Podcast
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Hosted by Darshan Shah, MD · EN
Extend with Darshan Shah, MD is a podcast dedicated to cutting-edge science, research, tools, and protocols designed to help you extend your healthspan.
Starting my medical journey at 16 and becoming one of the youngest doctors in the country, studying and training at the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Business School, Singularity University and other prestigious institutions, becoming a board certified surgeon and accumulating over two decades of practice, I have discovered that a mere 20% of health knowledge yields 80% of the results.
That's why this podcast is all about cutting through the noise on how to turn back the aging clock.
I interview world-renowned medical practitioners, doctors, experts, and thought leaders, offering you a step-by-step guide and actionable advice to proactively avoid disease and optimize your health.
Plus, I share weekly solo episodes giving you quick, digestible protocols for successfully extending your healthspan.
49episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
168. Peter Crone: Why You Can't Access True Vitality Until You Free Your Mind
5d ago00:55:34Summary readyWhen we talk about health, longevity, and performance, the conversation often starts with the body. We look at biomarkers, sleep, nutrition, exercise, recovery, and protocols, hoping that if we get enough of the physical pieces right, we will finally feel better, stronger, and more alive. Yet there is another layer that can quietly shape everything from the way we handle stress to the way we heal, lead, love, perform, and experience our own potential. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Peter Crone to explore why true vitality is not only about what is happening in the body, but also about the subconscious stories shaping the mind. We get into the patterns of inadequacy, insecurity, and scarcity, how they can keep the nervous system in survival, why health is not simply the absence of disease, and how the narratives we live inside can affect our physiology, relationships, performance, and ability to feel free. This conversation matters because it challenges the idea that physical optimization alone is enough when the mind is still operating from old constraints. Peter Crone is a renowned thought leader in human awakening and potential who helps people dissolve the subconscious constraints shaping their behaviour, health, relationships, and performance. As a transformation coach, writer, speaker, and Ayurvedic practitioner, he has become one of the most trusted voices helping elite athletes, CEOs, and people from all walks of life move beyond survival patterns and access greater freedom, clarity, and ease. What's Discussed: (01:42) How Peter's early life shaped his understanding of survival, isolation, and belonging. (03:53) Why true vitality starts with freeing the mind. (07:28) The three patterns that keep people in survival: inadequacy, insecurity, and scarcity. (09:40) Why modern healthcare often focuses on disease management instead of true health. (10:50) Why health is not simply the absence of disease. (14:15) How unconscious stories can quietly drive your life. (18:44) Why some people do not want life to end, but want an old story to end. (46:09) Why self-improvement can still keep people inside the same limited identity. Listen now and learn why the story you keep living in may be one of the biggest factors shaping your health, vitality, relationships, and what you believe is possible for your life. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Function Health: Learn more and join using my link. Visit functionhealth.com/drshah and use gift code DRSHAH25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Peter Crone: Website: petercrone.com Linktree: linktr.ee/petercrone
Summary167. Dr. Amie Hornaman: The Thyropause Problem: Why So Many Women Feel Off in Midlife Despite "Normal" Labs
1w ago00:55:59Summary readyHave you entered midlife and started gaining weight, feeling exhausted, waking up foggy, losing motivation, or noticing your mood shift while your labs keep coming back "normal"? For a lot of women over 40, that answer does not bring relief because they still feel off, and this episode explains why thyropause, the midlife decline in thyroid function, is so often missed, dismissed, or mistaken for aging, burnout, depression, or menopause. We dive deeper into this in the Extend Podcast with Dr. Darshan Shah with Dr. Amie Hornaman. We break down why TSH alone is not enough, how thyropause overlaps with perimenopause, menopause, and andropause, and why the real fix starts with a full thyroid panel, proper T4-to-T3 conversion, and a personalized plan built around optimal function instead of "normal" ranges. Dr. Amie Hornaman, also known as The Thyroid Fixer, is the founder of the Advanced Thyroid and Hormone Clinic and host of The Thyroid Fixer Podcast. After being misdiagnosed six times herself, she built an international telehealth practice focused on thyroid and hormone optimization. With her clinical experience, book, supplement line, and features in Forbes Health, CBS News, and Fox News, she is one of the most credible voices on why thyroid dysfunction is missed and how to properly address it. What's discussed (1:16) Why Dr. Amie was told her labs were normal despite clear thyroid symptoms. (3:05) The symptoms people often miss, from weight gain and fatigue to hair loss and brain fog. (5:33) How thyroid dysfunction can look like ADD, early Alzheimer's, anxiety, or depression. (6:55) What thyropause is and why it often overlaps with perimenopause, menopause, and andropause. (9:55) Why TSH alone is not enough and what a full thyroid panel should include. (13:12) How T4 converts into active T3 and why reverse T3 can block thyroid function. (22:09) The connection between low thyroid function, chronic disease risk, and immune function. (41:02) Why GLP-1s may not work if thyroid and hormones are not optimized first. Listen to this episode of Extend with Dr. Darshan Shah on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to understand why "normal" labs may not be the full answer, what thyroid markers actually matter, and how optimizing thyroid function can change your energy, metabolism, mood, hormones, and long-term health. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com/fiber and use code DRSHAH for up to 35% off your first order. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Amie Hornaman: Website: dramie.com The Thyroid Fix book: thyroidfixbook.com Instagram: @dramiehornaman Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/dramie YouTube: youtube.com/dramiehornaman TikTok: @dramiehornaman 7-day Thyroid Healing Kickstart: fixyourthyroid.com/7daykickstarter
Summary166. Carolina Reis de Oliveira: The Missing Link Between Skin and Longevity
2w ago00:57:06Summary readyIf you think your skincare routine is protecting your skin, this conversation may make you look at your bathroom shelf differently. You've been taught to treat your skin like something cosmetic, something you maintain for how it looks. But your skin is your largest organ, it has its own biological age, and if you are not supporting it properly, it can become a constant source of inflammation and damage that goes far beyond appearance. We dive deeper into this in Extend with Carolina Reis de Oliveira, PhD. We also break down why most skincare products are not built to target the biology of aging, how senescent cells drive visible and invisible skin aging, and how OS-01, discovered through machine learning, is designed to slow the spread of these dysfunctional cells so you can actually support your skin as part of your longevity strategy. Carolina Reis de Oliveira, PhD, is a stem cell biologist, tissue engineer, and co-founder and CEO of OneSkin. She has spent over a decade researching cellular aging, building human skin models in the lab, and developing epigenetic clocks to measure biological skin age, with her work on OS-01 validated through peer-reviewed research, making her one of the leading voices translating longevity science into real-world applications for skin. For a limited time, you can try OneSkin for 15% off with code EXTEND at oneskin.co/EXTEND That's 15% off oneskin.co with code EXTEND What's Discussed: (2:02) Why OneSkin started by asking what actually targets skin aging at the cellular level. (4:02) How popular anti-aging products can cause inflammation and damage. (9:25) The three main drivers of skin aging: senescence, inflammation, and collagen breakdown. (11:24) Why UV exposure is responsible for most visible skin aging. (21:33) How OS-01 was discovered through machine learning and peptide screening. (26:33) Why too many actives can overwhelm the skin instead of helping it. (32:58) How aging skin can contribute to inflammation inside the body. (37:12) How skin biological age can be measured with epigenetic clocks. Listen to this episode of Extend with Darshan Shah, MD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to understand why skin is not just cosmetic, what actually drives skin aging at the cellular level, and how to start treating your skin like the longevity organ it really is. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Timeline: Timeline powered by Mitopure just dropped the price. Check it out at timeline.com/drshah and get an additional 20% off your first month with code DRSHAH. IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about OneSkin: Website: www.oneskin.co/ Instagram: @oneskin.co TikTok: @oneskin.co
Summary165. Cynthia Thurlow: The Menopause Gut - Why Healing Your Hormones Starts With Healing Your Gut
