Is The Jellyfish Memory Supplement A Hoax

January 31, 2017January 31, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Are The Claims Too Good To Be True?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Did another phony nutritional supplement, the jellyfish memory supplement, just bite the dust? You’ve seen the TV ads reminding us that our memory starts to fade as we age. You’ve heard the claims about a protein derived from a jellyfish improving your memory. You’ve seen graphs summarizing a clinical study proving the product works. It all sounds so compelling. Are those claims too good to be true? According to the FTC and the New York Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, the answer is yes.

Is The Jellyfish Memory Supplement A Hoax?

On January 9^th 2017, the FTC and the New York Attorney General’s office sued the makers of the “jellyfish memory supplement,” accusing the company of making false and unsubstantiated claims that the product improves memory, provides cognitive benefits, and is “clinically shown” to work.The FTC complaint alleged that the marketers relied on a study that failed to show that their product works better than a placebo on any measure of cognitive function. In their joint press release the FTC said “The marketers of [the jellyfish supplement] preyed on the fears of older consumers experiencing age-related memory loss. But one critical thing these marketers forgot is that their claims need to be backed up by real scientific evidence.” The New York Attorney General said “The marketing for [the jellyfish supplement] is a clear-cut fraud, from the label on the bottle to the ads airing across the country. It’s particularly unacceptable that this company has targeted vulnerable citizens like seniors in its advertising for a product that costs more than a week’s groceries, but provides none of the health benefits that it claims.”

Why Were The Clinical Study Results So Misleading?

I am a strong supporter for innovation in supplement development. However, innovative products should be backed up by published clinical studies showing significant benefit before being marketed to the public. Unfortunately, the clinical study cited for the “jellyfish memory supplement” does not meet this standard.

The study has not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. That means the study has not been independently reviewed by anyone not associated with the manufacturer.

When you actually analyze the data, it turns out that the improvement in memory was inconsistent from subject to subject, and the overall results were not statistically significant.

The graph shown on TV shows a 20% improvement in memory in just 90 days. In fact, that degree of improvement was only experienced by a very small subset of users. Most users experienced either no improvement or an insignificant 5-10% improvement. The graph the company used to market their product was clearly misleading.

Why Was The Scientific Rationale For The Product So Misleading?

Apoaequorin, the jellyfish protein in question, is a calcium binding protein. The manufacturer claims that it improves calcium balance in the body, which improves brain function. There are numerous fallacies in that model. For example:

Apoaequorin is not found in humans. In fact, the manufacturer does not even use the protein found in jellyfish. They use a synthetic version produced through genetic engineering.

Calcium balance is very tightly regulated in the human body. There is no evidence that the addition of apoaequorin, or any other calcium binding protein, improves calcium balance or brain function in humans.

Proteins do not enter our bloodstream intact. They have to be degraded to individual amino acids before they can be absorbed. That means when you take a pill containing apoaequorin protein, all you get is a release of amino acids into your bloodstream.

Finally, even if you were magically able to get apoaequorin protein into your bloodstream, it couldn’t cross the blood-brain barrier. The only reliable means of getting proteins into the brain is by cranial injection, and I don’t think anyone is going to be doing that for mild cognitive impairment.

The emperor has no clothes! Don’t get me wrong. As someone who is moving into my “golden years,” I would love to see this product succeed. I would love for them to produce clinical evidence that their product makes a statistically significant improvement in memory. I would love for the data to be good enough that it could be published in a peer reviewed journal. I would love for the jellyfish memory supplement to be legitimate. However, I suspect the FTC will win this one. I suspect another bogus product is about to bite the dust.

What Does This Mean For You?

This is just one of many examples of supplements that have first rate marketing, but second rate science. As a consumer, you need to be eternally vigilant. Unfortunately, most of you are not scientists, so it is very difficult for you to evaluate the claims. The FDA does it’s best to shut down products that are dangerous to your health. The FTC does it’s best to shut down products that make unfounded claims. I will do my best to warn you about about bogus products. However, none of us can keep up with all the dangerous and bogus products that flood the marketplace. At the end of the day, your best defense is to remember that famous quote “If it sounds too good to be true…” The jellyfish memory supplement sounds too good to be true.

The Bottom Line

The FTC and New York Attorney General have sued the manufacturers of the “jellyfish memory supplement” that has been so widely advertised on TV. The FTC alleges that the claims for that product are “false and unsubstantiated.”
The clinical study cited by the manufacturer was flawed because:
- The results had not been published in a peer reviewed scientific journal. That means the study has not been independently reviewed by anyone not associated with the manufacturer.
- The results were not statistically significant.
The scientific rationale for the product was flawed because:
- The “jellyfish protein” is not found in humans. In fact, the manufacturer does not even use the protein found in jellyfish. They use a synthetic version produced through genetic engineering.
- Proteins must be degraded to individual amino acids before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. That means when you take a pill containing “jellyfish protein”, all you get is a release of amino acids into your bloodstream.
Even if you were magically able to get the protein into your bloodstream, it couldn’t cross the blood-brain barrier. The only reliable means of getting proteins into the brain is by cranial injection, and I don’t think anyone is going to be doing that for mild cognitive impairment.
I will do my best to alert you about bogus supplements. The FDA and FTC will do their best to protect you. However, none of us can keep up with all the dangerous and bogus products that flood the marketplace. At the end of the day, your best defense is to remember that famous quote “If it sounds too good to be true…”

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.

The Latest Health Articles

January 24, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

200^th Issue Celebration: Highlights From the Past Two Years on Health, Nutrition, and Fitness

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

For four years I have been providing you with the latest health articles on various health, nutrition, and fitness topics by 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 200^th 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. I reviewed the highlights from the first 100 issues previously. 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.

The Latest Health Articles on Weight Loss

Weight Loss Secrets

Of the latest health articles and since this review is being written in January, let’s start with some of the most insightful articles about healthy weight loss. For example, some assumptions people have about losing weight are just plain wrong. Even worse, they are counter-productive. They actually prevent you from losing weight if you accept them. The article “8 Weight Loss Myths” debunks those myths.

The article “8 Tips For Eating Less” gives you some useful “tricks” for controlling both food choices and portion sizes, based on the research of Dr. Brian Wansink. “Exercise and Weight Loss” gives you valuable information on how much exercise you need to be doing if you want to lose weight. Finally, “Lose Weight Without Counting Calories” highlights recent research showing that healthy food choices are more important for weight control than counting calories or fad diets.

The Latest Health Articles on Protein

How Much Protein Do We Need?

In recent years, we have gained new appreciation for the importance of dietary protein in maintaining muscle mass. We have also learned that leucine, one of the essential amino acids, plays an important role in regulating the protein synthesis required to maintain or increase muscle mass.

The article “Are High Protein Diets Your Secret To Weight Loss?” summarized the latest research on how much dietary protein is required to maintain muscle mass when you are trying to lose weight. “Leucine and Muscle Gain” discusses the optimal protein and leucine levels for optimal muscle gain after a workout. Hint: The science-based amounts are more than the RDA but less than what many “muscle madness” websites claim. When you are looking for the latest health articles, be sure your source is giving you all the information.

Most of us lose muscle mass when we age. In “Do Protein Needs Increase As We Age?” I summarize the latest research on the amount of protein and leucine we need to maintain muscle mass in our golden years. Finally, In “How Much Protein Do You Need?” I point out the fallacies of a New York Times article proclaiming that most Americans get too much protein. However, I also summarize all of the latest research on the protein needs of individual groups. Many of you will find this a useful resource.

