Dr Mike: The Hidden Side Effects Of Vaping! We Need To Stop Medical Misinformation!

Intro (00:00:00)

• Dr. Mike is an actively practicing medical doctor with over 25 million followers who has created one of the largest health education platforms in the world.
• Dr. Mike's mission is to debunk myths and call out disinformation related to healthcare.
• Vaping is dangerous, but the extent of its dangers is not widely known.
• The biggest danger of vaping is that it can lead people to skip out on healthier habits, such as exercise and proper nutrition.
• Supplements can have side effects, but these are often not discussed because they are not as profitable as promoting the benefits of supplements.
• Dr. Mike chose boxing as a way to cope with the unhealthy mental state he was in after losing his mother to cancer.
• Dr. Mike's experience with his mother's death changed his perspective on the medical industry.

Helping People Make Better Health Decisions (00:02:15)

• Dr. Mike's mission is to provide honest, transparent, and engaging healthcare information to his patients and viewers.
• He realized that patients were not understanding the information provided by top doctors and sought to improve communication in the healthcare space.
• Dr. Mike observed that TV physicians were influencing people in the wrong way by promising miracle solutions and promoting misinformation.
• He expressed concerns about the lack of evidence-based physicians online and the potential for misinformation to spread, especially in areas where modern science lacks answers.
• During the Covid-19 pandemic, misinformation spread rapidly, confusing people and leading them to seek information from unreliable sources.
• A doctor with limited experience became the top-watched channel on YouTube, providing answers instead of people seeking information from the CDC or true experts.
• Dr. Mike felt compelled to set the record straight and combat misinformation online.

Why Have People Resonated With You And Your Approach To Spotting Disinformation (00:05:24)

• Dr. Mike gained popularity by being an early adopter of Instagram, sharing his medical journey as a med student to show that it's possible to have a balanced life while studying medicine.
• A BuzzFeed article titled "You've Got to Check Out This Sexy Doctor and His Awesome Dog" went viral, leading to widespread media attention and interviews.
• Dr. Mike realized that he could use his platform to educate people about accurate health information by drawing their attention with something else, such as humor or scandal, and then providing them with valuable information.
• He studied marketing and misinformation techniques to learn how to effectively present evidence-based medicine in a fun and engaging way.
• Vaping has become increasingly popular, especially among young people, due to the misconception that it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.
• However, vaping can actually have several negative health effects, including:
  • Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
  • Damage to the lungs, leading to respiratory problems
  • Increased risk of cancer
  • Negative effects on brain development in young people
• The long-term effects of vaping are still being studied, but the current evidence suggests that it is not a safe alternative to smoking and should be avoided.

How Do You Check The Evidence Of The Studies You Share? (00:10:08)

• Treat new research differently from media outlets and individuals.
• Apply new research to existing data and knowledge.
• Extremes are rarely right in medicine, even when optimizing health.
• Hyper-optimization can create problems because the human body works in homeostasis and balance.

The New Health Trends: Optimisation, Longevity, Anti-Ageing (00:12:10)

• Criticizes the recent focus on optimization, longevity, and anti-aging as a corrupted field driven by capitalism.
• Argues that healthcare is a commodity that cannot be treated like other goods and services.
• Warns against the dangers of misinformation and the tendency to demand treatments that are not supported by evidence.
• Highlights the importance of scientific skepticism and the need to disprove hypotheses rather than simply supporting what one agrees with.
• Discusses the shift in the "gray zone" of health information from weight loss to anti-aging.
• Criticizes the proliferation of genetic tests that claim to provide personalized health advice despite limited scientific evidence.
• Emphasizes the importance of acknowledging what is not known and celebrating experts who are honest about the limitations of their knowledge.
• Suggests combining honest breakthroughs in medicine with cultural elements like comedy and fun to increase their appeal and reach a wider audience.

The Online Health Advice You Hate The Most (00:16:31)

• Medical professionals are trained to prioritize lifestyle modifications as the first line of treatment for various diseases.
• Some patients prefer medications as a shortcut to avoid lifestyle changes.
• Social media oversimplifies medical advice, making it difficult to provide nuanced information.

Lifestyle Changes Is The First Doctor's Advice (00:18:27)

• There are no shortcuts in healthcare, and all treatments have side effects and trade-offs.
• Medications and supplements should be used with caution and require a nuanced approach.
• There is an ongoing debate about the role of calories in weight loss.

Do Shortcuts Exist In Medicine? (00:20:24)

• Doctors should ask patients about their previous attempts at lifestyle changes to provide more effective and sustainable recommendations.
• Some restrictive diets, such as carnivore or keto, may set patients up for failure.
• Doctors can help patients understand why previous attempts failed and recommend more reasonable dietary modifications.

What's Your Take On Calories In, Calories Out (00:21:13)

• When it comes to dieting, consider both caloric intake and nutrient content.
• Extreme diets like the grapefruit diet may lead to weight loss but lack nutritional balance.
• Overeating calories can lead to metabolic problems and excess weight.
• Aim for a balanced diet that manages weight and provides adequate nutrition.
• Personalized diets are necessary due to varying medical conditions and individual needs.
• Buzzy statements in healthcare often require nuance and context.

How To Make A Diet Stick (00:23:12)

• Exercise alone may not be sufficient for weight loss, but it has numerous other health benefits.
• Weight loss primarily comes from nutrition, not exercise.
• The prevailing cultural narrative equates health with a magazine cover appearance, which is misleading.
• Health is not solely determined by appearance or weight; more information is needed.
• Burning off extra calories through exercise is challenging, making it difficult to out-exercise a bad diet.
• Salads alone may not be enough for a balanced diet; consider overall nutrient intake.

The Illusion Of A Good Body Equals Good Health (00:25:26)

• Good health is not necessarily achieved by consuming an abundance of "good" foods.
• Healthcare is not a commodity and does not respond well to extremes.
• The pursuit of perfection in healthcare can lead to negative consequences and anxiety.
• Dialectics are common in healthcare, where two opposing ideas can both be true.
• Pre-existing conditions can affect the application of general health principles.
• Healthcare professionals do their best with limited information when treating patients.
• Exercise should not be viewed primarily as a means to lose weight.
• Exercise has numerous benefits beyond weight loss, including improved mood, energy levels, and sleep quality.
• Weight loss is a complex process influenced by various factors, including genetics, diet, and lifestyle.
• Focusing solely on weight loss can lead to disordered eating and negative body image.

Calories In And Calories Out Does Work (00:29:06)

• Exercise has numerous benefits, including improved mood, social connections, strength, cancer risk reduction, and increased longevity.
• The recommended amount of moderate-intensity exercise is 150 minutes per week.
• A broad view of medicine considers the overall health of an individual, while a single-point expert focuses on a specific part of the body.
• Both broad view primary care physicians and single-point experts are needed for a comprehensive approach to healthcare.

The Benefits Of Exercising (00:31:09)

• Trust in healthcare advice and agencies has declined in recent years.
• The creation of processed and unhealthy foods has led to increased consumption and a lack of satiety, which has been addressed with medications.
• The development of apps that shorten attention spans has contributed to the rise in requests for ADHD medications.

Where Is The Direction Of Travel With Our Health? (00:32:41)

• Questions the increasing use of testosterone and other medications in society and the potential harms of over-medication.
• Discusses the concept of insidious misinformation being more problematic than true disinformation, using the example of vaping.
• Compares vaping to cigarettes, highlighting that while vaping may not be as harmful, its ease of use and lack of offensive odor make it more accessible and potentially more addictive.

What Would Happen If There Was A Deadlier Pandemic Than Covid (00:35:11)

• Expresses concern about the potential for a future pandemic that is more deadly than COVID-19 and the impact of complacency and feelings of safety on public health.
• Warns about the dangers of vaping, particularly for young people with developing brains, and emphasizes that vaping should be used as a tool to quit smoking, not as an introduction to nicotine.
• Mentions potential health risks associated with vaping, including vaping-related lung injury, hospitalization of children, and technical problems with devices.
• Clarifies that the intention is not to fearmonger but to raise awareness about the potential harms of vaping, which may not be immediately apparent due to its seemingly less harmful nature compared to cigarettes.

Is Vaping Dangerous? (00:37:01)

• The speaker expresses skepticism about the claim that vaping has no side effects.
• They argue that natural does not necessarily mean safe, citing examples like arsenic and cyanide.
• The speaker mentions the increasing prevalence of ADHD diagnoses and wonders if it is due to heightened awareness or other factors.