2w ago01:04:36Summary readyThe gut and hormones have always been treated as two completely separate conversations in medicine, and that disconnect is quietly behind some of the most frustrating symptoms women experience in midlife. From bloating and brain fog to autoimmune conditions and weight that will not move, the answers have been there all along, hiding in a connection nobody thought to make. We dive deeper into this in the Extend Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow. We also talk about why perimenopause is the ultimate litmus test of how well you have been living your life, why every woman deserves a conversation about hormone replacement therapy regardless of her age, and why the gut microbiome may be the missing link behind why so many women start HRT and still do not feel better. Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, internationally recognized speaker, and host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, with over 25 years of experience in health and wellness specializing in perimenopause, menopause, and intermittent fasting. Her second TEDx talk on intermittent fasting has garnered over 15 million views, and she has been featured on ABC, FOX 5, KTLA, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show. She is the author of Intermittent Fasting Transformation and the upcoming book The Menopause Gut, one of the most important and underexplored conversations in women's health today. What's Discussed: (4:27) What the gut microbiome actually is and why perimenopause changes everything about how it functions. (9:40) How accumulated childhood stress and trauma ages the ovaries faster and pushes women into menopause earlier. (20:05) How to assess where you stand with your nervous system and the simplest ways to start improving it. (31:59) What the estrobolome is and why it may be the missing link behind every perimenopausal symptom you cannot explain. (37:32) How to reinvigorate your estrobolome and get your gut back to actually processing hormones correctly. (43:44) Why every woman deserves a conversation about hormone replacement therapy and what most practitioners are still getting wrong. (49:59) The truth about oral contraceptives that a generation of women was never told. (56:52) The first two or three things every woman should do if she knows her gut is off. Listen to this episode of the Extend Podcast and walk away finally understanding why everything you have been doing for your hormones, your weight, your energy, and your symptoms has not been working, and what the one conversation nobody is having, could change about all of it. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com/fiber and use code DRSHAH for up to 35% off your first order. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Find out more about Cynthia Thurlow: Website: www.cynthiathurlow.com/ Instagram: @cynthia_thurlow Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiathurlowofficial Podcast: www.cynthiathurlow.com/podcast LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-thurlow YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@CynthiaThurlow Substack: https://cynthiathurlownp.substack.com/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/_CynthiaThurlow Pre-order: The Menopause Gut: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-menopause-gut-by-cynthia-thurlow
Summary164. SXSW Panel: How To Actually Take Control Of Your Health In 2026 and Beyond
3w ago00:55:41Summary readyA lot of us are doing everything we can to stay healthy, taking supplements, wearing trackers, getting our labs done, and still ending up sick. And if you are like most people, you probably thought that was on you, that you were not disciplined enough, not consistent enough, or simply not doing the right things, but that is not the case. The system we have been relying on was never designed to keep us well in the first place, and expecting the Western medical system to manage your long term health is like expecting a fire department to landscape your garden. We dive deeper into this in the Extend with Steve Martocci, Pranitha Patil, and John Sullivan. We also chat about why 30% of people have dangerously high blood pressure and have no idea, why four out of six top selling creatine products on Amazon contain zero creatine, and why doctors receive zero training on supplements in medical school yet are expected to advise patients on them every single day. Steve Martocci is the founder of SuppCo, a platform that has catalogued over 300,000 supplement products and built the industry's first independent trust scoring system. Pranitha Patil is the co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Function Health, which offers comprehensive lab testing across hundreds of biomarkers for $365 a year. John Sullivan is a senior leader at Whoop, the performance wearable that introduced medically cleared continuous health monitoring to everyday consumers. If there is any panel qualified to tell you the truth about what it actually takes to stay healthy in 2026, it is this one. What's Discussed: (13:12) The supplement industry's trust problem and why four out of six top selling creatine products on Amazon contain zero creatine. (20:17) How to build your own N-of-1 health roadmap using lab work, wearables, and supplements working together. (39:58) The single highest leverage investment you can make for your health right now that has nothing to do with money. (43:26) Why 30% of people have dangerous blood pressure and have no idea. (46:50) The FDA, the supplement industry, and where the line should actually be drawn between regulation and innovation. (53:12) Why the Western medical system was never built to keep you healthy and what to do instead. Listen to this episode of the Extend Podcast and finally understand why the system you have been trusting with your health was never designed to keep you well, and what it actually looks like to take that power back into your own hands. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com/fiber and use code DRSHAH for up to 35% off your first order. IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about John Sullivan: Instagram: @johnjsulli LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnjsulli/ Learn more about Pranitha Patil: Instagram: @pranitha/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pranithapatil Learn more about Steve Martocci: Instagram: @smart LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevemartocci
Summary163. Steve Chua: How Your Identity Is Either Healing Or Destroying Your Health
3w ago01:00:18Summary readyMost high performing executives will spend thousands optimizing their glucose levels, their sleep, and their body composition without ever stopping to ask why none of it makes them feel any better. The answer almost never lives in their labs and it almost never lives in their training program. It lives in the identity they built their entire career on top of, and the silent narrative driving every decision they make, that tells them their worth is only as good as their last result. In this episode of Extend, I sat down with Steve Chua to explore the real root cause of executive burnout and why fixing your physiology without addressing your identity is like putting the right fuel into the wrong engine. Walk away from this conversation with a completely different understanding of what is actually driving your performance, your exhaustion, and what it is going to take to finally lead from a place of genuine strength instead of fear. Steve Chua is an executive life and leadership coach with over 30 years of experience working with international leaders and organizations, and the founder of Steve Chua International and InsightOut, a coaching and consulting firm that empowers leaders to grow from the inside out. He operates from the conviction that healthy leaders create healthy companies, and his unique ability to help individuals resolve past conflicts, gain clarity in the present, and align their purpose and vision for the future, has made him one of the most sought after leadership coaches in the world. Check out Dr. Shah's Sleep Optimization Workbook here: https://www.drshah.com/sleep What's Discussed: (3:24) Steve's personal story of comparing himself to his brothers, failing out of Oxford, and standing on the ledge of a building at his lowest point. (5:57) The difference between living for value and living from value and why most executives are running on the wrong fuel. (7:46) The three levels of identity work that create lasting change: self awareness, self management, and self leadership. (11:34) Why picking up your phone first thing in the morning is the equivalent of eating a sugary breakfast for your brain. (21:06) Why high achieving executives become the bottleneck of their own companies and what that reveals about their identity. (37:49) The three things people lose when they burn out and why burnout is almost never just about working too hard. (44:10) Why your 40s and 50s are not a midlife crisis but a shift from success to significance. (51:30) The four life questions that when answered change everything about how you lead and how you live. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com/fiber and use code DRSHAH for up to 35% off your first order. IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Steve Chua: Website: stevechuaintl.com InsightOut: insightoutcorp.com Transformational Leadership Podcast: insightoutcorp.com/podcast Instagram: @stevechuaintl/ Facebook: steve.chua.net
Summary162. Dr. Meredith Broderick: What An Undiagnosed Sleep Disorder Is Quietly Doing To Your Brain And Body
4w ago01:14:52Summary readyA lot of people are walking around exhausted, foggy, moody, and struggling with their cardiovascular health blaming stress, diet, age, and everything in between, never once considering that the real culprit might be happening in the eight hours they are not even awake for. And in children, what is being labeled as ADHD and treated with medication could in many cases simply be an undiagnosed sleep disorder that nobody thought to look for. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Meredith Broderick for a conversation that is going to completely reframe the way you think about sleep and what ignoring it is actually costing your health, your brain, and your children. Walk away finally understanding what is driving your symptoms, why the medications most people reach for are quietly making things worse, and what actually works to fix your sleep for good. My guest today is Dr. Meredith Broderick, a triple board-certified sleep neurologist and one of only four practitioners in the world to hold certifications in neurology, sleep medicine, and behavioral sleep medicine. What makes her truly unique is how she brings together holistic, preventative, and behavioral approaches to sleep medicine in a way that almost no one else in this field can.There is truly nobody more equipped to have this conversation than someone who has spent her entire career at the exact intersection of the brain, the body, and the behavior of sleep. WHAT'S DISCUSSED: (7:29) Why children with sleep disorders are being misdiagnosed with ADHD and put on medication before anyone checks their sleep. (8:45) The signs of a sleep breathing problem in children that most parents and pediatricians completely miss. (13:48) Why sleep apnea is not just a snoring problem and how it silently drives cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and even cancer. (18:35) The surprising connection between mouth breathing, tongue position, and sleep apnea that nobody is talking about. (36:34) What chronic insomnia actually is, why one in three people has it, and why most people are treating it completely wrong. (40:19) What cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia actually is and why it outperforms every sleeping pill on the market. (55:01) Why Ambien may be blocking the brain's ability to clear the toxins linked to dementia while you sleep. (1:11:03) The two or three sleep environment changes that make an immediate and measurable difference in sleep quality. Listen to this episode of Extend and finally understand why your exhaustion, brain fog, and mood issues may have nothing to do with stress or age, what your sleep is actually doing to your long term health, and what it takes to fix it in a way that changes everything. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Function Health: Learn more and join using my link. Visit functionhealth.com/drshah and use gift code DRSHAH25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Meredith Broderick: Instagram: @thesleepneurologist TikTok: @thesleepneurologist Website: www.soundsleepguru.com
Summary161. McCall McPherson: Why Your Thyroid Is Being Undertested And Undertreated
4w ago00:47:02Summary readyFatigue, brain fog, weight gain, hair loss, low libido, high cholesterol, and a doctor who keeps telling you your labs look normal. For the millions of people walking around with an undetected or poorly managed thyroid condition, this is not just a frustrating experience but a dangerous one. Because what their doctor never told them is that the most important thyroid marker, the one that actually powers every cell in the body, is only being checked 4% of the time, which means the test they are relying on to rule out a thyroid problem is missing it almost every single time. In this episode of Extend, I sat down with McCall McPherson for a conversation that is going to completely change the way you think about your thyroid, your labs, and why the treatment that 89% of thyroid patients are on may be the very reason they are still suffering. If you have ever been dismissed by your doctor despite feeling terrible, this episode is going to give you the language, the labs, and the clarity to finally get the answers you deserve. McCall McPherson is a licensed Physician Associate, founder of Modern Thyroid Clinic, a practice with over 15,000 patients and hundreds of thousands of data points behind its approach, a TEDx speaker, and a 2024 Inc. 5000 honoree. She became one of the most sought after thyroid specialists in the country not just because of her clinical expertise but because she spent years as a thyroid patient herself, spending 16 hours a day in bed at 27 while being told her labs looked completely fine. There is nobody more qualified and nobody more personally invested in getting this right than she is. WHAT'S DISCUSSED: (2:12) The symptoms that signal a thyroid problem and why doctors keep dismissing them. (4:38) Why every person with low testosterone needs to get their thyroid checked immediately. (5:14) The three windows in a woman's life when thyroid disease risk spikes dramatically. (6:12) What Hashimoto's actually is and why medicine is treating it completely backwards. (11:46) Why TSH alone is missing the problem 96% of the time and what to ask for instead. (16:38) What reverse T3 is and why elevated levels are silently blocking your thyroid hormone. (35:15) Why subclinical hypothyroidism carries a 68% increased risk of heart attack and why medicine still is not treating it. (38:53) McCall's personal story of spending 16 hours a day in bed at 27 while being told her labs looked completely normal. Listen to this episode of Extend and finally understand why your labs have been coming back normal while your body has been telling you something is very wrong, what to ask your doctor to test, and what it actually takes to get your thyroid, your energy, and your life back. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Timeline: Timeline powered by Mitopure just dropped the price. Check it out at timeline.com/drshah and get an additional 20% off your first month with code DRSHAH. IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about McCall McPherson: Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa Modern Thyroid Clinic: www.modernthyroidclinic.com/ Modern Weight Loss: www.modernweightloss.com/
