Digital Social Hour Ep. #1724 — Vinny Lingham: Why “Healthy” Foods Don’t Work for Everyone

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Sean Kelly sits down with Vinny Lingham—entrepreneur, poker high-roller, and early crypto investor—for a dynamic, no-holds-barred conversation about health, longevity, nutrition myths, the food industry, and Vinny’s adventures in poker and cryptocurrency. The episode is anchored by Vinny’s personal journey: how a “healthy” diet nearly wrecked his health, why he became a carnivore, and how he believes the mainstream food narrative is fundamentally broken. Vinny also dives into his experiences in the crypto world and shares thoughts on risk, investing, and the volatile future.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Biohacking for Longevity

• Omega 3:6 Ratio & Inflammation
  • Vinny discusses aiming for a low omega-6 to omega-3 balance—ideally 1:1, though he maintains about a 3:1 ratio due to traveling.
  • "If you look at a lot of the studies around longevity, people who have very low levels of omega 6s tend to live longer. And be healthier. And so you see this in like Okinawa...one common theme is very, very high three to six ratio. So more threes than sixes. Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory, Omega 6s are inflammatory." (00:00)
  • Credits cutting seed oils and high fructose corn syrup with reducing his HSCRP (inflammation marker) from 3.7 to 1.3.

2. Poker as a High-Performance Hobby

• Vinny recaps recent success in high roller tournaments at the World Series of Poker, hitting career earnings over $1 million.
  • "I was chip leader at one point in the final table. I screwed it up, you know... But I still, you know, it was a good win, good haul for me." (02:10)
• Discusses poker as a hobby, not a profession:
  • "I'm just a pretty good amateur...for me it's trying to play maybe 12 tournaments a year at the 50k plus stakes level." (03:01)

3. Crypto: Early Adopter Wisdom & Cautions

• Vinny’s early advocacy for Bitcoin and perspective on how its use-case shifted from global payments to “store of value.”
  • "I think owning a piece of the future, which is crypto, is important. I think most people's biggest mistake...is they get too over their skis and put too much money into it." (05:08)
• Cautions against overexposure:
  • "I've seen four or five [crashes] now...there's probably another one brewing. And so people should be very careful." (06:16)
• Nuanced take on crypto celebrities:
  • "My prediction would be that [Michael Saylor] does more damage to Bitcoin eventually than FTX did. Wow. Are you serious? I think it's a real possibility." (08:28)
• Discusses Solana, Filecoin, and shifting interest toward new tech, filmmaking, and other hobbies.

4. Health Transformation: Carnivore Diet and Rewriting Nutrition Norms

• Details journey from omnivore to vegetarian/vegan (which hurt his health), then to full carnivore, fixing gut and metabolic issues along the way.
  • "Over 18 months, it was just like, it wasn't great for my health...I got an ulcer...they put me on PPIs...which gave me this thing called SIBO...the more fiber I had, the worse things became because the fiber feeds the bad bacteria...eventually, I went carnivore and kind of fixed pretty much everything." (14:15)
• Surprising heart health benefits and dramatic improvement in arterial health after three years on a heavy meat diet:
  • "Low density plaque came down 90%...in about three years of eating a very heavy meat diet...stenosis in my heart...is actually widening, not narrowing." (16:04)
• Argues most “healthy” official nutrition advice is motivated by profit, not science.
  • "The food pyramid is a total scam...But you know what, people don't have to believe what I'm saying. Just test these things." (18:26, 18:32)

Notable Quote:

“Saturated fat, cholesterol does not cause heart disease. I made a documentary about it...It’s on Amazon, Apple...it’s really about the roots of our health and how we can get off medication.” – Vinny (17:26)

5. Cutting Seed Oils and Processed Carbs

• Seed oils are demonized as a hidden epidemic in modern health, citing personal stories of inflammation, numbness, and pain when consuming high omega-6 foods.
  • "I started cutting seed oils out...I haven't had a problem since. My arms don't go numb." (26:15)
• Vinny’s challenge to nutritionist Lane Norton: $50,000 wager that 30 days on high seed oil and sugar diet will yield negative health impacts.
  • "We're in for 50k now to Lane...we're actually in the midst of doing a legal contract." (27:08)