The Studies Around Vaping Side Effects (00:38:04)

• The speaker believes neurodiversity needs more discussion, including ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
• They emphasize respecting people's autonomy, even when it comes to risky behaviors like vaping.
• The speaker shares their personal experience of becoming a professional boxer despite the health risks, highlighting the importance of understanding and accepting risks.
• They explain how boxing helped them overcome a difficult mental state after losing their mother to cancer.

The Real And Painful Reason Why I Started Boxing (00:41:47)

• Dr. Mike's mother had a unique and aggressive form of CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia).
• She underwent intensive treatment, which took a toll on her body.
• Despite initial optimism and being declared cancer-free, she developed gram-negative sepsis and passed away.
• Dr. Mike witnessed his father's struggle during this difficult time.

Losing My Mum (00:43:52)

• Dr. Mike experienced the loss of his mother to cancer, which profoundly affected him and his father.
• Processing emotions and avoiding long-term repression is crucial to prevent negative consequences.
• Dr. Mike and his father found solace and a shared connection in getting a dog during their grieving process.
• Taking action, such as going for a walk or visiting a dog park, can have a positive impact on individuals struggling with grief or depression.
• Barbara Corcoran, an investor from Dragons Den, shared a strategy of placing athletic shoes next to her bed to motivate herself to exercise.

What's The Best Way To Heal From Grief? (00:49:27)

• Seeking professional help for mental health is crucial, as it carries no stigma, unlike mental health treatment.
• Society's current state is the most unnatural for humans, impacting mental health.
• Social media can be particularly challenging for mental health, especially for those unprepared for the sudden attention and scrutiny that comes with going viral.
• Dr. Mike describes his own mental health journey, including the impact of social media.
• He was initially obsessed with checking social media constantly, driven by a desire for growth and self-improvement.
• However, he recognized the negative impact on his mental health, particularly the anxiety and addiction to checking social media.
• Dr. Mike emphasizes the importance of working with a therapist to manage the impact of social media on mental health.
• He highlights the need to carve out moments where exposure to social media is limited or avoided to maintain a healthy mindset.

Your Journey With Mental Health & Social Media Bullying (00:52:09)

• Dr. Mike discusses the challenges of maintaining mental health in the face of social media bullying.
• He emphasizes the importance of sleep and self-care, acknowledging that even doctors struggle to follow their own advice.
• Dr. Mike suggests that anxiety and suffering are often passed on from one person to another, creating a "circle of anxiety."
• He mentions the increased risk of causing trauma to others if one has experienced a traumatic childhood.
• Dr. Mike highlights the advice given by his therapist to avoid looking at social media at certain times of the day, especially during moments of despair.
• He emphasizes the importance of intention when using social media, suggesting that passive consumption can be disheartening, while active engagement and learning can have a positive mental health impact.
• Dr. Mike wonders if there might be something about him that makes him more likely to care about negative comments on social media.

The Best Advice I Received From My Therapist (00:56:25)

• Dr. Mike discusses the value he derives from social media as a tool to help him achieve his goal of providing medical care to underserved communities.
• He views negative comments on social media as a threat to his goal and explains why he has considered quitting social media but ultimately decided against it.
• Dr. Mike emphasizes his desire to be useful and valuable to his patients and sees his practical nature as both a strength and a weakness in his personal relationships.

Are Certain People More Prone To Get Addicted To Social Media? (00:58:15)

• Dr. Mike addresses the topic of supplements and vitamins, acknowledging the nuance and complexity surrounding their use.
• He highlights the importance of vitamins for survival but criticizes the unnecessary use of supplemental vitamins, often sold by individuals exploiting people's insecurities and promising shortcuts.
• Dr. Mike emphasizes the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of most supplements and warns against distracting people from proven treatments.

Have You Considered Quitting Social Media?? (00:59:32)

• Dr. Mike discusses the potential harms of supplements, including their ineffectiveness, the risk of skipping out on healthy habits due to perceived shortcuts, and the diversion of limited healthcare budgets towards expensive supplements.
• He expresses concern about individuals turning to supplements instead of true medical treatments and acknowledges the challenges faced by individuals with limited diets.
• Dr. Mike provides his perspective on multivitamin supplements, stating that while he wouldn't necessarily recommend them, he wouldn't discourage their use either.

