Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+

Ep. 525 We’ve Been Misled About Metabolic Health – The Shocking Truth About Cholesterol, GLP-1 & Aging with Dr. Nick Norwitz

Dec 3, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Nick Norwitz—a metabolism and medicine expert with credentials from Oxford and Harvard—shares his journey overcoming inflammatory bowel disease through a ketogenic diet. He delves into how statins may lower GLP-1 and potentially lead to insulin resistance, and why this critical research has flown under the radar. Nick emphasizes personalized medicine, urging curiosity and individual experimentation. He also highlights insights on aging and provides practical tips for optimizing metabolic health.

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INSIGHT

Incentives Shape Evidence

Evidence-based care can reflect institutional incentives, not necessarily optimal patient outcomes.
Nick urges inspecting incentive structures shaping which studies get funded and followed up.

ANECDOTE

Ketogenic Diet Saved His Life

Nick Norwitz recovered from severe ulcerative colitis using a ketogenic diet when standard care failed him.
That experience shaped his view that evidence-based care doesn't always equal best care for every patient.

INSIGHT

Statins Lower GLP‑1 And Raise Glucose

A Cell Metabolism human RCT showed statins increase blood sugar, insulin resistance and dramatically lower endogenous GLP-1.
The finding is mechanistically consistent and clinically important despite limited media and academic attention.

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I am thrilled to reconnect with Nick Norwitz today. Nick is a researcher and educator with a mission to make metabolic health a mainstream concern. He graduated valedictorian from Dartmouth College, completed his PhD in metabolism at the University of Oxford, and earned his MD at Harvard Medical School. He has become known as a clinical researcher and metabolic health educator, speaking and writing on various topics, including brain health, microbiome, mitochondrial function, cholesterol, and more.

In our conversation, we discuss the challenges of providing evidence-based medicine, and Nick shares his personal story of overcoming inflammatory bowel disease with a ketogenic diet. We explore the research on statins reducing endogenous GLP-1 production, highlighting the importance of staying curious. We also clarify the different types of type 2 diabetes, the effects of biomolecular aging, and different perspectives on Lp(a).

Nick always provides thoughtful and valuable insights on a range of topics. His Substack is one of my favorites, sharing several ways to enhance your learning process, as a clinician or a layperson.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How his struggle with inflammatory bowel disease led Nick to realize that the evidence-based care of western medicine is not always the best type of care, and how a ketogenic diet saved his life
How a recent study highlighted several major physical issues statins cause, yet it went largely unnoticed in medicine and the media
The need for clinicians to inform their patients about the potential side effects of their medications
How physicians tend to ignore evidence in favor of one-sided messaging that erodes trust and undermines informed care
The importance of remaining curious and acknowledging that what you learned initially might be incorrect
How technological advances will make personalized medicine the future of healthcare
The limitations of traditional one-size-fits-all randomized controlled trials
The sub-phenotypes of type 2 diabetes
How enzyme inhibitors (like statins) disrupt the gut microbiome
How metabolic health and oxidative stress affect Lp(a), and how vitamin C can potentially reduce its impact

Bio: Nick Norwitz

Nick Norwitz, MD, PhD, is a researcher-educator whose mission is to “Make Metabolic Health Mainstream.” He graduated Valedictorian from Dartmouth College, majoring in Cell Biology and Biochemistry, before completing his PhD in Metabolism at the University of Oxford and his MD at Harvard Medical School.

Nick has made a name for himself as a clinical research and metabolic health educator, speaking and writing on topics ranging from brain health, the microbiome, and mental health to muscle physiology, mitochondrial function, and cholesterol and lipids. His mantra is “Stay Curious.”

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Connect with Nick Norwitz

On YouTube, X, and Instagram
His Substack