9. What's Wrong with Our Food System? The Lies You've Been Told + Believe

Why does a slice of bread today barely resemble the one your grandmother baked? Our food system has transformed dramatically over the decades, turning simple ingredients into what some call "Frankenstein foods." On this week's solo episode of the Extend podcast, I dive deep into how we got here, exposing the missteps and misinformation that have shaped today's diet-driven epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and gut issues. From the infamous food pyramid to the low-fat craze, I unpack how the government guidelines and industry lobbyists steered us toward a carb-heavy diet, with disastrous results for our health. You'll gain clarity on the roles subsidies and corporate interests played in crafting our food environment—and more importantly, learn how to take back control. I also discuss: (00:19) Nutrition Misinformation and Health Reconstruction (06:43) The industrialization of food (09:07) 20% of the information that makes 80% of the difference (10:26) Strategies for Personalized Health Through Nutrition And more Thank you to our sponsor: Timeline: https://www.timeline.com/ To learn more about Dr. Darshan Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darshanshahmd/

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:03Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Welcome to Extend with me, Dr. Darshan Shah, a podcast dedicated to cutting-edge science, research, tools, and protocols designed to help you extend your health span. Having become one of the youngest doctors in the country at the age of 21, and trained and board-certified at the Mayo Clinic, I've accumulated three decades of practice as a board-certified surgeon and longevity expert. Over that time, I've discovered that a mere 20% of health knowledge yields 80% of the results when it comes to your health span. We're living in a new era where we are creating a new healthcare system, no longer focused on disease management, but achieving optimal health and vitality. Join me as I interview world-renowned experts, offering you a step-by-step guide to proactively avoid disease, and most importantly, extend your health span.

• 0:50Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Welcome back to the Extend Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Darshan Shah, a medical doctor passionate about cutting through all the clutter to bring you the most impactful insights for your health, wellness, and longevity. Today, we're diving into one of the most critical topics affecting every aspect of our wellbeing, our nutrition. As we dive into this topic over the next few solosodes, I'm going to give you the 20% of the information you need to know to help you break through all the misinformation, conflicting opinions, and adopt a sustainable eating pattern uniquely suited to you. Before we do that, however, I think it's really important to ask the question, what went wrong with our food? Over just the past few decades, our diets have shifted drastically.

• 1:34Dr. Darshan Shah?

  It's really important to highlight that it was never like this. Our diet prior to the 1950s was more nutrient-dense, had more good fats, less sugar, and had far fewer empty calories. It was devoid of chemicals and other ingredients in food that has really made our food Frankenstein foods. These changes have led to an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and gut disease. So, what went wrong? Why has the food that should nourish us become a root cause of so many chronic illnesses? And more importantly, what can we do to fix this? In this episode, we'll break it all down, including the historic missteps and Misinformation that got us here in the first place. We'll talk about how science can guide us to better food choices and practical steps to rebuild a healthier way of eating.

• 2:18Dr. Darshan Shah?

  By the end of this episode, not only will you be able to know what went wrong, I hope you'll feel empowered with the knowledge to make lasting, meaningful changes to your diet and overall health. So, let's get started. To understand where we went wrong as a nation with our fundamental eating habits and food supply, we need to revisit the last 60 years of misinformation, misguided and misfortune surrounding our food supply. It's extremely important to recognize that we created a completely new food situation and system that we were biologically evolved to manage over the last 50 or 60 years only. Here are the three key culprits that led to this place. Number one, many faulty guidelines from our government on dietary recommendations,

• 3:01Dr. Darshan Shah?

  specifically around the carbohydrates and the food pyramid, cholesterols and fats. Remember the food pyramid that we were all taught in school in the 1990s? The original food pyramid introduced in 1992 was the beginning of the disaster we now call the SAD diet, an acronym for the Standard American Diet. This food pyramid prioritized carbohydrate-high, low-fat diet that, as the base of the pyramid, we were told to eat six to 11 servings of bread, rice, cereal and pasta every day. This encouraged a massive overconsumption of refined carbohydrates, which is a major contributor to the massive increase in rates of obesity and metabolic disorders like diabetes, Alzheimer's and heart disease. Why did this happen?

• 3:42Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Well, the USDA's dietary recommendations were heavily influenced by food industry lobbyists, from the dairy industry to grain producers. Grain and dairy producers had massive amounts of excess product they had to sell due to the misguided farm subsidies of post-World War II over concerns of baby boomers creating a perceived lack of food in America and the world. And it incentivized mass overproduction of grain and dairy in the US. This created carb overload, particularly with refined carbs, and raised our collective insulin levels and created the metabolic crisis that we're in today. Then came the double whammy, as I like to put it. Misguided obsession with low fat and cholesterol. All fats were lumped together as universally harmful,

• 4:26Dr. Darshan Shah?

