Dr Karan Explores

⚡ Stress may be the cause of your gut problems. This might be emotional stress, or even physical stress - in fact, worrying about things can even cause problems for your tummy! So what can you do about it?💬 Dr Emeran Mayer is gastroenterologist and brain-gut microbiome expert. He’s also Executive director of the UCLA Oppenheimer Center for the Neurobiology of Stress. In this episode he explores the science behind the stress/gut connection. And he digs into issues from chronic pain, to rising cases of SIBO.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡ How various forms of stress - and even the expectation of stress - impact your gut ➡︎ How gut disorders can be linked to early life trauma➡︎ The true extent to which gut bugs control how you behave➡︎  How you can improve chronic pain symptoms with targeted gut action➡︎ The real reason SIBO (small bacterial overgrowth) is on the rise📕 Chapters(0:00) How stress affects the gut(2:03) The chronic pain-gut link(5:00) How quickly can microbes influence the brain?(7:12) Stress: Is the brain or gut more responsible?(9:14) How worrying can cause gut problems(11:57) The role of childhood and early life trauma on gut health(15:16) Do tummy bugs control our behaviour?(18:38) The importance of personal connection and sharing microbes (21:33) How to reduce chronic pain symptoms(27:56) Improving brain health by eating more fibre(31:58) SIBO - the new buzzword. Hype or health?📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with EmeranInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeranmayer/ Website: https://emeranmayer.com/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

⚡ Are men’s health issues being ignored? With the rise of the “manosphere”, poor male role models and increasing focus on the harm men cause - one activist argues we’ve begun to see men as the enemy, and it’s costing us. 💬 George, known as TheTinMen online, is a men’s health activist. He tackles issues where he feels men are being let down by society - everything from domestic violence to suicide prevention. His view is that men’s physical and mental health is not being taken seriously - and it’s doing them a massive disservice.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡︎  Why being a man is the biggest predictor for early death➡︎ Why the term manosphere has become “meaningless”➡ Why the world is lacking good male role models - and where to actually find them➡︎ How 91% of men who died of suicide already saught help first➡︎ Why Adolescence did a bad job of portraying the manosphere📕 Chapters(0:00) Intro(3:12) What is the manosphere?(7:31) Did Netflix’s Adolescence get it right?(9:46) Why the manosphere has exploded(12:06) Why fathers are so important(16:51) Are there any good male role models out there?(24:43) The power dynamic between men and women(27:40) Does men’s health get enough attention?(35:51) Why suicide prevention isn’t working for men(38:54) The issue with Movember - where is the money going?(43:47) Male body image(46:50) How female role models influence men(51:36) Kids watch your every move📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with TheTinMen:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetinmen/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetinmenblog 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

⚡ If you want a big, healthy and young brain - there is a simple solution that can add years to your life.💬 Neuroscientist Dr Ben Rein explains why social connection, chatting to strangers and seeing your friends is essential for brain health - and can literally make it bigger. He also discusses the brain benefits of pets, the science of empathy and more.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡ How pets hijack our brain systems in the best possible way➡︎ How an ‘epidemic of loneliness’ is fueling conditions like dementia and heart disease➡︎ How online interactions and AI chatbots impact brain chemistry➡︎  Where empathy comes from and how to get more of it➡︎ The science of awe and whether free will exists📕 Chapters(0:00) Intro(0:36) Why our brains need friends(2:15) The neuroscience of empathy(5:52) Are pets good for brain health?(10:33) Do animals have empathy too?(12:05) Are WE good for our pets brains?(13:36) Why animals love music(15:28) How ‘super-agers’ keep their brains healthy(20:01) Do virtual chats also help brain health?(22:44) How social connection reduces dementia risk(26:27) What AI chatbots are doing to our brains(30:33) The science of awe and wonder(33:07) How to make your life feel longer(36:44) Empathy and mirror neurons(40:18) Does free will exist?(46:22) How to become more empathetic📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Ben:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.benrein/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/benrein Website: https://www.benrein.com/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

⚡ ️Gut health is an absolute minefield. Trying to figure out what works best to protect your gut is becoming increasingly complex - but it doesn’t have to be. The science is pretty clear and in this episode we break down the simplest measures you can take for a healthy gut.💬 Dr Emily Leeming is a gut health dietician and author of Genius Gut. And she’s currently running a very important trial at King’s College London - looking at the link between the gut microbiome and bowel cancer risk. 🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡ Whether microbiome tests are worth your money (and what to do instead)➡︎ How bowel cancer is on the rise in under 50s (and why fibre is the solution)➡︎ Why you need to spend more time studying your poop➡︎  Whether microplastics are really damaging your gut health➡︎ Where gut health meets neuroscience📕 Chapters(0:00) Intro(0:37) Best way to get on top of your gut health(1:24) Why microbiome tests are a waste of money(10:12) Emily’s KCL study on bowel cancer(20:46) The effect of microplastics on gut health(26:47) Gut factors that are out of your control(32:21) Your gut health starts in your mouth(35:36) Researching non-industralised microbiomes(40:22) How your gut affects your brain📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dremilyleeming/ Website: https://www.emilyleeming.com/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

⚡️Autism, ADHD and anxiety are on the rise in children - but there is a way to rewire our kids’ brains and even reverse symptoms of these conditions…if we get in early enough. But how?💬 Trenna Sutcliffe is a developmental-behavioural pediatrician at Sutcliffe Clinic. She helps parents navigate neurodevelopmental conditions and build mentally resilient children. She says the work must start young - and shares key tools and techniques that parents can implement.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡ Why ADHD and autism is really on the rise - and how much of it is genetics➡︎ The science of neuroplasticity and why the first 7 years of a child’s life are crucial➡︎ Just how closely linked screentime is to worsening ADHD symptoms➡︎  Why educational spaces simply don’t work for some children➡︎ Why autism is regularly missed in girls📕 Chapters(3:15) Why are ADHD and autism on the rise?(6:48) How much is genetically driven?(9:31) How the environment influences brain health(18:46) Diet & microbiome effects on neurodivergence(22:46) How worried should we be about screentime?(29:05) Why schools aren’t set up right(34:34) What you should do for your kids in their first 7 years(38:48) Why autism is often missed in girls(42:03) Lower rates of autism in ethnic minorities(43:41) Trenna’s top tips for raising healthy kids📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Trenna:Website: https://www.sutcliffeclinic.com/trenna-sutcliffe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trenna-sutcliffe-463001b2/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

💬 Jens Walter is a gut health expert at APC Microbiome Ireland, one of the leading microbiome centres in the world - and helped develop the Non-industrialised Microbiome Restore (NiMe) diet.⚡️In this episode, Jens and I discuss how our microbiomes have been shaped throughout human history - and the foods we can eat to make our healthy microbes flourish. 🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡︎ Just how different our guts are from indigenous communities and our early ancestors➡︎ What the NiMe diet is and how it can supercharge your gut health➡︎ Why community and culture is just as important as food for gut health➡︎ Why some of our gut microbes have gone extinct➡︎ How pairing meat with the right kind of fibre can increase its benefits📕 Chapters(00:43) How industrialisation has changed our microbiome(02:18) Do personalised diets work for gut health?(05:52) Emerging gut microbe research(07:27) How sharing microbes in communities improves gut health(12:56) Combining the benefits of Western and indigenous lifestyles(15:01) How different our guts are from ancient humans(18:15) Can we regain extinct microbes?(21:35) Exploring the Yanomami tribe(24:11) The NiMe diet(27:14) Should we cut out all dairy?(30:01) Balance vs restriction(32:23) Benefits of pairing fibre with meat(35:27) Best resistant starches to eat(38:36) Ancient vegetables: Are they better for us?📱 Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Jens Walter:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-walter-b1a1127a/🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

💬 Dr Spencer Nadolsky is an obesity and lipid specialist, and an expert in GLP-1 care. He’s also the co-host of the Docs Who Lift podcast.⚡️In this episode Spencer and I discuss emerging research around weight loss injections tirzepatide and semaglutide, known as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro - and discuss the proper use of these drugs.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡︎ Why old restrictions on weight loss drugs are no longer being enforced➡ How a combo of GLP-1 and GIP may be even more revolutionary for weight loss➡︎ Why most people have to take these drugs for life➡︎ Why people get so angry when people lose weight on GLP-1s➡︎  How GLP-1 drugs are going to make weight-loss surgery extinct📕 Chapters(0:41) The non-weight loss benefits from GLP-1 use(4:55) Getting the dosage right(7:24) Drugs of the future(11:09) How to get started on a weight-loss injection(16:38) Why restrictions on weight loss drugs are being lifted(19:46) Why people get mad about GLP-1 use(23:57) Do you have to take these drugs for life?(27:55) Do fat cells have memory?(29:25) What if you want to stop GLP-1 use?(31:48) The mental health drawbacks of weight loss drugs(35:44) Unique insights from Spencer’s time with patients(38:47) Is excessive muscle loss really a big problem?(42:46) Should everyone be taking GLP-1s?(45:14) Will weight loss surgeries go extinct?(49:11) GLP supplements are a scam📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Spencer:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnadolsky/ X: https://x.com/DrNadolsky  🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

