We’re told that our healthcare system exists to keep us healthy, but what if it was never designed for that? In this episode, we trace the roots of modern medicine and nutrition to uncover how profit-driven interests shaped the way we approach...
We’re told that our healthcare system exists to keep us healthy, but what if it was never designed for that? In this episode, we trace the roots of modern medicine and nutrition to uncover how profit-driven interests shaped the way we approach health today — and why so many people are chronically sick despite significant medical advancements.
It all started in the early 20th century, when John D. Rockefeller used his influence to centralize medical education, steering it away from nutrition and holistic care and toward a pharmaceutical-first approach. His reforms, built on the Flexner Report, ensured that doctors would be trained to treat symptoms with drugs rather than address root causes.
Later, Ancel Keys’ flawed research further distorted our understanding of health, vilifying saturated fats while paving the way for highly processed, industrial seed oils — ingredients that still dominate today’s ultra-processed food landscape.
The food industry took this even further in the 1980s when major tobacco companies pivoted to food production, using their expertise in addiction to engineer products designed for overconsumption. The result? The population got hooked on cheap, nutrient-devoid foods while chronic disease skyrocketed.
Meanwhile, the medical system thrives on managing disease, not preventing it — because prevention doesn’t generate revenue.
So where does that leave us? It means that reclaiming our health requires stepping outside the system. That starts with rejecting ultra-processed foods, prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense meals, and challenging the mainstream narratives about diet and disease. It also means seeking out medical professionals who focus on prevention and lifestyle interventions rather than prescriptions alone.
The system isn’t going to change itself. But by making informed choices, we can take control of our own health.
Learn more:
How America's food and healthcare systems were compromised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iOeWcYF6X4
Flexner report: http://archive.carnegiefoundation.org/publications/pdfs/elibrary/Carnegie_Flexner_Report.pdf
High fructose corn syrup induces metabolic dysregulation and altered dopamine signaling in the absence of obesity: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5747444/#:~:text=Conclusion,34%2C54%2C66%5D.
Influence of food industry funding: https://thesmhp.org/ada-and-processed-food-industry/
Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of Ad Libitum food intake: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105044/
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Peluva!
Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven’t worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury.
To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review and use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair.
In this episode:
00:00 - Intro
01:45 - How Rockefeller reshaped healthcare
03:20 - Ancel Keys and the cholesterol myth
04:10 - How seed oils replaced real fats
04:40 - Big Tobacco’s pivot to food addiction
05:05 - High fructose corn syrup and metabolic disease
05:50 - The real cost of a broken healthcare system
06:15 - How doctors are trained to treat symptoms, not causes
06:50 - The shocking rise of obesity, diabetes, and autism
07:50 - Why change won’t come from the government
08:26 - The steps to reclaim your health
10:10 - Final thoughts
Find me on social media for more health and wellness content:
Website: https://michaelkummer.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82
[Medical Disclaimer]
The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health.
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I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you’d like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
#PrimalShift #OptimalHealth #AncestralLiving #Diet #DietaryGuidelines #HealthSystem #Medindustry
Have you ever wondered why chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are so rampant, even though we live in an age of advanced medicine?
Here's the truth. It's no accident. The systems meant to keep us healthy and nourish if we've corrupted for profit.
This isn't just speculation. It's a well-tock-imitted story of many people from John D Rockefeller's influence on medical schools, so they rise of ultra-processed foods and engineered to add to it.
The good news, there is a way out. And in this episode we'll explore how our health care and food systems became broken and what you can do to reclaim your health. So let's get started.
Intro:
Are you ready to revolutionize your health and reconnect to your primal self? Welcome to the Primal Shift podcast.
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Peluva!
Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven’t worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury.
To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review and use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair.
Michael Kummer: The story begins in the early 20th century with John D. Rockefeller.
known as the father of the pharmaceutical industry, Rockefeller saw an opportunity to turn oil by products into medicine.
But there was a problem. Medicine at the time was not centralized.
Holistic and natural apathic practices were common and medically education emphasized nutrition and preventative care how it should be.
But Rockefeller needed to change that. In 1910, his personal lawyer Abraham Flexner authored the Flexner report, which reshaped Medicare Education and America.
The report labeled "Tolistic Medicine" as "Sudoscience" and called for a standardized curriculum focused on pharmacological and surgical interventions.
Rockefeller, then, poured millions into the creation of medical schools like John Hopkins and the University of Chicago, ensuring they adopted this new model.
By the 1930s, medical schools were heavily influenced by pharmaceutical interests.
Doctors were trained to prescribe pills, not preventive disease, and the concept of treating the whole body in diminished education.
This shift set the stage for a healthcare system built on managing symptoms rather than addressing root causes.
And legacy we are still living with today. That's the reason why if you go to the doctor, they're only concerned about treating the symptoms,
and often don't even ask, or inquire about the potential root causes of what might cause those issues that you are dealing with.
Now fast forward to the 1950s and another pivotal figure, Ansel Kies. His lipid hypothesis claimed
that saturated fats and cholesterol cost heart disease. It was a seductive theory, but the data
didn't add up. He's had been criticized for selecting data from countries that supported
his hypothesis, while ignoring others that contradict his findings. And that's how the seven
countries study came about where he cherry picked seven countries that fit his hypothesis and
ignored all the data from the 22 countries in total that didn't fit. And despite the contested
research, keys hypothesis gain traction. Thanks in part to government backing and media promotion,
much like today. The result saturated fats like butter and large and telewervillified and cheap
industrially produced seed oils, typically used as engine lubrication like soybean and cornoid
were promoted as Goldenwald or Calcy alternative. These oils are high in Omega 6 fatty acids,
which then when consumed in X's especially can promote inflammation and disrupt the body's balance.
