Mayo Clinic-trained pathologist Dr. Ryan Cole shares how to think critically about health information, reduce fear, and take personal responsibility for immune health and fertility. He reveals practical steps for optimizing health including vitamin D, magnesium, nutrition, and sleep while challenging fear-based messaging.
Mayo Clinic-trained anatomic and clinical pathologist
Key Insights
Actionable Advice
Dr. Cole introduces his approach to evaluating health information objectively, emphasizing the importance of stepping back as a neutral third party and questioning the bias behind any health messaging. He reveals how statistics can be manipulated and why it's crucial to seek multiple perspectives before making decisions.
A shocking revelation that 80% of Americans are metabolically unwell and insulin resistant, which Dr. Cole identifies as the number one cause of infertility. He explains how processed foods with inflammatory omega-6 oils create immune system dysfunction that prevents conception and implantation.
Dr. Cole details the critical importance of vitamin D (a pro-hormone controlling 2,000 genes), magnesium (80% of Americans are deficient), and vitamin K2. He explains the synergistic relationship between these nutrients and how proper supplementation can dramatically improve immune function and fertility outcomes.
Rather than living in fear of health crises, Dr. Cole encourages focusing on what you can control through lifestyle optimization. He shares evidence about nature exposure boosting immune function and emphasizes that positive mindset literally affects hormone production and overall health outcomes.
“the number one, two, three things that causes infertility is insulin resistance”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 18:00
According to Dr. Ryan Cole, insulin resistance is the number one, two, three cause of infertility, affecting 80% of Americans who are metabolically unwell due to processed foods and inflammatory oils.
“make yourself a third party. Don't criticize. Don't demean either side. Listen and listen fully and let both sides speak”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 6:21
Step back as a neutral third party, listen to all perspectives without bias, and question who is providing the information and what their financial or power interests might be before making decisions.
“vitamin d is a pro hormone, and it controls directly or indirectly two thousand genes in our body”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 25:25
Vitamin D (most Americans are deficient), magnesium (80% are deficient), and vitamin K2. Take magnesium at bedtime to help move vitamin D from fat storage into circulation where it can function.
“if your immune system is overreved and attacking and preventing conception. If you can shift that inflammation into a calm pattern by, again, avoiding things”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 19:11
Processed foods contain inflammatory omega-6 oils that create immune system overactivation, causing the body to attack and prevent conception and implantation.
“because of the inputs of the environment, those t cells are more active and ramped up. So it's literally being out in nature”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 29:22
Spending 30-60 minutes in nature literally increases T-cell activity and natural killer cells. Japanese studies measure immune cell activity before and after forest walks, showing measurable improvement from environmental inputs.
“No. And and, again, now we're gonna go back to statistics. But overall, this was a bad flu season”
— Dr. Ryan Cole▶ 30:54
No. Fear is being used to capture your attention. Focus on what you can control - your own health optimization through diet, supplements, sleep, and stress management rather than population statistics.
Dr. Ryan Cole's framework for evaluating health advice and making informed decisions
Step back as a neutral third party
Approach health information like an alien observer - don't immediately accept or reject, just listen to all perspectives without emotional attachment
Question the source and bias
Ask who is providing the information and what their financial, power, or other interests might be in promoting this message
Seek multiple perspectives
Don't rely on just one source - actively look for other viewpoints and expert opinions before forming conclusions
Focus on what you can control
Instead of worrying about population statistics, concentrate on optimizing your own individual health through diet, supplements, sleep, and stress management
Evaluate your current health status
Honestly assess how well you're taking care of yourself and identify small, incremental improvements you can make starting today
Step back as a neutral third party when evaluating health information - don't look at bias, listen to all sides before forming conclusions
Dr. Ryan Cole, Mayo Clinic-trained pathologist who has seen 350,000+ patients, explains his diagnostic approach of looking at tissue samples without seeing patient names to avoid bias.
Insulin resistance is the number one, two, three cause of infertility and affects 80% of Americans who are metabolically unwell
Dr. Ryan Cole, pathologist with 19 years experience, states that 80% of Americans are insulin resistant and this is among the top causes of infertility, often caused by processed foods and inflammatory oils.
Processed foods with inflammatory omega-6 oils create immune system overactivation that prevents conception by attacking and preventing implantation
Dr. Cole explains that canola, soybean, grapeseed, safflower, sunflower and peanut oils found in 80% of processed foods create inflammation that causes the immune system to attack and prevent conception.
Vitamin D is a pro-hormone controlling 2,000 genes and is the master key to immune response - 70% of North Americans are deficient
Dr. Cole explains that vitamin D deficiency affects 70% of North Americans and directly or indirectly controls 2,000 genes, with every cell having a vitamin D receptor for proper immune function.
Take magnesium with vitamin D because 80% of North Americans are magnesium deficient due to depleted soils, and magnesium moves vitamin D from fat to circulation
Dr. Cole states that 80% of North Americans are magnesium deficient because soils are depleted, and magnesium is required to move vitamin D from adipose tissue into circulation where it can function.
Being in nature for 30-60 minutes literally boosts T-cell activity and natural killer cells - Japanese studies show measurable immune improvement
Dr. Cole references Japanese forest bathing studies where researchers measure T-cells and natural killer cell activity before and after 30-60 minute nature walks, showing literal immune system enhancement from environmental inputs.
Statistics can be manipulated - vaccine effectiveness of 95% actually means 100-120 people need both shots for one person to have one less symptom
Dr. Cole explains that relative risk reduction versus absolute risk reduction shows that 100-120 people need vaccination for one person to benefit, demonstrating how statistics can be presented misleadingly.
Fear messaging is designed to steal your attention - when you feel fear from health information, step back and ask why they're making you afraid
Dr. Cole explains that media uses 'if it bleeds, it leads' approach because attention is the commodity they're buying, and fear-based messaging should trigger critical evaluation of motives.
Positive mindset literally stimulates hormones - positive intentions affect adrenal glands, endorphins, and natural happy hormone production
Dr. Cole explains that positive thinking 'what if I do?' versus 'what if I don't?' literally stimulates hormones, affecting adrenal glands, endorphins (natural opioids), and metencephalins (natural happy hormones).
Nine times out of ten, patients give you the diagnosis if you just listen - be a good storyteller when seeing healthcare providers
Dr. Cole, with 350,000+ patients seen, emphasizes that patients reveal their diagnosis through storytelling when clinicians listen, and patients should prepare their timeline and symptoms coherently.
Step back as a neutral third party when evaluating health information - don't look at bias, listen to all sides before forming conclusions
▶ 6:21Insulin resistance is the number one, two, three cause of infertility and affects 80% of Americans who are metabolically unwell
▶ 18:00Processed foods with inflammatory omega-6 oils create immune system overactivation that prevents conception by attacking and preventing implantation
▶ 19:11Vitamin D is a pro-hormone controlling 2,000 genes and is the master key to immune response - 70% of North Americans are deficient
▶ 25:25Take magnesium with vitamin D because 80% of North Americans are magnesium deficient due to depleted soils, and magnesium moves vitamin D from fat to circulation
▶ 27:07Being in nature for 30-60 minutes literally boosts T-cell activity and natural killer cells - Japanese studies show measurable immune improvement
▶ 29:22Statistics can be manipulated - vaccine effectiveness of 95% actually means 100-120 people need both shots for one person to have one less symptom
▶ 10:49Fear messaging is designed to steal your attention - when you feel fear from health information, step back and ask why they're making you afraid
▶ 14:35Positive mindset literally stimulates hormones - positive intentions affect adrenal glands, endorphins, and natural happy hormone production
▶ 31:46Nine times out of ten, patients give you the diagnosis if you just listen - be a good storyteller when seeing healthcare providers
▶ 24:44“You should trust statistics and population-based medical guidelines without question”
CONSIDER: Statistics can be manipulated and don't apply to you as an individual - step back as a neutral third party and evaluate the bias behind health information
“Fear about health crises is justified and you should stay afraid”
CONSIDER: Fear is being used to steal your attention - when you feel fear from health messaging, ask why they're trying to make you afraid and seek other perspectives
“the number one, two, three things that causes infertility is insulin resistance”
“there are lies, there are damn lies, and there are statistics”
“make yourself a third party. Don't criticize. Don't demean either side. Listen and listen fully and let both sides speak”
“if it bleeds, it leads in the news and the media. So if it's not attention grabbing, then it's not gonna be a headline”
“your body is a community, so how you treat that community is how that community treats you”
“some people die at twenty five but aren't buried until they're eighty five”
EP 353: A NOT Hella Boring Conversation About Functional Nutrition with Katie Keen
What happens when an expert dismisses your symptoms as 'all in your head' — and how functional nutrition can transform your fertility journey in ways traditional medicine never could.
EP229 Disrupt the Big Pharma-Big Food Matrix: A Conversation with Calley Means
A former pharma lobbyist exposes the shocking truth about how medical schools are 80% funded by pharmaceutical companies and why your fertility doctor isn't talking about nutrition.
EP198 Fertility Rejuvenation + The Power of Mindset with Dr. Zaher Merhi, MD
Discover how a pioneering fertility doctor is helping women in their 50s conceive with their own eggs using revolutionary rejuvenation techniques.
Traditional medicine often dismisses women's health symptoms as psychological, even when serious conditions are present
Katie Keen went to her OBGYN multiple times with weight gain, fatigue, and menstrual problems. After blood tests showed 'normal' results, the doctor told her 'it's all in your head' and gave her a therapist's card, despite Katie having undiagnosed PCOS, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism, leaky gut, and severe inflammation.
Functional nutrition goes beyond general dietary advice to address root causes through personalized protocols based on individual health history and testing
Katie Keen explains functional nutrition as 'deep diving into the root causes behind what's causing the imbalances in somebody's body and then fixing those imbalances by different protocols or tailored nutritional plans and lifestyle strategies' - not just telling someone to 'go paleo' or 'eat healthy.'
Ninety percent of medical school curriculum focuses on pharmacology, while 80% of medical schools don't require a single nutrition class for doctors to graduate
Calley Means, former pharma lobbyist, reveals that Stanford Medical School and Harvard Medical School are among the institutions that don't require nutrition education, despite food being the primary driver of metabolic dysfunction affecting fertility.
PCOS and fertility issues are fundamentally connected to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, which can be reversed through dietary interventions
Calley's sister Casey, a Stanford-trained surgeon, discovered that patients with fertility issues, depression, diabetes, and high cholesterol all shared root metabolic dysfunction that could be addressed through food and exercise interventions rather than separate medications for each condition.
