In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman sits down with Nicholas Verhoeven PhD, the creator of @Physionic and recent molecular medicine graduate who has successfully transitioned from traditional academia to independent science communication. The conversation explores Nic's unique approach to content creation, including his decision to reject thousands of sponsorship offers to maintain editorial independence while building a sustainable business model. Dave and Nic dive deep into the methodology and findings of Dave's groundbreaking longitudinal keto study, examining how 100 lean mass hyperresponders with an average LDL of 272 mg/dL compared to matched controls from the Miami Heart study with an average LDL of 123 mg/dL. The discussion reveals fascinating insights about plaque progression, the challenges of proving causation in nutrition science, and the problematic certainty often displayed in epidemiological research. They tackle the nuanced differences between correlation and causation, critique the WHO's red meat classification, and explore why the nutrition field tends toward binary thinking rather than acknowledging the spectrum of evidence strength that should inform our understanding of health risks.
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#NicVerhoeven #Physionic #KetoStudy #LeanMassHyperresponder #LDL #CardiovascularHealth #PlaqueProgression #ScienceCommunication #IndependentResearch #NutritionScience #EpidemiologyDebate #CausationVsCorrelation #RedMeatDebate #WHO #BradfordHillCriteria #ContentCreation #PhD #MolecularMedicine #HealthPodcast
In Part 3 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman concludes his conversation with Nick Norwitz MD PhD, exploring thought-provoking topics that span from practical health assessments to philosophical questions about consciousness. The discussion covers Nick's analysis of Peter Attia's evolving stance on lipids, Bryan Johnson's controversial decision to avoid CTA scans due to radiation concerns, and a detailed technical breakdown of actual radiation exposure from cardiac imaging. The conversation takes fascinating philosophical turns as they debate the teleporter problem and what defines human consciousness, before shifting to predictions about carnivore diet mainstream adoption and the future of scientific communication through social media, with Nick sharing insights about his rapid YouTube growth and plans for expanding his educational impact.
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#NickNorwitz #PeterAttia #BryanJohnson #CTAScan #RadiationExposure #TeleporterProblem #Consciousness #Philosophy #Carnivorediet #SocialMedia #ScientificCommunication #YouTubeGrowth #HealthInfluencer #CardiacImaging #Longevity #MetabolicHealth #HealthPodcast
In Part 2 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman continues his conversation with Nick Norwitz, focusing on controversial topics that showcase Nick's scientific rigor. The discussion begins with Nick's methodical critique of Bryan Johnson's longevity claims, questioning his scientific methodology and the lack of transparency in his $2 million annual protocol. Nick explores the healthy user bias problem in red meat epidemiology, shares insights about choosing research over medical residency, discusses his famous Oreo vs. Statin experiment, and provides a detailed explanation of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, demonstrating how it complements rather than contradicts thermodynamics while offering a more mechanistic understanding of weight regulation than traditional energy balance models.
