Dr. Mark Hyman: Fixing the Root Cause of Disease
With 93% of Americans suffering from metabolic dysfunction and chronic illness on the rise, our current system is failing.
The financial toll is staggering: healthcare costs have hit $5 trillion annually, with 80% spent on largely preventable conditions.
For Dr. Mark Hyman, this crisis became personal when a mysterious illness devastated his health and conventional medicine offered no answers. His journey led him to functional medicine, a framework that moves beyond treating symptoms to address the root causes of disease, viewing the body as an interconnected system.
Table of Contents
Dr Hyman's Journey into Functional Medicine
The Philosophy of Functional Medicine
How Big Food Controls the Narrative and Your Kitchen
Health Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods and Additives
Ketogenic Diets and Cancer Therapy
How to Support Your Body’s Natural Detox System
How to Detox The Importance of Gut Health
APOB and Cardiovascular Risk Markers
A Guide to Biohacking with Peptides and NAD
Early Cancer Detection with GALLERI
How to Make America Healthy Again
Dr Hyman’s Journey into Functional Medicine
"I was super healthy, fit, riding my bike 100 miles a day. I was 36 years old, and then, wham, I got really sick," Dr. Hyman recounts.
He went from having a photographic memory and exceptional physical stamina to struggling with basic cognitive functions and physical movement. What he would later discover was chronic fatigue syndrome had left him severely debilitated.
The root cause of Dr. Hyman's health collapse was eventually traced to environmental toxicity. During a year working as a doctor in China, he was unwittingly exposed to massive amounts of mercury from coal burning, which permeated Beijing's air where 10 million people heated their homes with coal.
The mercury exposure took years to manifest its full effects but eventually devastated his health on multiple fronts.
"My gut broke down. I had diarrhea for years. My cognitive function completely went south. It was like I had dementia, ADD and depression all at once," Dr. Hyman describes. His condition deteriorated to the point where disability seemed inevitable.
The turning point came when Dr. Hyman was introduced to Jeff Bland, a scientist who had studied with Linus Pauling. Bland presented a revolutionary framework that viewed the body as an interconnected network or ecosystem. This perspective stood in stark contrast to the reductionist approach taught in medical school.
Functional medicine is about understanding the body as a complete system. "It's a meta framework for understanding biology. I think of it as an operating system," Dr. Hyman says.
This approach encompassed everything from microbiome testing to analyzing hormones, mitochondria, inflammation, insulin resistance, and environmental toxins. Through this comprehensive understanding, Dr. Hyman had to "reverse engineer" his way back to health. His journey required addressing multiple broken systems: adrenal function, thyroid health, mitochondrial damage, neurotransmitter issues, sleep disruption, and immune dysfunction.
After recovering his own health, Dr. Hyman began applying these principles to patients while working as medical director at Canyon Ranch. The results were often astonishing. Simple interventions, particularly dietary changes, produced remarkable improvements in conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to depression and diabetes.
"Six weeks later I'd say, 'So how are you doing?' 'All my symptoms are better.' I'm like, 'What? Really? Your migraines are gone?' I couldn't believe it," Dr. Hyman recalls. The effectiveness of this approach challenged everything he had been taught in conventional medical training.
The Philosophy of Functional Medicine
The Science of Creating Health
Functional medicine aims to answer two fundamental questions:
What are you exposed to that's interrupting your normal function? This explores the "exposome"—toxins, allergens, poor diet, and stress.
What are the ingredients for health? This identifies the necessary inputs for the body to thrive.
This exposome, according to Dr. Hyman, is "far more predictive than your genome" in determining health outcomes.
While nutrition is a critical piece of the puzzle, there are other fundamental ingredients for health. Human nutrient requirements can vary significantly due to genetics. Dr. Hyman references Bruce Ames' work showing that one-third of human DNA codes for enzymes that require vitamins and minerals as cofactors. This variability means some people may need substantially more of certain nutrients than others.
Beyond nutrients, true health requires a holistic approach that includes:
Proper light exposure
Clean water and fresh air
Physical movement and adequate sleep
Social connection, love, meaning, and purpose
Deficiencies in any of these areas can negatively impact health. Dr. Hyman emphasizes that having a sense of meaning and purpose alone can extend life expectancy by seven years. Mindset also plays a crucial role, with research showing how positively anticipating next-day events can substantially improve sleep quality.
