Viva Longevity!

Polo

Fabulously informative episodes about living young and dying old. We find the world’s top scientists & experts on living younger, healthier lives. There’s so much conflicting information about longevity—from supplement companies, social media stars, pop book authors, and food marketers who seek fame & fortune. This channel is unique because we find the top researchers in their fields, the ones too busy actually doing science to be social media stars, and help them tell their stories. Our mission is to make longevity research fascinating and fun without compromising accuracy. Our channel is not commercial—no product promotions, no Patreon page, we turn off all optional ads. About our founder: Chris began his career as an earth scientist, involved in water and air testing for population health. He later worked for Steve Jobs at NeXT computers, which was purchased by Apple and became OS10 for computers and iOS for iPhones. Viva Longevity is Chris’ passion and retirement hobby.

  1. Aug 18

    What UC Davis Just Learned About Seed Oils

    Dr. Selina Wang is the world's expert on edible oils. Her new paper went viral because she called out major brands who claimed their products were based on avocado oil when they were really based on cheaper seed oils. Selina knows everything about smoke points, rancidity, fat profiles, and toxicity. Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists and and help them tell their stories. We have no sponsors. PAPERS: Authenticity of Avocado and Olive Oils Used As Ingredients In Commercially Processed Foods by Selina Wang https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502226007274 Study Finds 82 Percent of Avocado Oil Rancid or Mixed With Other Oils https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/study-finds-82-percent-avocado-oil-rancid-or-mixed-other-oils Effect of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Markers of Inflammation in Healthy Persons: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212267212004649 Influence vs. Evidence: The Science Supporting Seed Oils https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-behind-seed-oils-health-effects Dietary oxidized n-3 PUFA induce oxidative stress and inflammation: role of intestinal absorption of 4-HHE and reactivity in intestinal cells https://www.jlr.org/article/S0022-2275(20)43184-0/fulltext EDIBLE OIL COMPOSITION POSTER: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GlQ40z1s7pXKP57oKQbQyMFgqEUPcU-u/view?usp=sharing 0:00 Dr. Wang, edible oil scientist 1:01 Fried in avocado oil? 2:52 What extra virgin means 4:47 What expeller pressed means 5:56 Hexane! 7:05 What is bleaching? 8:21 Are seed oils toxic? 10:57 Reviewing Catherine Shanahan's book, Dark Calories 14:47 The history of seed oils 17:12 Rancid oils 20:52 Oils and mortality 23:56 Smoke point 25:06 Harvard's famous oil vs. mortality chart 27:32 All about olive oil 41:09 Taste testing olive oil 43:16 Chris' conclusions

    What UC Davis Just Learned About Seed Oils
  2. Jul 22

    What Harvard & USC Just Learned About Protein

    Is your daily protein shake or meat-heavy diet actually aging you faster? A groundbreaking new paper lead by Dr. Maura Fanti, Postdoctoral Researcher at the USC School of Gerontology, may answer this question. Chris interviews her to find out. VIDEOS: America's Protein Obsession Is Making Us Fat I Dr. Christopher Gardner https://youtu.be/3LDe3k6lyac Why High Protein Diets Could Be Dangerous | Dr. Valter Longo https://youtu.be/2_sMFBuY3y4?si=ZQ0UlEBGtxKuy9LT Harvard says Red Meat is WORSE than Junk Food https://youtu.be/LPXWCIFDkgM?si=18oUewJUuu36p9US PAPERS: Methionine-supplemented longevity diet increases growth hormone, GLP-1, and FGF21; reduces frailty; and promotes healthspan, by Maura Fanti https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(26)00225-1 Dietary plant-to-animal protein ratio and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 prospective cohorts, by Andrea Glenn https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916524007378?via%3Dihub Dietary Protein Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/183/8/715/1739876 0:00 Diet obsessions 2:43 New landmark paper on protein 11:00 The problem with methionine 11:46 Plant vs. animal protein effect on heart disease 17:00 Keto diet effects 18:58 Mouse testing 21:05 Fasting mimicking diet (FMD) effects 25:20 Increased frailty from Western & Keto diets 28:35 Increased fat & lean mass from Western & Keto diets 29:37 Chris's takeaways

