🍆 Your Peni5 Is A Cardiologist

I got a bit too carried away this week and, against my better judgment, indulged in a bit of ego lifting. That tweaked my back and now I might be out of the gym for a few days.

The lesson? Sometimes less is more and consistency is often better than intensity.

The same philosophy applies to most things in life.

It's tempting to Fibermaxx, but often that is not sustainable. You need to build up to it slowly. For example I eat a lot of fiber and have two sachets of LOAM a day. But if you currently don't eat enough fiber, I wouldn't suggest you do exactly the same as me. Start low and take it slow.

Always good advice.

What you'll learn in this newsletter:

1. 🔥The 5 Signs Of Elite Gut Health

2. 🍆 Your Penis Is A Cardiologist

3. 🔪 Kill Analysis Paralysis in One Stroke

GUT health

🔥 The 5 Signs Of Elite Gut Health

My mission in creating content - be that my Youtube videos, my podcast, posts on Instagram or this newsletter - has always been the same. Empower you with the practical knowledge you need to take your gut (and general) health into your hands.

That said, it can be easy to fall into the trap of constantly telling people what they should be doing.

So, for a change, here are 5 signs your gut health is on-track: simple observations you can make at home that signal some things, if not all, are well in your personal plumbing.

1️⃣ You Don't Get Sick That Often

If you get sick less than once every 3 months, on average, that’s a good sign your gut-immune system axis is in action.

70% of your immune system lives in your gut. These cells are constantly sampling what’s travelling through your digestive system and responding to pathogens as well as beneficial molecules.

However, if your balance of beneficial bacteria gets disrupted (gut dysbiosis) the signals from these cells tend towards "danger" increasing inflammation and susceptibility to infections.

Of course, we’ll all pick up the odd infection now and again regardless of our gut health. This is why the 3-month window is a useful rule of thumb (not a hard and fast rule).

Fun fact: here’s a real life example of this gut-immune axis.

We actually saw significant reductions in IL-6 and hsCRP (inflammatory markers) in trial participants taking LOAM versus placebo!

2️⃣ You Can Try New Foods Without Gut Issues

Nothing ruins the experience of eating something new like bloating, gas or constipation as a result.

If you can tolerate a wide diversity of foods, at home or abroad, this is a good sign your gut microbiome is similarly diverse.

3️⃣ No Dodgy Tummy When Travelling Abroad

Similar to no. 2, being able to eat unusual (for you) food when you're abroad without any serious gut issues is a strong sign your gut is resilient.

4️⃣ Pooping Regularity

There’s a huge amount of variation between individuals in what represents “normal” pooping habits. However, anything between 3 times per day and 3 times per week may be absolutely healthy for most people.

It’s how regular you are that’s important. Constant change might indicate a problem.

The other factor to pay attention to is comfort.

This doesn’t mean your bathroom needs to be luxurious (but hey, you do you), but you shouldn’t have to strain. Bristol Stool Chart no.s 3-5 are the sweet spot you should be aiming for.

5️⃣ You Experience Gut Symptoms Fewer Than Once Per Week

Even the healthiest gut is bound to give you some symptoms sometimes, but if this is only once-per-week territory, you don’t need to worry.

The gold standard is a calm, predictable gut. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to eat everything, but you will know what foods you can tolerate and eat those confidently.

The more of these 5 signs you can tick off, the better and I hope reading this has given you something to feel good about.

And if there’s one thing you can do that will positively impact all 5 of these, it’s eat more fiber.

In the ideal world we’d all be getting 30g of fiber minimum from our daily diets, but let’s get real, that isn’t always going to happen. That’s why even as a self proclaimed fiber freak…I still supplement with LOAM to give my gut the insurance it needs…especially with a tiny monster keeping me up at all hours of the day!

GENERAL HEALTH

🍆 You Peni5 Is A Cardiologist

Yeah, you read that title right.

No, I’m into anthropomorphising intimate body parts (but it’s a big ol’ world and there’s room for everyone), but your third leg might be able to tell you more about your heart health than you realise.

Erectile dysfunction is easy to laugh about, but the reality is no joke. 50% of men over the age of 40 suffer from it at some point and younger men certainly aren’t immune.

Men typically get 3-5 nocturnal erections during REM sleep and the dragon can awake more or less spontaneously during the day. But what was horrifyingly unwelcome during double maths when you were 14, might have turned to scarily uncommon when you’re 40.

If this has been your (or your partner’s) experience, it’s not just “ageing”. It might just be a clue.

Because erections are simple. Good blood flow = full mast; poor blood flow = a withered vine.

But if blood flow to the penis is blocked, that might foreshadow bigger blockages elsewhere.

Research has consistently shown a link between erectile dysfunction and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality (e.g. see PMID 21920268).

Given that penile arteries have a smaller diameter than coronary arteries, it’s thought that the same physiological problems could affect both at the same time, but will be noticeable in the trouser department first.

If that’s true for you or your partner, now’s the time to act.

1️⃣ See a doctor if you’re experiencing fewer/weaker erections, difficulty in maintaining an erection or less morning glory

2️⃣ What’s good for your heart is good for your tackle: low inflammation, good blood pressure, cardio

3️⃣ Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels. Eat celery, lettuce, spinach, rocket and beetroot to support the production of NO.

