The Metabolic Link

The term “ultra-processed food” appeared nearly 100 times in the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report. But questions remain about whether the concept is precise enough to guide effective policy.

Dr. David Ludwig—Harvard endocrinologist, obesity researcher, and author of Always Hungry—joins Dr. Dominic D'Agostino to dismantle the ultra-processed food framework from the inside out. Ludwig reveals why the NOVA classification system lumps protein bars with soda, why the FDA admitted they can't define what they're trying to regulate, and why the famous studies showing ultra-processed foods cause overeating may be fundamentally flawed.

This conversation cuts through the noise to identify what actually matters: the mechanistic difference between processing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—and why that distinction should reshape nutrition policy.

Questions answered in this episode:

• Can ultra-processed foods be "fixed" through reformulation?
• What's the most overrated "healthy" food in supermarkets?
• Should omega-3 levels be part of standard blood work?
• Are GLP-1 drugs a metabolic reset or a lifelong crutch?
• If you could pass one food policy law, what would it be?
• Why did the low-fat diet era make obesity worse?

Dr. Ludwig argues that "ultra-processed food" is a compelling marketing term without mechanistic grounding—and that precise, actionable targets like highly processed carbohydrates and demonstrably harmful additives would do far more to improve public health.

Where to find more of Dr. Ludwig's work online:

• Blog on UPF
• NEJM paper on UPF
• Problems with short diet trials
• Carbohydrate-insulin model
• Website

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ Troscriptions – Get 10% off your first order with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here.
✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

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Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

Glioblastoma has a long-term survival rate under 1% at ten years. After decades of research focusing primarily on mutation-targeted therapies, median survival has improved by only a few months. Dr. Tomás Duraj believes there's a better path forward.

Dr. Duraj is a physician-scientist at Boston College working on the metabolic vulnerabilities of cancer. In this Metabolic Health Summit presentation, he outlines a clinical framework for studying ketogenic metabolic therapy — one built on biomarker-driven protocols, not dietary guesswork.

The core argument: cancer cells depend on specific metabolic pathways for survival. Block those pathways while providing alternative fuels to healthy cells, and you create a therapeutic window that most tumors can't escape.

• Why cancer cells metabolically resemble organisms from 2 billion years ago
• The limits of the somatic mutation theory and why most targeted gene therapies have underdelivered
• Substrate level phosphorylation vs. oxidative phosphorylation — and why the distinction matters
• The Glucose-Ketone Index as a measurable, actionable biomarker
• The press-pulse strategy: sustained metabolic pressure paired with targeted interventions
• How to protect healthy tissue before targeting tumor metabolism
• Repurposed pharmacological approaches and the need for publicly funded clinical trials
• The case for small, non-randomized pilot studies with highly motivated patients

Metabolic therapy represents the future of medicine: a coherent clinical strategy grounded in decades of research and increasingly recognized by physicians and scientists across disciplines. For practitioners seeking complementary approaches that extend the reach of oncological therapeutics, this presentation lays out a practical roadmap for integrating emerging insights with standard care.

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.

✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here.

✅Piquelife.com - Get the Pu'er Bundle for 20% off here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

After 20+ years treating cancer patients, Dr. Christy Kesslering started asking a question her colleagues weren't asking: why are so many of my breast cancer patients metabolically sick — even when they're not obese?

That question changed everything.

Dr. Kesslering is a classically-trained radiation oncologist, metabolic health practitioner, and terrain theorist. She spent two decades practicing oncology in the Chicagoland area before transitioning to focus full-time on what she believes is the missing piece in cancer care: mitochondrial health, and metabolic dysfunction. She now works with cancer patients and chronic disease clients through a telehealth practice built on comprehensive lab work, real-food nutrition, and terrain-based principles.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• What is mitochondrial dysfunction and how does it relate to cancer?
• Are processed foods, seed oils, and glyphosate implicated in rising cancer rates?
• Can fasting or ketogenic diets reduce chemotherapy side effects?
• What's the difference between cachexia and healthy fat loss in cancer patients?
• How do you identify which foods are problematic for your body specifically?
• What does Dr. Kesslering believe has the biggest impact on cancer outcomes?

A rare look at what happens when a passionate physician follows the data wherever it leads — and why she believes the future of cancer care starts with metabolism.

Big thanks to our sponsors:
✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here!
✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

A patient arrives at shock trauma with flesh-eating bacteria, limbs appearing unsalvageable. Hours later, after treatment in a massive submarine-like chamber, those same limbs show signs of recovery. This pivotal moment launched Dr. Scott Sherr's journey into the world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its untapped potential for metabolic healing.

Victoria Field welcomes Dr. Scott Sherr, a board certified internal medicine physician who transformed his practice after witnessing HBOT's dramatic effects during his medical training at University of Maryland's trauma center. Now Director of Integrative Hyperbaric Medicine at Hyperbaric Medical Solutions, Dr. Sherr has pioneered protocols that marry hyperbaric therapy with nutritional optimization and metabolic health strategies.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

•  What sparked his interest in branching out into hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
•  Why does he recommend waiting three months before intensive protocols?
•  What is the "sympathetic spiral of doom"?
•  What excites him most about the future of hyperbaric medicine?
•  What's his vision for creating integrated healing ecosystems?

This conversation reframes hyperbaric medicine not as a standalone treatment, but as a powerful tool within a comprehensive metabolic optimization framework - one that could fundamentally change how we approach healing and human performance.

Learn about Dr. Scherr's work with Troscriptions here.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅Cowboy Colostrum - Get 25% off when you use code METABOLICLINK at checkout here.
✅ Branch Basics - Get 15% off your Premium Starter Kit here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

What if the key to treating neurodegenerative diseases lies not in attacking symptoms, but in healing mitochondria? Dr. Matthew Phillips, a neurologist who coined the term "metabolic neurologist," shares groundbreaking insights from his decade-long journey implementing ketogenic diets and fasting protocols for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and glioblastoma patients.

In this episode, Dr. Phillips reveals his clinical framework combining metabolic therapies with standard of care, his current glioblastoma trial utilizing 5-day fasting cycles with chemotherapy, and why he believes mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause of neurodegeneration.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• What initially drew you to understanding brain metabolism and how did your journey begin?
• How do you implement metabolic therapies in practice and determine patient candidacy?
• What is the most clinically relevant mechanism of metabolic therapy?
• Does your trial evidence suggest metabolic interventions are adjunctive or disease-modifying treatments?
• Why aren't metabolic therapies more widely adopted for conditions where conventional options are limited?
• What power do patients have to prevent or address early cognitive decline through their own actions?

Dr. Phillips challenges the medical dogma that has kept metabolic therapies on the sidelines, advocating for a merger of "germ theory" and "terrain theory" approaches that could revolutionize how we treat the most devastating neurological conditions.

Sign-up to our Live Q&A Exploring Metabolic Neurology with Dr. Phillips here.

Learn more about Dr. Phillips on his website.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.

✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here.

✅Piquelife.com - Get the Pu'er Bundle for 20% off here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

For over fifty years, Americans have been told that cutting fat was the key to better health. Yet after decades of low-fat guidelines, rates of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction have skyrocketed - now affecting more than 88% of the population.

In this episode of The Metabolic Link, Victoria Field sits down with Dr. Nina Teicholz, science journalist and author of The Big Fat Surprise, whose decade-long investigation into nutrition science uncovered how flawed evidence and policy decisions shaped the way we eat. Her research reveals a troubling gap between the science and the guidelines meant to protect public health.

Answered in this episode:

• How did you transition from investigative journalism into becoming one of the leading voices challenging nutrition policy?
• What specifically makes the original science behind the low-fat diet hypothesis so weak?
• How did Ancel Keys' controversial research become official U.S. nutrition policy?
• What were the metabolic consequences when Americans replaced dietary fat with carbohydrates?
• How did seed oils come to dominate the American food supply, and what are the metabolic implications?
• What do randomized controlled trials reveal about low-carb versus low-fat diets for metabolic health?
• How has industry funding influenced the direction of nutrition research and policy?

This conversation provides a rigorous examination of how weak associational data became entrenched policy, the metabolic consequences of replacing saturated fats with refined carbohydrates and seed oils, and what the path forward looks like for evidence-based nutrition science.

More of Dr. Teicholz:

• Unsettled Science on Substack
• The Nutrition Coalition
• The Big Fat Surprise
• X.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Big thanks to our sponsors:
✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here!
✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here.
✅Cowboy Colostrum - Get 25% off when you use code METABOLICLINK at checkout!

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

When veterinarian Dr. Loren Nations lost his wife to aggressive cancer despite the best conventional treatments, he didn't just grieve—he revolutionized his entire approach to medicine. In this deeply personal conversation, Dr. Nations reveals how tragedy led him to discover that our pets are experiencing metabolic disease at rates even higher than humans, with 61% of cats and 59% of dogs now obese.

Dr. Loren Nations is a board-certified veterinarian with over 30 years of experience. He's the founder of Veterinary Healthcare Associates, Ascend Vets, and Neoterric, pioneering the integration of ketogenic nutrition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and metabolic medicine into veterinary care.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• What metabolic-based therapies are you using alongside standard care, and which have proven most effective?
• Can dogs and cats safely eat ketogenic diets without developing pancreatitis?
• How do you approach gut healing in pets, and what specific strategies or supplements do you use beyond nutrition?
• What happens when you treat pet cancer with metabolic therapies instead of just conventional oncology?
• What can veterinary medicine teach us about human metabolic health?

This conversation bridges two worlds we rarely see connected—showing how the metabolic principles transforming human health apply equally to our animal companions, and how healing our pets might just teach us to heal ourselves.

Join us on November 12th for a live Q&A with Dr. Nations on The Metabolic Initiative.

