Episodi

  • What UC Davis Just Learned About Seed Oils
    Aug 18 2026
    Dr. Selina Wang is the world's expert on edible oils. Her new paper went viral because she called out major brands who claimed their products were based on avocado oil when they were really based on cheaper seed oils.

    Selina knows everything about smoke points, rancidity, fat profiles, and toxicity.

    Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists and and help them tell their stories. We have no sponsors.

    PAPERS:

    Authenticity of Avocado and Olive Oils Used As Ingredients In Commercially Processed Foods by Selina Wang
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502226007274

    Study Finds 82 Percent of Avocado Oil Rancid or Mixed With Other Oils
    https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/study-finds-82-percent-avocado-oil-rancid-or-mixed-other-oils

    Effect of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Markers of Inflammation in Healthy Persons: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212267212004649

    Influence vs. Evidence: The Science Supporting Seed Oils
    https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-behind-seed-oils-health-effects

    Dietary oxidized n-3 PUFA induce oxidative stress and inflammation: role of intestinal absorption of 4-HHE and reactivity in intestinal cells
    https://www.jlr.org/article/S0022-2275(20)43184-0/fulltext

    EDIBLE OIL COMPOSITION POSTER:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GlQ40z1s7pXKP57oKQbQyMFgqEUPcU-u/view?usp=sharing

    0:00 Dr. Wang, edible oil scientist
    1:01 Fried in avocado oil?
    2:52 What extra virgin means
    4:47 What expeller pressed means
    5:56 Hexane!
    7:05 What is bleaching?
    8:21 Are seed oils toxic?
    10:57 Reviewing Catherine Shanahan's book, Dark Calories
    14:47 The history of seed oils
    17:12 Rancid oils
    20:52 Oils and mortality
    23:56 Smoke point
    25:06 Harvard's famous oil vs. mortality chart
    27:32 All about olive oil
    41:09 Taste testing olive oil
    43:16 Chris' conclusions
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    46 min
  • What Harvard & USC Just Learned About Protein
    Jul 22 2026
    Is your daily protein shake or meat-heavy diet actually aging you faster? A groundbreaking new paper lead by Dr. Maura Fanti, Postdoctoral Researcher at the USC School of Gerontology, may answer this question. Chris interviews her to find out.

    VIDEOS:

    America's Protein Obsession Is Making Us Fat I Dr. Christopher Gardner
    https://youtu.be/3LDe3k6lyac

    Why High Protein Diets Could Be Dangerous | Dr. Valter Longo
    https://youtu.be/2_sMFBuY3y4?si=ZQ0UlEBGtxKuy9LT

    Harvard says Red Meat is WORSE than Junk Food
    https://youtu.be/LPXWCIFDkgM?si=18oUewJUuu36p9US

    PAPERS:

    Methionine-supplemented longevity diet increases growth hormone, GLP-1, and FGF21; reduces frailty; and promotes healthspan, by Maura Fanti
    https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(26)00225-1

    Dietary plant-to-animal protein ratio and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 prospective cohorts, by Andrea Glenn
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916524007378?via%3Dihub

    Dietary Protein Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women
    https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/183/8/715/1739876


    0:00 Diet obsessions
    2:43 New landmark paper on protein
    11:00 The problem with methionine
    11:46 Plant vs. animal protein effect on heart disease
    17:00 Keto diet effects
    18:58 Mouse testing
    21:05 Fasting mimicking diet (FMD) effects
    25:20 Increased frailty from Western & Keto diets
    28:35 Increased fat & lean mass from Western & Keto diets
    29:37 Chris's takeaways
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    35 min
  • A Cardiologist's China Discovery: How Centenarians Cured Him
    Jun 26 2026
    How a cardiologist got off all his medications by studying centenarians in China's Longevity Belt.

    Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists & doctors, and help them tell their stories. The channel is a labor of love that declines all sponsorship offers.

