In this episode, Ben sits down with Mark Lintern to challenge that assumption and explore a radically different idea...

What if cancer is a disease of suppression, not failure?

Drawing on the metabolic theory, the Warburg effect, mitochondrial biology, and emerging research into the tumour microbiome, Mark lays out a compelling framework that reframes cancer as a chronic cell danger response potentially driven by persistent infection.

They unpack..

Why the metabolic theory explains more than genetics but still leaves gaps.

Why apoptosis and immune evasion don’t fully fit the “broken cell” narrative.

How mitochondria may intentionally suppress oxidative phosphorylation.

Why prostate cancer breaks the Warburg rule entirely.

The role of fungi, bacteria, and the tumour associated microbiome.

Why immunotherapy often fails and sometimes backfires.

How infection biology may explain inflammation, immune suppression, and tumour growth.

What this means for real world treatment strategies, from metabolic therapy to repurposed drugs.

This is a deep, systems-level conversation. Not about silver bullets but about first principles.

If theory informs treatment, then getting the theory right matters.

We cover:

🧬 Metabolic vs somatic mutation theory

🔥 The Warburg effect as a defensive response

🦠 Infection, fungi, and the tumour microbiome

🧠 The cell danger response model

🫁 Oxygen, mitochondria, and immune signalling

🧪 Prostate cancer as a metabolic outlier

💊 Repurposed drugs, antifungals, and metabolic therapies

🌱 Why cancer may be adaptive — not defective

This episode isn’t about certainty.

It’s about asking better questions.

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Health optimisation isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about understanding trade-offs, context and biology. In this episode, Ben Hopkins is joined by James O’Hara to explore what really lies beneath today’s biggest health conversations, from GLP-1 drugs and testosterone decline to peptides, diet, recovery, and ageing.

Drawing on personal experience and emerging research, they unpack why population data doesn’t always translate to individual outcomes, how modern lifestyles are quietly eroding hormonal health, and where new tools may help or harm, if misunderstood.

From anabolic recovery and muscle retention to carnivore diets, light therapy and mental resilience, this is a wide-ranging conversation for anyone trying to navigate health in an increasingly complex world.

We cover:

💉 GLP-1 agonists, weight loss & metabolic trade-offs

🧠 Testosterone decline, ageing & lifestyle factors

💪 Anabolic recovery, peptides & injury repair

🥩 Carnivore diets, hormones & long-term health

⚡ Light therapy, inflammation & healing

🧬 Emerging research shaping modern wellness

It’s nuanced, honest and grounded in real-world experience, not just theory.

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Obesity isn’t just about willpower. It’s biology and it’s been hacked. In this episode, Dr. Richard Johnson (Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado) joins Ben to explain why your body still thinks it's living in the wild and how the same survival switch that once kept us alive may now be quietly driving obesity, diabetes, dementia and addiction.

From fructose and uric acid to GLP-1s, Alzheimer's, and mitochondrial health, this conversation unpacks the hidden biology shaping how we store fat, crave sugar and so often lose control with it.

We cover:

🧠 Fructose, the brain & Alzheimer’s

🧪 The survival switch that drives obesity

🍷 Why uric acid links sugar and alcohol

💊 GLP-1s, food addiction & metabolic dysfunction

⚡ What carbs do to your mitochondria

It's deep, practical and quite possibly, completely paradigm-shifting.

Find Dr Richard:

Website

Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:

Book - Nature Wants Us to Be Fat by Dr. Richard Johnson

Paper on alcohol, fructose, and liver disease

Exploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this link

Want to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTube

Instagram @degreesofhealth

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.