6. Food Industry Critique & Shrinkflation

• Explains how food inflation, supply chain pressures, and retailer demands lead to lower food quality and sneaky ingredient substitutions (e.g., canola for olive oil) over decades.
  • "So that's the game that's been played...for the past 50, 67 years...shrinkflation applied to food." (34:39)
• Advises buying from ranchers or local sources, avoiding mass-produced goods.
  • "All I try and do is educate people. Whole foods. Okay. Like, you can't put fillers in a steak, right?" (36:05)
• "When you buy packaged goods with like 50 different ingredients, you're crazy." (37:33)

7. Supplements, Testing, and the Individualized Approach

• Vinny’s personal regimen includes 30–40 supplements, tailored to his individual markers through regular testing.
  • “I try not to tell people what to take because you should test your blood and...optimize your health.” (37:59)
• Priority markers: Vitamin D (“should be above 60”), sleep supplements, NAD, glutathione, fatty acids, creatine, and mitochondrial support.
  • "Vitamin D is the most important one I think...if you have to look at one marker." (38:51)
  • "I don't get sick. I take like black seed oil...it's close to 30 to 40 [supplements]." (40:01)

8. Broad Health Philosophies & Practical Tips

• Focus on anti-inflammatory lifestyle, whole foods, individualized nutrition, and avoiding plastic-packaged foods/water.
  • "If someone said to me, Vinny, what is the most important thing you can do for your health? Number one, in my opinion is cut out seed oils." (18:33)
• Practical considerations for sourcing quality seafood, meat, and eggs; using resources like Seatopia and buying from trusted ranchers. (23:25, 36:38)
• Sees whole-food-based, low-inflammation diets as foundational, not necessarily dogmatic.
  • "I'm not like religious about it...I was in Japan for a week and got some sushi. I was in Italy for a week, had a slice of pizza. But then go back to eating meat." (18:16)
• Warnings against vegan protein powders (heavy metals) and the limitations of plant-based diets without modern supplementation (41:17).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We humans are being farmed. At a very high level, we are being farmed on Earth. We have corporations selling shit to us every single day...unless you take back your health, you're going to become part of the farm.” — Vinny (29:46)
• “Statin usage and dementia...there's a linkage...cholesterol is actually...your brain's made of cholesterol and your body needs it.” (30:22)
• “The game plan: companies acquire organic brands, then slowly sub in cheaper stuff to improve your margins.” (35:29)
• "People should stop buying from supermarkets when it comes to food." (37:33)
• "When I play poker, it’s a whole different game...I take it very seriously." (40:28)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] Omega 3s, seed oils, and inflammation
• [02:05] Vinny’s poker tournament performance and mindset
• [05:08] Bitcoin/macro crypto advice for investors
• [08:28] Deep dive: Michael Saylor, Microstrategy, and Bitcoin risk
• [13:46] Vinny’s health/dietary transformation begins
• [14:15] From vegetarian misery to carnivore breakthrough
• [16:03] Carnivore blood work: heart health markers improve
• [17:26] Documentary: "Animal" and challenging the food pyramid
• [18:26] Testing seed oils, processed carbs, and key tips
• [21:28] Fasting protocols and muscle retention
• [23:25] Seafood sourcing, mercury, and microplastics
• [26:15] Seed oil inflammation saga and public $50,000 challenge
• [34:39] How “shrinkflation” and ingredient swapping undermines food quality
• [36:05] Whole foods principle, buying from local ranchers
• [37:59] Supplementation strategy and sleep optimization
• [41:17] Risks of vegan protein, technology, and diet
• [44:32] Purpose and bias-free intent behind the "Animal" documentary

Final Thoughts

Vinny Lingham’s evidence-driven, contrarian approach to health, investing, and life shines throughout the episode. Whether warning of the dangers of seed oils and the modern food supply, reminiscing about early Bitcoin or high-stakes poker, or explaining why “one-size-fits-all” healthy foods don’t work, the key takeaway is to test, personalize, and take responsibility for your own wellbeing. The episode ends with Vinny urging for real, unbiased conversation and practical change—reminding listeners that we are ultimately responsible for our own health in a system designed to serve corporate interests over individual wellness.