free radicals going on, oxygen is our that’s not quite like, “Oh, everybody’s got great
final electronic sensor so it binds under those free levels of that.” When they have chronic health
radicals and then help them then get converted to issues, it seems like that level could be actually
water. And glutathione’s involved in that process. really low.
And there’s catalase and a number of other
enzymatic reactions within that process. The key Dr. Watts: It could. And what I think that is, is how
part is taking that free radical, and then binding well is the blood getting throughout the body?
that oxygen on there, and then clearing it out. So the blood’s not getting throughout the body
very well. Or if somebody has edema, and their
So we could be using a lot of oxygen just fighting swollen and things, they’re not going to have
these radioactive elements, these toxins, these great profusion. So with that process, their blood
chemicals, whatever you want to call them, these pressure’s going to go up higher to try and push
infections, and instead of being able to utilize it that profusion out, right. And that’s going to be
to make energy. And that’s the thing, it’s like, “All another way to look at that.
right, are we utilizing mitochondria to survive
and our energy to survive, or are we utilizing it to So that’s where when we’re analyzing blood
have optimal energy, and feel vital, and be able to pressure, a lot of people maybe that has Lyme
function, and do everything we want to do? or Babesia or some of these other viruses and
infections, tend to have low blood pressure. So
I know you’ve worked with a lot of people in the then they’re not getting enough blood throughout
Lyme disease world. And in my clinic, we see the body. Or other people that their heart’s
these people have suppressed energy. Why? working good, blood pressure is really high
Because these infections, like Lyme and Epstein- because they have a high need for oxygen, so
Barr, they suppress your energy levels down so their body’s trying to push out the blood through
that they can thrive. the body. So looking at both high or low is a way
to really consider what’s going on with these
Dr. Davidson: Is there a way to measure clinically people.
oxygen in the body for a client?
I had low blood pressure for a long time. And
Dr. Watts: I think that there are some ways, but mine’s come up and it’s doing a lot better. Of

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course, I have a lot better energy now, too, with all of a sudden, my mitochondria turned on,
that because oxygen’s getting through the body energy turned on, and I could work out. And now
and nutrients are getting through the body. I feel phenomenal and much better than I have in
15 years.
Dr. Davidson: Well and you, you’ve had a history
of maybe not having the best energy in your past. Dr. Davidson: Well, I can attest to that because
we were up, probably until 9:30 or 10:00 talking
Dr. Watts: Yes, severe fatigue, for sure. last night. You were very with it. And then we were
up early this morning working out, so living the
Dr. Davidson: What happened in chiropractic life. Clarify radioactive elements because you’ve
school when you were going through school? said that a few times. What does that mean when
you say radioactive elements?
Dr. Watts: There was a Facebook page that was
created called Sleeping in School. And it started Dr. Watts: When I’m looking at things that are
with some of the guys in my class taking pictures really harsh to the body—now we’ve heard about
of me not being able to stay awake. Even at 7:30 heavy metals quite a bit and we’ve heard about
in the morning, I was so affected by certain things, infections. As I researched and worked with
one gluten, so it would set my brain off. And I’d people, what I’ve noticed is that there’s exposure
just fall asleep almost within 30 minutes of eating to radiation—radiation is the hardest or the worst
that. The fatigue I had was muscular fatigue, brain things to our cells.
fatigue, and an overall general malaise of fatigue.
The types of radiation, now there’s non-ionizing
Dr. Davidson: You’ve come a long way. and ionizing radiation. And the ionizing radiation
will actually rip apart our DNA, rip apart our cells,
Dr. Watts: I have. And that’s why mitochondria creating lots of oxidative stress. So with that
is so important, right, because it’s just a vital part oxidative stress, your cells can’t function, you’re
of this process. And, for me, it was a journey. using up all your oxygen, you’re not making
First, what I did was I cleared the parasites that energy, it just destroys everything.
we’ve talked about before. That helped my overall
general toxicity come down and my overall energy So that is, really with disease, I think one of the
started to come up. But I still couldn’t work out. worst things that we’re seeing today. There’s
Fukushima. There’s all the different things that
As I went further in clearing other infections we know of in that manner. And there’s exposure
and toxins, my brains starting turning on better, with those. But also, it’s within our soil and our
working better. I could function and have good water. So when we look at, there’s uranium,
brain capacity until ten o’clock at night, where there’s cesium that we see on heavy metal testing,
before it was still four o’clock. And I was burned thorium. And uranium and thorium break down
out. And then other times even earlier, it would to radium. And radium’s about 3,000 times more,
vary day to day also what I was exposed to or I actually radioactive, than uranium is. And then
ate. from there, it can gas off into a molecule called
radon, which people will have in their basements
Up until a year and a half ago, I just couldn’t or in the environment.
workout. Well, the energy generated within my
muscles and stuff was very low. And as I cleared We just don’t realize, because it’s not measured in
out the radioactive elements, radiation and toxins, the heavy metal test, when we started researching

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this, there’s radium melts like in Wisconsin, and to osteoporosis than lead or do you think it’s a
in Illinois. And then you see in Texas, there’s lots combination?
of people exposed to a lot of radium. It’s in the
municipality water. Dr. Watts: It could be a combination. But I think
that radium’s more impactful because radium
So there is the Environmental Working Group that would affect the cells that are trying to rebuild the
did a compilation of a number from the EPA that bones more so, in my opinion, than lead. Where
showed where you’re at and how much radium lead deposits are radium with the radioactive, it’s
was in the water sources there. And so it does like, “Okay, why aren’t they rebuilding the bone?”
naturally occur within the earth’s crust. Then, it’s It’s the osteoblast. So why aren’t the osteoblast
hopefully getting pulled out. And that’s why it’s working? Maybe it’s the radiation. It’s theory.
important to look at the water you’re drinking That’s what we’re working through and learning
because that could be a major exposure of about. But it makes a lot of sense to me now
radiation. because it’s like, why do they just magically have
osteoporosis? Why do they have osteoporosis?
Dr. Davidson: And once you have these
radioactive elements inside, the half-life could be Dr. Davidson: Because they’re not consuming
hundreds, thousands of years. So essentially, they enough calcium.
can just continually be emitting damage to your
DNA until you pull them out. Dr. Watts: Right, exactly, the countries that don’t
consume the calcium, don’t have osteoporosis,
Dr. Watts: Exactly. And what we’ve seen with either. So it’s more something that displacing the
radium is that it’s a bone seeker. So it’s like lead, calcium. There again, we do have a lot of lead in
it goes into the bones. And then what’s in the our water, as well. But what we’re not looking at
bone? Well, you got a bone marrow, our immune is the radium that’s in the water source, too. So it
system. So it can hide the effects and suppress could be a combination. But I really think that the
immune function and/or distort that process. radium would have more of an effect on the cells
What I started seeing is, as we worked with that build the bone and prepare the bone.
people, all of sudden their white blood cell counts
that were low for years and years and years, Dr. Davidson: Is it wrong to assume then if
started coming up again. somebody is struggling with health that probably
their oxygen levels in their body aren’t optimal
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, and then just thinking about and that we just need to focus on improving
the Environmental Working Group, 170 million oxygen?
Americans have radium in the water. And you said
Texas, 80% of Texas. And that’s a huge state. Dr. Watts: I think that’s really important to look
at. So are they very highly energetic or are they
Dr. Watts: That’s a huge state. It’s a huge amount lower energetic? What’s their blood pressure? If
of population. their blood pressure’s low, then probably they’re
low energetic, as well. And then you get people
Dr. Davidson: Just crazy. And then thinking that have this POT Syndrome where they get light
about the rise of osteoporosis. And you said headed, they get dizzy really well, they might black
radium loves bone, loves to compete for calcium. out a little bit. And with that what I found, on helping
Like lead, heavy metal does. So at what point these people, is parasites have played a major role
do you think radium is actually more impactful in that sometimes viruses like Epstein-Barr.

