Try This: 5 Things I’m Paying Attention To

Here are five things I’m paying attention to this week:

High level: 

1. The daily supplement that lowers your cholesterol

2. How this CEO lowered his apoB without any medication

3. Do this twice a week for 45 minutes and watch what happens

4. This diet fights depression

5. The habit that could destroy your sleep (most of us do it)

Let’s get into it!

💡This Fiber Can Help Lower Your Cholesterol

This post definitely caught my attention this week, and it’s something that all doctors and patients should pay attention to if they are prescribing or taking statins. 

A randomized 12-week study tested whether adding psyllium husk (a soluble fiber) to a low dose of simvastatin (a common statin) could improve cholesterol.

Participants took either 20 mg simvastatin, 10 mg simvastatin, or 10 mg simvastatin plus 15 g/day of psyllium (5 grams with each meal).

After eight weeks, LDL cholesterol dropped by about the same amount with 10 mg statin plus psyllium as it did with 20 mg statin alone.

Why it matters: Some people might need to be on a statin, but often when their lipids aren’t improving enough, the medical establishment immediately jumps to the conclusion that they need a higher dose. But sometimes a simple evidence-based life hack, combined with medication, might be all that’s needed.

And by the way, even if you aren’t on a statin (like Josh is below), increasing your fiber intake through the help of psyllium husk seems to dramatically improve lipids.

Now, for those on medication:

• Talk with your clinician first, especially if you take multiple medications.

• If approved, consider adding 5 g of psyllium to each meal (about 15 g/day) alongside your statin.

• Stick with it for 12 weeks, then recheck your cholesterol.

How this works: Soluble fiber works by binding bile acids in the gut, nudging the body to use more cholesterol and lower circulating LDL.

I take about 5 grams a day of psyllium husk in my smoothie. I’m a big fan of this one from Organic India (no affiliation)! 

💡CEO Lowers His ApoB Without Medication (an N-of-1 Story)

Speaking of psyllium, Josh Clemente (CEO and cofounder of Levels) did his own n-of-1 experiment to lower his risk of cardiovascular disease, and he wrote about it on X.com. With a few simple hacks, he was able to get his apoB down from 98 to 73 without any medication, which is pretty great!

How did he do this?

1. Adding 15 g of whole psyllium husk every morning to his yogurt. In addition to all the research out there on psyllium (like the example we posted above), increasing your overall fiber intake has been shown to dramatically improve cardiovascular health, in addition to many other things. That’s why Josh upped his total daily fiber goal to at least 40 g.
   

2. Logging his food intake. Josh also used the Levels app to log all his food, which helped him keep his saturated fat intake under 10 percent of his total calories.

3. Targeting nutrients. Josh also took EPA/DHA fish oil and 10,000 FU (Fibrin Units) of nattokinase daily. Both have been shown to support cardiovascular health and potentially lower cholesterol.

I'm a huge fan of these experiments because they show just how powerful simple, consistent changes can be for lowering our risk of chronic disease.

Just in case you missed it, Greg Mushen (who was on my podcast this week) used many of the same recommendations listed here and saw very similar results. And I’ve also written about my own journey in lowering my apoB here.

💡Do This for 45 Minutes Twice a Week

A big new analysis looked across 58 randomized trials involving over 4,300 healthy older adults to see which types of exercise work best for brain health. Here’s what they found: 

Resistance training (like weight lifting and body-weight exercises) was top for improving global cognition and inhibitory control (i.e., how well you ignore distractions). 

And here’s where it gets really interesting. The biggest improvements in both global cognition and inhibitory control came from just two 45-minute sessions of resistance training each week.

And honestly, it’s not surprising. Strength training can support blood sugar control, reduce stress and inflammation, support cellular repair, and much, much more. 

If you want to stay focused and sharp at any age, start lifting weights.

💡The Diet That Fights Depression 

Speaking of brain health: If you’ve seen my conversations with Dr. Chris Palmer, you know that mental health and metabolic health are 100 percent connected. 

In a small pilot study, researchers tested a well-formulated ketogenic diet (WFKD) as a bonus therapy for college students already receiving counseling or medication for major depressive disorder (MDD).

Over 10–12 weeks, 16 participants completed the diet intervention and achieved nutritional ketosis about 73 percent of the time.

The results were striking: Within 2–6 weeks, depressive symptoms dropped by roughly 69 percent on self-reported scales and 71 percent on clinician ratings.

There were major cognitive gains, too. Participants performed better on memory, processing speed, and executive-function tasks. 

Aside from the brain benefits, participants also lost 6.2 percent of body weight and increased BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). 

This was a small, uncontrolled study, so there are some limitations here. But it’s promising enough to me, in addition to all the work from doctors like Chris Palmer, who have shown time and time again that the ketogenic diet can make a massive impact on mental health disorders. 

If you want to learn more about this study, there’s a cool video about it on the Metabolic Mind X account.

💡Don’t Let This Get in the Way of Good Sleep   

I do my best to protect my body and brain from blue light at night, but I still largely agree with this post from Andy Galpin.

I always sleep better when my phone is in another room or super far away from the bed. The second I bring it to bed, it’s game over. Phones are addictive, and your brain always knows when they are within reach.

Even though it's tough, let this be the sign that it's time to put your phone far, far away from your bed. 

Wishing you an amazing phone-free night of sleep tonight,
Dhru Purohit