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
AMPK: Biochemistry of Nutrient Sensing, Fasting, Cell Repair & Growth | Greg Steinberg | Episode 276
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The AMP kinase pathway's role in cellular energy sensing, nutrient allocation, and its connections to health practices like fasting, exercise, and diet.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Cellular energy basics: ATP/ADP/AMP as energy currencies; AMP kinase activates on low ATP to conserve and redirect resources, like a budget manager.
- AMP kinase mechanics: Heterotrimeric enzyme phosphorylating 100+ substrates; localizes dynamically in cytosol, mitochondria, nucleus to integrate signals.
- Nutrient detection: Senses fatty acids in fasting/ketogenic states, boosting fat oxidation and mitochondria independent of energy drops.
- Fasting/exercise impacts: Elevate AMP kinase for mitophagy, better fuel switching; mimic historical scarcity absent under modern constant feeding.
- mTOR relationship: AMP kinase inhibits mTOR to stop growth in low energy states; feedback loop disrupted by abundance, promoting tissue buildup.
- Disease links: Low AMP kinase in obesity/diabetes reduces flexibility; activation prevents cancer but may aid tumor survival in therapy.
- Drugs/diets: Metformin and GLP-1s like Ozempic activate AMP kinase for glucose control/weight loss; ketogenic diets activate at intermediate levels for fat efficiency.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Gregory Steinberg, PhD is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and co-directs the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research, focusing on cellular energy sensors like AMP kinase.
RELATED EPISODE:
- M&M 260 | Energy Resistance Principle in Life, Healing & Disease | Martin Picard & Nirosha Murugan
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