Leo: Direct Experience Isn't Enough For Health Optimization

[Twega]

In many of Leo's videos, he refers to the body as a "bio-machine." He also refers to the body-mind as a complex supercomputer which no one gave you an instruction manual to operate. He speaks of "jailbreaking" the mind, how heavy metals can affect your consciousness even if they are completely imaginary. I agree with all of this. The body is literally a bio-machine, and to optimize it, direct experience alone is insufficient to reach this goal. Unfortunately, Leo has made the mistake of applying the one criterion necessary for spirituality (direct experience) to the domain of health and nutrition.

Think about it: can you deeply understand a computer without reading and learning many fields of knowledge (programming, engineering, etc.). I would say no way. The same goes for health; you cannot simply rely on your direct experience; you need data, you need science. You can definitely be healthy without knowing the science of nutrition/biology, as many people in history were before science was even a thing. However, if you seek to understand the body and optimize it as efficiently and perfectly as possible, you need data, science, studies, books, research, and direct experience.

Leo has made many claims that are quite frankly ridiculous such as:  "There is no proof green tea is safe. Again, these are mostly myths and dogmas people blindly believe."

To which I replied: "No, Leo, these are not simply myths. Green tea has literally been used on cancer patients, and it has shown in both in vitro studies and human clinical trials to:-

1. interfere with each of the stages of cancer formation: the initiation of the first cancer cell, promotion into a tumor, and then subsequent progression and spread
2. Genoprotective effects
3. Boost the DNA-repair enzyme in our body called OGG1 after consumption. (In fact, tea is so DNA-protective it can be used for sperm storage for fresh samples until they can be properly refrigerated.)
4. It can cause cancer cells to commit suicide—apoptosis (programmed cell death)—while leaving normal cells alone.
5. Reduce the risk of getting oral cancer.
6. It can also increase the antioxidant power of our saliva and decrease the DNA damage within the inner cheek cells of smokers.
7. Our good gut bacteria ferment tea compounds into compounds like 3,4DHPA, which appears to wipe out colon cancer cells, while leaving normal colon cells relatively intact in vitro.

• Does tea prevent cancer? Evidence from laboratory and human intervention studies
• Epidemiological evidence linking tea consumption to human health: a review
• Effects of single-dose and regular intake of green tea (Camellia sinensis) on DNA damage, DNA repair, and heme oxygenase-1 expression in a randomized controlled human supplementation study
• Preventive effects of drinking green tea on cancer and cardiovascular disease: epidemiological evidence for multiple targeting prevention.

If thousands of years of historical use, thousands of research studies (meta-analysis, clinical trials, cohort, etc.), as well many people's own personal and direct experience of regularly drinking tea and deriving benefits with no documented evidence of risk and NO RISK OF fluorosis (because green tea naturally contains fluoride), is not enough to convince you that drinking tea even if it has fluoride is healthy and safe and will not give you cancer.... Then, I mean no offense, but you are too ignorant on the subject of health and nutrition to give an opinion one way or another." -End of Reply.

 When presented with evidence to the contrary, Leo will reply, and I quote: "I would not trust any sources on this matter." or "Nobody knows what is safe for the body. There is no such evidence. Hence caution is required." However, Leo is very keen on stating the safety profile for psychedelics (physical safety). Very biased, in my opinion.

This is what happens when you rely on " your direct experience," it simply does not cut it, and you will be so confused you'll start to think green tea, and fluoride toothpaste is carcinogenic but a carnivore diet is not. Unfortunately, Leo's fixation on heavy metals because of his "direct experience" with heavy metal poisoning has also made him and many others on the forum obsessed with heavy metal detox and constantly discussing heavy metals while ignoring the plethora of other, more common, and more detrimental chemicals (such as Persistent organic pollutants, trans fat, polycyclic aromatic-hydrocarbons, and bovine hormones, microplastics) that many of you consume without even batting an eye. As well as many harmful chemicals produced in the body naturally, such as reactive oxygen species, ammonia, beta-amyloid, gut dysbiosis. The body is a system and to play a symphony you need more than one instrument. For example, fats can dramatically increase the damage done by heavy metals, yet no one speaks of this; it is all so very reductionistic.

This is very counterproductive to our health goals.

This is not an attack on Leo. This is constructive criticism. I wish Leo and all of you good health.

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Twega

[Leo Gura]

@Twega When have I ever said that direct experience alone is enough?

Direct experience is king. But it is not enough by itself.

Use more nuance.

Again, I have always been a user of and supporter of science and multiple sources of knowledge.

Have you seen how many books I've read? How many sources I've cited?