The Feldman Protocol

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, what if a single overlooked nutrient could meaningfully alter how we think about chronic illness? Guest Dr. Darren Schmidt (DC, nutrition-focused clinician) makes the case for the role of B1 deficiency, discusses environmental toxic exposures, explores mitochondrial dysfunction, and examines lactic acidosis as a framework for understanding complex disease patterns. We also discuss metabolic pathways, autonomic issues, and how clinical observations can challenge conventional assumptions.🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs http://ownyourlabs.com -- private blood testing services.🩸Over 300 blood tests💰Extremely affordable❤️ We love our customers(Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏)🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: https://x.com/realDaveFeldmanInstagram: https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: https://thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters3:00 – Early health shifts4:58 – First exposure incident6:56 – Discovering toxicity impacts8:54 – Mold and respiratory effects10:52 – Gas leak symptoms escalate12:50 – ER visit and missed signals14:48 – Autonomic dysfunction clues16:46 – Testing high-dose B118:44 – Rapid symptom relief20:42 – Mechanisms Dave examines22:40 – High-calorie malnutrition idea24:38 – Clinical responses to B126:36 – RCT possibilities28:34 – Origins of lactic acidosis theory30:32 – How toxins affect oxygen use32:30 – Capillary dilation mechanics34:28 – Mitochondrial parallels36:26 – Detox strategies overview38:24 – Dave’s metabolic framework40:22 – Pyruvate and lactate shifts42:20 – Rate limiters in metabolism44:18 – Nervous system involvement46:16 – Expanding symptom categories48:14 – Environmental drivers of illness50:12 – Mold detection and evidence52:10 – Radon and other exposures54:08 – Chronic illness complexity56:06 – Personal learning through crises58:04 – Rediscovering past medical history1:00:02 – Nutrient fortification lessons#FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #DarrenSchmidt #metabolism #mitochondria #chronicillness #environmentalhealth #nutritionscience #lactate #thiamine #functionalhealth #biochemistry #healthpodcast #keto #lowcarb #detox #mitochondrialfunction

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can you truly build muscle and maintain health with just 15 minutes of exercise twice a week? Dave chats with Ben Bocchicchio, PhD in Exercise Physiology and Health, who makes the case for slow-motion resistance training as the ultimate efficiency hack. Guest explores mitochondrial optimization through high-intensity exercise, addresses middle-age workout mistakes, discusses low-carb nutrition strategies spanning five decades, and challenges conventional fitness wisdom with his revolutionary "safe emergency" training philosophy.🔵 This episode is sponsored by US -- Own Your Labs http://ownyourlabs.com -- private blood testing services.- 🩸Over 300 blood tests- 💰Extremely affordable- ❤️ We love our customers(Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support and keep advertisements limited, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏)🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: https://x.com/realDaveFeldmanInstagram: https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: https://thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters3:14 – Introduction and athletic background12:37 – Uncle Tony and Charles Atlas connection25:42 – Nautilus machines and slow training origins40:18 – Muscle fiber recruitment and intensity58:23 – Common middle-age exercise mistakes1:15:47 – Metabolic benefits of resistance training1:32:19 – Nutrition philosophy and 50-year approach1:50:33 – Food addiction and behavioral change2:08:56 – AI and personalized health predictions2:22:41 – Energy metabolism and final thoughts#FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #BenBocchicchio #SlowTraining #ResistanceTraining #ExercisePhysiology #Mitochondria #LowCarb #Nutrition #MetabolicHealth #HighIntensityTraining #Fitness #Aging #Sarcopenia #HealthSpan #Longevity #BloodTesting #Science