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And then looking at some of the radioactive the mitochondria’s not working at the capacity
developments that are processed there. So there they need to.
are a variety of radioactive developments. We had
mentioned the cesium. There’s radioactive lead. Dr. Davidson: Backtracking to all of the
There’s radioactive iodine. There’s radioactive biochemistry pathways—and I don’t want to call
strontium, the radium, the uranium, the thorium. stress a listener—but backtracking to that, what
I think people that have it in them are more are the takeaways clinically? Are there certain like
sensitive now to other nonionizing radiation. supplements that you look at that can help to
improve the pathway? Or is the main takeaway
So the cellphones, maybe the 5G that’s coming that toxins and infection can hinder that whole
out, all this stuff here, these people are going to process?
be more sensitive and more reactive to it.
Dr. Watts: There are a few nutrients that I would
Dr. Davidson: So if I’m hearing you correctly, a consider and look at. One is, are we transporting
lot of attention has been given to heavy metals the fatty acids from fat breakdown into the cells?
like you said, but I’m hearing that really more So if you’re struggling with adrenal fatigue or a
attention needs to be given to the radioactive thyroid function, and you go to fasting or you
elements. go into a Ketogenic diet, some of these people
swell up, they gain weight, they don’t feel well. So
Dr. Watts: Yes, exactly. And I think when we they’re probably struggling to get that fatty acid
address those issues, you’re going to see that the inside the cell and break it down to create energy.
radioactive elements cause more damage to the So they may need something like an L-carnitine
cells. Because they’re destroying the DNA, they’re product because the carnitine amino acid will
ripping those things apart. Where the other stuff transport that fatty acid into the mitochondria
is toxic, but not necessarily as damaging. They from the cytosol of the cell.
create free radicals, but not ripping things apart.
They’re both important. Arsenic’s not healthy The other thing we look at is is your B vitamins
because it stops the electron transport chain. It are necessary. So with the conversion of pyruvate,
stops the ability to make ATP. and the conversion of Acetyl CoA, and also then
taking Acetyl CoA through that Krebs cycle, there’s
Glyphosates, and pesticides, herbicides also block the B vitamins—B1, B2, B3, B6, B5 more so. B6
that process of that free radical coming across or is more on the fatty acid side. Then you look at
that electron coming across to create ATP, it ends alpha lipoic acid. So there’s lots of complexes out
up creating that free radical that starts to break there that support it.
the cell down, and the body down, and creates
oxidative stress, which then can go into all kinds But, to me, what’s important in the process is we
of problems from that point on because now you get a lot of those in our diet. We eat that stuff or
have low mitochondrial function, which means you should be eating nutrients that have that. You
you’re going to have a higher infection issue. And should be eating well. It’s the process of what’s
then you’re also going to have low energy. inhibiting the functionality of those systems.
What’s causing the problem?
And then you also then you look at all these
cells, all these mitochondria within these organs, So my approach is, to this process, let’s be sure
like your brain needs a lot of mitochondria to we’re draining the body well so we can get the
function, now the function of it is lower because toxins out of the body. Let’s get that toxin load

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down. Let’s then get the right binders in there and process it well. And then just having exposure
the right energy in there to clear it out, so support to or drinking the water or these exposures that
it. I use a lot of bioactive carbon molecules to go you don’t even know of that you’re getting that’s
in and support the processes, and to feed the causing the problem.
mitochondria the right foods, and the nutrients,
and support the amino acids, and the other things Dr. Davidson: So going back to the biotic carbons,
it needs to do enzymatic reactions within that. you were talking about binding toxins and then
also having a like respiration effect on that. Can
And, also, at the same time pulling out those you explain that a little more?
heavy metals, the toxins, the radiation, clearing
the infections out of the body. By clearing the Dr. Watts: So these extracts of fulvics and humics
infections out of the body, that helps to reduce that we have that are the biotic carbon molecules,
the toxic load in the body. So it’s going to be hard these things also have poly-disperse, polyamines,
to get mitochondria function if you have high meaning that high energetic molecules that will
mold in you, or if you have a high amount of help energize them, as well as electrolytes. So
parasites or viruses. So it’s a balancing act. The we call them polyelectrolytes meaning many
first process is drainage and energy. The next electrolytes within that process to help then
process is pulling this stuff out, the toxins and the carbons and hydrogen oxygens that are
everything out that’s in you build up. bioavailable and heal the body.

