Ep.212: Research & Real Talk Episode 20 with GUEST John Bauer (he’s baaaack!!)

The research and real talk keep rolling in! Join Jenny and John yet again as they dive into some new revelations on vitamin D, Alzheimer’s disease, and ultra-processed foods. Then, John brings the heat with an enthralling round of “Real Talk? Or Bro-Science?”

Guest Name/ Guest Company / Guest or Company website

John Bauer, Lionel University

Interview Date

11/20/25

Episode Title and Subtitle (i.e. Ep.0: Meet Your Hosts, Meet your co-hosts Jenny Scott and Dan Duran!)

Research & Real Talk Episode 20 with GUEST John Bauer (he’s baaaack!!)

Episode Description- For website and podcast platforms

The research and real talk keep rolling in! Join Jenny and John yet again as they dive into some new revelations on vitamin D, Alzheimer’s disease, and ultra-processed foods. Then, John brings the heat with an enthralling round of “Real Talk? Or Bro-Science?”

Notes: (Links, websites, references etc) for show notes

Lighting Fitness Facts

1. Which Fat-soluble vitamin is being researched for its anti-aging properties on a DNA level?

A: Vitamin D!

A new review out of Augusta University in the US is shedding light on how vitamin D—the so-called “sunshine vitamin”—may do more than just build strong bones. Researchers found that taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily helped preserve telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes that act like the plastic tips on shoelaces, keeping our DNA from fraying each time cells divide. Shorter telomeres are tied to aging and diseases like cancer and heart disease, so keeping them intact could mean healthier aging.

In a five-year study of more than 1,000 adults, those who took vitamin D maintained their telomeres by about 140 base pairs more than those on a placebo—potentially slowing cellular aging. Scientists think vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory effects may be key here, since inflammation accelerates telomere damage.

That said, researchers caution that we still don’t know the perfect dosage or whether longer telomeres always equal better health. The takeaway? Vitamin D might be one helpful piece of the healthy aging puzzle, but the best telomere protection still comes from the basics—good nutrition, regular exercise, quality sleep, and managing stress.

2. As it relates to the diet, what are researchers homing in on as a primary cause of chronic systemic inflammation possibly leading to chronic health issues?

A: high ultra-processed food consumption

New research from Florida Atlantic University is sounding the alarm on ultra-processed foods—things like chips, soda, frozen meals, and processed meats that make up nearly 60% of the average adult’s calories in the U.S. and almost 70% of kids’ diets. These foods are packed with additives, low in nutrients, and designed to keep you eating more. The study found that people who consumed the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods had significantly higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP—a key marker of inflammation and a strong predictor of heart disease.

Researchers analyzed data from over 9,000 adults across the U.S. and discovered that those getting 60 to 79% of their calories from ultra-processed foods had about an 11% higher likelihood of elevated inflammation compared to people eating the least. Even moderate consumers saw higher risk. The link was especially strong among people aged 50 to 59, those with obesity, and smokers.

Inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases—from heart problems to cancer—and the study’s authors say this growing reliance on ultra-processed foods could be playing a major role. They even compare the situation to early warnings about tobacco use, predicting that it may take time and policy change before the food industry shifts. For now, the takeaway is clear: the closer your food is to its natural form—fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains—the better for your long-term health.

3. Alzheimer’s research is constantly advancing and scientists think they have identified something that may be contributing to the development and progression of the disease. What do you think that may be? HINT- it is the buildup of something that is causing issues.

A: Fat in the brain!

Researchers at Purdue University have uncovered a surprising new clue in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease—fat buildup inside the brain’s immune cells may be a key driver of the disease’s progression. Published in the journal Immunity, the study reveals that microglia, the brain’s cleanup crew responsible for clearing toxic proteins like amyloid beta, become overloaded with fat and lose their ability to protect the brain.

The team found that these fat-stuffed microglia, clustered around amyloid plaques, clear about 40% less amyloid than healthy cells. The culprit appears to be an enzyme called DGAT2, which gets stuck in overdrive and turns useful fatty acids into stored fat, clogging the microglia. When researchers blocked or degraded this enzyme in animal models, the microglia regained their function and began clearing out harmful debris again—restoring the brain’s balance.

This discovery marks a shift from the traditional focus on protein plaques and tangles to what scientists are calling a “lipid model” of Alzheimer’s, where the buildup of certain fats—not just misfolded proteins—plays a central role in neurodegeneration. The findings open the door to a new class of therapies that target fat metabolism in the brain, potentially helping immune cells fight back against Alzheimer’s and related diseases.

References:

1. Haidong Zhu, JoAnn E Manson, Nancy R Cook, Bayu B Bekele, Li Chen, Kevin J Kane, Ying Huang, Wenjun Li, William Christen, I-Min Lee, Yanbin Dong. Vitamin D3 and marine ω-3 fatty acids supplementation and leukocyte telomere length: 4-year findings from the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2025; 122 (1): 39 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.05.003

2. Kevin Sajan, Nishi Anthireddy, Alexandra Matarazzo, Caio Furtado, Charles H. Hennekens, Allison Ferris. Ultra-processed foods and increased high sensitivity C-reactive protein. The American Journal of Medicine, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.08.016

3. Salt, Sugar, Fat by Micahel Moss

4. Priya Prakash, Palak Manchanda, Evi Paouri, Kanchan Bisht, Kaushik Sharma, Jitika Rajpoot, Victoria Wendt, Ahad Hossain, Prageeth R. Wijewardhane, Caitlin E. Randolph, Yihao Chen, Sarah Stanko, Nadia Gasmi, Anxhela Gjojdeshi, Sophie Card, Jonathan Fine, Krupal P. Jethava, Matthew G. Clark, Bin Dong, Seohee Ma, Alexis Crockett, Elizabeth A. Thayer, Marlo Nicolas, Ryann Davis, Dhruv Hardikar, Daniela Allende, Richard A. Prayson, Chi Zhang, Dimitrios Davalos, Gaurav Chopra. Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease. Immunity, 2025; 58 (6): 1536 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.04.029

5. Kevin A. Guttenplan, Maya K. Weigel, Priya Prakash, Prageeth R. Wijewardhane, Philip Hasel, Uriel Rufen-Blanchette, Alexandra E. Münch, Jacob A. Blum, Jonathan Fine, Mikaela C. Neal, Kimberley D. Bruce, Aaron D. Gitler, Gaurav Chopra, Shane A. Liddelow, Ben A. Barres. Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes induce cell death via saturated lipids. Nature, 2021; 599 (7883): 102 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03960-y

6. China N. Byrns, Alexandra E. Perlegos, Karl N. Miller, Zhecheng Jin, Faith R. Carranza, Palak Manchandra, Connor H. Beveridge, Caitlin E. Randolph, V. Sai Chaluvadi, Shirley L. Zhang, Ananth R. Srinivasan, F. C. Bennett, Amita Sehgal, Peter D. Adams, Gaurav Chopra, Nancy M. Bonini. Senescent glia link mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid accumulation. Nature, 2024; 630 (8016): 475 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07516-8