The Latest Health Articles on Food Nutrition

How Foods Affect Our Health In Surprising Ways

Most Americans understand that the food choices we make can affect our weight and our health. Although, we sometimes disagree on what foods are good for us. When we think about foods affecting our health, we are usually thinking about major diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. However, food choices can affect our health in some unexpected ways as well.

For example, in “Do Foods Make Them Fidget?” I discuss research showing that food allergies may be a major contributor to ADHD in children. In “Can Foods Affect Our Mood?” and “Does Diet Affect Depression In Women?” I discuss research showing that what we eat can affect our mood in some pretty significant ways.

In “Can What We Eat Affect Our Kids?” I explore some thought provoking research suggesting that what we eat prior to conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy may influence our children’s health throughout their life. There is much more research to be done, but even the possibility of that occurring should serve as a wake-up call for everyone thinking of becoming a parent.

Finally, in “Is There A Simple Solution To Gas & Bloating?” I summarize some ground-breaking research into a new approach for identifying the foods that cause you digestive problems. If you’ve eliminated the most obvious problem foods from your diet and still have digestive issues, you will definitely want to read this article.

The Truth About Omega-3s

After years of unchallenged popularity, omega-3s have become controversial. Some doctors are claiming that they don’t really provide any health benefits and we get plenty in our diet. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In “Are Americans Deficient in Omega-3s?” I report on a recent survey showing that most Americans have very poor omega-3 nutritional status. In “The Good News About Omega-3s & Blood Pressure” I discuss recent research suggesting that omega-3s provide an effective natural approach for lowering blood pressure. In an upcoming issue, I will review a recent meta-analysis suggesting that omega-3s may reduce heart attack risk. I’m not suggesting throwing away your medications, but I would suggest a discussion with your doctor about including omega-3s as part of a holistic approach to lower blood pressure and heart disease risk.

Finally, there are a lot of claims in the marketplace that some forms of omega-3s are better utilized than others. In “Are Some Omega-3 Supplements Better Than Others?” I report on a recent study that debunks those claims so please check this out as a part of your latest health articles research.

The Truth About Calcium Supplements

We have been told for years that calcium supplements are a safe and effective way to prevent osteoporosis. However, those assumptions have recently been called into question. There have been claims that calcium supplements increase heart attack risk, and that calcium supplements don’t prevent osteoporosis. I have written articles to put both of those claims into perspective.

After the study came out claiming that calcium supplementation does not prevent osteoporosis, I wrote a two-part review called “Do Calcium Supplements Prevent Bone Fractures?”. In Part 1 I pointed out the many shortcomings of the study. In Part 2 I discussed a holistic approach, including calcium supplementation, to build healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis. Finally, in “Should We Take Calcium Supplements?” I reported on studies showing convincingly that calcium does not increase heart attack risk. It turns out the experts were right all along.

The Truth About Heart Disease

In today’s world doctors rely almost exclusively on drugs to prevent and treat heart disease. Unfortunately, those drugs have significant side effects. In “Do Statins Increase Diabetes Risk?” and “Do Statins Cause Memory Loss?” I highlight research on the side effects of statins. In “Do Blood Pressure Medications Cause Memory Loss?” I highlight research into a major side effect of blood pressure medications. Again, I am not recommending that you throw away medications your doctor has prescribed. I am suggesting you discuss holistic approaches with your doctor.

Unfortunately, most doctors believe that nutritional approaches don’t work. That is because some major clinical studies have been misinterpreted. In “Do B Vitamins Reduce Heart Disease Risk?” and “Does Vitamin E Reduce Heart Attack Risk?” I report on a more detailedevaluation of those studies by Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, who isa Professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. He agrees that B vitamins and vitamin E cannot be shown to influence heart attack risk in people who are low risk of having a heart attack. However, his analysis of the data shows that supplementation with both B vitamins and vitamin E reduces heart attack risk for high-risk populations. I will discuss the evidence that omega-3s decrease heart attack risk in an upcoming issue.

Children’s Nutrition

Drugs for controlling ADHD have some fairly severe side effects, and many experts feel that they are over prescribed. In “Is Nutrition Better Than Drugs For ADHD Control?” I summarize a recent review by two pediatricians specializing in ADHD patients. The review evaluated the effectiveness of various natural approaches for controlling ADHD.

In “Do Bad Diets Begin In Infancy?” I reviewed a set of studies showing that what we feed our infants in their first year influences their diet and their health at age 6 – and perhaps for long after that.

These latest health articles are very important concerning kid’s health.

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Most pregnant moms are told that a prenatal supplement provides everything they need for a successful pregnancy. Is that true? Many prenatal supplements do not contain DHA, and only 15% of American women take supplements containing iodine.

In “DHA And Pregnancy” I report on a study showing that up to 75% of North American women aren’t getting enough DHA in their diet. I also discussed the still confusing research suggesting that DHA supplementation may be important for supporting optimal brain development during pregnancy. In “Should Pregnant Women Take A DHA Supplement?” I discuss recent research showing that DHA supplementation improved pregnancy outcomes. In “The Dangers Of Iodine Deficiency During Pregnancy” I discuss a study showing that 1/3 of pregnant women in this country are iodine deficient and studies showing the importance of iodine for a successful pregnancy.

The Latest Health Articles Concerning The “Dark Side” Of The Food Supplement Industry

Unfortunately, the food supplement industry has a “dark side.” I do my best to expose as much of that as possible. In “Are Food Labels Deceptive?” I expose some of the ways that food and food supplement companies try to deceive us.

In “Are Herbal Supplements Bogus?” and “Do Your Supplements Contain Carcinogens?” I expose the quality control issues in the industry. In “The Fake Chocolate Study” I show just how easy it is to create a fake clinical study that supports their product.

What Does The Future Hold?

I have just touched on a few of my most popular articles in the list I gave you above. You may want to scroll through that list to find articles of interest to you that you might have missed. If you don’t see what you are looking for, just go to Health Tips From the Professor and type the appropriate term in the search box.

In the coming year, you can look for more of my evaluation of the latest health articles. My articles will debunk myths, expose lies and provide balance to the debate about those 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.

If you have other topics that you would like me to cover, please click on the link below to enter your suggestions in the comment box.

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.

Painful Shoulder Relief

January 17, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Surgery Is Not the Only Option

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT –The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

I was at my sailing club and a man was sitting watching the water, rubbing his painful shoulder. I asked him what was wrong and he said he had a sore shoulder for the past three months. He told me he desperately wanted to find some pain relief. He loves to sail and this sore shoulder pain was preventing him from going out on the water. He’d already been to a massage therapist, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor. He finally went to an orthopedic surgeon and was told that surgery was the only way to get relief from his painful shoulder. However, he had decided that he didn’t want to take that path…yet.

Why Muscles Can Cause a Painful Shoulder

I use an analogy that makes it clear why muscle spasms in your shoulder will cause joint pain. If you pull your hair, your scalp will hurt. But, you don’t need to massage your scalp or take aspirin for your headache, and you definitely don’t need brain surgery. You simply need to let go of your hair!

Your shoulder has more muscle attachments than any joint in your body.Each muscle pulls your shoulder in a different direction. As any of the muscles get tight it puts pressure on the bone. Your painful shoulder is the end result – just like pulling your hair hurts your head.

To get relief all you need to do is release the tension in the muscles.

