The Thorne Podcast

Getting Smart about Brain Health

During this episode you’ll learn about:

• Cognition: a growing concern [1:18]
• Factors that influence cognition: stress, sleep, exercise, diet, isolation [2:23]
  • Cognition could be a symptom to some imbalance in the body [3:37]
• Meditation is like physical exercise for the mind [4:00]
• Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep [4:27]
  • Sleep is critical for mental function, helps the brain sort through memories and process information [5:06]
  • Sleep allows the brain to cleanse itself [5:26]
• Brain function naturally slows down as we age [6:10]
  • Aging results in the brain processing information slower [7:40]
• Brain fog [9:04]
  • The gut-brain connection and brain fog [9:15]
  • Hormonal connection to brain fog [10:21]
  • Neurotransmitters and gut bacteria [11:13]
  • Resetting the gut with protein powders [12:25]
• Exercise and cognition [13:22]
  • Can help clear the mind [14:00]
• Brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF [14:21]
  • Proteins that act as “fertilizer” for brain cells [14:30]
  • Nutrients for BDNF / sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) [16:00]
• Coffee fruit extract [17:55]
• Nicotinamide riboside (NR) and resveratrol [18:56]
• Questions from the community [20:32]
  • What are cognitive risks for athletes? And what can we do to mitigate them? [20:44]
    • Head injuries and micro trauma[20:56]
    • Athletes could benefit from curcumin and fish oil supplements [20:56]
    • Testing for APOE2 gene [21:52]
    • CTE [22:20]
  • Should I let my children play contact sports? [24:05]
    • Consider genetic testing [24:16]
    • If they are positive for APOE4, it might be best to discourage them [24:51]
    • Consider non-contact sports as alternative [25:25]
  • What are some top recommended nootropics? [25:39]
    • Coffee [25:44]
    • Matcha tea [26:00]
    • Bacopa [26:15]
    • Huperzine A [26:40]
    • Phosphatidylserine [26:50]
    • Fish Oil [27:00]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Has the Pandemic Given You Brain Fog? If So, You’re Not Alone
• 5 Ways to Train Your Brain – Banish Brain Fog and Sharpen Your Thinking
• How Exercise Stops Brain Fog
• Eight Nutrients For Brain Health
• Seven Foods for a Healthy Brain
• Top 10 Nootropic Supplements

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Make sure to never miss an episode by subscribing to the show on your podcast app. You can also learn more about what we talked about by visiting Thorne.com and checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.

The Silent Epidemic: Sleep Deprivation

During this episode you’ll learn about:

• Sleep deprivation and health problems [2:26]
• The Sleep Deprivation Endemic [3:40]
  • Even during the pandemic, people are reporting a lack of quality sleep [4:12]
  • Many people aren’t falling into deep sleep [4:50]
  • Poor sleep is associated with chronic stress [5:08]
• Stress levels are on the rise across society for a variety of reasons [6:45]
• Are home sleep tracking devices accurate? [7:10]
  • Sleep labs vs sleep tracking devices [9:23]
  • Home sleep devices are not medical devices, but can give a good idea of overall sleep trends [9:46]
• REM sleep and deep sleep are important to sleep quality [10:47]
• Correlation between blood glucose and lack of sleep [11:30]
  • Blood sugar levels are high in the morning after not sleeping well [12:23]
• Sleep as a rhythm disorder [13:37]
• Sleep isn’t like turning off a switch [14:47]
  • Sleep is a process. It requires winding down [15:00]
  • Gabriel Roth’s concept of bodily rhythms [15:35]
• One aspect of sleeping better is sticking to a routine [16:35]
  • Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day [16:50]
  • Get natural light in the morning to wake the body up [17:00]
• Sleep and Aging [17:47]
  • As we age, hormone production, like melatonin, is more likely to get disrupted [18:15]
  • Younger people have easier time falling to sleep [18:50]
• Supplements and Sleep [19:24]
  • PharmaGABA [19:37]
    • Can support a calmer mood [20:16]
  • L-Theanine [20:40]
  • CBD [21:43]
    • Hemp Oil vs. CBD [21:51]
  • Questions from the community [23:51]
    • What is the best CBD supplement for sleep [24:00]
      • Bob: Hemp Oil + because of full spectrum cannabinoids [24:10]
    • How to achieve deeper sleep [25:15]
      • CBD / hemp oil can help [25:25]
      • Deep sleep requires a comprehensive approach: lifestyle factors, healthy diet, stress management, exercise [25:50]
      • Mindfulness meditation for better sleep [26:30]
      • Magnesium for sleep [26:56]
    • Are there any natural alternative for disruptive sleep from snoring? [27:51]
      • Consult a medical professional to test for sleep apnea [28:10]
      • No magic pill for snoring [29:15]
      • Could be over-production of mucus [29:20]
      • Clean out sinuses [29:49]
      • Breath right nasal strips [30:21]
        
        

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Melatonin 101: What It Is, What It Does, and What Causes Disruptions
• A Mayo Clinic Doctor’s Advice – Part 4: How to get Quality Sleep in Stressful Times
• Why Is Sleep Important And What You Can Do To Improve It
• Stop Counting Sheep: Here's Why You're Having Trouble Sleeping
• What Is GABA and What Is It Used For?
• How Will Taking a Hemp Oil Supplement Make You Feel?

Subscribe To More Content

Make sure to never miss an episode by subscribing to the show on your podcast app. You can also learn more about what we talked about by visiting Thorne.com and checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.

Understanding the Aging Process

Dr. Frank Lipman and Dr. Robert Rountree are back to discuss everything you need to know about the aging process, including nutritional supplement strategies that can optimize aging.

During this episode, you will learn about:

• Is aging a disease that can be reversed [2:25]
  • While aging isn’t a disease, it can predispose you to disease [3:05]
• Aging is a complicated process [5:00]
  • No person ages the same – different habits lead to different outcomes [6:25]
  • We use a Western medicine approach – we try to “treat” aging like we would a disease – but it’s more complicated than that [6:45]
  • Having meaning, passions, and a good support system plays a big role [6:55]
• Metformin and aging [7:30]
  • A New England Journal of Medicine study found lifestyle changes are just as effective as medication at improving blood sugar levels [7:50]
  • Clinical studies for Metformin and breast cancer [8:35]
  • Study for Metformin and Aging [9:10]
  • Side effects of Metformin [11:30]
• Berberine [13:20]
  • Doesn’t seem to inhibit mitochondria as Metformin does / can regulate gut flora / can have brain-supportive properties [13:40]
  • Not a magic “aging” pill, but can be a part of an age management protocol [14:11]
• Intermittent Fasting Study [18:43]
  • Fasting for weight loss versus fasting for healthy aging [19:10]
  • Studies show intermittent fasting improves certain biomarkers [20:35]
  • Snacking and restricted eating [21:51]
• Community Question: What are some red flags to look for after age 55? [25:00]
  • Monitoring blood sugar [25:15]
  • Brain and memory function [25:40]
  • Loss of muscle mass / sarcopenia [26:05]
  • Getting enough sleep as you age [27:51]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Five Ways You Can Benefit From Supplementing with Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)
• Nutritional Supplement to Support Healthy Aging: ResveraCel®
• What You Should Know About Healthy Aging

Get access to Dr. Lipman’s in-depth analysis for optimizing the natural aging process in his newest book The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength, and Vitality. Order your copy today at DrFrankLipman.com.

Subscribe to More Content

Be sure to never miss an episode by subscribing to the show on your podcast app. You can also learn more about what we talked about by visiting Thorne.com and checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.

How to Achieve Healthy Aging

Dr. Frank Lipman, Functional Medicine Doctor and New York Times bestseller, and Dr. Robert Rountree, Functional Medicine Physician and Thorne's Chief Medical Advisor, discuss factors that influence healthy aging – a process defined as maintaining optimal mental, social, and physical well-being in an aging adult.*

During this episode you will learn about:

