#193 - How diet affects joint health, arthritis, & longevity | Dr. Howard Luks & Dr. Casey Means

We often think that arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, and degenerative joint issues are an inevitable result of aging—but this is far from the truth. Good metabolic health can have significant positive effects on bones, muscles, and joints, and can improve longevity. Conversely, poor metabolic health accelerates the degeneration of joints and tissues for many reasons, like the impact of high uric acid levels, lipid or cholesterol deposits, chronic inflammation, and poor blood flow to tissues. Surgeon Dr. Howard Luks and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means discuss musculoskeletal health, how it is related to longevity, how it’s linked to metabolic health, and how to decrease your risks for musculoskeletal pain, degenerative joint issues, and surgery.

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Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.

Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.

🎙 What Dr. Howard Luks & Dr. Casey Means discuss:

(05:14) - Dr. Casey Means’ personal experience with an orthopedic injury

(12:09) - The link between joint and metabolic health

(18:19) - Maintaining activity may help improve musculoskeletal health despite osteoarthritic pain

(27:53) - Cartilage cells, tendinopathy, and how metabolic health is linked to our tendon health, like with tennis elbow or shoulder pain

(37:04) - The importance of blood flow and cellular repair

(46:58) - The importance of being your best medical advocate in modern medicine

(50:09) - How Dr. Luks started learning about metabolic health and wrote his book, Longevity Simplified

(1:02:49) - The simple pillars of longevity

(1:24:56) - Why you don't need to be concerned about osteoarthritis

(1:32:00) - Trust your body by boosting its regenerative capabilities
Transcripts & Show notes

🔗 Helpful links:

Order "Longevity…Simplified" by Dr. Howard Luks: https://www.howardluksmd.com/book/

Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/XbjORE6D8UA

Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1