nutritionfactsorg--2020-06-30--Eating Seaweed Salad May Boost Immune Function

Eating seaweed salad may boost the efficacy of vaccinations and help treat cold sores , herpes , Epstein-Barr virus , and shingles .
Billions of pounds of seaweed are harvested each year , the consumption of which “ has been linked to a lower incidence of chronic diseases , ” both physical and mental .
For example , women who eat more seaweed during pregnancy appear to be less depressed and experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms .
There ’ s a problem with these cross-sectional , correlational studies , however , in that they can ’ t prove cause and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an indicator that people generally are following “ traditional Japanese dietary customs , ” which have lots of different aspects that could protect against disease .
To know for certain whether seaweed can modulate immune function , you have to put it to the test .
As I discuss in my video How to Boost Your Immune System with Wakame Seaweed , typically , researchers start out with in vitro studies , meaning in a test tube or a petri dish , which make for quicker , cheaper , and easier experiments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight different types of seaweed and essentially made seaweed teas to drip onto human immune system cells in a petri dish .
Studies like these showed that the seaweed wakame , which is the kind you find in seaweed salad , can quadruple the replication potential of T cells , which are an important part of our immune defense against viruses like herpes simplex virus .
No one actually gave seaweed to people with herpes until a study published in 2002 .
Researchers gave people suffering from various herpes infections about two grams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is equivalent to about a quarter cup of seaweed salad .
“ All fifteen patients with active Herpetic viral infections ” —including herpes virus 1 , the cause of oral herpes , which causes cold sores ; herpes virus 2 , which causes genital herpes ; herpes virus 3 , which causes shingles and chicken pox ; and herpes virus 4 , also known as Epstein-Barr virus , which causes mono— “ experienced significant lessening or disappearance of symptoms , ” as you can see at 2:06 in my video .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but with no downsides to eating seaweed , why not give it a try ?
Researchers also found that wakame boosted antibody production , so could it be useful to boost the efficacy of vaccines ?
The elderly are particularly vulnerable to suffering and dying from influenza .
While the flu vaccine can help , ironically , the elderly are less likely to benefit from it because immune function tends to decline as we get older .
So , researchers took 70 volunteers over the age 60 .
As you can see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseline level of antibodies against a flu virus was about 10 GMT .
What you ’ re looking for in a vaccination is to get a two-and-a-half-fold response , so we ’ d like to see that antibody level get up to at least 25 GMT to consider it an effective response .
The vaccine only boosted levels to 15 to 20 GMT , though .
What happened after the subjects were given some wakame extract every day for a month before the vaccination ?
Their levels jumped up to 30 to 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a pill rather than the real thing , though , so they could perform this randomized placebo-controlled study .
After all , it ’ s kind of hard to make a convincing placebo seaweed salad .
“ It is hoped that the popular seaweeds eaten daily in Japan , though almost unknown around the world outside of Japanese restaurants , will be consumed…for possible immunopotentiation ” —that is , immune-boosting potential— “ and for attenuating the burden of infectious diseases in the elderly.
” What else can seaweed salad do ( other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video Wakame Seaweed Salad May Lower Blood Pressure .
In general , sea vegetables are good sources of iodine , as I discuss in Iodine Supplements Before , During , and After Pregnancy , and may also be one reason Japanese women have historically had such low rates of breast cancer , which I cover in Which Seaweed Is Most Protective Against Breast Cancer ?
.
What else can we do to boost our immunity ?
Check out my videos : • Using the Produce Aisle to Boost Immune Function • The Broccoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Benefits of Garlic for Fighting Cancer and the Common Cold PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leading Causes of Death

Eating seaweed salad may boost the efficacy of vaccinations and help treat cold sores, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus, and shingles.
Billions of pounds of seaweed are harvested each year, the consumption of which “has been linked to a lower incidence of chronic diseases,” both physical and mental. For example, women who eat more seaweed during pregnancy appear to be less depressed and experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms. There’s a problem with these cross-sectional, correlational studies, however, in that they can’t prove cause and effect. Maybe seaweed consumption is just an indicator that people generally are following “traditional Japanese dietary customs,” which have lots of different aspects that could protect against disease. To know for certain whether seaweed can modulate immune function, you have to put it to the test.
As I discuss in my video How to Boost Your Immune System with Wakame Seaweed, typically, researchers start out with in vitro studies, meaning in a test tube or a petri dish, which make for quicker, cheaper, and easier experiments. One study, for example, took eight different types of seaweed and essentially made seaweed teas to drip onto human immune system cells in a petri dish. Studies like these showed that the seaweed wakame, which is the kind you find in seaweed salad, can quadruple the replication potential of T cells, which are an important part of our immune defense against viruses like herpes simplex virus.
No one actually gave seaweed to people with herpes until a study published in 2002. Researchers gave people suffering from various herpes infections about two grams a day of pure powdered wakame, which is equivalent to about a quarter cup of seaweed salad. “All fifteen patients with active Herpetic viral infections”—including herpes virus 1, the cause of oral herpes, which causes cold sores; herpes virus 2, which causes genital herpes; herpes virus 3, which causes shingles and chicken pox; and herpes virus 4, also known as Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono—“experienced significant lessening or disappearance of symptoms,” as you can see at 2:06 in my video. There was no control group in the study, but with no downsides to eating seaweed, why not give it a try?
