The Dan Buettner Podcast

In this episode, longevity expert Dan Buettner sits down with renowned academic and food politics expert Dr. Marion Nestle to unpack how the American food system became dominated by ultra-processed foods and skyrocketing obesity rates. Nestle breaks down the historical and political shifts—from the Nixon-era agricultural policies of the 1970s to the corporate deregulation of the 1980s—that prioritized commodity crops like corn and soybeans over public health. They discuss why food corporations are structurally incentivized to maximize shareholder profit rather than consumer well-being, leaving everyday shoppers to fight a trillion-dollar industry entirely on their own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your gut microbiome the most important organ you're ignoring? In this episode of The Dan Buettner Podcast, world-renowned geneticist and epidemiologist Dr. Tim Spector reveals groundbreaking research on why the microbes in your gut are the ultimate indicator of your health and resilience. Drawing from a massive study of 300,000 samples recently published in Nature, Dr. Spector explains a startling "health gap": why American gut health is significantly worse than that of Europeans. We explore why a stool test may provide more critical health insights than a standard blood or DNA test, and how the "30-plant rule" can fundamentally reprogram your immune system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Dan Buettner Podcast, Dan sits down with board-certified OB-GYN and celebrity health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd to uncover the surprising intersection between menopause and longevity. While we often associate menopause with hot flashes, the reality is far more complex—affecting everything from your brain health and sleep to your hair and life expectancy. Dr. Shepherd explains why women’s life expectancy has jumped by 20 years since the early 1900s, yet our biological clocks haven't caught up. We dive into the science of ""delaying"" menopause not just for reproduction, but for the long-term vitality that estrogen provides to every organ in the body. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Dan Buettner Podcast, legendary actress and "happiness expert" Goldie Hawn joins Dan to discuss the real science behind her joyful nature and the surprising struggles she faced early in her career. Despite her public image as a beacon of light, Goldie reveals her personal battle with severe anxiety and panic attacks that began at age 22, just as she was becoming a household name. She shares how she utilized Freudian analysis and later mindfulness to retrain her brain, ultimately leading to the creation of her MindUP program which now helps children worldwide manage their own stress and emotions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is 100 years old "too young" to die? In this historic episode, Dan Buettner (founder of Blue Zones) sits down with Dave Asprey (the "Father of Biohacking") to debate the future of human longevity. While they represent opposite ends of the spectrum—one focusing on beans and community, the other on stem cells and gene therapy—they find surprising middle ground on how to "hack" your environment for a longer, more vibrant life.Dave Asprey opens up about his personal journey from chronic illness and Asperger’s to founding a global movement. They dive deep into the science of circadian biology, the "dark art" of marketing wellness, and why forgiveness might be the most important biohack of all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices