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.
70episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
178. Dr. Matt Kaeberlein: The Science, Risk, and Hype Behind Today's Longevity Trends
Jul 201:14:07Summary readyIf you care about longevity, you have probably seen the same pattern over and over again. A new peptide, supplement, biological age test, off-label drug, or protocol starts gaining attention, and suddenly it sounds like the missing piece everyone should be using. The hard part is not wanting to be proactive. The hard part is knowing which claims have real evidence behind them, which ones are still early signals, and which ones may carry risks no one is measuring carefully enough. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Matt Kaeberlein to talk about how to think about longevity when the answer is rarely a simple yes or no. This conversation helps separate excitement from certainty, and shows why the real question is not only whether something might work, but whether the evidence, safety data, product quality, and risk-reward equation are strong enough to act on. Dr. Matt Kaeberlein is a scientist in the biology of aging and one of the most respected voices bringing scientific discipline to the longevity conversation. He has been involved with the Interventions Testing Program, which rigorously tests aging interventions in mice, and is one of the leaders behind the Dog Aging Project, a large-scale study looking at aging, health, and longevity in companion dogs. His work sits at the intersection of curiosity and caution, which makes him the right person to talk about what is promising, what is overhyped, and what still needs better evidence. What's Discussed: (03:24) Why longevity marketing can move faster than the science. (06:31) The risk-reward question most people skip before trying a new therapy. (09:39) Why years of peptide use does not automatically mean safety is proven. (20:00) The "research use only" peptide problem and why product quality matters. (34:51) How the Interventions Testing Program separates stronger longevity signals from noise. (38:39) Why rapamycin changed the field, and why some popular interventions failed to replicate. (58:43) What the Dog Aging Project may teach us about rapamycin, healthspan, and human aging. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand how to evaluate longevity claims with more clarity. You will hear what deserves excitement, what deserves caution, and what to ask before turning the next promising intervention into your personal health protocol. 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 Dr. Matt Kaeberlein & the Dog Aging Project: Website: dogagingproject.org/ Instagram: @mkaeberlein
Summary177. Dr. Jila Senemar: The Hormone Conversation Women Should Have Before Menopause
Jun 3000:41:31Summary readyA lot of women are taught to think about hormones only when something becomes impossible to ignore. Painful periods. Birth control decisions. Fertility anxiety. Postpartum changes. Perimenopause symptoms. Menopause. But what if those are not separate conversations? What if the body has been giving clues for years before the symptoms become loud enough to finally get attention? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jila Senemar to look at women's hormone health through a much wider lens. We talk about why the ovary should not be seen only as a reproductive organ, why the hormone conversation needs to start before menopause, and what women may be missing when birth control, AMH, perimenopause, and hormone replacement are treated like separate decisions instead of one connected health story. Dr. Jila Senemar is an OB-GYN and women's health physician who has spent years caring for women through cycle symptoms, contraception decisions, fertility questions, perimenopause, menopause, and hormone therapy. Her work brings together conventional women's health with a more proactive view of ovarian health, hormone longevity, gut health, bone health, and the full journey women move through over time. What's Discussed: (1:02:06) Why women's hormone health should be discussed before menopause. (1:15:55) How AMH can become a women's health marker before fertility panic begins. (1:20:50) Why birth control should not be the automatic answer for every cycle issue. (1:22:07) What changed with lower-dose birth control options. (1:24:55) How hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs fit into the conversation. (1:27:36) Why perimenopause may need a different hormone strategy than standard birth control. (1:31:34) Why hormone therapy should not ignore bone health, gut health, inflammation, and estrogen metabolism. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand why women's hormones should not be treated like separate stages, and why the earlier clues from the ovary, cycle, gut, bones, and symptoms may matter more than most women are told. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Next Health: Your destination for cutting-edge health optimization, from IV therapy to hormone balancing. Explore at next-health.com/ Pendulum: You can go to pendulumlife.com and use my code EXTEND for 20% off your first membership order. Learn More About Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn More About Dr. Jila Senemar: Website: jilamd.com/ Instagram: @drjilasenemar
