Dr Karan Explores

💬 Are your supplements helping you… or are you just paying for sawdust?

The supplement industry is booming, but it’s also one of the easiest industries to fake. In this episode, Dr Karan is joined by Dr Darshan Shah (surgeon and longevity expert) to break down what actually works, what’s likely a waste of money, and how to avoid supplements that can genuinely cause harm.

⚡We cover contamination, Amazon “ratings”, the creatine gummy scandal, drug interactions, GLP-1 supplement marketing, and the simple blood tests that help you figure out what YOU actually need.

🎧 Stay tuned to find out:
➡ Why so many supplements don’t contain what the label says
➡ The “essentials” most people are missing (and how to test for them)
➡ Why gummies are often just expensive sweets
➡ The supplement mistake that can mess with blood tests, surgery and medications
➡ How to spot quality: third-party testing, COAs and real dosing
➡ Why GLP-1 “supplements” are mostly marketing
➡ The simplest framework to stop wasting money

#DrKaran #HealthPodcast #MedicalScience #HealthEducation #Supplements #Creatine #Longevity #GutHealth

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📕 Chapters
(0:00) Coming up (episode teaser)
(0:56) Intro: Dr Darshan Shah returns (supplements, quality, and what actually works)
(1:51) The real problem: “unregulated” quality + fake Amazon ratings
(3:36) Dr Shah’s supplement stack (and why powders make compliance easier)
(4:50) Creatine: why he takes it (and how much)
(8:43) Creatine + poor sleep: the cognition link
(11:24) The patient story: supplements causing blood sugar spikes
(14:33) Supplements are chemicals: liver injury + drug interactions
(15:45) Dr Karan’s creatine kidney scare (creatinine vs real kidney function)
(18:57) Sponsor: LOAM
(20:06) The creatine gummy scandal: “I was basically eating Haribo”
(22:18) A simple consumer playbook: the “bell curve” of supplement users
(24:06) The essentials list (what most people actually need)
(27:02) The 3 buckets: dose, form, and evidence (why gummies usually fail)
(29:58) Should you use PubMed (and how not to get misled by studies)
(34:48) Why almost no supplement companies run real trials
(36:42) “Black labelling”: influencer supplements as a cash grab
(38:43) Surgery story: the St John’s Wort mistake that wouldn’t stop bleeding
(43:22) How to check quality: third-party testing, heavy metals, and COAs
(48:07) Sponsor: Throne
(49:05) GLP-1 “supplements”: marketing 101 vs real value
(51:46) Where to start: the key blood tests to guide supplements
(53:20) Does supplement timing matter (or is consistency the real win)?
(54:28) Omega-3 quality: fish oil vs algae vs krill
(56:48) Red flags: proprietary blends + choosing the right magnesium forms
(57:59) Next-gen probiotics vs the simplest lever: fibre
(1:03:12) Dr Shah’s “simple stack” recap
(1:03:45) Closing

🚽 Discover Throne’s incredible new smart toilet device at http://thronescience.com
🔥 Try LOAM and get an additional 10% with code POD10: https://loamscience.com/
🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy-to-action health tips and science: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook
📕 Pre-order my new book, This Is Vital Information: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

We track our steps, sleep, calories… even glucose. So why are we STILL getting sicker?

In this episode, Dr Karan sits down with Josh Clemente (former SpaceX engineer and founder of Levels) to explore a big question: Are health wearables actually helping us, or are we just collecting data with no real direction?

Josh explains why aerospace treats “health” totally differently to medicine, why we should measure when we’re healthy (not just when things go wrong), and what “biological observability” could mean for the future of healthcare.

