Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD

What if the fatigue, brain fog, low energy, and other symptoms we associate with getting older actually begin much deeper—at the level of our cells?
I've followed Dr. Will Cole's work for years, and his approach to gut health and functional medicine played an important role in my own health journey. Now he's taking that conversation one step further with his new book, Heal Your Cells, exploring what's happening inside our cells as we age—and what we can do to support them.
In this conversation, we break down the emerging science of cellular health and longevity, including why different organs may age at different rates, how mitochondrial dysfunction affects energy, and the everyday factors that can accelerate cellular aging.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why cellular health may be the next frontier of longevity
How your biological and organ age can differ from your chronological age
How toxins and nutrient deficiencies can affect cellular function
Why mitochondrial health is critical for energy, metabolism, and healthy aging
How food, polyphenols, movement, and other lifestyle factors support your cells
What peptides are and why they're becoming a major part of the longevity conversation
What to know about emerging regenerative therapies like stem cells
Why emotional health, stress, relationships, and spirituality also belong in the longevity conversation
We also discuss oxidative stress, cellular signaling, food sensitivities, environmental exposures, and the growing number of tools designed to measure and influence how we age.
The biggest takeaway is that improving cellular health doesn't require doing everything at once. Start with one change. Support the foundations. Then build from there.
Because when we talk about longevity, we're ultimately talking about the health of the trillions of cells that make up who we are.
Learn more about Dr. Shah: 
Website: drshah.com
Clinic: next-health.com
Instagram: @darshanshahmd and @extend_podcast
Learn more about Dr. Will Cole: 
Website: drwillcole.com
Book - Heal Your Cells - Available now at penguinrandomhouse.com
Instagram: @drwillcole
Thank You To Our Sponsor! 
Momentous: Head to livemomentous.com and use my code DRSHAH at checkout for up to 35% Off!

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