Metagenics Institute Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. In this much-anticipated edition, we are joined by the renowned diagnostics educator and experienced naturopath, Rachel Arthur. Together with our host, Nathan Rose, they delve into the fascinating world of the thyroid gland and its interconnectedness with other crucial signalling factors such as leptin, hormones, and fat mass. Prepare to have your understanding of thyroid research reframed as they explore why attributing fat gain solely to the thyroid might not be the full story. Get ready for a captivating discussion on how excessive adipose tissue can lead to disruptions in thyroid function and the influence of macrophage types on endocrine balance. Rachel's remarkable ability to present complex concepts with her insightful analogies promises to make this episode both clinically relevant and entertaining! Highlights: 15:36 minutes - Why increasing T3 isn’t the holy grail for fat mass. 20:31 minutes - Excess energy intake can be the greatest disruptor of gland architecture. 30:50 minutes - The role of fat mass and macrophages in thyroid function. 36:00 minutes - How inflammation and macrophage type can alter fat gain. *Useful Links: * https://rachelarthur.com.au/ https://rachelarthur.com.au/mastercourse-ii-thyroid-adrenal-diagnostics/

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. What if you could measure and improve your emotional fitness with an inexpensive wearable device and a free app? In this episode, we talk to Dr Paul Zak, a pioneer in the neuroscience of immersion and happiness, who has developed a groundbreaking technology that can do just that. In this episode, you will learn: • What is immersion and why is it important for our well-being and performance? • How does immersion relate to dopamine and oxytocin, two key neurotransmitters that regulate our attention and emotions? • How can you use Dr Zak’s technology to measure your immersion and psychological safety, and prevent or manage low mood and low energy? Dr Paul Zak has spent the past two decades searching for signals within the brain to predict what brain’s value and if people will take action. This quest has resulted in discovering neuroscience that uncovered keys to happiness and joy, and more recently, potential clinical benefits in predicting low mood and burnout. In this episode, Paul describes his mapping of what he has dubbed ‘immersion’ – a unique neurological state of engagement that has tremendous predictive power and emerging clinical utility. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation with Dr Paul Zak, who will share his insights and stories from his decades of research on the brain and happiness. Subscribe to the Metagenics Institute Podcast today and get ready to be immersed in the science of immersion. Useful links: • Merritt SH, Krouse M, Alogaily RS, Zak PJ. Continuous Neurophysiologic Data Accurately Predict Mood and Energy in the Elderly. Brain Sci. 2022;12(9):1240. Published 2022 Sep 14. doi:10.3390/brainsci12091240 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36138976/) • Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness (https://www.amazon.com.au/Immersion-Science-Extraordinary-Source-Happiness/dp/1544531958) • Launch of Tuesday App (https://besttuesdayever.com/)

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. Almost half of working Australians report feeling burnt out. Similarly, many people can experience burnout from non-occupational pressures, such as being a carer. In this episode Nathan speaks to burnout researcher Gabriela Tavella on the science and management of this affliction. Gabriela discusses the psychological factors linked to burnout and the physiological effects of this stress state, how burnout can be confused with depression and chronic fatigue, as well as management strategies her research team have unveiled. Discover some surprising factors that burnout sufferers have reported to be effective and ineffective in managing their allostatic overload. Additionally, Gabriela offers some simple and accessible tools that can help people experiencing burnout. Gabriela Tavella is a PhD candidate in the UNSW School of Psychiatry and has a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from UNSW. Gabriela currently works alongside burnout pioneering researcher and founder of the Blackdog Institute Prof Gordon Parker AO. Gabriela has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on burnout and recently co-authored the book Burnout: A guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recover. Links: Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery (https://www.amazon.com.au/Burnout-Guide-Identifying-Pathways-Recovery/dp/1032367725/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) Bayes A, Tavella G, Parker G. The biology of burnout: Causes and consequences (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33783308/). World J Biol Psychiatry. 2021;22(9):686-698. doi:10.1080/15622975.2021.1907713 Parker G, Tavella G. Distinguishing burnout from clinical depression: A theoretical differentiation template. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33321382/) J Affect Disord. 2021;281:168-173. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.022 Tavella G, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Parker G. Burnout: Redefining its key symptoms. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34052460/) Psychiatry Res. 2021;302:114023. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114023 Parker G, Tavella G. The Diagnosis of Burnout: Some Challenges. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35766539/) J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022;210(7):475-478. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001492 Parker G, Tavella G. Is burnout simply a stress reaction? (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34996323/). Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2022;56(9):1065-1067. doi:10.1177/00048674211070221

Professor Rima Obeid a holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a degree in the field of Clinical Biochemistry. She has a special interest in the role of folate, B vitamins and methylation in health and disease. Her passion for this topic has led to the publication of more than 130 papers in the field of metabolism, nutrition and health.

Dr Hyla Cass is a Psychiatrist; integrative medical practitioner; noted public speaker, author and consultant, and educator on complementary medicine and psychiatry, women’s health and natural treatments for anxiety disorders, depression and addiction. Dr Cass is an internationally recognised expert and educator and a former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, UCLA School of medicine.