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, special guest Mike Mutzel explores groundbreaking research on the immune system, GLP-1, the gut microbiome and lean mass hyper-responders. They deep dive on the Lipid Energy Model, atherosclerosis mechanisms, immune system interactions, coronary artery imaging data, and conventional cardiovascular risk paradigms in metabolic health.🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs http://ownyourlabs.com -- private blood testing services.🩸Over 300 blood tests💰 Extremely affordable❤️ We love our customers(Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏)🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: https://x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: https://thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters3:01 – Introduction and Mike's background9:14 – Medicine and nutrition evolution17:44 – Mindful eating and GLP-1 connections25:00 – Dave's cholesterol discovery story31:42 – Understanding lipid trafficking physics40:18 – Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation49:00 – LDL oxidation and modification theories58:23 – Atherosclerosis as immune response1:05:47 – Blood viscosity and cardiovascular risk1:15:19 – Self-censorship in scientific discourse1:25:33 – Continual exposure hypothesis debate1:32:19 – Own Your Labs citizen science project1:40:58 – Cholesterol paradox in aging populations1:50:33 – Metabolic health vs inflammation2:00:12 – Radiation concerns with CT angiograms2:08:56 – Triglycerides and ketogenic metabolism2:18:47 – Study results and mainstream response2:22:41 – Final thoughts and future research#FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #DaveFeldmanGuest #LipidEnergyModel #LeanMassHyperResponder #LMHR #CholesterolResearch #MetabolicHealth #LDLCholesterol #CoronaryArteryImaging #ApoB #CardiovascularHealth #KetoResearch #CitizenScience #OwnYourLabs #LipidParticles #Atherosclerosis #EndothelialFunction #BloodViscosity #TriglyceridesTolerance #LPA

In this episode, Dave sits down with Austin, a metabolic data enthusiast and early adopter of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) who brings a fascinating blend of self-experimentation, performance optimization, and deep curiosity about human physiology. From endurance training to dietary tracking, Austin shares his journey through the data-driven side of health — how he uses CGM, heart rate, and nutrient timing to reveal the body’s hidden patterns. Together, Dave and Austin explore how metrics can empower individuals to take ownership of their health, the tension between conventional guidelines and personal experimentation, and what the future of open-source health data could look like.🙏We only have one sponsor -- and it's us: https://OwnYourLabs.com🩸So keep getting your private blood testing through our platform and it will support the podcast. 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN PROTOCOLMain Channel: https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: https://x.com/realDaveFeldmanInstagram: https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: https://thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters 0:00 – Introduction & Setting the Stage5:45 – Opening Reflections on Austin’s Energy and Setting10:30 – Early Experiences That Sparked Curiosity15:15 – First Encounters with Data, Health, and Experimentation20:00 – The Origins of a Systems Approach to Nutrition25:00 – Breaking Down the Lipid Energy Model Concept30:15 – What Early Self-Experiments Revealed35:20 – Exploring LDL and APOB from a New Perspective40:10 – Why Traditional Cholesterol Framing Falls Short45:00 – Digging Into Lipoprotein Transport Mechanisms50:05 – Triglycerides, Remnants, and Particle Flow55:15 – When Energy Demand Shapes Lipid Behavior1:00:10 – The Lean Mass Hyper-Responder Pattern1:05:00 – Genetics, Metabolism, and Individual Variation1:10:30 – LPL and LDL Receptor Pathways in Context1:15:20 – Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Diverse Risk Profiles1:20:15 – How Population Data Can Mislead Individual Cases1:25:10 – Mendelian Randomization and Its Hidden Assumptions1:30:00 – Study Design: What We Miss When We Aggregate1:35:00 – The Duration vs. Magnitude of LDL Exposure1:40:10 – Interpreting Meta-Analyses with Caution1:45:15 – Revisiting the PESA Trial and Imaging Insights1:50:05 – Understanding the “Three-Line Graph” Debate1:55:00 – Statistical Power, Noise, and Over-Interpretation2:00:10 – Regression Models and Data-Slicing Pitfalls2:05:20 – Plaque Progression and Clinical Translation2:10:00 – PCSK9 Insights and Unexpected Outcomes2:15:00 – Beyond LDL: Inflammation and Contextual Risk2:20:05 – Revisiting the Bradford Hill Criteria for Causality2:25:10 – Consistency, Dose Response, and Biological Plausibility2:30:00 – The Changing Landscape of Trial Reporting2:35:05 – How 2004 Altered Medical Transparency Rules2:40:00 – Scientific Discourse, Debate, and Misinterpretation2:45:15 – The Role of Skepticism in Evidence Review2:50:10 – The Value of Epistemic Humility in Science2:55:00 – Open Data, Collaboration, and Collective Learning3:00:10 – Case Studies and Self-Experimentation Insights3:05:00 – Reflections on N=1 Studies and Public Data Sharing3:15:00 – Designing Smarter Studies for the Future3:20:05 – Lessons Learned from Real-World Observation3:25:00 – Future of Lipid Research and Citizen Science3:30:00 – Revisiting Key Misconceptions About Cholesterol3:35:10 – Bridging Gaps Between Clinicians and Researchers3:40:00 – Empowering Individuals Through Accessible Data3:50:00 – Community, Collaboration, and Scientific Openness3:55:10 – Final Thoughts on Evidence, Curiosity, and Persistence4:00:00 – Closing Reflections & Gratitude#FeldmanProtocol #LDL #HDL #Cholesterol #ASCVD #ContinuousGlucoseMonitoring #CGM #MetabolicHealth #DataDrivenHealth #CitizenScience #OwnYourLabs #QuantifiedSelf #HealthData #PerformanceOptimization #DaveFeldman #HumanPerformance #MetabolicFlexibility #OpenSourceScience