Summary160. Dr. Kara Fitzgerald on Biological Age, Epigenetic Clocks, and the Future of Aging Reversal
Apr 3000:47:23Summary readyBiological aging is no longer just a concept tied to time. It is something we can now measure, track, and influence through data, lifestyle, and targeted interventions that directly impact how our cells function and age. In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, functional medicine leader, researcher, and author, to unpack how diet and lifestyle can directly influence epigenetics and biological age. We break down the difference between chronological and biological aging, how epigenetic clocks work across organs and systems, and why aging may be driven by both environmental exposures and deeper programmed mechanisms. We also explore how polyphenols, nutrient-dense diets, and emerging interventions like Yamanaka mimetics may begin to shift the trajectory of aging at the cellular level and open new pathways for extending healthspan and peak performance. Dr. Kara Fitzgerald is a functional medicine physician, researcher, and author of Younger You, known for her pioneering clinical studies demonstrating how targeted nutrition and lifestyle interventions can reverse biological age and reshape long-term health outcomes. What We Discuss: (01:36) Aging, performance, and menopause (05:01) Healthspan vs peak span (08:39) The dark matter of nutrition (11:36) Polyphenols and urolithin A (13:12) Biological age and epigenetics (15:41) Epigenetic clocks and measurement (21:02) Exposomic aging (25:03) Programmed aging (28:20) Yamanaka factors (33:24) Yamanaka mimetics (36:29) Polyphenols and caloric restriction (40:33) Nutrition and biological age reversal Thank You to Our Sponsors: IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at https://im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com/fiber and use code DRSHAH for up to 35% off your first order. Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Kara Fitzgerald: Website: drkarafitzgerald.com Podcast: New Frontiers in Functional Medicine Webinars: webinars Instagram: drkarafitzgerald Facebook: Dr. Kara Fitzgerald You tube: @Drkarafitzgerald X: @kfitzgeraldnd Pubmed: Potential reversal of epigenetic age using a diet and lifestyle intervention: a pilot randomized clinical trial Pubmed: Potential reversal of biological age in women following an 8-week methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program: a case series Pubmed: Dietary associations with reduced epigenetic age: a secondary data analysis of the methylation diet and lifestyle study
Summary159: Dr. Anurag Singh: Urolithin A, Mitophagy, and Mitochondrial Health
Apr 2800:58:31Summary readyMitochondrial decline is one of the most overlooked drivers of aging, impacting energy, muscle function, cognitive performance, and immune resilience long before symptoms become obvious. Many of the changes we associate with aging may actually stem from a loss of cellular efficiency and the body's ability to renew itself. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Anurag Singh, Chief Medical Officer at Timeline, to unpack the science behind urolithin A and how mitochondrial health shapes longevity. We break down how the gut microbiome influences cellular function, why mitophagy declines with age, and what clinical research shows about improving muscle strength, recovery, metabolic health, and immune function. We also explore how targeted supplementation and lifestyle strategies can help restore mitochondrial quality and support long-term performance and resilience. Dr. Anurag Singh is a physician-scientist with an M.D. in internal medicine and a Ph.D. in immunology, currently serving as Chief Medical Officer at Timeline, where he leads the development of advanced nutritional and skincare products focused on mitochondrial and cellular health. What We Discuss: (04:58) Drug vs nutraceutical and what urolithin A actually is (06:23) Gut microbiome differences and why most people don't produce it (08:11) How urolithin A is made from diet and polyphenols (10:25) Effective dosing and supplementation strategy (15:32) What mitochondria are and why they matter for aging (21:26) Mitophagy and how mitochondrial quality declines over time (23:43) Main drivers of mitochondrial damage (26:24) How urolithin A supports cellular renewal (28:55) Muscle aging, strength, and performance (33:07) Clinical trial results in older and sedentary adults (35:32) Effects on recovery in elite athletes (37:07) Brain health and neurodegeneration research (43:00) Immune system impact and inflammation (47:29) When to start and how to think about supplementation Thank You to Our Sponsors: Timeline: Visit timeline.com/drshah for 20% off a subscription on top of the new starting price of $79. Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Anurag Singh: Website: https://www.timeline.com/
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