Stars, Cells, and God | Fasting & Brain Metabolism and Aquatic Dinosaurs

Join professor of nutrition Dr. Jim Painter and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, as well as new discoveries that point to the reality of God’s existence.

Fasting & Brain Metabolism

Fasting is beneficial for many reasons. As would be expected, eating less is associated with weight loss. Fasting has also been utilized in treating cancer, reducing heart disease risk, and treating irritable bowel disease. For many years it was thought that once a brain cell is lost, it could never be regrown. But recent research has shown that fasting improves brain function and is involved in neuroplasticity, the growth of new brain cells. Fasting upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is the compound responsible for the brain’s ability to regrow damaged tissues.

Aquatic Dinosaurs

A creation principle proclaimed throughout the longest of the creation psalms (Psalm 104) is that God packed Earth with the maximum biomass and maximum biodiversity. Such maximal creation activity ensured that humans had all the biodeposit resources they needed to launch and sustain global civilization. A new research study shows that large carnivorous dinosaurs prowled the shallow seas that covered much of the continental landmasses 230–66 million years ago. Only when extensive shallow seas existed on Earth was it possible for land animals as massive as the largest dinosaurs to live and thrive.

Jim and Hugh discuss these important topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God.

References:

“Subaqueous Foraging among Carnivorous Dinosaurs,” Matteo Fabbri et al.,  https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04528-0