Researchers also found that wakame boosted antibody production, so could it be useful to boost the efficacy of vaccines? The elderly are particularly vulnerable to suffering and dying from influenza. While the flu vaccine can help, ironically, the elderly are less likely to benefit from it because immune function tends to decline as we get older. So, researchers took 70 volunteers over the age 60. As you can see at 2:50 in my video, their baseline level of antibodies against a flu virus was about 10 GMT. What you’re looking for in a vaccination is to get a two-and-a-half-fold response, so we’d like to see that antibody level get up to at least 25 GMT to consider it an effective response. The vaccine only boosted levels to 15 to 20 GMT, though. What happened after the subjects were given some wakame extract every day for a month before the vaccination? Their levels jumped up to 30 to 35 GMT. The researchers used an extract in a pill rather than the real thing, though, so they could perform this randomized placebo-controlled study. After all, it’s kind of hard to make a convincing placebo seaweed salad.
“It is hoped that the popular seaweeds eaten daily in Japan, though almost unknown around the world outside of Japanese restaurants, will be consumed…for possible immunopotentiation”—that is, immune-boosting potential—“and for attenuating the burden of infectious diseases in the elderly.”
What else can seaweed salad do (other than taste delicious)? See my video Wakame Seaweed Salad May Lower Blood Pressure.
In general, sea vegetables are good sources of iodine, as I discuss in Iodine Supplements Before, During, and After Pregnancy, and may also be one reason Japanese women have historically had such low rates of breast cancer, which I cover in Which Seaweed Is Most Protective Against Breast Cancer?.
What else can we do to boost our immunity? Check out my videos:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-02--Are the BPA-Free Plastics Like Tritan Safe?

Do BPA-free plastics such as Tritan , have human hormone-disrupting effects ?
And what about BPS and BPF ?
Recent human studies indicate that exposure to the plastics chemical BPA may be associated with infertility , miscarriage , premature delivery , reduced male sexual function , polycystic ovaries , altered thyroid and immune function , diabetes , heart disease , and more .
Yet , “ [ a ] s recently as March 2012 , FDA stated that low levels of BPA in food are considered safe.
” However , just months later , to its credit , the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby bottles and sippy cups .
Regulators standing up to industry ?
Maybe I shouldn ’ t be so cynical !
But , wait .
The ban was at the behest of the plastics industry .
It had already stopped using BPA in baby bottles so it was their idea to ban it .
The industry had switched from BPA to similar compounds like BPF and BPS .
So , our diets now contain everything from BPA to BPZ , and the majority of us have these new chemicals in our bodies as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As I discuss in my video Are the BPA-Free Alternatives Safe ?
, based on the similarities of their chemical structures , they are all predicted to affect testosterone production and estrogen receptor activity , as you can see at 1:40 in my video .
However , they were only recently put to the test .
As you can see at 1:50 in my video , we ’ ve known BPA significantly suppresses testosterone production , and , from “ the first report describing BPS and BPF adverse effects on physiologic function in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , too .
Well , kind of .
The experiments were performed on the testicles of aborted human fetuses .
But , the bottom line is that BPS and BPF seem to have “ antiandrogenic anti-male hormone effects that are similar to those of BPA.
” So when you ’ re assured you shouldn ’ t worry because your sales slip is BPA-free , the thermal paper may just contain BPS instead .
What ’ s more , BPS receipts may contain up to 40 percent more BPS than they would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even worse .
In fact , all BPA-replacement products tested to date released “ chemicals having reliably detectable EA , ” estrogenic activity .
This includes Tritan , which is specifically marketed as being estrogen-activity-free .
As you can see at 3:06 in my video , however , researchers dripped an extract of Tritan on human breast cancer cells in a petri dish , and it accelerated their growth .
This estrogenic effect was successfully abolished by an estrogen blocker , reinforcing it was an estrogen effect .
Now , the accelerated growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extract occurred after the plastic was exposed to the stressed state of simulated sunlight .
Only one out of three Tritan products showed estrogen activity in an unstressed state , for instance when they weren ’ t exposed to microwaving , heat , or UV rays .
“ Because there would be no value in trading one health hazard for another , we should urgently focus on the human health risk assessment of BPA substitutes.
” In the meanwhile , there are steps we can take to limit our exposure .
We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are usually labeled with recycle codes three or seven , and we can opt for fresh and frozen foods over canned goods , especially when it comes to tuna and condensed soups .
Canned fruit consumption doesn ’ t seem to matter , but weekly canned vegetable consumption has been associated with increased BPA exposure .
If you do use plastics , don ’ t microwave them , put them in the dishwasher , leave them in the sun or a hot car , or use once they ’ re scratched .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stainless steel containers is probably best .
For more on BPA , check out my videos : • None BPA on Receipts : Getting Under Our Skin • None How to Avoid the Obesity-Related Plastic Chemical BPA Unfortunately , BPA isn ’ t the only plastics chemical that may have adverse health effects .
See : • How much Microplastic Is Found in Fish Fillets ?
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Do BPA-free plastics such as Tritan, have human hormone-disrupting effects? And what about BPS and BPF?
Recent human studies indicate that exposure to the plastics chemical BPA may be associated with infertility, miscarriage, premature delivery, reduced male sexual function, polycystic ovaries, altered thyroid and immune function, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Yet, “[a]s recently as March 2012, FDA stated that low levels of BPA in food are considered safe.” However, just months later, to its credit, the agency banned the use of BPA plastics in baby bottles and sippy cups. Regulators standing up to industry? Maybe I shouldn’t be so cynical! But, wait. The ban was at the behest of the plastics industry. It had already stopped using BPA in baby bottles so it was their idea to ban it.