Dr. Davidson: So you mentioned radiation. So we have parts that would bind and remove and
Radiation, radioactive elements, is that essentially then the other parts will actually get in and repair.
the same thing? And these things are all made up of what? Carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen. Sugars are made up of
Dr. Watts: Same thing for just different types of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fats are made
radiation that we’re exposed to. And the ionizing’s up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, proteins
usually more severe than the non-ionizing. same thing. So they may add some amino acids
on there and change what the proteins look like.
Dr. Davidson: Yeah. Non-ionizing would be But essentially, the building blocks are carbon,
microwaves, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, that thing. hydrogen, and oxygen. And the minerals are
about almost 4% of what we utilize in the body
Dr. Watts: Exactly. and the rest of it’s the organic material.

Dr. Davidson: But the ionizing, you’re saying Dr. Davidson: So giving the body the more
is actually where it breaks DNA bonds, which organic material—the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen—
obviously have a lot more damaging effects. is the building blocks versus maybe just where I’ve
seen many clients where it’s like, “Got to take my
Dr. Watts: And it also affects the membranes of minerals. Got to take my minerals.” But you just
the cells, too, and create a lot of free radicals. So lightly said, “Oh, it’s like less than 4% of our body.”
with that, we’re looking at X-rays and those types
of imaging. You’re looking at the exposure to, let’s Dr. Watts: Yes. And you look at the type of
say if you’re near Fukushima, or that stuff coming minerals. So are they minerals that are plant-
across the ocean, or in the atmosphere, people derived and are they bioavailable? That process
that don’t maybe detox well or they’re already is what’s the charge or valence of those minerals?
having issues and struggling, may not be able to Our body utilizes the one that’s bioavailable

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meaning that there is a specific charge. So say nature of understanding what it is. So it’s
copper that’s needed in the body, that could be bioavailable and our body needs it, it’ll utilize it,
either toxic to us, or it can be very vital for our otherwise, it’ll get rid of it.
brain function and for other parts of the body.
Dr. Davidson: So essentially, if somebody says,
Is it a two plus, three plus, four plus? What is it “Hey, I’m copper toxic. I can’t take this mineral
bound to, as well? So how that comes into the because it’s got copper in it.” If it’s plant-derived,
body and how available it is to be able to be that actually changes everything?
utilized is really important. And that’s why plant-
derived minerals, to me, are the best utilized Dr. Watts: Well, there are people that are copper
because it goes through a process to get to where toxic, but at the same time copper deficient. So
it’s now bioavailable to us humans, compared to that means that they don’t have the right type of
just eating minerals from an inorganic source. copper in their nutrients or their diet that they’re
able to utilize.
Dr. Davidson: So you mentioned copper. So I’m
thinking immediately copper pipes in a house. The Dr. Davidson: And does a plant-derived copper
water’s coming through it. It probably has copper have the ability to kick out the copper that’s not
leaching. That copper, not plant-derived. able to be utilized in the body?

Dr. Watts: Correct. Another one that I commonly Dr. Watts: Yes, but with the fulvic molecule, it’ll be
see with females in my clinic is the IUDs that are able to bind and clear that copper out that’s toxic
copper IUDs. And I had a gal I worked with, I said, to the body and then replace it with the right type
“Look, you know, you’re having some of these of copper.
neurological issues that are occurring with your
eyes, and brain, and things, you need to get that Dr. Davidson: That right there is just mind
removed.” So we joked about it. And after about blowing because, “Oh, Doc, I have excess of this
two years, she finally removed it. And within a mineral or this mineral so I can’t take it at all.”
week, her eye issues that were going back and But you’re saying that if you’re excess, you could
forth at night and some other neurological issues actually still be deficient so you actually, you still
completely went away. need a broad spectrum of plant-derived because
the plant-derived will essentially help to balance
Dr. Davidson: Wow! things in the body.

