“I think a lot of doctors kind of know this but don’t really… it’s never really been at the forefront of their minds until now. We know, for example, that people who have high blood glucose or type 2 diabetes have worse outcomes from any infection – specifically respiratory infections. So, when I started looking at the literature and also looking at how immune health links to excess body fat, obesity, and type 2 diabetes pre-COVID, the data was very clear that this was a big risk factor for a dysregulated immune system, an immune system that isn’t going to function properly. So, it wasn’t just about the associations that we were drawing from COVID-19 and worse outcomes.”
– Aseem Malhotra
Dr. Aseem Malhotra is a cardiologist with the U.K.’s National Health Service and a world renowned expert in the prevention, diagnosis and management of heart disease.
He is a visiting Professor of Evidence Based Medicine at the Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health in Salvador, Brazil, an honorary council member to the Metabolic Psychiatry Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine California, and is Cardiology MSc examiner at the University of Hertfordshire, U.K.
Dr. Malhotra is a longtime health activist and a founding member and lead campaigner of Action on Sugar, an initiative which highlights the the harm caused by excess sugar consumption.
Most recently, he has been a vocal advocate for improving metabolic health to reduce vulnerability to disease, including COVID-19, and has authored the book The 21-Day Immunity Plan: How to Rapidly Improve Your Metabolic Health and Resilience to Fight Infection.
Dr. Aseem and I recently sat down to chat about the link between metabolic health and immune function, ways we can improve our own immunity, and why turning the tide in the fight against poor metabolic health will take more than just personal responsibility.
*Dr. Malhotra’s bio was adapted from his website.
In this episode we discuss:
Dr. Malhotra’s background in cardiology and how he became involved in health activism
Why personal responsibility is only a very small factor in the epidemic of chronic disease
How obesity and metabolic health have affected the COVID pandemic
The markers of metabolic health
The link between immunity and metabolic health
Lifestyle factors that optimize the response to vaccines
A broad overview of things we can do to improve our immunity
10 key points for policy makers to address metabolic syndrome on a grand scale
Three things Dr. Malhotra does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health
One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health
What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Malhotra
You can follow Dr. Malhotra on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Links: Interview With Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Aseem Malhotra
Aseem Malhotra: Lessons in Public Health Advocacy
Works by Gary Taubes
Lifestyle Tips to Hedge Against Respiratory Illness, Sunday Express
Covid 19 and the elephant in the room, European Scientist
The 21-day plan to support your immune system and help fight off infections, The Telegraph
Does Obesity Increase COVID-19 Risk, Good Morning Britain
Related episodes:
Ep 144 – Pursuing Health Pearls: What COVID-19 is Teaching Us About Our Health
Ep 146 – Pursuing Health Pearls: Understanding and Assessing Metabolic Health
Ep 135 – Immune System Strength with Dr. Leonard Calabrese
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.
This post was originally published on October 2, 2020.
Show Notes:
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