The Orange Pill Podcast

What if supporting healthy aging isn't just about producing more NAD+, but also understanding why our cells lose it in the first place?

In Episode 150 of The Orange Pill Podcast, we explore the science behind NAD+, a molecule essential for cellular energy and DNA repair, and CD38, an enzyme increasingly studied for its role in age-related NAD+ decline.

We take a closer look at DailyColors®, a Mediterranean-inspired blend of plant phytonutrients, and the research investigating its potential to influence CD38 activity, cellular health, and pathways associated with healthy aging.

With KGK Science having conducted research for DailyColors®, this episode offers a closer look at how scientific investigation can help uncover the biological mechanisms behind innovative nutritional ingredients.

Can targeting NAD+ breakdown offer a different approach to supporting healthy aging? Tune in as we explore the science.

The FDA has finalized its guidance on identity and safety information for New Dietary Ingredient Notifications (NDINs). But what does this mean for the dietary supplement industry?

In Episode 149 of The Orange Pill Podcast, we break down the finalized guidance, exploring the FDA's recommendations for establishing ingredient identity, presenting safety evidence, and supporting safety conclusions.

With KGK Science's regulatory expertise extending to Dr. Corey Hilmas, our Chief Regulatory Officer, who was involved in drafting the FDA's original 2011 draft NDI guidance, this is a regulatory development particularly close to our team.

Tune in as we unpack what the finalized guidance means for the industry.

What if slowing biological aging didn't require expensive treatments or extreme lifestyle changes?

In Episode 148 of The Orange Pill Podcast, we explore findings from the landmark DO-HEALTH Bio-Age trial, which followed 777 adults aged 70 and older over three years to investigate whether omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and simple home exercise could influence biological aging.

Using advanced epigenetic clocks, researchers found that omega-3 supplementation modestly slowed several measures of biological aging, while combining all three interventions showed additional benefits on one aging measure—equivalent to approximately 2.9–3.8 months over three years.

Could everyday interventions help us age more healthfully? Join us as we unpack the science behind biological age, the potential of personalized nutrition, and what these findings could mean for the future of healthy longevity.

Creatine is best known for building muscle and boosting athletic performance, but could its benefits extend beyond the gym?

In this episode of The Orange Pill Podcast, we explore a 2025 study published in Nutrients examining creatine's effects on sleep, cognitive function, physical performance, and muscle recovery. After just seven days of supplementation, participants reported better sleep quality, demonstrated improved attention, and achieved greater high-intensity exercise performance.

But with some surprising findings and unanswered questions, is creatine's potential bigger than we thought? Join us as we unpack the science behind this familiar supplement and its emerging role in brain and body performance.

What if your muscles could regain strength before the soreness disappears?

Emerging research suggests that plant-derived polyphenols may influence exercise recovery in ways that go beyond simply reducing discomfort. Recent studies investigating Sorghum bicolor and specialized fruit polyphenol extracts have reported promising findings involving muscle strength recovery, exercise-related biomarkers and cellular signaling pathways associated with muscle growth.

In Episode 146 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore the science behind plant-powered recovery, from a clinical trial showing faster strength recovery without significant improvements in soreness to laboratory research revealing how sorghum polyphenols interact with muscle growth-related signaling pathways.

Could the future of sports nutrition involve more targeted support for the body's recovery processes?

When it comes to supplements, we often assume that a higher dose means a bigger effect. A 2025 randomized, double-blind crossover trial of Rhodiola rosea challenges that assumption.

After just seven days, 200 mg/day outperformed a 1,500 mg/day dose across several resistance-training outcomes, including repetition volume and upper-body strength, while neither dose meaningfully improved 30-second cycling sprint performance.

In Episode 145 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack the surprising dose-response relationship, why the benefits appeared specific to certain types of performance, and what the findings reveal about one of supplement science's most important lessons:

More isn't always better.

Ashwagandha has become synonymous with stress relief, but what happens when you put that claim through a placebo-controlled clinical trial?

A 12-week randomized, double-blind study of a standardized ashwagandha root extract found an unexpected result: perceived stress improved substantially in both the ashwagandha and placebo groups, with no significant difference between them. But look beyond stress scores, and a much more interesting picture emerges.

In Episode 144 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack what the trial revealed about fatigue, heart rate variability, hormonal markers and safety, and why understanding an adaptogen may require looking beyond how stressed someone feels to what is happening physiologically.