In this episode, Dave sits down with Peter Ballerstedt, a retired forage agronomist and ruminant nutritionist known as "Don Pedro the Sod Father of the Ruminati," who brings a unique agricultural perspective to metabolic health discussions. Ballerstedt shares his 2007 transformation after reading Gary Taubes' book and how it led him to bridge agricultural science with the low-carb community. The conversation examines environmental arguments around animal agriculture, presents data on greenhouse gas emissions (12% animal vs 10% plant agriculture), explores the limitations of converting grassland to cropland, discusses the evolution of dietary guidelines since the 1970s, and examines Ballerstedt's concept of a "ruminant revolution" to address both human malnutrition and environmental concerns.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN PROTOCOL:Main Channel: @realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters0:00 – Introduction1:05 – Who is Peter Ballerstedt: The Sod Father of the Ruminati5:11 – Personal Journey: Pre-Diabetic to Low-Carb in 20076:16 – Gary Taubes' "Good Calories, Bad Calories"7:00 – First Low-Carb Conference10:34 – Lipophobia and the Anti-Red Meat Message11:23 – The 1977 Dietary Goals and McGovern Committee14:01 – Personal Transformation and Reversing Pre-Diabetes21:09 – Malnutrition vs. "Overnutrition"23:22 – Climate Change and Animal Agriculture24:14 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 22% Agriculture, 12% Animal29:06 – Land Use: Why We Can't Convert Grassland to Cropland30:31 – The Football Field Analogy: Class 1 Soils37:00 – Ruminants Converting Inedible Biomass to Human Food52:00 – Obesity Associated with Poverty1:07:00 – Animal Source Food and Economic Prosperity1:15:05 – The Grassroots Low-Carb Movement and 10% Tipping Point1:30:00 – Personal Stories: Reversing Diabetes Through Diet1:43:05 – Using AI and Large Language Models for Research1:52:11 – Obesity and Poverty: Gary Taubes' Key Insight1:55:42 – Ecosystem Services: Fire Management and Wildlife2:00:01 – Agricultural Biomass is Not Human Edible2:05:51 – Animal Source Food Demand by 20502:30:00 – Historical Medical Views on Meat3:01:14 – Malnutrition: 30-35 Million Deaths, $6.5 Trillion Cost3:02:03 – Red Meat and Cancer: Epidemiological Evidence3:04:40 – Hyperinsulinemia and Insulin Resistance3:07:53 – The Ruminant Revolution: Energy Transition Fund Redirection3:12:55 – Personal Story: A1C Over 11 to Diabetes Removed3:15:35 – The 10% Rule and Paradigm Shifts3:41:00 – Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef3:42:20 – Avoiding Unnecessary Barriers to Adoption3:45:05 – The Greenland Paradox3:51:23 – Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare3:53:23 – Separating Suffering from Mortality4:00:00 – Where to Find Peter#FeldmanProtocol #PeterBallerstedt #AnimalAgriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #RuminantNutrition #LowCarb #KetoMedicine #Agronomy #ClimateChange #SustainableAgriculture #GrasslandEcosystems #MetabolicHealth #AnimalWelfare #GaryTaubes #DietaryGuidelines #FoodSystems #Malnutrition #SoilHealth #GrassFed #DaveFeldman