Dr. Watts: So those things aren’t necessarily safe Dr. Watts: Correct.
for everybody, especially if people cannot process
them and move them out of the body. Dr. Davidson: Okay. That makes it a lot simpler
than how do I customize my minerals and keep
Dr. Davidson: So talking about copper in the testing if I’m under or over a certain mineral.
pipes, clearly you can become toxic of a mineral
that your body can’t digest. But if it’s a plant- Dr. Watts: Well, it changes quite a bit with that
derived, like if it’s a copper from fulvic acid, can process so to be able to check it at a specific
you actually become toxic of a plant-derived time, and know where we’re at, and how things
mineral? are moving. Part of the process that utilizes the
minerals, that just depletes them, is the fact that
Dr. Watts: I don’t think so because it has innate we have toxins or other things that our bodies are

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having to use to just clear them out. too early because that could cause issues.” Where
do you see the implementation of giving attention
So with oxygen, with other nutrients, are we just to the mitochondria?
having to burn through them so much because
of the fact that we’re toxic? Well, maybe we need Dr. Watts: I really like that question because in
to focus on the toxins, or the infections, and the whole process, we have to help them, first of
the body’s ability to drain, and clean, and make all, to drain and clear toxins out. And the organs
energy, then naturally they’re going to have a that do that need to create energy. If they’re not
sufficient amount of nutrients. creating energy, say the liver, and the liver has
maybe 1,000 or 2,000 mitochondria per cell, and it
Dr. Davidson: So clinically then, as an actionable is suppressed and not functioning well, then how
thing for the listener, are you primarily then going well is the liver going to work? How well are your
after infections and toxins and not even worrying kidneys going to work?
about the mitochondria? Or it would be the
mitochondria needs some type of support? And if So I think that the energy production at the
so, like what do you do? beginning with the right kind of thing is going
to actually support those organs to help drain
Dr. Watts: So I use an extract from mitochondria. and clear the toxins in the body. And then we
One that our company made. And that can go after detoxification. So I utilize that at the
mitochondrial product is composed of multiple beginning processes.
extracts of fulvics, and humics, and other parts
that have come into it to support the whole Dr. Davidson: So mitochondria support and
process of Krebs cycle. Also, some of the other drainage is early on?
parts of that system that goes on within the
mitochondria at the same time, it helps to clear Dr. Watts: Yes, that’s the key part. Why? Because
out some of the toxins within that. So it’s that if you get the drainage going, you eliminate the
whole clear it and support process that we do toxin load in your body. So you make sure the
within that product that makes it amazing. colon’s moving. You support the kidney, the
kidneys, the liver, the lymphatics. You get that
And we’ll have people go slow because some whole process moving, now we can empty out
people, if they’re more toxic with radioactive stuff. If you start to bind and clear things when
elements, tend to be more sensitive to that you don’t even have drainage, it’ll just recirculate.
product. So we go slow. And we slowly remove And not only that, but we’ve got to energize those
things. And then all of sudden, now their energy organs that need it.
starts to come up. And they come up. And they
get better and better over time. But some people Dr. Davidson: And then you mentioned you can
want to hit it right away with a ton, “You know, it’s push mitochondria, though, too fast too hard right
taking everything. “I’ll just take a bunch of it.” And away, potentially?
as we know, that’s not always the best way to do
it because now, all of a sudden, now they’re really Dr. Watts: You can. And that’s what their concern
tired when it’s supposed to make them highly is. You just have to understand that you want to
energetic. go at a level that you’re not having these severe
reactions. So if you feel like, “I’m getting severe
Dr. Davidson: I’ve heard some practitioners say, headaches. I’m super tired, fatigued,” maybe
“Well, you don’t want to support the mitochondria you’re just going too fast, and you need to slow

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down, and allow drainage to happen more so. a great performance thing and anti-aging. If
you’re breaking down your cells quickly, then
Dr. Davidson: So it’s customizing it based on you’re aging faster. So our goal is to sustain the
you individually. If you’re doing pretty well health mitochondria as best we can so that you slow
wise and you’re just looking to take it to the next down aging in that way. The other thing that
level, you might be able to push it harder than you’re looking at on the support the phases of
somebody that’s maybe been struggling for 20 dealing with infections or pathogens is because
years with a chronic illness? it’s part of the cell signaling process.

