The Thorne Podcast

Medicinal Mushrooms – A ‘Missing Dietary Link’?

Mushrooms – they’re not just a pizza topping! From shiitake and reishi to turkey tail and cordyceps, fungi have a variety of benefits. Jeff Chilton of Nammex talks about the nutrient profile of his favorite mushrooms and how to choose the best mushroom supplements.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Jeff Chilton, founder of Nammex mushroom extracts [1:36]
2. Mushrooms as food vs. mushrooms as medicine [4:27]
   • Eastern traditions of culinary and medicinal mushrooms [6:51]
   • Beta-glucans and other dietary properties of mushrooms [8:28]
3. What is a mushroom? How do mushrooms grown? [11:44]
   • Are all mushroom extracts produced the same? [14:20]
   • How are mushroom supplements regulated by the FDA? [16:42]
4. Why are some medicinal mushrooms so expensive? [21:36]
   • Wildcraft vs. cultivated mushrooms [25:29]
5. Questions from the community
   • What should a consumer look for when choosing a mushroom-based supplement? [30:06]
   • Which mushrooms are best for the immune system? [31:06]
   • How are mushrooms cultivated? Is mushroom cultivation sustainable? [33:42]
   • With so many medicinal mushroom types out there, what’s the best mushroom to try first? [41:22]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about Jeff Chilton’s work at com and at RealMushrooms.com
• Medicinal Mushrooms – Immune Support and a Lot More
• How Mushrooms Benefit Athletic Performance and Optimal Wellness
• Meet the Greens, from Ashwagandha to Zinc: Mushrooms, Antioxidants, and More
• What Are Adaptogens and Why Should You Care?
• Meet the Botanicals in Pre-Workout Elite
• Research Extracts: Lion’s Mane Mushroom for Cognitive and Stress Support
• From the podcast archives: Food as Medicine, with Trifecta's Greg Connolly

Products mentioned in this episode: Myco-Immune, Daily Greens Plus, Pre-Workout Elite, VeganPro Complex® – Chocolate, VeganPro Complex® – Vanilla

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Podcast Rewind: Defying Gravity: Astronaut Health and Your Genes

Note: This episode originally aired in October 2022.  

Dr. Chris Mason, professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, as he tells the story of his collaboration with NASA on the famous Twins Study and its implications for the future of human health, genetics, and interplanetary travel.  

During this episode you’ll learn about:  

1. Dr. Chris Mason, professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine [00:00:53]

2. Dr. Mason’s first research mission with NASA [3:48] 

• How space and gravity affected astronaut Scott Kelly [4:28] 
• What is genetic malleability? [8:54] 

3. How many genes do humans have? [10:14] 

• The cost to test a whole genome [12:39] 

4. Thorne’s Biological Age Test, modifying your own genetic expression with lifestyle changes [16:01] 

5. Concern over the scientific possibility of altering genetic expression with technology [18:52] 

6. Questions from the community [23:38] 

• How sterile are the inside of spaceships, and is there such thing as being “too clean” for astronauts? [23:45] 
• Is space itself sterile? [26:03] 
• What TV show most accurately depicts life in space? Space nutrition? [27:11] 
• Do people age at different rates because they’re in space, and can supplements impact how people age? [29:51] 
• When are humans going to Mars, and how will we get our nutrition there? [34:24] 
• What has the space program taught us about the value of supplements? Do astronauts take them now? [35:46]  
• Are astronauts getting less nutrition from the dehydrated foods they eat? [36:53] 
• Will humans find a mineral in space that could someday be used for human health? [38:07] 
• Is there intelligent life out in space? [39:27] 

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:  

• GENCODE 
• One Giant Leap: What Space Travel Has Taught Us About Health on Earth 
• Research Extracts: NASA’s Twins Study | PCOS and Microbiome | Blueberries for Pain Reduction 
• How Does Thorne’s Biological Age Test Work? 
• What’s Your Actual Age? Chronological vs. Biological Age 
• Assess Your Biological Age With Thorne's Biological Age Health Panel 

• Why It’s Important to Take Methylate While Taking Nicotinamide Riboside 
• What Can a Microbiome Test Tell You That a Genetic Test Can’t? 
• From the podcast archive:  

