The Metabolic Link

Dr. Dominic D'Agostino PhD, Dr. Angela Poff PhD, and Victoria Field
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Medicine
  • Every two weeks

Welcome to The Metabolic Link, a medical and science podcast that explores the common thread of metabolism in health and disease. Join Dr. Dominic D'Agostino PhD, Dr. Angela Poff PhD, and Victoria Field as they dive into the latest research on metabolic health and therapy alongside some of the world’s leading experts. They'll also discuss how this science is being applied in the real world. This is where science meets society.

  1. 6 hr ago

    Ozempic, Insulin Resistance, and Type 2 Diabetes: What Are We Missing? | Dr. Mariela Glandt | The Metabolic Link Ep. 98

    Attend a Live Q&A with Dr. Glandt. Reigster here. What if the way we treat type 2 diabetes is fundamentally backwards? Dr. Mariela Glandt is an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist who spent 15 years practicing conventional medicine before concluding, in her words, that how we treat diabetes “is actually upside down.” As co-founder of OwnaHealth, she focuses on addressing the insulin resistance underlying type 2 diabetes, not only the elevated blood sugar it eventually causes. In this episode, she walks through the science of that shift: why fasting insulin may reveal metabolic dysfunction before A1C becomes abnormal, why a laboratory “normal” range running up to 20 can be misleading, and why she believes repeatedly escalating insulin can contribute to weight gain, reduced insulin responsiveness, and worsening metabolic health. She also shares what she has learned bringing low-carbohydrate and ketogenic therapy to underserved communities in the South Bronx, where patients may be navigating severe diabetes alongside financial pressure, cultural food traditions, psychiatric illness, chronic stress, and conflicting medical advice. Her work shows that these therapies can succeed even in communities facing significant barriers to care. Dr. Glandt also breaks down what GLP-1 medications actually do, where they can help, and what they may leave unresolved—including the risks of muscle loss, inadequate protein intake, and relying on medication without addressing the patient’s broader metabolic health. Questions Answered in This Episode: • What is the hardest belief a conventionally trained doctor has to unlearn? • How does reframing diabetes as insulin resistance change the way a doctor practices? • What are the earliest signs of metabolic dysfunction that many clinicians miss? • Can ketogenic metabolic therapy succeed in underserved communities? • What do GLP-1 medications actually solve, and what do they leave untouched? • Where can ketogenic therapy and GLP-1 medications work together? • What has Dr. Glandt observed in patients living with both metabolic and psychiatric illness? • Where does endocrinology most need to change course? Viewers will come away with a different lens on metabolic disease, one that looks beyond glucose and weight to the biological, social, and practical factors shaping a patient’s health. More links: For Richer, for Poorer: Low-Carb Diets Work for All IncomesOwnaHealth: Reverse the course of chronic disease — for everyone.Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 5min

  2. 16 Jun

    Treating PTSD When Standard Care Falls Short: A Hyperbaric Oxygen Protocol | Dr. Keren Doenyas-Barak, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 97

    Fewer than 40% of people with PTSD respond to standard care. For the intrusive symptoms at the core of the disorder, response rates may be lower than 15%. So what options remain for patients who have not responded to existing treatments? Dr. Keren Doenyas-Barak, director of the PTSD program at the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research and a faculty member at Tel Aviv University, has treated close to 1,000 civilian and military patients and led sham-controlled trials that are helping reshape how hyperbaric medicine is studied. She walks host Dr. Dominic D'Agostino through the protocol her clinic uses—60 sessions over 12 weeks, with oxygen cycled at two atmospheres—the 35% CAPS-score improvement associated with continued progress after treatment ends, and the reported two-year outcomes, including improved occupational function, roughly double the proportion of patients living with a partner, and sharp drops in benzodiazepine and cannabis use. She also details the convincing sham control her team engineered after concluding that earlier placebo arms may have delivered a physiologically active dose. Questions Answered in This Episode: What hyperbaric protocol is best supported for treatment-resistant PTSD?What does a 35% reduction in CAPS score predict about long-term recovery?Which outcomes beyond symptom scores changed most for patients?How did the team build a hyperbaric sham that patients genuinely could not detect?Which safety measures are non-negotiable in a hyperbaric PTSD clinic?Does a patient's baseline metabolic fitness predict their response to HBOT, and can the treatment affect cardiometabolic risk?A rigorous, frontline examination of what responsible hyperbaric medicine actually requires, led by a clinician helping to build its evidence base. Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here. ✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 17min

