Ep. #863: Dan Gubler on the Power of Phytonutrients

If you listen to this podcast, you probably have some idea what macronutrients are, as well as micronutrients, like vitamin C or B12. What you may not know is plant foods contain even smaller organic compounds called phytonutrients. What are phytonutrients and why do they matter? Can you still thrive without eating them? What are the benefits of including more of them in your diet and which ones should you focus on? In this podcast interview, Dr. Dan Gubler answers those questions and a lot more. He gives a primer on phytonutrients, explains why you should care about them, and gives practical tips for incorporating more of the most important ones into your diet. If you’re not familiar with Dan, he’s a phytonutrient chemist and researcher whose work has been recognized with the DSA Visionary Award, the Schering-Plough Science and Innovation Award, the American Cancer Society Fellowship, the Eli Lilly Fellowship, and the Best Educator Award from Brigham Young University–Hawaii. He’s also the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Brilliant, a supplement company that focuses on formulating products with bioactive plant compounds that can proactively help human health. In this interview, we discuss . . . What phytonutrients are and how they benefit our health Supplementation of phytonutrients versus getting them from food The relevance of phytonutrients to carnivore diet followers and plant-avoiders His favorite phytonutrient-rich foods The importance of standardization in supplements And more . . . So, if you want to learn what the research says about phytonutrients and what role these plant molecules play in our health, listen to this podcast! Timestamps: 0:00 - New Pulse flavor Blood Orange is out now! Try Pulse risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/pulse and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 4:58 - What is a phytonutrient? 5:17 - How much does supplementation matter 10:06 - Cannabinoids 10:40 - Phytonutrients in food versus supplements 11:43 - Benzoxazinoids 15:25 - What benefits are clearly supported by the research and what is speculative? 18:59 - What does this mean for followers of the carnivore diet? 22:25 - Why you can't just supplement instead of eating fruits and vegetables 25:50 - Favorite phytonutrient-rich foods 29:46 - What is the proper dose of saffron? 30:43 - What phytonutrients are worth supplementing? 33:13 - The importance of standardization 37:40 - Rhodiola 38:36 - The future of phytonutrients 40:16 - How would you apply the 80/20 principle to phytonutrient intake? 44:13 - How to get foods that have sufficient nutrition 48:04 - What are the phytonutrient building blocks of a nutritious diet? 50:53 - Chloraphyl supplements 56:49 - Spices 59:20 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the Show: New Pulse flavor Blood Orange is out now! Try Pulse risk-free today! Go to https://buylegion.com/pulse and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points! Dan Gubler’s Website: https://feelbrilliant.com/ Dr. Dan’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discover-with-dr-dan-proactive-health/id1547289874 Dr. Dan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdangubler/?hl=en Dr. Dan’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdangubler