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
Nutrition Content of Animal & Plant Foods: Beef, Plant-Based Meat, Raw vs. Processed Milk | Stephan Van Vliet
How agricultural practices influence the nutrient density of foods, particularly meat, and the importance of hidden compounds beyond standard nutrition labels.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Nutrient density profiling: Labs analyze thousands of compounds beyond macros and vitamins; this “dark matter” includes phytonutrients that may support health despite not being essential.
- Phytonutrients in foods: Plant secondary metabolites like polyphenols act as antioxidants and influence pathways like mTOR; animals convert plant compounds into bioactives humans access via meat.
- Red meat definition: Refers to meats high in myoglobin, including beef and lamb; most meats are red in wild forms, but human intervention affects color and classification.
- Ruminant animals: Animals like cows that have multi-chambered stomachs to digest plants; this metabolism differs from non-ruminants (e.g. chickens), affecting nutrient profiles in their meat.
- Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef: Grass-fed has higher omega-3 fats and phytonutrients from diverse plants; studies show it improves human omega-6:3 ratios and biomarkers from grass-fed, pastured-raised animals.
- Farming practices & variations: Plant diversity boosts beef nutrients.
- Upcoming research: Long-term trials on effects of pasture-raised foods on human health; interactive dashboards for farmers to profile nutrients and inform policy.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Stephan Van Vliet, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences at Utah State University, where he directs the Center for Human Nutrition Studies, focusing on linking food production systems to nutrient profiles and conducting clinical trials on health impacts.
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