Episode #059

Dr. Jeff Volek

10+ Years of Keto Research, Cholesterol on Keto, Exogenous Ketones, and How Keto is Reshaping Outdated Nutritional Guidelines

This mindset of ‘pump in as much carbs as possible’ is not correct. I would argue ‘consume as few carbs as possible while maintaining optimal performance’ is a better strategy. Click To Tweet

When Dr. Jeff Volek started out his career as a registered dietician, the emphasis was on promoting a high-carb, low-fat diet to achieve optimal nutrition.

Fast forward close to two decades later, and the research and reality are showing just the opposite is true.

High-carb diets are contributing to incredibly high rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity so much so that, as Dr. Volek mentions in this podcast episode, the United States is even experiencing a national security crisis with close to 75% of soldiers being overweight or obese.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news here since Dr. Volek and his team of researchers have been studying this for over ten years now and have figured out a solution, which he elaborates on in this episode.

If you don’t recognize the name, Dr. Jeff Volek is the author of the New York Times best-selling books The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living and The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.

His work spans 300 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, 200 lectures across the globe, and he’s also authored three more books — aside from the two just mentioned — on the science behind low carb nutrition and nutritional ketosis.

Dr. Volek is also considered one of the pioneers in this space since he’s been studying the effects of keto for more than a decade.

What he’s uncovered may surprise some, especially if you’re on the fence about keto or have never given it a try.

The reality is -- and I don’t want to totally dismiss it, but it’s fair and accurate to say -- it’s been overstated how important cholesterol levels are and a lot of that has been driven by drug companies. Click To Tweet

By tuning into this episode, you’ll hear what Dr. Volek’s research supports from the beginning of his career all the way up until today.

He also addresses what he would change or update in his best-selling book, how a low-carb diet can reverse type 2 diabetes, how keto affects cholesterol, the benefits of exogenous ketones, and so much more.

So if you’re curious to see what the latest research supports on a low-carb diet, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Here’s a high-level overview of what we’ll chat about:

  • Dr. Jeff Volek’s extensive background studying and testing nutritional ketosis over the last two decades
  • How Dr. Volek’s approach has shifted since his early training in dietetics
  • The true effects a keto diet has on cholesterol metabolism and important biomarkers
  • What it means to be a lean mass hyper responder and what to do about it
  • Dr. Volek also shares what he would add or update in his New York Times best-selling book on low-carb living from 10 years ago
  • Direct signaling effects of ketones
  • Longevity and ketones
  • The benefits of exogenous ketones, according to research
  • Using keto in military applications to see if it could improve the health and performance of soldiers
  • What happened when doctors added a keto diet to cancer patients undergoing traditional treatments
  • Dr. Volek also shares more about his clinical practice and health app, Virta Health, which helps patients reverse type 2 diabetes without medications or surgery
  • He also discusses how to safely approach a keto diet if you have type 2 diabetes, especially if you’re using insulin

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