Summary176. Dr. Labib Ghulmiyyah: What Fertility Can Reveal About Your Long-Term Health
Jun 2500:57:01Summary readyWhen a couple is trying to get pregnant and it is not happening, the conversation can become very intense very quickly. Suddenly, you are hearing about IVF, egg freezing, AMH, sperm count, hormones, age, cost, and timing. But before the conversation jumps straight to the next procedure or the next number to panic over, there may be a deeper question worth asking: What is fertility trying to tell us about the health of the mother, the father, and the future child? In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Labib Ghulmiyyah to talk about fertility and pregnancy through a much bigger lens. This conversation looks at infertility not as a failure, but as information. It helps explain why fertility struggles, sperm health, ovarian reserve, placental function, and pregnancy complications can all give clues about metabolic health, inflammation, cardiovascular health, hormones, sleep, stress, toxins, and long-term risk. Dr. Labib Ghulmiyyah is an OB-GYN and residency director at Broward Health who brings together reproductive medicine, pregnancy care, longevity, and functional health. That combination matters because fertility is often treated like a separate category, when in reality, it is connected to the whole body. His approach helps couples think beyond "How do we get pregnant?" and start asking what their reproductive health may be revealing before, during, and after pregnancy. What's Discussed: (02:30) Why health optimization should happen before or alongside IVF. (04:55) How long couples may need to optimize health before fertility treatment. (07:17) Why the placenta may be one of the most overlooked biomarkers in pregnancy. (10:40) Why pregnancy complications should be debriefed after delivery. (18:40) Why the father's health matters far more than sperm count. (26:15) How testosterone therapy can affect sperm production. (41:29) Why low AMH does not automatically mean you cannot get pregnant. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand why fertility is not only about having a baby. It may be one of the earliest windows into your health, your partner's health, and the health of the next generation. Thank You to Our Sponsor: FunctionHealth: 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. Labib Ghulmiyyah: Website: drlabib.com Instagram: drlabibghulmiyyah
Summary175. Justin Roethlingshoefer: Why Your Body Needs More Than "Healthy Habits" To Heal
Jun 2300:52:35Summary readyYour body is constantly repairing, renewing, and rebuilding itself. Hundreds of millions of cells are replaced every few months, which sounds incredible until you ask the question most people skip: if the body is designed to heal, why do so many people still feel tired, foggy, inflamed, slow to recover, or like something is off even when they are doing so many of the "right" things? In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Justin Roethlingshoefer to bring that question back to the cell. Justin explains why healing is not just about what your body is trying to do, but the environment your cells are trying to do it in. If that environment is missing oxygen, overloaded with toxins, or depleted of nutrients, your body may be creating new cells without giving them the conditions they need to thrive. Justin Roethlingshoefer is the creator of OWN IT, a coaching platform and app built to help people take ownership of their health through HRV, VO2 max, sleep quality, cellular testing, personalized rhythms, and practical behaviour change. His work helps people cut through the noise of the wellness space and understand what their body actually needs at the cellular level, which is what makes him the right person to explain why feeling better may require more than another supplement, device, or protocol. What's Discussed: (03:46) Why your body's ability to repair and renew starts at the cellular level. (07:59) The three things your cells cannot live without. (08:36) Why the environment your new cells enter can affect how well they thrive. (12:33) How VO2 max reflects oxygen efficiency at the cellular level. (25:37) Why sleep quality matters for cellular detoxification. (34:30) Why standard blood work may not explain why you still feel off. (44:24) Why good habits can fall apart inside disordered rhythms. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand why your body may be trying to heal, why it may still feel like something is not working, and what your cells may need before your next supplement, wearable, protocol, or health habit can actually make the difference you are looking for. Free resources: Quality sleep is the most underestimated longevity accelerator. Download this sleep optimization workbook to transform sleep into a powerful longevity practice: https://www.drshah.com/sleep Thank You to Our Sponsor: Next Health Longevity Summit: Head to next-health.com/summit to secure your spot at the first ever Next Health Logevity Summit in Nashville on 9/12. 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 Justin Roethlingshoefer: Website: ownitcoaching.com Holy Health Website: holyhealthbook.com Instagram: @JustinRoeth
