Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD

What if medicine could do more than manage disease—and actually help the body repair itself? Regenerative medicine is moving quickly, but the world of stem cells, PRP, exosomes, and cellular therapies can be incredibly confusing. In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Wiggers to separate what we can do today from what may be coming next. We start with the basics: what stem cells actually are, how PRP and orthobiologics work, and the difference between using your own cells versus donor-derived products. Then we go deeper into one of the most fascinating areas of regenerative medicine: MUSE cells, a unique population of stress-enduring stem cells being studied for their ability to respond to injury and support tissue repair. In this episode, you'll learn: • How stem cells, PRP, exosomes, and other regenerative therapies differ • What MUSE cells are and why researchers are so interested in them • How stem cells may respond to signals from injured tissue • Why the age and source of biological material can matter • What Yamanaka factors taught us about cellular reprogramming and rejuvenation • Where regenerative medicine is being studied for joint, cardiovascular, and other applications • The safety concerns and quality-control issues everyone should understand before considering stem cell therapy We also explore why regenerative therapies have faced regulatory hurdles, the difference between exciting laboratory research and treatments available today, and why safety, manufacturing, and proper handling are critical as this field evolves. Stem cells aren't magic—and many potential applications are still being researched. But our growing ability to understand and influence the body's own repair systems could fundamentally change how we approach injury, aging, and disease in the years ahead. Learn more about Dr. Shah:  Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: @darshanshahmd and @extend_podcast Learn more about Dr. Jeffrey Wiegers:  Website: musecellinnovations.com Instagram: @jeffwiegers Thank You To Our Sponsor! IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/DRSHAH

What if your eyesight is 20/20—but your vision still isn't working the way it should? Dr. Bryce Appelbaum specializes in functional vision and the connection between the eyes and the brain. In this conversation, he explains why seeing clearly is only one piece of vision—and how the brain's ability to process what we see can influence reading, focus, coordination, balance, motion sickness, athletic performance, and everyday life. We also explore what hours of daily screen time may be doing to our visual system. Our eyes and brains weren't designed to spend all day focused on a screen inches from our faces, and Dr. Appelbaum explains how sustained near work can contribute to eye strain, headaches, fatigue, and visual stress—especially in children. In this episode, you'll learn: • The difference between eyesight and vision—and why 20/20 vision doesn't tell the whole story • How screen time may be affecting the eye-brain connection in both children and adults • Why reading difficulties, poor focus, clumsiness, and motion sickness can sometimes have a visual component • The connection between functional vision problems and symptoms associated with ADHD and dyslexia • How concussions and traumatic brain injuries can disrupt visual function • Why vision, balance, spatial awareness, and healthy aging are closely connected • Three simple vision exercises Dr. Appelbaum recommends for training focus, peripheral awareness, and eye movement We also discuss the 20-20-20 rule, functional vision evaluations, vision therapy and training, reading glasses, neuroplasticity, and practical ways to give your eyes a break in an increasingly screen-dominated world. If you spend hours every day staring at a phone or computer—or have a child growing up surrounded by screens—this conversation may completely change the way you think about protecting and training your vision. Learn more about Dr. Shah:  Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: @extend_podcast and @darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Bryce Appelbaum: Website: myvisionfirst.com Instagram: @drbryceappelbaum Thank you to our sponsors!  Next Health Longevity Summit: Head to next-health.com/summit to get tickets to our first ever Next Health Longevity Summit happening September 12th at the Conrad Hotel Nashville!  Timeline: Timeline, powered by Mitopure, just dropped in price. Check it out using the link shop.timeline.com/DRDARSHANSHAH for up to 20% off when you subscribe!   IM8: Try IM8 with 30-day moneyback guarantee. Get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at check out im8health.com/drshah  

What happens when optimizing your health starts taking over your life? Ben Greenfield has spent decades at the forefront of biohacking, fitness, human performance, and longevity—testing the technologies, tracking the biomarkers, competing at an elite level, and pushing his body to its limits. But after years of relentless self-optimization, he realized something important: living longer means very little if the pursuit of longevity takes you away from the people and experiences you're trying to live longer for. In this conversation, Ben opens up about the side of biohacking we don't talk about enough. He shares how his obsession with performance and optimization affected his marriage, his relationship with his children, and his own sense of fulfillment—and the moment he realized his priorities had to change. We explore how to find the line between taking care of your health and becoming consumed by it, why relationships and community may be among the most powerful longevity tools we have, and how Ben has radically simplified his approach to fitness while remaining exceptionally strong and healthy. In this episode, you'll learn: When biohacking and self-optimization can go too far Why Ben nearly lost his marriage—and the wake-up call that changed his priorities Why relationships, family, community, and purpose belong in the longevity conversation How to know when you're "healthy enough" instead of endlessly chasing better biomarkers Ben's current approach to strength, mobility, VO2 max, power, mitochondrial health, and cardiovascular fitness How he now stays fit with roughly an hour a day instead of allowing optimization to consume his life We also discuss body composition, wearables, sauna and cold exposure, healthy aging, family legacy, grief, and what losing his father taught Ben about our obsession with trying to outrun aging. The goal of longevity isn't to spend your entire life trying not to die. It's to build a body that allows you to fully participate in the life, relationships, and experiences that make those extra years worth having. Learn more about Dr. Shah:  Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: @darshanshahmd and @extend_podcast Learn more about Ben Greenfield:  Website: bengreenfieldlife.com Instagram: @bengreenfieldfitness Thank You To Our Sponsors:  Next Health Longevity Summit: Join us on September 12th at the Conrad Nashville for the FIRST Next Health Longevity Summit. Head to next-health.com/summit to purchase tickets, for my listeners only, I would love to offer you a discount code! Use code EXTEND25 at checkout and get a Summit Access Pass for $25! See you there!  Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com and use my code DRSHAH at checkout for up to %35 off at checkout! 

