Dr. William ("Bill") Harris is one of the world's preeminent experts in the field of omega-3 fatty acid research. His work has focused on the roles that fatty acids in play in cardiovascular and neurocognitive health. The author of more than 300 scientific papers on fatty acids and health, Dr. Harris is a professor in the Department of Medicine in the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, the co-inventor of the Omega-3 Index, founder of OmegaQuant Analytics, and president and founder of the Fatty Acid Research Institute. In this episode, Dr. Harris and I discuss…

• (00:00) Introduction
• (06:36) Early studies on omega-3s, dietary fats, and cholesterol
• (14:44) Omega-3s may normalize bleeding times
• (20:33) Plant-based omega-3s are not equivalent in power to marine omega-3s
• (25:23) Genetic engineering of plants is needed for sustainable omega-3s in the future
• (27:18) The omega-3 index reveals individual variations in omega-3 needs
• (32:13) Red blood cell concentration of omega-3s better reflect long-term omega-3 status
• (36:41) Genetic variants influence omega-3 dietary needs
• (54:20) The omega-3 index may predict life expectancy
• (01:05:03) How metabolites of omega-3 reduce and resolve inflammation
• (01:17:11) High omega-3 concentrations halve the risk of COVID-19 death
• (01:20:10) DHA may help keep the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from entering cells
• (01:22:50) Concerns over the omega-6/omega-3 ratio may be unfounded

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Dr. Ashley Mason is a clinical psychologist and director of the Sleep, Eating, and Affect Laboratory at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF. Her research centers on nonpharmacological approaches for treating depression, insomnia, and overeating.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (08:10) Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) and sauna use differ
• (17:06) Depression causes thermoregulatory dysfunction – but sauna use may correct it
• (21:12) WBH and sauna use may reduce symptoms of depression
• (33:22) Heating the body slowly may improve heat tolerance and increase WBH effectiveness
• (39:35) Sauna use may benefit people with depression and cardiovascular disease – which often coincide
• (40:18) Dr. Mason and Rhonda are collaborating on new research on depression and WBH
• (44:19) Sauna bathing and similar practices often provide opportunities for people to connect socially
• (53:12) Common causes of insomnia
• (01:01:26) Cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, and sleep restriction for treating insomnia

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Dr. Mark Mattson

Dr. Mark Mattson is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the former chief of the Neuroscience Research Laboratory at the National Institute on Aging. He's one of the most cited neuroscientists in the world, with more than 180,000 citations noted in the scientific literature.

Dr. Mattson's work has advanced scientific understanding of brain aging and identified fundamental aspects of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. His most notable work has focused on how the brain responds to mild stressors, such as those associated with exercise and intermittent fasting.

In this episode, we discuss...

• (00:00) Introduction to Dr. Mark Mattson
• (03:31) Hormetic stressors drive adaptation and prevent physiological complacency
• (13:00) Intermittent fasting improves health by promoting metabolic switching
• (16:49) Daily time-restricted eating vs 5:2 weekly fasting
• (27:44) A ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting differ in terms of brain effects
• (34:23) Exercising while intermittent fasting exerts additive effects
• (52:32) Plant-based bioactive compounds induce hormetic stress
• (01:10:48) Severe caloric restriction may compromise muscle mass
• (01:26:25) Intermittent fasting in young vs. old and in men vs. in women
• (01:35:20) The effects of cortisol differ during a fast versus chronic stress
• (01:53:36) Fasting-mimetics like resveratrol and spermidine vs actual fasting
• (02:08:44) How ketone supplementation may improve brain health

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Dr. Satchin Panda

Dr. Satchidananda (Satchin) Panda is a professor in the Regulatory Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Dr. Panda's work focuses on chronobiology, the study of the day-night cycles that drive the multifaceted activities of the human body, using genetic, genomic, and biochemical approaches. He is an expert on circadian rhythms and a pioneer in the field of time-restricted eating. A priority for Dr. Panda when designing his studies is to identify strategies that positively impact public health.

In this episode, Dr. Panda and I discuss...