🎧 Stay tuned to find out:
➡ Why “if you’re healthy, there’s no reason to measure” is backwards
➡ What SpaceX taught Josh about monitoring systems vs monitoring humans
➡ Why data is neutral (and why interpretation is everything)
➡ The biggest risks of wearables: anxiety, obsession, disordered habits
➡ Why CGMs can be powerful, but easy to misuse without context
➡ What a real “health operating system” might look like in 3–10 years
➡ The uncomfortable truth about health inequality and the future of tech

#DrKaran #HealthPodcast #MedicalScience #HealthEducation #Wearables #CGM #MetabolicHealth #Longevity #Levels

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: / @drkaran

📕 Chapters
(0:00) Coming up (episode teaser)
(0:57) Intro: the biggest self-experiment in history
(1:48) We have more health data than ever… so why are we unhealthier?
(4:14) Dr Karan’s CGM “flip-flop” (healthy users tracking glucose)
(6:38) Engineer vs doctor: two ways of solving the same problem
(6:45) SpaceX/NASA life-support mindset: monitor everything
(7:36) “Hundreds of data channels” for spacecraft… zero for humans
(8:50) “Measure when healthy” (scarcity mindset vs abundance mindset)
(9:44) The airplane analogy: monitoring should reduce anxiety
(10:24) What medicine can learn from aviation safety
(12:47) Survivorship bias and why healthcare optimises the wrong thing
(14:14) Why we only measure once disease shows up (and why that’s insane)
(15:24) “I’m lean but my glucose runs hot” (why averages can mislead)
(16:46) Personalised care needs data (but not obsession)
(23:35) Health proxies, blue zones, and why we get cause and effect wrong
(24:45) The dark side of wearables: sleep anxiety, CGM “gamifying” health
(26:16) Goodhart’s Law: when a target becomes the measure
(28:11) CGM isn’t the goal, it’s a tool (context matters)
(30:26) The future: multi-marker wearables and a “digital twin”
(35:14) How close are we to continuous monitoring (3–10 years)?
(37:04) AI as the interface to complexity (and what it enables)
(39:40) The missing lever in most health advice: your zip code
(41:15) Will this tech widen inequality, or become accessible?
(44:44) CGMs vs misleading food marketing (and how systems might change)
(46:11) Is living longer worth it if you obsess over data?
(47:44) Fatherhood, healthspan, and avoiding the avoidable
(48:32) Josh’s bloodwork story: seeing trend lines and making small tweaks
(50:03) “Health isn’t easy, but it is simple”
(51:15) Closing

🚽 Discover Throne’s incredible new smart toilet device at http://thronescience.com
🔥 Try LOAM and get an additional 10% with code POD10: https://loamscience.com/
🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy-to-action health tips and science: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook
📕 Pre-order my new book, This Is Vital Information: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

About Dr Karan:
Dr. Karan Rajan is a doctor, author, and educator dedicated to making health and medical science accessible to all. Through evidence-based analysis, he tackles topics from nutrition and metabolism to brain health and longevity, while dispelling myths with a touch of dark humour.

📱Connect with me:
Instagram: / drkaranrajan
Facebook: / drkaranr
TikTok: / dr.karanr
X: / drkaranrajan
Website: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