Stretching WON’T Help Ease a Painful Shoulder!

It is important to untie the knots (spasms) in the muscles before stretching. Think of what happens if you take a 12″ length of rope, tie enough knots in it so it is 11″ long, and then try to stretch it back to 12″ without first untying the knots. This is what will happen to your muscle fibers if you stretch without first releasing the spasms.

I’ve worked for years with people who not only have sore shoulder pain, but also have pain in every joint. Frequently pain is caused by repetitive muscle strain while working or playing sports and it needs to be released. Working with athletes it was vital to teach them how to do self-treatments they could use during a race or competition. And my other clients have found self-treatments give them permanent relief from aches and pains.

This has led to several books and DVD programs, including Focused Flexibility Training. On one DVD I demonstrate how to self-treat every muscle, from your head to foot. And then, on two DVDs (1 Upper Body and 1 Lower Body) Ana Johnson, a fantastic yoga instructor, leads you through self-treating the muscles you will be stretching followed by a 30-minute yoga program. It works to quickly eliminate a painful shoulder, as well as pain and stiffness throughout your body.

Focused Flexibility Training has a foundation of self-treatments that come from my book, Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living. The exciting part is people from all over the world have confirmed that the treatments really work!

There are several treatments for sore shoulder pain. Each addresses a different group of muscles that move your shoulder and arm. There are uncountable motions you make every day without even thinking about it, and each muscle can be strained.

Treatment for a Painful Shoulder

The photo to the left show you how to treat your infraspinatus muscle. This muscle brings your shoulder back, like you’re taking a tennis serve. When your Infraspinatus muscle is in spasm, it causes shoulder pain as you try to bring your arms forward.

Place the Perfect Ball as shown in the picture, and lean your weight into the ball. Look for the “hot spot,” which will be tender. As you lean into the ball take the pressure off, and then lean again. You’ll find the painful shoulder becoming less and less painful each time you again add pressure.

Move the ball to different areas of your shoulder, finding the various painful points. Each one is a spasm that is causing your sore shoulder pain. You can enhance this treatment by slowly drawing your arm across your body while you are still pressing into the ball. Since the spasms have been released, this movement will safely stretch the muscle fibers. As you release each spasm, and then stretch, you’ll find pain relief and you’ll know how to stop pain quickly and easily should it return.

As for the man mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I taught him how to do the self-treatments. I’m happy to say that today he told me he slept through the night for the first time in weeks. He’s getting better every time he does the self-treatments and he’s back to sailing again. That is so fulfilling — I LOVE my work!

With some knowledge of how to find spasms, how to self-treat them, and how to stretch properly, you can Stop Pain FAST! This, of course, goes for a painful shoulder as well.

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

About The Author

Julie Donnelly is a Deep Muscle Massage Therapist with 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of chronic joint pain and sports injuries. She has worked extensively with elite athletes and patients who have been unsuccessful at finding relief through the more conventional therapies.

She has been widely published, both on – and off – line, in magazines, newsletters, and newspapers around the country. She is also often chosen to speak at national conventions, medical schools, and health facilities nationwide.

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.

Which Foods Lower Blood Sugar?

January 10, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Can You Believe The “Experts”?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Your blood sugar levels have been creeping up. Your doctor has been bugging you to do something about it – even threatening to put you on medications if you don’t get your blood sugar under control. So, which foods lower blood sugar?

Now it’s the first of the year, and you’ve vowed to do something about it. You have vowed to make better food choices. That should be easy. There is lots of great advice about foods that lower blood sugar on the internet. For example, in a recent search, I found articles proclaiming “9 foods that lower blood sugar”, “7 foods that control blood sugar”, and “12 power foods to beat diabetes”.

But, are those foods the right ones for you? What if we are remarkably different in our blood sugar responses to the same food? This is just what a recent study suggests.

How Was The Study Designed?

A group of scientists in Isreal set out to test the hypothesis that people eating identical meals might have a high variability in their post-meal blood glucose response (Zeevi et al, Cell, 163, 1079-1094, 2015).

The investigators enrolled 800 subjects ages 18-70 into their study. None of the individuals had diabetes. However, 54% of them were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) and 22% of them were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Thus, their subject population was typical of the adult population of almost every Western, industrialized country.

All 800 subjects were followed for one week during which time:

They were connected to a continuous glucose monitor, which measured their blood glucose levels every 5 seconds.

They were given a Smartphone app and instructed to log their food intake, exercise, and sleep in real time.

They were told to follow their normal daily routine and dietary habits except for the first meal of every day, which consisted of five different types of standardized “meals” (glucose, fructose, bread, bread with butter, bread with chocolate), all providing 50 gm of available carbohydrate.

The glucose monitor recorded blood sugar responses for 2 hours following each meal. From that information, the investigators calculated a PPGR (post-prandial glycemic response), which I will mercifully refer to as “blood sugar response”, for every meal eaten by every subject throughout the week.

The standardized “meals” eaten at the beginning of the day were used to validate the study. For example:

Two of the standardized meals were given to each subject twice during the study separated by at least one day.

There was very little variability in blood sugar response when the same standardized meal was given to the same subject on different days.

However, there was a significant amount of variability in blood sugar response when the same standardized meal was given to different subjects.

The average blood sugar response to each of the standardized meals was very similar to literature values from previous studies (Most previous studies have reported only average blood sugar responses, not individual variability).

In short, the results from the standardized “meals” validated both the reliability and reproducibility of the data.

Finally, to eliminate as many confounding variables as possible, the investigators compared blood sugar response only for those meals in which a single food was the major component of the meal and that food provided 20-40 gm of carbohydrate.

Here is where things got really interesting!

Which Foods Lower Blood Sugar?

This study showed that there is tremendous individual variability in the blood sugar response to any given food. For example, individual blood sugar responses varied by:

4-fold for sugar-sweetened soft drinks, grapes and apples.
5-fold for rice.
6-fold for bread and potatoes.
7-fold for ice cream and dates.

Put another way:

Some people had almost no blood sugar response to cookies, but a very high blood sugar response to a banana.

Other people had almost no blood sugar response to bananas, but a very high blood sugar response to cookies.

That is a pretty striking result. Which foods lower blood sugar? This study suggests that some people trying to control their blood sugar can eat bananas, while others should avoid them. It might even mean that some people trying to control blood sugar can eat cookies. I know that is what many people would like to hear, but I’m not ready to make that recommendation.

Why Is There So Much Individuality in Blood Sugar Response?

You are probably wondering why there is such variability in blood sugar response to the same foods. There are several factors that influence individual blood sugar response. For example,

Overweight and obesity (Both tend to increase blood sugar response).

Dietary habits (Meats, particularly fatty meats, processed grains, and simple sugars tend to increase blood sugar response to a given amount of carbohydrate. Unprocessed grains, fresh fruits & vegetables tend to decrease blood sugar response to a given amount of carbohydrate).

What we eat with a given meal (Protein, fiber, and fat in a meal can decrease blood sugar response to the carbohydrate in that meal).

Physical activity (Increased muscle mass decreases blood sugar response to a given amount of carbohydrate).

The bacteria in our intestine (This may be a chicken-and egg thing. The bacteria in our intestine are influenced by our dietary habits.)

Genetics.

Things we don’t yet know about.

The good news is that we can actually control some of these variables. The ones over which we have the most control are weight, dietary habits, what we eat along with the carbohydrates in our meals, and physical activity.

What Does This Mean For You?

