Dr. Steve Chaney

A Global Perspective Of Dietary Inadequacies

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Nutritional Inadequacies Of The American Diet 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

confusionIf you are like most Americans, you are probably confused by the conflicting information about the nutritional adequacy of the American diet.

  • On the on hand, many bloggers, websites, and the Dr. Strangeloves of the world are telling you the American diet is woefully inadequate, and you need supplements.
  • On the other hand, the pharmaceutical and medical industry are telling you that you get all the nutrients you need from your diet. They tell you supplements are a waste of money.

As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between.

  • There are certain nutrients that are often present in inadequate amounts in our diets, and these should be targeted for correction.

The nutritional inadequacies of the American diet have been well documented, and I will discuss those below.

But nutritional inadequacies on a global perspective are less well documented. That was the purpose of the study (S Passarelli et al, Lancet Global Health, 12: e1590-e1599, 2024) that I will review today.

But first, I should discuss how nutritional inadequacies are defined and their implications for our health.

What Are Nutrient Inadequacies And How Are They Defined?

ProfessorNutrient Deficiencies are defined as nutrient intakes that are below the level needed to maintain normal metabolic and physiological functions. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to health consequences such as anemia (iron or B12 deficiency), scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), or pellagra (B6 deficiency). 

Nutrient Inadequacies are defined as nutrient intakes that are below dietary intake recommendations but above the levels associated with nutrient deficiency.

While nutrient inadequacies do not lead to clearly defined deficiency symptoms such as scurvy, they are not benign.

  • They lead to symptoms that are difficult to diagnose because they could have many causes such as:
    • Fatigue
    • Increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases like flu and COVID.
    • Impaired cognitive functions like attention, focus, and memory.
    • Mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
  • And if they persist long enough, they can increase the risk of chronic diseases.

When estimating nutrient inadequacies, it is also important to consider the standard for dietary intake recommendations they are being compared to.

The Recommended Daily Intake (DRI) is defined as the level of a nutrient that is likely to meet the needs of 97-98% of individuals based on age, gender, and other factors such as pregnancy and lactation.

The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) is defined as the level of a nutrient that is likely to meet the needs of 50% of individuals based on age, gender, and other factors such as pregnancy and lactation.

This distinction is important because the standard chosen has a large impact on the percentage of people within a population group who are deemed to have an inadequate diet.

  • The data I will discuss in this article refer to the percentage of individuals in a particular group who do meet the EAR standard.
  • Obviously, the percentage of people with nutrient inadequacies would have been much higher if the DRI standard had been used.

How Was This Study Done?

The authors obtained their data from the WHO Global Dietary Database (GDD). They compared nutrient intake for 15 micronutrients with a standard that was based on the needs of 50% of healthy people. Each country sets their own standards for nutrient intakes, so they used “harmonized average requirements” from all the countries in the GDD database as the standard for comparisons.

They then segmented the data into estimates for 34 age-sex groups from 185 countries in the database.

A Global Perspective Of Dietary Inadequacies

The data are alarming. Let’s start with nutrient intakes that were inadequate for more than 50% of the world’s population:

  • Iodine, 68%.
  • Vitamin E, 67%.
  • Calcium, 66%.
  • Iron, 65%.
  • Riboflavin, 55%.
  • Folate, 54%.
  • Vitamin C, 53%.
  • Vitamin B6, 51%.

Nutrient intakes that were inadequate for between 20% and 50% of the world’s population were:

  • Vitamin A, 48%.
  • Zinc, 46%
  • Vitamin B12, 39%.
  • Selenium, 38%.
  • Magnesium, 31%.
  • Thiamin, 30%.
  • Niacin, 22%.

[Note: some micronutrients like vitamin D were not included in this study.]

Within the same country and age group, nutrient inadequacies were:

  • Higher for women than men for iodine, vitamin B12, iron, and selenium.
  • Higher for men than women for magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, and niacin.

Other important observations were:

  • Two thirds of women aged 15-49 had inadequate intakes of iron, zinc, and/or folate. These are the childbearing years, and adequate intake of iron and folate are important for a healthy pregnancy.
  • Over half of children under age 5 had inadequate intakes of iron, zinc, and vitamin A. Deficiencies of iron and vitamin A can have devastating health consequences during this important developmental period.

The authors concluded, “These findings show empirically that most of the global population has inadequate intake of at least one nutrient…Estimates of inadequate global micronutrient intakes [like this one] can help public health researchers and practitioners to identify which age and sex groups in which countries might be in greatest need of intervention for [which] micronutrients.”

Nutrient Inadequacies Of The American Diet

Fast Food DangersThe global distribution of nutritional inadequacies was presented as a color-coded map of the world, so I can’t give you exact percentages of nutrient inadequacies in the United States from this study. However, based on the color coding, nutrient inadequacies in the United States are:

  • ≥75% for iodine and vitamin E.
  • ≥50% for vitamin C.
  • ≥30% for iron and magnesium.
  • ≥25% for calcium and vitamin A.

These percentages of nutrient inadequacies may seem a little lower than estimates you have seen elsewhere. That’s because:

  • These numbers represent the percentage of the US population that is getting less than the EAR, the amount that meets the needs of 50% of healthy adults. If the percentages were based on the DRI, the amount that meets the needs of 97-98% of healthy adults, the percentages would be higher.
  • These numbers are the average of men and women in all age groups in the United States. When you break the numbers down further:
    • Women of childbearing age are much more likely to have low intakes of iron, and iodine than other groups. And these are nutrients that are important for a healthy pregnancy.
    • Teens of both sexes are much more likely to have inadequate intakes of iron and calcium than other age groups.

Do Nutrient Inadequacies Matter?

Question MarkStatistics like these are provocative. They are alarming. But there are two important questions we need to ask:

  • Do these nutrient inadequacies matter?
  • Who do they matter for?

The answer to these questions depends on two things – the percentage of people with inadequate nutrient intake and the likelihood that it has significant health consequences.

Simply put:

  • If 80% of the population has an inadequate intake of a particular nutrient, but inadequate intake of that nutrient has no known health consequences, it is not particularly worrying.
  • On the other hand, if 40% of the population has an inadequate intake of a particular nutrient, but inadequate intake of that nutrient has significant health consequences, it is a cause for concern.

The USDA’s 2020-2025 US Dietary Guidelines list nutrients that are of “public health concern” for each age group. Nutrients of public health concern are nutrients that:

  • Are consumed in inadequate amounts in the American diet.
  • Are associated with health concerns when their intake is low.

Here is their list of nutrients of public health concern for each age group:

  1. General population.
  • Nutrients of public health concern are calcium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D.

2) Breast Fed Infants.

    • Vitamin D3. And supplementation with 400 IU/day of vitamin D is recommended shortly after birth.

3) Vegetarian Toddlers.

    • Iron and vitamin B12 are nutrients of concern.

4) Children & Adolescents.

    • Calcium and vitamin D are nutrients of concern.
    • Iron, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and magnesium are also nutrients of concern for adolescent females.

5) Adults (Ages 19-59).

    • 30% of men and 60% of women do not consume enough calcium and 90% of both men and women do not get enough vitamin D. These are nutrients of concern for this age group.

6) Pregnant & Lactating Women:

    • Calcium, vitamin D, and fiber are nutrients of concern for all women in this age group.
    • In addition, women who are pregnant have special needs for folate/folic acid, iron, iodine, and vitamin D.

7) Older Adults (≥ 60).

    • Nutrients of concern for this age group include calcium, vitamin D, fiber, vitamin B12, and protein.
      • In fact, about 50% of women and 30% of men in this age group do not get enough protein in their diet.

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Nutrient inadequacies are a serious concern, both here in the United States and across the world.

There are 3 possible solutions to this problem.

1) Governments can provide dietary guidelines for the general population and food assistance for the needy.

In our country dietary guidelines have been an abysmal failure. Only 3% of the US population paid any attention to the food guide pyramid. It was deemed too complicated and was replaced by MyPlate which engaged a whopping 5% of the US population.

2) The food industry can fortify popular foods with “nutrients of concern”.

The most recent food fortification in the United States occurred in 1998 with the addition of folic acid to refined grains. The only other food fortifications in the United States are iodine in salt, vitamin D in milk, and some B vitamins in refined grains. There are no plans for further food fortification currently.

3) Supplementation.

Supplementation is the best option for most of us. It is an inexpensive way to eliminate nutrient inadequacies and their accompanying health concerns. It is something that each of us can control.

We don’t need to wait for the government or the food industry to get their act together. We can take our nutrition and our health into our own hands.

The Bottom Line

A recent study looked at nutrient inadequacies across the globe. It reported the following nutrient intakes were inadequate for more than 50% of the world’s population:

  • Iodine, 68%.
  • Vitamin E, 67%.
  • Calcium, 66%.
  • Iron, 65%.
  • Riboflavin, 55%.
  • Folate, 54%.
  • Vitamin C, 53%.
  • Vitamin B6, 51%.

The authors concluded, “These findings show empirically that most of the global population has inadequate intake of at least one nutrient…Estimates of inadequate global micronutrient intakes [like this one] can help public health researchers and practitioners to identify which age and sex groups in which countries might be in greatest need of intervention for which micronutrients.”

For more details on this study, nutrient inadequacies in the United States, and what this means for you read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Can You Touch Your Toes?

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Treating Hamstrings To Relax The Pelvis

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give-ThanksNovember is the month that reminds us to be grateful for all the blessings we enjoy because we are Americans.  Of course, we should be grateful every day for the freedoms we have in this beautiful country! Have you thought about the freedom you enjoy the most?

For me it’s the freedom to worship however I choose because we don’t have a particular religion forced on us. I also love the fact that I can own my business and move it anywhere I like in the entire country.

I hope you’ll give some thought to what you are grateful for as this happy holiday draws near.

With that said, I want to tell you about a man who drove 17 hours from southern Texas to work with me for a week. Let’s call him JT for privacy.

Can Touch Your Toes?

JT was stiffer than anyone I’d ever seen in the past, and after a 17-hour trip, we knew he needed to come in a LOT. He ended up coming in for 3 hours a day for the first 3 days, and 90 minutes on Thursday and Friday.