Are Vitamin Supplements Good For Us? (01:00:45)

• Supplements have side effects and can interact with medications.
• Antioxidants can become pro-inflammatory when taken in excess.
• Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and may not contain the ingredients listed on the label.
• Some supplements can cause potential harm, and their benefits are often not proven.

Can We Get All Our Nutrients And Vitamins From Foods? (01:02:05)

• It is tempting to believe that supplements can work and that eating certain foods can extend life, but there is limited evidence to support these claims.
• The gut microbiome is a complex system, and while there is truth to the interconnectedness between gut health and overall well-being, manipulating gut bugs through supplements has not been proven effective in most cases.
• Consuming fiber correlates with better health, but it is uncertain whether taking prebiotic supplements has the same effect.
• Reestablishing specific bacteria in the gut through supplements may not fix health conditions, despite claims to the contrary.
• Probiotics can help with a few specific conditions, but more research is needed to determine their full potential.

Do Prebiotics And Probiotics Work? (01:05:56)

• Health advice from the past, such as avoiding smoking and alcohol, is still valid and effective.
• Tests to check the microbiome and genetic tests have potential but are still preliminary and require more research.
• The hype around these products often outpaces the evidence, leading to misinformation.

We Should Listen To The Health Advice Our Grandmothers Told Us (01:07:39)

• Gary Brea makes unproven promises about health products, despite his good intentions.
• Inaccurate information, even if not disproven, can have negative long-term outcomes.
• To challenge public health standards, a strong evidence-based reason is necessary.
• Brea confidently claims that headaches are caused by low pink Himalayan sea salt, ignoring numerous other possible causes.

Mentioning Experts That Are Wrong (01:10:35)

• Misinformation is prevalent, leading to loss of trust in science.
• Doctors have been wrong in the past and changed their minds on critical issues.
• Vaccine disinformation uses past mistakes to undermine trust in doctors.
• To navigate this, individuals must do their own research to understand why experts change their minds.
• Pharmaceutical companies have pushed drugs through despite evidence of ineffectiveness and side effects.
• A depression drug was pushed to the market despite the CEO knowing it didn't work.
• Johan Hari, a guest on Dr. Mike's podcast, was one of the young people who took the drug and later discovered its ineffectiveness.

People Are Losing Trust In Doctors Because Of This (01:13:06)

• People are losing trust in doctors because of the perception that big pharma is corrupt and influences doctors to prescribe drugs that may not work.
• The speaker argues that while there are issues with the pharmaceutical industry, pointing to one instance of fraud or mistake and dismissing the entire field of medicine is not a fair assessment.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of calling out failures in medicine but also acknowledges that this can lead to further loss of trust.
• The speaker highlights the need for transparency and open communication from doctors to rebuild trust.
• The speaker discusses the importance of evaluating specific instances and providing accurate information when discussing the side effects of medications.
• Using birth control as an example, the speaker mentions that while it can have side effects like any medication, it is not the leading cause of hospitalizations.
• The speaker contrasts this with Tylenol, which causes a high number of hospitalizations due to liver failure but does not receive the same level of attention or concern because it is not emotionally triggering.
• The speaker emphasizes the need to consider all aspects of a medication's effects and to avoid focusing solely on negative aspects.
• The speaker acknowledges that medicine is not perfect and that doctors work with incomplete information, but they constantly strive to improve and learn from mistakes.

Ads (01:17:43)

• Zoe, a company invested in by Dr. Mike, helps make smarter food choices based on scientific research and personal test results.
• Zoe offers personalized nutrition coaching and guides users to make healthier food choices.
• Dr. Mike provides a 10% discount code (ce10) for listeners to join Zoe and start their personalized nutrition journey.
• Many experts present research based on animal studies, such as rats.
• Pharmaceutical companies often choose research that has the potential for the best profits.
• 99% of initial research from animal studies fails, and only the most promising results are selected for further investigation.
• Another 99% of research fails during human trials.
• The likelihood of a treatment working in humans after showing promise in animal models is extremely low.
• Jumping from animal models to human application is not advisable due to the high failure rate.