  3. 2 Jun

    Inflammation and Glycation: The Two Heads of Chronic Disease | Dr. Paul Reynolds, PhD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 96

    Dr. Paul Reynolds has spent his career studying what he calls “two heads of the same beast”: inflammation and glycation — two interlocking processes that may help explain why so many chronic diseases are connected, even when they are treated as separate conditions. Dr. Reynolds is a professor and research scientist at Brigham Young University whose NIH-funded research program studies inflammation, lung biology, glycation, and the AGE/RAGE receptor system that links metabolic and environmental stressors to disease throughout the body. In this episode, Dr. Reynolds traces the glycation cascade from early sugar-protein reactions to advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs, and explains how the RAGE receptor can act as a self-perpetuating accelerant for inflammation. He also breaks down why the brain may be uniquely vulnerable to glucose dysregulation, how diesel exhaust and tobacco smoke can create AGE-like structures that bind the same inflammatory receptors, and how the glyoxalase defense system helps neutralize damage before it becomes permanent. Questions Answered in This Episode: Can breathing polluted air trigger some of the same inflammatory pathways as excess sugar exposure? Is browned food a real glycation concern, or is the bigger issue what happens inside the body when glucose stays elevated? Why is the brain especially vulnerable to glucose dysregulation? How does fasting help the body reduce glycation and inflammatory burden? What do people need to understand about sugar substitutes like allulose and xylitol when it comes to glycation? How should we approach kids’ nutrition if glycation and inflammation can begin early in life? Is glycation damage reversible, and where does the body draw the line? This conversation offers a mechanistic map connecting cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, metabolic dysfunction, environmental exposures, and visible aging back to two upstream processes many patients never hear named in a clinical visit. Find the Meet Consumption and Cognitive Health paper here. Sign up for his upcoming Q&A on The Metabolic Initiative here. Find Dr. Reynolds online: InstagramFacebookX.comYoutubeLinkedInTikTokSpecial thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here ✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 14min

  4. 19 May

    Metabolic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice: Brain Energy, Common Pitfalls, & Precision Nutrition | Dr. Bret Scher, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 95

    In people with severe depression and cognitive decline, brain glucose metabolism has been shown in some studies to decline measurably. Ketone metabolism, by contrast, appears relatively preserved. That single observation is reshaping how researchers think about psychiatric illness. In this episode, Dominic D'Agostino sits down with Bret Scher, a cardiologist who pivoted to metabolic psychiatry and now leads clinical education and content for Metabolic Mind at the Baszucki Group. Dr. Scher brings a rare dual perspective: deep training in conventional cardiology paired with three years embedded in the research and clinical practice exploring metabolic approaches in psychiatry. The conversation covers brain energy dysfunction as a potential unifying mechanism across psychiatric disorders, the preserved ketone metabolism documented in work by researchers like Stephen Cunnane, the recently published Delphi consensus paper on metabolic psychiatry, why four-week randomized trials may be inadequate for nutritional interventions, and the case for future diagnostic categories like metabolic depression and metabolic bipolar disorder. Questions Answered in This Episode: Are we underestimating brain energy dysfunction as a potential unifying mechanism across psychiatric disorders?What are the two biggest clinical mistakes patients make when starting ketogenic therapy for mental illness?Should ketogenic therapy ever be positioned as a first-line intervention for psychiatric disorders?What is the single biggest bottleneck preventing wider clinical adoption of ketogenic therapy?What has been the most unexpected challenge in moving metabolic psychiatry into the mainstream?What does precision, personalized, prescriptive ketone metabolic therapy actually look like in clinical practice?This conversation reframes psychiatric illness as a question of brain energy alongside neurotransmitter signaling and other biological mechanisms, with implications for how the next decade of research and clinical training will unfold. Join the Live Q&A with Dr. Bret Scher. Bring your questions directly to Dr. Scher on May 29 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Register here. Where to Find Dr. Bret Scher Online: Metabolic Mind Coalition for Metabolic Health Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here. ✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    52 min