• Onegevity with Joel Dudley and Chris Mason 
• What You’ll Learn From Biological Age Testing 
• How to Solve an Age-Old Problem, with Dr. Lee Hood 

Products mentioned in this episode: Biological Age Health Panel, FloraMend Prime Probiotic®, Prebiotic +, Niacel® 400, Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe 

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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. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  

How to Coach Healthy Habits to Esports Athletes

What unique health needs do video game players have? We talk to Team Liquid’s Tanner Curtis, aka 7Teen, and Brian Canavan, aka BSJ, who share tips for coaching the esports athlete and explain how they're challenging stereotypes of health and wellness in the gaming world.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Tanner “7Teen” Curtis and Brian “BSJ” Canavan, from Team Liquid [1:12]
   • Tanner Curtis’ journey from the Air Force to coaching online gamers [1:50]
   • Brian Canavan, engineering student-turned-professional streamer [4:02]
2. The role of nutrition for esports athletes and video game players [7:33]
3. 3 pillars of a video gamer’s health: Movement, sunlight, hydration [11:35]
   • How to train gamers to listen to their bodies [13:34]
4. How to coach video games: Focus on the person, not the player [17:00]
5. Healthy habits for video game players and what supplements gamers should take [20:32]
6. Questions from the community
   • How old is too old to be a gamer? [27:11]
   • How do you separate gaming-as-hobby from gaming-as-work? [29:15]
   • Can you be healthy and be a gamer? [33:51]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more at Thorne’s partnership with Team Liquid.
• Visit Team Liquid.com or follow Team Liquid on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
• Connect with Tanner “7Teen” Curtis, senior performance coach for Team Liquid, on Instagram and Twitter.
• Connect with Brian “BSJ” Canavan, streamer analyst coach for Team Liquid, on Twitch, YouTube and Twitter.
• Brain Games: A Primer On Nutrition And Supplementation For Esports Athletes
• Thorne and Team Liquid Announce Partnership for Esports
• Common Hydration Mistakes You Might Be Making
• Soaking Up the Sun: Should You Supplement Vitamin D Year-Round?
• Lights Out! 5 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Sleep Quality
• What is Blue Light and How Does It Affect Me?
• From the podcast archives: The Gamer's Diet, with Dietitian Casey Thomas

Products mentioned in this episode: Sleep +, Thorne Protein Powders, Vitamin D; at-home health test kits from Thorne – Vitamin D Test, Sleep Test.

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Food as Medicine, with Trifecta’s Greg Connolly

Can subscription meal delivery services change how we think about health care? Greg Connolly, CEO and founder of Trifecta, joins the podcast to discuss how to rethink the food supply chain, tips for helping kids choose better foods, and why prescription food may be the future of medicine. 

During this episode you’ll learn about: 

1. Greg Connolly, founder and CEO of Trifecta, a health-focused meal delivery service [1:31] 
2. Why is unhealthy eating so common in the U.S.? [4:19] 
   • The 3 big obstacles to healthy eating: [7:04] 
3. What is the best diet plan? [8:18] 
4. “Skip the kid’s menu”: How to improve taste preference and help kids choose healthy food [13:21] 
5. Trifecta’s tricks for flavorful meals built on macros [16:12] 
   • Recipe R&D and the Trifecta test kitchen [17:47] 
   • Food logistics: How Trifecta capitalizes on food supply chains to deliver fresh meals [21:50] 
6. Questions from the community
   • Does Trifecta align with the Mediterranean diet? [25:12]
   • Why should someone use a meal delivery service like Trifecta? [27:25]
   • What is meant by “food is medicine”? Should doctors prescribe food to people who are sick? [32:37]
   • How does Trifecta personalize its meal delivery service? [37:50] 

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode: 

• Learn more at TrifectaNutrition.com or follow Trifecta on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. For 50% off your first order from Trifecta, use code THORNE50. 
• Connect with Greg Connolly on Instagram. 
• Thorne Partners with Trifecta: Personalized Nutrition Just Got Tastier  
• Why We Should Rethink The Western Diet  
• Picky Eater? How to Add Vegetables to Your Child's Diet 
• What is a Modified Mediterranean Diet? 
• 9 Must-Try Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner Recipes for a Mediterranean Diet 
• What is the Ketogenic Diet?  
• Reformulate Your Regimen: Nutrients for a Ketogenic Diet 
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Keto Diet and Paleo Diet 
• Your Guide to Several of Today’s Most Popular Diets 
• The Six Best Supplements for Healthy Weight According to a Registered Dietician 
• From the podcast archives: What's Wrong with the Standard American Diet; Performance Cooking with Trifecta's Chef Mario; The Gamer's Diet, with Dietitian Casey Thomas 
• Visit thorne.health/pod to fill out a quick survey about the podcast! 

