In this episode, we discuss ketamine as a rapid-acting treatment for depression, potentially helping the brain to heal itself, and investigations of ketamine as a treatment for anxiety and PTSD. We dive deep into the mechanisms of ketamine’s neuroplastic potential in the brain what it means for the future of therapy.
The advent of GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy), has brought promising prospects for weight loss and overall metabolic health improvement (Kim & Kim, 2020). These medications have demonstrated their effectiveness in shedding unwanted pounds and potentially enhancing cardiovascular and metabolic well-being. However, this scientific inquiry delves into a pertinent concern: does the pursuit of weight loss through these pharmacological interventions come at the expense of one’s invaluable muscle mass (Srikanthan & Karlamangla, 2014)? This article will examine the current body of evidence on the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on muscle mass and strength, shedding light on whether these benefits indeed come with a price (Ashtary-Larky et al., 2020).
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In less than a century, human diets have transformed in ways that our distant ancestors could not have imagined. Although it is doubtful that humankind had an identifiable “ancestral” diet, the transition of our diets from whole and minimally processed foods to energy abundance and highly refined foods represents a dramatic shift in eating patterns. …
How Ultra-Processed Foods Changed the Landscape of Health Read More »
How do drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) cause weight loss? What happens when someone comes off of these drugs? In this episode, we discuss how these drugs (GLP-1 receptor agonists) target specific areas in the brain to suppress appetite and facilitate weight loss. We also discuss clinical trials data suggesting that these drugs and/or the weight loss that they facilitate may have cardioprotective effects. Lastly, we will also examine evidence regarding weight regain when coming off of these drugs and common side effects.
Highly processed foods have been shown to lead to weight gain and are thought to drive intake through several mechanisms. Recent research suggests that the effect of combining fats and carbs on appetite might be more than the sum of their individual effects. Highly processed foods, accordingly, might simulate increased intake via the ratio of macronutrients.
Growing scientific evidence suggests that highly processed foods are associated with increased risk of disease. Until recently, scientists were unable to study directly the effects of highly processed foods on humans. In this episode, we review one of the first highly controlled scientific trials demonstrating that ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain.
Some of the earliest changes in obesity are invisible – and they start in the brain. Of particular concern, many of the brain changes that accompany obesity bear striking resemblance to those that occur in brain injury. In this episode, we discuss how overeating can lead to inflammation and neuron dysfunction in specific parts of the brain that control appetite and energy regulation. We review the neuroscience of appetite regulation, energy expenditure, and body fat regulation. Topics include hypothalamic dysfunction of body fat regulation, leptin resistance, neuro-inflammation, and physical changes in the hypothalamus involving microglia (the immune cells of the brain). We also review what is known about avoiding and reversing these changes.
Is it possible to be metabolically healthy and overweight or obese? In this episode, we discuss the science of what makes fat healthy or unhealthy. We discuss how metabolic dysfunction in fat tissue can affect the rest of the body. We also review evidence pertaining to the “obesity paradox” and explore explanations for the associations of body mass index (BMI) and changes in the risk of disease complications and mortality. We discuss how metrics of central obesity can be used to obtain a better picture of an individual’s metabolic health. Lastly, we discuss the critical link between exercise capacity and future health, as well as how to begin to transform our existing fat stores into a healthier state.
In this episode, we discuss fat through the lens of performance and survival, and what happens when we push our energy systems to their limits. We also talk about how our bodies make adaptations via exercise to improve our ability to “burn” fat for fuel, and how our bodies conserve fuel during times of negative energy balance. Lastly, we preview the role of fat as an endocrine organ and the importance of its communication with the brain, as well as the critical role of exercise capacity for our future health.
This is our first episode on weight gain and weight loss. In this episode, we describe how, as an industrialized nation, our food supply and environment have changed in a way that, in many cases, is mismatched with our biology as humans. We explore how these changes can lead to disease and metabolic dysfunction. We …