The industry had switched from BPA to similar compounds like BPF and BPS. So, our diets now contain everything from BPA to BPZ, and the majority of us have these new chemicals in our bodies as well. Are they any safer?
As I discuss in my video Are the BPA-Free Alternatives Safe?, based on the similarities of their chemical structures, they are all predicted to affect testosterone production and estrogen receptor activity, as you can see at 1:40 in my video. However, they were only recently put to the test.
As you can see at 1:50 in my video, we’ve known BPA significantly suppresses testosterone production, and, from “the first report describing BPS and BPF adverse effects on physiologic function in humans,” we know those compounds do, too. Well, kind of. The experiments were performed on the testicles of aborted human fetuses. But, the bottom line is that BPS and BPF seem to have “antiandrogenic anti-male hormone effects that are similar to those of BPA.” So when you’re assured you shouldn’t worry because your sales slip is BPA-free, the thermal paper may just contain BPS instead. What’s more, BPS receipts may contain up to 40 percent more BPS than they would have contained BPA. So BPA-free could be even worse. In fact, all BPA-replacement products tested to date released “chemicals having reliably detectable EA,” estrogenic activity.
This includes Tritan, which is specifically marketed as being estrogen-activity-free. As you can see at 3:06 in my video, however, researchers dripped an extract of Tritan on human breast cancer cells in a petri dish, and it accelerated their growth. This estrogenic effect was successfully abolished by an estrogen blocker, reinforcing it was an estrogen effect. Now, the accelerated growth of the cancer cells from the Tritan extract occurred after the plastic was exposed to the stressed state of simulated sunlight. Only one out of three Tritan products showed estrogen activity in an unstressed state, for instance when they weren’t exposed to microwaving, heat, or UV rays. “Because there would be no value in trading one health hazard for another, we should urgently focus on the human health risk assessment of BPA substitutes.”
In the meanwhile, there are steps we can take to limit our exposure. We can reduce our use of polycarbonate plastics, which are usually labeled with recycle codes three or seven, and we can opt for fresh and frozen foods over canned goods, especially when it comes to tuna and condensed soups. Canned fruit consumption doesn’t seem to matter, but weekly canned vegetable consumption has been associated with increased BPA exposure. If you do use plastics, don’t microwave them, put them in the dishwasher, leave them in the sun or a hot car, or use once they’re scratched. But using glass, ceramic, or stainless steel containers is probably best.
For more on BPA, check out my videos:
Unfortunately, BPA isn’t the only plastics chemical that may have adverse health effects. See:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-07--High Blood Pressure May Lead to Low Brain Volume

Having hypertension in midlife ( ages 40 through 60 ) is associated with elevated risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer ’ s dementia later in life , even more so than having the so-called Alzheimer ’ s gene .
“ It is clear that cerebral vascular disease ” —that is , hardening of the arteries inside our brain— “ and cognitive decline travel hand in hand , ” something I ’ ve addressed before .
“ However , the independent association of AD [ Alzheimer ’ s disease ] with multiple AVD [ atherosclerotic vascular disease ] risk factors suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in dementia.
” As I discuss in my video Higher Blood Pressure May Lead to Brain Shrinkage , one of the most consistent findings is that elevated levels of blood pressure in midlife , ages 40 through 60 , is associated with elevated risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer ’ s dementia later in life—in fact , even more so than having the so-called Alzheimer ’ s gene .
“ The normal arterial tree ” —all the blood vessels in the brain— “ is…designed as both a conduit and cushion.
” But when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure from the pulse every time our heart pumps blood up into our brain can damage small vessels in our brain .
This can cause “ microbleeds ” in our brain , which are frequently found in people with high blood pressure , even if they were never diagnosed with a stroke .
These microbleeds may be “ one of the important factors that cause cognitive impairments , ” “ perhaps not surprising [ ly ] , ” because on autopsy , “ microbleeds may be associated with [ brain ] tissue necrosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And speaking of tissue death , high blood pressure is also associated with so-called lacunar infarcts , from the Latin word lacuna , meaning hole .
These holes in our brain appear when little arteries get clogged in the brain and result in the death of a little round region of the brain .
Up to a quarter of the elderly have these little mini-strokes , and most don ’ t even know it , so-called silent infarcts .
But “ no black holes in the brain are benign.
” As you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s as though your brain has been hole-punched .
“ Although silent infarcts , by definition , lack clinically overt stroke-like symptoms , they are associated with subtle deficits in physical and cognitive function that commonly go unnoticed.
” What ’ s more , they can double the risk of dementia .
That ’ s one of the ways high blood pressure is linked to dementia .
There ’ s so much damage that high blood pressure levels can “ lead to brain volume reduction , ” literally a shrinkage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hippocampus , ” the memory center of the brain .
This helps explain how high blood pressure can be involved in the development of Alzheimer ’ s disease .
As you can see at 3:02 in my video , we can actually visualize the little arteries in the back of our eyes using an ophthalmoscope , providing “ a noninvasive window ” to study the health of our intracranial arteries , the little vessels inside our head .
Researchers “ found a significant association ” between visualized arterial disease and brain shrinkage on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cross-sectional study , just a snapshot in time , you can ’ t prove cause and effect .
What ’ s needed is a prospective study , following people over time .
And that ’ s just what the researchers did .
Over a ten-year period , those with visual signs of arterial disease were twice as likely to suffer a significant loss of brain tissue volume over time .