When JT arrived, it amazed me at how stiff his pelvis was, every muscle that moved his pelvis, legs and low back were tied up in multiple tight knots. He has given me permission to share his pictures with you so I can explain something interesting that I found, and how it can help you to release tension in your low back.

Pelvis Stiffness 1Day 1: JT’s hips were so locked that when he bent forward his fingertips only went to 7” above his knees.  He couldn’t bend any further than this!

 

I’ve already shown you how to do the self-treatment for your quadriceps using a 12”x1” length of PVC pipe (https://chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/chronic-thigh-muscle-pain-relief/), and how to use the Perfect Ball on your low back muscle (https://chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/do-stretches-for-sciatica-nerve-pain-work/).

 

This is where we started so the muscles that rotate the pelvis down in the front can start to release.Pelvis Stiffness 2

Day 2: First I worked on all of the muscles that insert into his thigh bone where it inserts into his pelvis. Then JT used the Perfect Ball and working on the floor he went deeply into all of the muscles that connect his pelvis to his thigh bone.

At the end of the day his fingers were 5” below his knee joint.

On Day 3 there was a set-back, his fingers were still about 2” below his knee joint but we were questioning what we were missing.  When JT bent forward, he had pain in the front of his pelvis, just below the point of his hip bone.

That’s an area that shouldn’t be hurting when JT bent forward.  I kept looking at my skeleton, Max, and my book of muscles/bones/joints, to try to figure it out, and looking at the muscles of the pelvis.  Then suddenly it was so clear!

Your hamstrings originate at the base of your posterior pelvis, and they insert just below the back of your knee.  Your thigh bone (femur) inserts into your hip at an area called the acetabulum, it looks like fitting a ball into a curved cup.

This is the part I want to share with you today.

How Your Hamstrings Impact Your Pelvis

On the afternoon of Day 3, I was frustrated at the set-back. After staring at Max and my book of muscles it finally dawned on me that it was JT’s hamstrings that were part of the problem, even though it was his rotating pelvis that was causing his hip joint to be out of alignment.

I had been working on all the pelvic muscles and they all felt pretty good, and I had done a pass down the back of his thighs, but I hadn’t focused on JT’s hamstrings. And that made all the difference!

An important point to mention when talking about a long-standing problem with tight muscles is to discuss “muscle Pelvis Stiffness 3memory.”

Muscle memory is when a muscle that has been held shortened for an extended time (which could be just a few hours) it will shorten to that new length. The problem is, you release the tension in the muscles and get relief, but the muscle shortens again, and the strain is again placed on your joints.

As JT’s hamstrings shortened, they pulled down of the back of his pelvis, and this twisted the alignment of his hip joint. Because of this misalignment, he was feeling pain in the front of his hip, and that was the piece I’d been missing.

After treating JT’s hamstrings (treatment shown below) he was able to bend almost all the way to his ankles!  Only three days before JT could only bend to not even the middle of his thigh, yet here he was almost to his ankles!

Treating Hamstrings To Relax The Pelvis

If you have been to my therapy office, you know that I always teach how to do 1-2 self-treatments.  The reason is youtight hamstrings need to reverse muscle memory, and the only way to do that is to do the self-treatments frequently – every day is best.

A simple way of treating your hamstrings is to put a Perfect Ball on a wooden chair, or the corner of a desk, and put your hamstrings onto the ball.

Keep moving the ball until you find tender points as these are the knots (spasms) that are putting a strain on your pelvis.  Treat each point and then stretch

Stretching Your Hamstrings

Hamstring StretchLie on your back and put a rope under your arch.  Start with your knee bent and lift your leg up as high as you can go without seriously straining your hamstrings.

 

Slowly straighten your leg, stretching your hamstrings.

 

 

 

Day 5 – JT is Ready to Go Back to TexasPelvis Stiffness 4

 

JT is now only 3” above the top of his foot. He’s not touching his toes yet, but he feels so much better.

 

The best news is that JT is thoroughly familiar with every self-treatment to release all the muscles that have an impact on his pelvis.  He’s not 100% better yet, but he’s well on his way.

 

How Does This Affect You?

The important part of this story for you is that you CAN learn how to self-treat, and the odds are excellent that you can get relief from even the most stubborn of chronic pains.

My goal is to help as many people as possible to eliminate chronic pain that is caused by tight muscles, and to show them how to self-treat!

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

www.FlexibleAthlete.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 ______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Julie DonnellyJulie Donnelly has been a licensed massage therapist since 1989, specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries. The author of several books including Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living, The Pain-Free Athlete, and The 15 Minute Back Pain Solution.

Julie has also developed a proven self-treatment program for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

She has a therapy practice in Sarasota, Florida, and she travels around the USA to teach massage and physical therapists how to do the Julstro Method, and she also teaches self-treatment clinics to anyone interested in taking charge of their own health and flexibility.

She may be reached at her office: 919-886-1861, or through her website: www.FlexibleAthlete.com

 

About The Editor

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

 

Can You Trust Your Herbal Supplements?

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It’s A Jungle Out There

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

JungleIn 2020 the annual retail sales of herbal supplements in the United States exceeded $12 billion, and the sales of herbal supplements continues to grow at almost 10% per year.

Each of those herbal supplements are marketed to help with a particular health issue. The promise is that they are “natural”. They don’t have the side effects associated with most medications.

But what if it were all a hoax? What if the supplement was adulterated – it contained an inactive powder rather than the active herbal ingredient claimed on the label?

Would you be outraged? You should be.

Unfortunately, it is a jungle out there! Popular botanical ingredients are expensive. It is a lot cheaper to substitute cheaper inactive ingredients for the botanical ingredients listed on the label. This is a shady practice called intentional adulteration.

And equally unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t perform the kind of quality controls that would allow them to identify adulterated herbal ingredients before they end up in their products.

So, you might be wondering:

  1. “Are the herbal supplements I am using adulterated? Am I wasting my money?”
  1. “How can I protect myself from this unethical practice?” “How can I become an informed consumer?”

The study (N Orhan et al, Natural Product Reports, DOI: 10.1039/d4np00014e, March 27, 2024) I am reviewing today answers the first question. It estimates the prevalence of adulteration in the top 5 most popular herbal supplements in the United States; black cohosh, echinacea, elderberry, ginkgo, and turmeric.

I answer the second question below.

What Is Adulteration And How Does It Occur?

questionsTo understand how adulteration occurs it’s best to start from the beginning.

How Do Herbal Ingredients Get Into The Product You Buy?

  • It starts with individual farmers who sell raw ingredients to a supplier.
  • The supplier combines the raw ingredients from multiple farmers into bulk botanical ingredients which they sell to a manufacturer.
  • The manufacturer combines ingredients from several suppliers and creates the herbal supplements you buy.

How Is Adulteration Defined? Adulteration can be accidental, but it is most often intentional. The authors of this paper defined intentional adulteration as “the fraudulent addition of non-authentic substances or the removal and replacement of authentic substances without the purchaser’s knowledge [usually] for the economic gain of the seller.”

How Does Adulteration Occur? Two things are required for the adulteration of herbal supplements – adulteration by the seller and either lack of quality controls or quality controls that are unable to detect the adulteration by the buyer. For example:

  • A farmer sells adulterated raw ingredients to the supplier, and the supplier does not employ adequate quality controls to detect the adulteration.
  • A supplier sells adulterated bulk botanical ingredients to a manufacturer, and the manufacturer does not employ adequate quality controls to detect the adulteration.
  • Of course, when it comes to adulteration of ingredients by the manufacturer, you are the buyer. You have no way to do quality controls on the herbal supplements you buy. But you can become an informed consumer. I tell you how below.

How Was The Study Done?

clinical studyThe investigators focused on five of the top-selling herbal ingredients in the United States for which there were a substantial number of published studies on adulteration. The five herbal ingredients they chose were black cohosh, echinacea, elderberry, ginkgo, and turmeric.

They then searched public databases for all papers on adulteration of these ingredients between January 2000 and July 2023. They identified 78 publications with 2,995 samples of herbal ingredients analyzed.

The samples analyzed included raw ingredients sold by farmers, bulk botanical ingredients sold by suppliers, and herbal supplements sold online or at retail outlets.

The extent of adulteration of each of the five herbal ingredients was calculated as the total number of adulterated samples in relation to the total number of samples analyzed. Overall, 818 of the 2,995 samples analyzed (27%) were adulterated.

Can You Trust Your Herbal Supplements?

AvoidThe results of this study were astonishing and depressing. The extent of adulteration was:

  • 56.7% for ginkgo.
  • 42.2% for black cohosh.
  • 28.5% for echinacea.
  • 17.1% for elderberry.
  • 16.5% for turmeric.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

  • The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program has identified almost 30 botanicals (herbal ingredients) that are subject to adulteration. And this program is just getting started. Many more herbal ingredients remain to be tested for adulteration.
  • This study just reported on adulteration of herbal ingredients. It did not assess contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and heavy metals. Any manufacturer with quality controls unable to detect adulteration would likely miss many of these contaminants as well.

 

The authors concluded,

  • “The data show that a substantial portion of botanical dietary supplements do not contain what is on their labels.”
  • “Quality control methods used by suppliers, manufacturers, researchers, and regulators need to be sufficiently specific to detect possible adulterants in botanical ingredients and produce high-quality authentic products.”
  • “There are numerous examples where analytical methods used in industry quality control…have been shown to be inadequate to detect adulteration and properly authenticate botanical materials.”

How To Become An Informed Consumer

SkepticThis study just confirms what many of you have already suspected. For many herbal supplements on the market, you can’t trust that what’s on the label is in the product. You can’t trust the products will deliver on their claims. It’s all “smoke and mirrors”.

So, how can the consumer protect themselves from herbal supplements that are worthless – supplements that are just a waste of money? I have two recommendations for you.

#1: Become a skeptic. Don’t believe what sales representatives tell you, ads show you, and websites tell you about the quality of a company’s herbal supplements. Over the years I have seen many company websites that raved about their quality controls and claimed their products were as pure as “the driven snow” – until the day the FDA shut them down because none of that was true.