This comprehensive, "gardening" approach—providing all the necessary elements for health to thrive—is the core of functional medicine. By focusing on these inputs and stressors, functional medicine embraces what Dr. Hyman calls "the science of creating health as opposed to the science of treating disease."
How Big Food Controls the Narrative and Your Kitchen
The reason nutrition is so complicated in America isn't accidental; it's the result of a deliberate, decades-long industrial and corporate strategy. This transformation has disconnected entire generations from their kitchens and allowed a handful of corporations to control what the world eats.
The Post-War Hijacking of the American Kitchen
This shift began after World War II. While previous generations had genuine food cultures built around real ingredients, the post-war era ushered in an industrial approach. Dr. Hyman explains that bomb factories were converted to produce fertilizer, and biological weapons technology was repurposed for pesticides and herbicides under slogans like DuPont's "Better Living Through Chemistry."
This industrialization led to an overproduction of starchy carbohydrate crops and the rise of processed foods. Food companies decided that "convenience had to be king." They invented characters like Betty Crocker to promote recipes using processed foods and introduced TV dinners and products like Tang. McDonald's reinforced the message with slogans like "You deserve a break today."
The consequence was profound. Americans became disconnected from their kitchens, with some children unable to identify basic vegetables like tomatoes or carrots. "They have succeeded in disenfranchising ourselves from our kitchen," Dr. Hyman states. "They've hijacked our kitchens, our brain chemistry, our metabolism, our hormones. We need to take it back."
Corporate Consolidation and the Illusion of Choice
Today, that industrial power has consolidated. The food industry has shrunk to the point where, as Dr. Hyman notes, "probably a few dozen CEOs are in control of everything from what seeds are planted to what chemicals are sprayed, to the food companies that process the food, to the fast food companies." This small group controls a global industry valued at approximately $16 trillion.
One of their key strategies is to acquire smaller, successful health food brands. Companies like Primal Kitchen, known for natural products, have been bought by giants like Kraft Heinz. While some founders secure contracts to prevent recipe changes, this isn't always the case. Often, the new corporate owners will modify recipes to cut costs and increase profit margins, all while protecting the profits from their "legacy products of junk."
From Political Influence to Global Expansion
This corporate power extends deep into the political realm. Dr. Hyman explains that when he worked on a bill to study the removal of soda from food stamp programs, hunger advocacy groups opposed it. He points out that these same groups are often funded by major food corporations, with "big food" representatives on their boards.
The industry's influence is global. Dr. Hyman recalls a 1986 expedition to Nepal where, despite the absence of modern infrastructure, Coca-Cola was available, carried up mountains on Sherpas' backs. In countries like Mexico, Coca-Cola is often cheaper than water.
At home, consumers face intentionally confusing food labels. "I know how to read them," Dr. Hyman says, "but you have to be a PhD or study this your whole life to understand how to read the nutrition facts label." This confusion serves the industry's interests, making it harder for consumers to make informed choices.
Why Health Groups Defend Junk Food
During a recent hearing on removing sugary sodas from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a surprising opponent emerged: the American Heart Association (AHA). Dr. Hyman, who was lobbying for the change, attributed this stance to industry influence, noting the AHA has received over $192 million from food and pharmaceutical companies.
According to Dr. Hyman, this is a widespread issue. Major health organizations—including the American Diabetes Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Academy of Pediatrics—all receive significant funding from the food industry. This financial relationship compromises their ability to provide unbiased health guidance.
Dr. Hyman describes a multi-decade strategy by "Big Food" to shape public policy and perception. Their tactics include massive lobbying efforts, funding academic research, co-opting social groups, and creating "fake science" front groups to oppose regulation. This coordinated campaign creates confusion and pressures politicians to reject public health initiatives.
The Truth About Fat and Sugar
The Deadly Combo of Fat And Sugar
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, the decades-long debate over which is worse for us —fat or carbohydrates—misses the bigger picture. He argues that the real danger isn't one or the other, but their deadly combination in the modern diet.
