The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Episode: The Insulin & Heart Doctor: The Fastest Way To Burn Dangerous Visceral Fat. This is How Insulin Is Quietly Clotting Your Blood!

Guest: Dr. Pradip Jamnadas (Cardiologist)
Date: September 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this eye-opening episode, Steven Bartlett is joined by world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Pradip Jamnadas for a deep dive into the mechanisms behind heart disease, the critical role of insulin and visceral fat, and evidence-backed methods to improve heart health. Dr. Jamnadas distills decades of frontline experience into actionable insights, debunking prevailing myths about diet, exercise, and preventative medicine. Practical advice on fasting, diet, mold exposure, gut health, and assessing one’s personal risk is woven with memorable patient stories, offering listeners a comprehensive toolkit for optimal cardiovascular wellness.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

The Changing Demographics of Heart Disease

• Younger Patients: Heart disease is increasingly an issue for younger demographics; 50% of Dr. Jamnadas’ heart patients are now under 65.
  • Youngest patient treated: 28 years old, with a full-blown heart attack (04:43).
• Visceral Fat: A “belly sticking out” is a tell-tale sign of dangerous visceral fat, the type most strongly linked to heart attacks and metabolic dysfunction (00:25, 17:36).

Insulin, Glucose, and Heart Disease

• Insulin's Double-Edged Sword: While insulin lowers toxic blood glucose, chronically high insulin— driven by frequent consumption of carbs and processed foods— causes “silent” metabolic derangement.
  • “It’s that background high insulin that is destroying your metabolism.” — Dr. Jamnadas (13:23)
• Pre-diabetes Is Often Missed: High-normal blood sugar can be deceptive; many with heart attacks show no diabetes, but do have high insulin and insulin resistance long before diagnosis (12:47).
• Damage Timeline: Changes can begin as early as the early thirties (19:23).
• Hyperinsulinemia: Promotes visceral fat, fatty liver, vasoconstriction, makes blood more prone to clots, and drives inflammation. Even without full-blown diabetes, this sets the stage for heart attacks.

Fasting and Calorie Restriction: Not the Same

• Fasting vs. Calorie Deficit:
  • Fasting triggers unique processes (ketosis, autophagy) and specifically targets visceral fat, whereas simple calorie restriction slows metabolism and breaks down muscle as well as fat.
  • “The best thing you can do… is to do fasting, because there’s no… ‘Look, if I just simply cut down on my calories, then there’s a different physiology.’” — Dr. Jamnadas (20:31)
• How to Fast:
  • Start with 12:12 (12hr fasting, 12hr feeding), progress to 18:6, and for significant weight loss or diabetes reversal, extended 48h or 3-day fasts with medical supervision (24:11).
  • One meal a day (OMAD) and periodic 36-hour fasts advised for maintenance post-goal (36:43).
  • Women generally tolerate fasting well, except during pregnancy or if trying to conceive (25:52).
  • Memorable Case: Patient fasted 72 days under supervision and reversed diabetes, high blood pressure, skin & joint problems, and lost 60 lbs (27:22).

Physiology of Fasting

• Ketosis Kicks In: After 12hrs fasting, body switches from glucose (glycogen) burning to fat burning, with ketones as a “cleaner” alternative fuel (29:44; 30:37).
• Autophagy and Mitochondrial Renewal: Fasting cycles encourage cellular repair and recycling of old components— key to energy, mood, and anti-ageing (37:44).
• Stem Cell Surge: Breaking a fast spikes new stem cells and boosts immune function (32:08).

Exercise: What Really Works for Heart Health

• Moderation with Aerobics: Excessive endurance exercise/ultra-marathons can increase inflammation— and heart risk!
  • “People who overly do aerobic activity… end up with more coronary artery disease… than patients who do short sprints and resistance exercises.” — Dr. Jamnadas (41:48)
• Best Mix: 15–20 minutes of aerobic activity for endurance, then prioritize resistance (bodyweight) training, HIIT (30-45s intense effort/30-45s rest). (40:12)

The Critical Role of Gut Health

• Microbiome Drives Inflammation: Dysbiotic, leaky gut can trigger fatty liver and systemic inflammation, underlying heart and autoimmune disease (45:50).
  • E.g., Patient with excellent lifestyle had high artery calcium; root cause was lifelong gut dysfunction/constipation (44:13).
• Leaky Gut Pathway: Bad bacteria or food sensitivities breach gut lining; toxins and bacterial fragments enter bloodstream, inflaming liver and arteries (47:17).
• Improvement Steps:
  • Fiber (30–40 varieties/week), fermented foods, inulin+FOS powder, stress/sleep management.
  • Limit processed foods, sugar, toxin exposure, alcohol (52:33; 54:22).

Toxins, Mold, and Hidden Dangers

• Environmental Toxins: Mold, pesticides, heavy metals, and plastics (“forever chemicals”) are overlooked sources of inflammation and cardiovascular risk (57:22).
  • 70% of houses have some mold; even small exposures can trigger systemic effects. Mold can also colonize the sinuses/gut (59:47; 61:44).
• White Rice & Arsenic: Modern rice is often contaminated; advised soaking/discarding water and eating as resistant starch (refrigerated) to reduce toxicity and blood sugar spike (67:54; 68:52).
  • “You'd be surprised how much arsenic there’s in rice these days.” — Dr. Jamnadas (68:25)

Nutrition: Myths & Must-Avoids for Heart Health

• Most Dangerous Foods: Processed, sugary, high-carb foods; especially white bread, cereals, cookies, fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol (66:21; 66:46).
• “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t:
  • Excessive fruit: Too much fructose = fatty liver & heart disease (71:05).
  • Fruit juice: Major glucose/insulin spikes, far worse than whole fruit (66:22).
  • Vegetable seed oils: Too much omega-6, not enough omega-3— drives inflammation (71:18; 72:52).
  • Overcooking/frying: Advanced glycation end products produced, which stoke inflammation (69:48).
  • Calcium supplements: Linked to increased heart event risk without D3/K2 (49:47).
• Best Cooking Oils: Extra virgin olive oil (cold), butter/ghee/coconut oil (high heat) (72:54).