What can we do about high blood pressure ?
A lot !
See , for example : • How to Lower Blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New Blood Pressure Range Guidelines Mean • Flashback Friday : How to Treat High Blood Pressure with Diet • None How to Prevent High Blood Pressure with Diet • None How to Treat High Blood Pressure with Diet • None How Not to Die from High Blood Pressure What else can we do to forestall cognitive decline or dementia ?
I referenced my video Alzheimer ’ s and Atherosclerosis of the Brain earlier , and here are other videos that offer information on treatment and prevention : • Flashback Friday : Preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diet • Oxidized Cholesterol as a Cause of Alzheimer ’ s Disease • How to Prevent Alzheimer ’ s with Diet • None How to Slow Brain Aging by Two Years PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Having hypertension in midlife (ages 40 through 60) is associated with elevated risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia later in life, even more so than having the so-called Alzheimer’s gene.
“It is clear that cerebral vascular disease”—that is, hardening of the arteries inside our brain—“and cognitive decline travel hand in hand,” something I’ve addressed before. “However, the independent association of AD [Alzheimer’s disease] with multiple AVD [atherosclerotic vascular disease] risk factors suggests that cholesterol is not the sole culprit in dementia.”
As I discuss in my video Higher Blood Pressure May Lead to Brain Shrinkage, one of the most consistent findings is that elevated levels of blood pressure in midlife, ages 40 through 60, is associated with elevated risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia later in life—in fact, even more so than having the so-called Alzheimer’s gene.
“The normal arterial tree”—all the blood vessels in the brain—“is…designed as both a conduit and cushion.” But when the artery walls become stiffened, the pressure from the pulse every time our heart pumps blood up into our brain can damage small vessels in our brain. This can cause “microbleeds” in our brain, which are frequently found in people with high blood pressure, even if they were never diagnosed with a stroke.
These microbleeds may be “one of the important factors that cause cognitive impairments,” “perhaps not surprising[ly],” because on autopsy, “microbleeds may be associated with [brain] tissue necrosis,” meaning brain tissue death.
And speaking of tissue death, high blood pressure is also associated with so-called lacunar infarcts, from the Latin word lacuna, meaning hole. These holes in our brain appear when little arteries get clogged in the brain and result in the death of a little round region of the brain. Up to a quarter of the elderly have these little mini-strokes, and most don’t even know it, so-called silent infarcts. But “no black holes in the brain are benign.” As you can see at 2:12 in my video, it’s as though your brain has been hole-punched.
“Although silent infarcts, by definition, lack clinically overt stroke-like symptoms, they are associated with subtle deficits in physical and cognitive function that commonly go unnoticed.” What’s more, they can double the risk of dementia. That’s one of the ways high blood pressure is linked to dementia.
There’s so much damage that high blood pressure levels can “lead to brain volume reduction,” literally a shrinkage of our brain, “specifically in the hippocampus,” the memory center of the brain. This helps explain how high blood pressure can be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
As you can see at 3:02 in my video, we can actually visualize the little arteries in the back of our eyes using an ophthalmoscope, providing “a noninvasive window” to study the health of our intracranial arteries, the little vessels inside our head. Researchers “found a significant association” between visualized arterial disease and brain shrinkage on MRI. However, because that was a cross-sectional study, just a snapshot in time, you can’t prove cause and effect. What’s needed is a prospective study, following people over time. And that’s just what the researchers did. Over a ten-year period, those with visual signs of arterial disease were twice as likely to suffer a significant loss of brain tissue volume over time.
What can we do about high blood pressure? A lot! See, for example:
What else can we do to forestall cognitive decline or dementia? I referenced my video Alzheimer’s and Atherosclerosis of the Brain earlier, and here are other videos that offer information on treatment and prevention:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-09--What Does Drinking Soy Milk Do to Hormone Levels?

The vast majority of breast cancers start out hormone-dependent , where estradiol , the primary human estrogen , “ plays a crucial role in their breast cancer development and progression.
” That ’ s one of the reasons why soy food consumption appears so protective against breast cancer : Soy phytoestrogens , like genistein , act as estrogen-blockers and block the binding of estrogens , such as estradiol , to breast cancer cells , as you can see at 0:24 in my video How to Block Breast Cancer ’ s Estrogen-Producing Enzymes .
Wait a second .
The majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ovaries have stopped producing estrogen .
What ’ s the point of eating estrogen-blockers if there ’ s no estrogen to block ?
It turns out that breast cancer tumors produce their own estrogen from scratch to fuel their own growth .
As you can see at 1:03 in my video , “ estrogens may be formed in breast tumors by two pathways , namely the aromatase pathway and sulfatase pathway.
” The breast cancer takes cholesterol and produces its own estrogen using either the aromatase enzyme or two hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop breast cancer .
One is to use anti-estrogens—that is , estrogen-blockers—like the soy phytoestrogens or the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen .
“ However , another way to block estradiol is by using anti-enzymes ” to prevent the breast cancer from making all the estrogen in the first place .
And , indeed , there are a variety of anti-aromatase drugs in current use .
In fact , inhibiting the estrogen production has been shown to be more effective than just trying to block the effects of the estrogen , “ suggesting that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important for the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.
” It turns out that soy phytoestrogens can do both .
Using ovary cells taken from women undergoing in vitro fertilization , soy phytoestrogens were found to reduce the expression of the aromatase enzyme .
What about in breast cancer cells , though ?
This occurred in breast cancer cells , too , and not only was aromatase activity suppressed , but that of the other estrogen-producing enzyme , as well .