Dr Dale Bredesen a clinician and researcher, has been practicing medicine for over 30 years with a focus on neurology and ageing. His lengthy experience includes being the Founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Director of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at UCLA. The Bredesen laboratory studies basic mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative process, and the translation of this knowledge into effective therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease and other similar conditions. Bredesen believes that cognitive decline is a metabolically driven process with multiple causes. His research has led to the publication of over 200 research papers and has made him an internationally recognised expert in the field of Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative processes.

Dr. Adrian Lopresti is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice and senior researcher at Murdoch University, Western Australia. He has over 18 years of clinical experience working with children through to adults, suffering from a range of mental health conditions including depressive and anxiety-related disorders. Dr. Lopresti has completed his PhD and published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the effects of diet, nutraceuticals, sleep and exercise on biological pathways associated with depression, ADHD and bipolar disorder. He also completed a clinical trial investigating the antidepressant effects of curcumin in people with depression.

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. Long COVID – its highly prevalent, often includes debilitating symptoms and there is currently no consensus on what is driving the syndrome. Cue Dr Amy Proal. Dr Proal is a microbiologist and CEO of Polybio Research Foundation, and she is driven to elucidate the pathophysiology of long COVID. In this episode Dr Proal discusses the new science on the biological drivers of long COVID, outlining the evidence for the ‘persistent SARS-CoV-2 reservoir’ hypothesis of long COVID. Further, Dr Proal explains the nefarious mechanisms SARS-CoV-2 has on suppressing immunity, synergising with pathobionts and potentially wreaking havoc on neurological circuits, all of which can help explain long COVID symptomatology such as chronic inflammation, hypercoagulability, sickness behaviour and dysautonomia. The podcast explores spike proteins, co-infections, dysbiosis, vagal nerve dysfunction and more to paint a comprehensive picture of this condition. To conclude, Nathan and Dr Proal discuss potential therapeutic targets and cast an eye to the future on Dr Proal’s current collaboration with world-leading researchers on long COVID. Useful Links Proal AD, VanElzakker MB. Long COVID or Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC): An Overview of Biological Factors That May Contribute to Persistent Symptoms. Front Microbiol. 2021;12:698169. Published 2021 Jun 23. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.698169 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34248921/ https://polybio.org/

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. Professor Hill joins the podcast to discuss the potentially powerful influence the oral contraceptive pill can have on the brain. As a researcher, Professor Hill combines her knowledge of women's psychology from an evolutionary perspective with her personal experience in her new book, This is Your Brain on Birth Control. Listen to the evolutionary framework that influences female behaviour and learn how birth control can affect partner choice, mood and the stress response. With a balanced and thoughtful approach, Sarah spells out the nuances of the pill to give listeners information to better help make informed decisions. Sarah's Website: https://www.sarahehill.com/

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners. Endometriosis is a common and debilitating condition that has proven difficult to treat. In this episode, Sun-Wei Guo, a geneticist turned Professor of Gynaecology, reveals his eye-opening research into the pathophysiology of endometriosis. Sun Wei explains how the theory of retrograde flow in endometriosis is necessary but not sufficient to explain the progression of the disease. Prof Guo explains that endometriotic lesions are wounds undergoing repeated tissue injury and repair (ReTIAR). Sun Wei further describes how surprising mediators in the endometriotic microenvironment are responsible for the incomplete repair process that leads to the cellular hallmarks of endometriosis. Hear about Prof Guo’s preliminary work on herbal constituents and electrical stimulation that are generating encouraging results in endometriosis. Listen in to discover new non-hormonal targets that can be considered to combat this terrible affliction. Professor Guo received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington and had subsequent stints at University of Michigan and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Since 2010 Sun Wei has been a Professor at Shanghai OB/GYN Hospital, Fudan University and an adjunct professor at Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Prof Guo has been an Associated Editor of several reproduction journals and a board member of several endometriosis societies, including member of the Board of Trustees of the World Endometriosis Society (WES). Links: Guo SW. Fibrogenesis resulting from cyclic bleeding: the Holy Grail of the natural history of ectopic endometrium. Hum Reprod. 2018 Mar 1;33(3):353-356. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29420711/ Xiao F, Liu X, Guo SW. Platelets and Regulatory T Cells May Induce a Type 2 Immunity That Is Conducive to the Progression and Fibrogenesis of Endometriosis. Front Immunol. 2020 Dec 14;11:610963. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33381124/ Yan D, Liu X, Guo SW. Neuropeptides Substance P and Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide Accelerate the Development and Fibrogenesis of Endometriosis. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 25;9(1):2698. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30804432/ Huang S, Xiao F, Guo SW, Zhang T. Tetramethylpyrazine Retards the Progression and Fibrogenesis of Endometriosis. Reprod Sci. 2022 Apr;29(4):1170-1187. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35099777/ Hao M, Liu X, Rong P, Li S, Guo SW. Reduced vagal tone in women with endometriosis and auricular vagus nerve stimulation as a potential therapeutic approach. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 14;11(1):1345. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33446725/ Hao M, Liu X, Guo SW. Activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor retards the development of endometriosis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2022 Jun 4;20(1):85. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35658970/