The pharmaceutical industry is filled with greedy businessmen getting innocent consumers hooked on their toxic products in order to barely keep them alive. But if you want to actually thrive, an entire array of natural supplements are just a click away.
So goes most every wellness pitch on social media. Mallory DeMille returns to break down the marketing techniques as we dive into the sordid world of supplements and peptide creation, which, in reality, is not dissimilar from pharmaceuticals. In fact, many products use the same manufacturing processes and production plants, as Derek discusses.
In the final segment, Julian revisits Bryan Johnson, the centimillionaire on a quest to live to 200, and what his recent chronic illness diagnosis says about pumping your body filled with experimental drugs. Interview:
Neurosurgeon Dr. Vivekanand Palavali joins us to examine how science unravels near-death and out-of-body experiences. Then, we hear from members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus who are pushing back against Christian nationalism and the false claim that America was founded as a Christian nation.
In this episode of From Bench to Bedside, Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu break down the latest Ebola outbreak, what makes this outbreak different, and why public health experts are paying close attention.
We discuss:
✅ What Ebola is and how it spreads
✅ Why this outbreak may be the largest on record
✅ Why Ebola is NOT airborne
✅ Symptoms and progression of Ebola virus disease
✅ Why delayed detection is such a major concern
✅ The role of vaccines, public health infrastructure, and global health funding
✅ U.S. involvement and international response efforts
✅ Common myths and misinformation about Ebola
✅ What individuals can do to support outbreak response
Our goal is to provide evidence-based information and context, not fear.
Subscribe for future episodes where science meets real-world medicine.
A controversy at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions sparked national headlines after several prominent diabetes researchers were removed while distributing an editorial criticizing cuts and changes to U.S. biomedical research funding.
Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu discuss what happened, examine the editorial at the center of the controversy, and explore broader concerns about NIH funding, scientific independence, peer review, and the future of American research.
They also discuss how funding decisions today may impact patient care, medical innovation, and scientific progress for years to come. Interview:
At the 2026 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, several prominent diabetes researchers—including current and former ADA leaders—were removed after distributing an editorial published in the ADA's own flagship journal.
In this episode of From Bench to Bedside, Dr. Zachary Rubin, MD, and Dr. Melanie Matheu, PhD, break down:
What happened at the ADA conference
Why researchers were handing out the editorial
The growing concerns about NIH funding and scientific independence
The proposed changes to federal grant review processes
Brain drain and the future of American biomedical research
The role of scientific advocacy in medicine
Why this controversy matters for patients, physicians, and researchers
This conversation goes beyond politics and focuses on a fundamental question:
What responsibility do scientists have to speak out when research is threatened?
📚 Editorial discussed:
"Misguided Brushes of a Pen Continue to Dismantle and Destroy Biomedical Research in the United States. We Can No Longer Afford Complacency and Fear. We Must All Act Now."
Subscribe for evidence-based discussions on medicine, science, public health, and healthcare policy.
00:00 Midwest storms, tornado warnings, and recording delays
02:05 Welcome to From Bench to Bedside
03:10 What happened at the ADA Scientific Sessions?
05:20 What scientific conferences are really like
07:35 The American Diabetes Association and its mission
08:55 Researchers removed while distributing an editorial
11:20 The editorial criticizing NIH funding cuts
14:10 Proposed changes to NIH grant review and peer review concerns
17:15 Brain drain and the future of U.S. biomedical research
19:30 Scientific advocacy versus politics
22:10 Was this really a protest?
24:05 Why research funding matters for patients
25:55 Final thoughts: Why scientists must speak up
27:05 Outro
A plague is coming. We don’t know when or which one, but we do know that since humans started gathering in groups numbering in the thousands, plagues became a consistent feature of existence. So a plague is always on the horizon, and public health is the response of a healthy society.
How healthy is America right now? Given that a recent NY Times investigation found that RFK Jr is laser-focused on vaccines and food dyes and not much of anything else, the news is not great. Today we look at candidates for the next plague, how unprepared the government is, and, in classic Conspirituality fashion, the wellness influencers selling products they just know will help your immune system stave off any little virus destined to become a plandemic.
In This Week in Conspirituality, Matthew checks in on someone else’s health: Donald Trump, and the online prediction market that’s emerged to appease a cultural wish fulfillment. Interview:
The FDA is bleeding out Covid contrarians. Marty Makary, Vinay Prasad, Tracy Beth Høeg—all gone. Jonathan Howard returns to discuss why so many RFK Jr's friends have reached the end of their bureaucratic road.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia Bar over its efforts to discipline Trump Administration lawyers.
Kash Patel was caught falsifying Bureau statistics to boost his record of arrests in the face of congressional criticism for his alleged drinking habit.
New York’s Attorney Grievance Committee found “sufficient basis for a finding of professional misconduct” against disqualified US Attorney John Sarcone III.
A Trump appointed judge has accused the Justice Department of appalling and unsettling behavior in a case over subpoenas for patient information regarding gender affirming care.
Many of the ads and videos you see for supplements and health and fitness products (which might be scams) are being churned out using AI, and generating huge incomes for the creators of the videos, in addition to sales for the vendors.
Two months ago, we recorded Episode 291: My Chinese Buddhist Israeli AI Guru, surveying the growing field of AI slopfluencers churning out wellness supplements via Amazon affiliate links. At the time, we weren’t clear on who was behind these accounts.