What if the fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, or unexplained symptoms you're experiencing aren't starting inside your body—but in the environment around you? Dr. Jill Carnahan knows this story from both sides of the exam room. At just 25, while still in medical school, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Months after aggressive chemotherapy, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Her search for answers ultimately transformed the way she practiced medicine and led her deep into the connections between gut health, environmental toxins, mold exposure, and chronic illness. In this conversation, we unpack the hidden environmental exposures that may be affecting your health and Dr. Carnahan's "toxic bucket" theory for understanding why the same exposure can affect two people very differently. We go deep on mold toxicity and mycotoxins: where mold can hide in your home, symptoms that may warrant a closer look, why a single mold test doesn't tell the whole story, and what a more comprehensive evaluation can involve. We also discuss why detoxification needs to be approached carefully—and why doing too much too quickly can sometimes make you feel worse. In this episode, you'll learn: • How Dr. Carnahan's breast cancer and Crohn's diagnoses changed her approach to medicine • The "toxic bucket" theory and why environmental exposures affect everyone differently • Hidden sources of toxins in your home and why indoor air quality matters • Signs of potential mold exposure and how mold can be evaluated • Why one person can become sick from mold while others in the same home feel fine • How reducing exposure and supporting the body's elimination pathways fit into mold recovery We also explore air filtration, water damage, mycotoxins, glutathione, binders, sauna, phosphatidylcholine, and advanced approaches being explored in functional medicine. If you've been dealing with unexplained symptoms—or wondering whether your environment could be playing a role—this episode will help you understand what to look for and where to start. Learn more about Dr. Shah:  Website: www.drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: @extend_podcast and @darshanshahmd Learn more about Dr. Jill Carnahan: Website: jillcarnahan.com Youtube: youtube.com/c/jillcarnahanmd Instagram: @drjillcarnahan Thank You to Our Sponsors! Next Health Longevity Summit: Join us at Next Health Nashville Summit next-health.com/summit for a one day event of incredible speakers, activations and a wellness community like no other!  Pendulum: You can go to pendulumlife.com and use my code EXTEND for 20% off your first order.  IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at im8health.com/DRSHAH

Walk into any supplement aisle—or scroll through social media—and you'll find thousands of products promising better energy, performance, brain health, and longevity. But which supplements actually work? And how do you know what's really inside them? My guest is Jeff Byers, a former NFL athlete and the co-founder of Momentous, a performance nutrition company built around rigorous standards for supplement quality, sourcing, testing, and efficacy. His path into health and performance started long before Momentous. As a freshman football player at USC, a devastating hip injury led to two major surgeries and the possibility that he might never play again. That experience forced him to rethink his identity beyond football, eventually earning his MBA before going on to play in the NFL—and later channeling that same resilience into entrepreneurship and human performance. In this conversation, we clear up the confusion around supplements and get practical about what actually matters. We break down four foundational areas—creatine, protein, omega-3s, and fiber—and why consistency, proper dosing, sourcing, and product quality can matter just as much as the supplement itself. We also discuss when supplements like vitamin D, magnesium, iron, and B vitamins should be guided by bloodwork rather than guesswork. In this episode, you'll learn: • The four foundational supplements we believe can have the biggest impact • How to choose a high-quality supplement—and what NSF and USP certifications actually mean • Why creatine goes far beyond building muscle, including its emerging role in brain health and cognition • How much EPA and DHA to look for in an omega-3—and why "fish oil" doesn't necessarily mean you're getting enough • Why fiber is critical for gut, metabolic, and cardiovascular health • How bloodwork can help determine whether you actually need vitamin D, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, or other targeted supplements We also explore why more isn't always better. Taking dozens of supplements you don't need isn't the goal. The goal is to master the fundamentals, identify your individual deficiencies, choose products you can trust, and build a routine you can actually stick with. If you've ever looked at your supplement cabinet and wondered, Do I actually need all of this?—this episode will help you cut through the noise. Learn more about Dr. Shah:  Website: drshah.com Clinic: next-health.com Instagram: @darshanshahmd and @extend_podcast Learn more about Jeff Byers:  Website: livemomentous.com Instagram: @live.momentous Thank You to Our Sponsors:  Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com to discover more about Creatine, Fiber, Omega-3 and Protein, use DRSHAH at checkout for up to 35% off!  Next Health Longevity Summit: Visit next-health.com/summit to get tickets to our first ever Next Health Longevity Summit! You will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Shah, Dr. Jeremy London, Dr. Vonda Wright, Dr. Louisa Nicola, Dr. Will Cole and more. You will also be able to taste products from Momentous and experience the top brands in longevity!