Evolution, Bees, Bats, and the Microbiome with Raja Dhir
Raja Dhir is the co-founder of Seed, but that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface when it comes to the work he’s done in the realm of life sciences. He’s designed clinical trials with Harvard Medical School and Mass. General Hospital, negotiated joint-ventures, and built an impressive track record in translating scientific research for product development. As the Co-Chair of Seed’s Scientific Advisory Board, Raja works closely with scientists and doctors to achieve new advances in microbiome research.
“Bacteria and microbes can have really protective effects both ecologically and for human health. It’s a Google search away to realize how important honeybees are. Most of the crops we enjoy are pollinated by them.”
Raja (and his two Russian sled dogs!) join me for a conversation that spans millions of years (but don’t worry, this episode is only an hour and 20 minutes long). We take it way back to the advent of oxygen, trace the trajectory of the human race through the eons, explore the cycles of extinction, and follow the path of viruses from bats to humans. Raja explains how nutrition myths take root and gives us the straight facts on fermented foods. There’s a ton of super-cool information packed into this very fun episode, and I guarantee you’ll feel smarter by the end!
“We always ingest microbes. [But] there are a lot of unnecessary non-beneficial symbiotic organisms [in the microbiome of the Hadzans]. Just because it’s more diverse doesn’t always mean it’s better. Half that stuff has no application to me, living in a built environment.”
The inspiration for Raja’s knowledge base (7:00)
Let’s take it back to the beginning of oxygen (10:30)
The advent of cellular life: Complexity from simplicity (13:00)
The ebb and flow of extinction, and how it relates to bees (19:30)
Why bees are a litmus test for the health of the planet (25:30)
Why bats are the perfect vehicle for a virus, and what pangolins have to do with Covid-19 (29:00)
The human immune system, and the future direction of Seed (33:00)
Bowel movement poetry and GI health (36:30)
Cherry-picked nutrition myths and the value of context (39:00)
The science behind Seed delivery systems (42:15)
Are probiotic foods beneficial enough to go out of our way for? (45:00)
The resilience of the human metabolism (52:00)
Mitochondria health and the fountain of youth (55:45)
The protective role of ECGCs (59:00)
The key takeaways: Food for gut health (1:02:20)
Types of resistant starch, and why we need supplements anyway (1:06:00)
A little bit of Raja’s background, and how he developed his research philosophy (1:13:00)
Where do bacteria come from? (1:16:15)
Brain experiments and therapeutic drug trials (1:18:45)
Where to find Raja and Seed (1:23:00)
Where to Find Raja
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