Mind & Matter

• Feel the Burn: Seed Oils, Memes & Oxidative Stress | Brian Kerley | 233

  Send us a textAre seed oils really driving chronic disease (and sunburns), or is it hype?Episode Summary: Dr. Brian Kerley talks about the health impacts of seed oils, their high omega-6 fatty acid content, and their role in chronic diseases through mechanisms like lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. They explore how these industrially processed oils may contribute to conditions like heart disease and obesity, discuss the challenges of studying their long-term effects, and highlight the cultural and political dimensions of dietary trends.About the guest: Brian Kerley, MD is a family medicine-trained hospitalist physician who gained online prominence as the "Seed Oil Disrespecter" through his meme account, raising awareness about the health risks of seed oils.Discussion Points:Seed Oils & Health Risks: Seed oils (e.g., soybean, corn, etc.) are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linked to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, producing toxic compounds like 4-HNE and acrolein that damage cells.Evolutionary Perspective: The high omega-6 levels in modern diets are evolutionarily novel, deviating from natural omega-6 to omega-3 ratios found in traditional diets, potentially exacerbating health issues across diverse populations.Challenges with RCTs: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) often fail to capture the long-term effects of seed oils due to the need for extended washout periods (up to 8 years) and the pervasive presence of omega-6 in modern food environments.Cultural & Political Coding: Dietary trends like seed oil avoidance have become politically charged, with Kerley noting the polarization between institutional health narratives and alternative health communities, complicating public health discussions.Personal Impact: Dr. Kerley’s focus on seed oils stems from personal experiences, including managing his daughter’s mitochondrial disorder, highlighting the personal stakes in dietary choices.Related episode:M&M 192: Seed Oils, Chronic Disease, Diet & Religious Cults, Mainstream Medicine vs. Independent Research | Tucker Goodrich*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack Affiliates: KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

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• SSRIs, Sexual Dysfunction, Suicide & Mass Shootings, How FDA Works | David Healy | 232

  Send us a textA critique of SSRIs and pharma’s influence on medicine, including SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, suicidality, and violence. Long Summary: Dr. David Healy critiques modern medicine, focusing on SSRIs and psychiatric medicine, including: how pharmaceutical companies manipulate clinical trial data, ghostwrite studies, and influence medical practice, often ignoring patient experiences; highlighting issues like post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), the immediate sensory effects of SSRIs, and their potential to induce suicidal or violent behavior; challenging the reliance on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over individual patient reports; and more.About the guest: David Healy, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and pharmacologist, has decades of experience researching the serotonin system and SSRIs, working across Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the US. He is a professor at McMaster University and a vocal critic of pharmaceutical industry practices.Discussion Points:SSRIs cause near-immediate sensory effects, like genital numbing, in most people.Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) can persist for years or decades after stopping the drug, affecting many long-term users.Healy argues RCTs prioritize averages over individual experiences, often missing serious side effects like suicidality.Pharmaceutical companies ghostwrite studies and manipulate data, with journals like the New England Journal of Medicine publishing misleading articles.Serotonin theory of depression lacks evidence.Industry tactics include dismissing patient reports as anecdotes and using high doses in trials to mask weak efficacy.SSRIs can increase suicide risk, not just during initiation but also when adjusting doses or withdrawing, as seen in cases like the Aurora movie theater shooting.Regulatory bodies like the FDA often fail to investigate adverse effects due to bureaucratic processes and lack of follow-up.Healy emphasizes doctors’ failure to prioritize patient observations, driven by industry-influenced standards of care.Related episode:M&M 88: Depression, Serotonin, SSRIs, Psychiatry & Social Media | Joanna Moncrieff*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack Affiliates: KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

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• Psychedelic Chemistry, Magic Mushrooms, Kratom, Gray Market Research Chemicals, Vape Shops | Andrew Chadeayne | 231