#2: Become an investigator. If you are thinking about using a company’s herbal supplements, ask:

  • How many quality controls they do on the botanical ingredients used in their products and whether those quality controls can detect both contaminants and adulterants. The answers to those two questions should be, “hundreds” and “yes”.
  • How many quality controls do they do on their final product before they release it to the public. The answer should be “dozens” to “hundreds” depending on how many ingredients they have in the product. And don’t be fooled because they tell you their products are “third party tested”. Ask the same questions about the third party that is testing them.
  • How many clinical studies have they published in peer-reviewed scientific journals showing their products are safe and effective. The answer should be “hundreds”.

If you can’t find answers to these specific questions on the company’s website or through direct inquiry, move on. Find another company that can give the correct answers to these questions.

No matter how impressive the claims sound, a company’s product is only as good as the testing and proof behind it.

The Bottom Line

A recent study looked at adulteration (the substitution of worthless ingredients for the active ingredient) of the top 5 botanical ingredients used in herbal supplements in the United States.

The results of this study were depressing. The extent of adulteration was:

  • 56.7% for ginkgo.
  • 42.2% for black cohosh.
  • 28.5% for echinacea.
  • 17.1% for elderberry.
  • 16.5% for turmeric.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The authors concluded,

  • “The data show that a substantial portion of botanical dietary supplements do not contain what is on their labels.”
  • “Quality control methods used by suppliers, manufacturers, researchers, and regulators need to be sufficiently specific to detect possible adulterants in botanical ingredients and produce high-quality authentic products.”
  • “There are numerous examples where analytical methods used in industry quality control…have been shown to be inadequate to detect adulteration and properly authenticate botanical materials.”

For more details about this study and how you can protect yourself from worthless supplements by becoming an informed consumer, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

________________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

600th Issue Celebration

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Nutrition Advances Over The Last Two Years

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

celebrationIn the nearly twelve years that I have been publishing “Health Tips From The Professor”, I have tried to go behind the headlines to provide you with accurate, unbiased health information that you can trust and apply to your everyday life.

The 600th issue of any publication is a major cause for celebration and reflection – and “Health Tips From The Professor” is no different.

I am dedicating this issue to reviewing some of the major stories I have covered in the past 100 issues. There are lots of topics I could have covered, but I have chosen to focus on three types of articles:

  • Articles that have debunked long-standing myths about nutrition and health.
  • Articles that have corrected some of the misinformation that seems to show up on the internet on an almost daily basis.
  • Articles about the issues that most directly affect your health.

Here are my picks from the last two years:

Weight Loss Diets

weight lossSince it is almost January, let’s start with a couple of articles about diet and weight loss (or weight gain). I have covered the effectiveness of the Paleo, Keto, Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian, and Vegan diets for both short and long-term weight loss in my book “Slaying The Food Myths”, so I won’t repeat that information here. Instead, I will share a few updates from the past 100 issues.

Is Time-Restricted Eating Better Than Other Diets? Time-restricted eating is one of the latest fads. But is it really better than other diets for weight loss and improved health? In this article I reviewed two studies that compare time-restricted eating with diets that do not restrict time of eating but cut calories to the same extent. You may be surprised at the results.

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting? In this article I share 8 tips for losing weight without going on a diet. The article is based on research by Dr. Brian Wansink, a behavioral psychologist who specializes in studying how external clues influence our eating patterns. As you might suspect his 8 tips for losing weight have nothing to do with counting calories or going on restrictive diets.

Healthy Diets

dairy foodsIs Whole Fat Dairy Healthy? For years dietary guidelines have been telling us to select low fat dairy foods. But some health gurus are telling you that isn’t true. They claim whole fat dairy is healthy. So, you are probably wondering, “What is the scoop (as in ice cream) on whole fat dairy?” In this article I look at the study behind the headlines and answer that question. But the answer is not a simple “Yes” or “No”. The answer is more nuanced. It turns out that whole fat dairy is healthier in some diets than in others. 

Are Low Carb Diets Healthy? Are low carb diets good for you or bad for you? It depends on which study you quote. Two major studies in recent years have come to opposite conclusions. In this article I help you sort through the conflicting studies and rephrase the question. Instead of, “Are low carb diets healthy”, the question should be, “Which low carb diets are healthy?”

Are All Plant-Based Diets Healthy? Plant-based diets have acquired a “health halo” in recent years. Your mama told you to eat your fruits and vegetables. And many health gurus have been telling you not to neglect your grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds as well. But some of these foods require a lot of food preparation.

Never fear! The food industry has come to your rescue with a wide variety of processed plant-based foods. No need for food prep. But are they as good for you as the unprocessed plant foods they replace? In this article I review a study that answers that question.

You probably know what that answer is, but the article is worth a read anyway. That is because the study also asks whether vegan and vegetarian diets are healthier than other primarily plant-based diets. And you may not know the answer to that question.

Diet And Heart Disease

egg confusionAre Eggs Bad For You? For years we were told that eggs are bad for us because they contain cholesterol. Then we were told that eggs in moderation may not increase our risk of heart disease. And recently studies have appeared claiming eggs may be good for our hearts. What is the truth about eggs and heart disease? In this article I review a recent study claiming eggs are bad for our heart and put that study into the context of other recent studies to clear up the “eggfusion”.

Which Diets Are Heart Healthy? Every popular diet claims to help you lose weight, reduce your risk of diabetes, and reduce your risk of heart disease. All these claims can’t be true. Which diets deliver on their promises, and which are just pretenders? In this article I review a recent study that answered that question for heart disease.

This study was a very large metanalysis of over 40 studies with 35,548 participants that looked at the effect of different diets on heart disease outcomes. The study identified two diets that significantly reduced the risk of heart disease. There are other diets that might reduce the risk of heart disease, but their benefits have not been proven by high quality clinical studies. They are merely pretenders.

The Dangers Of Processed Foods 

In previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor” I have shared articles showing that diets high in processed foods are associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. But the story keeps getting worse. Here are two articles on recent studies about processed foods that appeared in “Health Tips From The Professor” in the last two years.

Why Does Processed Food Make You Fat? We already know that eating a lot of highly processed food is likely to make us fat. But what is it about processed food that makes us fat? In this article I review a recent study that answers that question.

This study is interesting for two reasons.

  • It identifies the characteristics of processed foods that make us want to eat more.
  • It identifies some minimally processed foods that have the same characteristics and suggests we should choose minimally processed foods wisely. Simply put, knowledge is power. We may want to avoid minimally processed foods that have the same obesity-inducing characteristics as processed foods.

Do Processed Foods Cause Cancer? Previous studies have shown that processed food consumption is associated with a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Can it get any worse? In this article I review a recent study that shows processed food consumption is associated with an increased risk of several kinds of cancer.

Maintaining Muscle Mass As We Age

As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass, a process called sarcopenia. Unless we actively resist loss of muscle mass it will eventually impact our quality of life and our health.

We can prevent this loss of muscle mass with resistance exercise, adequate protein intake, and adequate intake of the amino acid leucine. Previous studies have shown people over 50 need more of each of these to maintain muscle mass, but the amount they need has been uncertain until now. Three recent studies have given seniors better guidelines for maintaining muscle mass.

Can You Build Muscle In Your 80s? In this article I review a recent study that enrolled a group of octogenarians in a high-intensity exercise program to see if they could gain muscle mass. They were able to increase their muscle mass, but the intensity of the exercise required may surprise you.

Optimizing Protein Intake For Seniors. In this article I review two recent studies that looked at the amount, timing, and kind of protein needed for seniors in their 60s and 70s to maximize gain in muscle mass.

How Much Leucine Do Seniors Need? In this article I review a recent study that determined the amount of leucine seniors in their 70s need to optimize gains in muscle mass and strength.

The Benefits And Risks Of Supplementation

Omega-3s And Heart DiseaseIf you listen to Big Pharma or the medical profession, you hear a lot about the “risks” of supplementation and very little about the benefits. In “Health Tips From the Professor” I try to present a more balanced view of supplementation by sharing high-quality studies showing benefit from supplementation and studies that put the supposed risks into perspective.

The Good News About Omega-3s and Stroke. Multiple studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation reduces the risk of ischemic strokes (strokes caused by a blood clot). But it has been widely assumed they might increase the risk of hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by bleeding). In this article I review a meta-analysis of 29 clinical studies with 183,000 participants that tested that assumption.

How Much Omega-3s Are Best For Blood Pressure? Multiple studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation can reduce high blood pressure. But the doses used vary widely from one study to the next. In this article I review a meta-analysis of 71 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies that determined the optimal dose of omega-3s for controlling blood pressure.

Omega-3 Supplements Are Safe. As I said above, it has been widely assumed that omega-3 supplementation increases the risk of bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. In this article I review the definitive study on this topic. More importantly, it reveals which omega-3 supplements might increase bleeding risk and which do not.

Are Calcium Supplements Safe? Big Pharma and the medical profession have been warning us that calcium supplements may increase heart disease risk. In this article I review the definitive study on this topic.

Prenatal Supplements

prenatal dha supplementIf you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, your health professional has likely recommended a prenatal supplement. You probably assume that prenatal supplements provide everything you need for a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that assumption is not correct.

Is Your Prenatal Supplement Adequate? In this article I review a study that should serve as a wakeup call for every expectant mother. It showed that most prenatal supplements were woefully inadequate for a healthy pregnancy.

What Nutrients Are Missing In Prenatal Supplements? In this article I review a study that identified additional nutrients that are missing in most prenatal supplements.

Prenatal Supplements Strike Out Again. In this article I review a study that looked at the diet of pregnant women to determine their needs and compared that to the nutrients found in prenatal supplements. Once again, most prenatal supplements were woefully inadequate. Is it, “Three strikes and you are out”?

Exercise

Walking FastWalking Your Way To Health. We have been told that walking is good for our health. But how many steps should you take, how fast should you walk, and does it matter whether these steps are part of your daily routine or on long hikes? In this article I review a study that answers all these questions.

Which Exercise Is Best For Reducing Blood Pressure? If you have high blood pressure, you have probably been told to exercise more. But which exercise is best? In this article I review a study that answers that question. And the answer may surprise you.