Self-Screening & Testing: What Can You Do?

• Key Tests:
  • Coronary calcium score (CT scan): If zero, excellent; any measurable calcium = risk (106:15).
  • Bloodwork: The Cleveland Heart Lab panel, which shows cholesterol breakdown (incl. small/oxidized LDL), inflammatory markers (CRP, interleukin 6), A1c, etc.
  • “Inflammation is the underlying cause. You may not feel inflammation... but you can test for it.” (107:01)

Surprising Indicators & Lifestyle Enhancers

Physical Signs of Risk

• Protruding belly is a simple warning sign (73:47; 74:24).
• Joint pain, autoimmune symptoms signal ongoing inflammation— dietary intervention often heals both (74:49).
• Bad breath/poor dental health linked directly to artery calcification and heart valve disorders (75:58–76:04).

The Vagus Nerve: Your Healing Switch

• The vagus nerve (largest in the body) is intimately tied to gut and heart health.
  • “If you have a calm, healthy vagus nerve… faster healing, less coronary disease, less high blood pressure, your blood will not be so sticky… less inflammatory markers…” (92:51)
• Hacking/Restoring vagal function:
  • Deep, slow breathing (in 4s, out 8s), cold water on neck/face, humming, singing, laughing, gentle eye massage, ice packs, and omega-3 rich diet (89:57; 91:49).
• Sympathetic overload (stress/caffeine/excess exercise) suppresses vagus/parasympathetic repair (77:52; 88:09).

Cholesterol, Statins & Blood Pressure: The Nuance

• Total LDL is less important than small, dense, damaged LDL— driven by inflammation, toxins, sugary foods, omega-6, and leaky gut (93:40, 97:44).
  • “It's not the LDL, it's the damaged LDL that's the problem.” (97:46)
• Eggs are fine; statin drugs only help some, can cause diabetes, muscle, and cognitive side effects— focus is better placed on root causes (98:48; 98:58).
• High blood pressure often reverses with fasting/gut/insulin optimization— rarely “essential”/inevitable (100:07).

Dr. Jamnadas' Personal & Final Recommendations

• Diet: Mostly real food, fiber varied, limited grass-finished meats, fermented dairy, Indian foods, little bread, no processed foods (102:32).
• Supplements: D3/K2, omega-3, vitamin C, magnesium, nattokinase, inulin, soil-based spore probiotics (103:59).
• Key Lifestyle: Intermittent fasting (18:6), OMAD, diverse vegetables, manage sleep/stress, expose to fermented foods.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Insulin Resistance & Visceral Fat:
  • “If you have a belly sticking out, you have a problem because the fat that's in the stomach, that's called visceral fat. This is very detrimental fat, and that's the epidemic that we have today.” — Dr. Jamnadas (00:25)
• On Fasting vs. Calories:
  • “The only thing that will make you lose that fat very quickly is to change your diet, of course, but you have to do fasting, because fasting brings your insulin level…” (20:17)
• On Exercise:
  • “People who overly do aerobic activity… end up with more coronary artery disease than patients who do short sprints and resistance exercises.” (41:48)
• On Mold:
  • “Almost 70% of homes these days have some form of mold toxins in them. And mold is ubiquitous… it causes your innate immune system to start reacting to it and causes low grade inflammation in your body.” (59:47)
• On Small, Dense LDL:
  • “It’s not the LDL, it’s the damaged LDL that’s the problem… small, dense, damaged LDL are five things: Sugar, Omega 6, advanced glycation end products, toxins and leaky gut.” (97:46)
• On Present Moment Awareness:
  • “Life is only expressed in this moment right now. So learning how to live in the moment applies not only to [patients], but to everybody.” (110:23)

Notable Takeaway Sections with Timestamps

• Mechanism of a Heart Attack Explained (Plaque, Clot, Inflammation): (05:22–07:01)
• Practical Fasting Protocols: (24:11–25:38)
• Gut Health → Inflammation → Heart Disease Paradigm: (45:39–47:52)
• Environmental Toxins & Home Mold: (57:22–62:53)
• Subtle Signs of Cardiovascular Trouble & Oral Health Link: (73:12–76:04)
• Hacking the Vagus Nerve for Better Healing: (86:21–92:43)
• Diagnostic Self-screening Tools: (106:15–107:01)
• Dr. J’s Personal Habit Stack: (102:32–105:51)

Useful For:

• Anyone seeking practical frameworks for preventing heart disease
• Listeners interested in the intersection of metabolism, inflammation, and chronic disease
• People curious about the efficacy/safety of fasting, statins, supplements
• Those worried about young-onset heart attacks ("not just an old person's issue")
• Anyone keen to transform cardiovascular, gut, and general health through holistic lifestyle upgrades

Closing Reflection

Dr. Jamnadas wraps up by sharing a moving personal anecdote about his father, underscoring both the limits of medicine and the power of sustained lifestyle change — humility, present-moment awareness, and self-education emerge as themes for both patients and practitioners. (109:26–111:30)

[For more, visit Dr. Jamnadas’ YouTube or consult The Cleveland Heart Lab for relevant tests.] Steven Bartlett thanks Dr. J for translating complex science into practical, life-saving strategies.