💬 Ro Huntriss is a world-leading fertility expert, recently crowned ‘Best Fertility Dietitian’ by The European Fertility Society. She has extensive experience in women’s health and is also the author of Deliciously Healthy Fertility.⚡️In this episode Ro and I discuss the incredible power we have to influence our own ability to conceive (for both women and men) and improve the health outcomes of our children - simply by focusing on the food we eat.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡ Fertility friendly foods - and what to avoid for better conception➡︎ What DNA fragmentation has to do with male fertility and sperm quality➡︎ About the rise of ‘Ozempic babies’ and how GLP-1 agonists impact fertility➡︎  The evolving role of microbiome research in fertility➡︎ Which supplements actually work📕 Chapters(0:41) Fertility award winner(1:51) How men are involved in fertility(4:44) Why is infertility so common?(6:34) Fertility friendly foods(8:18) Dietary reasons for low fertility(10:09) Fertility and the microbiome(18:14) Supplements for fertility(24:14) Testing your fertility(28:43) How your diet improves your child’s long-term health(30:36) Advice for chronic conditions like endometriosis(35:52) Ozempic babies(40:29) Dr Karan’s Ozempic prediction(42:38) What you should STOP doing for fertility(45:24) Diet impact on pregnancy related complications(47:00) Improving fertility can be simple📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Ro:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fertility.dietitian.uk/Website: https://dietitianro.co.uk/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

💬 Dr  Megan Rossi, aka The Gut Health Doctor, is an award‑winning dietitian and nutritionist with a PhD in gut microbiome science. She's the founder of The Gut Health Clinic and the Bio&Me food brand. She’s also a Sunday Times bestselling author, dedicated to translating cutting-edge gut research into practical, real‑world health advice.⚡️In this episode, Megan and I dive into the science of gut health, exploring how your gut influences everything from mood and immunity to skin and sleep… and what you can do to improve it.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡︎ How your gut health impacts your mood, energy, skin, and overall wellbeing➡︎ Why you need to eat 30 different plant-based foods per week➡︎ Which fermented foods can naturally boost gut health➡︎ The gut effects of artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed foods➡︎ How stress, sleep, and movement affect gut health📕 Chapters(00:50) What’s so special about gut health?(02:38) Don’t assume you’ve got a healthy gut(04:42) Quickfire questions(06:17) The importance of gut health(09:16) Good bugs versus bad bugs(12:06) Diversity is good for the gut(14:23) The Super Six(17:15) Should you restrict dairy?(19:39) Probiotic foods and lactose intolerance(23:05) Causes of bloating(28:32) Fermented food benefits(31:44) What’s the difference between probiotic supplements and fermented foods?(35:22) Why fermented foods aren’t the answer for specific conditions(37:26) Understanding the power of probiotics(38:56) Can you trust off-the-shelf probiotics?📱 Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Dr Megan Rossi:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthdoctorTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguthealthdoctor🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.

💬 Alex Ruani is a doctoral researcher in diet-health misinformation at University College London. She studies how misinformation spreads, the potential harm it can do - and what techniques we should be using to stop it.⚡️In this episode Alex and I discuss the rising influence of technology and artificial intelligence on fake news and the spreading of misinformation - including how I’ve recently become the victim of a deepfake scam.🎧 Stay tuned to find out:➡︎ Why social media platforms say misinformation is a “necessary weed”➡ How misinformation online is leading to real life deaths➡︎ How AI is getting so good at spreading misinformation - threatening democracy➡︎ How one company used a Deepfake clone of ME to sell their supplements➡︎  Why the CapCut issue opens up massive trust issues with tech companies📕 Chapters(0:58) How bad is misinformation right now?(4:38) How easy it is to avoid spreading fake news(7:19) Is misinformation research working?(12:16) Why social media platforms don’t want to tackle misinformation(17:14) How to avoid restricting free speech(22:12) How I got Deepfaked(32:24) The CapCut problem: Why you should read Ts&Cs(40:47) We’re using ChatGPT wrong(46:16) How AI is rotting your brain📱 Connect with me:TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr📱 Connect with Alex:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexruani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandraruani/ 🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.