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What’s wrong with the Standard American Diet (Rebroadcast)

Note: This episode originally aired in January 2022.  

The Standard American Diet (or SAD) is one that’s typically high in unhealthy carbs, sugars, and fats – while also deficient in many important micronutrients. Discover healthy alternatives to the SAD diet, along with some strategies for making healthy eating choices around the holidays.  

During this episode you’ll learn about:  

• What is the Standard American Diet? (SAD) [2:17] 

• High in refined carbs, unhealthy fats, sugars [2:34]  

• How the SAD diet become standard [3:03] 
• Views on fat [5:30] 
• The changing views on sugar [6:47] 

• Low fat led to high carb/sugar [8:43] 

• Healthier alternatives to SAD diet [10:00] 

• Mediterranean diet [10:30] 
• Whole foods diet [11:18] 

• Eating around the holidays [12:20] 

• Taste receptors [13:45] 
• Holiday eating strategies [15:35] 

• Supplements and the Standard American Diet [16:49] 

• Deficiencies in the Standard American Diet [18:00] 

• Questions from the community [20:00] 

• Can supplements help replace missing nutrients from a poor diet? [20:10] 
• How does dairy fit into the Standard American Diet? [24:00] 

• Lactose intolerance [25:30] 
• Eating organic [28:00] 

• Choosing fish [30:40] 
• What healthy, affordable options are there for fruits and vegetables? [33:03] 
• Are there any healthy preservatives we can use in our foods? [37:00] 

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:  

• What is a Modified Mediterranean Diet? 

• Your Guide to Several of Today’s Most Popular Diets 
• Why We Should Rethink The Western Diet 
• 10 Simple Recipes Ideas For a Whole Food Diet 
• The Six Best Supplements for Healthy Weight According to a Registered Dietician 
• Preventing Metabolic Syndrome with Diet: What the Research Tells Us 
• How to Create a Men’s Health Diet Plan 
• Thorne Partners with Trifecta: Personalized Nutrition Just Got Tastier 
• Picky Eater? How to Add Vegetables to Your Child's Diet 
• Why Am I Craving Sweets? 
• Carbs and Gut Health: The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Ugly 

From the podcast archives: 

• Weight Management - Diet 
• The Wahls Diet and Autoimmune Disorders 
• New Approaches to Kids’ Nutrition 
• The Gamer's Diet, with Dietitian Casey Thomas 
• Performance Cooking with Trifecta's Chef Mario 

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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. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  

 

How the Stress Test Works: Results and Insights

What is stress? How are the adrenal glands involved? Dr. Amanda Frick, Thorne’s Vice President of Medical Affairs, rejoins podcast host Dr. Robert Rountree to discuss how Thorne’s at-home Stress Test measures cortisol and DHEA hormones and to share their personal results from taking the Stress Test.  

During this episode you’ll learn about: 

1. Dr. Amanda Frick explains: What is stress? What does Thorne’s Stress Test measure? [2:26] 

• What do adrenal glands have to do with the body’s stress response? [4:19] 
• Cortisol and DHEA – the body’s stress hormones [6:20] 

2. How to take Thorne’s Stress Test – a salvia-collection kit [7:51] 

3. Dr. Frick’s Stress Test results 

• Cortisol levels and what elevated cortisol means [11:39] 
• DHEA levels and the effect on hormones [14:44] 
• Diet and lifestyle recommendations based on Dr. Frick’s results [15:51] 

4. Dr. Robert Rountree’s Stress Test results 

• Elevated cortisol at night [17:58] 

• DHEA and biological age [19:45] 

5. Diet and lifestyle recommendations based on Dr. Rountree’s results [20:41] 

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode: 

