200th 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 200th 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.