💬 What does it actually take to rebuild your life after addiction?
Ken Rideout has lived multiple lives: Former prison guard, Wall Street trader, opioid addict… and now the fastest marathoner in the world over 50.
⚡In this episode, Ken opens up about the darkest moment that forced him to change, what opioid withdrawal REALLY feels like, and the identity shift that helped him go from rock bottom to elite endurance athlete.
🎧 Stay tuned to find out:
➡ The “rock bottom” moment that finally flipped the switch
➡ What opioid withdrawal is actually like
➡ How Ken used discipline, discomfort and running to rebuild his identity
➡ The truth about hiding addiction inside a “normal” life
➡ Why ambition can quietly steal your presence (especially as a parent)
➡ The uncomfortable reality of CPR, end-of-life decisions and quality of life
#DrKaran #HealthPodcast #MedicalScience #HealthEducation #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealth #Fitness #Running #Longevity
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCREKb1GS1jwZIpH4qn9tyuA
📕 Chapters
(0:00) Coming up (episode trailer)
(1:22) Introduction (in-person pod with Ken Rideout)
(3:37) Growing up around addiction, violence and instability
(4:07) “My mind always needed to be busy”
(5:56) Moving to New York and quitting drinking (finance culture)
(7:47) The injury that started it: ankle surgery + Percocet
(8:01) Wall Street insecurity and imposter syndrome
(10:00) Marriage, adoption and battling addiction in secret
(10:34) The withdrawal trap: Subutex vs Percocet
(11:00) The shame loop: “What are you doing?”
(11:12) Detox in secret and hiding it from his wife
(14:37) Running through withdrawal (10 miles a day)
(14:56) The balcony moment
(14:59) “I’d rather be dead than live like this”
(15:05) The final straw: telling his wife the truth
(15:27) Vivitrol and the first real relief
(23:43) Covid, routines collapsing and old habits creeping back
(32:07) Parenting, ambition and being present
(40:32) Facing death as a doctor (why planning matters)
(45:59) CPR myths: what TV gets wrong
(49:15) Sponsor: Throne
(50:16) Ambition vs presence (what matters long-term)
(1:01:31) Purpose outside work and parenting
(1:03:08) “Get out past the break” (closing)
🚽 Discover Throne’s incredible new smart toilet device at http://thronescience.com
🔥 Try LOAM and get an additional 10% with code POD10: https://loamscience.com/
🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy-to-action health tips and science: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook
📕 Pre-order my new book, This Is Vital Information: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

About Dr Karan:
Dr. Karan Rajan is a doctor, author, and educator dedicated to making health and medical science accessible to all. Through evidence-based analysis, he addresses topics such as gut health, brain health, and healthy lifestyle choices, while dispelling common medical myths with a touch of dark humor.
📱Connect with me:
Instagram: / drkaranrajan
Facebook: / drkaranr
TikTok: / dr.karanr
X: / drkaranrajan
Website: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

💬  When it comes to improving your health, what comes to mind first? Working on your muscles? Improving your gut? What about strengthening your BONES?
⚡Bone health is massively overlooked by most people - and yet it has such a huge impact on how you feel, how much pain you experience and whether you’ll age gracefully or not.
⚡That’s why I’ve brought on Belinda Beck, founder of the Bone Clinic - who’ll help us understand the importance of bone health, and what you can do to improve yours today. 
🎧 Stay tuned to find out:
➡ The biggest signs of poor bone health - and how to strengthen them
➡︎ How bone is an alive and  highly metabolic tissue
➡︎ Why fears about weight-lifting in children are overblown
➡︎ What  Wolff’s Law teaches us about maintaining healthy bones lifelong
➡︎ Why some exercises are simply not enough for bone health
➡︎ Why bone health is so closely linked to risk of death
#DrKaran, #MedicalScience, #HealthEducation, #HealthTips, #MedicalScience, #BoneStrength, #BoneHealth, #Fitness,
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran?sub_confirmation=1 
📕 Chapters
(0:00) Introduction
(0:42) Why you should care about your bone health
(1:45) Signs your bone health isn’t optimal
(2:40) How to strengthen your bones
(4:08) The biology of bones and how they change through life
(7:36) Why children CAN lift weights for bone health
(9:03) Should babies be doing acrobatics?
(12:23) Can weights help you gain bone density?
(15:01) Bone health in perimenopause and menopause
(17:20) Is walking enough for healthy bones?
(19:05) Can too much exercise cause bone issues?
(23:35) Should you screen for bone health?
(28:40) Why bone health is linked to risk of death
(31:48) Is it ever too late to fix your bones?
(34:08) How active is our bone as a tissue?
(36:34) Fizzy drinks and bones: Fact or fiction?
(38:51) The role of collagen supplements
🚽 Discover Throne’s incredible new smart toilet device at http://thronescience.com 
🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 
📕 Pre-order my new book, This Is Vital Information, here: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=472cbbde-00e2-42ab-8a3f-725656fab3a5
🔥  Head to https://loamscience.com/ try LOAM - and get an additional 10% with code POD10.
🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.
About Dr Karan:
Dr. Karan Rajan is a doctor, author, and educator dedicated to making health and medical science accessible to all. Through evidence-based analysis, he addresses topics such as gut health, brain health, and healthy lifestyle choices, while dispelling common medical myths with a touch of dark humor. His content provides reliable, research-driven insights designed to inform and empower viewers to better understand their health.
📱Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajan/   
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKaranR/  
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr  
X: https://twitter.com/drkaranrajan
Website: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation

💬 The GLP-1 weight loss movement is blowing up. On the one hand, we now have a drug that tackles the obesity epidemic like never before. On the other, we’re seeing the rise of food anxiety and the return of thin-at-all-costs culture. Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are reshaping medicine, culture and the economy.
⚡So to get the latest on these rapid advancements, we speak to endocrinology and metabolism specialist Dr Rekha Kumar. She takes us through the growing list of benefits provided by GLP-1 drugs - and the dangers. As well as tackling the wider field of “gray market” peptide use.
⚡Today’s guest is Dr Rekha Kumar, an expert in metabolic and hormone health. Together we dig deep into GLP-1 use - the latest science on the benefits and the dangers.
🎧 Stay tuned to find out:
➡ Why GLP-1 reliance is leading some to ignore good health practices
➡︎ Are we seeing the return of 80s diet culture and the “Almond mom”?
➡︎ How GLP-1s impact overall health - including menopause care
➡︎  Why long-term use may be needed to tackle growing weight regain concerns
➡︎ How peptides like retatrutide are becoming more popular in longevity circles
➡︎ Why oral Wegovy is a total game-changer
#DrKaran, #MedicalScience, #HealthEducation, #HealthTips, #MedicalScience, #GLP1, #Ozempic, #Wegovy, #Semaglutide, #Retatrutide, #WeightLossDrugs
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran?sub_confirmation=1 
📕 Chapters
(0:00) Introduction
(0:54) How GLP-1s are affecting every area of life
(2:58) Are people giving up on standard diet and exercise advice?
(5:32) A return of 80s diet culture and “heroin chic”
(8:44) What GLP-1s teach us about willpower
(13:28) The wider societal impacts of weight loss drugs
(17:02) What you need to understand about “food noise”
(21:48) Beyond weight-loss, how GLP-1s impact menopause and more
(26:55) The cancer link
(31:32) What are the proven pregnancy risks?
(35:55) The “gray market” of peptides – are they safe?
(40:37) The rise of retatrutide in longevity circles
(43:55) Why oral Wegovy is a total game-changer
(47:09) Why biohackers and scientists need to come together
🚽 Discover Throne’s incredible new smart toilet device at http://thronescience.com 
🔥 Get my free weekly newsletter filled with easy to action health tips, interesting facts and science to fill your curiosity: https://drkaran.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🔥 For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook 
📕 Pre-order my new book, This Is Vital Information, here: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=472cbbde-00e2-42ab-8a3f-725656fab3a5
🔥  Head to https://loamscience.com/ try LOAM - and get an additional 10% with code POD10.
🎙️ An OG Podcasts production.
About Dr Karan:
Dr. Karan Rajan is a doctor, author, and educator dedicated to making health and medical science accessible to all. Through evidence-based analysis, he addresses topics such as gut health, brain health, and healthy lifestyle choices, while dispelling common medical myths with a touch of dark humor. His content provides reliable, research-driven insights designed to inform and empower viewers to better understand their health.
📱Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkaranrajan/   
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKaranR/  
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr  
X: https://twitter.com/drkaranrajan  
Website: https://linktr.ee/ThisisVitalInformation