"It's the saturated fat [and] refined starch combo that's killing us," Dr. Hyman stated.
This perspective challenges the nutritional advice that shaped American eating habits for generations, starting with a pivotal moment in the 1970s.
How the Low-Fat Fad Triggered a Health Crisis
The villainization of fat can be traced back to the McGovern report and the infamous food pyramid that followed. This guidance, which promoted a low-fat diet, was "a disaster," according to Dr. Hyman. The dietary guidelines recommended 6-11 daily servings of bread, rice, cereal, and pasta, while placing fats and oils at the very top to be used "sparingly."
As Americans followed the advice to cut fat, they didn't replace it with vegetables and whole foods; they replaced it with sugar-laden, processed carbohydrates. The result was a public health crisis.
"The hockey stick rise in obesity [and] type 2 diabetes tracks perfectly with that information," Dr. Hyman explained.
Starch and Sugar
When asked which is worse, fat or sugar, Dr. Hyman is unequivocal: "No contest. It's starch and sugar that's driving our metabolic crisis, like, by a huge factor."
He quantifies the problem by noting that Americans consume, on average, 152 pounds of sugar and 133 pounds of flour annually. White flour, he adds, has an even higher glycemic index than table sugar. It’s this overload of refined carbohydrates that makes consuming fat, particularly saturated fat, so problematic. The combination creates a highly palatable, addictive experience that leads to massive overconsumption and metabolic dysfunction.
The Debate Over Seed Oils Misses The Point
The intense controversy around specific nutrients, like seed oils, illustrates Dr. Hyman’s central thesis: focusing on a single ingredient is less important than understanding the overall dietary pattern.
Concerns about seed oils often center on their high omega-6 content, potential for oxidation, and industrial processing methods. While Dr. Hyman advocates for whole-food fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil, he uses the debate to highlight a more critical point.
He points to the Minnesota Coronary experiment, a large randomized controlled trial that compared butter (saturated fat) to corn oil (an omega-6 seed oil). The study found that while the corn oil group successfully lowered their LDL cholesterol, their risk of death from heart attack or stroke increased by 22% for every 30-point drop.
This shocking result contradicts conventional thinking and underscores Dr. Hyman's argument. Focusing on one type of fat or one biomarker like LDL is misleading. The true problem is the dietary context—and in America, that context is a diet saturated with the toxic combination of fat, starch, and sugar.
Health Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods and Additives
Many traditional scientists attempt to debunk concerns about food additives by claiming the amounts are too small to cause harm. But the logic is similar to airport X-ray machines—walking through once may be harmless, but frequent exposure combined with other factors could create health risks.
Dr. Hyman emphasizes that frequency, duration, and interactions between multiple chemicals are crucial factors often overlooked in research. "When these things are studied, they might be studied one at a time. But what if you put thousands of them together?"
The problem extends beyond individual additives to the overall quality of foods containing them—typically ultra-processed products high in starch, sugar, refined oils, and various chemical additives.
"You're not getting these chemicals when you order broccoli at a restaurant," Dr. Hyman pointed out, highlighting how these additives are concentrated in the lowest quality foods.
He also noted the challenge of conducting comprehensive human trials on these substances. Europe takes a precautionary approach, requiring proof of safety before adding substances to the food supply. The United States, however, operates differently.
Dr. Hyman used Crisco as a compelling example of this problematic approach. Invented in 1911 as a butter alternative, this hydrogenated vegetable oil remained in the food supply until 2015, despite evidence emerging decades earlier linking it to heart attacks. "It wasn't until 50 years after the data started to become clear that this was a cause of heart attacks, that this was very dangerous," Dr. Hyman explained.
The regulatory framework in the U.S. includes what Dr. Hyman calls the "grass loophole" (referring to the "generally recognized as safe" list). This allows food companies to essentially self-certify the safety of new additives with minimal FDA oversight.
"If you're a food company, you can go to the FDA and say, 'Hey, I got this great new chemical. We checked it out, totally safe... We're going to add it to the food. Just take our word for it.' And the FDA goes, 'Great, no problem, you go right ahead.'"