Summary174. Dr. Dave Rabin: Why Being Human Feels Harder Than It Should in 2026
Jun 1801:01:22Summary readyA lot of people are trying to do the right things. They are learning more, tracking their health, working on their stress, trying to be more present, and using the tools they have been told should help. But if the advice is available, the science is clearer than ever, and the tools are right in front of us, why do so many people still feel overwhelmed, burned out, disconnected, or unable to make those changes stick? In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Dave Rabin to talk about one of the biggest missing pieces in how we understand stress, healing, and what it actually takes to feel better in the modern world. We get into the questions so many people are quietly carrying: why being human feels harder than it should, why knowing what to do does not always mean your body can follow through, and what it may take to finally turn information into something your body can actually use. What's Discussed: (04:28) What Dr. Rabin realized Western medicine left out of his training. (07:01) Why trauma may be understood differently when viewed through the lens of learning. (13:42) What parents need to know about screens, discomfort, and regulation. (21:54) Why stillness is so difficult for many people today. (27:44) How productivity became tied to worth, and what the body loses when recovery is ignored. (33:25) Why emotional wounds can be harder to address when they are invisible. (45:47) Why connection and community may matter more to longevity than many people realize. Next Health Longevity Summit: Head to next-health.com/summit to secure your spot at the first ever Next Health Logevity Summit in Nashville on 9/12. 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 Dr. Dave Rabin: Website: drdave.io Instagram: @drdavidrabin The Board of Medicine: boardofmedicine.org The Psychedelic Report podcast: podcast/the-psychedelic-report/ Dr. Rabin's new book: ASimpleGuideToBeingAlive.com
Summary173. Brian Le Gette: The Hidden Reason Your Body Struggles To Heal
Jun 1600:59:35Summary readyWhen your body feels wired, depleted, foggy, inflamed, or slow to recover, the usual instinct is to add something else. Another supplement. Another device. Another protocol. But the body does not respond to tools just because they are available. It responds to the signals it is receiving, and if those signals keep telling the body it is under threat, it will keep prioritizing survival over repair. In this episode of Extend with Dr. Shah, I sit down with Brian Le Gette, the creator of the Ammortal Chamber to talk about it after personally experiencing it and feeling the difference in my body for days afterward. Brian breaks down the technology behind that experience, why it felt so different, and how the chamber works with the body, mind, nervous system, and cells at the same time. We also get into why many of the same principles behind the chamber are not as far out of reach as people may think, and what you can start applying at home if you want to give your body better recovery signals. Brian Le Gette is the creator of the Ammortal Chamber. With a background in industrial design, engineering, entrepreneurship, and health technology, he has spent decades building products and companies before creating a multi-modality experience focused on recovery, nervous system regulation, cellular support, performance, and human vibrancy. What's Discussed: (02:11) What the Ammortal Chamber is and why it works on more than one system in the body. (05:17) The calm, grounded, and energized feeling many people experience after a session. (09:42) The technology working behind the scenes during the chamber experience. (12:30) Why the body's stress state can affect healing, recovery, and performance. (18:00) The simple reset Brian recommends for people who do not have access to the chamber. (21:18) Why HRV may become one of the most important ways to understand nervous system balance. (37:34) The deeper science behind cellular recovery, oxidative stress, and the chamber's approach. Listen now to learn what happened inside the Ammortal Chamber, why the effects lasted beyond the session, and what recovery signals your body may be missing in everyday life. 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 Brian Le Gette: Instagram: @brian.legette LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brian-le-gette
Summary172. Dr. William Von Hippel: The Connection-Autonomy Paradox: Why More Freedom Can Make Us Feel More Alone
