Meet Jim Pfeiffer — owner of Turtle Run Winery, former elite triathlete, and a health pioneer who was warning about seed oils and glyphosate long before it was popular. In this episode, Jim shares why he connected seed oils to the diabetes epidemic back in 2004, the shocking truth about heart disease before 1850, and how modern toxins like glyphosate sneak past your brain’s defenses.
Here’s what Jim reveals in this episode:
- Why he connected seed oils to the diabetes epidemic in 2004 (when everyone thought he was “nuttier than a fruitcake”)
- The shocking historical fact: heart disease was virtually non-existent before 1850
- How glyphosate chelates aluminum and sneaks it past your blood-brain barrier
- Why sunscreen SPF went from 4-10 to 100+ (hint: the sun didn’t change)
- How a career-ending injury led to national triathlon ranking
- The Zone Diet principles that fueled his athletic success
- Why he still swims 5,000 yards at age 50+
- How taste bud count (500-12,000 range) determines your wine preferences AND career path
- Why wine competitions are scientifically flawed (he proved it with the same wine getting both gold and bronze)
- The “Ganzfeld Effect” that destroys your palate after 20 minutes
- How he makes sweet wines with arrested fermentation (no added sugar, no hangovers)
You’ll also learn how your taste bud count can predict your wine preferences, how wine competitions are scientifically flawed, and why Jim’s wines don’t give you hangovers. His natural wines are made using traditional methods with zero artificial additives — and they ship to over 40 states.
Use code POI20 at turtlerunwinery.com for 20% off.
Watch The Podcast
Listen to The Podcast
Also available on
Guest Biography
Jim Pfeiffer
(Owner and Winemaker of Turtle Run Winery)
Jim and his wife started planting vines in 1998 with Chambourcin and Vignoles on their 88-acre farm. They use no herbicides used except for natural ones on occasion and no pesticides sprayed either.
He hypothesized, and then tested from 2009 through 2012 with an independent lab, “sequential fermentation” which proved that the very last sugar in solution that yeast will ferment is fructose.
He has an extensive background in nutrition and health initiated through cycling and an adverse reaction to azithromycin. He is on a continual study on health from the early 1990’s to today. As a firm believer that if we want to reduce and eliminate autoimmune diseases, we need to start in the early stages of life by severely reducing or eliminating vaccines and the aluminum and heavy metals within them, being extra careful on the amount of antibiotics used, eliminating seed oils and the weed killer glyphosate from baby formula, reducing electromagnetic frequency occurrences for our mothers and youth. And if making baby formula use waters that have plenty of dissolved silica, such as Fiji Water to negate the effects of glyphosate carrying metals from vaccines and other sources past the blood brain barrier.
Show Notes from this episode
00:00 – 01:41 Introduction and Welcome
- Host introduction and episode overview
- Discussion of topics: health span, longevity, and winemaking
01:41 – 02:51 Guest Background – Jim Pfeiffer
- Owner, winemaker, and grape grower at Turtle Run Winery in Corydon, Indiana
- Background in viticulture and winemaking from college
- Philosophy of exploring unexplored wine regions with good potential
02:51 – 04:14 Athletic Background Introduction
- Jim’s background in science through athletic endeavors
- Philosophy of minimalist approach to chemicals in body and winemaking
- Transition from athletics to wine industry
04:14 – 08:15 Athletic Career Details
- Originally a cross country runner at Miami University
- Plantar fascia injury led to cycling, then swimming
- Became nationally ranked triathlete in Olympic and sprint distances
- Currently high school swim coach at Providence High School
- Still actively swimming
08:15 – 09:33 Health Philosophy Development
- Early adoption of Zone Diet (balancing carbs, proteins, fats)
- Concerns about low-carb diets and cortisol levels
- Long-term commitment to balanced nutrition
09:33 – 13:20 Seed Oils and Health Concerns
- 20-year investigation into seed oils as health problem vectors
- Connection between seed oils and type 2 diabetes rise
- Historical analysis: heart disease virtually non-existent before 1850
- Cotton seed oil introduction as potential trigger
- Originally used as industrial lubricants before food applications
13:20 – 15:06 Multiple Environmental Health Factors
- Glyphosate and GMO concerns
- Gut bacteria disruption
- Autoimmune disease connections
- Multiple simultaneous exposures: microplastics, seed oils, glyphosate
15:06 – 16:38 Historical Health Perspective
- Pre-1900 chronic disease rates much lower
- Life expectancy concerns despite high healthcare spending
- Sunscreen SPF example: SPF 4-10 in the past vs. 100-120 now
- Question: “Did the sun change or did our bodies change?”
