“Insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1 for short, is a protein that plays critical roles in major growth pathways in the human body. It influences nearly every tissue in the body, especially developmental growth, skeletal muscle and neurons.”
“And one potential strategy for mitigating our risk for Alzheimer's disease as we age is a "cognoscopy" – a battery of assessments that measures some of the key biomarkers associated with the disease and can inform the trajectory of treatment.”
“Poor sleep reduces the body's insulin sensitivity and changes a person's appetite, increasing the preference for high carbohydrate foods like pizza, pasta, and sweets. Lack of sleep also alters the gut microbiota and impairs immunity, putting us at risk for developing acute illnesses like colds and flu.”
“Zinc is an essential nutrient that participates in many biological processes and plays critical roles in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, cell division, and brain health.”
“While infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus shares symptoms with the common cold and influenza such as sore throat, cough, and runny nose, there are critical differences in the severity and duration of COVID-19 illness.”
“Circadian rhythms play key roles in metabolic health and ultimately influence body weight, performance, and susceptibility to diseases like diabetes and cancer. Aligning food intake with circadian rhythms can improve many aspects of metabolic health.”
“In this Aliquot, we share a variety of segments from different interviews covering some of the unconventional effects of omega-3 fatty acids and how to overcome some of the roadblocks to obtaining these effects.”
“Although alcohol may help us feel calm and ready to sleep, it has surprising effects on REM sleep and maybe our waking behaviors too. In this Aliquot, Dr. Matthew Walker, Tim Ferriss, and I discuss some of the risks and surprising effects of alcohol on human health and behavior.”
“Roughly one-quarter of people living in the US carry a genetic variant of the apolipoprotein E gene, called APOE4, the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Many lifestyle behaviors can mitigate risk, especially sleep hygiene, which provides an opportunity to rid the brain of toxic metabolic byproducts that can contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk.”
“But what does the science say? In this Aliquot, Dr. Jed Fahey and I discuss the pros and cons of eating meat as well as the confounding factors that may influence the risks associated with meat consumption.”