Jun 1100:50:49Summary readyModern life tells us that more freedom should make us happier. More independence, more control, more convenience, more space to do life on our own terms. But what if the thing we keep chasing is also the thing quietly pulling us away from what our brain and body still need most: connection. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. William Von Hippel to talk about the conflict between two of our most basic human motives: connection and autonomy. We get into why connection used to be built into survival, why autonomy used to be rare, and why modern life has flipped that balance in a way that can leave people feeling lonely, empty, or disconnected even when they seem to "have everything." We also talk about why loneliness is not just an emotion, how it can affect the immune system, and how to build connection back into everyday routines without overcomplicating your life. Dr. William Von Hippel is an evolutionary psychologist, researcher at WHOOP, and the author of The Social Paradox and The Social Leap. After three decades as a psychology professor in the United States and Australia, he has published more than 150 academic articles, with work cited over 15,000 times and featured in outlets including The New York Times, The Economist, USA Today, Der Spiegel, and The Australian. What's Discussed: (02:23) What hunter-gatherer life reveals about how humans evolved to survive through connection. (12:34) Why modern life has created evolutionary mismatches our biology has not caught up with. (16:02) The conflict between connection and autonomy, and why both needs matter. (18:39) Why more people are living alone and spending more time disconnected than ever before. (23:08) Why even introverts still need meaningful human connection. (31:23) Why loneliness is not the same as being alone, and why the body can read disconnection as danger. (36:11) How emotions can affect immune function and physical health. (39:34) How to build connection into the things you already do instead of adding more to your schedule. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand why having more freedom does not always create more happiness, and why rebuilding connection into daily life may be one of the most important things you can do for your health, relationships, and sense of meaning. 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 Dr. William Von Hippel Website: researchwithimpact.com/
Summary171. Dr. Kristen Holmes: The Sleep Debt Problem Affecting Your Brain, Mood, and Relationships
Jun 900:59:14Summary readySleep debt is usually treated like a personal problem. You sleep less, feel tired, and try to catch up later. But Dr. Kristen Holmes explains why that belief is too small. When your body is missing the sleep it actually needs, it can affect your mental control, emotional regulation, leadership, and even how safe the people around you feel in your presence. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Kristen Holmes to talk about recovery in a way that goes far beyond "just sleep more." We get into why sleep debt is the gap between what your body needs and what you actually got, why a good night of sleep starts the moment you wake up, and how morning light, sleep consistency, bright days, dark nights, meal timing, stress reframing, breathwork, and outdoor time all shape how well your body restores. Dr. Kristen Holmes is a human performance and recovery expert at WHOOP and the author of Aligned: The Data-driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential. Her work connects physiology and psychology to help people understand how sleep, circadian rhythm, stress, movement, mindset, and nervous system regulation influence performance, health, leadership, and long-term resilience. What's Discussed: (02:27) Why sleep debt is not just about how many hours you missed. (03:45) How 45 minutes of sleep debt can reduce mental control the next day. (05:31) Why your sleep debt can affect how safe people feel around you. (08:08) What sleep quality really means beyond just being asleep. (10:33) Why better sleep starts the moment you wake up. (14:10) How morning light helps set the clocks in your body. (19:16) Why melatonin matters for more than falling asleep. (22:01) How bright days, dark nights, breathing, and outdoor time support recovery. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand why recovery is not just something you do at night, and how fixing sleep debt can help you think clearer, regulate better, lead better, and show up more fully for the people around you. 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 Dr. Kristen Holmes Instagram: @drkristenholmes LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristen-holmes
Summary170. Dr. Sonya Jensen: The Hormone-Trauma Connection: Why Midlife Symptoms Are Not Just Physical
