Ketogenic Diet
Episodes covering ketogenic diet — protocols, research, and expert discussions.
Very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that shifts metabolism to fat and ketone burning for cognitive clarity, metabolic health, and weight management
The ketogenic diet has solid evidence for specific conditions (epilepsy, type 2 diabetes, obesity) and emerging evidence for cognitive benefits and longevity. The "keto flu" adaptation period is real but temporary.
Effective for metabolic health and weight loss when followed properly. Cognitive benefits are real for many. Not ideal for high-intensity athletes or those who find dietary restriction unsustainable.
Science & Mechanisms
Mechanisms:
- Restricts carbs to <20-50g/day, forcing ketone production
- Liver converts fatty acids to ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate)
- Brain shifts from glucose to ketones as primary fuel
- Reduced insulin levels improve fat mobilization
- Ketones may have direct signaling effects (HDAC inhibition)
- Potential autophagy enhancement from metabolic switch
Key studies:
- Volek et al. (2015): Keto outperformed low-fat for metabolic syndrome markers
- Paoli et al. (2013): Review found keto effective for weight loss with metabolic benefits
- Krikorian et al. (2012): Low-carb improved memory in older adults with MCI
Effect sizes:
- Weight loss: Moderate to large (often 5-10% body weight)
- Glycemic control: Large effect in diabetics
- Cognitive clarity: Moderate effect (subjective), varies individually
- Athletic performance: Variable (may impair high-intensity)
Limitations:
- Long-term adherence challenging (restrictive)
- Most studies <1 year duration
- High-intensity exercise performance may suffer
- Individual response varies significantly
Episodes
David Baszucki is the founder and CEO of Roblox. Beyond building one of the world's largest gaming platforms, David discusses his personal health optimization including ketogeni...
Dr. Layne Norton evaluates the pros and cons of popular diets including keto, carnivore, vegan, and more. Provides an evidence-based comparison to help listeners make informed choices.
Your glucose can look normal while insulin is 2-4x elevated. Covers the physical signs that reveal insulin resistance (check your neck), why strength training beats cardio for m...
Ketones are more than fuel—they're signaling molecules that spare muscle, reduce oxidative stress, and may benefit epilepsy and cancer. Covers the practical differences between ...
Dr. Dominic D'Agostino provides a practical guide on using ketosis for mental performance and neuroprotection. Covers how ketones elevate GABA, quiet the mind, and support metab...
Tim and Kevin Rose discuss Tim's results with ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting that produced his best lab results in over 10 years. Kevin shares his 100-day sobriety jour...
Dr. Dominic D'Agostino is a tenured associate professor at USF and researcher at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. This updated conversation covers the latest on ke...
Ben Greenfield moderates a debate between Dr. Eric Westman, a Duke University professor and founder of the Duke Keto Medicine Clinic, and Jay Feldman, a health coach and indepen...
Dr. Nasha Winters discusses her multi-layered metabolic approach to healing and preventing cancer. The author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, she explains how integrating d...
Metabolic switching from glucose to ketones kicks in after roughly 10 hours of fasting, triggering protective cellular pathways. Fasting increases BDNF production to support bra...
Dr. Chris Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist and pioneer of metabolic psychiatry, explains how mitochondrial health is the unifying framework connecting mental and physical health. ...
Andrew Huberman explains how the foods and nutrients we consume directly shape our emotional states through the brain-body connection, particularly via the vagus nerve. He descr...
Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. David Perlmutter, a board-certified neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author, to explore how the brain's immune cells — microgli...
Dr. David Jockers connects blood sugar regulation, ketone production, and sleep quality to the brain's detoxification processes via the glymphatic system. He provides practical ...
In this live-recorded fireside chat from A Boundless Evening at HUME Los Angeles, actor Luke Cook (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) sits down with...
True autophagy requires about 5 days of water fasting to cut IGF-1 by 50%, but fasting-mimicking compounds like resveratrol and spermidine can trigger similar pathways. Exercisi...
Ben Greenfield hosts a debate between Dr. Shawn Baker, a leading carnivore diet advocate and bestselling author of The Carnivore Diet, and Joel Greene, creator of The Immunity C...
Dave Asprey speaks with Dr. Theodore Achacoso, founding pioneer of Health Optimization Medicine, and Boomer Anderson, CEO of Troscriptions, about aging as a cellular and metabol...
Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose record a wide-ranging "Random Show" covering Zen meditation retreats, exogenous ketones (including warnings about 1,3-butanediol's liver effects), sup...