Dr. Hyman contrasted this with how drug approvals work, where extensive data and testing are required. He noted that one of Robert F. Kennedy's early actions, which Dr. Hyman helped advise on, was addressing this regulatory gap.
"Here you're innocent until proven guilty, which is fine for humans, but not for chemicals we put in our food," Dr. Hyman concluded.
Ketogenic Diets and Cancer Therapy
Ketogenic diets are often misunderstood as high protein when they're actually high fat, moderate protein, and very low starch. A key question is their efficacy for cancer prevention and treatment.
Dr. Hyman explains that rising cancer rates correlate with our metabolic crisis, with many cancers being obesity-related. Colon, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers are often driven by insulin resistance.
The metabolic theory of cancer suggests that cancer cells can only burn carbohydrates, not fat. By eliminating carbs and consuming fat through a ketogenic diet, it may be possible to alter cancer's trajectory.
This approach isn't universal for all cancers, Dr. Hyman clarifies. While certain lymphomas might not respond, others show remarkable results. He references Siddhartha Mukherjee, the renowned oncologist and author of "The Emperor of All Maladies," who has conducted impressive research on ketogenic diets for reversing stage four melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
Brain cancers, particularly glioblastomas—which have limited treatment options—respond exceptionally well to ketogenic approaches, according to Dr. Hyman. This highlights the potential of metabolic interventions for traditionally difficult-to-treat cancers.
How to Support Your Body’s Natural Detox System
We live in a "toxic soup," a world where environmental toxins are unavoidable. From the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we eat, we are constantly exposed to compounds that can disrupt our biology. Understanding this burden is crucial for modern health.
The Toxins Around Us
Dr. Hyman is candid that truly clean air in America might only be found "in the mountains in Colorado." While US air quality is better than in heavily industrialized nations, pollution is a global issue. "Air moves," Dr. Hyman pointed out, citing how mercury from coal burning in China can rain down in Seattle. Wildfires add another layer of danger, releasing not just smoke but also PFAS chemicals from burning plastics.
Water quality is another significant concern. Dr. Hyman doesn't recommend drinking unfiltered tap water, which can contain dozens of contaminants like drugs, pesticides, and hormones.
Heavy metals like mercury are particularly potent neurotoxins. Dr. Hyman, who "almost died from mercury poisoning," avoids all forms of it. The most common exposure is dietary. Dr. Hyman rarely eats high-mercury fish like tuna, preferring "SMASH" fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring) instead.
How Toxins Wreck Your Hormones
One of the most insidious effects of this toxic load is hormonal disruption. While high-sugar diets are a primary driver of hormonal imbalance, environmental toxins play a key role, especially in people who are otherwise healthy.
Dr. Hyman points to "xenobiotics"—endocrine-disrupting chemicals like heavy metals and pesticides—as a major reason testosterone levels are dropping even in lean, fit men. These foreign compounds interfere with the body's natural signaling, impacting fertility, reproductive health, and overall vitality.
How to Detox
Many conventional doctors dismiss the concept of detoxification as "bullshit," a view Dr. Hyman strongly refutes. "You poop, you pee, you breathe, you sweat. Your liver has a whole series of pathways that are detoxification pathways," he explains. "This is what your body does." The key is to support these innate systems.
1. Reduce Your Exposure The first step is to minimize your intake of toxins. This includes:
Using HEPA air filters in your home.
Installing a reverse osmosis water filter for drinking water.
Choosing low-mercury fish.
2. Upregulate Detox Pathways with Food Certain foods can enhance your body's ability to eliminate toxins:
Cruciferous Vegetables: Foods like broccoli and cauliflower contain sulforaphane, which "upregulates glutathione, the body's main detoxifying compound."
Garlic and Cilantro: These can help the body deal with heavy metals.
Fiber: A high-fiber diet helps bind toxins and eliminate them quickly through the colon.
3. Use Targeted Supplements For additional support, certain supplements can be beneficial:
N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Dr. Hyman takes 600mg daily to support detoxification pathways.
Methylating B vitamins (B12, folate, B6), and Lipoic Acid: These nutrients are crucial for the liver's phase two detoxification processes.
