The Orange Pill Podcast

Creatine may be famous for building muscle, but its next frontier could be the brain. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials found that creatine supplementation was associated with improvements in memory, with additional promising findings around attention and processing speed. In Episode 138 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore how creatine helps fuel the brain's enormous energy demands, why women and younger adults showed...

What if the hardening of our arteries isn't entirely inevitable? A two-year study investigated whether vitamin K2 as MK-7 could influence the progression of coronary artery calcification in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. While calcification progressed in both groups, participants receiving 360 μg of MK-7 daily showed significantly slower progression compared with placebo. In Episode 137 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore what the findings reveal about vitamin...

A 2025 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial explored whether a combination of Polypodium leucotomos, Red Orange extract, and vitamins could help strengthen the skin’s natural defenses against UVB exposure. After eight weeks, participants showed a 23.8% increase in UV tolerance and a 46.2% reduction in UVB-induced redness, without significantly affecting tanning. In Episode 136 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore the emerging science of oral photoprotection and why the future...

What does it really cost to make GRAS notification mandatory? The FDA’s proposed GRAS overhaul promises greater transparency, but the headline numbers may not tell the whole story. Beyond the administrative cost of filing a notification are potentially much larger expenses tied to toxicology, exposure assessments, expert review, regulatory support, and delays. In Episode 135 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack the economics behind the proposal, the difference between...

What if one of the world’s oldest, and most expensive spices could have a measurable impact on the everyday “gray zone” of mental health? In Episode 134 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore a 2025 randomized controlled trial examining a standardized saffron extract in 202 adults experiencing subclinical depressive symptoms. We break down five findings from the study and explore a bigger question for the nutraceutical industry: Could standardized...