• Watch Dr. Amanda Frick and Dr. Robert Rountree go over their results. 
• Connect with Dr. Frick on LinkedIn 
• Thorne’s Medical Affairs Team: Turning Science Into Education  
• Are Your Stress Levels Under Control? 
• Understanding High Cortisol Levels: Symptoms, Causes, and Regulation  
• The 7 Best Supplements to Better Manage Stress 
• Body Basics: What Are Adrenal Glands and What Do They Do? 
• How Stress Affects the Body 
• Why You Should Reconsider that Morning Cup of Coffee  
• What is a Modified Mediterranean Diet?  
• Read more from Dr. Amanda Frick at Take 5 Daily 
• From the podcast archives:  

• What is Stress and How It Affects the Body  
• The Thyroid Test: What to Expect and How It Works 
• What Do My Sleep Test Results Mean? 
• How to Digest Your Gut Health Test Results 
• The Secrets to Healthy Skin 

Products mentioned in this episode: Stress Test and Biological Age Health Panel – explore all of Thorne’s health tests; Phosphatidylserine (formerly Iso-Phos); Moducare® 

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What is Stress and How It Affects the Body

Stress affects everyone differently. Returning to The Thorne Podcast is guest Dr. Joel Evans, who answers the question “What is stress?” and explores how different types of stress can help – or harm – the body. In this episode, you’ll discover mind-body practices for stress management.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Joel Evans explains “What is stress?” – good stress vs. bad stress [0:55]
   • Prenatal psychology: Does stress during pregnancy affect the baby in utero? [5:42]
2. Can someone be “sensitive” to stress? How does a lithium deficiency affect stress management? How do you measure in utero stress during pregnancy? [7:32]
3. What does chronic stress do to the body? [12:16]
4. Mind-body interventions for patients with chronic stress [14:54]
5. Questions from the community
   • Why does stress cause weight gain? [22:07]
   • What hormone is responsible for stress? [23:54]
   • Are there natural foods or medicines that can help reduce stress? [25:40]
   • Besides yoga or meditation, what stress-management practices can I follow? [27:35]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Center for Mind-Body Medicine
• Are Your Stress Levels Under Control?
• Managing Stress When Trying to Conceive
• How Stress Affects the Body
• Stress and Weight Gain: What’s the Connection?
• Easy Ways to Decrease Stress at Work
• The 7 Best Supplements to Better Manage Stress
• 6 Things to Know Before Buying a Hemp Product
• What is GABA and What is it Used for?
• Understanding High Cortisol Levels: Symptoms, Causes, and Regulation
• From the podcast archives, with Dr. Joel Evans: All About the Thyroid, the Body's ‘Sentinel Gland’

Products mentioned in this episode: Stress Test – an easy at-home health test; Phosphatidylserine (formerly Iso Phos); PharmaGABA; Hemp Oil +; Stress Management Bundle – Stress B-Complex, Stress Balance, PharmaGABA-250

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What is Metabolism? with Dr. Stephen Phipps

Metabolism is a complex process of turning the food you eat into energy for the body. Dr. Stephen Phipps, Thorne’s Chief Innovation Officer, joins podcast host Dr. Robert Rountree to answer all your questions about metabolism and explains the truth behind supplements, like berberine, for weight management.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Stephen Phipps explains what metabolism is and where it occurs in the body [0:54]
2. Why metabolism is not just calorie counting – and what the microbiome has to do with it [4:39]
3. The truth behind berberine for weight-loss support and why it isn’t “nature’s Ozempic” [10:15]
4. How to build an individualized strategy to diagnosing metabolic issues [15:04]
5. Questions from the community
   • What are the side effects of taking metabolic supplements long-term? [21:54]
   • Why do different people need different metabolism supplements? [24:57]
   • What are the most effective supplements to help boost metabolism? [27:20]
   • Are patients too concerned with weight and metabolism? [32:25]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• 20 Surprising Things that Can Affect Your Weight
• What Effect Does Calorie Restriction Have on the Brain?
• Metabolic Syndrome – What is it and What Causes it?
• A Botanical with Even More Benefits: Berberine Got an Upgrade
• The Deep Dive: An Exploration of Blue Zones and Human Longevity
• Caffeine and Heart Health: A Benefit or a Risk?
• Thorne’s 2-week Weight Management Program