    BOOKS:

    The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China by Dr. John Day
    https://www.amazon.com/Longevity-Plan-Life-Transforming-Lessons-Ancient-ebook/dp/B01MECO99C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

    The AFib Cure, Updated Edition: Get Off Your Medications, Take Control of Your Health, and Add Years to Your Life by Dr. John Day
    https://www.amazon.com/AFib-Cure-Updated-Ediiton-Medications-ebook/dp/B0DL7W7Y65/ref=sr_1_1

    VIDEOS:

    Dr. John Day's TEDx talk about the secrets of Chinese centenarians
    https://youtu.be/1xXHntrJnPk?si=-8Ghcx4vMSnAjEab

    Cut Your Stroke Risk Dramatically by Preventing AFib | Dr. John Day
    https://youtu.be/jW0uxwNkHPQ

    7 Ways to Stop an AFib Attack by Dr. John Day
    https://youtu.be/W9a54B-7oyE

    PAPERS:

    Which Factors Influence Healthy Aging? A Lesson from the Longevity Village of Bama in China
    https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2022.1108

    Understanding the coupled relationship between regional longevity and physical geographical environment in Hechi, Guangxi, China
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-82522-4

    The validity of Blue Zones demography: a response to critiques
    https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/65/12/gnaf246/8381533

    0:00 Five medications!
    1:09 Longevity Plan book
    7:07 The health lessons of China's Longevity Belt
    11:10 Resolving all of Dr. Day's health conditions
    12:07 The wisdom of elders
    14:55 Environment is the key
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    20 min
  • Ozempic, Oprah, and the truth about weight loss
    Jun 13 2026
    The closest thing to the Ozempic revolution is the invention of the smartphone—for better and for worse. It's a miracle drug that is giving people their lives back, but with tragic side effects. We dive into the good, bad and ugly of these drugs.

    Viva Longevity is a non-profit channel whose mission is to find the best scientists and help them tell their stories.

    PAPERS:

    GLP-1 drugs combined with healthy lifestyle habits linked with reduced cardiovascular risk among diabetes patients
    https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/glp-1-drugs-combined-with-healthy-lifestyle-habits-linked-with-reduced-cardiovascular-risk-among-diabetes-patients/

    Tirzepatide for maintenance of bodyweight reduction in people with obesity in the USA (SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00656-2/fulltext

    Two Years After Stopping GLP-1s, Most Patients Sustain at Least Some Weight Loss
    https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/two-years-after-stopping-glp-1s-most-patients-sustain-at-least-some-weight-loss/

    Most Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Maintain HbA1c Improvements a Year After Stopping GLP-1 Medications
    https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/most-patients-with-type-2-diabetes-maintain-hba1c-improvements-a-year-after-stopping-glp-1-medications/

    0:00 The Ozempic revolution
    2:49 Is culture why America is so obese?
    7:59 Consumers fear vaccines love GLP-1 drugs
    10:21 3 great GLP-1 books
    16:32 3 GLP-1 books to be wary of
    26:14 Review of Food Intelligence book
    28:31 GLP-1 side effects
    31:44 Does the weight come back?
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    35 min
  • We Investigated Sprouts: The $1 Food With 100x The Nutrients (re-edited)
    May 16 2026
    What if the most powerful vegetable costs only $1 and has 100x the nutrients of standard greens? And is safer to eat than we think?

    We interview Doug Evans to uncover the staggering science behind sprouts. We dive into the cellular mechanisms of sulforaphane, their ability to help the body detoxify from environmental pollutants, and more.

    Whether you are looking to optimize your longevity, defend against daily toxins, or just upgrade your diet on a budget, this conversation changes everything we know about eating greens.

    THE SCIENCE & RESEARCH

    🔬 Sprout microbial safety: A reappraisal after a quarter-centuryhttps://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.183

    🔬 The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Clinical Trials With Broccoli Sprouts… and Turning Evidence Into Public Health Action https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.648788/full

    🔬 Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage (Randomized Clinical Trial)
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24913818/

    Subscribe to Viva Longevity for more deep dives into evidence-based nutrition and health!