In this episode, Dave sits down with Dr. Eric Westman, associate professor of medicine at Duke University and founder of the Keto Medicine Clinic, who has built his practice around using dietary interventions to treat patients. Dr. Westman discusses his path from traditional internal medicine to researching low-carb approaches, including his early observations of patients whose cholesterol profiles improved on high-fat diets and his collaboration with Dr. Atkins in the late 1990s to conduct some of the first clinical studies on the Atkins diet. The conversation covers the current medical environment where GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have become prominent weight loss treatments, the historical use of low-carb medicine dating back over a century, and Dr. Westman's perspective on why nutrition education has become less emphasized in medical training. From his YouTube channel that reaches millions of viewers monthly to his clinical work helping patients reverse diabetes through dietary changes, Dr. Westman shares his experience at the intersection of medical research, clinical practice, and the evolving approaches to treating metabolic conditions.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN PROTOCOL:Main Channel: @realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Key Chapters0:00 – Introduction & Opening Thoughts1:04 – Who is Dr. Eric Westman & the Keto Medicine Clinic7:06 – Dr. Westman as the Original Keto Pioneer9:02 – The First Atkins Diet Patients: Unexpected Results12:17 – The 2004 Studies & Dr. Atkins' Tragic Death15:16 – Duke's Historical Connection to Dietary Medicine25:15 – GLP-1 Drugs vs. Dietary Interventions: The Current Divide32:20 – The Muscle Loss Problem with Weight Loss Drugs38:15 – The American Diabetes Association's Forgotten Origins47:10 – Addiction Models: Food vs. Tobacco & Alcohol1:05:15 – Glucose Metabolism & Keto Adaptation in Long-Term Practitioners1:15:00 – Animal Models vs. Human Studies: The Research Problem1:25:00 – Metabolic Status Impact on Lipid Profiles1:30:00 – Lean Mass Hyper-Responder Study Results & Heterogeneity1:40:00 – Brown & Goldstein's Work & Homozygous FH Cases1:55:00 – The Cholesterol Code Documentary Journey2:00:00 – Citizen Science Foundation & Crowdfunded Research2:10:00 – Heart Failure, Ketones & SGLT2 Inhibitors2:20:00 – Serial Killers Films & Athletic Performance on Keto2:35:00 – Eric's Bookshelf: Essential Low-Carb Literature2:45:00 – Hospital Food Systems & Institutional Change2:55:00 – Drug Development vs. Dietary Solutions3:00:00 – Polypharmacy & Deprescribing in Clinical Practice3:15:00 – Adapt Your Life Academy & Online Education3:30:00 – The Feldman Protocol & Cholesterol Manipulation3:45:00 – Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Dr. Westman#FeldmanProtocol #EricWestman #KetoMedicine #DietaryIntervention #AtkinsDiet #Duke #MedicalResearch #GLP1 #Ozempic #DiabetesReversal #LowCarb #FoodAsMedicine #CholesterolResearch #DaveFeldman #MedicalHistory

Can we really justify what we eat today by pointing to what our ancestors ate thousands of years ago? In this thought-provoking episode, I sit down with Alex Leaf, a scientific communicator and longtime researcher with Examine.com, to challenge some of the most persistent ideas in nutrition.We dive deep into the ancestral argument, the role of mTOR and protein in longevity, and the personal fat threshold hypothesis that could redefine how we view metabolic health and type 2 diabetes. From wrestling-induced bulimia to modern agriculture’s double-edged legacy, Alex brings a refreshingly perspective to some of the most polarizing conversations in nutrition.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: YouTube.com/realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com⏱ Chapters1:07 – Who is Alex Leaf and how he started in nutrition3:59 – Wrestling, eating disorders & body image8:27 – Protein, mTOR & the longevity paradox11:15 – The importance of amino acid composition13:22 – Fasting, feeding cycles & “cell closing hours”15:46 – Do ancestral eating patterns actually make sense?18:00 – Food scarcity, evolution & modern adaptation20:10 – Agriculture: humanity’s double-edged sword22:45 – Are we engineering our own metabolic collapse?26:00 – Animal vs plant protein quality31:10 – Why “ancestral diet” arguments fall apart36:45 – Modern food, ultraprocessed diets & disease40:13 – The Standard American Diet as the control group44:04 – The personal fat threshold explained47:40 – How body fat triggers insulin resistance52:10 – Can weight loss reverse type 2 diabetes?58:30 – Does fasting insulin predict fat loss?1:03:00 – Linking triglycerides, HDL & metabolic health1:05:45 – ApoB, risk factors & what studies miss1:12:10 – The limits of adjustment in nutrition science1:17:30 – What makes lean mass hyper-responders unique