Proper gut health is also essential, as constipation can dramatically increase the risk of toxin-related neurological diseases like Parkinson's. By taking a proactive, multi-faceted approach, it is possible to mitigate the toxic burden of modern life, a strategy Dr. Hyman credits for his own recovery.
The Importance of Gut Health
Dr. Hyman described a 50-year-old life coach and business coach who came to him with a multitude of health issues. She suffered from psoriatic arthritis, a debilitating condition causing joint breakdown and psoriasis rashes. Additionally, she experienced migraines, pre-diabetes, depression, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome.
"I jokingly call myself a holistic doctor because I take care of people with a whole list of problems," Dr. Hyman explained. "Functional medicine is inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than discarding things that don't fit your diagnosis, we want to know everything about you."
Looking at this cluster of seemingly unrelated conditions, Dr. Hyman identified inflammation as the common denominator. "Inflammation is sort of the root of many chronic illnesses, whether it's obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, autism, depression," he noted.
Given her significant gut symptoms—including bloating and distension, what Dr. Hyman calls the "food baby" effect—along with her history of antibiotics and steroids, he decided to focus treatment on her gut health.
The intervention was straightforward but comprehensive. Dr. Hyman put her on an elimination diet, removing inflammatory foods and those causing fermentation in the gut: dairy, gluten, grains, sugar, and processed foods. He replaced these with whole foods and an anti-inflammatory, microbiome-healing diet. He also prescribed basic supplements: vitamin D, fish oil, and probiotics.
When the patient returned six weeks later, the results were stunning. "All my symptoms were gone and I stopped all my medication," she told him. Dr. Hyman was surprised, as he hadn't advised her to discontinue her medications, which included Stellara, a $50,000-per-year immune biologic, along with numerous other prescriptions.
"It wasn't an anomaly or a miracle," Dr. Hyman emphasized. "It was just following the principles of how the body works."
This case illustrates what Dr. Hyman calls "multi-causality" for health problems. Drawing from the textbook "Network Medicine," he explained that we need to understand mechanisms and causes, not just symptoms and diagnoses. Multiple factors—toxins, diet, microbiome issues, trauma, stress—can combine to break down body systems.
"My job is basically to see where are the things that have broken down and how do I help repair them," Dr. Hyman said. This might involve removing root causes like mercury or mold, addressing microbiome dysbiosis, or even dealing with trauma through emerging treatments like MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Drawing from decades of experience and "millions and millions of data points," Dr. Hyman has developed a deep understanding of how body systems interact. This comprehensive approach enables him to help patients map their biology in ways that traditional medicine often fails to do.
The Truth About Supplements
Why Modern Food Is Not Enough
Dr. Hyman explains that our diet differs dramatically from our ancestral patterns. He observed the Hadza tribe, one of the last hunter-gatherer groups, eating from 800 different species of plants, giving them an incredible diversity of phytochemicals. "Now we have three main ones and 12 altogether comprise probably 95% of our diet," Dr. Hyman noted.
Industrial farming has worsened the problem by depleting soil of organic matter, reducing the mineral content in our food. Government surveys confirm these widespread deficiencies:
More than 90% of Americans are low in omega-3s.
About 80% are insufficient in vitamin D.
Around 50% are deficient in magnesium and iron.
Core Supplements for Most People
To address these common gaps, Dr. Hyman recommends a basic list of supplements for most people:
Omega-3 fats (1-2 grams of EPA/DHA daily)
Vitamin D3 (2,000-4,000 IU daily)
A high-quality multivitamin with bioavailable forms of nutrients
Magnesium (using specific forms for specific needs—citrate for constipation, glycinate for brain and sleep)
He also mentioned iodine as an often-overlooked nutrient, with deficiency becoming more common as people switch to non-iodized salts. However, he emphasized the importance of personalization with the advice, "Test, don't guess," as individual needs can vary dramatically.
The Doctors' Paradox
The role of supplements in medicine is evolving, but not without a strange contradiction. In a revealing survey Dr. Hyman conducted at Cleveland Clinic, he found that while over 70% of physicians took supplements themselves, only about 20% recommended them to patients.
