"This Causes Disease Most Doctors Can't Treat!" - How Big Pharma & The Food Industry Fools You
Added: May 14, 2024
In this podcast episode, Casey Means and Dr. Callie Means, two healthcare professionals, share why they are deeply concerned about the current state of health in the United States. They highlight the alarming increase in chronic illnesses and the failure of the healthcare system to address the root causes of these issues. The guests emphasize the importance of metabolic health and how our cells are struggling to function in the modern world due to metabolic dysfunction.Key takeaways
The current healthcare system often focuses on symptom management rather than addressing the root causes of diseases, particularly metabolic dysfunction at the cellular level.
Chronic diseases have become a profitable business for the healthcare industry, with economic incentives driving a focus on medication over lifestyle interventions.
Metabolic health is crucial for overall well-being, with cellular health playing a significant role in preventing chronic illnesses.
There is a significant influence of pharmaceutical companies on medical research, guidelines, and narratives, which can hinder the adoption of non-drug interventions.
The consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to an increase in calorie intake and weight gain, highlighting the importance of whole foods for metabolic health.
Shifting Focus to Cellular Health
Casey shares a personal experience from her time as a head and neck surgeon, where she realized that the surgeries she was performing were not addressing the underlying physiology causing her patients' diseases. This realization led her to leave the surgical world and embark on a journey to understand what truly makes people sick. She emphasizes the need to shift the focus from symptom management to addressing metabolic dysfunction at the cellular level.
The Profitable Business of Chronic Diseases
Dr. Callie delves into the economic incentives driving the healthcare industry, pointing out that chronic diseases have become a profitable business model. He explains how chronic conditions have become the primary focus of medical spending, leading to a rise in chronic illnesses among the population. He highlights the financial interests at play, with pharmaceutical companies funding research, media, medical organizations, and politicians to maintain the status quo.
Empowering Individuals Through Cellular Health
The guests challenge the notion that solving chronic illnesses is a complex and long-term endeavor, advocating for a simpler approach rooted in meeting the needs of our cells. They stress the importance of trusting our body's signals and intuition when it comes to making health decisions. They encourage individuals to take ownership of their health by utilizing tools like wearables, bio sensors, and direct-to-consumer lab testing to understand how their choices impact their health in real time.
Challenging Pharmaceutical Industry Influence
Casey and Dr. Callie address the misinformation and attacks faced by individuals who seek to educate themselves and take control of their health through research and alternative sources of information. They highlight the influence of pharmaceutical companies on academic research, media narratives, and medical guidelines, shaping the discourse around health interventions and treatments.
Critique of Gold Standard Research
The guests provide a critical analysis of the gold standard in research, pointing out the limitations of double-blind placebo-controlled studies in evaluating non-drug interventions like diet and exercise. They reveal how the design of these studies inherently favors drug-based solutions, perpetuating a cycle of pharmaceutical dependence in healthcare.
Conflict of Interest in Obesity Treatment
Dr. Callie shares a case study involving the promotion of injectable anorexia as a frontline defense against obesity in children, funded by pharmaceutical companies like Novo Nordisk. He exposes the conflicts of interest within the medical and academic communities, where financial ties influence the narrative around health interventions and treatments.
Casey's Journey to Understanding Chronic Inflammation
Casey shares her personal journey of questioning the root causes of chronic inflammatory conditions she was treating as an ear, nose, and throat doctor. She realized that chronic inflammation is the body's response to perceived threats, and that many modern lifestyle factors contribute to this state of chronic inflammation. She emphasizes the role of mitochondria, the energy-producing factories of cells, in responding to these threats and how mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to a range of health issues.
Shift Towards Metabolic Health
The conversation touches on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it exposed the flaws in public health policies that focused on pharmaceutical solutions rather than addressing underlying metabolic health issues. Dr. Callie criticizes the response to the pandemic as a public policy mistake and emphasizes the need for a shift towards prioritizing metabolic health through lifestyle interventions.
Addressing Metabolic Health Simply
Casey emphasizes the simplicity of addressing metabolic health through basic pillars such as sleep, exercise, stress management, toxin exposure reduction, and healthy nutrition. She likens the body's response to metabolic dysfunction to a baby crying for its needs to be met, highlighting the importance of listening to the body's signals and addressing root causes rather than just treating symptoms.
Casey shares her personal experience of prioritizing good energy over bad energy by making changes in her own life, such as improving her diet, getting more sleep, and reducing stress. She reflects on the impact of her lifestyle changes on her health and emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach to metabolic health.
Limitations of Traditional Medicine
Casey emphasizes the importance of lifestyle factors in promoting health and well-being, which she did not learn about in medical school. She highlights the limitations of the traditional medical system in addressing the underlying causes of chronic illnesses and the overreliance on medications to manage symptoms. Dr. Callie discusses the concept of the "trifecta of bad energy," which includes chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, as the root causes of many health issues.
Significance of Key Biomarkers
They stress the significance of understanding and interpreting key biomarkers related to metabolic health, such as triglycerides, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, waist circumference, and blood pressure. They explain how these biomarkers can provide insights into the presence of chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the body. Casey recommends specific lab tests like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein for inflammation, gamma-glutamyl transferase for oxidative stress, and fasting insulin and triglycerides for mitochondrial dysfunction.
Recognizing Early Warning Signs
Dr. Callie emphasizes the importance of recognizing early warning signs from the body, such as infertility, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and mental health issues, as indicators of metabolic dysfunction. He highlights the need for a shift in the healthcare system towards addressing root cause physiology and focusing on lifestyle interventions rather than relying solely on medications.
Processed Foods and Addiction
The guests also touches upon the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods and the role of food companies in creating products designed to increase consumption. They criticize the current dietary guidelines that promote the consumption of processed foods and sugar, leading to a rise in chronic diseases and obesity.
Instead, they advocate for a reduction in ultra-processed food consumption as a fundamental step towards improving public health. They suggest that prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods and limiting the intake of processed foods could have a significant impact on reducing chronic diseases and improving overall well-being.
Casey discusses a study by Kevin Hall at the NIH, which compared the effects of ultra-processed foods versus whole foods on calorie consumption and weight gain. The study found that participants consuming ultra-processed foods consumed 500 more calories per day and gained weight, while those on a whole foods diet did not experience the same increase in calorie intake or weight gain.
The Connection Between Food Choices and Metabolic Health
The guests also touch on the importance of understanding the connection between food choices and metabolic health. They explain how nutrient-sensing cells in the gut release satiety hormones when they detect the nutrients they need, leading to a feeling of fullness and reduced cravings. By choosing whole foods rich in nutrients, individuals can support their metabolic health and avoid overeating.
Managing Blood Sugar and Cravings
Casey emphasizes the impact of glucose spikes on cravings and calorie consumption, noting that stabilizing blood sugar levels through whole foods can help prevent postprandial crashes that lead to increased cravings for high-sugar foods. She also highlights the role of the microbiome in regulating hunger and satiety, pointing out that fiber and polyphenols from colorful fruits and vegetables can support the production of hormones that reduce hunger.
Embracing a Holistic Health Approach
The guests stress the need for a holistic approach to health that includes factors like environment, sunlight, fresh air, movement, and community connections. They advocate for a shift towards a more interconnected view of health, recognizing the interdependence between individuals, their bodies, and the world around them. By fostering connections with others, supporting metabolic health, and embracing the cycles of life and death, individuals can work towards a healthier future for themselves and the planet.
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