Products mentioned in this episode: Berberine, Curcumin Phytosome, Metabolic Health – with bergamot and turmeric, Gut Health Test, Quercetin Complex, Alpha-Lipoic Acid

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Science Behind the Scenes with Dr. Stephen Phipps

Dr. Stephen Phipps, ND, PhD, Thorne’s Chief Innovation Officer, returns to the podcast to answer your questions about how Thorne products are formulated. Join podcast host Dr. Robert Rountree on the journey of a Thorne supplement, from idea and prototype to clinical study and customers’ homes.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Returning guest – Dr. Stephen Phipps, Thorne’s Chief Innovation Officer [0:55]
2. Behind the science: How Thorne designs its supplements [3:18]
   • Scientific solutions from natural ingredients [6:45]
   • From idea to prototype to clinical study [9:33]
   • Thorne’s partnerships in clinical trials [12:22]
3. How long does Thorne take to formulate its products? [14:48]
4. Sourcing sustainable ingredients with minimal ecological impact [15:53]
5. The benefits of Thorne’ multiple rounds of testing on ingredients and products [19:57]
6. Questions from the community
   • What exactly is a vitamin, and how is it different from a mineral? [25:30]
   • What are some Thorne products delivered in capsules and others as loose powders? [29:29]
   • Why does Thorne reformulate products that are already on the market? [33:14]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Stephen Phipps, ND, PHD, on LinkedIn
• The ‘Lifecycle’ of Thorne Products with Stephen Phipps, Chief Innovation Officer
• Better Products for a Better Future, with Stephen Phipps, Chief Innovation Officer
• What Inspires Us to Innovate, with Mario Roxas, Director of Research and Development
• 3 Things You Should Know About Sustainability at Thorne
• Product Quality: Thorne's Defining Characteristic
• From the podcast archives, with Dr. Stephen Phipps:
  • Navigating the Science Behind Botanical Extracts
  • New Approaches to Kids’ Nutrition

Products mentioned in this episode: Rhodiola, SynaQuell™, Berberine, Magnesium CitraMate, Magnesium Bisglycinate, Quercetin Phytosome, NAC

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Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can also learn more about the topics in the episode by checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.

 

How to Coach Sports Nutrition to Teen Athletes

Teenage athletes have unique nutrient needs. Shawn Pitcher, sports dietitian, joins this Performance Edition of the podcast to talk about how to coach healthy eating habits to today’s teens.

Editor’s note: At the time of this episode’s recording, Shawn Pitcher was a Sports Dietitian at Overtime Elite. He has since changed companies and is now the Director of Professional Development at SHPN: Sports and Human Performance Nutrition.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Shawn Pitcher, sports dietitian for youth athletes [0:34]
2. High-performance nutrition for high-school athletes: What do coaches and dietitians overlook? [2:05]
3. How data and testing can help determine what an athlete needs [5:25]
4. Advice for coaches on how to communicate health topics to youth athletes [8:33]
5. What a foundation in nutrition means for an athlete’s longevity [12:34]
6. Assessing an athlete’s nutritional supplement needs [17:35]
7. Questions from the community
   • At what age is it OK to start weightlifting? [20:28]
   • Should teen athletes be bulking up? How does a growing athlete bulk up? [22:23]
   • What are some dietary and training red flags for youth athletes? [25:47]
   • Are selective diets like veganism and vegetarianism right for youth athletes? [28:50]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Find all the links to Shawn Pitcher’s projects here, including his Roots podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok
• com and SHPN: Sports and Human Performance Nutrition
• Tips to Help Kids Make Healthy Food Choices
• Nutrition 101: Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
• The Dangerous Effects of Under-Fueling: Energy Deficiency in Sport
• Importance of Good Nutrition for Young Female Athletes

Products mentioned in this episode: Pre-Workout Elite; Creatine; Vitamin D Test; Collagen; Training Bundle – Creatine, Amino Complex, Beta Alanine-SR; Youth Bundle – Catalyte, FloraSport 20B®, Basic Nutrients 2/Day, Super EPA

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Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can also learn more about the topics in the episode by checking out the latest news, videos, and stories on Thorne’s Take 5 Daily blog.