  5. 5 May

    Inuit Metabolism Revisited: Ketosis, Omega-3s, & the CPT1A Arctic Variant | Dr. Gideon Mailer & Nicola Hale | The Metabolic Link Ep. 94

    A gene mutation that reduces ketone production in the fasted state is associated with sudden infant death in modern populations. But in the ancestral context where it evolved alongside an omega-3-rich diet, it may have been part of what kept infants alive. Dr. Gideon Mailer and Nicola Hale join The Metabolic Link to present their hypothesis that the CPT1A L479 Arctic variant is not anti-ketogenic but pro-metabolic flexibility, conserving glucose by upregulating ketosis at the fed-state threshold. Their work explains why SIDS rates are dramatically elevated in modern Inuit communities no longer eating the ancestral Inuit diet, and how omega-3 fatty acids counteract the downregulation the mutation produces. The clinical picture extends beyond infancy. Modern carriers of the variant show lower triglycerides, lower VLDL, slightly higher HDL, and a "healthy obesity" phenotype with favorable fat distribution. But the health advantages seen in traditional Inuit populations disappear with Western diet adoption, as cardiovascular disease and diabetes rates rise to match the general population. Questions Answered in This Episode: How is the mutation associated with SIDS, and why is there a detrimental effect in modern populations?How prevalent is the CPT1A Arctic variant in the U.S. population, and does partial Inuit ancestry carry metabolic consequences?How do omega-3 fatty acids physically upregulate CPT1A activity and concentration within cell membranes?What metabolic markers distinguish carriers of the L479 variant from non-carriers?What happens to cardiovascular disease rates in Inuit populations that adopt Western diets?What should people take away from the Arctic variant story for their own metabolic health?A sobering case study in what happens when ancestral genetic adaptations collide with modern dietary environments, and what can be recovered when they are realigned. Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here ✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 27min

  6. 21 Apr

    Understanding Female Metabolism: PCOS, Postpartum, and Menopause | Madison Kackley, PhD | The Metabolic Link

    In a 12-week clinical trial at The Ohio State University, every woman with PCOS who completed the intervention experienced a change in her menstrual status. One participant, who had never had a period in her life, began menstruating within a week. Another saw spotting after five years of amenorrhea while taking only a ketone supplement without adopting a ketogenic diet. These are among the earliest controlled findings linking ketogenic interventions directly to reproductive hormone restoration. Dr. Madison Kackley is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at The Ohio State University and Director of the SHE Is Laboratory. Her work focuses on how hormonal fluctuations shape metabolic flexibility and resilience in women across the lifespan. In this episode, she explains why a single fasting glucose or insulin measurement is misleading without knowing where a woman is in her cycle, how the luteal phase creates a state of increased energy expenditure and insulin resistance that conventional carb-loading advice may worsen, and why perimenopausal women who jump into intermittent fasting and high-intensity exercise without prior fat adaptation can end up in a high-cortisol catabolic spiral. She also introduces the Renew study, which examines ketone supplementation alongside group exercise for postpartum depression, a condition she frames as an energy-availability problem rather than a purely psychological one. Questions Answered in This Episode: What will we look back on in ten years and realize we got fundamentally wrong about women's health?Why are women more susceptible to dementia than men, and what does it have to do with reproductive energy?Why might long-term hormonal birth control contribute to infertility, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes?Why can women in perimenopause feel exhausted and still not be able to sleep?Should weaning be understood as its own distinct hormonal event, separate from postpartum?For clinicians, researchers, and women navigating these transitions, this conversation previews the evidence-based framework that female metabolic health has been waiting for. Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here. ✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 24min

  7. 7 Apr

    Vagal Nerve Stimulation, TBI, and Brain Health: Rethinking Neurological Care | Dr. Michael Hoffman, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 92

