The Dr. Josh Axe Show - Episode Summary

Episode: 3 Biggest Threats to Your Cellular Health That AGE YOU FASTER

Host: Dr. Josh Axe
Date: January 15, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Josh Axe delves deeply into the three major threats to cellular health that accelerate aging: environmental toxins, biological toxins, and metabolic toxins. Using relatable analogies and clinical insights, Dr. Axe outlines how these threats overwhelm our cells, impair their function, and ultimately drive chronic disease and premature aging. He offers a blueprint for reducing toxic exposure and supporting cellular detoxification and regeneration through diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Modern Cellular Health

• Context: Despite access to healthy foods, supplements, and wellness resources, rates of chronic illness continue to rise due to a hidden crisis: sick, toxic cells.
  • [02:05] “We have to zoom way, way in to see what's actually happening. And here's the problem. Our cells are sick.”
  • Modern life exposes us to an unprecedented accumulation of harmful chemicals, infections, and stressors.

2. What is Cellular Toxicity?

• Definition: Chronic, low-grade accumulation of toxins that push cells into ongoing stress, disrupting organs and overall health.
  • [05:15] “It's rarely one dramatic event. Most often it's the accumulation of numerous things… All these things add up and make our cells toxic and sick so we can't function properly.”
• Major Contributors:
  • Environmental chemicals (herbicides like glyphosate, PFAs, heavy metals)
  • Biological toxins (mold, parasites, bacteria, viruses)
  • Metabolic toxins (from diet, especially excess sugar)
  • Lifestyle (poor sleep, chronic stress, processed food)

Memorable Analogy

• [09:33] “Each cell is a high performing factory. Your mitochondria are the power plants, autophagy is your janitorial and recycling team... Imagine the factory is receiving more toxic raw materials than ever before... the waste removal is partially offline... The alarm system starts going off constantly... This is chronic inflammation, sympathetic overdrive.”

3. Genetic Variants Affecting Detoxification

• Key Genes:
  • MTHFR: Impairs methylation and B vitamin use, impacting glutathione production. (About 40% affected)
  • Glutathione S-transferase (GST): Limits glutathione enzyme production (about 50% affected)
  • HLA Variant: Impacts immune ability to clear mold (about 25% affected)
• Implication:
  • [18:12] “Some people have both MTHFR and GST, so their body really is inhibited at detoxifying.”
  • Genetic differences explain why some people get sicker than others from the same exposures.

Notable Example

• [20:30] “One example is Mikayla Peterson…her father, Jordan Peterson, is now in a battle dealing with mold toxicity… But there are millions… that are sick, gaining weight, hormone imbalance, brain fog… because they don't realize they've had mold exposure.”

4. The 3 Big Threats to Cellular Health

A. Environmental Toxins

• Glyphosate: Increased cancer risk, disrupts gut bacteria, increases leaky gut, damages genes related to cancer and fertility
  • [23:31] “Glyphosate remains today the world's most commonly used weed killer. It raises the cancer risk of those exposed by 41%...”
• Forever Chemicals (PFAs): Persist in food, packaging, cookware, tap water; cause cancer, obesity, hormonal issues
  • [26:12] “Newborns are born with over 200 synthetic chemicals in their umbilical cord blood…”
• Heavy Metals: Found in water, fish, cosmetics, etc.; disrupt minerals and hormones, weaken immunity
  • [28:53] “Heavy metals and toxins will interfere with hormone receptor sites, increasing your risk of different types of hormone imbalance and cancer...”

B. Biological Toxins

• Chronic Infections: Viral (EBV, CMV, Lyme, long Covid), bacterial, mold, parasites
• Impact: Hijack mitochondria, drain energy, fuel inflammation, distract immune responses
• Notable Story:
  • [36:40] “My best friend Dr. Pete Sulak... developed a brain tumor... chosen a root cause approach, focusing on detoxification, liver support, targeted nutrition, a ketogenic diet, and protocols directly related to killing parasites... he is still thriving and healthy as well, praise God.”

C. Metabolic Toxins

• Dietary Sugar: Drives insulin resistance, oxidative stress, leaky gut, fatty liver
  • [40:25] “The average American today eats 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day… that's more than 100 pounds per person per year.”
• Sugar's Harm: Causes hypoglycemia, feeds bad gut microbes, drives oxidative stress (ROS), accelerates aging
  • [42:48] “Excess sugar is a toxin or acts like a toxin in the body. There's nowhere in nature where you're going to get that much sugar as an isolated compound…”
• Oxidative Stress: Free radicals “rust” cells from inside out if antioxidants run out
  • [48:11] “When antioxidants can’t keep up… your cells essentially start to rust from the inside... That same thing happens when your glutathione reserves run out or other types of antioxidants.”