But this was in a petri dish .
Does soy also suppress estrogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can see at 2:34 in my video , circulating estrogen levels appear significantly lower in Japanese women than Caucasian American women , and Japan does have the highest per-capita soy food consumption , but you can ’ t know it ’ s the soy until you put it to the test .
Japanese women were randomized to add soy milk to their diet or not for a few months .
Estrogen levels successfully dropped about a quarter in the soy milk supplemented group .
Interestingly , as you can see at 3:04 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried the same experiment in men , they got similar results : a significant drop in female hormone levels , with no change in testosterone levels .
These results , though , are in Japanese men and women who were already consuming soy in their baseline diet .
So , the study was really just looking at higher versus lower soy intake .
What happens if you give soy milk to women in Texas ?
As you can see at 3:29 in my video , circulating estrogen levels were cut in half .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for high risk for breast cancer , ” the effectiveness of soy in reducing estrogen levels may help explain why Chinese and Japanese women have such low rates of breast cancer .
What ’ s truly remarkable is that estrogen levels stayed down for a month or two even after the subjects stopped drinking soy milk , which suggests you don ’ t have to consume soy every day to have the cancer protective benefit .
Wait , soy protects against breast cancer ?
Yes , in study after study after study—and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my video BRCA Breast Cancer Genes and Soy for the full story .
What about if you already have breast cancer ?
In that case , see Is Soy Healthy for Breast Cancer Survivors ?
And what about GMO soy ?
Get the facts in GMO Soy and Breast Cancer .
Okay , then , Who Shouldn ’ t Eat Soy ?
Watch my video and find out .
What else can we do to decrease breast cancer risk ?
See : • Preventing Breast Cancer by Any Greens Necessary • Breast Cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• The Role of Bovine Leukemia in Breast Cancer You may also be interested in : PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

The vast majority of breast cancers start out hormone-dependent, where estradiol, the primary human estrogen, “plays a crucial role in their breast cancer development and progression.” That’s one of the reasons why soy food consumption appears so protective against breast cancer: Soy phytoestrogens, like genistein, act as estrogen-blockers and block the binding of estrogens, such as estradiol, to breast cancer cells, as you can see at 0:24 in my video How to Block Breast Cancer’s Estrogen-Producing Enzymes.
Wait a second. The majority of breast cancers occur after menopause when the ovaries have stopped producing estrogen. What’s the point of eating estrogen-blockers if there’s no estrogen to block? It turns out that breast cancer tumors produce their own estrogen from scratch to fuel their own growth.
As you can see at 1:03 in my video, “estrogens may be formed in breast tumors by two pathways, namely the aromatase pathway and sulfatase pathway.” The breast cancer takes cholesterol and produces its own estrogen using either the aromatase enzyme or two hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes.
So, there are two ways to stop breast cancer. One is to use anti-estrogens—that is, estrogen-blockers—like the soy phytoestrogens or the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen. “However, another way to block estradiol is by using anti-enzymes” to prevent the breast cancer from making all the estrogen in the first place. And, indeed, there are a variety of anti-aromatase drugs in current use. In fact, inhibiting the estrogen production has been shown to be more effective than just trying to block the effects of the estrogen, “suggesting that the inhibition of estrogen synthesis is clinically very important for the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.”
It turns out that soy phytoestrogens can do both.
Using ovary cells taken from women undergoing in vitro fertilization, soy phytoestrogens were found to reduce the expression of the aromatase enzyme. What about in breast cancer cells, though? This occurred in breast cancer cells, too, and not only was aromatase activity suppressed, but that of the other estrogen-producing enzyme, as well. But this was in a petri dish. Does soy also suppress estrogen production in people?
Well, as you can see at 2:34 in my video, circulating estrogen levels appear significantly lower in Japanese women than Caucasian American women, and Japan does have the highest per-capita soy food consumption, but you can’t know it’s the soy until you put it to the test. Japanese women were randomized to add soy milk to their diet or not for a few months. Estrogen levels successfully dropped about a quarter in the soy milk supplemented group. Interestingly, as you can see at 3:04 in my video, when the researchers tried the same experiment in men, they got similar results: a significant drop in female hormone levels, with no change in testosterone levels.
These results, though, are in Japanese men and women who were already consuming soy in their baseline diet. So, the study was really just looking at higher versus lower soy intake. What happens if you give soy milk to women in Texas? As you can see at 3:29 in my video, circulating estrogen levels were cut in half. Since increased estrogen levels are “markers for high risk for breast cancer,” the effectiveness of soy in reducing estrogen levels may help explain why Chinese and Japanese women have such low rates of breast cancer. What’s truly remarkable is that estrogen levels stayed down for a month or two even after the subjects stopped drinking soy milk, which suggests you don’t have to consume soy every day to have the cancer protective benefit.
Wait, soy protects against breast cancer? Yes, in study after study after study—and even in women at high risk. Watch my video BRCA Breast Cancer Genes and Soy for the full story.
What about if you already have breast cancer? In that case, see Is Soy Healthy for Breast Cancer Survivors?
And what about GMO soy? Get the facts in GMO Soy and Breast Cancer.
Okay, then, Who Shouldn’t Eat Soy? Watch my video and find out.
What else can we do to decrease breast cancer risk? See:
You may also be interested in:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-14--Decreasing Inflammation and Oxidation After Meals

Within hours of eating an unhealthy meal , we can get a spike in inflammation , crippling our artery function , thickening our blood , and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response .
