The Paul Morris Podcast

Episode: Inflammation—The Hidden Root of Most Disease
Date: February 16, 2026
Guest: Dr. Jonas Kuna
Host: Paul Morris

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the often-overlooked role of inflammation in disease development, prevention, and optimal health. Host Paul Morris sits down with Dr. Jonas Kuna—former geriatrician, longevity and functional medicine advocate, and founder of Cryo Healthcare—to discuss why inflammation may be at the core of most chronic illnesses and what we can do about it. The conversation spans from Dr. Kuna’s career shift, to the limitations of the healthcare system, actionable lifestyle interventions, the promise and challenges of off-label medicines, the supplement industry, and cutting-edge treatments to improve healthspan and reduce disease risk.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Health as Wealth—You Can’t Separate Them

• [01:32] Paul: Emphasizes that building wealth without maintaining health is a losing effort, as poor health undermines performance and life quality.
• [01:57] Dr. Kuna: "I would agree to that. Yeah."

2. Dr. Kuna’s Story: From Geriatrics to Longevity

• [02:29] Dr. Kuna shares beginnings in traditional medicine, especially geriatrics, dealing with elderly patients on numerous medications and complex end-of-life care.
  • “When you're over the age of 70, you have about 20 medications. And one of my jobs was to go in and confirm all the diagnosis…can we reduce some stuff?” [02:35]
• Disillusioned by systemic and financial limitations, switched to more proactive medicine focusing on anti-inflammatory treatments for athletes and then general population.

3. Inflammation: Common Denominator of Disease

• [04:05] Paul: “Unless I'm mistaken, inflammation is really at the heart of, of so many different diseases.”
• [04:12] Dr. Kuna:
  • “All the research indicates that we can trace most illnesses back to an inflammatory process…decreasing inflammation makes things a lot better.”
  • Highlights inflammation as a “microenvironment” needed for cancer to thrive, and cites new cancer therapies targeting inflammation.
  • Explains that aging, stress, unhealthy diets, and visceral fat all stoke inflammation, increasing risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.

4. Preventative Medicine vs. Systemic Incentives

• [07:36] Paul: Details his struggle with navigating a family history of prostate cancer, disappointment in standard medical advice, and the absence of preventive guidance.
  • “There was zero preventative advice even offered.” [09:53]
• [08:10] Dr. Kuna: PSA is a "crude marker," not clearly indicative of cancer, and patients should be encouraged to make proactive lifestyle changes, even when data is ambiguous.
• [12:37] Paul: Critiques that longevity and prevention research is underfunded compared to treatment for acute illness.
• [12:37] Dr. Kuna:
  • “The best way to treat a disease is to avoid having it in the first place.”
  • Medical education and the pharmaceutical industry are biased toward interventions, rather than prevention because the latter is less lucrative.

5. Repurposed Drugs and the Challenge of Clinical Data

• [12:37] Dr. Kuna: Discusses promising off-label medications:
  • Low Dose Naltrexone (4.5mg): originally for addiction, now explored (at minimal cost and high safety) for cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune disorders.
    • “This is a dirt cheap medication…preclinical data…we know the mechanism…lacking human data.” [12:37-15:56]
  • Ivermectin/Mebendazole: Out-of-patent drugs with strong preclinical evidence for cancer treatment—likely to remain untested in large trials due to lack of profit potential.
  • Systemic barrier: “If they're out of patent and if they're cheap…no pharmaceutical company, and I'm not blaming them—in their right mind, would invest any money in this.” [17:17]

6. Supplements: Quality, Efficacy, and Skepticism

• [21:47] Paul: Reflects on supplement industry risks and “snake oil” concerns, balancing safety, cost, and modest evidence.
  • Notable quote: “If it doesn't cost that much and it's really very safe and there's some data that it helps…that sounds good enough for me.” [21:47]
• [22:58] Dr. Kuna:
  • Emphasizes the importance of all supplement companies being third-party tested.
  • “The problem is you're trying something out…how do you know if that's in there?” [23:12]

7. Cryotherapy and Advanced Interventions

• [25:51] Paul: Shares personal benefits from cryotherapy, asks how it fits in the inflammation and wellness paradigm.
• [25:51] Dr. Kuna:
  • “Cryotherapy is probably the most potent anti-inflammatory treatment we have.”
  • Explains science: extremely cold air induces a biological anti-inflammatory response, used successfully for autoimmune and chronic diseases.
  • Discusses LED/Near Infrared Therapy: Penetrates mitochondria to stimulate melatonin, crucial not only for sleep but as an antioxidant for cellular health.
  • Other treatments: IV nutrition, stem cell therapy (favoring umbilical cord cells over autologous fat/marrow), emphasizing mitochondrial and systemic repair.