The authors concluded that “universal dietary recommendations [for lowering blood sugar levels] may have limited utility.” That is because dietary recommendations are based on average responses and none of us are average. As the saying goes “We are all wonderfully [and differently] made”.

So, when you read about diets and foods that will help you keep your blood sugar levels under control, take those recommendations with a grain of…sugar. They are a good starting place, but you need to listen to your body, and eat the foods that work best for you. So, which foods lower blood sugar? It is different for different people, but there are some variables you can control.

Don’t get carried away, however. I’m pretty sure Twinkies washed down with a soft drink are bad for just about everyone.

More importantly, control the variables you can – weight, dietary habits, foods you eat along with carbohydrates, and physical activity. If you control those four variables, you will be well on your way to ideal blood sugar control.

The Bottom Line

A recent study has shown that there is tremendous variability in blood sugar response to identical meals from one individual to the next.

The authors of the study concluded that “universal dietary recommendations [for lowering blood sugar levels] may have limited utility.” That is because dietary recommendations are based on average responses, and none of us are average.

So, when you read about diets and foods that will help you keep your blood sugar levels under control, take those recommendations with a grain of…sugar. They are a good starting place, but you need to listen to your body, and eat the foods that work best for you.

There are variables influencing our blood sugar response that we cannot control, such as genetics. However, there are some very important variables that we can control. For example, we can improve our blood sugar response by:

Attaining and maintaining ideal weight. Losing as little as 5-10 pounds can result in a significant improvement.

Eating a diet that emphasizes fresh fruits & vegetables, nuts, and whole grains and minimizes meats, especially fatty meats, processed grains, and simple sugars. This may act by influencing the bacteria that populate our intestine.

Consuming carbohydrates along with protein, fiber-rich foods, and even some fat in the same meal.

Increasing physical activity, especially activity that increases lean muscle mass.

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.

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

January 3, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Choose Healthy Foods, Not Diet Foods

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

How do you lose weight without counting calories?

Most adult Americans gain at least a pound or two each year. That may not sound like much on a yearly basis, but over a lifetime it is huge – if you’ll pardon the pun.

Because the health consequences of weight gain are so devastating, everyone has their favorite dietary advice for keeping those extra pounds away. For some it is diet plans – low fat, low carb, paleo, Mediterranean – you name it. For others, it is counting calories or avoiding sugars of all kinds. The list goes on.

But what if all those approaches were wrong? What if we could keep our weight under control solely based on the foods we eat? A recent study seems to suggest that we just might.

How Was The Study Designed?

A group of scientists from Tufts University and Harvard decided to look at how the food choices we make on a daily basis influence our weight gain or loss over time (Smith et al, AJCN 101: 1216-1224, 2015).

Most studies of this kind look at what foods people are eating at the time of the study and compare that to how much they weigh. This group of scientists looked at changes that people made in their diets and correlated that with how much weight they gained or lost over time.

When you think of it, that’s the information most of us really want to know. We are less interested in why the foods we used to eat got us into trouble in the first place than we are in how the changes we make in our diet might influence future weight loss or gain.

This study combined the data from three very large, long term studies – the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Altogether that is a group of 120,784 men and women who were followed for 16-24 years. All three of these studies measured weight and evaluated dietary habits using food-frequency questionnaires every 4 years.

The scientists conducting the study measured changes in food choices and changes in weight over the duration of the studies. In analyzing the data, they looked at 3 variables: choices of protein foods, total carbohydrate, and the glycemic load (GL) of the carbohydrates.

Glycemic load is the effect on blood sugar of the carbohydrates in a food times the total amount of carbohydrate in that food. You can think of glycemic load as a measure of carbohydrate quality. Foods with low glycemic load have little effect on blood sugar. Foods with high glycemic load cause a major increase in blood sugar. You probably already know that is not a good thing.

You probably also have a pretty good idea of which foods have a high glycemic load. For example, white bread, pastries, muffins, pancakes, white rice, chocolates, candy bars, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, and pretzels would all be examples of foods with a high glycemic load. Fruits, whole grain foods and starchy vegetables would be examples of foods with a moderate glycemic load. Vegetables and beans would be examples of foods that generally have a low glycemic load.

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories Means Foods Are More Important Than Calories?

Now let’s get to the good stuff – the results of this study. When the authors analyzed the data they found that:

Most of the subjects did not exchange one protein food for another over the course of the study. They exchanged protein foods for carbohydrate-rich foods and vice versa.

This was a surprise. Since many experts have been recommending that people substitute chicken and fish for red meat, they had expected to see that kind of dietary shift when they analyzed the data. Apparently, people have not been listening to the experts!

When the subjects replaced a serving of carbohydrate-rich foods with a serving of red meats, processed meats, chicken with skin or most cheeses, they gained between 0.5 to 2.3 pounds per year. Within this category, the greatest weight gain was seen when hamburgers were substituted for carbohydrates, and the least weight gain was seen when cheese was substituted for carbohydrates. These are substitutions that pack on the pounds.

When the subjects replaced a serving of carbohydrate-rich foods with a serving of milk, peanuts or eggs, there was no net change in weight. These appear to be substitutions that are good for weight maintenance.

When the subjects replaced a serving of carbohydrate-rich foods with a serving of yoghurt, peanut butter, beans, walnuts, other nuts, chicken without skin, low-fat cheese or seafood, they lost between 0.5 and 1.5 pounds/year. These appear to be substitutions that are good for weight loss.

When they focused on carbohydrate-rich foods, replacing one serving of high glycemic load foods with low glycemic load foods was associated with one pound of weight loss per year. Simply put, if you switch from cookies, pastries and candies to fruits and vegetables, you are likely to lose weight. No surprise here. This would seem to be a method to lose weight without counting calories.

The study really got interesting when they looked at the effect of adding different proteins in the context of the carbohydrate-rich foods that the subjects were eating. For example,

When the subjects added a serving of red meat to a diet containing carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic load, they gained an average of 2.5 pounds per year. When they added that same serving of red meat to a diet containing carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic load, they gained only around 1.5 pounds per year.

Simply put, that means eating a hamburger on a white flour bun with fries is going to pack on more pounds than a hamburger patty with brown rice and a green salad.

The effect of glycemic load was particularly interesting when you looked at the protein foods that were good for weight maintenance overall. For example, adding a serving of eggs to a high glycemic load diet resulted in a 0.6 pound/year weight gain, while adding that same serving of eggs to a low glycemic load diet resulted in a 1.75 pound/year weight loss. The results were similar for cheeses.

Finally, glycemic load also influenced the effectiveness of protein foods associated with weight loss. For example, addition of a serving of beans to a high glycemic load diet resulted in 0.5 pound/year weight loss, but adding a serving of beans to a low glycemic load diet resulted in a 1.5 pound/year weight loss.

New Insights From This Study

This study broke new ground in several areas. For example,

We have heard over and over that substituting beans, chicken and fish for red meats is healthier. This is the first study I have heard of that says those same substitutions can prevent or reverse weight gain.

Many people advocate a high protein diet for weight control or weight loss, but many of them will tell you the type of protein doesn’t matter. This study suggests that the type of protein foods we eat are important in determining whether we lose or gain weight.

Everyone knows that switching from white grains, pastries and candy to whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help you lose weight, but this is the first study I’m aware of that suggests those same changes will influence whether the protein foods we eat lead to weight gain or weight loss.

