Degrees of Health

Uncover the surprising truths about longevity with Siim Land, a leading voice in the emerging world of life extension. Despite decades of research, the biggest breakthroughs in drastically extending lifespan remain elusive, with the strongest evidence pointing towards fundamental factors like calorie restriction and genetics. Siim reveals how current science shows us what not to do and why that ma...

In this episode, Ben Hopkins sits down with longevity scientist Professor Matt Kaeberlein to unpack the biggest questions in aging, health span, and the science of living longer. They cover the promise and pitfalls of biological age clocks, why resveratrol failed to live up to the hype, how to think about aging as entropy and resilience, and which interventions actually look promising today. Matt...

How does female metabolism differ from male metabolism? Why do energy levels, performance, hunger, and recovery fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle? And what does the latest research say about ketogenic diets, metabolic flexibility, PCOS, and postpartum depression? In this episode, Ben Hopkins sits down with Dr. Madison Kackley, researcher and director of SHE IS Labs at The Ohio State Univers...

Join us as Professor Thomas Seager delves into the transformative power of learning, the impact of language on scientific understanding, and the crucial role of mitochondria in health. This episode explores how these elements can revolutionise healthcare, personal growth, and scientific thinking. In This Episode: Discover Professor Seager's unique approach to lifelong learning and curiosity-driven...

What does it really take to slow biological ageing without obsessing over every new trend? In this episode, Ben Hopkins sits down with Annie Nosh, one of the top-ranked participants in the Rejuvenation Olympics, to discuss the simple habits that have helped her achieve an exceptionally slow pace of ageing. Annie shares how she moved away from extreme optimisation and focused on sustainable fundame...

Unlock the surprising truth about heart disease that the medical consensus has been missing, and learn how you can actually stay off the operating table. Dr. Philip Ovadia, a heart surgeon with over 20 years of experience, reveals why relying solely on cholesterol levels and outdated diets is failing us and what the real root causes, metabolic health, insulin resistance, and inflammation, mean for...

What if depression is partly a metabolic problem? In this episode, Ben sits down with researcher Drew Decker from Dr. Jeff Volek’s lab to explore groundbreaking new research on the ketogenic diet and mental health. Drew shares the results of a pilot study investigating the effects of nutritional ketosis on individuals suffering from major depressive disorder — with participants seeing an average 7...

Why is modern medicine so slow to adapt to new science? In this episode, we sit down with physician and physiologist Dr. Adrian Soto-Mota to challenge some of the most deeply entrenched dogmas in healthcare and nutrition. Dr. Soto-Mota explains why he shifted gears from traditional internal medicine to metabolic research, sharing a fascinating look into the slow evolution of science—often progress...

Some people find health through green smoothies. Others find it in 3 kilos of steak cooked in ghee. Dr Anthony Chaffee is a neurosurgical registrar and ex-professional rugby player who’s been running on nothing but animal products for years. No salads. No supplements. No exceptions. In this conversation, we get into the weeds of his theory, that many modern illnesses (autoimmune conditions, metabo...

What if the root of mental illness isn’t all in your head but in your cells? Dr. Ana Andreazza is leading one of the most exciting shifts in psychiatric science: away from neurotransmitters and towards the mighty mitochondria. In this episode, she and Ben explore the metabolic foundations of mood disorders, how lactate and ketones impact the brain and why most psychiatric medications only form par...

This episode's information revealed just how much of our 'regulated' nutritional information is either completely outdated or incorrect. Here with Lily Nichols, a renowned dietitian and author who is not afraid to speak on the controversial dietary topics, we discuss where current nutritional guidelines on protein and micronutrients impact overall health and hold us back, particularly for those lo...

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Why are so many people sick and why does so much of modern medicine still miss the root cause? In this episode, Dr Campbell Murdoch shares why metabolic health may sit at the centre of today’s chronic disease epidemic. From insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes to fatty liver, high blood pressure, inflammation, kidney dysfunction, and energy crashes , this conversation explores how the body start...

