In EPISODE 182 OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER, Dr. Thomas Weimbs and Dr. Gillian Lockitch  discuss the prevalence and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which affects one in seven adults in the U.S. Dr. Weimbs highlights the importance of Diet and Lifestyle in managing CKD, particularly through ketogenic metabolic therapy. He explains that ketosis, induced by a low-carbohydrate diet, can slow the progression of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) by reducing inflammation and improving kidney function. Dr. Weimbs  describes the Ren-Nu program, a three-month nutrition and lifestyle intervention for kidney disease patients, which has shown significant improvements in kidney function and pain reduction for many participants. Whether you’re affected by kidney disease, have a family history, or are simply interested in how nutrition and epigenetic strategies can support healthy Aging, this episode will provide invaluable insights. 

Thomas Weimbs PhD is a leading expert in kidney disease research. He is a professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB) where he directs a research laboratory focused on polycystic kidney disease. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Cologne, Germany, and then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California in San Francisco. In 1999, as an assistant professor, he started his first independent research laboratory at the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. There, his research on polycystic kidney disease began with the support of a local family affected by PKD and whose family foundation still supports PKD research in Dr. Weimbs’ lab today. In 2005, Dr. Weimbs moved his laboratory back to California to join the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCSB. The laboratory studies molecular mechanisms underlying PKD with an emphasis towards developing new therapies. Recent research has led to the discovery that dietary interventions and natural metabolites strongly slow PKD progression in animal models. This led to the launch of Santa Barbara Nutrients with the goal to make these approaches available for the nutritional management of PKD.

Episode Timeline:

0:01 Introduction to kidney disease

3:16 Introduction of Dr.Thomas Weimbs

8:16 Overview of Kidney Function and Importance

13:36 Screening and Early Detection of Kidney Disease

21:51 Genetic and Sporadic Cases of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

24:11 Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for PKD

30:41 Mechanism and Effectiveness of Ketosis

33:30 Assessing Ketosis, and Dietary Recommendations

38:38 Nutrition and Lifestyle Intervention Program (Ren-Nu Program)

41:48 Challenges and Future Directions in Kidney Disease Research

Action Steps:

Schedule a free  Growing Older Living Younger CALL with Dr. Gillian Lockitch. 

 Join the online Growing Older Living Younger Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/growingolderlivingyounger

Learn about Dr. Thomas Weimbs and PKD research

Lab Facebook group  https://www.facebo

UCSB lab website: https://labs.mcdb.ucsb.edu/weimbs/thomas/

ok.com/groups/weimbslab/

The Ren-Nu nutrition and lifestyle program https://ren-nu.org

 https://santabarbaranutrients.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SantaBarbaraNutrients

Get to know Your Host: Dr. Gillian Lockitch

website: https://www.askdrgill.com/. 

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/gillian.lockitch/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/

X: https://twitter.com/GilliansReviews

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Dr. Gillian Lockitch Dr. Gillian Lockitch

Dr. Gillian Lockitch is an international speaker, author of Growing Older, Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and The Art of Retiring Comfortably, and host of the Growing Older, Living Younger Podcast. As a dual-certified Specialist in Paediatrics and Medical Biochemistry and Professor at the University of British Columbia, her professional career was rooted in science. During her rehabilitation from life-saving emergency spinal surgery, her passion to be able to dance again led her to explore the intersection of medical and epigenetic science with non-Western healing traditions, to understand how to change aging at the cellular level. Within the Growing Older, Living Younger Project, the Change Your Aging Masterplan cycle is a year-long 3 part coaching program to preserve mind and brain, build your best body, and to survive and thrive in your environment. At 70 Dr. Lockitch became a first time entrepreneur, building a global online business with the premiere wellness and beauty company, to help others extend their healthspan, stay vibrant, active, and independent as they age. Now retired from medical practice, Dr. Lockitch is an empathetic coach and mentor but does not diagnose, treat or prescribe for medical diseases.