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman sits down with Nicholas Verhoeven PhD, the creator of @Physionic and recent molecular medicine graduate who has successfully transitioned from traditional academia to independent science communication. The conversation explores Nic's unique approach to content creation, including his decision to reject thousands of sponsorship offers to maintain editorial independence while building a sustainable business model. Dave and Nic dive deep into the methodology and findings of Dave's groundbreaking longitudinal keto study, examining how 100 lean mass hyperresponders with an average LDL of 272 mg/dL compared to matched controls from the Miami Heart study with an average LDL of 123 mg/dL. The discussion reveals fascinating insights about plaque progression, the challenges of proving causation in nutrition science, and the problematic certainty often displayed in epidemiological research. They tackle the nuanced differences between correlation and causation, critique the WHO's red meat classification, and explore why the nutrition field tends toward binary thinking rather than acknowledging the spectrum of evidence strength that should inform our understanding of health risks.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: youtube.com/realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldmanInstagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com#NicVerhoeven #Physionic #KetoStudy #LeanMassHyperresponder #LDL #CardiovascularHealth #PlaqueProgression #ScienceCommunication #IndependentResearch #NutritionScience #EpidemiologyDebate #CausationVsCorrelation #RedMeatDebate #WHO #BradfordHillCriteria #ContentCreation #PhD #MolecularMedicine #HealthPodcast

In Part 3 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman concludes his conversation with Nick Norwitz MD PhD, exploring thought-provoking topics that span from practical health assessments to philosophical questions about consciousness. The discussion covers Nick's analysis of Peter Attia's evolving stance on lipids, Bryan Johnson's controversial decision to avoid CTA scans due to radiation concerns, and a detailed technical breakdown of actual radiation exposure from cardiac imaging. The conversation takes fascinating philosophical turns as they debate the teleporter problem and what defines human consciousness, before shifting to predictions about carnivore diet mainstream adoption and the future of scientific communication through social media, with Nick sharing insights about his rapid YouTube growth and plans for expanding his educational impact.🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: youtube.com/realDaveFeldmanX/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDaveFeldmanWebsite: thefeldmanprotocol.com#NickNorwitz #PeterAttia #BryanJohnson #CTAScan #RadiationExposure #TeleporterProblem #Consciousness #Philosophy #Carnivorediet #SocialMedia #ScientificCommunication #YouTubeGrowth #HealthInfluencer #CardiacImaging #Longevity #MetabolicHealth #HealthPodcast

In Part 2 of this episode of The Feldman Protocol, Dave Feldman continues his conversation with Nick Norwitz, focusing on controversial topics that showcase Nick's scientific rigor. The discussion begins with Nick's methodical critique of Bryan Johnson's longevity claims, questioning his scientific methodology and the lack of transparency in his $2 million annual protocol. Nick explores the healthy user bias problem in red meat epidemiology, shares insights about choosing research over medical residency, discusses his famous Oreo vs. Statin experiment, and provides a detailed explanation of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, demonstrating how it complements rather than contradicts thermodynamics while offering a more mechanistic understanding of weight regulation than traditional energy balance models. 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN: Main Channel: YouTube.com/realDaveFeldman X/Twitter: x.com/realDaveFeldman Instagram: instagram.com/realDav…Website: thefeldmanprotocol.comEnergy Balance vs. Hormonal Models #NickNorwitz #BryanJohnson #Longevity #HealthInfluencer #ScientificRigor #RedMeat #HealthyUserBias #CarbohydrateInsulinModel #OreoVsStatin #InsulinResistance #MetabolicHealth #HealthResearch #PublicationBias #NutritionScience #EnergyBalance #HealthPodcast