    WEBSITES

    Doug's sprouting company
    https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 - Olympians take broccoli sprout shots
    01:47 - Doug Evans' crazy journey into sprouting
    03:24 - How sprouts cured scurvy during World War I
    04:27 - Dr. Jed Fahey, sprout scientist
    05:34 - Sprouts aren't just a side dish
    10:11 - The science of sprouts
    20:07 - Doug's diet & lab results
    22:41 - Recalls & safety
    29:50 - Epic poops!
    32:43 - Sprouts and the planet
    36:30 - Doug's custom sprouting jar
    40:08 - Some sprout history
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    43 min
  • The $1 food with 100x the nutrients
    May 13 2026
    What if the most powerful vegetable costs only $1 and has 100x the nutrients of standard greens?

    We interview Doug Evans, serial health entrepreneur and founder of the Sprouting Company, to uncover the staggering science behind sprouts. We dive into the cellular mechanisms of sulforaphane, their ability to help the body detoxify from environmental pollutants, and more.

    Whether you are looking to optimize your longevity, defend against daily toxins, or just upgrade your diet on a budget, this conversation changes everything we know about eating greens.

    THE SCIENCE & RESEARCH

    🔬 Sprout microbial safety: A reappraisal after a quarter-centuryhttps://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.183

    🔬 The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Clinical Trials With Broccoli Sprouts… and Turning Evidence Into Public Health Action https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.648788/full

    🔬 Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage (Randomized Clinical Trial)
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24913818/

    Subscribe to Viva Longevity for more deep dives into evidence-based nutrition and health!

    WEBSITES

    Doug's sprouting company
    https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 - Why Olympic athletes take broccoli sprout shots
    01:44 - Are sprouts actually nature's greatest superfood?
    02:34 - Doug Evans' crazy journey to sprouting
    04:49 - How sprouts cured scurvy during World War I
    05:56 - Dr. Jed Fahey explains the safety and upper limits of sprouts
    07:48 - Why isn't everyone sprouting?
    08:52 - Getting your daily fiber and protein entirely from sprouts?
    13:08 - Detoxifying environmental contaminants via the NRF2 pathway
    16:33 - The Frontiers in Nutrition paper on broccoli sprout toxicity
    19:48 - Using sprouts for weight management and GLP1 benefits
    23:01 - Doug's 50% sprout diet, health routines, and lab results
    29:10 - Sprout safety and foodborne illness recalls
    30:46 - The REAL reason sprouts get contaminated
    34:26 - How sprouting can help solve planetary health and water scarcity
    36:37 - What happened when Doug ate only sprouts for 30 days
    38:17 - The engineering behind Doug's custom sprouting jar
    41:44 - The potential digestive side effects of eating a lot of sprouts
    45:06 - Harriette Chick and early nutrition science
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    2 min
  • The most powerful anti-aging drug: vaccines?!
    Apr 23 2026
    Vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk by 50%? They slow markers of aging by 19%? No one saw this coming until AI analyzed enormous patient databases and let us humans know.

    Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists and help them tell their stories.

    VIDEOS:

    Heidi Larson: Rumors, Trust, and Vaccines
    https://youtu.be/iZpGjzEwlOA

    How vaccines train the immune system in ways no one expected | Christine Stabell Benn | TEDxAarhus
    https://youtu.be/_d8PNlXHJ48

    Why I Changed My Mind On Vaccinations | Danielle Stringer | TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity
    https://youtu.be/tL-zwrxVcHw

    Truth About the HPV Vaccine: a Megyn Kelly Show Debate and Discussion, with Two Medical Experts
    https://youtu.be/y91qql_11dc

    Why we can’t agree about vaccines | Bernice Hausman | TEDxPSU
    https://youtu.be/M95MB6nmnaQ

    Why Australians live 7 years longer than Americans | Dr. Adrian Cois | TEDxBoston
    https://youtu.be/Lba5t17CWN0

    BOOKS:

    Vaccinated: From Cowpox to mRNA, the Remarkable Story of Vaccines
    https://a.co/d/04YclCj6

    The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics
    https://a.co/d/00zjIRxI

    Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
    https://a.co/d/03WLzJP4

    The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer
    https://a.co/d/0eJogVLQ

    PAPERS:

    Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Following Influenza Vaccination: A Claims-Based Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3233/JAD-220361

    The Impact of Routine Vaccinations on Alzheimer's Disease Risk in Persons 65 Years and Older: A Claims-Based Cohort Study using Propensity Score Matching
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/JAD-221231