Did You Know? 

Question MarkIf you have been reading “Health Tips From the Professor” for a while, you probably know that I enjoy poking holes in popular myths. Here are two new ones I deflated in past two years.

Is Low Alcohol Consumption Healthy? You have probably heard that low alcohol intake (that proverbial glass of red wine) is good for you. But is that true? In this article I review a recent study that shows that myth was based on faulty interpretation of the data and provides a more nuanced interpretation of the data.

Is HDL Good For Your Heart? You have been told that increasing your HDL levels reduces your risk of heart disease so many times it must be true. But is it? In this article I review HDL metabolism and a recent study to provide a more nuanced interpretation of the relationship between HDL and heart disease risk.

How To Talk With Your Doctor About Cancer 

Because of my years in cancer research, I am often asked whether someone should follow their oncologist’s advice and go on a recommended chemotherapy or radiation regimen. Of course, it would be unethical for me to provide that kind of advice.

In this article I tell you the questions to ask your oncologist about the prescribed treatment regimen, so you can make an informed decision. However, I also recommend you only ask these questions if you can handle the answers.

The Bottom Line

I have just touched on a few of my most popular articles above. You may want to scroll through these articles to find ones of interest to you that you might have missed over the last two years. If you don’t see topics that you are looking for, just go to https://chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/ and type the appropriate term in the search box.

In the coming years, you can look for more articles debunking myths, exposing lies and providing balance to the debate about the health topics that affect you directly. As always, I pledge to provide you with scientifically accurate, balanced information that you can trust. I will continue to do my best to present this information in a clear and concise manner so that you can understand it and apply it to your life.

Final Comment: You may wish to share the valuable resources in this article with others. If you do, then copy the link at the top and bottom of this page into your email. If you just forward this email and the recipient unsubscribes, it will unsubscribe you as well.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 _______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com/lifestylechange/.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Which Exercise Is Best For Reducing Blood Pressure?

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How Can You Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control? 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

high blood pressureHypertension (high blood pressure) is called a silent killer. That’s because you often don’t notice any symptoms until you die from a stroke or heart attack.

Nearly half of all American adults (120 million or 48%) have high blood pressure. Of Americans with high blood pressure:

  • About half (46%) of them don’t know it.

And of those who know they have high blood pressure:

  • Only half of them have it under control.
    • In case you weren’t doing the math, that means that only 1 in 4 Americans with high blood pressure has it under control.

That is scary because every 20 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure:

  • Doubles your risk of death from a stroke or heart attack.

And if the personal costs of high blood pressure were not enough, the cost of high blood pressure to our health care system is enormous.

  • The CDC estimates that the cost of high blood pressure in the United States is around $131 to $198 billion per year. And this may be an underestimate because it does not include productivity losses from non-fatal illnesses caused by high blood pressure.

Medications are effective at reducing blood pressure, but they have significant side effects. And those side effects have two unintended consequences.

  • Around half of patients stop taking their blood pressure medication within the first year because of side effects or cost.
  • For patients who continue taking blood pressure medication, they are usually prescribed other medications to reduce the side effects from their blood pressure medication.

This is often the start of a downward spiral in which they need more medications to reduce the side effects of the medicines they were just prescribed. And they end up on multiple medications, and a poor quality of life because of it.

Because of this, many patients and health care practitioners are looking for natural ways to keep blood pressure under control. One of the most recommended approaches is to increase exercise, and the type of exercise most frequently recommended is aerobic exercise.

But is that the best advice? That advice is based on clinical studies performed 20 to 30 years ago. And those studies were an excellent example of “the tail wagging the dog”.

Let me explain. In the early days most experts believed that aerobic exercise would be the most effective exercise for reducing blood pressure. So, most of the original studies on the effect of exercise at reducing blood pressure were done using aerobic exercise.

From those studies we knew that aerobic exercise was effective at reducing blood pressure, but we didn’t really know whether it was the most effective exercise for reducing blood pressure. And more recent studies have suggested a more nuanced view of exercise and blood pressure control.

For that reason, the authors of the current article (JJ Edwards et al, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57: 1317-1326, 2023) decided to conduct a comprehensive review of all randomized controlled studies between 1990 and February 2023 on the effect of exercise on reducing blood pressure.

How Was The Study Done? 

clinical studyThe investigators performed a comprehensive, systematic review of all randomized controlled studies (meaning patients were randomly assigned to an exercise or non-exercise group) looking at reductions in blood pressure following an exercise intervention of ≥ 2 weeks.

They excluded studies that:

  • Included dietary counseling or exercise recommendations in the control group.
  • Included dietary counseling, supplementation, or medication in the exercise group.

However, there were no exclusions based on the health or disease state in the patient population.

Their analysis included 270 randomized controlled trials with a total of 15,827 participants. All the studies reported systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure before and after the exercise intervention.

Exercise interventions were divided into five classifications:

  • Aerobic exercises.
  • Resistance exercises.
  • Combined exercises (a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises).
  • High-intensity interval exercises (high-intensity, short-duration exercises).
  • Isometric exercises.

Several of these exercise classifications were further subdivided into individual exercises (see below)

Which Exercise Is Best For Reducing Blood Pressure? 

When the reduction in systolic blood pressure was considered, the rank order of exercise effectiveness was:

  • High-intensity interval exercise (4.08 mm Hg reduction).
  • Aerobic exercise (4.48 mm Hg reduction).
  • Resistance exercise (4.53 mm Hg reduction).
  • Combined aerobic and resistance exercise (6.04 mm Hg reduction).
  • Isometric exercise (8.24 mm Hg reduction).

When the reduction in diastolic blood pressure was considered, the amount of reduction was less but the rank order of exercise effectiveness was the same:

  • High-intensity interval exercise (2.50 mm Hg reduction).
  • Aerobic exercise (2.53 mm Hg reduction).
  • Resistance exercise (3.04 mm Hg reduction).
  • Combined aerobic and resistance exercise (3.54 mm Hg reduction).
  • Isometric exercise (4.00 mm Hg reduction).

When the exercise classifications were subdivided into individual exercises.

  • Running and cycling were significantly more effective than walking for aerobic exercise, with running being the most effective form of aerobic exercise.
  • Cycling was the most effective form of high-intensity interval exercise.
  • No effect of exercise type was seen for the effectiveness of resistance training.
  • Isometric wall squats and leg extensions were much more effective than isometric handgrip exercises.

There was not enough data from diastolic blood pressure studies to subdivide into individual exercises.

There were two other results of interest.

  • Aerobic exercise interventions were slightly more effective with lower exercise frequency, suggesting that 3 times a week may be more effective than 5 or more times a week.
  • All exercise interventions were much more effective for people with significantly elevated blood pressure than for people with slightly elevated blood pressure or normal blood pressure.

Of course, the important question for people with normal blood pressure is the effectiveness of exercise in preventing future increases in blood pressure, and this study is not designed to answer that question.

The authors concluded, “Various exercise training modes improve resting blood pressure, particularly isometric exercise. The results of this analysis should inform future exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension.”

What Does This Study Mean For You? 

Question MarkThe takeaways from this study are clear.

If you wish to reduce your blood pressure:

  • Any kind of exercise is helpful, but current recommendations that prioritize aerobic exercise may be misleading.
  • If you want to get the most “bang for your buck”:
    • Isometric exercise is the most effective and high intensity interval exercise is the least effective.
    • Aerobic and resistance exercise are equally effective.
    • A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise is more effective than either alone.
  • And if you want to know the most effective individual exercises:
    • Wall squats and leg extensions are the most effective isometric exercises.
    • Running and cycling are the most effective aerobic exercises.
    • Any kind of resistance exercise is equally effective.

Here are my thoughts about this study:

  • If you haven’t been keeping up with clinical studies on exercise and blood pressure (like me), the conclusions of this comprehensive review are probably a surprise. I would not have expected isometric exercises to be more effective than aerobic exercises for lowering blood pressure.
  • The authors of this review postulated that isometric exercise decreases blood flow to the muscles involved. When those muscles relax, blood flow increases which sends metabolic signals that cause blood vessels to relax.
  • This study is good news for people with health conditions that limit their ability to do aerobic exercises or traditional resistance exercises.
  • We also need to remember that lowering blood pressure is not the only value of exercise.
    • Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular function.
    • Resistance exercise increases muscle mass, which is particularly important for seniors who are trying to maintain muscle mass and function. Regular resistance exercise also helps minimize bone loss as we age.

Isometric exercise can be considered a form of resistance exercise, but it may need to be supplemented with resistance exercises that target other muscle groups.

  • As I said above, this study shows that all forms of exercise reduce blood pressure. The most effective exercise for you is the one you enjoy and will do on a regular basis.
  • Finally, while this study looked at the effectiveness of different exercises at reducing high blood pressure, these findings are probably also applicable to the types of exercise that can reduce risk of developing high blood pressure as we age.

How Can You Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control?

dash dietExercise alone is not a “magic bullet” for controlling blood pressure. And therein lies a story.

One reason so many people choose medications to control their blood pressure is that there is no “magic bullet” natural approach for controlling blood pressure. Exercise is just one part of a holistic approach for controlling blood pressure that also includes:

  • The DASH (Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension) was designed to prevent high blood pressure. I refer to it as an Americanized version of the Mediterranean diet.

Both diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limit high fat meats and dairy products. And both diets have been shown to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

  • Weight control. Overweight and obesity are both associated with increased risk of high blood pressure. One estimate is that every two pounds of weight gain increases blood pressure by 1 mm Hg.
  • Supplementation. The most effective supplements appear to be:
    • Omega-3 fatty acids.
    • Supplements containing grape seed extract and/or nitrates from beetroots and leafy greens.
    • Calcium and magnesium if dietary intakes are not optimal.

Diet, weight control, supplementation, and exercise are the top 4 lifestyle factors for keeping blood pressure under control, but a comprehensive holistic approach to controlling blood pressure includes:

  • Low sodium/potassium ratio. I mention it here for completeness, but it is an integral part of the DASH diet.
  • Stress management. Chronic stress can increase blood pressure.
  • Adequate sleep.

