Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Circadian Biology: Genetics, Behavior, Metabolism, Light, Oxygen & Melatonin | Joseph Takahashi | 237
How our biological clocks shape biology from the molecular to behavioral level.
Episode Summary: Dr. Joseph Takahashi discusses circadian rhythms, exploring their biological basis, from molecular mechanisms to their impact on metabolism and health; the discovery of circadian clock genes; role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and how light, feeding, and oxygen influence these rhythms. The conversation highlights practical implications, such as the effects of artificial light and meal timing on health, and touches on emerging research linking stronger circadian clocks to longevity.
About the guest: Joseph Takahashi, PhD is a renowned neuroscientist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he leads research on circadian clock genes.
Discussion Points:
- The suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus acts as the brain's central clock, syncing with light via the retina.
- Key circadian genes like CLOCK and BMAL regulate thousands of genes, especially those involved in metabolism, impacting health outcomes.
- Internal desynchronization, when brain and organ clocks misalign (e.g., from eating at night), can lead to metabolic issues like pre-diabetes.
- In mice, eating at the right time (night for nocturnal animals) extends lifespan by up to 35% under caloric restriction, compared to 10% with spread-out feeding.
- Artificial light, especially blue light at night, disrupts melatonin and circadian rhythms, while natural sunlight supports healthy eye development.
- Melatonin, a darkness-signaling hormone, is best for resetting rhythms (e.g., jet lag) at low doses, not as a sedative, and U.S. supplements vary widely in quality.
- Oxygen-sensing proteins interact with circadian clock components, hinting at links between altitude, metabolism, and health.
- Learning and memory show diurnal variations, with better performance at certain times, influenced by circadian modulation of synaptic activity.
- A stronger circadian clock, created genetically in mice, led to 16% longer lifespan and resistance to weight gain (unpublished research).
Related episode:
- M&M 202: Why Do Animals Sleep? | Vlad Vyazovskiy
*Not medical advice.
All episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack
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