AMA #15: Fluoride Benefits/Risks & Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Most features of the human body are just complex versions of those in simpler creatures that, at first glance, seem totally unlike us. As professor and paleontologist Neil Shubin explains in Your Inner Fish, understanding how a shark’s head, a reptile’s brain, and a fish’s fins developed makes sense of complicated and confounding human anatomy. Casting new light on the human family tree, Shubin explains how ancient fossils, embryos, and DNA all provide clues to a story of human development stretching back 3.5 billion years.

Though we don’t like to think about it, we’re all going to get old. But in Ageless, physicist-turned-biologist Andrew Steele contends that aging isn’t as inevitable as it seems. Steele argues that we can treat—and even cure—aging. He explains that scientists are on the cusp of discovering anti-aging therapies and treatments that could lengthen the human lifespan and enable us to live many more years in good health, thus ensuring our health is no longer dependent on our chronological age.

In this guide, we’ll examine Steele’s explanations of the processes that make us grow sicker and slower as we age, the treatments you can expect to see in the future, and the scientifically proven steps you can take right now to slow your own aging process. We’ll also put Steele’s ideas into the context of the latest research in the field, and we’ll compare his predictions to those of other experts. (Spoiler alert: Steele is very optimistic about your chances of living a long and healthy life!)

According to Giulia Enders, the gut is a system of organs as complex and intricate as the brain. As you go about your day, your gut is hard at work breaking down food, delivering nutrients to your body, and even training your immune system to fight infection.

In Gut, Enders explains how your digestive system works and why it’s important to keep it healthy. In this guide, we’ll cover Enders's ideas on topics like where the food you eat goes, what your appendix actually does, and how tiny organisms in your intestines influence your immune system (and possibly your mood). We’ll fact-check Enders’s claims about the gut and elaborate further on the organs in this system. We’ll also discuss studies that have updated our scientific knowledge of the gut since the book’s publication.

According to Giulia Enders, the gut is a system of organs as complex and intricate as the brain. As you go about your day, your gut is hard at work breaking down food, delivering nutrients to your body, and even training your immune system to fight infection.

In Gut, Enders explains how your digestive system works and why it’s important to keep it healthy. In this guide, we’ll cover Enders's ideas on topics like where the food you eat goes, what your appendix actually does, and how tiny organisms in your intestines influence your immune system (and possibly your mood). We’ll fact-check Enders’s claims about the gut and elaborate further on the organs in this system. We’ll also discuss studies that have updated our scientific knowledge of the gut since the book’s publication.

When most people think of microbes, the first things that come to mind are disease-causing germs or healthy probiotic yogurts. We go about our lives largely unaware of the trillions of microbes on every surface and throughout our bodies. In his debut book, science journalist Ed Yong explores the mysterious and fascinating world of microbes: microscopic organisms with the ability to make sea creatures glow, eradicate diseases, and nudge ecosystems into disarray.

He argues that not only are microbes ubiquitous, but they’re also integral to animal bodies (including humans)—although we often think of ourselves as individuals, we’re essentially walking ecosystems containing countless species of microbes living in symbiotic partnership with us. He contends that by understanding the ways that we’re interdependent with microbes, we can then explore opportunities to use microbes to improve our health. And since our understanding of microbes is constantly shifting, our guide will also update Yong’s examples and dive deeper into the health implications of microbial phenomena.

Dive into the nexus of gut health and overall well-being with The Mel Robbins Podcast, featuring expert and medical doctor Amy Shah. In a compelling episode, Shah unravels the complex relationship between our gut and various aspects of health including mental clarity, hormonal balance, and immunity. Learn why an upset in gut health can cascade into systemic inflammation, emphasizing the critical role of our digestive system not just in processing food, but in maintaining holistic health.

Mel Robbins, known for empowering and actionable insights, discusses with Dr. Shah the practical steps anyone can take towards restoring their gut health. From choosing the right nutritional path—rich in fibers and natural probiotics—to balancing protein sources and implementing Shah's transformative five-day "four E's" gut reset plan, this episode is packed with both innovative approaches like fecal transplants and accessible daily practices. Robbins encourages listeners to apply this wealth of knowledge from Dr. Shah to take control of their health and enhance their life, truly embodying the spirit of the podcast's mission to educate and empower.