Thankfully , there are foods we can eat at every meal to counter this reaction .
Standard American meals rich in processed junk and meat and dairy lead to exaggerated spikes in sugar and fat in the blood , as you can see at 0:13 in my video How to Prevent Blood Sugar and Triglyceride Spikes after Meals .
This generates free radicals , and the oxidative stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , damaging proteins in our body , inducing inflammation , crippling our artery function , thickening our blood , and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response .
This all happens within just one to four hours after eating a meal .
Worried about inflammation within your body ?
One lousy breakfast could double your C-reactive protein levels before it ’ s even lunchtime .
Repeat that three times a day , and you can set yourself up for heart disease .
You may not even be aware of how bad off you are because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fat levels while you ’ re in a fasting state , typically drawing your blood before you ’ ve eaten .
What happens after a meal may be a stronger predictor of heart attacks and strokes , which makes sense , since this is where most of us live our lives—that is , in a fed state .
And it ’ s not just in diabetics .
As you can see at 1:30 in my video , if you follow non diabetic women with heart disease but normal fasting blood sugar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chugging some sugar water appears to determine how fast their arteries continue to clog up , perhaps because the higher the blood sugars spike , the more free radicals are produced .
So , what are some dietary strategies to improve the situation ?
Thankfully , “ improvements in diet exert profound and immediate favorable changes… , ” but what kind of improvements ?
“ Specifically , a diet high in minimally processed , high-fiber , plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits , whole grains , legumes , and nuts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will markedly blunt the post-meal increase ” in sugar , fat , and inflammation .
But what if you really wanted to eat some Wonder Bread ?
As you can see at 2:23 in my video , you ’ d get a big spike in blood sugar less than an hour after eating it .
Would it make a difference if you spread the bread with almond butter ?
Adding about a third of a cup of almonds to the same amount of Wonder Bread significantly blunts the blood sugar spike .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help ?
Why add almond butter when you can make a bologna sandwich ?
Well , first of all , plant-based foods have the antioxidants to wipe out any excess free radicals .
So , nuts can not only blunt blood sugar spikes , but oxidative damage as well .
What ’ s more , they can even blunt insulin spikes .
Indeed , adding nuts to a meal calms both blood sugar levels and insulin levels , as you can see at 3:02 in my video .
Now , you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less sugar means less insulin , but that ’ s not what happens with low-carb animal foods .
As you can see at 3:23 in my video , if you add steamed skinless chicken breast to your white rice , you get a greater insulin spike than if you had just eaten the white rice alone .
So , adding the low-carb plant food made things better , but adding the low-carb animal food made things worse .
It ’ s the same with adding chicken breast to mashed potatoes—a higher insulin spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also the same with animal fat : Add some butter to a meal , and get a dramatically higher insulin spike from some sugar , as you can see at 3:45 in my video .
If you add butter and cheese to white bread , white potatoes , white spaghetti , or white rice , you can sometimes even double the insulin reaction .
If you add half an avocado to a meal , however , instead of worsening , the insulin response improves , as it does with the main whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve covered the effect adding berries to a meal has on blood sugar responses in If Fructose Is Bad , What About Fruit ?
, and that raises the question : How Much Fruit Is Too Much ?
In addition to the all-fruit jam question , I cover The Effects of Avocados and Red Wine on Postprandial Inflammation .
Vinegar may also help .
See Can Vinegar Help with Blood Sugar Control ?
.
Perhaps this explains part of the longevity benefit to nut consumption , which I discuss in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also talk about that immediate inflammatory reaction to unhealthy food choices in Best Foods to Improve Sexual Function .
Surprised by the chicken and butter reaction ?
The same thing happens with tuna fish and other meat , as I cover in my video Paleo Diets May Negate Benefits of Exercise .
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Within hours of eating an unhealthy meal, we can get a spike in inflammation, crippling our artery function, thickening our blood, and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response. Thankfully, there are foods we can eat at every meal to counter this reaction.
Standard American meals rich in processed junk and meat and dairy lead to exaggerated spikes in sugar and fat in the blood, as you can see at 0:13 in my video How to Prevent Blood Sugar and Triglyceride Spikes after Meals. This generates free radicals, and the oxidative stress triggers a biochemical cascade throughout our circulation, damaging proteins in our body, inducing inflammation, crippling our artery function, thickening our blood, and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response. This all happens within just one to four hours after eating a meal. Worried about inflammation within your body? One lousy breakfast could double your C-reactive protein levels before it’s even lunchtime.
Repeat that three times a day, and you can set yourself up for heart disease. You may not even be aware of how bad off you are because your doctor is measuring your blood sugar and fat levels while you’re in a fasting state, typically drawing your blood before you’ve eaten. What happens after a meal may be a stronger predictor of heart attacks and strokes, which makes sense, since this is where most of us live our lives—that is, in a fed state. And it’s not just in diabetics. As you can see at 1:30 in my video, if you follow non diabetic women with heart disease but normal fasting blood sugar, how high their blood sugar spikes after chugging some sugar water appears to determine how fast their arteries continue to clog up, perhaps because the higher the blood sugars spike, the more free radicals are produced.
So, what are some dietary strategies to improve the situation? Thankfully, “improvements in diet exert profound and immediate favorable changes…,” but what kind of improvements? “Specifically, a diet high in minimally processed, high-fiber, plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts,”—antioxidant, anti-inflammatory whole plant foods—“will markedly blunt the post-meal increase” in sugar, fat, and inflammation.