What separates elite ultra endurance athletes from everyone else? In this episode, Paul Booth breaks down the reality of fueling for performance — including carbohydrate intake, hydration, caffeine, gut training, race-day strategy, and recovery. This conversation explores both the science and the practical side of endurance nutrition, including what athletes get wrong, what actually works, and how...

What happens when a ketogenic approach doesn’t just change your diet but changes your quality of life? In this episode, Dyane Harwood shares her deeply personal story of living with bipolar disorder , navigating postpartum bipolar onset , and discovering ketogenic therapy as part of her path toward greater stability and resilience. We talk about the nuance often missing from online conversations a...

Is sunlight really as harmful as we’ve been told? In this episode, Pelle Lindqvist explores the nuanced science of sun exposure , challenging conventional narratives around skin cancer and health. We discuss: Sunlight and all-cause mortality The role of vitamin D and nitric oxide Why location and skin type matter Sun exposure vs modern public health advice The difference between overexposure and a...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Erin Bellamy to explore one of the most important and overlooked topics in modern health.. the connection between metabolic health and mental health. We discuss how ketones may impact the brain, why nutritional ketosis can create a sense of calm and resilience, and how ketogenic therapy is being used in cases ranging from anxiety and depression to bipolar disor...

In this episode, Ben speaks with Gábor Somlyai , one of the earliest researchers to investigate the role of deuterium depletion in cancer biology. Gábor argues that while mainstream oncology has focused heavily on genes, mutations, and targeted drugs, a deeper regulatory layer may have been missed: the ratio between deuterium and hydrogen inside the body. He explains why he believes this matters f...

What if cancer isn’t primarily a genetic disease but a metabolic one? In this episode, Ben sits down with radiation oncologist Dr. Kristy Kessling to explore a radically different lens on cancer, one that centers on mitochondria, insulin resistance, inflammation, and the internal “terrain” of the body. Dr. Kessling explains why she believes cancer begins with mitochondrial stress not random bad lu...

This episode is a deep dive into physiology, sleep science, and the hidden systems shaping how we breathe. We cover: Why your body is basically a walking engine producing CO₂ The real mechanism behind sleep apnea Why two people with the same BMI can have totally different breathing How body fat distribution affects airway function The surprising connection between ketosis and breathing improvement...

Couples therapist and Secure Love author Julie Menanno joins Ben Hopkins to unpack what actually creates secure love and why most couples try to create change in the exact wrong way. Julie explains why validation and emotional safety open the nervous system to growth, how to “accept the person but not the behavior,” and what anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment can look like in real rela...

Are we beings of light — literally? In this episode, Ben Hopkins is joined by Dr. Max Gulhane to unpack the science of biophotons, mitochondria, circadian rhythm, and sunlight — and how light may be a core driver of metabolism, cancer risk, and chronic disease. From quantum biology to sun exposure myths, grounding, vitamin D, and ancestry-specific health, this conversation challenges modern public...

In this episode, Ben Hopkins is joined by dietitian Dr Jessica Turton to explore why chronic under eating may be one of the most overlooked causes of fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep and stubborn health issues. We break down how eating too little increases stress hormones, disrupts metabolism, drives nutrient deficiencies, and creates “fake energy” that keeps high performers running on empty. Ben al...

Is tooth decay an early warning sign of metabolic disease? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Hancock to explore a connection most of us were never taught the powerful link between oral health, nutrition, and long term metabolic health. Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most common diet related disease in the world yet it’s rarely discussed as part of chronic disease prevention. Sarah expla...

In this episode, Ben sits down with Mark Lintern to challenge that assumption and explore a radically different idea... What if cancer is a disease of suppression, not failure? Drawing on the metabolic theory, the Warburg effect, mitochondrial biology, and emerging research into the tumour microbiome, Mark lays out a compelling framework that reframes cancer as a chronic cell danger response poten...