We may be outliers, but my wife and I have followed this approach for years and in our 80s have the blood pressure of teenagers.

The Bottom Line 

Most experts recommend aerobic exercise for reducing blood pressure, but these recommendations are based on outdated studies. A recent study examined the effectiveness of various exercises at reducing blood pressure based on all randomized controlled clinical trials between 1990 and 2023.

This study shows:

If you wish to reduce your blood pressure:

  • Any kind of exercise is helpful, but current recommendations that prioritize aerobic exercise may be misleading.
  • If you want to get the most “bang for your buck”:
    • Isometric exercise is the most effective and high intensity interval exercise is the least effective.
    • Aerobic and resistance exercise are equally effective.
    • A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise is more effective than either alone.

For more information on this study, what it means for you, and recommendations for a holistic approach for controlling blood pressure naturally, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_____________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Do GLP-1 Drugs Increase Suicide Risk?

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The Pros and Cons Of GLP-1 Drugs 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

MagicYou’ve seen the ads. You just inject these “miracle” drugs into your thigh once a week, and your excess weight magically disappears. They look like the simple solution for weight loss everyone has been looking for.

More about that in a minute. Let’s first talk about what these drugs are how they work.

What GLP-1 Drugs Are: These drugs are commonly referred to as GLP-1 drugs. But their full name is GLP-1-like receptor agonists. That’s a mouthful, so let me break it down for you.

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is produced by the stomach whenever we eat a meal. It is a hormone that binds to receptors in key organs and reduces appetite and lowers blood sugar (more about this in a minute).

GLP-1-like drugs are peptides designed to resemble the portion of the glucagon-like peptide that binds to GLP-1 receptor. The term agonist means that these drugs have the same effect as the naturally occurring GLP-1 peptide.

The difference is that the naturally occurring GLP-1 peptide hormone is rapidly degraded, so it stays in the bloodstream for a very short time after each meal. In contrast, the GLP-1-like receptor agonist drugs are designed to be much more stable, remaining in the bloodstream for a week or more. That’s why these drugs only need to be injected on a weekly basis.

How GLP-1 Drugs Work: GLP-1 drugs:

  • Bind to GLP-1 receptors on the pancreas and stimulate insulin release. This can help type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar levels.
  • Bind to GLP-1 receptors on the stomach and reduce the rate of gastric emptying. This prolongs the feeling of fullness after each meal.
  • Bind to GLP-1 receptors on the small intestine and reduce gut motility, which increases transit time through the small intestine. This also prolongs the feeling of fullness. But it can also lead to gastrointestinal side effects.
  • Bind to GLP-1 receptors on the brain and turn down your “appestat”. This reduces feelings of hunger between meals.

A Brief History Of GLP-1 Drugs

ProfessorGLP-1 drugs have been around since 2005.But the newest and most successful class of GLP-1 drugs (e.g., Ozempic) was developed in 2017 by a Danish pharmaceutical company called Novo Nordisk to help type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar levels.

However, once it became apparent that patients on Ozempic achieved significant weight loss, doctors started prescribing it for weight loss even though it had only been approved for controlling blood sugar. This is a practice described as “off label” use. It became so popular for weight loss that diabetics started to have trouble getting their prescriptions filled.

Novo Nordisk ramped up their production of Ozempic and introduced a second, higher potency drug, Wegovy, that is marketed primarily for weight loss. And, of course, where there is money to be made other companies have introduced their own GLP-1-like receptor agonists for both controlling blood sugar and weight loss.

The popularity of these drugs can only be described as a tsunami. To help you put it into perspective:

  • Novo Nordisk’s market value is currently over $500 billion. That is larger than the GDP of Denmark where it is located.
  • One in eight adults in the United States are either taking or have taken a GLP-1 drug.
  • GLP-1 drugs have had 1.2 billion Tik Tok views since 2021.

The Pros And Cons Of GLP-1 Drugs

pros and consLet me be clear. These drugs work. For people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes or severe obesity-related health issues, they can be a godsend. But like any “quick fix” weight loss drugs they are overprescribed.

The reality is that unless people on the drugs make healthy lifestyle changes, the weight comes back as soon as they quit using the drugs. So, for most people these drugs are not a short-term weight loss solution. They are a long-term necessity if they want to keep the weight off.

And whenever we are thinking about long-term drug use, we need to ask whether they are safe for long-term use.

That brings me to a story. When I was still teaching medical students, the co-director of the first-year course we ran was a medical geneticist. In his introductory lecture to the medical students he made the comment, “The only safe drug is a new drug”. After a dramatic pause he completed the statement with, “That’s because they haven’t discovered all the side effects yet.”

Let me elaborate. Before a drug can be approved by the FDA it must be proven safe and effective in a series of clinical trials. But those clinical trials have their drawbacks. They are relatively short and include a relatively small group of patients.

Sometimes it is only after a drug has been used by millions of patients for several years that we know of some of their most dangerous side-effects. For that reason, the FDA and regulatory agencies in other countries have a monitoring system for detecting “adverse drug reactions” (side-effects) after the drug has been approved.

Simply put, doctors report adverse drug reactions to a central agency. When enough adverse events of a particular type have been detected, clinical studies are initiated to determine how significant that side effect is.

Medical history is littered with drugs that passed the initial company-run clinical studies with flying colors and were introduced to the general public with great fanfare – only to be withdrawn a few years later once serious side-effects had been discovered. One might ask whether GLP-1 drugs may be in the same category.

When you look at the official Ozempic and Wegovy websites they say that the most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥5% of patients in their clinical trials, were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. These side effects are fully predictable for drugs that inhibit gastric emptying and reduce gut motility. They are also easy to detect in short term clinical studies.

More recently, several reports have suggested that these drugs reduce muscle mass. This is not life-threatening, but it is concerning for older patients trying to maintain muscle mass and for anyone trying to lose weight.

That’s because your muscles are among the most metabolically active tissues in your body. When muscle mass decreases, basal metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories 24 hours per day) also decreases. With that in mind, you don’t need to be a genius to understand why loss of muscle mass is a concern for anyone trying to lose weight.

However, more troubling reports have recently surfaced about increases in suicidal behavior in people using GLP-1 drugs. During the company-run clinical trials only 0.27% of drug users reported an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior, so the drug companies are saying, “Nothing to see here”. However, those clinical trials excluded patients with suicidal tendencies from their analysis, while no such exclusion is recommended for prescribing these drugs.

The authors of the study (G Schoretsanitis et al, JAMA Network Open, 7(8):e2423385, 2024) I will describe today decided to take a closer look at the association of suicidal behavior with GLP-1 drug use.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyThe authors obtained their data from the WHO Individual Case Safety Reports database. It is the largest database of its kind in the world, with over 28 million reports of suspected adverse drug reports from 140 member countries.

From this database they identified 107 reports of suicidal and/or self-injurious adverse drug reactions associated with the class of GLP-1 drugs that include Ozempic and Wegovy between July 2011 and August 2023. Key characteristics from these 107 reports were:

  • Median age = 48 years.
  • Percentage of female patients = 55%.
  • Length of GLP-1 use before symptoms were reported = 80 days.
  • Other medications used were primarily medications for diabetes (15.9%), depression (13.1%), and anxiety (4.7%).
  • The suicide was successful in 6.5% of the reports.
  • Suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors disappeared in 62% of the cases after discontinuing the drug.

The authors performed a statistical method known as a disproportionality analysis of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in this group of GLP-1 users. Simply put, they asked whether the frequency of suicidal thoughts or behaviors was disproportionally high for patients using GLP-1 drugs compared to all other drugs in the database for which suicidal tendencies have been reported.

In case you are thinking this is a strange comparison, let me explain why it was chosen.

  • The WHO Individual Case Safety Reports database (and similar databases maintained by the FDA and other national health organizations) only contains reports of adverse drug reactions. There is no way of comparing the number of adverse drug reactions with the number of people taking the drug. So, you cannot use the database to estimate the percentage of people using GLP-1 drugs who develop suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
  • Even if it were possible to estimate the percentage of GLP-1 users who develop suicidal tendencies, databases like this significantly undercount the percentage of adverse drug reactions. That’s because if the symptoms are mild, patients often do not report them to their doctors. And busy doctors don’t always report them to the FDA or WHO. It is primarily the cases that result in hospitalization that get reported.

Do GLP-1 Drugs Increase Suicide Risk?

For simplicity, I am restricting myself to the data in this paper related to the Ozempic and Wegovy class of GLP-1 drugs. The results with other classes of GLP-1 drugs were not as clear.

The authors reported:

  • The Ozemic/Wegovy class of GLP-1 drugs were associated with a disproportionately higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared with other drugs in the WHO database.
  • The disproportionately higher risk remained significant when the authors looked at patients who were using the GLP-1 drugs with either antidepressants or anxiety medications.
    • The authors interpreted this as suggesting that people with anxiety or depression may be at higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors when taking this class of GLP-1 drugs.

The authors concluded, “This study using the WHO database found a signal of semaglutide [the class of GLP-1 drugs that includes Ozempic and Wegovy] associated suicidal ideation [suicidal thoughts and behaviors], which requires urgent clarification.”

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Question MarkI don’t want to overemphasize the significance of this study.

  • It does not prove an association of this class of GLP-1 drugs with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
  • It does not provide definitive information about other classes of GLP-1 drugs. There appeared to be an increased risk, but the data were not statistically significant.
  • However, it is the first study to show there might be an association with GLP-1 drugs and suicidal behavior.
    • Suicide is not a trivial side-effect, which is why the authors said it “requires urgent clarification” by future clinical studies designed specifically to address this possibility. For example, the premarketing clinical trials by the drug companies excluded patients with depression, anxiety, or suicidal tendencies. Since these are likely to be the most vulnerable group, future clinical studies should perhaps focus on this group.

As I said at the beginning of this article, we often don’t know about the most serious side effects of new drugs until they have been on the market for a few years. And it is studies like this one that are often the first indication of serious side effects.

