A Higher Communication

At the dawn of time and deep within the earth’s crust, life was born from rocks, water, and CO2 (carbon dioxide). The ancient enzyme acetyl CoA, the primary building block of life, was reacting with inorganic compounds like CO (carbon monoxide) and H2 (hydrogen) one billion years before O2 (oxygen) appeared on earth.

From the very beginning, life saved and spent currency in the form of high-energy phosphate bonds found in phosphate-containing carbon compounds. Acetogens, the very first living organisms, used four molecules of H2 and two molecules of CO2, to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and acetate as the main end-products of their metabolism.

Acetogens continue to utilize the acetyl CoA pathway, the only biochemical pathway that generates ATP, the source of energy for all living cells. Among the most important bacterial species in the human gut, acetogens produce several short-chain fatty acids essential for health. Acetic acid we know as vinegar, and it is no coincidence that children and adults alike generally love the taste of pickles, yogurt, and sauerkraut, which are fermented by ancient acetogenic bacteria.

For eons life proceeded in complete darkness. As epochs passed, ocean surface ecosystems began using the blue-green pigment chlorophyll to harness light energy. In the fullness of time, a free-living acetogen entered an algae cell and together they turned toward the warmth of the sun. The prokaryote and eukaryote synchronized reproduction, dividing again and again until they were one.

Some algae remained as single-celled organisms, while others grew large to become kelp and seaweed. Over a billion years later, the bacterium lives on unchanged as the chloroplast inside all green plants. And so the sun became the primary source of energy for nearly all life on earth.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and certain types of ocean-dwelling bacteria use light energy from the sun to drive the synthesis of carbohydrates, while releasing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The photosynthetic process provides the energy and low carbon levels required for the survival of virtually all life on our planet, as well as the oxygen necessary for the growth and survival of oxygen-consuming creatures. Approximately half a million different species of plants contribute to this effort, all of which takes place in the tiny organelles we call chloroplasts.

Ultraviolet light from the sun converts oxygen to ozone in the upper atmosphere, providing a protective layer beneath which life has flourished. The benefits of oxygenation came at a price however, because oxygen produces several molecules, called free radicals (usually referred to as reactive oxygen species, or ROS), that are toxic to living cells. A protective mechanism against damaging oxygen radicals was essential from the beginning, and therefore built into the photosynthetic process itself.

Like all eukaryotes that would follow, algae and early plants packed their cell walls with antioxidant, anti-UV, and anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Acetyl CoA, working inside the ancient mitochondria of human cells, still creates the energy and fundamental molecules we need to live.

Oxygen-containing atoms and molecules carry varying numbers of electrons in their orbit. Some of these molecules, like O2, are relatively stable, whereas others such as OH (hydroxy radical) are highly reactive, meaning they easily accept or donate electrons, causing super-energetic movements at the atomic level. In the body this can result in cellular and tissue damage, known as oxidative stress.

Lipids are naturally occurring compounds that are soluble in organic solvents such as turpentine and petroleum, and insoluble or partially soluble in water. Lipids include waxes, phospholipids, triglycerides, steroid hormones, and fat-soluble vitamins, all of which play essential structural and functional roles in plant and animal health. Many lipids are composed of fatty acids, which can be fully saturated (having no double bonds in the molecule), or they can be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated with one or more double bonds. Plants produce the majority of fatty acids in the world, more than 300 varieties, including high quality lubricants like castor oil, and lauric acid used in soaps and shampoos.

In mammalian tissues saturated fatty acids and most monounsaturated fatty acids can be made from non-fat precursors like glucose and amino acids. Unsaturated fatty acids are further classified into 3 groups depending on their chemical structure. Omega-3, omega-6, or omega-9 means that the first double bond is located 3, 6, or 9 carbon atoms away from the methyl end of the molecule. Mammals cannot insert double bonds between the methyl group (CH3) and carbon number 9 in oleic acid (omega-9), so we cannot convert oleic acid into linoleic acid (omega-6). The enzyme that performs this reaction is found only in plants. Likewise, mammals cannot convert linoleic acid into α-linolenic acid (omega-3), as the enzyme that performs this reaction is again found only in plants.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids perform many vital functions in the human body, and because we cannot produce them within, they are called essential fatty acids. Plant tissues and seed oils are the rich sources of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and humans must obtain these from food. The great diversity in plant oils has resulted from lipids acting as signaling molecules to control the immense range of plant physiology.

Photons from the sun, bound to the protein chlorophyll, created the basic blueprint for more complex cellular signaling using hormones and hormone receptors.

Hormones are signaling molecules secreted into the bloodstream to act on distant tissues and regulate physiological functions. Hormones are very ancient and even unicellular organisms, such as the bread yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, secrete mating factors that act on receptors of other yeast cells to trigger reproduction between two cells.

A nuclear receptor is a lock-like structure located inside the cell, which binds with a ‘key’ or ligand that has diffused through the cell membrane from the outside. After binding, the ligand/receptor complex changes shape and moves to the nucleus of the cell to regulate gene transcription.

Signals from one cell to neighboring cells, called paracrine factors, trigger cellular responses that use the same molecular pathways as hormonal signals. Paracrine factors and hormones can share signaling machinery, so that hormones can in some cases also act as paracrine factors. Testosterone, for example, is secreted into the bloodstream, but can also act locally. Target cells respond the same, whether the signal is coming from the bloodstream or the cell next door. Cells can even secrete their own hormone-like molecules, called autocrine factors, which then bind to the same cell to trigger cellular events.

One ancient hormone is in charge of the human stress response system, our reproductive system, and controlling the development and spread of cancer. The 1997 discovery of this hormone/receptor complex sent shockwaves through the medical-pharmaceutical industry due to the massive implications it held for natural health and wellness.

Alas, the public never heard a word about it.

On August 15th, 2026 we are going to dive deeply into how to create optimum health by balancing our own natural hormones at any age!

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