Then Mallory DeMille went down a YouTube and TikTok rabbit hole and found the men making millions from these accounts. Today we’re going to look at what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and the cultural and racial dynamics at play in their slop. Interview:
Ticks aren’t just annoying! They can change your life.
In this episode of From Bench to Bedside, Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu break down the most important tick-borne diseases in the United States, including:
Alpha-gal syndrome (the meat allergy from tick bites)
Lyme disease
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Ehrlichiosis & Anaplasmosis
You’ll learn:
What symptoms to watch for
Why some reactions are delayed and confusing
How to safely remove a tick
What actually works to prevent tick bites
⚠️ This episode is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.
00:00 Intro + Disclaimer
00:40 Relationship Banter
01:50 The Tick Story
02:40 Episode Overview: Why Ticks Matter
03:10 Alpha-Gal Syndrome (Meat Allergy)
05:30 How Tick Bites Trigger Alpha-Gal
07:20 Where It’s Found + Rising Cases
08:40 Symptoms (Delayed Anaphylaxis Explained)
10:20 Lyme Disease Basics
11:50 Bullseye Rash + Early Signs
13:20 Lyme Complications (Neuro/Cardiac)
14:40 Treatment + Antibiotics
15:50 Lyme Vaccine Update + Context
17:00 Why Lyme Can Be Hard to Clear (Immune Evasion)
Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu break down the most shocking moments from RFK Jr.’s April 16, 2026 testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.
From controversial comments about ADHD and “reparenting,” to misleading claims about measles outbreaks, vaccine messaging, Medicaid cuts, and nutrition policy, this episode separates fact from fiction using real medical evidence.
If you want to understand what’s actually happening in U.S. health policy right now, and what it means for patients, this episode is essential listening.
00:00 – Intro + DC trip recap
03:10 – Inside the hearing: first impressions
06:45 – RFK Jr. “reparenting” comments + full context
12:30 – Why the ADHD claims are dangerous (and wrong)
16:10 – Measles outbreak: what’s actually happening
20:40 – Vaccine misinformation vs reality
25:15 – Mennonite communities & vaccine outreach
29:30 – Missed interview + key takeaway from Congressman Beyer
32:10 – AHRQ cuts: why this is a BIG deal for healthcare
38:20 – Food pyramid myth vs MyPlate reality
43:45 – Nutrition education in medical school (truth vs rhetoric)
50:10 – Role of dieticians (what doctors actually do)
54:20 – Medicaid cuts explained (what’s really happening)
1:00:15 – “Rural Health Transformation Plan” breakdown
1:04:50 – Microplastics, EPA rollbacks & public health risks
1:09:30 – Food dyes: U.S. vs Europe myth
1:14:20 – Final thoughts: what surprised us most
1:18:10 – Call to action + closing
It’s been a chaotic week in health and science, and a lot of important stories are getting buried.
In Episode 9 of From Bench to Bedside, Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu break down the health headlines that actually matter: alternative funding programs for medications, ACIP charter changes, the worsening measles outbreak, a polio travel advisory, cuts to rabies and poxvirus testing, and a couple of good-news stories to end on hope.
Let us know what story stood out most, and share this episode with someone who wants clear, grounded takes on science, medicine, and public health.
00:00 Intro + “it’s been a week”
02:00 Alternative Funding Programs (AFPs): cheaper meds, hidden risks
05:30 Why doctors may not even know patients are using AFPs
08:30 RFK Jr. & ACIP charter changes explained
13:00 Why expertise (actually) matters in vaccine policy
16:30 Measles outbreak update (U.S. data + trends)
20:30 Why teens & adults are driving cases now
23:00 Hospitalizations + who’s at highest risk
24:30 Polio travel advisory (what to know before summer trips)
26:30 Rabies & poxvirus testing cuts: why this matters
28:00 Good news: cancer death rates declining
29:00 Good news: wedding before heart transplant
29:45 Outro
Early in this podcast we covered the Disinformation Dozen, 12 wellness influencers and contrarian health figures responsible for spreading the lion’s share of vaccine misinformation on major social media platforms.
On a recent MAHA Action weekly call, Tony Lyons got the group back together for a victory lap after a court settlement seemed to justify their actions. Or did it?
We break down the court case, then hear from the influencers who continue to inflate their own sense of self-importance while rewriting a history that only exists in their minds. Interview:
Steve calls in to convince Justin that the orderliness of DNS proves the existence of God. However, multiple biologists and physicians chime in to teach him that his assumptions and conclusions are way off base, and real science proves him wrong.
Derek sits down with Dr Jessica Knurick at the Eudemonia Summit for this special live recording. They discuss combating health misinformation online, what MAHA gets right and wrong, whether or not "nutritionist" should be a protected term, and Jessica's possible political ambitions.
RFK Jr's senior advisor and supplements salesman, Calley Means, has repeatedly fabricated the story of Abraham Flexner and the birth of the modern medical system. Derek looks into his historical revisionism and what it could mean for the MAHA movement.
As part of Pangburn's Anti-RFK tour, I traveled to New York City for a live debate against prominent anti-vaxxers and douchebags supreme, Steve Kirsch and Pierre Kory. Given that they have profited off of human life, nobody in the history of my channel deserves to be exposed more, and I got to do it right to their dumb grifter faces. Aiding me in this endeavor was Dr. Dan Wilson of Debunk the Funk. Between the two of us, these jerks didn't know what hit them, so sit back and enjoy the carnage.