Dr. Watts: Exactly. I’ve had people that I’ve said, How are you ever going to get on top of dealing
“Okay, you’re doing one drop.” Me, I’m doing two with these infections if you’re not getting your
dropperfuls because it turns my brain on. And mitochondria functioning that signals your
now I have this brain that works so much better immune system to fight them?
all the way throughout the day and until ten
o’clock at night, my brain’s still functioning. I’m Dr. Davidson: In class, because I’ve got a biology
not wanting to go to sleep and just can’t function degree, I was always taught mitochondria, they
anymore because my brain’s so tired. It’s just make ATP. Now, you’re saying that there’s an
amazing the difference it’s made in me, as well as immune system component. Dive into that for
my workouts. me.

And I know you’re going to be talking to some Dr. Watts: So it also helps the cells utilize oxygen
other doctors about this product and some of and it also is part of the responsibility in signaling
these things about how well it’s affected their our immune system to fight infection. So it’s part
performance in Spartan races and other people of also the process of apoptosis, which is telling
in training for marathons, but I’ll let them talk our cells, “Like hey, you need to…You’re mutated.
about that. But it’s amazing how it is phenomenal You need to die.”
in recovery, phenomenal with oxidative stress.
Because if you’re not binding, that’s why we bring Dr. Davidson: Which would be important then in
the oxygen in, we have our oxygen product that the cancer side of it.
we bring in to bind our free radical to then take
through the process, you have to have oxygen. Dr. Watts: And the cancer side of it, right. These
chemicals and toxins we’re exposed to create a lot
Dr. Davidson: So to summarize then, oxygen’s of this mutation of cells that can drive problems.
needed throughout the process? And that’s where those studies…You’ve seen these
lawsuits on glyphosate and cancer recently. That’s
Dr. Watts: Yes. what the molecules do when it’s destroying the
mitochondria, then they’re not signaling properly
Dr. Davidson: Mitochondria support though, I’m to kill off the mutated cells that then are just then
hearing it’s awesome right away. You just might taking over.
have to be careful on not trying to push it too
hard, depending on your state. It’s important So that’s why the mitochondria is so important to
during killing of pathogens. Really during the heat address and have healthy because then we’re able
of detoxification. But I’m also feeling that it’s also to do apoptosis. We’re able to say, “Hey, immune
a good maintenance thing. system, we’re signaling. There’re these guys here.
Dr. Watts: It’s a great maintenance thing. It’s Go get rid of them. Now, we can focus on energy.”

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So sometimes we’re so focused on that, these these mitochondrial disorders that now we’re
people that have chronic illness, so focused on seeing all these new diseases. And we’re seeing
dealing with immune system function, that they’re a lot of the diseases that were very rare become
not able to create energy. more common.

So they have no energy. So if we can support Dr. Davidson: And then more toxins than ever
them, now they can really go after the infections because you’re known as the parasite guy.
because their body’s immune system is
functioning properly the way it’s supposed to and Dr. Watts: Yes.
being signaled to do it. And it’s creating energy
due to all these enzymatic reactions to be able to Dr. Davidson: More toxins than ever also creates
function the way it needs to. an environment to let parasites thrive in the body,
essentially, too.
Dr. Davidson: Is that the reason in the chronic
illness world with chronic infection that we see Dr. Watts: Yeah, all infections. That’s where we
fatigue being one of the most common symptoms see with SIBO, right, or SIFO, so small intestinal
is that the mitochondria, instead of making bacterial or fungal overgrowth, we’re always trying
energy, they’re just trying to signal immune to kill it off with antibiotics, “Bam, bam, bam,”
system, “Hey, fight this infection?’ where really the problem isn’t the fact that those
bacteria are imbalanced there. It’s usually an
Dr. Watts: I believe so. And I think that’s a part issue with toxicity that we have these chemicals
of it. And I think the other part is that there’s that are killing the good bacteria. So they have an
an overload of toxins and radiation, radioactive overgrowth of bad bacteria where we don’t have
developments that overwhelm our cells and the flow of the bile coming out with congestive
create all these free radicals that then we’re livers that aren’t properly creating the right
having just to use all these other things to clear microbiome that we need.
that out, too. So it’s a combination of, not just
infection, but toxins. Dr. Davidson: That’s such a different approach
because, in the pharmaceutical side, it’s, “Yeah,
Dr. Davidson: So instead of maybe somebody here’s an antibiotic to bug bomb to try to kill off
getting a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, the SIBO or the SIFO.” In the functional medicine
it should be chronic infection, chronic toxicity world, well, it looks at herbs that have that same
overload, and deficiency of mitochondria effect. But you’re saying also toxicity load has a
syndrome? massive impact on that.