• 00:00:00 - Introduction
• 00:04:29 - How circadian rhythms influence human health
• 00:12:30 - Seeking bright light in the morning and avoiding it in the evening improves sleep
• 00:20:40 - Supplemental melatonin may counteract evening bright light exposure
• 00:26:16 - The relationship between melatonin and insulin secretion
• 00:33:15 - Shift work, jet lag, and modern life contribute to circadian dysfunction
• 00:45:10 - Naps might aid with afternoon sleepiness and sleep loss
• 00:47:05 - Indoor lighting can be used to promote healthy circadian rhythms
• 00:51:20 - Time-restricted eating strengthens circadian biology
• 01:02:13 - Dr. Panda's ongoing study uses a smartphone app to track diet
• 01:03:41 - Most people are unaware of their eating patterns
• 01:07:58 - How Dr. Panda incorporates his research findings into his own life
• 01:16:21 - Our circadian rhythms dictate when we should exercise

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/satchin-panda-3

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Michael Snyder

Dr. Michael Snyder is the director for the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford and a pioneer and advocate of "deep profiling." Deep profiling seeks to apply intelligent analysis to large data sets to yield specialized clinical insight, ranging from common consumer-grade wearables like Apple Watches to whole-body MRI, continuous glucose monitoring, and metabolomics.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction to Dr. Michael Snyder
• (12:51) Continuous glucose monitor use in people without diabetes
• (31:04) A smartwatch helped diagnose Dr. Snyder's Lyme disease
• (34:00) Predicting other illnesses with smartwatches
• (40:41) Detecting airborne pollutants in the exosome
• (51:04) Genetics and metabolism tell us our Ageotypes
• (58:05) Exercise is most important for longevity
• (01:03:11) Dr. Snyder's lifestyle habits

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes.

Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information on personalized medicine straight to your inbox weekly: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter

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Dr. Roger Seheult Dr. Roger Seheult is the co-creator of MedCram Videos. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, MedCram emerged as a beacon of insight, providing continuing coverage and perspectives in an environment almost defined by information scarcity. What particularly excited me about the unique opportunity of this interview is that apart from Dr. Seheult being a unique voice of public scholarship during the early days of the pandemic, he's also a quadruple board-certified pulmonologist with deep experience working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (06:20) How MedCram Videos got started
• (09:37) Using evidence to make COVID-19 treatment decisions
• (12:46) The differences in treating early vs late-stage COVID-19
• (14:40) How doctors would've treated COVID-19 one-hundred years ago
• (18:13) Increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission
• (20:28) Masks are virtually universally beneficial regardless of type
• (21:32) Vitamin D and COVID-19
• (22:22) Steroid chemical structure of vitamin D
• (23:24) The vitamin D RDA is likely too low
• (24:23) Vitamin D is more like a hormone than vitamin
• (26:21) The overlap between COVID-19 and vitamin D deficiency
• (30:27) How Mendelian randomization studies helped solve the vitamin D puzzle
• (34:20) The gene regulatory effects of vitamin D
• (35:49) Vitamin D and the ACE2/renin-angiontensin system
• (42:00) Daily doses of vitamin D are more effective
• (43:23) A prescription-only form of vitamin D (calcifediol) may be best for COVID-19
• (47:06) Skin synthesis of vitamin D from sunlight can be unreliable
• (53:43) The safest dose range for vitamin D
• (01:06:15) The beneficial circadian effect of early morning sunlight
• (01:07:38) Sleep deprivation impairs vital immunity
• (01:12:08) Dr. Seheult's suggestions for the best sleep
• (01:19:18) A Spanish flu era treatment boosts interferon by ten times
• (01:22:38) Why interferon is so important for the viral response
• (01:26:43) Treating the symptoms of fever during the Spanish flu harmed patients
• (01:31:58) Dr. Seheult's ongoing research of hot hydrotherapy
• (01:47:00) COVID-19 Vaccines

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes.

