Believing Anecdotes and the Dunning-Kruger Effect

Episode #294. Hit the ground running in 2024 by pressing play on this must-listen episode. Hear the most valuable insights from 19 guests of The Proof, all packed into one episode that brings you the best of each one. 2023 was absolutely loaded with expert advice from some of the best researchers and practitioners in the world, and this episode combines many of them to bring you a powerful tool to have in your arsenal.

This episode will take you on a curated journey through 2023’s most important moments, including the must-knows about nutrition, fats, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, cancer and nutrition, and gut health.

You’ll hear from: Dr Alan Flanagan, Dr Ayesha Sherzai, Dr Christopher Gardner, Dr Dena Sherzai, Dr Gil Carvalho, Dr Inigo San Millan, Dr Joel Fuhrman, Dr Krystle Zuniga, Dr Matthew Nagra, Dr Mohammed Alo, Dr Neil Iyengar, Dr Philip Calder, Dr Roy Taylor, Dr Stephan Guyenet, Dr Suzanne Devkota, Dr Thomas Dayspring, Dr Urvi Shah, Dr Walter Willet, and Dr Will Bulsiewicz.

We discuss:

• Intro (00:00)
• The dangers of misinformation (01:30)
• Which Foods Should You Eat to Stay Healthy? (05:17)
• Does the Quality of Foods Matter? (07:38)
• The Impact of the Average American Diet on Health (09:28)
• Do We Have Sufficient Evidence on How Nutrition Impacts Our Health? (12:04)
• How different diets measure up to health guidelines (15:11)
• Practical insights for doctors and patients (23:08)
• Saturated fat misunderstandings: Is saturated fat bad? (25:32)
• Understanding Essential Fats: Why are They Vital? (30:18)
• Low Conversion Rates: From ALA to EPA & DHA Explained (34:29)
• The Importance of Monitoring Omega 6 Intake (39:52)
• Keeping the brain healthy with omega 3 fatty acids (43:45)
• Biochemical Analysis in Three Cohort Observations of Walter Willet's Studies (56:54)
• Are Low-Fat Diets Good for Cardiovascular Health? (01:02:12)
• Polyunsaturated Fats and Cardiovascular Disease (01:04:14)
• Benefits of Switching from Saturated Fat to Unsaturated Fats (01:09:51)
• Which popular diets are truly heart-healthy? (01:10:23)
• Atherosclerosis and the role of lipids (01:18:22)
• The tests helpful in predicting cardiovascular disease risk (01:31:24)
• Cardiac Imaging: Understanding Imaging Tests (01:43:34)
• Can we take drugs that raise HDL to lower cardiovascular disease risk? (01:52:17)
• Metabolic Health, Mitochondria, and Nutrition (02:00:37)
• Twin cycle hypothesis (02:07:17)
• Linking Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Type 2 Diabetes (02:18:56)
• How Weight Reduction Can Be Revolutionary in Reversing Diabetes (02:31:36)
• Main drivers of type 2 diabetes (02:38:56)
• The role of nutrition in cancer treatment (02:45:56)
• Plant-based diet vs ketogenic diet (02:50:12)
• Can food act as medicine? (02:55:54)\
• Nutrition priorities during cancer treatment (03:05:36)
• Dietary patterns and FODMAP intolerance (03:08:33)
• Effects of antibiotics to gut the microbiome (03:16:41)
• Analysing Kevin Hall's Research: Plant-Based Diet vs. Alternative Diets (03:23:37)
• Outro (03:33:38)

To connect with this episode’s featured guests, head to the full show notes. Make sure to keep an eye out for part two of this series.

Sponsors:

If you want to improve your health, you need to measure where you’re currently at. InsideTracker analyses up to 48 blood biomarkers including ApoB, LDL, HDL, A1C, and more before giving you advice to optimise your health. Get a 20% discount on your first order at insidetracker.com/simon.

Eimele Essential 8 is a comprehensive multivitamin that is scientifically formulated to complement your plant-rich diet, increase and sustain your energy, support the immune system, as well as heart and brain health. Head to Eimele.com and use code SIMON at checkout for 10% off your first order.

Whoop, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon.