DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Nick Norwitz, a Harvard medical student who holds a PhD from Oxford in metabolism and nutrition. Norwitz discusses his research into the effects of a ketogenic diet on cholesterol levels, specifically a phenomenon he calls 'lean mass hyper responders' where lean, healthy individuals experience a significant increase in LDL cholesterol when following a low-carb, ketogenic diet. He explains the lipid energy model that underpins this response and details his controversial experiment comparing the cholesterol-lowering effects of eating Oreos versus taking a statin drug.
Norwitz's Oreo vs. statin experiment found that eating 12 Oreos per day for 16 days lowered his LDL cholesterol by a staggering 71%, more than twice the reduction seen with a 6-week statin regimen. He argues that for lean mass hyper responders, reintroducing carbs may be a better approach than medication for managing high cholesterol induced by very low-carb diets. The episode covers pushback from the medical community, the potential metabolic benefits of alternative sweeteners like allulose, and Norwitz's perspectives on addressing flaws in the current healthcare system.
Throughout the interview, Norwitz emphasizes the need for more research into metabolic health and unique metabolic phenotypes like lean mass hyper responders. He expresses frustration with suppression of new ideas in academia and a lack of funding for nutrition research that could yield important clinical insights. The episode illustrates how social media can amplify unconventional scientific theories and drive grassroots interest in underexplored areas of study.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Lean, metabolically healthy individuals can paradoxically experience very high LDL cholesterol levels when following a low-carb, ketogenic diet - a phenomenon called 'lean mass hyper responders'.
- Nick Norwitz's experiment found that eating 12 Oreos per day lowered his LDL cholesterol by 71%, more than twice as much as a 6-week statin regimen.
- For lean mass hyper responders, reintroducing carbs may be a better approach than medication for managing cholesterol spikes induced by very low-carb diets.
- There is a lack of research and funding for studying unique metabolic phenotypes and personalized nutrition approaches.
- Norwitz advocates using social media to amplify unconventional scientific ideas and generate grassroots interest to drive more research in underexplored areas like metabolic health.
- The healthcare system often suppresses or ignores new data that contradicts conventional wisdom, highlighting the need for more open-minded investigation of surprising observations.
- Alternative sweeteners like allulose may have metabolic benefits beyond just being low-calorie sugar substitutes.
- Rigorous self-experimentation can advance scientific understanding, but provocative findings should be interpreted cautiously pending further validation.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And when push comes to shove, perception and impact are really what matter. So it's worth being reflective about, you know, is what I'm doing actually benefiting people, or is it having harm and try to leave ego when you're at the door, when you're reflecting on that.“ by Nick Norwitz
- “Point being, there are a lot of unknowns here and I think it's always appropriate to delineate what is the boundary of the known and then ask questions further.“ by Nick Norwitz
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Episode Information
Danny Jones Podcast
Danny Jones
2/5/24
Nick Norwitz is an MD student at Harvard, & holds a PhD from Oxford in metabolism and nutrition.
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EPISODE LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/@nicknorwitzPhD
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OUTLINE
00:00 - Nick's medical situation
07:02 - Ketogenic diet science
10:49 - Health industry contradictions
15:03 - Nutrition documentaries
20:12 - 500 LDL on low carb diet
23:41 - Lean mass hyper responder
34:43 - Evidence carbohydrates reduce cholesterol
36:50 - Oreo VS Statin Experiment
49:15 - Backlash from medical community
53:34 - Oreos vs Statin test results
01:11:03 - Adding carbs to Ketogenic diet
01:14:08 - Seed oils; polyunsaturated fats
01:16:02 - Risk profiles for heart disease
01:22:47 - Arterial plaque in fit people with high cholesterol
01:26:49 - ApoB & LP(a)
01:29:29 - Misconceptions about Keto
01:33:29 - Expanding the LMHR study
01:35:37 - Harvard Medical school
01:37:47 - Broken medical system
01:39:40 - Misinformation in medical journals
01:53:59 - GLP-1 fat loss meds
01:59:29 - Weight lifting affects on LDL
02:07:20 - Cardio effects on LDL
02:08:06 - Neuro-protective effects of Keto
02:10:53 - DARPA's interest in Keto diet
02:14:39 - Allulose: Healthy sugar?
02:21:17 - Diet Coke