But what if you really wanted to eat some Wonder Bread? As you can see at 2:23 in my video, you’d get a big spike in blood sugar less than an hour after eating it. Would it make a difference if you spread the bread with almond butter? Adding about a third of a cup of almonds to the same amount of Wonder Bread significantly blunts the blood sugar spike.
In that case, would any low-carb food help? Why add almond butter when you can make a bologna sandwich? Well, first of all, plant-based foods have the antioxidants to wipe out any excess free radicals. So, nuts can not only blunt blood sugar spikes, but oxidative damage as well. What’s more, they can even blunt insulin spikes. Indeed, adding nuts to a meal calms both blood sugar levels and insulin levels, as you can see at 3:02 in my video. Now, you’re probably thinking, Well, duh, less sugar means less insulin, but that’s not what happens with low-carb animal foods.
As you can see at 3:23 in my video, if you add steamed skinless chicken breast to your white rice, you get a greater insulin spike than if you had just eaten the white rice alone. So, adding the low-carb plant food made things better, but adding the low-carb animal food made things worse. It’s the same with adding chicken breast to mashed potatoes—a higher insulin spike with the added animal protein. It is also the same with animal fat: Add some butter to a meal, and get a dramatically higher insulin spike from some sugar, as you can see at 3:45 in my video.
If you add butter and cheese to white bread, white potatoes, white spaghetti, or white rice, you can sometimes even double the insulin reaction. If you add half an avocado to a meal, however, instead of worsening, the insulin response improves, as it does with the main whole plant food source of fat: nuts.
I’ve covered the effect adding berries to a meal has on blood sugar responses in If Fructose Is Bad, What About Fruit?, and that raises the question: How Much Fruit Is Too Much?
In addition to the all-fruit jam question, I cover The Effects of Avocados and Red Wine on Postprandial Inflammation.
Vinegar may also help. See Can Vinegar Help with Blood Sugar Control?.
Perhaps this explains part of the longevity benefit to nut consumption, which I discuss in Nuts May Help Prevent Death.
I also talk about that immediate inflammatory reaction to unhealthy food choices in Best Foods to Improve Sexual Function.
Surprised by the chicken and butter reaction? The same thing happens with tuna fish and other meat, as I cover in my video Paleo Diets May Negate Benefits of Exercise.
Also check:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-16--What Happens if You Have Red Wine or Avocados with a Meal?

Michael Greger , M.D .
FACLM , is a physician , New York Times bestselling author , and internationally recognized @ @ @ @ @ of important public health issues .
Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World @ @ @ @ @ of Health , and the International Bird Flu Summit , testified before Congress , appeared @ @ @ @ @ and The Colbert Report , and was invited as an expert witness in defense of @ @ @ @ @ `` meat defamation '' trial .

A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous “meat defamation” trial.


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-21--Combating Air Pollution Effects with Food

There is a food that offers the best of both worlds—significantly improving our ability to detox carcinogens like diesel fumes and decreasing inflammation in our airways—all while improving our respiratory defenses against infections .
Outdoor air pollution may be the ninth leading cause of death and disability in the world , responsible for millions of deaths from lung cancer , emphysema , heart disease , stroke , and respiratory infection .
In the United States , living in a polluted city was associated with 16 , 27 , and 28 percent increases in total , cardiovascular , and lung cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city with cleaner air .
As well , living in a city with polluted air may lead to up to a 75 percent increase in the risk of a heart attack .
“ Additionally , the possibility of dying in a traffic jam is two and a half times greater in a polluted city.
” No one wants to be living in a traffic jam , but it ’ s better than dying in one .
In addition to causing deaths , air pollution is also the cause of a number of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asthma but also increase the risk of developing asthma in the first place .
These pollutants may trigger liver disease and even increase the risk of diabetes .
Indeed , “ even when atmospheric pollutants are within legally established limits , they can be harmful to health.
” So , what can we do about it ?
Paper after paper have described all the terrible things air pollution can do to us , but “ most…failed to mention public policy .
Therefore , while science is making great strides in demonstrating the harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , public authorities are not using these data ” to reduce emissions , as such measures might inconvenience the population “ and , therefore , might not be politically acceptable.
” We need better vehicle inspections , efficient public transport , bus lanes , bicycle lanes , and even urban tolls to help clean up the air , but , while we ’ re waiting for all of that , is there anything we can do to protect ourselves ?
As I discuss in my video Best Food to Counter the Effects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detoxifying enzymes , not only in our liver , but also lining our airways .
Studies show that people born with less effective detox enzymes have an exaggerated allergic response to diesel exhaust , suggesting that these enzymes actively combat the inflammation caused by pollutants in the air .
A significant part of the population has these substandard forms of the enzyme , but , either way , what can we do to boost the activity of whichever detoxification enzymes we do have ?
One of my previous videos Prolonged Liver Function Enhancement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost the activity of the detox enzymes in our liver , but what about our lungs ?
Researchers fed some smokers a large stalk of broccoli every day for ten days to see if it would affect the level of inflammation within their bodies .
Why smokers ?
Smoking is so inflammatory that you can have elevated C-reactive protein ( CRP ) levels for up to 30 years after quitting , and that inflammation can start almost immediately after you start smoking , so it ’ s critical to never start in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , you can cut your level of that inflammation biomarker CRP nearly in half after just ten days eating a lot of broccoli .