5. Cellular Senescence & Autophagy

• Senescent (Zombie) Cells:
  • Cells that stop dividing but stay alive, leaking inflammation and damaging healthy cells
  • [54:03] “These cells are called senescent cells, which now many researchers call zombie cells. They secrete inflammatory chemicals… poisons that damage other cells in your body.”
• Autophagy:
  • The process of clearing out old/dysfunctional cells - essential for youthfulness and health
  • [55:24] “The best way to take care of this is to practice fasting, exercise, and consuming nutrient dense foods... that accelerate your autophagy.”

6. The Liver: Central Detox Command Center

• Importance: Main filter for toxins, manages hormone breakdown, especially estrogen
  • [01:00:21] “Your liver as an organ is your detox command center. It filters toxins from the blood, produces bile for fat digestion and hormone metabolism...”
• Detox Pioneer: Dr. Max Gerson’s approach focuses on liver function, reducing toxicities, correcting deficiencies
  • [01:02:15] “He really believed healing was about addressing deficiencies and toxicities... The theory is that disease can be cured by removing toxins from the body, boosting the immune system, and replacing excess salt...”

Real-Life Case Study

• [01:04:03] “Donna was very sick... liver stagnation... chronic constipation... brain fog... put her on a protocol with juices, spirulina, chlorella, NAC… After three months, her brain fog lifted, resilience returned… her health was completely renewed.”

7. Blueprint to Heal Cellular Toxicity

Step 1: Reduce Toxic Exposure

• Filter drinking water (reverse osmosis, Berkey, etc.)
• Avoid plastics—use glass/stainless steel
• Eat organic (especially animal products and the “Dirty Dozen”)
• Cut excess sugar
• Use healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil, coconut, avocado

Step 2: Support Daily Elimination

• Drink plenty of clean water
• Eat 30–40 grams of fiber (vegetables, berries, chia, flax)
• Consider fasting (skip a meal or 1 day/week)—be mindful if chronically ill
• Move regularly; walking in nature is powerful

Step 3: Open Detox Pathways

• Supplements:
  • Glutathione or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for antioxidant/detox support
  • Bitter herbs: milk thistle, dandelion, artichoke
  • Gentle “binders”: spirulina, chlorella, citrus/apple pectin, zeolites, humic/fulvic acid
• Lifestyle:
  • Infrared sauna/heat for sweating out toxins
  • Optimize sleep (8 hours/night)
• Specific Foods:
  • Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, cabbage) for estrogen clearance
  • Fruits rich in senolytics (apples, strawberries, onions, quercetin)
  • Teas: turmeric, dandelion, green tea

8. Testing and Personalization

• Genetic testing for MTHFR, GST, HLA, etc.
• Lab panels: heavy metals, environmental toxins, GI mapping, inflammation markers (hs-CRP)
  • [01:18:50] “Once you know [your markers], you can follow the right protocol and see incredible results in detoxification and healing.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On cellular stress:
  • [09:33] “The factory doesn’t collapse overnight. It just becomes noisy, inefficient, inflamed and error prone. And that’s what’s happening at the cellular level for millions of people.”
• On differing sensitivity to toxins:
  • [18:43] “That’s why one person can walk into a moldy room and feel nothing, while another is knocked flat out for several weeks with fatigue, brain fog, or autoimmune flares.”
• On the need for root-cause healing:
  • [37:21] “If you want to heal, remember, it’s always important to get to the actual root of the issue... chemo and radiation are never getting to the root versus knowing this was originally caused by a parasitic infection.”
• On sugar as a toxin:
  • [42:48] “Sugar causes hypoglycemia, which is a form of toxicity when chronic...that then causes oxidative stress...like taking a sledgehammer to your cells.”
• On cumulative impact and hope:
  • [01:18:16] “Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about listening to your body, pulling out the weeds, rebuilding your health at the cellular level, and learning more about what you specifically need in order to heal.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:05] – Why modern chronic illness is surging despite healthy options
• [05:15] – How cellular toxicity develops
• [09:33] – The “factory” analogy: How toxic overload stresses cells
• [18:12] – The role of genetic variants in detoxification
• [23:31] – The impact of environmental toxins (glyphosate, PFAs, heavy metals)
• [36:40] – Biological toxins: Mold, parasites, and the immune system
• [40:25] – Metabolic toxins: Excess sugar and its cellular impact
• [54:03] – Cellular senescence (“zombie cells”) and autophagy
• [01:00:21] – The crucial role of the liver in detoxification
• [01:04:03] – Real-life healing story using root-cause detoxification
• [01:10:15] – Step-by-step blueprint for detoxification
• [01:18:50] – The importance of testing and personalized protocols

Conclusion

Dr. Axe’s Core Message:
Cellular health is the foundation of vitality, longevity, and disease prevention. Invisible toxins from our environment, food, and lifestyle insidiously undermine cellular function, and everyone’s vulnerability is unique due to genetics and prior exposures. Proactive efforts—filtering water, eating whole organic foods, using targeted supplements, practicing fasting and sauna, and getting the right tests—are necessary to turn the tide, detoxify, and regenerate at the cellular level.

For more on healing at the root, functional nutrition, and step-by-step guides, visit Dr. Axe’s resources or listen to future episodes.