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Energy Balance vs. Hormonal Models #NickNorwitz #BryanJohnson #Longevity #HealthInfluencer #ScientificRigor #RedMeat #HealthyUserBias #CarbohydrateInsulinModel #OreoVsStatin #InsulinResistance #MetabolicHealth #HealthResearch #PublicationBias #NutritionScience #EnergyBalance #HealthPodcast
In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman sits down with Nick Norwitz, a PhD researcher focusing on metabolism who earned his doctorate from Oxford and graduated recently from Harvard Medical School. Nick shares his remarkable journey from elite distance runner at age 17 - capable of 2:45 marathons and 3,000-mile training years - to facing a cascade of health crises that would reshape his understanding of medicine. Nick recounts how his health deteriorated further with severe GI symptoms beginning at Dartmouth in 2017, eventually landing him in intensive care and palliative care with dangerously low weight levels. The discussion explores Nick's medical detective work, including his discovery of a cholesterol paradox: following a "heart-healthy" LDL-lowering diet that actually caused his LDL to jump from 95 to 321, while paradoxically improving his small dense LDL profile. Nick demonstrates scientific humility by acknowledging how his early lipid research perspectives have evolved, while discussing the institutional challenges he faces in publishing controversial research that might upset even his allies in the metabolic health field.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN PROTOCOL:Main Channel: @realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: @realDaveFeldman Instagram: @realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com⏰ CHAPTERS:1:16 - Introduction: Nick Norwitz, PhD Researcher & Harvard Medical Student1:43 - Life Mission: Making Metabolic Health Mainstream4:37 - Health Crisis Begins: GI Symptoms at Dartmouth (2017)5:11 - Athletic Background: Distance Running Success6:39 - Pattern of Fractures: From 90-Mile Weeks to Breaking Down7:24 - The Foot Fracture: X-Ray Misses, MRI Reveals Break8:26 - Osteoporosis Diagnosis: Bone Density of 70-80 Year Old14:51 - Fear and Urgency: The Deep Drive to Solve Health Problems26:37 - Life-Threatening Turn: Intensive Care & Palliative Care32:15 - The Cholesterol Paradox: Heart-Healthy Diet, LDL Jumps to 32132:50 - Early Lipid Analysis: Scientific Evolution and Humility34:00 - Medical Mystery: Low-Fat Diet Raises LDL36:06 - Research Partnership: Finding Collaborators55:53 - Controversial Research: Risk of Upsetting Allies1:06:53 - Publication Challenges: IRB Obstacles for Case Series1:07:28 - Meta-Analysis Struggles: Editor Ghosting on Positive Reviews#NickNorwitz #MetabolicHealth #HealthCrisis #Cholesterol #LDL #BoneDensity #GIHealth #HealthResearch #ScientificMethod #PersonalHealth #HealthPodcast
In Part 2 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman continues his conversation with renowned science journalist Gary Taubes, diving deeper into the institutional forces that perpetuate flawed nutritional science. This second part examines Gary's perspective on why paradigm shifts face such fierce resistance, exploring the career consequences researchers face when challenging established theories. The conversation addresses the famous "are we all idiots?" question from Gary's Pennington lecture, revealing how scientists inherit paradigms without questioning their foundations. Dave and Gary discuss the peer review process as both protector and barrier to innovation, the politics of academic publishing, and why researchers become emotionally invested in defending their work. Gary argues that the scientific establishment has abandoned true hypothesis testing in favor of confirmation bias, while exploring controversial topics like carnivore diets, GLP-1 drugs, and the sustainability myth. The discussion reveals how institutional pressures, career incentives, and cognitive biases create a system where scientists function more as advocates than investigators, potentially causing decades of harm through misguided dietary recommendations.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: @realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldman
#GaryTaubes #ParadigmShift #PeerReview #ScientificMethod #Publication #CareerStakes #Carnivore #GLP1 #Diabetes #InsulinResistance #HealthPodcast #MetabolicScience
In Part 1 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman sits down with renowned science journalist Gary Taubes, author of groundbreaking books including "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "The Case Against Sugar." This first part explores Gary's four-decade journey from physics journalism to becoming one of the most influential critics of nutritional research. The conversation delves deep into the philosophy of science itself, examining why he believes nutrition research has failed so spectacularly. Gary shares his evolution from covering physics breakthroughs at CERN to exposing the fundamental flaws in epidemiological studies that have shaped dietary guidelines for generations. Dave and Gary discuss the challenges of falsifiability in nutrition science, the dangers of emotional investment in hypotheses, and why the field attracts researchers more interested in confirmation than discovery. Gary provides a case for scientific skepticism, and how institutional biases, funding pressures, and cognitive blind spots have led to decades of misguided public health advice that may have caused more harm than good.