So, here are my recommendations for you:

  • We don’t yet know for sure whether suicidal tendencies are a side-effect of GLP-1 drugs, but you need to be aware that this is a possibility.
  • If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts GLP-1 drugs may not be the best choice for you. At the very least you should discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before using them.
  • If you are using GLP-1 drugs and experience an increase in depression, anxiety, or suicidal tendencies you should discontinue the drug immediately and report your side effects with your doctor.

My most important recommendation is that unless you are dangerously obese, you should consider healthier, drug-free approaches to losing weight. Simple changes in diet and lifestyle can give you gradual weight loss. More importantly, diet and lifestyle change can lead to permanent weight loss. And you will experience side benefits rather than side effects

The Bottom Line

GLP-1 drugs have become immensely popular for weight loss. If you believe the ads, all you need to do is to inject yourself with the drug and those excess pounds will magically appear.

However, we often don’t know about the most serious side effects of new drugs until they have been on the market for a few years. And there have been reports of increased suicide risk associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs.

A recent study looked the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs. If found:

  • GLP-1 drugs were associated with a disproportionately higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared with other drugs.
  • The disproportionately higher risk remained significant when the authors looked at patients who were using the GLP-1 drugs along with either antidepressants or anxiety medications.
    • The authors interpreted this as suggesting that people with anxiety or depression may be at higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors when taking GLP-1 drugs.

For more details on this study and what it means for you read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

________________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Quick Relief For Calf Cramps

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Be Prepared When Muscle Pain Happens

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

I hope your summer went well and that you survived Debbie and Francine without too much damage.  When Debbie came through South Florida the building where I have my office was flooded with 18” of water, and the area around Unity Church was under 3’ of water in some places!

There are long pine needles that have been blanketing my garden for several years.  They always annoyed me until I decided to just use them as mulch and get over it.

They turned out to be a blessing. As the water rushed toward my front door, it picked up the needles, which got pushed under the rubber mat at my door. Between the mat and the needles, it formed a dam, and the water rushed to both sides, but not in my office!

So, I’m working as usual even though the building is going through some construction caused by the floods.

September ended with two wonderful things happening, proving to me that I can’t stop doing my work until I have someone trained to take my place.

Pain Relief After 38 Years!

The first example was a woman who has been in terrible pain since a surgery she had in 1986.  On her first visit we were able to lower her pain level by about 90% and on her second visit it ended the pain totally.  Then muscle memory set in and, since the muscles were held tight for 38 YEARS, 2 days later they tightened up again.

She came back into the office, and it didn’t take long to release the tension and go over the self-treatments I’d taught her on her first visit.  She left feeling good. She also left feeling empowered because she felt more comfortable doing the self-treatments correctly.

A Reader Who Helped A Friend 

The second example was really interesting.  A woman named Margie, who lives in California, sent me an email.  I’ve never met her in person, and she had only read my book. But when a friend was having a severe calf cramp, Margie was able to help her.

She wrote:

“Hi Julie, I just had to share what happened this past weekend. I was at a performance of the Pasadena Symphony orchestra when my friend sitting next to me was hit with an excruciating cramp in her calf! It happened at a quieter moment during the concert and not at a time when she could stand up or do anything except be in intolerable pain!!

I was able to quickly apply the Julstro Method for cramps that you had taught me. Within moments she said the pain had subsided enough to be doable until it eventually went totally away. It made me feel so good to be able to help her.

Thank you for your great instruction to me and she thanks you also!! Needless to say, you have another fan.”

I can’t tell you how happy this message made me.  I asked her permission and then I posted it on my LinkedIn page for others to see.

You don’t need to stay in pain, you can treat the muscles. Frequently that is all that was wrong in the first place!

Quick Relief For Calf Cramps 

calf cramps remedy squeezeHere are the steps I teach for leg cramps:

1) Grip your calf muscle as shown in this picture.  This will really hurt, but a calf cramp hurts for minutes at a time, and this will shorten the time span for the cramp

Hold your hands and continue pushing the muscle together until you can begin to breathe normally again. Continue holding it another 30 seconds, bringing in as much oxygen as possible with slow, deep, breathing.

2) Release your hands and keep breathing deeply.

3) Repeat #1. This time it won’t hurt, but you are helping any last muscle fibers to complete the contraction before you move to release the spasm.

4) Begin to squeeze your entire calf as if you were squeezing water out of a thick towel. Move from the top of your calf and go down toward your ankle. This will feel good, so do it for as long as you can.

5) It is now safe to stretch your calf muscle because the cramp has completed, and you have flushed out the toxins. Stretch slowly, and don’t go past the point of “feels so good”. You don’t want to overstretch.

May it help you out with your next leg cramp and/or those you are near who suffer a leg cramp. Enjoy!

Be Prepared For When Muscle Pain Happens 

pain relief bookThis is the book that Margie has, and where she learned what to do with a calf cramp.

For only $47 you can discover how to stop pain from headaches to foot pains. You never know when you will need this valuable resource!

Click here for information on books, and other self-treatment products I’ve developed to help you stop pain FAST!

If you, or someone you know, is having chronic pain, please call me and we will work together to get relief quickly!

 

 

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

www.FlexibleAthlete.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 _______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Julie DonnellyJulie Donnelly has been a licensed massage therapist since 1989, specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries. The author of several books including Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living, The Pain-Free Athlete, and The 15 Minute Back Pain Solution.

Julie has also developed a proven self-treatment program for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

She has a therapy practice in Sarasota, Florida, and she travels around the USA to teach massage and physical therapists how to do the Julstro Method, and she also teaches self-treatment clinics to anyone interested in taking charge of their own health and flexibility.

She may be reached at her office: 919-886-1861, or through her website: www.FlexibleAthlete.com

About The Editor

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

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Why Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

calcium supplementsWhen most people think of the nutrients required to build strong bones, they just think of calcium and vitamin D. This is understandable because these two nutrients are essential for building healthy bone.

But in reality “it takes a village” to build strong bones.

  • The bone matrix also contains magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese. They are also needed.
    • Fun fact: As an undergraduate at the University of Southern California my wife, Suzanne, worked for Dr. Paul Saltman, the biochemist who discovered the importance of these nutrients for building healthy bone.
  • Vitamin C is required to build collagen, the foundation on which bone is built, and the cartilage that helps bones resist fractures.
  • Vitamin K delivers calcium to osteoblasts, the cells responsible for building bone.

But a new study (L Zhou et al, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25: 487, pages 1-9, 2024) suggests that folate is also important for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis as we age. I didn’t see that one coming. So, let me start by explaining why folate may be important for bone health before I review the study.

Why Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

Question MarkThere are four facts we need to know about human metabolism to understand the effect of folate on bone health.

Fact 1: We tend to think of bone as a permanent, unchanging part of our body. But that’s not true. As we move about our bones experience wear and tear. As they age they become more brittle and susceptible to fracturing.

So, our bodies have a process for continuously removing old bone and replacing it with new bone. Although you don’t notice the change, your bones today are not the same bones you had 10 or 15 years ago. They are continually being renewed.

The cells responsible for removing the old bone are called osteoclasts, and the cells responsible for building new bone are called osteoblasts. It is the perfect balance between osteoclast and osteoblast activity that keeps our bones strong.

Fact 2: When cellular folate levels are low, an amino acid metabolite called homocysteine accumulates in our cells and in our blood.

Fact 3: (This is the one I didn’t know until I looked it up): Homocysteine increases osteoclast activity and decreases osteoblast activity.

This tips the balance towards breaking down our bones. For young people that makes it more difficult to build strong, healthy bones. For older people that increases the risk of osteoporosis.

Fact 4: To clear up any confusion before we get started, I should tell you that the term “dietary folates” often includes folates from foods and folic acid from supplements. That is because folic acid is efficiently taken up by our cells and converted to folates in the cell.

And when methyl folate and folic acid are compared head to head in clinical studies, methyl folate offers no advantage over folic acid, even in individuals with mutations in the MTHFR gene. For more detail on this statement, go to https://www.chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/ and type “methy folate” in the search box.

How Was The Study Done?

Clinical StudyThe investigators used data from the CDC’s 2017-2020 NHANES (National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey) database. The NHANES program has been obtaining health and nutrition data from approximately 5,000 US citizens a year since 1969. Every 4 years the data are compiled into a database that can be used for studies like this one.

The investigators excluded participants who were missing important information such as calcium, vitamin D, or folate intake and bone density measurements. This left 2297 participants for the current study.

The participants were 49.9% female, 73% white, and the average age was 64 years. The prevalence of osteoporosis in this group was 6.92%, which is similar to other estimates of osteoporosis prevalence in this age group.

Dietary intake was based on two 24-hour dietary recalls. Bone density in the femur region was assessed by DXA radiological imaging. Osteoporosis was defined as a bone mineral density of <0.64 g/cm2 for women and <0.68 g/cm2 for men.

The study measured the correlation between dietary folate intake and prevalence of osteoporosis.

Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

folic acidThe investigators separated the participants into 3 groups based on dietary folate intake: lowest (<264 mcg/day), middle (264-390 mcg/day), and highest (>390 mcg/day). For reference the daily value (DV) for folate is 400 mcg/day for adults in this age group.

When adjusted for other factors that affect bone density such as calcium, vitamin D, smoking, and alcohol consumption, those with the highest dietary intake of folates compared to those with the lowest dietary intake of folates:

  • Decreased their risk of osteoporosis by 70%.

And when the data were broken down by gender and age, the highest intake of dietary folates:

  • Decreased the risk of osteoporosis by 82% for women.
    • Also, decreased the risk of osteoporosis for men. But the decrease was not statistically significant (Because men are less likely to develop osteoporosis than women, a much larger study would likely be required to show a statistically significant decreased risk for men.)
  • Decreased the risk of osteoporosis by 70% for people over 60.
    • Did not significantly decrease the risk of osteoporosis for people under 60 (Osteoporosis is rare in people under 60.)
  • In short, adequate intake of folates (including folic acid) significantly decreases the risk of osteoporosis for those who are at highest risk, namely postmenopausal women over 60.