"I think that was so peculiar because in medicine, we're told from a scientific perspective that they're probably expensive urine," Dr. Hyman notes. "And yet most doctors personally want to take them for themselves. That says a lot."
Despite this institutional resistance, supplements are quietly becoming mainstream. Cardiologists prescribe CoQ10 and fish oil, gastroenterologists recommend probiotics, and OBGYNs advise prenatal vitamins. This shift is driven by a growing understanding of "biochemical individuality"—the concept that our unique genetics determine our specific nutrient needs.
For those with financial constraints, the fundamentals remain powerful and affordable. A simple whole foods diet, regular exercise, and stress management can provide the essential foundation for health, which may be more economical than eating processed foods and takeout regularly.
APOB and Cardiovascular Risk Markers
There's growing attention on cardiovascular risk markers beyond the traditional measures. While HDL and LDL have long been the focus, APOB (Apolipoprotein B) has emerged as a crucial marker.
For example, some health-conscious individuals experience elevated APOB levels despite following what seems to be a healthy diet—quality meats, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and limited starchy carbohydrates.
Dr. Hyman explains that the standard cholesterol panel most doctors use (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides) is outdated. Modern risk assessment requires examining the quality of cholesterol particles, including particle size and number.
Insulin resistance—a state where the body requires more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar—has significant consequences for cholesterol profiles.
"The way we look at cardiovascular risk now is way more complicated," Dr. Hyman states. He points out that insulin resistance can lower good cholesterol, raise triglycerides, increase APOB, raise LDL particle numbers, and reduce particle size—all factors that should be regularly tested. Importantly, even the American Heart Association now recognizes APOB as a better predictor of heart attack risk than LDL cholesterol alone.
For those with an APOB level of 90 or above, Dr. Hyman cautions against a one-size-fits-all approach. While current guidelines recommend everyone drive their LDL below 70, Dr. Hyman acknowledges that statins are just one tool that may be appropriate in certain cases.
A critical insight from Dr. Hyman is the significant variation in how individuals respond to the same foods. He illustrates this with two contrasting patient stories: an overweight, pre-diabetic woman who saw dramatic improvements on a ketogenic diet, and a fit athlete in his 50s whose cholesterol markers worsened significantly on the same diet.
"Same diet, different response," Dr. Hyman notes. These differences depend on each person's metabolic type, level of insulin resistance, and overall health status. He mentions a category called "lean mass hyper responders"—typically fit, athletic individuals whose numbers can "go wacky" when consuming saturated fat.
Interestingly, a person's response to certain foods can change as their health improves. Someone who initially benefits from a particular diet might respond differently to those same foods after significant weight loss or metabolic improvement.
For those concerned about elevated APOB levels, Dr. Hyman advocates for personalized testing and monitoring. He references the NIH's position that "N of 1 research"—comparing an individual to themselves over time—is among the highest quality research available. "Test, don't guess," he emphasizes.
Lipid profiles can change relatively quickly, often within a month of dietary modifications. Dr. Hyman shares an anecdote about a patient on his "10 Day Detox Diet" who saw dramatic improvements in her lipid profile, insulin levels, blood sugar, and inflammation markers in just ten days.
Ultimately, cardiovascular risk assessment has evolved beyond simple HDL and LDL measurements, and personalized approaches are essential.
GLP1 Agonists for Weight Loss
GLP1 agonist drugs are a "beautiful scientific story" based on the Gila monster, which naturally produces this peptide to limit hunger. These drugs increase GLP1 to levels thousands of times above what occurs naturally, affecting both the brain and gut to reduce hunger and obesity.
Dr. Hyman emphasizes that while GLP1 is a natural molecule, the pharmaceutical versions deliver doses far exceeding natural levels. "When you overdo something, there are downstream consequences," he cautioned. These drugs are peptides—small mini proteins—similar to insulin, which can be fatal in excessive doses.
The effects extend beyond just weight loss. Dr. Hyman highlighted muscle wasting as a particular concern: "You lose weight and you lose muscle and fat. And if you lose half of it is muscle, then your metabolism slows down because muscle burns seven times as much calories as fat."
