Dr Wolfgang Walter MD MRCGP (1999)

We usually learn vitamins as a list, but biology doesn’t use lists. It uses systems. If you look at this chart the right way, it isn’t a collection of nutrients. It is a map of the reactions that keep you alive. 1️⃣ Vitamins are the switches that turn metabolic pathways on They activate enzymes for energy production, neurotransmitter synthesis, DNA repair and more. 💡 B12 and folate operate as a paired circuit for methylation and brain function. 2️⃣ Minerals are the structural pieces that let enzymes work They stabilize reactions, transfer electrons and keep ATP chemistry moving. 💡 Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions, from ATP generation to muscle relaxation. 3️⃣ Antioxidants are the internal defense network They absorb oxidative stress, regenerate one another and protect membranes and mitochondria. 💡 Vitamin C, vitamin E and CoQ10 form a regenerative loop, not three separate tools. 4️⃣ These nutrients are interconnected, not isolated A gap in one slows multiple systems downstream. 💡 Selenium enables glutathione, B2 activates folate, copper balances iron handling. 5️⃣ Food organizes these nutrients into biologically meaningful combinations Whole foods deliver co-factors that evolved to work together. 💡 Eggs supply choline, B12, selenium and lutein, a combination no single pill can replicate.

Master metabolism with 9 steps/arrows Here’s my shortcut to remembering it in just 9️⃣ arrows: 1️⃣ Glu → Fru → Pyr (Glucose → Fructose → Pyruvate) This is glycolysis — the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate for quick energy. 💡 Example: Eat bread, glucose enters your cells, and is converted to pyruvate to start producing ATP. 2️⃣ Pyr → ACoA → TCA (Pyruvate → Acetyl-CoA → TCA Cycle) When oxygen’s available, pyruvate becomes Acetyl-CoA and runs through the TCA (Krebs) cycle for sustained energy. 💡 Example: A post-lunch walk taps into this aerobic pathway. 3️⃣ TCA → NADH → ETC → ATP (TCA products → NADH → Electron Transport Chain → ATP) The TCA cycle generates NADH, which powers the electron transport chain to make ATP — your cellular energy currency. 💡 Example: Your brain uses that ATP to keep you sharp while studying. 4️⃣ G6P ↔ PPP → NADPH + Ribose (Glucose-6-Phosphate → Pentose Phosphate Pathway → NADPH + Ribose) This detour from glucose creates NADPH (for antioxidant defense) and ribose (for DNA/RNA synthesis). 💡 Example: Immune cells use NADPH to neutralize pathogens. 5️⃣ Pyr → Lac (Pyruvate → Lactate) In low-oxygen conditions, pyruvate shifts to lactate. 6️⃣ Pyr → OAA → Gluconeogenesis (Pyruvate → Oxaloacetate → Glucose) During fasting, pyruvate is turned into oxaloacetate, then glucose, to maintain blood sugar. 💡 Example: After 10+ hours without food, your liver makes glucose for your brain. 7️⃣ ACoA → FAs → TAGs (Acetyl-CoA → Fatty Acids → Triglycerides) Excess energy is stored as fat. 💡 Example: Too many sweets? Your body parks the surplus as belly fat. 8️⃣ FAs → β-ox → ACoA → TCA (Fatty Acids → Beta-Oxidation → Acetyl-CoA → TCA) When carbs run low, fat becomes your fuel. 💡 Example: After 14 hours of intermittent fasting, fat breakdown kicks in. 9️⃣ AAs → Pyr / ACoA / TCA (Amino Acids → Pyruvate or Acetyl-CoA or TCA) Amino acids can feed into different energy pathways, depending on type. 💡 Example: In prolonged starvation, muscle protein is converted into energy intermediates.