Can the same supplement produce completely opposite biological effects depending on sex?

A 2026 preclinical study investigating calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (Ca-αKG) in mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma found a striking divergence: supplementation reduced tumor growth and cell proliferation in female mice, while increasing both in males.

In Episode 143 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore how researchers traced this unexpected response to epigenetic reprogramming, why genes including Kdm6a, TBX5 and TP53 may help determine the outcome, and what this research could mean for a future where nutrition becomes increasingly sex-aware and genetically informed.

Dietary supplements are no longer a niche wellness habit. According to a new 2026 report from the National Center for Health Statistics, 60.2% of U.S. adults used at least one dietary supplement in the previous 30 days, and 38.7% used two or more.

In Episode 142 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack the latest NHANES data to explore who's supplementing, how habits change with age and sex, and the rise of the “poly-supplementer.”

From children taking multiple products to more than half of adults 60+ using at least two supplements, we're looking at what happens when supplementation shifts from an occasional health choice to a mainstream part of everyday life.

IBS isn't simply a digestive disorder, it's increasingly understood as a complex disorder of gut-brain interaction.

An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated whether a multi-species probiotic could influence not only IBS-related quality of life, but also oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers.

In Episode 141 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack four surprising findings from the study, from improvements in quality of life to the unexpected disconnect between symptom improvement and systemic inflammatory markers, and explore what they reveal about the increasingly complex relationship between the microbiome, gut and brain.

GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed the conversation around obesity and metabolic health. But as their use continues to grow, researchers and clinicians are beginning to pay closer attention to the nutritional consequences that can accompany significant appetite suppression, rapid weight loss, and persistent gastrointestinal side effects.

In this episode of The Orange Pill Podcast, we explore the emerging concern around thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in people using GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Thiamine stores in the body are limited, and prolonged reductions in food intake or recurrent vomiting can potentially lead to deficiency faster than many realize. In severe cases, this can result in neurological complications such as Wernicke encephalopathy.

We discuss why this issue deserves greater attention, the symptoms that may be easy to overlook, and what the growing use of GLP-1 therapies could mean for nutritional monitoring and clinical research.

As GLP-1 medications reshape weight management, should we also be thinking more carefully about what patients may be losing beyond weight?

Fiber isn't just about digestive health.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials involving more than 1,400 participants found that soluble fiber supplementation was associated with improvements in body weight, BMI, waist circumference and markers of insulin resistance.

In Episode 139 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore why 12 weeks matters, how soluble fiber interacts with the gut microbiome and satiety pathways, and why this simple nutritional intervention may deserve a bigger role in the weight-management conversation.

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 particularly interesting results in some analyses, and what the evidence really says about creatine as a tool for cognitive performance.

Turns out, creatine may have a lot more to offer beyond the bench press.

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 K2, developing versus established plaques, vascular vitamin K status, and why slowing calcification, not reversing it, could open an interesting new conversation about cardiovascular aging.

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 of sun protection may involve supporting the skin from both the outside and the inside.

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 paying for the “envelope” and the scientific “dossier,” and why smaller ingredient innovators could feel the impact most.

The question isn’t whether transparency has value—it’s what that transparency will ultimately cost.

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 botanicals play a greater role in supporting people who fall somewhere between feeling well and having a diagnosed mental health condition?

A proposed FDA rule could fundamentally change how new food ingredients enter the U.S. marketplace.

In Episode 133 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we unpack the FDA's proposal to move from voluntary to mandatory GRAS notifications, and explore what this shift could mean for food innovation, regulatory transparency, consumer safety, and the future of ingredient development.

Millions of people struggle with constipation, yet many still rely on laxatives that simply force the digestive system into action.

In Episode 132 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we explore why fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a clinically studied prebiotic, may represent a smarter approach to digestive health.

Learn how FOS nourishes beneficial gut bacteria, promotes natural bowel function, and supports long-term digestive wellness through the power of the microbiome.

Clinical trials are essential, but choosing the wrong dose, population, or endpoint can derail a study before it begins.

In Episode 131 of the Orange Pill Podcast, we introduce the KGK Design Intelligence Lab and explore how in silico dietary modeling can simulate health outcomes across virtual populations before the first participant is enrolled.

By combining randomized clinical trial data, NHANES population insights, and advanced statistical modeling, researchers can design smarter, more targeted, and better-informed human studies.