This creates a problematic cycle when people discontinue the medication, as over 65% eventually do. When they stop, they often gain back 100% of the weight because they resume their previous eating habits but now have lower muscle mass.
Dr. Hyman elaborated that this puts patients in a worse situation metabolically: "You could eat literally the same amount of calories as you were before you lost weight and gain weight because your metabolism is messed up."
When it comes to solutions, Dr. Hyman is emphatic: "I personally think it should be illegal to prescribe these drugs unless they're combined with a nutrition consult to educate people about their protein requirements that are increased and with an exercise or a trainer... to help them develop a strength training program."
Dr. Hyman also questioned whether the full pharmaceutical doses are necessary, noting a growing black market for more affordable GLP1 peptides. He acknowledged that lower "sub-pharmacologic" doses can be effective when properly prescribed.
The side effects are significant and may increase with duration of use. Dr. Hyman listed potential risks including bowel obstruction (risk increases 450% after four years), pancreatitis (risk increases 900%), and possible thyroid, kidney, and liver issues. He recommended monitoring including DEXA scans, kidney function tests, and hormone and liver function tests for anyone using these medications.
Despite these concerns, Dr. Hyman isn't categorically opposed to GLP1 drugs. Rather, he advocates for their use as part of a comprehensive strategy alongside proper nutrition and exercise counseling, preferably at lower doses. "I don't think most people need it if they understand how to change their hormones, their brain chemistry and their biology without that," Dr. Hyman stated.
He emphasized the power of "food as medicine" as a targeted intervention with specific properties. He cited ketogenic diets as an example, noting their established use for epilepsy and emerging applications for mental health conditions including schizophrenia, autism, Alzheimer's, and bipolar disorder.
A Guide to Biohacking with Peptides and NAD
NAD and the Science of Cellular Repair
Our bodies have a built-in healing system governed by ancient "longevity switches" that regulate cellular repair and regeneration. One of the key molecules involved is NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide).
NAD works by activating sirtuins, a class of proteins involved in DNA repair. As Dr. Hyman explains, our DNA takes "a hundred thousand hits of damage" daily, and NAD stimulates the "army" needed to fix it. It also promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, improves insulin sensitivity, and induces autophagy (the body's cellular cleanup process).
Natural NAD levels decline with age, contributing to decreased energy. To counteract this, many people supplement with NAD precursors like NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide). Dr. Hyman, for example, takes 1,000 milligrams of NMN daily.
Peptides
Peptides are another advanced tool. They are essentially mini-proteins that function as the body's "super highway of information and connectivity," regulating everything from hormones to immune response.
Some peptides are already FDA-approved medications like Ozempic and insulin. Others are used off-label for specific optimization goals:
Recovery and Repair: For athletes, peptides like BPC157, TB500, and GHK can support tissue healing.
Immune Function: Thymosin Alpha-1 can help improve white blood cell function.
Hormone Support: Peptides like Kisspeptin can help increase testosterone, while Ipamorelin and Tesamorelin can support growth hormone.
Sexual Health: PT141 (Vylessi) is approved for hyposexual women but, according to Dr. Hyman, also works for men.
A Strong Word of Warning
These compounds must be approached with caution and respect. "They're not like just taking a vitamin," Dr. Hyman warned. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, peptides are powerful biological agents comparable to medications.
Key considerations include:
Medical Supervision: Peptide use should be overseen by an educated medical professional who can monitor for side effects.
Proper Cycling: Many peptides, particularly those that stimulate growth hormone, should be cycled.
Potential Risks: There are known risks. For example, BPC157 increases angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), which could potentially accelerate tumor growth in someone with undiagnosed cancer.
Exosomes and Stem Cells
Even further on the cutting edge are regenerative therapies like exosomes and stem cells. Dr. Hyman describes exosomes as "little packets of healing information" derived from stem cells that contain growth factors and anti-inflammatory compounds.
He shared a personal story of using IV exosomes to recover from cognitive issues after a severe COVID infection, feeling "resurrected" within hours. While these therapies are becoming more available, they are often used off-label and may require traveling outside the U.S.