16:38 – 20:32 Skin Health and Sun Exposure
- Seed oils’ impact on skin efficiency
- Personal experience with full sun exposure without burning
- Sponsor break for stem cell supplement
20:32 – 22:44 Continued Health Discussion
- Benefits of sun exposure for longevity
- Fluoride concerns and water filtration
- Switched to non-fluoridated toothpaste
- Occasional teeth brushing with olive oil
22:44 – 26:59 Glyphosate Deep Dive
- Weston Price historical dental health research
- Glyphosate as drying agent for oats
- Economic incentives for farmers to use glyphosate
- Dr. Stephanie Seneff’s “Toxic Legacy” book reference
- Glyphosate’s chelating properties with aluminum
26:59 – 29:39 Cumulative Health Effects
- Glyphosate mimics glycine (amino acid)
- Blood-brain barrier penetration concerns
- Microplastics in cadaveric brains
- Strategies for minimizing plastic exposure
29:39 – 34:10 Societal and Population Concerns
- Fertility rate sustainability issues
- COVID-related trust loss in medical community
- mRNA vaccine concerns and fertility impacts
- Corporate ethics and systemic cultural problems
34:10 – 36:15 Wine Introduction – The “Shard”
- Chardonnay and Chardonelle blend
- Host’s positive experience with typically disliked Chardonnay
- Blend development process over 15-20 years
- Challenges with annual growing condition variations
36:15 – 42:22 Ganzfeld Effect in Wine Tasting
- Desensitization to environmental stimuli
- Wine competition flaws demonstration
- Same wine, different labels, different results (double gold vs. bronze)
- Taste bud count variations (500-12,000 range)
- Human memory capacity for 40,000 aromas and flavors
42:22 – 45:33 Turtle Run Winery Philosophy
- “Exceptional quality wine to go with food and friends”
- Natural winemaking techniques inspired by 65-100-year-old wines
- No artificial additives
- European blending influences (Bordeaux, Alsace-Lorraine, Chianti)
- Embrace of vintage variation as exciting challenge
45:33 – 52:18 Taste Bud Science Deep Dive
- Correlation between taste bud count and career types
- High taste bud count (12,000): prefer sweet wines, chicken tenders
- Low taste bud count (500): black coffee, bourbon, dry wines
- Mental processing differences: black/white vs. creative spectrum
- Employment implications and HR considerations
- Sweet wine production using arrested fermentation
- Yeast fermentation sequence: glucose first, then fructose
52:18 – 55:57 Ordering Information and Closing
- Website: turtlerunwinery.com
- Discount code: POI20 for Pod of Inquiry listeners
- Ships to 40+ states via Vino Shipper
- 45 wines available, 25-30 on regular wine list
- Guarantee: no hangovers due to natural winemaking methods
Sponsors Of The Episode
Approved Medical Solutions
Your source for Oxalate free Nitric Oxide Supplementation
Non-licensed patients can use code “sbarrett” for a 10% discount.
Licensed practitioners can access the discounts by registering and when at checkout put “podofinquiry” (no space and not case sensitive) in the coupon section.
Ketone
Nitric Oxide
ClearDetox Pro & ClearSleep
How to Win Our Season 6 Giveaways?🎉🎁
1. Follow us on all social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn)
2. Subscribe to our YouTube channel
3. Comment “Let’s Spelunk” on any Season 6 YouTube video to enter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podofinquiry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podofinquiry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podofinquiry/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-barrett-92776a51/