Look After Your Children, We Need This Out Of Schools (01:20:48)

• Dr. Mike, known for being named People Magazine's Sexiest Doctor Alive in 2015, advocates for banning phones in schools, similar to regulations on addictive substances.
• To maintain professionalism and avoid distractions during patient interactions, Dr. Mike keeps his personal life private on social media.
• Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Mike prioritizes his passions and makes sacrifices to achieve success.
• Dr. Mike emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and continuous improvement, both personally and professionally.
• He engages in introspection, analyzing past social interactions and professional encounters to identify areas for growth.
• Dr. Mike acknowledges that constant self-evaluation can lead to anxiety, especially when progress feels slow or lacking in certain areas like exercise.
• He explains how catastrophizing, the tendency to exaggerate negative outcomes, can worsen anxiety.
• Dr. Mike recommends cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as an effective approach to address these thought patterns and promote mental well-being.

Are You A Deep Thinker? (01:27:29)

• Doctors are not immune to cognitive distortions.
• Dealing with patients' health outcomes can be emotionally challenging, especially when negative outcomes occur.
• Dr. Mike approaches difficult conversations with patients and their families with unbiased truth, empowering them to make informed decisions.
• Healthcare involves both art and science, leading to different treatment recommendations from different doctors.

How Do You Deal With So Much Loss And Grief? (01:29:59)

• Dr. Mike reflects on challenging cases at night, seeking ways to improve his effectiveness in helping patients make informed decisions.
• His mission to debunk misinformation in healthcare stems from witnessing the negative consequences of false or unproven information on his patients' health.
• Dr. Mike's experience with repetitive conversations about misinformation inspired his passion for using social media to educate a wider audience.
• His perspective on medicine has evolved from a doctor-patient relationship to a broader view that encompasses various factors influencing healthcare.

What Was Your Hardest Day? (01:31:21)

• Dr. Mike, a medical professional, shared a personal story on YouTube about saving a passenger's life on a flight using epinephrine from an emergency kit.
• His story gained significant attention, leading to the Senate Majority Leader's office contacting him to advocate for having epipens on planes.
• As a result of his efforts, 70% of planes now carry epipens, potentially saving lives in emergencies.
• Dr. Mike emphasized the power of social media in promoting public health and helping people beyond individual patient interactions.
• He demonstrated the basics of CPR, highlighting its importance in keeping oxygen flowing through the body during emergencies.
• CPR is performed on unconscious individuals who are not breathing and have no pulse, with the goal of prolonging survival until medical help arrives.

How To Save Someone's Life Doing CPR (01:36:13)

• CPR is performed to sustain life until professional medical help arrives.
• The first step of CPR is to call for help, and it's crucial to assign someone specific to make the call to avoid the "bystander effect."
• When performing chest compressions, place one hand on top of the other in the center of the chest and push hard and fast at a depth of 2 inches (5 cm).
• CPR should be continued until professional help arrives.
• Women are less likely to receive CPR from bystanders due to the fear of pushing between breasts, leading to worse outcomes.
• CPR does not immediately revive someone but circulates residual oxygen until professional help can arrive to restart the heart.
• Younger patients have a better chance of recovery and healing after CPR compared to older patients.
• Healthcare professionals may experience emotional distress, such as flashbacks and discomfort, when hearing certain sounds associated with traumatic events.
• Healthcare professionals may cope with the emotional toll of their work by using humor, which can be perceived as insensitive by grieving families.

I Asked The Doctors To Stop Doing CPR On My Mother (01:43:43)

• The guest reflects on the social isolation and loneliness experienced after losing their mother.
• They express regret for not reaching out for support or creating connections with classmates during that time.
• The guest feels that their decision to move away from school significantly impacted their ability to form lasting friendships.

Last Guest Question (01:45:49)

• The guest praises Dr. Mike for his accessible and honest approach to presenting medical information.
• They highlight Dr. Mike's ability to confront disinformation in a balanced way while providing information in an understandable manner.
• The guest acknowledges the challenge of presenting conflicting information without censorship while also ensuring that the platform does no harm.
• They express gratitude for Dr. Mike's positive impact on the lives of many people, even those he may never meet.
• The guest encourages Dr. Mike to continue his work despite the difficulties and negativity he may encounter.