Many people focus on fats and calories when trying to avoid weight gain. While this study is not really fat and calorie neutral (see below), it does suggest that if we focus on eating healthy foods, we don’t need to be counting every fat gram and every calorie. In other words, you can lose weight without counting calories by eating healthy foods.

Finally, this study suggests that if we forget all of those crazy diets and focus on eating healthy foods, our weight will take care of itself. Not exactly a novel concept, but one worth repeating.

Can We Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?

The head author of this study stated in an interview “The idea that the human body is just a bucket for calories is too simplistic. It’s not just a matter of thinking about calories or fat. What’s the quality of the foods we are eating? And how do we define quality.” This has been picked up by the media with statements like “not all calories are created equal”.

The real message is not that fat content and calories don’t count. Nor is it that calories in some foods count more than the same calories in other foods. The take home lesson from this study should be that we don’t have to focus on fat and calories. We don’t need to jump on the latest fad diet. If we focus on healthy foods, the fat and calories tend to take care of themselves.

But, even that message is a bit too simplistic. Choosing healthy foods is not all that there is for weight control. We also need consider:

Portion sizes. Half a chicken could easily add more calories than a small hamburger.

How the food is cooked. Fish cooked in a cream sauce may not be any better for weight control than a slab of red meat.

Exercise. We need to maintain muscle mass to keep metabolic rate high.

The Bottom Line

A recent study has broken new ground and provided some new insights into how to prevent those extra pounds from sneaking up on us over time. This study evaluated how some simple changes we could make in the foods we eat can influence whether we gain or lose weight.

One part of the study looked at the effects of replacing a serving of carbohydrate rich foods with a serving of protein rich foods. If that protein rich food were a hamburger, we could expect to gain about 2.3 pounds/year. If that protein rich food were seafood, we could expect to lose about 1.5 pounds/year. Other protein foods fall in between those extremes. The specifics are covered above.

This is a new insight. Many people advocate a high protein diet for weight control or weight loss, but many of them will tell you the type of protein doesn’t matter. This study suggests that the type of protein foods we eat are important in determining whether we lose or gain weight.

Another part of the study looked at the effect of different carbohydrate foods based on their glycemic load (the effect they have on blood sugar). Simply replacing 1 serving of high glycemic load foods (refined grain foods, cookies, cakes, candy) with low glycemic load foods (whole grains, fruits and vegetables) was associated with a one pound/year weight loss. This should surprise no one.

Finally, one part of the study looked at the influence of glycemic load on the effect that various proteins have on weight gain or loss. For example, adding a serving of eggs to a high glycemic load diet resulted in a 0.6 pound/year weight gain, while adding that same serving of eggs to a low glycemic load diet resulted in a 1.75 pound/year weight loss. Other examples are given above.

This is also a new insight. Everyone knows that switching from white grains, pastries and candy to whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help you lose weight, but this is the first study I’m aware of that suggests those same changes will influence whether the protein foods we eat lead to weight gain or weight loss.

Some in the media have interpreted this study as saying that fat and calories don’t count. However, this study was not designed to be fat and calorie neutral. The real take home message from this study is that we may not need to focus so much on fat and calories. When we focus on eating healthy foods the fat and calories tend to take care of themselves.

Even that message is a bit too simplistic. It is not enough to just focus on healthy foods. We need to consider things like portion size, how the food is prepared, and our exercise habits among other things.

I would be the first to acknowledge that many people need strict guidelines and a well-designed diet program to lose the extra pounds that have built up over the years. However, to keep the weight off they simply need to embrace a lifestyle that includes healthy food choices and regular exercise. You can lose weight without counting calories.

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.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

December 27, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Are You Getting Too Much Protein?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

How much protein do you need? In a recent article entitled “Can You Get Too Much Protein?” the New York Times asserted that most Americans were getting too much protein in their diet. They went on to imply that protein supplements were useless at best and might be downright harmful at worst.

If you happened to read this article, you are probably wondering whether it is true or just another example of media bias. If you have read other articles about supplementation in the New York Times, you may have already suspected that they are biased against the use of supplements.

However, the problem goes way beyond media bias. In today’s online world everyone is a writer and everyone is an editor. More importantly, news is instant. Newspapers and journalists no longer have the time and resources to fully research a topic before they publish it. When a story comes along that fits their bias, the temptation is strong to publish it immediately.

In this issue of “Health Tips From the Professor” I will try to give you a more balanced perspective. If you would like other examples of a more balanced perspective, you might want to read articles from Harvard Medical School’s Health Publications newsletter or WebMD .

What Did The New York Times Get Right?

The New York Times didn’t completely miss the mark. Here are a few things that they got right:

Most Americans are getting more than the RDA for protein in their daily diets. They imply that is too much. However, the prevailing view among nutrition experts today is that the RDA is too low for some groups, and many Americans are getting too little protein, not too much.

They do acknowledge that there are groups who aren’t getting enough protein, for example – teenage girls, pregnant and lactating women, people over 60, and professional athletes. I would add, based on recent studies, that any adult who is engaged in a weight loss program and/or regular, vigorous workouts will also benefit from extra protein, especially after their workout. If you combine all those categories, we are talking about the majority of Americans not getting enough protein. The only exception is the otherwise healthy adults who are “couch potatoes”.

They are correct in saying that the average “couch potato” adult in the US doesn’t need more protein. However, even the “couch potatoes” among us would benefit from a healthy protein supplement in place of some of the high fat, high cholesterol animal protein they are eating. They don’t need more protein. They just need better protein.

Finally, they are correct in saying many protein supplements are either unsafe or suffer from poor quality control, topics I have covered in previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor”. My advice is simple. Avoid those protein supplements making extravagant claims about “exploding” your muscles and giving you boundless energy. Also, choose protein supplements made by reputable companies that employ rigorous quality controls.

What Did The New York Times Get Wrong?

The main theme of their article was that most Americans were getting too much protein. They acknowledged that some nutritionists advocated consuming more protein but implied that most experts did not agree. That paradigm is 20 years old. The evidence has shifted. Most experts today feel that many Americans aren’t getting enough protein.

They warned high protein intake could be harmful. It could lead to increased risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Let’s put those claims into perspective.
- Increased risk of cancer is linked to high intake of animal protein, especially red meat and processed meats.
- Increased risk of heart disease and diabetes is linked to high intake of fat and cholesterol rich animal proteins.
- In short, for these diseases it’s the kind of protein, not the amount, that is the problem.
- As for kidney disease, it is clear that protein intake should be restricted when you have kidney disease. It is not clear that high protein intake can cause kidney disease in healthy adults.
Finally, they assumed that most people just added protein supplements to the protein they were already eating. If that were true, it might be a problem. However, most people use protein supplements in place of some of the high fat animal protein in their diet. They aren’t necessarily eating more protein. They are eating healthier protein.

What Do Recent Studies Show?

If we look at recent publications on the subject, it is clear the New York Times article did not accurately report what current studies show about protein needs of Americans. Here are just a few examples:

High protein diets improve physical function and weight loss in older adults. In this study participants on the high protein diet:

Lost 15% more weight than those on the low protein diet. More importantly, the high protein group had:
- 60% better retention of lean body mass (muscle).
- 25% better loss of fat mass.
They also performed substantially better on physical function tests than the low protein group. There was no exercise component to this study. The improvement in physical function was solely related to the better retention of muscle mass and the greater loss of fat mass in the high protein group.