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Steve Horvath

Steve Horvath, PhD, is a professor of human genetics and biostatistics at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health

Dr. Steve Horvath has analyzed large data sets of DNA methylation profiles to derive an algorithm that accurately predicts a person's chronological age across multiple cells, tissues, and organs, and even mammalian species. He built on this algorithm to develop second-generation clocks that could predict time-to-death among people of the same chronological age, as well as lifespan and healthspan.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction and overview
• (20:24) Horvath Aging Clocks
• (26:36) Heredity determines aging
• (35:49) DNAm PhenoAge vs GrimAge
• (45:58) Slowing the epigenetic clock
• (01:10:43) Epigenetics: Cause or consequence of aging?
• (01:16:43) Vitamin D reverses epigenetic age
• (01:19:07) Omega-3 slows GrimAge clock
• (01:24:19) Ongoing research

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

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Consistent patterns of age-based alterations in DNA methylation can be harnessed to estimate age, serving as a sort of "clock," the premise of which is truly remarkable: Predict a person's age (or even lifespan), based on chemical modifications to their DNA that reflect the biological life history of the organism. Dr. Steve Horvath has analyzed large data sets of DNA methylation profiles to derive an algorithm that accurately predicts a person's chronological age across multiple cells, tissues, and organs, and even mammalian species. He built on this algorithm to develop second-generation clocks that could predict time-to-death among people of the same chronological age, as well as lifespan and healthspan.

In this episode, Dr. Steven Horvath describes epigenetic clocks and their role in predicting – and possibly slowing – aging.

Get this show's notes, timeline, and transcript: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/steve-horvath

Dr. Horvath's faculty bio page: https://ph.ucla.edu/faculty/horvath

Dr. Horvath's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Horvath

Dr. Rhonda Patrick's 3-minute video crash course in epigenetics: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/epigenetic-clock

The FoundMyFitness overview article of epigenetic clocks: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/epigenetic-clocks

Dr. Jed Fahey

In this special two-hour Q&A episode with Dr. Jed Fahey, a world-leading expert on the science of chemoprotection and, in particular, sulforaphane, we discuss many of the listener-submitted questions from the hundreds of live event participants.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (07:19) The minimum daily dose of sulforaphane
• (12:04) Gauging sulforaphane content of foods is challenging
• (17:37) Workarounds to enhance the sulforaphane in cooked foods
• (23:38) How often to consume broccoli sprouts and how long their effects last
• (39:28) The effects of sulforaphane on glutathione production in the brain
• (43:12) The effects of sulforaphane on cancer
• (01:17:26) Alternatives to sprouts, such as supplements (and which ones Dr. Fahey recommends)
• (01:33:08) Safety concerns regarding sulforaphane

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

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Giselle Petzinger

Giselle Petzinger, MD, an associate professor of Neurology at the University of Southern California, studies the extensive effects of how different types of exercise, in particular skill-based exercise, can affect the clinical outcome for people with Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Petzinger's work focuses on understanding how to promote brain repair after injury, particularly in the context of Parkinson's disease. She is currently investigating ways to enhance neuroplasticity in a preclinical model of the disease. She has examined the role of exercise in Parkinson's disease, with emphasis on how different types of exercise affect distinct regions of the brain. Her work has implications for improving the quality of life of patients diagnosed with the neurological disorder — a condition for which there is no cure.

In this episode, we discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (06:57) What is Parkinson's disease?
• (11:57) When symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear
• (14:57) Circuits in the brain can compensate for substantia nigra dysfunction
• (18:37) Hereditary risk factors of Parkinson's disease
• (21:25) Parkinson's disease is associated with pesticide and pollutant exposure
• (26:57) Exercise can lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease
• (35:38) How skill-based exercise such as boxing reduces disease symptoms
• (47:49) Treadmill exercise increased BDNF and brain health
• (58:33) Exercise at 80 percent of maximum heart rate slowed Parkinson's disease progression
• (01:01:31) Why exercise may not fully replace medications
• (01:09:58) DHA reduces motor symptoms and dyskinesia
• (01:12:12) Patients with Parkinson's disease have higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers

If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information on Parkinson's disease straight to your inbox weekly: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter

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