What happened in this episode?
Dr Will Cole, a functional medicine practitioner and author, joins The Bossticks to discuss what he calls an “epidemic of cellular dysregulation”, including brain fog, chronic inflammation and earlier onset metabolic disease. He cites research he says includes a 2023 Stanford study on “uneven” organ ageing and a Nature paper he describes as finding faster ageing in cohorts born after 1965, arguing the trend helps explain rising rates of conditions such as type 2 diabetes in younger people.
Cole attributes accelerated ageing to multiple factors: diet and meal timing (including overnight fasting and sleep-aligned eating), artificial light exposure and circadian disruption, environmental toxins (including microplastics and “forever chemicals”), and biotoxins such as mould. He makes a contested claim that in-vitro studies show mould may release more mycotoxins in the presence of man-made EMFs, and discusses consumer measures such as turning off Wi‑Fi at night.
The episode also focuses on stress physiology. Cole describes chronic stress as triggering a “cell danger response”, reducing vagal tone and contributing to gut dysfunction and systemic inflammation. He discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as a predictor of later health risk.
In a personal segment, Cole recounts his father’s sudden death in 2023 and says he subsequently prioritised therapy, EMDR and nervous-system practices while navigating public criticism of wellness messaging online. He also argues that faith practice and nature exposure correlate with lower inflammation and improved resilience.