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#GaryTaubes #NutritionScience #ScientificMethod #BadScience #Journalism #Epidemiology #LowCarb #Ketogenic #Obesity #Diabetes #HealthPodcast #MetabolicHealth
In this inaugural episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman sits down with renowned nurse practitioner and intermittent fasting expert Cynthia Thurlow, whose viral TED talk has garnered over 15 million views. The conversation explores the controversial world of intermittent fasting, metabolic health, and why dietary flexibility matters more than rigid dogma. Cynthia shares her evolution from traditional cardiology practice to functional medicine, revealing how she challenged conventional wisdom about cholesterol and statins before leaving traditional medicine in 2016. Dave and Cynthia dive deep into topics ranging from the cellular impact of seed oils to the psychology of sustainable weight loss, emphasizing the importance of personal experimentation and vulnerability in health discussions. This episode serves as a masterclass in critical thinking about nutrition, encouraging listeners to become "citizen scientists" of their own bodies while navigating the complex landscape of modern wellness advice.
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⏰ CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Introduction & Opening Thoughts
0:46 - Who is Cynthia Thurlow? Nurse Practitioner & Fasting Expert
1:23 - Why Intermittent Fasting is So Controversial
2:35 - Eating Disorders & Fasting: Important Distinctions
3:44 - The Challenge of Diet Tribalism & Finding What Works
5:21 - Ancestral Eating Patterns & Food Scarcity
7:38 - Breaking Free from Nutritional Dogma
8:37 - Personal Experimentation & Individual Responses
10:15 - The Power of Vulnerability in Health Discussions
12:30 - Dave's Personal Health Journey & Family Challenges
16:45 - Moving Beyond Traditional Medicine Paradigms
20:20 - The Importance of Face-to-Face Conversations
24:15 - Cynthia's Evolution: From Fasting Advocate to Flexible Approach
26:02 - Why Dietary Flexibility Matters More Than Perfection
28:30 - The Reality of Long-Term Diet Adherence
30:45 - Dave's Diet Soda Confession & Health Trade-offs
35:20 - Cholesterol, Statins & Clinical Practice Evolution
40:15 - The Problem with Primary Prevention Guidelines
45:30 - Cynthia's Father & the Statin Controversy
50:15 - Inherited Lipid Disorders & Family History
52:35 - The Fear of Malpractice in Modern Medicine
55:14 - Pediatric Cholesterol Screening: A Concerning Trend
59:49 - Dynamic Nature of Lipid Measurements
1:05:30 - Hormone Replacement Therapy & Women's Health
1:12:15 - The Complexity of Menopause & Metabolic Changes
1:18:45 - Strength Training & Muscle Building After 50
1:25:20 - The Role of Protein in Aging & Health
1:32:10 - Sleep, Stress & Recovery in Modern Life
1:38:30 - The Carnivore Diet Phenomenon & Elimination Protocols
1:44:45 - Understanding Food Sensitivities & Inflammatory Responses
1:50:20 - The Business of Nutrition & Supplement Industry
1:56:15 - Evidence-Based Practice vs. Clinical Experience
2:02:30 - The Future of Personalized Medicine
2:08:45 - Biomarker Interpretation & Individual Variation
2:15:20 - The Role of Continuous Glucose Monitors
2:21:30 - Meal Timing & Circadian Rhythm Considerations
2:27:15 - Exercise Timing & Metabolic Optimization
2:33:46 - Seed Oils: Inflammation & Cellular Membrane Impact
2:39:15 - The Cell Membrane & Fatty Acid Incorporation
2:45:30 - Mitochondrial Health & Cellular Energy Production
2:51:45 - Weight Loss Plateaus & Adipocyte Remodeling
2:57:20 - The Psychology of Sustainable Weight Loss
3:03:15 - Celebrating Non-Linear Health Journeys
3:09:30 - The Marathon Approach to Metabolic Health
3:15:45 - Closing Thoughts & Final Reflections
#IntermittentFasting #WomensHealth #Metabolism #HealthPodcast #NutritionalScience #FunctionalMedicine #LipidMetabolism #PersonalizedMedicine
