{"podcast":{"title":"Food Code Matrix PodCast","slug":"food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121","podcast_index_feed_id":8041121,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/food-code-matrix-podcast/feed.xml","website_url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/food-code-matrix-podcast","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/food-code-matrix-podcast/podcast_cover_20260919_212108_36f0c13f3d860916fc82b47a62cf41b7.jpg","author":"Cagdas INAL","episode_count":6,"summary":"Food Code Matrix explores food not simply as something we eat, but as a complex system shaped by science, technology, culture, history, economics and human behaviour. Each episode uncovers the hidden codes behind ingredients, dishes, culinary traditions and the food systems that influence our everyday lives. From food science and gastronomy to artificial intelligence, nutrition, sustainability, agriculture, food technology, global trade and the future of food, Food Code Matrix connects seemingly unrelated subjects through one culinary lens. We explore the chemistry behind garlic, the global journey of coffee, the history and economics of chocolate, the science of taste, the evolution of street food, emerging food technologies and the ways artificial intelligence may transform the kitchens of tomorrow. Every episode begins with a simple question: What is really behind the food we eat? Food Code Matrix is a food science, gastronomy and food culture podcast for curious minds who want to look beyond the plate and understand the systems, stories and ideas hidden within food. New episodes explore the science, culture and future of what we eat.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-24T14:22:48.570645+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121"},"episode":{"title":"Pumpkin Seeds and Your Hormones: What the Evidence Actually Says","slug":"pumpkin-seeds-and-your-hormones-what-the-evidence-actually-says","published_at":"2026-09-23T14:36:32+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121/pumpkin-seeds-and-your-hormones-what-the-evidence-actually-says","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/food-code-matrix-podcast/3176184","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/402920/3176184/food-code-matrix-podcast/2026_09_23_14_34_44_b4546d67-4c4b-47e0-b367-df4c483a4004.mp3","summary":"Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Are pumpkin seeds messing with your hormones? A viral claim says yes, and it comes with studies attached. So I tracked them down and read them. What I found: a test on cancer cells in a dish, a study on rats with their ovaries removed, and a computer simulation. Not one of them looked at people eating seeds. In this episode of Food Code Matrix: • How much zinc is really in a handful of pumpkin seeds, and how much it takes to cause copper problems • Why the real zinc risk lives in supplements, not snacks • What lignans (plant oestrogens) are, and what the research on them actually tested • The largest human trial: 1,431 men, 12 months, and what it found • Why your gut bacteria decide how much of these compounds you absorb • The flaxseed advice that contradicts the whole claim • Three simple steps for eating pumpkin seeds without worry The one question to ask next time a food claim comes with studies attached: were they done on people? Chapters 0:00 The claim 0:45 Welcome to Food Code Matrix 1:24 Why this matters: pumpkin seeds are everywhere 2:25 The claim, laid out fairly 3:21 How much zinc is really in a handful 4:13 The copper problem and where it really lives 5:59 The testosterone myth 6:21 Halfway checkpoint 6:48 Lignans: the plant compounds behind the fear 7:41 Following the paper trail: cells, rats and a computer 9:51 What happens in actual humans 11:12 Your gut bacteria decide 12:06 The flaxseed twist 12:42 What I'd actually do: three steps 13:28 The limits of the evidence 13:54 The answer, and the one question to ask 14:36 Sources and next episode Sources • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated January 2026) • Richter et al., Nutrition and Cancer, 2013. DO…","meta_description":"Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Are pumpkin seeds messing with your hormones? A viral claim says yes, and it comes with studies…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":908,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121/episodes/pumpkin-seeds-and-your-hormones-what-the-evidence-actually-says/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/food-code-matrix-podcast-8041121/pumpkin-seeds-and-your-hormones-what-the-evidence-actually-says.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}