How to Find the Root Cause of Your Medical Problems | Paul Saladino (Replay)
Dr. Paul Saladino discusses his unconventional path from wilderness exploration to functional medicine, explaining how he developed the carnivore diet approach based on evolutionary biology and personal experimentation. He argues that animal-based nutrition is superior for human health due to nutrient bioavailability, and that food functions as signaling molecules that program our biology.
Summary
Dr. Paul Saladino recounts his journey from suburban Virginia to backcountry exploration in Wyoming and beyond, driven by philosophical interests in Buddhism and Eastern philosophy that led him to question the conventional medical path his parents followed. After six years of exploration, intellectual curiosity prompted him to pursue medicine, but his experience as a PA in cardiology revealed that conventional drug-based, symptom-focused medicine wasn't effectively helping patients. This realization directed him toward nutrition as a primary lever for health.
Saladino explains his foundational principle that food consists of signaling molecules—not merely calories—that program human biology. He uses the comparison of milligrams of pharmaceutical drugs versus kilograms of food to illustrate that we largely ignore the most significant molecular input to our bodies. He critiques the "calories in, calories out" model as reductionist, arguing it misses immunological and hormonal responses that vary based on food type.
The discussion explores how micronutrient bioavailability and presence of toxins differ significantly between food types. He presents evidence that grass-fed meat contains higher concentrations of glutathione, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene compared to grain-fed meat, while grain-fed animals accumulate pesticides like glyphosate and xenoestrogens like atrazine from their feed. He discusses plant anti-nutrients, particularly flavonoids that mimic estrogen in the human body, potentially disrupting hormonal signaling.
Saladino presents evolutionary evidence for a carnivore diet based on stable nitrogen isotope studies showing Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens ate nearly entirely animal-based diets, and cites the logarithmic expansion of human brain size coinciding with access to animal foods two million years ago. He argues this nutrient density—particularly DHA, EPA, and bioavailable micronutrients—drove human cognitive development. He contrasts human stomach pH (1-2, similar to carnivores) with apes (4-5), and discusses the expensive tissue hypothesis explaining why humans have smaller colons and larger small intestines suited for absorbing nutrient-dense animal foods rather than fermenting plant matter.
The carnivore diet implementation ranges from basic (meat and eggs) to advanced (nose-to-tail including organs). Saladino advocates for a nutrient-complete minimal version consisting of meat, eggs, and liver to avoid supplementation. He personally consumes raw egg yolks, raw liver, raw kidney, and raw brain, arguing these mirror ancestral preferences for organ meats and bone marrow. He addresses vitamin A toxicity concerns as urban myth, noting no food-based cases exist. Advanced versions include other organs (heart, kidney), seafood, and poultry, termed "whole foods animal-based diet."
The conversation includes deeper discussion on hunting ethics and spiritual dimensions. Saladino describes hunting as a life-changing experience creating spiritual connection and responsibility, arguing that direct participation in animal harvest creates respect and mindfulness absent when divorcing consumption from killing. Both speakers reflect on how taking a life should inform living better and more gratefully, connecting to Buddhist concepts of impermanence and cycles of life and death.
About this episode
<p>[Original air date: August 22, 2019]. Paul Saladino is the opposite of the stereotypical doctor promoting the carnivore diet. He sees the diet in physical, mental and even spiritual terms.</p><p>On this episode of Health Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Paul Saladino goes into nitty-gritty detail on the various levels and types of the carnivore diet. So he starts with the simple steak and eggs diet and ends with hunting, butchering and eating the entire animal. He also describes the philosophy and science behind the diet, and ends up taking Tom on a fascinating intellectual journey where they discuss getting in touch with their animal nature, spirituality, and becoming a better person.</p><p><br /></p><p>FOLLOW Paul:</p><p>WEBSITE: carnivoremd.com FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2z4yk4X INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2KGxxOk TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2TLQulB</p><p><br /></p><p>FOLLOW TOM:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/</p><p>Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en</p><p>Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu</p><p>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu</a></p><p><br /></p><p>SPONSORS:</p><p>Get 5 free AG1 Travel Packs and a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D with your first purchase at <a href="https://bit.ly/AG1Impact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AG1Impact</a>.</p><p>Right now, Kajabi is offering a 30-day free trial to start your own business if you go to <a href="https://bit.ly/Kajabi-Impact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/Kajabi-Impact</a>.</p><p>Head to <a href="http://www.insidetracker.com/" target="_blank">www.insidetracker.com</a> and use code “IMPACTTHEORY” to get 20% off!</p><p>Learn a new language and get 55% off at <a href="https://bit.ly/BabbelImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/BabbelImpact</a>.</p><p>Try NordVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee by going to <a href="https://bit.ly/NordVPNImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/NordVPNImpact</a></p><p>Give online therapy a try at <a href="https://bit.ly/BetterhelpImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/BetterhelpImpact</a> and get on your way to being your best self.</p><p>Go to <a href="https://bit.ly/PlungeImpact" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/PlungeImpact</a> and use code IMPACT to get $150 off your incredible cold plunge tub toda</p><p><br /></p><p><strong><em>***Are You Ready for EXTRA Impact?***</em></strong></p><p>If you’re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you.</p><p>Want to transform your health, sharpen your mindset, improve your relationship, or conquer the business world? 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Key Insights
- Saladino argues that food should be understood as information and signaling molecules that program human biology, not merely as calories, citing the massive difference in scale between milligram doses of pharmaceuticals and kilogram quantities of food inputs.
- He claims that grass-fed meat contains significantly higher concentrations of micronutrients like glutathione, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene, while grain-fed meat accumulates pesticide residues like glyphosate and xenoestrogens that grain-fed animals ingest from their feed.
- Saladino presents evidence from stable nitrogen isotope studies that Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens consumed nearly entirely animal-based diets, and that human brain size expansion two million years ago coincided with increased access to nutrient-dense animal foods.
- He argues the expensive tissue hypothesis explains why humans evolved smaller colons and larger small intestines optimized for absorbing nutrient-dense animal foods, contrasting with apes that ferment plant matter in larger colons.
- Saladino contends that plant flavonoids function as xenoestrogens mimicking estrogen in the human body, potentially disrupting hormonal signaling in both men and women through unknown mechanisms.
- He claims that autoimmune diseases like eczema and psoriasis stem from gut barrier permeability caused by plant anti-nutrients and pesticides, making animal-only diets therapeutic for immune system activation.
- Saladino advocates for nose-to-tail carnivore consumption including raw organs, arguing ancestral preferences prioritized organ meats and bone marrow over muscle meat due to superior nutrient density.
- He argues that directly participating in animal hunting and harvest creates spiritual responsibility and mindfulness that increases gratitude and ethical behavior, whereas divorcing consumption from killing removes moral accountability.
Topics
Transcript
Hey everyone, welcome to Health Theory. Today's guest is Dr. Paul Saladino, MD. He's a certified functional medicine practitioner who completed his medical residency in psychiatry at the University of Washington. He's taken a pretty unconventional path to where he is today, participating in ultra marathons and spending two years hiking and skiing the Teton Mountains of Wyoming, as well as extended periods exploring the back country of the southwestern united states and the wilds of new zealand through all of his physical endeavors he's gained a powerful appreciation for the impact that nutrition plays on our strength endurance and overall well-being and that was precisely what led him to getting his md and i want to start in the…
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