Early Cancer Detection with GALLERI
The GALLERI test can detect cancer much earlier than traditional screening methods. This revolutionary blood test identifies DNA fragments released by cancers into the bloodstream years before they would appear on conventional scans.
The test screens for 50 of the most common cancers—many of which lack standard screening protocols—with an impressively low false positive rate of only half a percent.
"1 in 188 of our members who've tested with this test have a cancer that they wouldn't have known about otherwise," Dr. Hyman noted, highlighting the life-saving impact of early detection.
Dr. Hyman predicted that comprehensive scans will eventually become more affordable and accessible. "They're going to become commoditized, they're going to become cheap," he explained. "We're going to be able to get a whole body scheme for 300 bucks. It's happening."
He describes a data-driven approach where comprehensive personal health information—from biomarkers and wearable data to genomics and microbiome analysis—could be integrated with medical histories and scientific literature. This would essentially create a personalized AI health assistant.
"What now in medicine is so amazing is we try to make diagnoses and understand what's going on with people with such limited data sets about them," Dr. Hyman observed. He pointed to emerging technologies that can detect conditions like Alzheimer's through blood testing rather than waiting for symptoms to become severe.
Dr. Hyman challenges conventional thinking about neurodegenerative disease, criticizing the tendency to view conditions through narrow lenses.
"Alzheimer's is the name we give to people who can't remember things," he stated, emphasizing that the condition has numerous potential causes: insulin resistance ("type 3 diabetes of the brain"), environmental toxins, infections like Lyme disease, microbiome imbalances, and nutritional deficiencies.
Dr. Hyman advocated for a comprehensive approach to treatment. "You have to find all the things and treat all the things," he explained, using the analogy of a roof with multiple holes. He described success stories from his practice where addressing multiple factors simultaneously led to stopped progression or even reversal of cognitive decline.
"I just don't like people suffering when they don't need to," Dr. Hyman concluded. "I feel like I'm having a glass of water, they're thirsty, and there's a giant glass wall between us. And that's why I've been working my whole life to get the message out about how people can heal."
How to Make America Healthy Again
America's health crisis requires a fundamental psychological and cultural revolution that transcends political divides.
Choosing health often requires social courage and determination in a culture that sometimes mocks healthy choices. There's a strange pushback against self-directed health in America, where focusing on one's wellbeing can be perceived as self-indulgent rather than responsible.
The "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, for example, has surprisingly become politically polarized. Dr. Hyman points out an interesting shift: what was once considered a Democratic issue under Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign has now flipped to become associated with Republicans.
This partisan labeling of health initiatives is frustrating. "I'm not left wing or right wing. I'm for the whole bird. Otherwise you'll fly around in circles," Dr. Hyman quotes from his friend Rick Warren. This captures the essence of the message: health isn't red or blue—it's a universal human concern.
Dr. Hyman provides sobering statistics: 93% of Americans have some form of metabolic dysfunction. Psychiatric illnesses, autoimmune diseases, obesity, and diabetes are all skyrocketing. While death rates from certain conditions may be declining due to better treatments, the actual incidence of chronic disease continues to rise.
The financial implications are staggering. Healthcare costs now reach $5 trillion annually, with the federal government covering 40%—meaning one in three federal tax dollars goes to healthcare. Of that spending, 80% addresses chronic conditions that are largely preventable or reversible.
One area where bipartisan cooperation on health has emerged is psychedelic therapy for PTSD in veterans, with unlikely allies coming together. However, this kind of collaboration hasn't transferred to nutrition and exercise, which remain politically charged.
The COVID pandemic, despite its challenges, did create greater health awareness, causing many to question established medical authorities and take more personal responsibility for their wellbeing. This has created momentum for movements like MAHA.
Wrapping Up
Dr. Hyman's journey reveals a powerful truth: genuine health comes not from treating symptoms, but from creating the conditions for the body to thrive as an integrated system.
This "science of creating health" challenges flawed nutritional dogma, exposes corporate influence, and offers practical ways to navigate our toxic world.
The tools for transformation, from advanced testing to leveraging "food as medicine," are within reach. Reversing our chronic disease crisis demands more than new drugs; it requires a cultural revolution where we reclaim personal agency and make robust health a fundamental right.