8. Vitamin D & Self-Advocacy

• [31:45] Dr. Kuna: Vitamin D3/K2 is "highly protective," and blood levels are the standard for individualized dosing.
• [32:15] Paul & Dr. Kuna: ChatGPT can be a useful tool for supplement and health research—but doesn’t replace physicians, especially as many "gold standard" care systems are too overwhelmed to provide thorough preventive counsel.

9. Metabolic Syndrome, Weight Management, and Longevity

• [34:14] Paul: References Dr. Peter Attia’s prioritization of “all-cause mortality,” noting metabolic disease as a higher cause of death than prostate cancer or heart disease alone.
• [38:45] Dr. Kuna:
  • Describes his weight loss approach as lifestyle-forward, not GLP-1-centric.
  • Focus on protein-rich breakfast and lunch, minimal late-night eating, extended overnight fasts (14-15 hours), and appetite suppressant medication as needed during the transition.
    • “Big breakfasts, good lunch, small dinner, enough protein. Don't eat between your meals, only drink water…stop eating five hours before bed. That's the pattern.” [40:46]
• Paul describes his own experience with fasting and why a longer fast (22 hours) is sometimes easier than splitting meals, despite social perceptions.

10. Fasting & Cancer Prevention

• [43:31] Dr. Kuna:
  • “Fasting, one of the great ways to treat or prevent cancer. They (cancer cells) need energy all the time. You withhold the energy, many cells will die.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On frustration with ‘wait and see’ medical care:

  • Paul: “The advice I got essentially was…come back and see us when you have cancer.” [07:36]

• On the broken incentives in medicine:

  • Dr. Kuna: “The model has been: you present with some illness…we give you a strategy on how to treat it. That is the most lucrative…not in your interest.” [12:37]

• On supplements' trustworthiness:

  • Dr. Kuna: “The FDA, that's the thing. So you always think the FDA protects us from everything…they don't do it for supplements.” [23:17]

• On the importance of proactive, self-directed health:

  • Dr. Kuna: “There are a lot of things you can do…” [33:28]
  • “When you take your health a bit in your own hands, it becomes very powerful.” [33:32]

Fire Round – Personal Q&A (Rapid Fire)

• Greatest Fear: “Being useless.” [44:03]
• Best Compliment: “That I’m a great dad.” [44:08]
• Proudest Insult: “Very stubborn.” [44:16]
• Trait Most Disliked in Others: “Giving up too soon.” [44:26]
• Trait Disliked in Self: “Being impatient.” [44:31]
• Most Treasured Possession: “My children.” [44:54]
• Greatest Achievement: “Building my clinic to where it’s now.” [45:01]
• Legacy: “Helping people be healthier.” [45:08]
• Shouting to Your Community: “I love you.” [45:48]

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:21 | Introduction of Dr. Jonas Kuna | | 02:29 | Dr. Kuna’s medical background and shift from geriatrics | | 04:05 | The central role of inflammation in disease | | 07:36 | Paul’s personal experience with PSA and the preventive gap | | 12:37 | Discussion on prevention, pharma incentives, and research gaps| | 15:56 | Repurposed drugs: LDN, Ivermectin, barriers to adoption | | 21:47 | Supplement industry skepticism and best practices | | 25:51 | Cryotherapy, LED therapy, IVs, stem cells explained | | 31:45 | Role of vitamin D3/K2, using ChatGPT for health research | | 34:14 | Peter Attia, all-cause mortality, role of metabolic disease | | 38:45 | Dr. Kuna’s weight management program | | 43:31 | Fasting and cancer prevention | | 43:55 | Fire Round: Personal questions with Dr. Kuna |

Final Thoughts

This episode is a strong reminder that proactive health—driven by lowering inflammation, sensible supplementation, lifestyle design, and active self-advocacy—is essential in the pursuit of lasting wealth, performance, and happiness. Despite the systemic inertia and commercial limitations in medicine, interventions like cryotherapy, red light therapy, and sustained behavioral change offer promising avenues for anyone looking to sharpen both their health and financial trajectory.