    A veteran walks into the clinic with a persistent migraine. Four minutes of vagal nerve stimulation later, the migraine is gone. This is not a one-off result. It is what Dr. Michael Hoffman has been observing for over seven years in the VA hospital system, using non-invasive devices he considers severely underutilized. Dr. Hoffman is a stroke and cognitive-behavioral neurologist who trained at Columbia University, spent 14 years in the VA system, and has evaluated an estimated 10,000 stroke patients across his career. He now practices at the University of Central Florida, where he integrates ketogenic nutrition, advanced imaging, vagal nerve stimulation, and hyperbaric oxygen into his neurological care. In this episode, Dr. Hoffman walks through what he calls the "five brain fitness rules," the specific, measurable lifestyle prescriptions he gives every patient, and explains why standard cognitive screening tools like the MoCA and Mini Mental miss the most dramatic behavioral syndromes caused by brain injury. He also discusses why PET scans and diffusion tensor imaging should be used far more often, and why post-TBI hormonal evaluation is critical but routinely overlooked. Questions Answered in This Episode: What are the five brain fitness rules every neurological patient should follow?Why do standard cognitive tests fail to detect some of the most severe brain injury syndromes?How is vagal nerve stimulation treating migraines, and why is it so underutilized outside the VA?What clinical changes would most improve neurological care today?Does the evidence support hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury?Could fungal infections contribute to some long-standing Alzheimer's diagnoses?What is the surprising decade when your brain's cognitive function peaks?Dr. Hoffman makes a case that the gap between what we know about the brain and what we do in clinical practice has never been wider, and that closing it starts with giving clinicians the time and tools to actually examine their patients. Learn more about Dr. Hoffman on his website here. Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here ✅ Troscriptions – Get 10% off your first order with code METABOLICLINK here ✅ ZocDoc - Find and instantly book a top-rated doctor here ✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 27min

  8. 24 Mar

    What's in Your Tap Water? Contaminants, Filtration, and How to Test It | Johnny Pujol | The Metabolic Link Ep. 91

    You could have elevated levels of contaminants like uranium or arsenic in your drinking water—and not know it. Many of these compounds are colorless, odorless, and undetectable without testing. Johnny Pujol is a water chemist and the founder of Tap Score, a drinking water testing platform supported by a network of roughly 270 specialized laboratories. His path from electrochemistry research to consumer water testing was driven by a simple realization: the chemistry inside what looks like a clear glass of water is far more complex than most people realize. In this episode, Dr. Dominic D’Agostino and Johnny break down what’s actually in drinking water, how regulatory standards are set, and where they may lag behind emerging research. They also discuss how chronic exposure to certain contaminants may intersect with metabolic health and long-term disease risk. Johnny also shares insights from Tap Score’s forthcoming research comparing contaminant profiles in unfiltered tap water, bottled water, and filtered tap water. Questions Answered in This Episode: Why does the EPA action level for lead differ from the ideal target of zero?Can certain filtration systems introduce unintended issues, like microbial growth, if not properly maintained?How can environmental factors like rainfall impact private well water quality?What's the difference between a "first draw" sample and a "representative" sample, and why does it matter?Is the health risk from showering in contaminated water meaningful compared to drinking it?Why do some water tests cost $600 to $800 while others cost a fraction of that?Understanding your drinking water starts with recognizing the difference between what’s legally permitted and what may be considered optimal from a health perspective. This conversation explores that gap, and what individuals can do to better assess their own water quality. Learn more here: https://mytapscore.com/ Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: ✅ Troscriptions – Get 10% off your first order with code METABOLICLINK here. ✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here. ✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here. ✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here. In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in! You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel! Find us on social:  InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

    1hr 11min
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About

Welcome to The Metabolic Link, a medical and science podcast that explores the common thread of metabolism in health and disease. Join Dr. Dominic D'Agostino PhD, Dr. Angela Poff PhD, and Victoria Field as they dive into the latest research on metabolic health and therapy alongside some of the world’s leading experts. They'll also discuss how this science is being applied in the real world. This is where science meets society.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Dominic D'Agostino PhD, Dr. Angela Poff PhD, and Victoria Field
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Metabolic Link
  • Show Website
    The Metabolic Link

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