Jun 400:57:11Summary readyHormone symptoms are usually treated like a problem with levels. Progesterone is low. Estrogen is shifting. Cortisol is high. Testosterone is dropping. So the conversation often becomes about what to replace, what to supplement, or what protocol to follow. But there is a deeper layer that rarely gets brought into the room: the body is also responding to the stress, grief, resentment, trauma, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and survival patterns it has been carrying for years. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Dr. Sonya Jensen to talk about the connection between mental health and hormonal health. We get into why anxiety can suddenly feel louder in perimenopause, why rage may be years of suppressed resentment asking to be expressed, why grief is not always about losing a person, and why some women still feel stuck even after doing the nutrition, supplements, herbs, or hormone therapy. The aha moment here is that hormones may not be creating a brand-new problem. They may be revealing what the body has been trying to manage in silence. Dr. Sonya Jensen is a naturopathic physician, international speaker, author of Heal Your Hormones, Reclaim Yourself, and founder of the HER Method and HER Community. Her work brings together naturopathic medicine, hormone therapy, herbs, nutrition, trauma-informed healing, ancestral healing, longevity medicine, and nervous system support to help women understand the emotional and generational patterns behind hormonal imbalance. What's Discussed: (02:11) Why hormone imbalance is not only a chemistry issue. (03:11) Why women can still feel stuck after doing "all the right things." (05:45) How shifting hormones can reveal emotions that were easier to manage before. (06:32) Why anxiety can become the symptom women finally cannot ignore. (09:09) How stress can show up as isolation, tension, gut issues, and insomnia. (13:03) Why perimenopause rage may be suppressed resentment coming up. (15:07) How grief in midlife can be tied to identity, motherhood, aging, and transition. (30:32) Why hormone therapy can help, but it cannot replace the deeper emotional work. Listen to this episode of Extend to understand how hormones, stress, trauma, grief, and the nervous system are connected, and why healing may require looking at the patterns the body has been holding long before symptoms showed up. 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. Sonya Jensen: Book - Heal Your Hormones, Reclaim Yourself: healyourhormonesbook.com Website: drsonyajensen.com Instagram: @drsonyajensen
Summary169. Natalie Lefevre: How to Find the Toxins Blocking Your Body's Ability to Heal
Jun 200:46:38Summary readyYou can do the supplements, the IVs, the sauna, the clean eating, and the wellness routine, but if your body is still being exposed to toxins every day, you may be cleaning up a mess while the tap is still running. That is what makes toxic load so frustrating. It can hide in your water, food, air, dental work, travel habits, mold exposure, heavy metals, PFAS, pesticides, microplastics, and even the products you use daily, while standard labs never show the full picture. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Natalie Lefevre to talk about how to outsmart toxins by testing first, removing what is actually there, and choosing the right protocol instead of guessing your way through another cleanse. We get into the rare labs and diagnostics that can reveal hidden toxic load, why not all toxin tests or blood cleanse methods work the same way, how biological dentistry can uncover inflammation that regular dental X-rays miss, and why detox has to become a lifestyle if you want your body to actually heal instead of constantly cleaning up the same exposures. Natalie Lefevre is a Vitality Expert, Detox Architect, and the visionary behind Purify, the first next-generation full-body blood cleanse protocol focused on identifying and removing toxins at the root. After recovering from a near-fatal health crisis linked to environmental toxin exposure, she dedicated her work to advanced rare labs, heavy metals, blood filtration methods, inflammation pathways, cellular function, and precision-based detox strategies, making her one of the most forward-thinking voices in root-cause toxin testing and detoxification. What's Discussed: (01:59) How standard medicine missed Natalie's near-fatal toxic exposure. (05:02) Why we are living in the "red zone," not the blue zone. (06:30) The hidden toxins most people never test for. (11:58) How old dental work can quietly drive inflammation. (15:19) Why your genetics can change how your body handles toxins. (17:41) The detox mistake people make with saunas and binders. (30:43) Why not all blood cleanse protocols remove the same toxins. 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 im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. 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. Learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: darshanshahmd Learn more about Natalie Lefevre: Instagram: @island_natalie Website: natalielefevre.com/
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