    What Harvard & USC Just Learned About Protein
  3. Jun 26

    A Cardiologist's China Discovery: How Centenarians Cured Him

    How a cardiologist got off all his medications by studying centenarians in China's Longevity Belt. Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists & doctors, and help them tell their stories. The channel is a labor of love that declines all sponsorship offers. BOOKS: The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China by Dr. John Day https://www.amazon.com/Longevity-Plan-Life-Transforming-Lessons-Ancient-ebook/dp/B01MECO99C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 The AFib Cure, Updated Edition: Get Off Your Medications, Take Control of Your Health, and Add Years to Your Life by Dr. John Day https://www.amazon.com/AFib-Cure-Updated-Ediiton-Medications-ebook/dp/B0DL7W7Y65/ref=sr_1_1 VIDEOS: Dr. John Day's TEDx talk about the secrets of Chinese centenarians https://youtu.be/1xXHntrJnPk?si=-8Ghcx4vMSnAjEab Cut Your Stroke Risk Dramatically by Preventing AFib | Dr. John Day https://youtu.be/jW0uxwNkHPQ 7 Ways to Stop an AFib Attack by Dr. John Day https://youtu.be/W9a54B-7oyE PAPERS: Which Factors Influence Healthy Aging? A Lesson from the Longevity Village of Bama in China https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2022.1108 Understanding the coupled relationship between regional longevity and physical geographical environment in Hechi, Guangxi, China https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-82522-4 The validity of Blue Zones demography: a response to critiques https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/65/12/gnaf246/8381533 0:00 Five medications! 1:09 Longevity Plan book 7:07 The health lessons of China's Longevity Belt 11:10 Resolving all of Dr. Day's health conditions 12:07 The wisdom of elders 14:55 Environment is the key

    A Cardiologist's China Discovery: How Centenarians Cured Him
  4. Jun 13

    Ozempic, Oprah, and the truth about weight loss

    The closest thing to the Ozempic revolution is the invention of the smartphone—for better and for worse. It's a miracle drug that is giving people their lives back, but with tragic side effects. We dive into the good, bad and ugly of these drugs. Viva Longevity is a non-profit channel whose mission is to find the best scientists and help them tell their stories. PAPERS: GLP-1 drugs combined with healthy lifestyle habits linked with reduced cardiovascular risk among diabetes patients https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/glp-1-drugs-combined-with-healthy-lifestyle-habits-linked-with-reduced-cardiovascular-risk-among-diabetes-patients/ Tirzepatide for maintenance of bodyweight reduction in people with obesity in the USA (SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00656-2/fulltext Two Years After Stopping GLP-1s, Most Patients Sustain at Least Some Weight Loss https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/two-years-after-stopping-glp-1s-most-patients-sustain-at-least-some-weight-loss/ Most Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Maintain HbA1c Improvements a Year After Stopping GLP-1 Medications https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/most-patients-with-type-2-diabetes-maintain-hba1c-improvements-a-year-after-stopping-glp-1-medications/ 0:00 The Ozempic revolution 2:49 Is culture why America is so obese? 7:59 Consumers fear vaccines love GLP-1 drugs 10:21 3 great GLP-1 books 16:32 3 GLP-1 books to be wary of 26:14 Review of Food Intelligence book 28:31 GLP-1 side effects 31:44 Does the weight come back?

    Ozempic, Oprah, and the truth about weight loss
  5. May 16

    We Investigated Sprouts: The $1 Food With 100x The Nutrients (re-edited)

    What if the most powerful vegetable costs only $1 and has 100x the nutrients of standard greens? And is safer to eat than we think? We interview Doug Evans to uncover the staggering science behind sprouts. We dive into the cellular mechanisms of sulforaphane, their ability to help the body detoxify from environmental pollutants, and more. Whether you are looking to optimize your longevity, defend against daily toxins, or just upgrade your diet on a budget, this conversation changes everything we know about eating greens. THE SCIENCE & RESEARCH 🔬 Sprout microbial safety: A reappraisal after a quarter-centuryhttps://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.183 🔬 The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Clinical Trials With Broccoli Sprouts… and Turning Evidence Into Public Health Action https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.648788/full 🔬 Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage (Randomized Clinical Trial) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24913818/ Subscribe to Viva Longevity for more deep dives into evidence-based nutrition and health! WEBSITES Doug's sprouting company https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Olympians take broccoli sprout shots 01:47 - Doug Evans' crazy journey into sprouting 03:24 - How sprouts cured scurvy during World War I 04:27 - Dr. Jed Fahey, sprout scientist 05:34 - Sprouts aren't just a side dish 10:11 - The science of sprouts 20:07 - Doug's diet & lab results 22:41 - Recalls & safety 29:50 - Epic poops! 32:43 - Sprouts and the planet 36:30 - Doug's custom sprouting jar 40:08 - Some sprout history