When the investigators did a dose response plot they found an L-shaped relationship between dietary folate and the risk of osteoporosis. They concluded that:

  • Dietary folate intake between 264 and 569 mcg/day was effective in preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Intakes above 569 mcg/day provided little or no additional benefit.

The authors concluded, “This finding suggests the potential importance of dietary folate for preventing and managing osteoporosis.”

“However, further longitudinal research and randomized controlled trials are necessary to elucidate the causal association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis.”

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Healthy BoneI am not suggesting that you should throw out your calcium and vitamin D supplement and rely on a folic acid supplement to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Calcium and vitamin D are absolutely essential for building strong bones. But they are not sufficient by themselves. It takes a holistic approach to build strong bones.

I have previously alerted you to the importance of vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese for building strong bones. This study suggests I may need to add folic acid to the list. And who knows how many additional nutrients may play a role we don’t yet know about.

And it’s not just nutrients. There are many other lifestyle factors that influence the health of our bones. I have described what it takes to have a “bone healthy lifestyle” in a previous issue of “Health Tips From the Professor”.

This is why so many studies looking at the effect of calcium/vitamin D supplements on the risk of developing osteoporosis have come up empty. These studies were asking if calcium and vitamin D were “magic bullets” that could prevent osteoporosis on their own.

The answer to that question appears to be, “No”. But it isn’t the right question. As I have said before, “When clinical studies ask the wrong question, they get the wrong answer.”

Calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone formation, but they aren’t sufficient by themselves. It takes a village. Any study that ignores that is doomed to failure.

What does that mean for you? My recommendation is simple. If you want to build strong bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis:

  • Start with a comprehensive multivitamin/multimineral supplement to make sure your bases are covered.
  • If your intake of calcium and vitamin D are below DV values (1,300 mg of calcium and 600-800 IU of vitamin D for adults in this age range), consider a calcium/vitamin D supplement.

The Bottom Line

A recent study suggests that dietary folate is important for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

In this article I review the study, put it into perspective, and discuss what it means for you.

For more details about this study and what it means for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance 

____________________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Do Bad Genes Doom You To Bad Health?

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The Influence Of Genetics And Diet On Type 2 Diabetes

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

Does it ever feel like you have drawn the short straw?

Everyone in your family has succumbed to heart disease, diabetes, or cancer at a young age. Are you doomed to the same fate?

You ordered a DNA test. It sounded like fun. But when the gene report came back it said you had a “bad” genetic profile. You were told you are at high risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, or dementia. Are you doomed to a short and sickly life?

In both cases, you are probably wondering, “Is there anything I can do to improve my odds of a healthy life? What if I lost some of those extra pounds, exercised more, and ate a healthier diet? Would that make a difference?”

The study (J Merino et al, PLoS Medicine 19(4): e1003972, April 26, 2022) I will describe today was designed to answer these questions.

But before I describe the study, I should probably cover what I call Genetics 101: “How Genes Affect Your Health”.

Genetics 101: How Genes Affect Your Health

GeneticistIf you studied genetics in school, you probably learned about diseases like sickle cell anemia, which is caused by a single mutation in a single gene. If you get two copies of the “bad” gene, you will have sickle cell anemia. If you get one copy of the “bad” gene and one copy of the normal gene, you have sickle cell trait, which is much less severe.

Simply put, you either have the disease or you don’t. It’s dependent on your genetics, and you can’t do much about it.

If you know someone who has been treated for breast cancer, you are probably familiar with a more complex relationship between genetics and health. There are several “bad” genes that increase the risk of breast cancer. And knowing which gene is involved is important for selecting the best treatment regimen.

But most of the diseases that shorten our lives (like diabetes, heart disease, most cancers, and dementia) are what we call polygenetic diseases. Simply put, that means that there are dozens of genes that increase the risk of these diseases. Each gene makes a small contribution to the increased risk. So, we can only measure the genetic contribution to these diseases by measuring hundreds of mutations in dozens of genes, something called a polygenetic risk score.

The study I will be describing today looked at the relative effect of genetics (measured as the type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score) and diet quality (measured as the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)) on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyThe data for this study were obtained from 3 long-term clinical studies conducted in the United States – the Nurses’ Health Study (121,700 participants), the Nurses’ Health Study II (116,340 participants), and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (51,529 participants).

These studies measured lifestyle factors (including diet) every 4 years and correlated them with disease outcomes over 20+ years.

The study I will be discussing today was performed with 35,759 participants in these 3 studies for whom DNA sequencing data was available.

  • The DNA sequence data were used to generate a type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score for each participant in this study.
  • Food frequency questionnaires obtained every 4 years in these studies were used to calculate the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) score for each participant.
    • The AHEI is based on higher intake of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and legumes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, moderate intake of alcohol, and lower intake of red and processed meats, sugar sweetened drinks and fruit juice, sodium, and trans-fat).

The investigators used these measurements to estimate the relative effect of genetics and diet quality on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Influence Of Genetics And Diet On Type 2 Diabetes 

Genetic TestingThe participants were divided into low, intermediate, and high genetic risk based on their type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score.

Compared with low genetic risk:

  • Intermediate genetic risk increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 26%.
  • High genetic risk increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 75%.

Put another way, each 1 standard deviation increase in the polygenetic risk score:

  • Increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 42%.

Simply put, bad genes can significantly increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That’s the bad news. But that doesn’t mean you should think, “Diabetes is in my genes. There is nothing I can do.”

The investigators also divided the participants into those who had a high-quality diet, those who had an intermediate quality diet, and those who had a low-quality diet based on their AHEI (Alternative Healthy Eating Index) score.

Finally, they divided the participants into groups depending on their BMI, a measure of obesity.

Compared to an obese person consuming a low-quality diet, a lean person consuming a high-quality diet:

  • Reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 43% for each category of genetic risk.
  • More specifically, a lean person consuming a high-quality diet reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
    • By 41% if they were at low genetic risk.
    • By 50% if they were at intermediate genetic risk.
    • By 38% if they were at high genetic risk.

The investigators then made a statistical adjustment to remove BMI from their calculations, so they could focus on Mediterranean Diet Foodsthe effect of diet alone on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Compared to a low-quality diet, a high-quality diet:

  • Reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 33% for each category of genetic risk.
  • More specifically, a high-quality diet reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
    • By 31% for those at low genetic risk.
    • By 39% for those at intermediate genetic risk.
    • By 29% for those at high genetic risk.

Looking at it another way:

  • When people at high genetic risk consumed a high-quality diet, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes was only 13% higher than people at intermediate genetic risk who consumed a low-quality diet (such as the typical American diet).
  • When people at intermediate genetic risk consumed a high-quality diet, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 5% less than people at low genetic risk who consumed a low-quality diet.

Simply put:

  • If you are at intermediate genetic risk, a high-quality diet may completely reverse your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • If you are at high genetic risk, a high-quality diet can partially reverse your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In short, the good news is that bad genes do not doom you to type 2 diabetes.

  • The investigators did not provide similar information for the effect of an ideal weight on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but it is likely that the combination of diet plus weight management would result in an even more significant reduction in risk of developing type 2 diabetes for individuals in the even the highest risk category.

The authors concluded, “These data provide evidence for the independent associations of genetic risk and diet quality with incident type 2 diabetes and suggest that a healthy diet is associated with lower diabetes risk across all levels of genetic risk.”

Do Bad Genes Doom You To Bad Health?

Bad GenesAt the beginning of this article I posed the question, “Do bad genes doom you to bad health?”

Based on this study, the good news is that bad genes don’t doom you type 2 diabetes. And just because most of your relatives are diabetic doesn’t mean that must be your fate.

  • This study shows that a healthy diet significantly reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes at every genetic risk level.
  • And the study suggests that a healthy diet plus a healthy weight is even more beneficial at reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • While not included in this study, other studies have shown that exercise also plays a role in reducing type 2 diabetes risk.

None of this information is new. What is new is that a healthy diet is equally beneficial at reducing type 2 diabetes risk even in individuals with a high genetic risk of developing the disease. Simply put, you can reverse the effects of bad genes.

“And what is this magic diet?”, you might ask. In this study, it was based on AHEI score. Someone with a high AHEI score consumes:

  • Lots of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and legumes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Moderate or no amounts of alcohol.
  • Little or no red and processed meats, sugar sweetened drinks, fruit juices, sodium, and foods with trans-fat.

Any whole food, primarily plant-based diet from vegan to Mediterranean or DASH fits the bill.

Finally, while this study focused just on type 2 diabetes, other studies have come to similar conclusions for other diseases.

Should You Get Your DNA Tested?

If you are looking for guidance on how to reduce your risks, the answer is, “No”. In this study, the same diet and lifestyle changes lowered the risk of type diabetes at every genetic risk level. Despite what some charlatans may tell you, there is no special diet or magic potion for people with a high genetic risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

If you are looking for motivation, the answer may be, “Yes”. If knowing you are at high risk makes it more likely that you will make the diet and lifestyle changes needed to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, a DNA test may be just what you need

The Bottom Line

If a serious disease runs in your family or if you have had your DNA tested and found out you are at high risk for some disease, you are probably wondering whether there is anything you can do or whether your bad genes have doomed you to a short and sickly life.

A recent study answered that question for type 2 diabetes. It showed a healthy diet significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes even in people at high genetic risk of developing the disease.

Other studies have come to similar conclusions for other diseases. In short, bad genes don’t doom you to bad health.

For more details about the study and what it means for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Is Olive Oil Overrated?

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What Is The Truth About Olive Oil And You? 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

You may have seen headlines claiming that olive oil doesn’t deserve its “health halo”. It isn’t as healthy as many experts have claimed. It is overrated.

These headlines aren’t referring to the scandalous practice of selling “extra virgin” olive oil that contains cheaper oils. That is another topic for another day.

The headlines are claiming that, while the Mediterranean diet is healthy, it is fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fish that make the Mediterranean diet healthy. Their claim is that olive oil has little to do with it.

To evaluate these claims I have reviewed the study (AK Krenek et al, Journal of the American Heart Association, Volume 13, Number 15:e035034, July 24, 2024) behind the headlines.

And to provide context, I have also reviewed another recent study (M Guasch-Ferre et al, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 79, Number 2, 2022).