High protein diets improve fat mass loss and muscle mass gain in young adults on a weight loss diet(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103: 738-746, 2016). In this study the high protein group:

Had 33% greater loss of fat mass than the low protein group.

Increased muscle mass by an average of 2.6 pounds compared to no change in the low protein group.

High protein diets improve satiety (The Journal of Nutrition, 146: 637-645, 2016). In this study the high protein group:

Reported greater satiety and less hunger between breakfast and lunch.

Consumed 12% fewer calories at lunch.

These are just a few recent studies. There are dozens of other studies that come to the same conclusions about how much protein you need. This is the new paradigm.

Why do some studies still come up with negative results?

The problem may be in the experimental design of those studies. Here are two recent papers that give some hints as to why some studies might fail to see the benefit of protein supplementation.

Protein quality matters (Nutrition & Metabolism, doi: 10.1186/s12986-016-0124-8). This review concluded that protein quality, particularly the leucine content of the protein, was important in determining the effectiveness of that protein supplement in enhancing muscle mass increases following resistance training,

Spread protein throughout the day(American Journal of Physiology, endocrinology & Metabolism, 308: E734-E743, 2015 ). This study concluded that high protein intake is most effective at promoting muscle gain and weight loss when protein intake is spread evenly throughout the day.

In short, these studies suggest that good quality protein and good experimental design are essential if you wish to evaluate the role of additional protein on things like muscle mass and weight loss.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

What Do RDAs and Dietary Guidelines Say? Let’s start by looking at the RDA and how it has changed over the years. You probably have heard that the RDA is 46 grams of protein a day for women and 56 grams a day for men. However, that is misleading. The RDA for protein is based on body weight. The conversion is 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

A simple calculation will tell you that 46 grams per day for women assumes they weigh 127 pounds, and 56 grams for men assumes they weigh 155 pounds. We haven’t seen those weights since the 50’s. Today the average weight for a 50-year-old woman is 170 pounds. The average weight for a 50-year-old man is 201 pounds. That translates into an RDA of 61 grams for the average woman and 72 grams for the average man.

You may have also heard that 10% of our calories from protein would meet our RDA requirements, and most Americans are currently getting around 16% of their calories from protein. The New York Times article implied that 16% of calories from protein was too much. Anything above that would be excessive, perhaps even dangerous.

What do the guidelines say? The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes individual variations in protein needs and recommends we get between 10% and 35% of our daily calories from protein. For a 2,000 calorie diet that represents between 50 and 175 grams of protein/day.

What Are The Experts Saying? Experts are not just recommending more protein for some groups. They are making specific recommendations for how much protein people in those groups should be getting. How much protein do you need?

If you are an inactive, otherwise healthy, middle-aged adult, 10% of your calories from protein or 0.36 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight is sufficient. However, you would probably benefit from healthier protein choices.

If you are a teenage girl, your protein requirements are only slightly higher than a woman in your 20s. However, teenage diets are often not what they should be. You may not be getting the protein you need. Aim for around 0.38 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.

If you are pregnant or lactating, your protein requirements are between 0.47 and 0.56 grams per pound of body weight per day. That represents a 30-55% increase in protein requirements. Your developing baby needs the extra protein. Be sure you are getting enough.

If you are over 50, you are probably losing a little muscle mass every day (a condition referred to as sarcopenia). To offset that muscle loss, most experts on aging recommend seniors increase their protein intake to around 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Ideally, that protein should be spread evenly throughout the day with about 25-30 grams of protein per meal. Leucine needs are increased as well, so leucine-rich protein sources are best. I’ve covered this topic in detail in a previous issue Protein Needs of Older Adults of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

If you are an elite athlete, the International Society For Sports Nutrition recommends 0.63 to 0.9 grams of leucine-rich protein per pound per day. That is 1.7 to 2.5 times the RDA for sedentary adults.

If you are not an athlete, but work out on a regular basis, you will achieve better muscle gain from your workouts if you consume leucine-rich protein after each workout. If you are a young adult, 15-20 grams will suffice. If you are an older adult 20-25 grams is a better target. I’ve also covered this topic in a previous issue Leucine Trigger Muscle Growth of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

If you are trying to lose weight, diets providing about 0.72 grams of leucine-rich protein per pound (~ 2X the RDA or 28% of the total calories) appear to be more effective than RDA levels of protein at preserving muscle mass and reducing fat mass. Again, this topic is covered in a previous issue High Protein Diets and Weight Loss of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

Higher protein intake is most effective when coupled with resistance (weight bearing) exercise.

Higher protein intake is also most effective when spread throughout the day rather concentrated in a post-workout supplement or at a single meal.

The Bottom Line

A recent New York Times article asserted that most Americans were already getting too much protein in their diets and that dietary protein supplements were either unnecessary or dangerous.

That paradigm is at least 20 years out of date. Today, most experts agree that many Americans are getting too little protein in their diet.

Groups most likely to need additional protein are teenage girls, pregnant and lactating women, adults over 50, elite athletes, people who work out regularly, and people on weight loss diets.

The only group routinely getting more than enough protein from their diets are otherwise healthy, adult “couch potatoes,” and most of them would benefit from healthier protein choices in their diet.

Increased protein intake is best utilized when coupled with resistance (weight-bearing) exercise. It is also best utilized when spread out evenly throughout the day rather than being concentrated in a single post-workout supplement or a single meal.

The most current guidelines for protein needs of various groups are given in 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.

Merry Christmas 2016

December 20, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Merry Christmas

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year. It is a time when we get together with family and reconnect with friends. It’s a time of year when we remember the joy of giving and the joy of making the world a better place.

For those of us who are Christians, it is a time to remember that God gave us his only son. But, no matter what our religion, it is a time of year when we can focus on the common beliefs we share and the true purpose of our lives here on earth.It is a time to share the Christmas spirit of peace on earth and good will to all.

The Professor and his family wish you a blessed Christmas and happy, healthy & prosperous New Year

TMJ Pain Relief

December 13, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

TMJ Treatment Can Relieve Stress & Pain

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT –The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

TMJ is the common term for a jaw condition called temporomandibular joint dysfunction. The muscle that is key to the TMJ pain relief treatment described below is the masseter muscle. The holiday season is “famous” for increasing stress as we rush around, adding more “to do’s” to our lives. Aside from the usual work and family commitments, the holiday’s mean extra shopping, parties, and therefore, stress.

TMJ Symptoms

Common symptoms of TMJ are:

Jaw Pain
Clicking when opening your mouth
Clicking while chewing
Jaw moving toward one side
Ear pain
Trouble opening mouth fully

While there are other pains that are common with TMJ, these are the most prevalent.

A Common Cause of TMJ Disorder

Do you find yourself clenching your teeth? Do you chew gum? These are two of the most common causes of TMJ.

Your masseter muscle is a small, but powerful muscle that goes from above your back teeth, to your jaw.

You can feel it if you put your flat fingers on the back of your cheek and clench your teeth.

Your masseter is used when you chew. As you hold your fingers on your masseter muscle, clench and open your jaw repeatedly. Like any other muscle in the body, it can be subject to repetitive strain injury. Normally you open your mouth wide to put in food, and then chew. This motion both contracts and lengthens the muscle.

However, if you chew gum you are contracting (shortening) the muscle, but not lengthening it. And it stays contracted if you clench your teeth when you are stressed, or at night while you sleep. Eventually the muscle will form spasms from the repetitive movement.