  Send us a textEpisode Summary: Dr. Andrew Chadeayne discusses the chemistry of psilocybin and other psychedelics, their potential therapeutic applications, and the challenges of commercializing them in a shifting biotech market. The conversation delves into the complexities of magic mushroom composition, debunking myths like "lemon tekking," and uncovers the booming, unregulated alternative products industry, including kratom and synthetic psilocybin analogs sold in vape shops.About the guest: Andrew Chadeayne, PhD is a chemist who also holds a law degree, specializing in patent law. He is the founder and CEO of CaaMTech, a startup specializing in the development of novel psychedelic compounds. Chadeayne collaborates with academic labs to advance psychedelic science while navigating the commercial landscape.Discussion Points:Psilocybin is a prodrug converted to psilocin, but magic mushrooms contain other psychoactive molecules like beta-carbolines, which may enhance effects by inhibiting degradation.Chadeayne’s team develops psilocin prodrugs to shorten psychedelic trips, making clinical administration more manageable without altering effects.The "lemon tek" myth—that lemon juice converts psilocybin to psilocin—is false; it enhances absorption by extracting compounds, not altering chemistry.Magic mushroom bruising indicates psilocin degradation, as oxidized psilocin forms blue, inactive dimers.The multi-billion dollar alternative products industry sells kratom and synthetic psilocybin analogs, often mislabeled, in vape shops, raising safety and regulatory concerns.Kratom’s minor alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is ~40x more potent than morphine, with no reported overdoses but high habit-forming potential.Non-hallucinogenic serotonin 2A agonists, like those developed by CaaMTech’s spinout, show promise for conditions like migraines without requiring a psychedelic trip.Related episode:M&M 71: Chemistry of Magic Mushrooms, DMT Analogues, Entourage Effects in Cannabis & Fungi, Novel Psychedelic Medicines, Psychedelic Startups | Andrew Chadeayne*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack Affiliates: KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

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• Psilocybin & MDMA: Inflammation, Stress & Brain-Body Communication | Michael Wheeler | 230

  Send us a textEpisode Summary: Dr. Michael Wheeler talks about neuroimmune interactions, exploring how the immune system and brain communicate, particularly through the blood-brain barrier and meninges; how chronic stress and inflammation can alter brain circuits, contributing to mood disorders like depression; how drugs like psilocybin and MDMA may reduce inflammation by modulating immune cells in the meninges, offering potential therapeutic benefits.About the guest: Michael Wheeler, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. His lab studies how immune responses influence behavior, mood disorders, and addiction.Key Conversation Points:The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is not as impermeable as once thought, allowing immune signals like cytokines to influence brain function even in healthy states.Chronic stress can weaken the BBB, increasing inflammation and affecting mood-regulating circuits, potentially contributing to depression.Microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, help maintain neural circuits by pruning synapses and regulating metabolism.Psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA can reduce inflammation by prompting immune cells (monocytes) to leave the meninges, potentially via vascular effects.These psychedelics may act in a context-specific “window,” requiring a dysregulated tissue state to exert anti-inflammatory effects, not as broad-spectrum anti-inflammatories.Neuroinflammation may underlie some treatment-resistant depression cases, suggesting immunotherapy could complement traditional psychiatric treatments.The brain encodes peripheral immune signals, like gut inflammation, in specific circuits, which can “remember” and recreate inflammatory responses.Aging may naturally increase blood-brain barrier leakiness, heightening the brain's susceptibility to peripheral inflammation.Future research aims to explore how psychedelics influence plasticity and their potential in treating inflammation-related diseases beyond psychiatry.Related episode:M&M 2: Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, Inflammation & Novel Psychedelic Medicines | Charles Nichols*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack Affiliates: KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

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• Linoleic Acid, Seed Oils, mTOR & Breast Cancer | Nikos Koundouros & John Blenis | 229

  Send us a textEpisode Summary: New research on how dietary fats, particularly omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid, influence triple-negative breast cancer progression by activating the mTOR pathway, a key regulator of cell growth; role of the FABP5 protein in enhancing cancer cells’ sensitivity to omega-6 fats; differences between breast cancer subtypes; broader implications of dietary balance for health.About the guest: John Blenis, PhD is a Professor of Pharmacology at the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Nikos Koundouros, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in Blenis’ lab.Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Transcript and other information on Substack.Key  Points:mTOR pathway acts as a cellular “brain,” sensing nutrients like amino acids, glucose, and fats to regulate growth. Its dysregulation can drive cancer.High dietary omega-6 fatty acids, like linoleic acid found in seed oils, can fuel triple-negative breast cancer growth by activating mTOR.FABP5, a lipid chaperone protein, is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer, making these tumors more sensitive to omega-6 fats, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.Modern diets with high omega-6 to omega-3 ratios disrupt inflammation balance, unlike historical 1:1 ratios, potentially increasing cancer risk.Genetic variations and cancer subtypes highlight the need for tailored dietary recommendations, as blanket nutrition advice may not suit all patients.While omega-6 fats exacerbate existing triple-negative breast cancer, their role in initiating cancer remains unclear, requiring further study.High omega-6 intake may influence other cancers (e.g., prostate, colon) and chronic diseases like obesity, linked to FABP5 and inflammation.Related episode:M&M 200: Dietary Fats & Seed Oils in Inflammation, Colon Cancer & Chronic Disease | Tim Yeatman & Ganesh Halade*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack Affiliates: KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

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