Dr. Watts: Yes. And what’s interesting, I’ve been Dr. Watts: Well, let’s look at what’s creating the
reading and researching stuff. And the research in problem in the first place. There’s a reason why
mitochondrial function and disorders are the big it’s there. Okay. It’s not just magically happening
cause of a lot of the disease today. And this is a that we just now have an overgrowth of bacteria
big area that that research is going into of why is or fungus there. It’s actually playing a role or is
this happening? being destroyed by something. And that’s what we
have to go look at and then clear out. And I found
The comment one of the doctors made was the most success of dealing with these cases that, as
fact that today, we have so many more chemicals we cleared the toxins out, the balance came back
that we are exposed to that we’re creating all in nature by itself.

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It’s like the research they did on probiotics versus Dr. Watts: A lot of people call it maintenance or
fermented foods versus doing nothing. One of preventative. I like to optimize my life. So as I am
the research articles took, and they said, “Okay, approaching here this, in a couple of weeks, 51
here’s a round of antibiotics. How quickly did that years old, I want to live my life to the fullest. I have
person recover, the microbiome recover?” And in young kids. My youngest is five years old. What
two months, it recovered doing nothing. Within do I need to do? I need to keep young for a long
half that time, it recovered by eating fermented period of time and have energy and vitality.
food. And then within three times the amount or
six months, they recovered from taking probiotics. So that’s where working out, eating properly,
and then taking products that are going to keep
Dr. Davidson: So the probiotic was actually my mitochondria super healthy. I’m going to
slower. rotate and make sure I take binders that will clear
out things that I’m exposed to on a daily basis.
Dr. Watts: It was slower because of the fact that I’m going to do things that are going to rotate
now we’re trying to give just a hyperfocused type through, and always support liver and kidney
of probiotics instead of realizing like, “Maybe function, and make sure I have optimal drainage
we should do more in a natural way in foods, in through the liver.
fermented foods.” And we can’t outguess nature
of what specific probiotics we need. And so that’s The liver’s vital for hormone, it’s vital for
why I don’t really do very much of that stuff. It’s enzymatic reactions, and vital for so many parts
more of how can we get that naturally? And then of detoxification. That is a key thing that I like to
how can we remove what’s creating the problem focus on quite a bit.
in the first place?
Dr. Davidson: Where does infection fit in? Or like,
Dr. Davidson: So for the listener, because this after you clear parasites out, and infection, and
has been awesome information, what do you see detox, where does infection fit into the—and I
as actionable items? “Okay, I just listened to Dr. love the word optimize, by the way—where does it
Todd Watts. I’m on his wavelength. But now, what fit into the optimize word?
do I do?” Is it supporting drainage and starting to
support mitochondria first? That’s the go-to? Dr. Watts: So I’m always, every couple of months,
rotating and taking a product that helps to
Dr. Watts: That’s the go-to. And then from there, support digestive system, but also, supports
you really make sure the bowels are moving. clearing out parasites, or bacteria, and things. A
You’re clearing the toxins out of the bowels. And lot of the great things about the natural herbs
you’re clearing parasites. So that’s the second is they’re great for the stomach juices. They’re
phase I go into is really going in more gut, parasite great for the liver. But they’re a bitter or they’re
realm. And then the third phase is when I go in a spice that helps to push these organisms out.
after further infections and toxins. You don’t have to go harsh. You don’t have to use
harsh things to push them out, or to maintain, or
Dr. Davidson: Let’s say I support drainage, I optimize.
support mitochondria, I clear parasites out, I
detox, what does wellness look like or how do So I think it’s really good to always come in each
I prevent myself from ever going back to this year and do a parasite protocol or every six
horrible state I might have been in? months and do a parasite protocol and clear
things out. You don’t have to use harsh things