It is called TMJ because of the joint the masseter crosses over at the very back of your jaw. The problem is the way your movable jaw attaches to your skull. As the muscle tightens into the spasm, it prevents your jaw from opening properly. When one side is tighter than the other, your jaw will move toward the tighter side. As this happens the bones click over each other and you will feel pain.

TMJ Treatment Saved This Woman From a Lifetime of Drooling!

Several years ago a woman came to the medical office where I had my therapy practice. Both sides of her jaw were so tight that she couldn’t open her mouth at all. She had to “eat” liquefied food through a straw and her fear was if she regurgitated, she could choke. The next day her oral surgeon planned on severing both masseter muscles. This surgery meant her mouth would hang open permanently. This would result in her drooling for the rest of her life! What a nightmare!

Her masseter muscles felt like rocks had been stuffed into her cheeks. The medical doctor who owned the office understood repetitive strains and wouldn’t give her surgical clearance until she saw me. I taught her the following TMJ treatment, and in just 15 minutes she was opening and closing her mouth normally.

First, I worked on her muscles, then I taught her how to do it. The TMJ pain relief treatment starts with first pressing the muscles as described below, holding the pressure, and then releasing it. She did this several times, alternating between her right and left sides. The last part of the TMJ treatment is applying pressure to both sides at the same time. Then while still holding the pressure, I told her to just open her mouth slowly and she did. Without pain!

She started to cry because she was only one day away from a lifetime of drooling. And the best part is it only took 15 minutes to solve.

TMJ Pain Relief Treatment

To begin the TMJ pain relief treatment, place the length of your three middle fingers on both jaws. Clench your teeth so you can feel the muscle bulge under your fingers.

Press deeply on just one side, feeling for the “knot” in the muscle. Press in for the count of five, and hold it for the count of five. Then slowly release that side and repeat it on the opposite side of your jaw. Go back and forth, repeating this several times.

Feel along the muscle and find other knots and repeat the sequence. Do this to each spasm you find.

Go to the point just in front of your ear lobe and press. If it hurts, there is a spasm. Do the same treatment. This is a small area so you’ll probably only need one finger to be effective.

After you are finished treating each spasm, put your fingers on both masseter muscles at the same time. Now, slowly open your mouth to stretch the muscles.

That’s it! It’s easy to apply this TMJ pain relief treatment when you know where to go and what to do.

Treat Yourself To Pain Free Living has the TMJ treatment and also has treatments for your entire body. You don’t need to be in pain when it’s so easy to find solutions you can do yourself.

Discover the secret of why you hurt and how to stop the pain FAST!

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

About The Author

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.

The Dangers of Iodine Deficiency During Pregnancy

December 6, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Does Your Prenatal Contain Enough Iodine?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

A recent study (S.M. O’Kane et al, British Journal of Nutrition, doi.org/10.1017/S0007114516003925) concluded that 2/3 of Irish women had no idea that iodine was important during pregnancy. In fact, 57% of the women had no idea what iodine was, and 41% were unable to name any health problem related to iodine deficiency. The authors of the study considered this ignorance about iodine to be alarming. I’ll discuss why below.

First, let’s consider the situation in the United States. I suspect ignorance about the importance of iodine is just as widespread in the United States as it is in Ireland. Think about the nutrients we have been told are essential for healthy pregnancy outcomes.

We have heard about the importance of iron and calcium for decades.

The importance of folic acid and other B vitamins has been widely publicized over the last 20 years.

In recent years, we have learned about the importance of omega-3s, especially DHA.

But who has been telling us about the importance of iodine? Almost nobody.

What Are The Recommendations For Iodine Intake?

The RDAs for iodine are:

150 ug/day for adults
220 ug/day for pregnant women
290 ug/day for breastfeeding women

How Common Is Iodine Deficiency During Pregnancy?

Here are some quick facts about iodine deficiency in the US from a recent American Academy of Pediatrics position paper and the National Institutes of Health Consumer information site:

Approximately 1/3 of pregnant and lactating women in the United States are at least marginally iodine deficient.
To meet their RDA requirements for iodine during pregnancy and lactation the American Thyroid Association, The National Academy of Sciences, and The American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend pregnant and lactating women take supplements containing 150 ug of iodine.
Although most pregnant and lactating women take supplements:
- Only 50% of prenatal supplements in the United States contain iodine.
- Even worse, only 15% of the supplements pregnant and lactating women take contain iodine (some pregnant and lactating women take multivitamins rather than prenatal supplements).
Labeling can be deceptive. Most multivitamins and prenatal supplements specify the amount of potassium iodide in the supplement, not iodine. It requires at least 197 ug of potassium iodide to provide 150 ug of iodine.

In short, many pregnant and lactating women in this country are not getting enough iodine from their diet and the supplements they are taking may not provide the iodine they need.

Why Are So Many Americans Deficient In Iodine?

The best and most reliable natural sources of iodine are seaweeds and ocean fish. Meats, dairy, and grains can be moderate sources of iodine, but their iodine content is highly variable. It depends on the iodine content of the soil in which they were produced and how they were processed.

Because the soil in the interior of this country is very low in iodine, crops and animals raised in much of our country are also low in iodine. That lead to widespread iodine deficiency in this country prior to the introduction of iodized salt in the 1920s. Iodized salt largely eliminated iodine deficiency in the 1920s. However, since the 1970s, iodine deficiency has been gradually returning to this country for many reasons.

In the 1920s most of our food was prepared at home, so most of the salt in our diet was iodized. However, today:

Processed foods are replacing home-cooked meals, and the salt used in processed foods is not iodized.

Much of the salt we use today is “gourmet” salt that is not iodized. Even sea salt often contains far less iodine than iodized salt.

Seaweed has never been considered a delicacy in this country, and increasingly, Americans are avoiding ocean fish because of concerns about our polluted oceans.

Iodine in commercial breads has traditionally come from the use of iodate as a dough conditioner. Today iodate has largely been replaced with bromide in commercial bread making. Not only does this trend decrease the amount of iodine available in our diet, but bromide also interferes with iodine utilization in our bodies.

Iodine in milk has traditionally come from the use of iodine-containing disinfectants to clean milk cans and teats. However, they have largely been replaced with other disinfectants.

Together these trends have combined to create the “perfect storm”. Iodine deficiency has, once again, become a major health concern in the US and other developed countries.

The Dangers Of Iodine Deficiency During Pregnancy

Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormone. Accordingly, inadequate iodine intake leads to hypothyroidism. Thus, you might expect iodine deficiency to be associated with symptoms like fatigue, sensitivity to cold, dry skin, and unexpected weight gain.

However, you may not have known that thyroid hormone is also essential for bone and neural development during fetal development and infancy. Because of that, thyroid hormone production increases dramatically during pregnancy and lactation (Hence, the increase in iodine requirement for pregnant and lactating women).

I can’t emphasize strongly enough the consequences of iodine deficiency during pregnancy and lactation. Here is what the experts say:

The American Academy of Pediatrics says: “…mild iodine deficiency can affect cognitive development of the child”

The National Institutes of Health says: “[Mild] iodine deficiency can cause lower than average IQ in infants and children…”

The World Health Organization says: “Iodine deficiency is the single greatest cause of preventable intellectual disability in children worldwide.”

The Bottom Line

Iodine is important for bone and neural development during both fetal development and infancy. Because of this, iodine requirements are significantly higher during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The iodine content of the American diet has decreased significantly since the 1970s. Today approximately 1/3 of pregnant and lactating women in the United States are at least marginally iodine deficient.

