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#842: The Story Behind EpiPen, The Rise of Food Allergies, and What Doctors Got Wrong

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#842: The Story Behind EpiPen, The Rise of Food Allergies, and What Doctors Got Wrong

The Tim Ferriss Show

2025/12/30
The Tim Ferriss Show

The Tim Ferriss Show

2025/12/30
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

This time around, we have an experimental format, featuring the first episode of a brand-new podcast launching next week, Drug Story. I rarely feature episodes from other shows, but I think this one is well worth your time. It changed how I think about all...

Highlights

A surprising twist in public health advice may have inadvertently fueled a modern epidemic. This episode dives into the science and history behind food allergies, tracing how well-intentioned medical guidance could have triggered a surge in allergic reactions across generations.
05:42
Food allergies may stem from a major medical and public-health blunder.
15:33
The immune system must learn to tolerate food proteins early in life or risk allergic reactions.
22:49
Dr. Gideon Lack's 2005 lecture revealed lower peanut allergy rates in early-exposure populations
35:36
Lauren Gilmer survived an anaphylactic reaction at age eight after her mom used an EpiPen.
44:47
Generic EpiPens are cheaper and more popular, yet still profitable.
47:51
Early peanut exposure in infancy can prevent peanut allergies
54:41
The FDA approved Palforzia for peanut allergy treatment in 2020.

Chapters

How a life shaped by allergies reveals a hidden public health crisis
00:00
What deadly experiments on sea creatures taught us about the immune system
12:28
Why cleaner homes might be making kids more allergic
19:05
The surprising link between Israeli snacks and peanut allergy prevention
26:09
From Cold War antidotes to school nurse kits: the rise of the EpiPen
32:32
How Mylan turned a lifesaver into a billion-dollar product
38:41
What a groundbreaking study changed about when we feed babies peanuts
47:51
Can we finally outgrow the allergy epidemic?
54:41

Transcript

Tim Ferriss: Hello, boys and girls, ladies and germs. This is Tim Ferriss. Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, my last of 2025. This time around, we have an experimental format, which I do very rarely, but this one features the first episod...