Episode 197: Dr. Eric Westman

In this episode of the Food Junkies Podcast, host Dr. Vera Tarman welcomes back Dr. Eric Westman, a renowned internal medicine physician and obesity medicine specialist. Dr. Westman has over 20 years of experience in clinical research and patient care, focusing on ketogenic diets and therapeutic carbohydrate restriction. As the director of the Keto Medicine Clinic at Duke University, Dr. Westman has been instrumental in advancing the research and application of low-carb diets to treat obesity and diabetes.

During this discussion, Dr. Westman provides an update on the latest developments in the ketogenic community, including new research and clinical applications of the keto diet for weight loss, diabetes reversal, and overall metabolic health. He highlights the evolution of therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (TCR) and its impact on clinical practice and grassroots movements within the medical and health coaching communities.

Key Discussion Points:

• Keto Diet Origins: Dr. Westman explains the keto diet's historical roots, dating back to the Banting Diet in the 1860s, and how it evolved into the Atkins Diet and the modern ketogenic movement.

• Research on Keto and Safety: Dr. Westman discusses the early skepticism surrounding the safety of ketogenic diets and how clinical trials have proven the diet's safety and efficacy.

• Virta Health's Role in Diabetes Reversal: Learn about Virta Health’s groundbreaking studies on using a low-carb diet to reverse type 2 diabetes, and how technology, such as apps and blood sugar monitoring, can play a role in this process.

• Challenges with the Medical Community: Dr. Westman addresses the growing divide between physicians who rely on medication-based treatments for obesity and those who advocate for lifestyle changes through therapeutic carbohydrate restriction.

• The Cholesterol Controversy: Dr. Westman touches on the ongoing debate regarding cholesterol, LDL, and heart disease and why the prevailing LDL cholesterol hypothesis might not fully apply to people on low-carb diets.

• Ketone Bodies and Cravings: A deeper dive into how ketones reduce cravings and how ketogenic diets can help break the addiction cycle to sugar and carbohydrates.

• Processed Keto Foods and Potential Pitfalls: Dr. Westman shares his thoughts on the rise of processed keto products and their potential role in helping and hindering keto success.

• Keto Education and Support: Learn more about Dr. Westman’s educational programs, such as Keto Made Simple, which provide comprehensive support for individuals looking to adopt a ketogenic lifestyle. 

Books by Dr. Westman:

A New Atkins for a New You