Yet they became a cornerstone of the low-fat dietary guidelines introduced in the land in 70s.
In the real kicker, these guidelines were backed by food companies eager to profit from cheap
process products. By the 1980s, the manipulation of food took a darker turn, facing the
cleaning cigarette sales to back a company's pivoted to food, believed that tobacco goes into
food. Something you probably didn't know. For example, Archie Reynolds acquired Nabisco and
Philip Morris bought craft and general foods. These companies applied their expertise in addiction
to create ultra processed foods engineered to override our natural hunger signals.
Enter high fructose corn syrup as significant concern for our health. The rife from corn and heavily subsidized by the government, high fructose corn syrup became a staple in processed foods. And unlike natural sugars, excessive high fructose corn sugar consumption can disrupt metabolism, promote fat storage, and increase oxidative stress. Today, a significant portion of children's calories come from ultra processed foods. And these aren't just unhealthy. They are designed to be highly palatable.
leading to overconsumption and cascade of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and everything else in between.
Meanwhile, the healthcare system was evolving into a profit-striven machine.
Consider this, as substantial portion of medical spending today goes towards managing these diseases, not preventing that.
Why? Because prevention doesn't generate revenue. There is no money to be made with that people, or with healthy people.
perpetually and chronically sick people is where the dough is. And that's why we have the medical system at the health care system or the sick care system really that we have today.
And doctors are often silent into specialties trying to treat symptoms rather than root causes.
Medical schools influence by pharmaceutical funding, emphasize drugs of our lifestyle interventions and clinically guidelines.
shaped by organizations like the American Diabetes Association have been critiqued for downplaying the role of died were promoting pharmaceutical solutions.
Now here's a concerning example. The ADA has faced scrutiny over its dietary guidelines and recommendations with debates about the influence of food industry funding on its positions.
Instead of addressing the root causes of diabetes, the system often relies on medications like insulin to manage the conditions.
But let's talk about what this means for really people. You know, 74% of Americans are either overweight or obese. That's absolutely nuts. What's even worse, 50% of adults have either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Half of the freaking population in this country have some sort of insulin resistance. That's absolutely mind-pobbing. Also, autism rates have jumped from one in 115, the year 2000, to one in the country.
36 today, and Alzheimer's disease now called type 3 diabetes is at an all-time high with early
onset dementia cases increasing in recent years. These aren't just numbers, their lives,
children of facing health challenges and families are struggling with medical expenses
worth seeking solutions that don't offer metres the underlying problems. So where do we go from here?
Where the first step is to recognize that this system was designed, but it can be changed. And here's
First of all, we can't wait on leadership at the state of federal level to fix this.
I mean, it's great that we now see a change in perception and a change in how we approach health
care and trying to make America healthy again, and all of that is great.
But change won't come from the top down.
It starts with us, the consumers.
Every time you shop for groceries, eat out or buy supplements, you're voting with your
dollars.
So support local farmers, choose whole foods of a process chunk and pray or it has
And here is how we can fight back. Number one, educate yourself. Learn about the
really causes of chronic disease, metabolic dysfunction driven by poor diet and lifestyle. And I know it takes a while and it's boring to read scientific research and you'd rather have someone else tell you what's real, but you have to educate yourself. Nobody cares more about your own health than you don't.
Don't delegate that not to me, not to someone else, do your own research and try to figure out what makes sense and what can be true in what can absolutely true.
The man number two, "Demand Transparency, hold food companies and health care institutions accountable, ask questions, if something looks fishy, ask them to show reports and studies and lab tests, if need to be to make sure they are transparent and honest with the labeling in between.
Number three, return to the basics. Prioritize really food over all to process chunk, choose
butter over mercury, grass fed meat over processed snacks. Go back to the basics,
how humans have been eating for a very, very long time. Before, we became fat,
and obese, and diabetic. Number four, focus on prevention and
not treating symptoms. Small changes like walking more,
getting sunlight and eating nutrient and foods can drastically reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
And if you have a medical professional that you work with and that person doesn't ask you simple questions like how do you sleep, how do you eat, how is your stress, how much do you exercise if those questions are not asked when you go to them to ask for help.
Look for another medical professor because they're evidently not equipped with finding and treating the root cause and instead are only interested in selling you drugs, making them legally drug dealers and not that's not going to help.
This isn't just a health crisis. It's a battle for our future. In this story, I told you today,
isn't history. It's a court action. Our food and health systems are broken,
but we have the power to change them. It starts with awareness, but it ends with action.
And if you want to learn more about all of that and really dive deep into an entire discussion,
I encourage you to listen to or watch the Chau Rogan episode with Dr. Casey,
means and Kelly means they talk about that in depth. All of the stuff that I mentioned,
not all of it, but most of it in very great detail. So check that out if you learn
more. If you want to learn more, it's a super interesting
discussion coming from professionals who's been trained in medical school,
and you know exactly how it works and who know that what I told you today is
truth and I didn't make any setup. So with that, um, and try. Let me know if you
to hear this and I hope I'll see you in the next one.
- Every wonder why humans are the only species that struggle with sleep.
In our next episode, we sit down with Sleep Expert Nick Stewart to unpack why we stress so much about something that should be effortless.
Are we sabotaging our own rest?
And could the key to better sleep be as simple as not worrying about it?
Tune in.
This one's a game changer.
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