  disregarding the benefits of healthy fats like those found in fish, avocados, nuts, and olive oil. This oversimplification stemmed from the totally flawed seven-country studies presented to Congress by Dr. Ansel Keys. This infamous study cherry picked data from seven countries of low-fat diets that had lower rates of heart attacks. But it totally ignored countries with high-fat diets like France that had the lowest rates of heart disease. This was top of mind for America because President Eisenhower had just had a heart attack. And everyone for the president down latched down on the flawed science to make fat the enemy of America. What happened next? Fat was replaced by sugar, leading to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diabetes. Today, we absolutely know that healthy fats are crucial for energy and brain health,

• 5:12Dr. Darshan Shah?

  and the low-fat craze has done more harm than good. If you want all the gory details about what happened here, read Marty Makary's book, Blind Spots. He does an excellent job describing the continuing failure, even up to today, of the medical establishment to reverse course on bad advice. Throughout all of this, cholesterol also became the enemy. We were told not to eat eggs, one of the highest sources of protein out there and incredibly beneficial to our health and our well-being. Well, we now know as well that dietary cholesterol does not generally increase cholesterol inside of our bloodstream, and this does not lead to heart disease as the only factor. Eggs are back in, and they're extremely healthy for people.

• 5:55Dr. Darshan Shah?

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• 6:43Dr. Darshan Shah?

  The final straw that broke the camel's back was the industrialization of food. There are 10 multinational massive food corporations, and they have engineered salt and sugar into food in such a way to make them highly addictive and causes to overeat. High fructose corn syrup, a byproduct of heavily subsidized corn, is ubiquitous and a major driver of insulin resistance and obesity. They also added food colorings, preservatives, and chemicals to change the texture and taste of food, as well as to lower the cost. All of this wreaks havoc on our cellular biology and hormonal systems. Not to mention, it keeps us hungry for more with low caloric density and the destruction of gut bacteria that produce hormones like GLP-1 to get us to stop eating. Industrialized farming has stripped our soil of nutrients,

• 7:28Dr. Darshan Shah?

  leaving us with produce that is less nourishing than it was decades ago. Pesticides, hormones, and GMOs are common in our food supply, compounding on this problem. Seed oils and trans fats are everywhere in processed foods, creating the perfect storm of inflammation. These ingredients not only harm our health but make us hungrier, perpetuating a cycle of overeating and diabetes. As we've outsourced cooking to fast food chains and processed meals, we've completely lost control over what goes into our food. Cooking at home with thoughtfully selected ingredients has become a rarity and is costing us our health. Well, this sounds like quite a mess we created, isn't it? So what do we do about all this? The good news is, is that there's hope. It instructs us some small, basic, almost intuitive steps

• 8:13Dr. Darshan Shah?

  and small, consistent changes. The first step is always your mindset around this stuff. Understanding your why. Change becomes so much easier when you understand the reasons behind it. Every food choice you make affects your body, from your gut microbiome to your brain health. Recognizing this fact and this connection can inspire you to create better habits around your food. Your particular why might be just to feel more energy, or to lose fat, or to improve your metabolic health. Or maybe even it's to be a good example to your children or your coworker. Maybe your why is to stop lining the pockets of 10 companies around the globe and shift your spending habits towards local, responsible, regenerative farmers. My why personally is a combination of all of these.

• 8:54Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Every time I pick up a packet of chips, I imagine a greedy corporate type laughing as the microplastics and chemicals in the food destroy my kid's microbiome. That's a visual that will get you to pick up a healthy alternative almost all the time. Next step, and here's a 20% of the information that makes 80% of the difference. Avoid all ultra-processed food. I'm going to talk about this more in detail in my next solo show because it is that important. For now, all you need to know is that this is the single greatest contributor to chronic disease in most of my patients. A focus on real whole foods is inevitable by eliminating ultra-processed foods from your diet. Once you do this, we can further clean up your diet by adding organic vegetables, grass-fed

• 9:35Dr. Darshan Shah?

  meat, wild-caught fish, and healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado. But all of this is not as impactful as eliminating packaged foods, desserts, refined grains, and other ultra-processed foods consistently. Finally, commit to cooking at least a few meals each week with fresh ingredients. It's one of the simplest ways to ensure you're eating nutritious, toxin-free food. This actually helps you mend your relationship with food and relearn some of the basic human instincts we've had in our DNA for thousands of years. Incorporating these small, sustainable changes can make all the difference. Start with one or two small habits. Maybe it's just swapping out sparkling water for soda or choosing to say no to the bread plate at the beginning of a meal.

• 10:18Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Over time, these small changes add up to massive results. So my friends, this is just the beginning of the conversation. In future episodes, I'm going to dive deeper into each macro, the role of the microbiome, and how to personalize your diet for optimal health. My goal is to arm you with modern scientific strategies to navigate all of the confusing food landscapes and reclaim your health. Remember, food is medicine, and it's the most powerful tool you have for a vibrant life. By making informed, intentional food choices, you're not just fueling your body, you're investing into your future.

• 10:51Dr. Darshan Shah?

  Thank you so much for listening to the podcast today. Please remember to subscribe if you liked this episode and give us a good review and share a link with your friends. It really helps to support all of our efforts. I also want to remind you that the information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider or physician before making any decisions or taking any action based on what you hear today, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or on any medications. Your doctor knows your personal health situation the best, and it's always important to seek their guidance.