Stay Off My Operating Table® Podcast with Dr. Philip Ovadia

Why did chronic diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) explode in the 20th century? According to ophthalmologist and researcher Dr. Chris Knobbe, the answer may lie not in aging itself—but in our food supply.

After seeing improvements in his own health through dietary changes, Dr. Knobbe began digging into the origins of AMD. What he found shocked him: in the 19th century, AMD was virtually nonexistent. “Between 1851 and about 1930, there were no more than about 50 cases of AMD in all the world's literature,” he explains. “And just to put that in perspective, in 2020, it was estimated there were 196 million cases of AMD.”

Knobbe’s research across 25 nations revealed a consistent pattern: as the consumption of processed vegetable oils rose, so did rates of AMD—and virtually every other age-related chronic disease.

This conversation is a deep dive into the historical record, dietary shifts, and why what we’ve been told about “healthy fats” might be dangerously wrong.

Connect with Dr. Chris Knobbe
Website: chrisknobbemd.com
Instagram: @ancestralhealthfoundation
Book: Ancestral Diet Revolution
LinkedIn: Chris Knobbe, MD

Connect with Dr. Ovadia: 

X: @iFixHearts 

Instagram: @iFixHearts

Website: OvadiaHeartHealth.com 

Metabolic Health Quiz: iFixHearts.com quiz