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In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into the world of red light therapy in response to frequent questions from listeners. Peter provides a comprehensive exploration, starting with the basics of red light therapy and why it’s getting so much attention. The conversation examines the latest data on various applications, including aging, skin health, acne, wound healing, hair loss, eye health, exercise performance, metabolic health, weight loss, inflammation, injury recovery, and menstrual cramps. Peter analyzes the scientific literature on each use case and concludes with a summary table that provides an easy-to-follow breakdown of the potential benefits of red light therapy across these areas.

If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the AMA #65 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

• Overview of topics and the motivation behind exploring red light therapy [1:45];
• The basic science of red light therapy [3:15];
• The unique penetration properties of red light [6:00];
• What happens when tissue is exposed to red light [9:30];
• Exploring red light therapy’s potential to combat aging [11:00];
• Red light therapy for treating acne [13:00];
• Red light therapy for aiding in wound healing [18:45];
• Red light therapy for hair loss: promising benefits and practical advice [24:15];
• Analyzing the evidence of a positive or negative effect of red light therapy on the eyes [28:00];
• Red light therapy’s impact on performance and recovery [30:30];
• Red light therapy’s impact on metabolic health: analyzing the limited evidence for improved glucose metabolism [32:45];
• Red light therapy for weight loss and targeted fat reduction [36:45];
• Red light therapy for inflammation, chronic pain, and injury rehabilitation [41:00];
• Red light therapy as a treatment for menstrual cramps [43:45];
• Summary: promising applications of red light therapy, unsupported claims, and costs to consider [46:45]; and
• More.

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In this quarterly podcast summary (QPS) episode, Peter summarizes his biggest takeaways from the last three months of guest interviews on the podcast. Peter shares key insights from his discussions on diverse topics such as dopamine and addiction with Anna Lembke, the current state and exciting future of CRISPR-mediated gene editing with Feng Zhang, how to build and maintain strong bones from youth to old age with Belinda Beck, how calorie restriction may influence longevity and metabolic health with Eric Ravussin, and the role of testosterone and TRT in prostate cancer with Ted Schaeffer. Additionally, Peter shares any personal behavioral adjustments or modifications to his patient care practices that have arisen from these engaging discussions.

If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the episode #325 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

• Overview of topics to be covered [1:45];
• Anna Lembke episode: addiction, dopamine's role in pleasure and pain, and managing addictive behaviors [4:15];
• Follow-up questions about addiction: heritability, cold therapy, exercise, and strategies for breaking addictive behaviors [14:45];
• Feng Zhang episode: the potential of gene editing with CRISPR technology for treating diseases, and the challenges ahead [21:00];
• Feng Zhang’s impactful education experience, and how early exposure and curiosity-driven learning can develop scientific interest for kids [28:30];
• The future of CRISPR: weighing the scientific potential to combat complex diseases against ethical considerations around genetic modification [33:45];
• Belinda Beck episode: how to build and maintain strong bones from youth to old age [37:30];
• How both nutrition and exercise are crucial for bone health at all ages, and why it’s never too late to start [54:45];
• Eric Ravussin episode: calorie restriction, energy expenditure, exercise for weight maintenance, and more [59:00];
• Measuring energy intake and energy expenditure: techniques and challenges [1:09:45];
• ed Schaeffer episode: the nuance role of testosterone in prostate cancer, TRT, and the need for better cancer biomarkers [1:14:30];
• Peter’s favorite bands [1:25:45]; and
• More.

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Eric Ravussin is a world-renowned expert on obesity, metabolism, and aging whose pioneering research has shaped much of what we understand today about energy balance and caloric restriction. In this episode, Eric shares insights from his cutting-edge work on energy expenditure—a critical factor in understanding how our bodies regulate weight and appetite. He discusses methods for measuring energy output, energy balance, food intake, and appetite regulation, and explores key studies on macronutrient manipulation. Eric then delves into the CALERIE study on caloric restriction, highlighting insights related to biomarkers of both primary and secondary aging. The conversation also covers the potential of GLP-1 agonists to replicate these effects and looks ahead to how AI and technology could transform metabolic research in the coming years.

We discuss:

• Eric’s background and current work metabolism and measuring energy expenditure [3:00];
• The science behind metabolic chambers for measuring energy expenditure, and the complexities of indirect and direct calorimetry [8:00];
• The body's regulatory systems for maintaining energy balance and the primary influence of energy intake on body weight [18:30];
• The epidemic of obesity and a discussion of resting metabolic rate [24:45];
• The impact of exercise, appetite, gut hormones, and eating patterns on weight regulation [28:45];
• Experiments looking at how macronutrient composition affects energy expenditure [38:45];
• The challenges of studying diet in real-life settings, the potential of personalized nutrition, and how public health policy could play a role in guiding nutritional habits [51:00];
• The importance of protein in the diet, the limitations of dietary data collection, and how AI could potentially transform nutrition science [1:08:15];
• How Eric’s interest in caloric restriction (CR) began with Biosphere 2, metabolic efficiency's role in aging, and goals of the CALERIE study [1:15:15];
• The CALERIE study: exploring the real-world impact of caloric restriction [1:28:00];
• Notable findings from the CALERIE study after two years: sustained weight loss, participant retention, and more [1:40:00];
• The effect of caloric restriction on the hallmarks of aging [1:47:00];
• The challenge of applying CR to the general population, the potential of drugs and exercise to mimic the effects of CR [1:55:45];
• Upcoming study comparing caloric restriction to time-restricting eating, and Peter’s takeaways from the discussion [2:02:45]; and
• More.

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