How Were These Studies Done?

clinical studyThe two studies were very different:

The First Study used a randomized cross-over design to compare high and low olive oil diets.

In the randomized cross-over design participants were randomly assigned to one of the two diets at the beginning of the study. They followed that diet plan for 4 weeks. And after a one week “washout” they followed the other diet plan for 4 weeks. In this type of study each participant serves as their own control.

Study participants (50 obese participants, average age = 64, 75% women, 72% white, ≥ 5% risk of heart disease) were all eating a typical American diet.

Each of the experimental diets was a whole food plant-based diet, with comparable amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Both diets were high in fiber, low in added sugar, and contained less than an ounce of animal products a day. In other words, the base diet was a healthy plant-based diet.

Participants in the high olive oil group were asked to add 4 tablespoons/day of extra virgin olive oil to their diet while participants in the low olive oil group were asked to restrict their olive oil intake to < 1 teaspoon/day.

No effort was made to control portion sizes or caloric intake. As we will see below, this was a major weakness of the study. As you might expect, fat intake was significantly greater for those on the high olive oil diet (49% of calories) compared to the low olive oil diet (32% of calories). Consequently, caloric intake was also significantly greater on the high olive oil diet.

All participants met with a dietitian/chef at the beginning of the study and were given access to online training programs and a dietitian hotline for questions. Dietary intake was measured by a 24-hour dietary recall 4-7 times prior to the study and 4 times during each diet period.

Fasting blood and urine samples were collected prior to the study and at the end of each 4-week diet period to measure biomarkers with possible predictive value for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol.

The Second Study was a prospective cohort study using data obtained from 60,582 women in the Nurses Health Study and 31,801 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

In a prospective cohort study a cohort or group of people (in this case, the 60,582 women and 31,801 men in the two studies) are followed over time (in this case for 28 years from1990 to 2018). The study then measures the association between some aspect of their diet and lifestyle (in this case the kind of fat in their diet) and health outcomes at the end of the study (in this case all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality, and respiratory disease mortality).

A strength of this study was that the diet of all participants was assessed every 4 years, which allowed the investigators to track changes in their diet over time. The intake of most fats was remarkably stable over the entire 28-year duration of the study.

However, as the bad news about margarine and the good news about olive oil entered the popular media, margarine consumption declined, and olive oil consumption increased. Because the investigators were able to track these changes over time, they were able to correct for them in their data analysis.

Is Olive Oil Overrated?

thumbs down symbolResults From The First Study: If we restrict ourselves to statistically significant observations, the results were as follows:

  • Switching from the baseline diet (typical American diet) to either the high olive oil or low olive oil diets for 4 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
  • In this case, there was no statistically significant difference between the two diets.

However, when transitioning from the low olive oil diet to the high olive oil diet and from the high olive oil diet to the low olive oil diet, some statistically significant differences were observed.

For example, transitioning from the high olive oil diet to the low olive oil diet resulted in:

  • A 7% decrease in total cholesterol.
  • An 11% decrease in LDL-cholesterol.
  • A 2.2% decrease in HDL-cholesterol.
  • A 2% decrease in blood glucose levels.

And transitioning from the low olive oil diet to the high olive oil diet resulted in:

  • A 14% increase in total cholesterol.
  • A 14% increase in LDL-cholesterol.
  • A 15% increase in HDL-cholesterol.
  • A 17% decrease in blood glucose levels.

The authors of this study said, “Although both [whole food, primarily plant-based] diets improved [risk factors for heart disease], a low olive oil intervention may provide superior LDL-cholesterol lowering in individuals at highest risk [of heart disease]. Future studies are needed to determine if these short-term effects are sustainable and translate to improvements in cardiac outcomes…Nevertheless, a whole food primarily plant-based diet with relatively lower olive oil may be a useful tool for clinicians for improving cardiovascular risk compared with greater olive oil intake.”

The authors also went on to say, “…olive oil may not be the beneficial additive of a Mediterranean diet.”

thumbs upResults From The Second Study:

Higher intake of olive oil (>0.5 tablespoons/day compared to ≤1 teaspoon/day) resulted in:

  • A 19% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality. And when that was broken down by cause it amounted to:
    • A 19% decrease in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.
    • A 17% decrease in the risk of cancer mortality.
    • A 29% decrease in the risk of neurodegenerative disease mortality.
    • An 18% decrease in the risk of respiratory disease mortality.

In a substitution analysis calculating the effect of consuming 10 g/day of olive oil instead of 10 g/day of:

  • Butter resulted in a 14% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Margarine or dairy fat resulted in a 13% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Mayonnaise resulted in a 9% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Other vegetable oils had no effect on all-cause mortality.
  • Results were similar when the investigators looked at the effect of replacing fats with olive oil on mortality due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and respiratory disease.

The authors of the second study concluded, “Higher olive oil intake was associated with lower risk of total and cause-specific mortality. Replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil was associated with lower risk of mortality.”

How can we reconcile these conflicting viewpoints? Let me start by looking at the flaws in the first study. Then I will summarize the “truth” about olive oil based on what these two studies tell us.

Is The Study Behind The Headlines Misleading?

flawsFirst let me summarize why I consider the study to be misleading. Then I will discuss why the headlines about the study are misleading.

Why The Study Is Misleading: The main conclusion of this study was that adding olive oil to a primarily plant-based diet increased the risk of heart disease. While this study is well-designed in some respects, it is flawed in others. I will summarize the flaws here:

Flaw Number 1: The authors rely on the relative effects of the high and low olive oil diets on LDL-cholesterol levels in predicting the effect of the two diets on heart disease risk. However, there is a major problem with this argument:

  • HDL-cholesterol levels move in the same direction. Both are decreased in the transition from the high olive oil to the low olive oil diet. Both are increased in the transition from the low olive oil to high olive oil diet. The ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol changes very little, so it is almost impossible to predict what effect these changes will have on heart disease outcomes.

Flaw Number 2: This is related to the flaw I mentioned earlier. No effort was made to control portion size or caloric intake of participants on these diets. The high olive oil diet added 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the low olive oil diet. This significantly increased the fat and caloric intake of participants on the high olive oil diet.

  • Participants lost weight on both diets, but weight loss was significantly greater on the low olive oil diet. In their discussion, the authors admitted that the greater reduction in LDL-cholesterol on the low olive oil diet could have been due to the greater reduction in weight on that diet.

Flaw Number 3: I call this the “straw man” flaw. By adding 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the high olive oil diet the authors created the equivalent of a straw man that was easy knock over. Even if their conclusions were correct, nobody has recommended the addition of 4 tablespoons of olive oil to any diet as a heart-healthy approach.

Mediterraneans don’t add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to their diet. Olive oil is part of the foods they eat and the way they prepare their food.

Why The Headlines Are Misleading: Of course, the headlines were misleading because they ignored the many flaws of the study.

However, I find it amusing that some of the headlines came from “Forks Over Knives” an organization that advocates for a very low-fat plant-based diet. They were using this study to question the value of olive oil as part of a whole-food plant-based diet.

However, when you look at the study, 32% of calories came from fat in the low olive oil diet, and 49% of calories came from fat in the high olive oil diet.

For perspective:

  • The low-fat whole-food plant-based diet recommended by “Forks Over Knives” has <10-15% of calories from fat.
  • The Mediterranean diet typically contains 35-40% of calories from fat.
    • Around 18-19% of that is monounsaturated fat.
    • Around 8% of that is saturated fat.
  • The typical American diet also contains 35-40% of calories from fat.
    • Around 12-14% of that is monounsaturated fat.
    • Around 12% of that is saturated fat.

In other words, the low olive oil diet in this study resembles the fat content of the Mediterranean and typical American diets, not the low-fat whole food plant-based diet recommended by “Forks Over Knives”.

And the high olive oil diet contains fat levels not seen in any natural diet. Except for a few keto enthusiasts, I don’t know of any experts who think getting almost 50% of your calories from any kind of fat is a good thing.

What Is The Truth About Olive Oil And You?

The TruthAs described above, the study behind the headlines is a very small, very short study with multiple flaws. So, you can ignore headlines like “Olive oil is overrated” or “Olive oil doesn’t deserve its health halo.”

The second study I discussed is much larger (92,383 participants) and of much longer duration (28 years). More importantly, it measures health outcomes, not blood biomarkers that might predict health outcomes.

Finally, the second study was not measuring the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, as many other studies have done. It was looking at the effect of varying olive oil intakes in the American diet. The high olive oil intakes in this study were less than those seen in the Mediterranean diet. This is good news for the average American who may feel overwhelmed trying to adopt to a Mediterranean diet.

This study reinforces previous studies showing that olive oil is healthy. But let me put this into context.

  • Olive oil is not a superfood. This study showed that it is no healthier than other plant oils. It is, however, considered one of the best vegetable oils for sauteing. It is also less susceptible to oxidation than seed oils, although I still recommend you store it in the refrigerator.
  • It is not something you add to your diet. It is something you incorporate into your diet. People who live in Mediterranean regions:
    • Cook with olive oil.
    • Use olive oil in their salad dressings and drizzle a little olive oil on cooked vegetable and pasta dishes instead of adding butter.
    • Dip their bread in olive oil rather than using butter or mayonnaise.
    • Use it in spreads like tapenade or hummus.
    • Use olives in cooking.
  • Finally, look for extra virgin olive oil. That doesn’t mean you need to spend “an arm and a leg”. But I would do a little online research before I bought the cheapest brand at the discount store.

The Bottom Line

You may have seen recent headlines claiming that olive oil is overrated and that it doesn’t deserve its “health halo”. So, I looked at the study behind the headlines.

It was a very small, very short study with multiple flaws. You can forget the headlines.

For context I also reviewed another recent study. It was a much larger (92,383 participants) and longer duration (28 years) study. More importantly, it measured actual health outcomes, not just blood biomarkers that might predict health outcomes.

It concluded that olive oil is good for us. It is healthier than most fats commonly found in the American diet, but it is no healthier than other plant oils.

For more details on these studies, what they mean for you, and how to incorporate more olive oil into your diet read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_____________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

 

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Health Tips From The Professor