    For those living with dementia, new study suggests shingles vaccine could slow the disease
    https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html

    A natural experiment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x

    Shingles Vaccine Drastically Cuts Risk of Serious Cardiac Events
    https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2026/03/16/19/33/shingles-vaccine-drastically-cuts-risk-of-serious-cardiac-events

    Risk of Alzheimer Dementia After High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccination
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13051479/

    Association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging: evidence from a US population-based cohort study
    https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/81/3/glag008/8430804

    0:00 Two BOLD claims
    5:29 Flu vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk
    11:11 Many vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk
    13:41 Reduced markers of aging
    22:11 Understanding concerned mothers
    33:08 Understanding medical professionals
    37:58 Understanding data scientists
    46:10 Understanding public health scientists
    50:35 Understanding the truly misinformed
    56:46 Understanding anti vaccine advocates
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    1 ora
  • Most cited scientist in the WORLD gives diet advice | Dr. Walter Willett
    Mar 20 2026
    We're swimming in conflicting nutrition advice, so why not go straight to the definitive source?

    I sit down with Dr. Walter Willett, Professor of Nutrition at Harvard, and the most cited nutrition scientist in the world. With a half century of research & data from hundreds of thousands of participants in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Dr. Willett has done more to define what a healthy diet actually looks like than almost anyone else in history.

    We cut through the noise of internet fad diets to discuss what the highest-quality, long-term data actually proves about longevity, chronic disease, and what we should put on our plates.

    We cover:

    Carbohydrate Confusion: The crucial difference between whole grains and potatoes (and his new 2025 substitution study).

    Protein Sources: How beef is the most pro aging food.

    The Truth About Fats: Reflecting on the landmark 1993 trans-fat paper that changed the food industry (and the massive pushback he received).

    If you want rigorous, peer-reviewed science rather than the latest social media trend, this is an interview you cannot miss.

    Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who needs a dose of real nutrition science!

    BOOKS:

    Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by Walter Willett
    https://a.co/d/0agTI4Zh

    Nutritional Epidemiology, 3rd Edition by Walter Willett
    https://a.co/d/0bgJUThX

    Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet by Johan Rockström
    https://a.co/d/062OhrdW

    PAPERS & REPORTS:

    EAT-Lancet 2025: Global food transformation needed to ease pressure on the planet and save millions of lives
    https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-stories/2025-10-03-eat-lancet-2025-global-food-transformation-needed-to-ease-pressure-on-the-planet-and-save-millions-of-lives.html

    The EAT Lancet full PDF:
    https://www.donorplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PIIS0140673625012012.pdf

    Meat vs EAT-Lancet: The dynamics of an industry-orchestrated online backlash
    https://changingmarkets.org/report/meat-vs-eat-lancet-the-dynamics-of-an-industry-orchestrated-online-backlash/

    Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging | Nature Medicine
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5

    Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women | The Lancet
    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PII0140-6736(93)90350-P/fulltext

    Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818362

    Total and specific potato intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three US cohort studies and a substitution meta-analysis of prospective cohorts
    https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj-2024-082121

    FASCINATING CHARTS:

    Harvard's heat map from optimal diets for healthy aging:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l7FeZf-K6GjIob7jLNk4QSVururGOZ04/view?usp=sharing

    Harvard's type of fat vs. mortality:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWlaLQ1Kqs4Foe9pRW4zkOnpZoBsqytP/view?usp=sharing

    EAT Lancet's food guide graphic:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ngOgEEwu1802licLatkcw4RV0fRtlGsL/view?usp=sharing

    0:00 Our journey to obesity
    3:21 The leading indicator of population health
    7:59 Why we believe in some sciences but not others
    11:48 The campaign against EAT Lancet
    22:12 Beginning of Dr. Willett interview - Diet
    29:31 The best science doesn't get published
    30:46 Getting the ban on trans fats
    37:47 Is nutritional epidemiology reliable?
    42:02 Eat Lancet diet & seed oils
    47:33 Environmental aspect of food
    50:34 Dr. Willett's critics
    1:00:16 My conclusions
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    1 ora e 3 min