4️⃣ However, the production of NO also relies on oral bacteria, so avoid strong antibacterial mouthwashes. Put it this way: you might get less, but hopefully you’ll get “better” IYKWIM

5️⃣ NO is produced by the endothelium, a thin layer of cells inside blood vessels. You can protect it with quality sleep, aerobic exercise, a plant-rich diet and healthy blood sugar levels.

6️⃣ Finally, short-chain fatty acids contribute to blood flow by promoting vasodilation, enhancing NO production and reducing inflammation in blood vessels, so adding chia seeds to your overnight oats, snacking on a handful of nuts or adding LOAM to your morning coffee could be a master move.

Here’s to your improved visible enthusiasm! ;)

Finally, my friend Christos launched an erection health tracking device a while back to ~~facilitate evidence-based bragging rights~~ allow you to track this vital health marker. As a fun experiment, I'm trying it out myself. After all, a man's boner is the proverbial canary in the coal mine for heart health!

You can get 10% off the Adam Sensor by clicking here.

REFLECTIONS

🔪 Kill Analysis Paralysis In One Stroke

Picture the scene: you fancy a coffee so walk into the nearest Starbucks.

You’re presented with a glowing screen offering you dozens of different drinks from which you tentatively order.

“Would you like a shot of syrup in your latte?”

“And don’t forget to custom-order your milk”.

“What size did you want that, sir?”

“Yes, tall is the shortest drink we offer”

By the time the barista asks you your name, you’re so bewildered by options you’ve already forgotten what you wanted in the first place.

Analysis paralysis seems to be a growing malady with one 2025 study done in the US reporting US adults second-guess 41% of their decisions every day.

When drowning in choices, if only there was a tool you could use to ruthlessly cut away excess options leaving you with only one possibility.

That’s exactly what razors are for: rules of thumb that instantly simplify decision-making. Here are three I’ve found particularly useful.

Occam’s Razor

The OG of razors, Occam’s razor states that when there are multiple plausible explanations for an event, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, assume the simplest explanation is true.

Instead of thinking: “Why are those LOAM test results late? Something’s gone wrong, I know it. What are they hiding from me?”

I assume the simplest possibility: the test’s just taking longer than normal.

The Feynman Razor

Richard Feynman was a legendary physicist famous for his ability to explain the trickiest of physics concepts in a way ordinary people could understand (just look him up on Youtube).

The reason he could do this was simple: he knew what he was talking about. Like really knew it.

So here’s the Feynman Razor: could you explain [insert any important concept] in a way a 5-year old could understand it?

If you can’t, you don’t really understand it yourself

I keep this in mind in all my content. If I can’t explain how to build and maintain a resilient gut in terms anyone could understand, I have no business making content.

Hanlon’s Razor

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Most people are good, kind and decent. So, if someone comes across as a bit of an asshole, it might just be a case of crossed wires, a clash of culture or ignorance.

Just don’t assume people are out to get you.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but…they’re almost certainly not thinking about you at all.

👋 Who are you again? I’m Karan Rajan - a doctor and curious explorer of all things health and wellness. I'm the founder of LOAM Science, a microbiome company aiming to create the best fiber product in the world! I host the Dr Karan Explores Podcast, where I talk to experts in science and medicine to cut through the BS of modern health advice. If you'd like an easy way to dig through the archive, you can ask me any questions about the podcast and talk to my digital librarian here. I've also written two books "This Book May Save Your Life" and "This Is Vital Information". I'm the Chief of Science of Throne, a smart gut health tracking device.

If you feel strongly about some health things or just want to say hi? Hit reply... I’d love to hear it and hear from you! (yes I read every reply!!!)

🤩 WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

◀️ Inside The World Of LA's Real Vampires

No, it's not April 1st, and this IS a genuine video. Drinking human blood is a real lifestyle choice for a small group of people in LA and I wanted to know more. So I asked them. This is the result of my trip to LA, originally 4 years ago, but not less fascinating for it. Watch it here.

🦶Your Foot Strength Can Predict How Long You'll Live

In this podcast episode I talk to Dr Courtney Conley and Dr Jenifer Perez - founders of Gait Happens and experts in foot health. Expect to find out why so much back, knee and hip pain starts at the feet and whether barefoot shoes are worth it among other things. You can watch it here now

👶 My AI Clone

One of the most popular recent podcasts was with Mr Gut Health himself, Jordan Haworth. This guy is a fountain of knowledge and there are more gems in that one episode than the Tower of London. That’s why I rely on my digital twin more than anyone else as asking him “what X said about Y on Z podcast episode” is easily the quickest way of locating anything you need to know. Check him out here.

📝 WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEK

✍️ A Brand New Newsletter!

I'm writing a brand new newsletter called Future Dad, and it's for men's health. It's how to improve fertility as a man, the importance of how much you contribute to your future child genetically and epigenetically, and how your lifestyle can not only impact that, but also your partner's pregnancy. If you want to know how to be a future dad and improve your fertility, you can sign up for a free weekly newsletter here.

🦶Barefoot Walking

Given all the benefits of barefoot walking that I learned about in this podcast episode, I thought I'd give it a go. Baby steps (joke fully intended) so far, but it's a welcome change from footwear and while the weather's good in the UK (read that sentence again), there's no reason not to.

💐Planning Date Night!

My son is now seven weeks old. Where did that time go? Thankfully my parents are on hand to give us lots of help. I'm going to be planning some date nights with my wife to spoil her.

Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay seeking medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should consult their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.