Episode 167: Nicholas Norwitz discusses a ketogenic diet as metabolic medicine

Today we have Dr. Nicholas Norwitz, 28, a third-year Harvard Medical School student whose research into the applications of a ketogenic diet as metabolic medicine has attracted a significant following.
For a number of years during his youth, Nick suffered from a number of debilitating diseases, including osteoporosis, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. In today’s interview, we talk to Nick about research that led him to adopt a ketogenic diet that put him back on the road to metabolic health.
After graduating from Dartmouth College in 2018 with a degree in cellular and molecular biology, Nick attended Oxford University where he earned a Ph.D. in metabolism and nutrition. He is the author of peer-reviewed scientific papers and textbook chapters on topics including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal health, genetics osteology and Parkinson’s disease.
For full shownotes, visit www.ihmc.us/stemtalk/episode-...

[@WengertD]

Great guest!

[@meatandmusic]

Thank you for a great interview

[@richardfeuille1212]

I’m wondering if your incipient IBD was a contributor to your stress fractures as your mutation. We know that IBD can cause growth failure years before and GI symptoms. Could it have contributed to your osteoporosis? And, might your keto diet (or perhaps a carnivore diet) lead to a recovery?

[@kenadams5504]

He has stayed on keto because his symptoms start to return if he stops ....he describes keto as putting his symptoms into remission ,(as opposed to being a cure). Who knows if ,eventually, keto will be a permanent cure ? .

[@rayfih]

Such a wonderful human being! ❤

[@BruceBurkhalter]

I liked Nic before this podcast but now much more respect

[@rayfih]

He's outstanding!

[@countryfriedcamper]

As someone who has been on a meat based elimination diet for a month I wish the “experts” on carnivore would listen to this interview and speak more rationally about high LDL instead of acting like it could not possibly be an issue for any and all on a meat based diet. It is irrational to ignore nuance in the diet sphere and metabolic health.

[@kenadams5504]

I'm a lean mass hyper responder ,too , and assumed (like you may be ) that Nic is saying that elevated ldl from a keto diet is not atherogenic .However , his lmhr hypothesis is not actually saying that definatively ...Its actually postulating that the chronically elevated ldl for the lmhr phenotye "MAY "not be atherogenic, as the established Lipid Heart hypothesis believes .The phenotype only has data from a relatively small study for lmhr's over an average of 4.7 years .There is still much more data to gather regarding longer periods of time before definitive claims can be made , (if ever).Nic and his colleagues have publicised their findings in order to attempt to foster interest in them, hopefully enabling further work that could provide important information about lipidology ,in general .

[@daven6145]

What happens if a person who has low TG, high HDL and high LDL suddenly gets their LDL suddenly lowered by a statin drug? (Lipid numbers are 61/88/245.) Is there a known risk to this? Might there be known genetic idiosyncrasies involved?

[@ruths.330]

Hospital cafeterias are the most unhealthy places to buy food!!

[@RichardFeuille]

What can’t? The diet? Or, the Oreos?

[@northerncoloradotransparen1454]

Nah, cannot be healthy in the long term.

[@dogphlap6749]

Interesting comment. Why do you think that ?

[@ruths.330]

Not for you!

[@marilynroper5739]

Especially when this diet can reverse diabetes, lower blood pressure, cause weight loss, correct acid reflux, lower inflammation, reverse fatty liver, lower triglycerides, increase HDL, reverse depression, schizophrenia and bipolar; fix PCOS, clear up gout, …the list goes on. How can it be healthy is the question.