    We Investigated Sprouts: The $1 Food With 100x The Nutrients (re-edited)
  6. May 13

    The $1 food with 100x the nutrients

    What if the most powerful vegetable costs only $1 and has 100x the nutrients of standard greens? We interview Doug Evans, serial health entrepreneur and founder of the Sprouting Company, to uncover the staggering science behind sprouts. We dive into the cellular mechanisms of sulforaphane, their ability to help the body detoxify from environmental pollutants, and more. Whether you are looking to optimize your longevity, defend against daily toxins, or just upgrade your diet on a budget, this conversation changes everything we know about eating greens. THE SCIENCE & RESEARCH 🔬 Sprout microbial safety: A reappraisal after a quarter-centuryhttps://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.183 🔬 The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Clinical Trials With Broccoli Sprouts… and Turning Evidence Into Public Health Action https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.648788/full 🔬 Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage (Randomized Clinical Trial) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24913818/ Subscribe to Viva Longevity for more deep dives into evidence-based nutrition and health! WEBSITES Doug's sprouting company https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Why Olympic athletes take broccoli sprout shots 01:44 - Are sprouts actually nature's greatest superfood? 02:34 - Doug Evans' crazy journey to sprouting 04:49 - How sprouts cured scurvy during World War I 05:56 - Dr. Jed Fahey explains the safety and upper limits of sprouts 07:48 - Why isn't everyone sprouting? 08:52 - Getting your daily fiber and protein entirely from sprouts? 13:08 - Detoxifying environmental contaminants via the NRF2 pathway 16:33 - The Frontiers in Nutrition paper on broccoli sprout toxicity 19:48 - Using sprouts for weight management and GLP1 benefits 23:01 - Doug's 50% sprout diet, health routines, and lab results 29:10 - Sprout safety and foodborne illness recalls 30:46 - The REAL reason sprouts get contaminated 34:26 - How sprouting can help solve planetary health and water scarcity 36:37 - What happened when Doug ate only sprouts for 30 days 38:17 - The engineering behind Doug's custom sprouting jar 41:44 - The potential digestive side effects of eating a lot of sprouts 45:06 - Harriette Chick and early nutrition science

    The $1 food with 100x the nutrients
  7. Apr 23

    The most powerful anti-aging drug: vaccines?!

    Vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk by 50%? They slow markers of aging by 19%? No one saw this coming until AI analyzed enormous patient databases and let us humans know. Viva Longevity's mission is to find the best scientists and help them tell their stories. VIDEOS: Heidi Larson: Rumors, Trust, and Vaccines https://youtu.be/iZpGjzEwlOA How vaccines train the immune system in ways no one expected | Christine Stabell Benn | TEDxAarhus https://youtu.be/_d8PNlXHJ48 Why I Changed My Mind On Vaccinations | Danielle Stringer | TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity https://youtu.be/tL-zwrxVcHw Truth About the HPV Vaccine: a Megyn Kelly Show Debate and Discussion, with Two Medical Experts https://youtu.be/y91qql_11dc Why we can’t agree about vaccines | Bernice Hausman | TEDxPSU https://youtu.be/M95MB6nmnaQ Why Australians live 7 years longer than Americans | Dr. Adrian Cois | TEDxBoston https://youtu.be/Lba5t17CWN0 BOOKS: Vaccinated: From Cowpox to mRNA, the Remarkable Story of Vaccines https://a.co/d/04YclCj6 The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics https://a.co/d/00zjIRxI Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman https://a.co/d/03WLzJP4 The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer https://a.co/d/0eJogVLQ PAPERS: Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Following Influenza Vaccination: A Claims-Based Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3233/JAD-220361 The Impact of Routine Vaccinations on Alzheimer's Disease Risk in Persons 65 Years and Older: A Claims-Based Cohort Study using Propensity Score Matching https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/JAD-221231 For those living with dementia, new study suggests shingles vaccine could slow the disease https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html A natural experiment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x Shingles Vaccine Drastically Cuts Risk of Serious Cardiac Events https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2026/03/16/19/33/shingles-vaccine-drastically-cuts-risk-of-serious-cardiac-events Risk of Alzheimer Dementia After High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccination https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13051479/ Association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging: evidence from a US population-based cohort study https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/81/3/glag008/8430804 0:00 Two BOLD claims 5:29 Flu vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk 11:11 Many vaccines reduce Alzheimer's risk 13:41 Reduced markers of aging 22:11 Understanding concerned mothers 33:08 Understanding medical professionals 37:58 Understanding data scientists 46:10 Understanding public health scientists 50:35 Understanding the truly misinformed 56:46 Understanding anti vaccine advocates