Dr. Nations also has a full presentation available for on demand viewing on our medical education platform titled “Metabolic Health for Our Pets” for those ready to dive deeper into metabolic therapy for their companions. Watch now with a free trial here.

Neoterric: Find Dr. Nations' online education for pet parents here.
Veterinary Healthcare Associates: Learn about Dr. Nations' animal hospital here.
KetoPet: Read scientific articles on the ketogenic diet for pets here.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:
✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here!
✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here
✅Piquelife.com - Get the Pu'er Bundle for 20% off here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

What if the food you eat could change the way you breathe at night? In this episode, recorded live at The Metabolic Health Summit, Dr. Jonathan Jun reveals how metabolism and sleep-disordered breathing are deeply connected, and why shifting from carbs to fat might improve more than just your waistline.

Dr. Jonathan Jun, a leading researcher on obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), walks us through the groundbreaking KETOHS trial, where a ketogenic diet was tested for its effects on carbon dioxide retention, sleep apnea severity, and metabolic health. The findings suggest ketosis may do more than promote weight loss - it could directly enhance respiratory efficiency and sleep quality in patients with OHS and OSA.

From a long-forgotten 1976 fasting study to modern clinical data, this lecture reframes the connection between diet, breathing, and metabolism, revealing how nutritional ketosis might transform respiratory and metabolic medicine.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• Why does fuel choice (carbs vs. fat) matter for breathing in people with sleep-disordered breathing?
• What exactly happens in obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), and why is it more dangerous than OSA alone?
• Why did a 1976 starvation ketosis study inspire modern trials on ketogenic diets for OSA/OHS?
• How was the KETOHS trial designed to isolate the effects of ketosis itself (not just weight loss)?
• Can a ketogenic diet improve sleep apnea severity even without CPAP therapy?
• Is the improvement in CO₂ clearance explained only by weight loss, or something else?
• What metabolic changes accompany ketogenic therapy in this context?

This episode will change the way you see the link between diet and breathing, and may open new doors for treating some of the toughest sleep and metabolic disorders.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here.
✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

Could treating food like a drug be the breakthrough we've needed in food addiction treatment?

In this episode of The Metabolic Link, Dr. Dominic D’Agostino sits down with Dr. Tro Kalayjian - physician, researcher, and former obesity patient - to explore whether food addiction should be classified as a true addiction, and how his TOWARD model is helping patients overcome binge eating and food-related compulsions.

Dr. Tro shares findings from his recent peer-reviewed paper, TOWARD: a Metabolic Health Intervention That Improves Food Addiction and Binge Eating Symptoms. The study evaluated outcomes from the TOWARD intervention, a telemedicine-based model that combines metabolic nutrition, real-time biofeedback, and coaching. Nearly half of participants reduced food addiction symptoms, and over 80% saw improvements in binge eating - often independent of weight loss.

This conversation explores the science of dopamine signaling, the failure of calorie-restriction models, the blurred line between food addiction and eating disorders, and how this approach could reshape treatment through scalable, real-world solutions.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• How should we define food addiction compared to binge eating disorder?
• Should ultra-processed food addiction be officially recognized in the DSM?
• Why is food addiction harder to treat than drug or alcohol addiction?
• What were the key outcomes of the TOWARD study on food addiction and binge eating?
• Can lifestyle interventions compete with bariatric surgery or GLP-1 drugs?
• How can employers scale food addiction treatment for high-risk populations?

Check out Dr. Kalajian's TOWARD app here.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here!

✅Cowboy Colostrum - Get 25% offwhen you use code METABOLICLINK at checkout!

✅Piquelife.com - Get the Pu'er Bundle for 20% off here.

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

Muscle isn’t just about strength or performance — it’s metabolic armor. In this episode of The Metabolic Link, Dr. Andy Galpin sits down with hosts Victoria Field and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino to show how muscle, cardio fitness, and bone density work together to protect against decline and extend healthspan. From women’s training and recovery practices to kids in the weight room, Dr. Galpin translates decades of research into practical strategies anyone can use.

Big questions Dr. Galpin helps answer:

• How does muscle mass protect against metabolic decline and early mortality?
• What’s the safest, most effective on-ramp to rebuild bone density and explosiveness after 40?
• When is fasted training useful for women, and when is it counterproductive?
• How early can kids start resistance training — and what should it look like?
• Which recovery practices are underrated (free) versus overrated (pricey)?

Dr. Andy Galpin is a tenured full professor and human performance scientist with a PhD in Human Bioenergetics and an MS in Human Movement Sciences. He previously ran the Center for Sport Performance and the Biochemistry & Molecular Exercise Physiology Lab at Cal State Fullerton, and now serves as Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, coaches elite athletes across the UFC, NBA, MLB, NFL, Olympics, and special forces, and is the host of the Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin podcast, where he shares insights from two decades of working with world-class performers.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here!

✅ Branch Basics - Get 15% off your Premium Starter Kit here

✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here

In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.