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
Seed Oils, Chronic Inflammation, Heart Health & Marijuana | Ganesh Halade | 266
How dietary polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-6 from seed oils, influence inflammation & heart health.
Topics Discussed:
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): Omega-6 from seed oils like safflower and corn can convert to pro-inflammatory molecules, while omega-3s produce resolving ones; imbalance biases toward chronic inflammation.
- Inflammation regulation: Acute inflammation aids healing but requires active “on” and “off” signals from lipid mediators; chronic inflammation arises from excess omega-6, delaying resolution.
- Heart health & diet: High omega-6 diets worsen post-heart attack outcomes in mice by elevating pro-inflammatory lipids.
- Evolution & historical context: PUFAs are essential but naturally balanced in pre-industrial diets; modern processing skews ratios, contributing to diseases, as shown in early rat experiments needing minimal fats for survival.
- Aging & lifestyle factors: Excess omega-6 exacerbates inflammation in older mice; sleep, exercise, and balanced fats are crucial for metabolic health and enzyme function in processing lipids.
- Cannabis & omega-6 interaction: In mice on high omega-6 diets, CBD-rich cannabis smoke reaches the heart quickly, suppresses immune response, and weakens cardiac strain, unlike in balanced-diet controls.
- Genetic models: FAT-1 mice converting omega-6 to omega-3 show better healing and neuroprotection; FAT-2 mice doing the opposite exhibit liver fibrosis and metabolic issues, highlighting omega-6 excess harms.
Practical Takeaways:
- Balance omega-6 and omega-3 intake by reducing seed oils in processed foods and increasing sources like fish or algae to support inflammation resolution and heart health.
- Monitor and adjust fat intake with age, as older individuals are more sensitive to omega-6 excess leading to immune dysregulation.
- Avoid combining high omega-6 diets with smoking, as it may impair immune and cardiac responses based on animal data.
About the guest: Ganesh Halade, PhD is a cardiovascular scientist and associate professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.
*Not medical advice.
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