    The most powerful anti-aging drug: vaccines?!
  8. Mar 20

    Most cited scientist in the WORLD gives diet advice | Dr. Walter Willett

    We're swimming in conflicting nutrition advice, so why not go straight to the definitive source? I sit down with Dr. Walter Willett, Professor of Nutrition at Harvard, and the most cited nutrition scientist in the world. With a half century of research & data from hundreds of thousands of participants in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Dr. Willett has done more to define what a healthy diet actually looks like than almost anyone else in history. We cut through the noise of internet fad diets to discuss what the highest-quality, long-term data actually proves about longevity, chronic disease, and what we should put on our plates. We cover: Carbohydrate Confusion: The crucial difference between whole grains and potatoes (and his new 2025 substitution study). Protein Sources: How beef is the most pro aging food. The Truth About Fats: Reflecting on the landmark 1993 trans-fat paper that changed the food industry (and the massive pushback he received). If you want rigorous, peer-reviewed science rather than the latest social media trend, this is an interview you cannot miss. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who needs a dose of real nutrition science! BOOKS: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by Walter Willett https://a.co/d/0agTI4Zh Nutritional Epidemiology, 3rd Edition by Walter Willett https://a.co/d/0bgJUThX Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet by Johan Rockström https://a.co/d/062OhrdW PAPERS & REPORTS: EAT-Lancet 2025: Global food transformation needed to ease pressure on the planet and save millions of lives https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-stories/2025-10-03-eat-lancet-2025-global-food-transformation-needed-to-ease-pressure-on-the-planet-and-save-millions-of-lives.html The EAT Lancet full PDF: https://www.donorplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PIIS0140673625012012.pdf Meat vs EAT-Lancet: The dynamics of an industry-orchestrated online backlash https://changingmarkets.org/report/meat-vs-eat-lancet-the-dynamics-of-an-industry-orchestrated-online-backlash/ Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging | Nature Medicine https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5 Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women | The Lancet https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PII0140-6736(93)90350-P/fulltext Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818362 Total and specific potato intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three US cohort studies and a substitution meta-analysis of prospective cohorts https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj-2024-082121 FASCINATING CHARTS: Harvard's heat map from optimal diets for healthy aging: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l7FeZf-K6GjIob7jLNk4QSVururGOZ04/view?usp=sharing Harvard's type of fat vs. mortality: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWlaLQ1Kqs4Foe9pRW4zkOnpZoBsqytP/view?usp=sharing EAT Lancet's food guide graphic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ngOgEEwu1802licLatkcw4RV0fRtlGsL/view?usp=sharing 0:00 Our journey to obesity 3:21 The leading indicator of population health 7:59 Why we believe in some sciences but not others 11:48 The campaign against EAT Lancet 22:12 Beginning of Dr. Willett interview - Diet 29:31 The best science doesn't get published 30:46 Getting the ban on trans fats 37:47 Is nutritional epidemiology reliable? 42:02 Eat Lancet diet & seed oils 47:33 Environmental aspect of food 50:34 Dr. Willett's critics 1:00:16 My conclusions

    Most cited scientist in the WORLD gives diet advice | Dr. Walter Willett

About

Fabulously informative episodes about living young and dying old. We find the world’s top scientists & experts on living younger, healthier lives. There’s so much conflicting information about longevity—from supplement companies, social media stars, pop book authors, and food marketers who seek fame & fortune. This channel is unique because we find the top researchers in their fields, the ones too busy actually doing science to be social media stars, and help them tell their stories. Our mission is to make longevity research fascinating and fun without compromising accuracy. Our channel is not commercial—no product promotions, no Patreon page, we turn off all optional ads. About our founder: Chris began his career as an earth scientist, involved in water and air testing for population health. He later worked for Steve Jobs at NeXT computers, which was purchased by Apple and became OS10 for computers and iOS for iPhones. Viva Longevity is Chris’ passion and retirement hobby.