In this episode of the Innovations and Clinical Implementation podcast, hosts Dr. Lexi Gonzales and Tom Blue interview Dr. Sundeep Dugar, a pharmaceutical drug hunter with nearly 40 years of experience in small molecule discovery who serves as the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Blue Oak Nutraceuticals. The conversation focuses on the development of Mitocatalyst, a precision-formulated epicatechin designed to mimic the mitochondrial biogenesis normally triggered by exercise. Dr. Dugar reveals his breakthrough discovery that exercise-induced Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) signal the mitochondria to produce a specific steroid—11-beta hydroxyprogesterone—and explains how Mitocatalyst utilizes nanomolar doses of epicatechin to molecularly mimic this steroid, distinguishing it from high-dose antioxidant protocols that paradoxically blunt these beneficial signals. The discussion uses the metaphor of building a "fireplace" (mitochondria) to burn "firewood" (nutrition), positioning the supplement as a critical intervention for aging patients or those unable to exercise.

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