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once you’ve gotten on top of it. So, for me, I used What?” You age well, my friend. You age well. So
a year where I pounded parasites, personally as we wrap this interview up, any final words of
myself, to clear these things out. And now I just wisdom for the listener?
rotate through different products to help me. I
think it’s not only beneficial for clearing them out, Dr. Watts: It just is living and dreaming what that
but it also has other health benefits to it, too. life needs to be. I want to live a maxed-out life.
And I want to live this charged life. And how do I
Dr. Davidson: So as you continue your journey do that for a long period of time? How do I have a
in optimize and getting deeper in the body, you high-quality life when I’m in my 60s, and 70s, and
could bring out a deep infection that you need 80s? So that’s being actively approaching exercise,
some help with, but then also just daily exposure diet, make sure I eat good. Make sure I’m taking
that the periodic parasite cleansing can just keep these products that will help optimize my body.
that down so that it never gets out of control
where then you get in a predicament where you I also want to make sure I’m optimizing my
originally were? mindset, and how I think, and the people that
I’m around. Optimizing my spirituality, how God
Dr. Watts: And that’s what I liked about affects my life, how it’s a part of my daily life
addressing the parasites affects the immune with myself, with my family, with my kids. How
system because within the immune system we see my relationships are because relationships can
parasites upregulating TH2, which are T-helper 2 actually destroy your health. And so making sure
cells, which is part of our immune system. Now, that I nourish those relationships that are in my
if you go up, it secretes these proteins that then life with my spouse, my wife, my children, with my
bind on to macrophages over here on TH1. And broad family.
when it does that, it suppresses our immune
system to fight viruses and bacteria. At the same As you can see, I have seven siblings, my parents.
time, it turns on viral replication. So if you had There’s like 39 grandkids my parents have. I’m
Epstein-Barr or if you had other viruses in the very blessed with an amazing family and friends
past, it can activate them and within that process, like yourself. I just choose to be around people
then start to try and treat these guys. that can really bring me up and lift me up. And
that’s important. Almost as important as what
But what you need to do is clear parasites. And you’re doing inside and taking into your body.
as I cleared the parasite load, now I never get sick
over here. I don’t get the colds. I don’t get the flus Dr. Davidson: Words of wisdom. Words of
in the wintertime, where before, I used to catch it wisdom. Well, in order to reach out, if you
all. I’d be the guy that, “Oh, yeah, somebody’s sick, want to reach out to Dr. Todd Watts’ clinic, it’s
oh, man.” I would get it. And it would be twice as TotalBodyWellnessClinic.com. He’s the clinic
long as everybody else because I had weakened director there and has a couple of amazing
TH1 immune system on this side. So as I cleared practitioners that coach one-on-one. And he
toxins, as I brought that parasite load down, and oversees all the cases.
I brought my immune system up, functioning
better, I’m just a healthier person overall, by far. Also, the supplement company he was referencing
And I can sustain not getting sick. is MicrobeFormulas.com. I hope you enjoyed
this interview. Dr. Watts, thank you so much for
Dr. Davidson: Yeah, I’m sure the listeners are still dropping your knowledge today. It’s just awesome
thinking, “Wait a minute, he’s 50, 51 years old. how you can connect complex biochemistry things

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and still have actionable items for us.

Dr. Watts: Well, a pleasure to be here.

Dr. Davidson: Awesome! Well, hope you enjoyed

the interview. And we’ll see you on the next one.
Maximum blessings.

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