• What things speed up aging? [3:50]
  • Certain habits, such as cigarette smoking, speed up the aging process [4:05]
• Oxidative stress is a major aging pathway [4:30]
  • Rancid fats and free radicals [5:13]
  • Free radicals accumulate and damage tissue over time [5:40]
  • Damage caused to mitochondria [5:55]
• Free Radical Theory of Aging [6:30]
  • Some free radicals can actually be good for you [6:56]
  • Antioxidants like vitamin C and zinc don’t exert the kind of activity that slows down aging [7:15]
  • It depends on the kind of free radical – free radicals from toxic chemicals and cigarette smoke are the kind of free radicals that speed up aging [7:57]
• Plant compounds in green tea, broccoli, turmeric, red wine, and grapes can activate the body’s internal antioxidant defenses [8:33]
• You can’t eliminate oxidative stress – but you can keep it at bay [9:05]
• Chinese Medicine and Ancient Wisdom [9:41]
  • While a little stress can be good for the body [10:30]
  • Chronic stress can be bad [10:40]
• Fasting [11:00]
  • Can have a positive impact on body biochemistry [11:35]
  • Time-restricted eating, and 16-hour interval fasting [12:10]
  • Fast-mimicking diet [12:20]
  • Fasting and its impact on biomarkers [13:30]
  • Data shows fasting for 14 hours is when you start seeing benefits [15:15]
• Blood Sugar and Fasting [15:40]
  • Blood sugar, like cigarette smoke, can accelerate aging [16:15]
• Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (MTOR) and Fasting [17:08]
  • Restricting protein and the amino acid leucine [17:25]
  • MTOR accelerates aging [17:58]
  • Animal proteins stimulate MTOR [18:40]
  • An all-vegetarian or an all-meat diet is not the answer [20:24]
• Plant Phytonutrients [21:38]
  • Phytoalexins [22:34]
• Wisdom of nature [24:00]
• Questions from the community [25:39]
  • Keeping muscle tone after menopause [25:50]
  • Sarcopenia: loss of muscle mass due to aging [26:40]
  • Supplements for sarcopenia [28:05]
  • Using plant proteins [29:33]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Will Exercise Extend Your Lifespan?
• 6 Things You Can Do To Age Better
• How These Little Known Proteins Impact Healthy Aging
• What’s Your Actual Age? Chronological vs. Biological Age

Get access to Dr. Lipman’s in-depth analysis for optimizing the natural aging process in his newest book The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength, and Vitality. Order your copy today at DrFrankLipman.com.

Subscribe to More Content

Be sure to never miss an episode by subscribing to the show on your podcast app. You can also learn more about what was talked about by visiting Thorne.com and checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.

Conversation on COVID-19 with Dr. Robert Rountree and Dr. Frank Lipman

Two renowned physicians – Dr. Robert Rountree, MD, and Dr. Frank Lipman, MD – joined us to discuss how their medical practices are being affected by COVID-19. They also give recommendations for managing stress, nutritional supplements to consider, the important of maintaining gut health, advice for consumers, and more.

 

Sports Nutrition Expert, Joel Totoro

Registered dietitian Joel Totoro speaks with host Dr. Alan Miller about his experiences as the first full-time sports dietitian in professional sports, as well as his connections to NCAA athletes, NFL football, and the state of nutrition in sport.

Olympian Wes Barnett Talks Nutrition

Host Dr. Alan Miller talks with former Olympic athlete Wesley Barnett about his experience as an athlete, as an administrator at the U.S. Olympic Committee, and nutrition and supplementation in the context of elite athletes, doping, drug testing, and supplementation.

The Medicine Hunter Talks Ashwagandha

Host Alan Miller, ND, interviews The Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, an expert on many botanicals indigenous to traditional medicine systems around the world. Chris talks about the Ayurvedic botanical Ashwagandha and its effects on the stress response, women’s health, cognitive function, and more in this lively podcast.

Deshanie Rai - Macular Carotenoids in Eye and Brain Function

Host Alan Miller, ND, interviews Deshanie Rai, PhD, an expert in the use of plant-based carotenes like lutein and zeaxanthin to enhance eye and brain health. Dr. Deshanie discusses the research on these molecules that are an essential component of the retina and macula in the eye, as well as their effect on cognitive function.

Onegevity with Joel Dudley and Chris Mason

Host Alan Miller, ND, interviews Chris Mason, PhD, and Joel Dudley, PhD, the founders of Onegevity, the microbiome testing and data analysis platform. A healthy microbiome is essential to good health, but how can it be measured in a functional, effective manner. Drs. Mason and Dudley discuss Onegevity’s microbiome technology and the actionable insights it provides to optimize health.