The National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Health Organization all warn that even mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy and lactation can result in cognitive impairment in children.

Because of this, the American Thyroid Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that pregnant and lactating women take a supplement providing 150 ug of iodine. That corresponds to at least 197 ug of potassium iodide (the unit shown on most supplement labels).

Only 50% of prenatal supplements and 15% of multivitamin supplements contain iodine. Many that do contain iodine do not provide the recommended 197 ug of potassium iodide.

In short, many pregnant and lactating women in this country are not getting enough iodine from their diet; the consequences of even mild iodine deficiency are significant; and the supplements they are taking may not provide the iodine they need.

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.

Can You Eat Spinach For Muscle Growth

November 29, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Was Popeye Right?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

You may have seen the recent headlines proclaiming that eating spinach will make you stronger. The more “mature” adults among my readers may remember the Popeye cartoons of our youth. Every time Popeye was on the brink of disaster he would down a can of spinach and become superhuman. Was Popeye right? Can spinach actually improve strength and endurance? Can you eat spinach for muscle growth? To answer those questions, I analyzed the study behind the headlines.

The short answer is that there may be some truth to the headlines, but you would never be able to prove it from the study they quoted.

Even worse, this study and the headlines it generated are typical of the sports nutrition marketplace. There are far too many headlines and sports nutrition products based on weak and inconclusive studies.

Spinach for Muscle Growth?

Let’s start at the beginning. In the first place the study behind the headlines (De Smet et al., Frontiers In Physiology, 7: 233-244, 2016) did not actually use spinach. In fact, participants were advised to avoid nitrate-rich foods like spinach and beets during the study.

The study enrolled moderately-trained male students from the University of Leuven in Belgium. All the participants completed 5 weeks of sprint interval training (SIT) consisting of 30 second sprints followed by 4.5-minute recovery intervals on an exercise cycle. This was repeated 4-6 times per session 3 times per week.

One group took a sodium nitrate supplement containing 400 mg of nitrate 30 minutes before each workout. The other group received a placebo. There were only 9 students in each group. [I have simplified the study design for the purposes of this discussion. There were other aspects of the study, but they are not relevant to our discussion.]

The investigators measured maximum oxygen consumption (a measure of exercise efficiency and endurance), maximum power output during a 30-second sprint, and composition of quadriceps muscle fibers both before the 5-week training started and again when it was completed.

The results were disappointing:

Nitrate supplementation caused a modest increase in fast twitch (type IIa) muscle fibers compared to placebo. That is a physiological response that may (or may not, depending on who you believe) allow high intensity exercise to be sustained for longer without fatigue.
Nitrate supplementation failed to show any significant benefit for any other measure of exercise capacity. In particular, no effect of nitrate supplementation was observed on:
- Maximum oxygen consumption
- Maximum power output
- Peak heart rate
- Time to exhaustion.
- Various metabolic markers of exercise efficiency

In spite of these largely negative results, the authors concluded: “The current experiment demonstrated that oral nitrate supplementation during short-term sprint-interval training increased the proportion of type IIa muscle fibers, which may contribute to enhanced performance in short maximal exercise events…”

“May” is the operative word here. Their data did not provide any evidence that nitrate supplementation actually improved performance.

Online headlines (the kind of nutrition information most people read) took it a step further. For example, one headline claimed “Spinach Can Boost Your Physical Fitness and Muscle Strength.” That headline came out of thin air.

Sports Nutrition Myths

Unfortunately, this study is typical of many of the sports nutrition studies I have reviewed over the years. Most of them are very small studies. In many of them only one or two measure exercise performance change, while other measures show no effect of supplementation.

That doesn’t stop bloggers from hyping the studies and creating sports nutrition myths. It also doesn’t stop companies from offering sports products with those ingredients and making outrageous claims about how their product will make you bigger, faster, and stronger. For example, a claim that you can eat spinach for muscle growth.

It is only when dozens of studies have been published, and a meta-analysis combines the data from all the studies that we are in a position to see whether any particular nutrient has a statistically significant effect on performance.

Must You Eat Spinach for Muscle Growth or Could Nitrates Provide Exercise Benefits?

Despite the weakness of this particular study, there is reason to believe that nitrates might improve exercise performance.

There is a plausible mechanism. In the body nitrates are converted to nitric oxide, which improves arterial health, lowers blood pressure, and enhances blood flow. Increased blood flow to the muscles could enhance exercise efficiency.

Other studies have come to a similar conclusion. There are several other exercise studies Health Benefits of Beetroot Juice involving supplements containing either nitrates or beetroot juice (which is rich in nitrates) that have suggested that supplementation improves exercise efficiency. Each of the studies are small and inconclusive by themselves, but in the aggregate they suggest that nitrate may have some benefits.

Arginine, which also enhances nitric oxide production, is well established in the sports nutrition world. There are dozens of published exercise studies involving arginine and meta-analyses of these studies suggest that arginine provides modest benefits. However, there is an important caveat, which I shall explain below.

In short, the idea that nitrate supplementation might improve exercise performance is plausible. However, plausible is a long way from proven.

The Ultimate Irony

When you analyze the meta-analyses of arginine supplementation and exercise performance studies, the ultimate irony is that arginine supplementation is most effective for untrained individuals who are just beginning an exercise program. It provides little benefit for trained athletes (R. Bescos et al, Sports Medicine, 42: 99‐117,2012).

There is a logical explanation for this observation. Intense exercise also enhances nitric oxide production and blood flow to the muscle. Most highly trained athletes have already maxed their nitric oxide levels and have excellent blood flow to their muscles. Arginine (or nitrate) supplementation provides little additional benefit for them.

Why do I call this the ultimate irony? Think about it for a minute.

The people most likely to use sports supplements with arginine or nitrate are gym rats and highly trained athletes – the people who get the least benefit from those supplements.

The people least likely to use special sports supplements with arginine or nitrate are the weekend warriors and the busy professionals who are just trying to stay fit – the people who are most likely to benefit from those supplements.

The Bottom Line

Recent headlines have suggested that you can eat spinach for muscle growth and exercise performance.

When you look at the study behind the headlines, the study was done with nitrate, not with spinach. Spinach is a nitrate-rich food (as are beet roots), but the headlines were clearly misleading.

The study was also inconclusive. It was a small study, and most parameters of exercise performance were not affected by nitrate supplementation.

Unfortunately, this kind of small, inconclusive study is all too common in the sports nutrition literature. That doesn’t stop bloggers from hyping the studies and creating sports nutrition myths. It also doesn’t stop companies from offering sports nutrition products with those ingredients and making outrageous claims about how their product will make you bigger, faster, and stronger.

However, other studies suggest the idea that nitrate in food or supplements could improve exercise performance is plausible.

In our bodies, nitrate is converted to nitric oxide, which enhances blood flow to the muscles.

Other studies with nitrate and with beetroot juice (an excellent source of nitrate) have shown some exercise benefits.

Arginine, which is also converted to nitric oxide, is a fairly well established sports supplement.

Of course, plausible is a long way from proven.

The ultimate irony is that the people most likely to use sports supplements with arginine or nitrates are gym rats and highly trained athletes. They already have excellent blood flow to their muscles. They are the people who get the least benefit from those supplements.

In contrast, the people least likely to use special sports supplements with arginine or nitrates are the weekend warriors and the busy professionals who are just trying to stay fit. Those are the people who are most likely to benefit from those supplements.

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.