Broccoli appears to cut inflammation in nonsmokers as well , which may explain in part why eating more than two cups of broccoli , cabbage , cauliflower , kale , or other cruciferous veggies a day is associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of dying , compared to eating a third of a cup a day or less , as you can see at 3:41 in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We know that the cruciferous compound “ is the most potent known inducer ” of our detox enzymes , so most of the research has been on its ability to fight cancer .
But , for the first time , researchers tried to see if it could combat the pro-inflammatory impact of pollutants , such as diesel exhaust .
They put some human lung lining cells in a petri dish , and , as you can see at 4:11 in my video , the number of detox enzymes produced after dripping on some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t inhale broccoli or snort it .
We eat it .
Can it still get into our lungs and help ?
Yes .
After two days of broccoli sprout consumption , researchers took some cells out of the subjects ’ noses and found up to 100 times more detox enzyme expression compared to eating a non-cruciferous vegetable , alfalfa sprouts .
If only we could squirt some diesel exhaust up people ’ s noses .
That ’ s just what some UCLA researchers did , at an amount equal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles freeway .
Within six hours , the number of inflammatory cells in their nose shot up and continued to rise .
But , in the group who had been getting a broccoli sprout extract , the inflammation went down and stayed down , as you can see at 4:58 in my video .
Since the dose in those studies is equivalent to the consumption of one or two cups of broccoli , their study “ demonstrates the potential preventive and therapeutic potential of broccoli or broccoli sprouts , ” but if broccoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune response , might it interfere with normal immune function ?
After all , the battle with viruses like influenza can happen in the nose .
So what happens when some flu viruses are dripped into the nostrils of broccoli-sprout eaters compared with people consuming non-cruciferous alfalfa sprouts ?
After eating broccoli sprouts , we get the best of both worlds—less inflammation and an improved immune response .
As you can see at 5:55 in my video , after eating alfalfa sprouts , there is a viral spike in their nose .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , however , our body is able to keep the virus in check , potentially offering “ a safe , low-cost strategy for reducing influenza risk among smokers and other at risk populations.
” So , better immune function , yet less inflammation , potentially reducing the impact of pollution on allergic disease and asthma , at least for an “ enthusiastic broccoli consumer.
” But what about cancer and detoxifying air pollutants throughout the rest of our body ?
We didn ’ t know , until now .
Off to China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution…are among the highest in the world.
” By day one , those getting broccoli sprouts were able to get rid of 60 percent more benzene from their bodies .
“ The key finding…was the observed rapid and highly durable elevation of the detoxification of… a known human carcinogen.
” Now , this was using broccoli sprouts , which are highly concentrated , equivalent to about five cups of broccoli a day , so we don ’ t know how well more modest doses would work .
But if they do , eating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attenuate…the long-term health risks ” of air pollution .
More on air pollution here .
I ’ ve been reading about the terrible effects of air pollution for a long time and I am thrilled there ’ s something we can do other than uprooting our families and moving out to the countryside .
For more on cruciferocity , see my videos Lung Cancer Metastases and Broccoli and Breast Cancer Survival Vegetable .
There ’ s a secret to maximizing broccoli ’ s benefits .
See Flashback Friday : Second Strategy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greens : How to Cook Greens and Best Way to Cook Vegetables .
What about broccoli sprout pills ?
See Broccoli : Sprouts vs .
Supplements .
Speaking of respiratory inflammation , what about dietary approaches to asthma ?
Learn more : • How to Treat Asthma with a Low-Salt Diet There are sources of indoor pollution , too .
See Throw Household Products Off the Scent .
There is one way what we eat can directly impact air pollution , beyond just personal protection .
Check out Flashback Friday : Diet and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of @

There is a food that offers the best of both worlds—significantly improving our ability to detox carcinogens like diesel fumes and decreasing inflammation in our airways—all while improving our respiratory defenses against infections.
Outdoor air pollution may be the ninth leading cause of death and disability in the world, responsible for millions of deaths from lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory infection. In the United States, living in a polluted city was associated with 16, 27, and 28 percent increases in total, cardiovascular, and lung cancer deaths, compared to living in a city with cleaner air. As well, living in a city with polluted air may lead to up to a 75 percent increase in the risk of a heart attack. “Additionally, the possibility of dying in a traffic jam is two and a half times greater in a polluted city.” No one wants to be living in a traffic jam, but it’s better than dying in one.
In addition to causing deaths, air pollution is also the cause of a number of health problems. It may not only exacerbate asthma but also increase the risk of developing asthma in the first place. These pollutants may trigger liver disease and even increase the risk of diabetes. Indeed, “even when atmospheric pollutants are within legally established limits, they can be harmful to health.” So, what can we do about it?
Paper after paper have described all the terrible things air pollution can do to us, but “most…failed to mention public policy. Therefore, while science is making great strides in demonstrating the harmful effects of atmospheric pollution on human health, public authorities are not using these data” to reduce emissions, as such measures might inconvenience the population “and, therefore, might not be politically acceptable.” We need better vehicle inspections, efficient public transport, bus lanes, bicycle lanes, and even urban tolls to help clean up the air, but, while we’re waiting for all of that, is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?
As I discuss in my video Best Food to Counter the Effects of Air Pollution, our body naturally has detoxifying enzymes, not only in our liver, but also lining our airways. Studies show that people born with less effective detox enzymes have an exaggerated allergic response to diesel exhaust, suggesting that these enzymes actively combat the inflammation caused by pollutants in the air. A significant part of the population has these substandard forms of the enzyme, but, either way, what can we do to boost the activity of whichever detoxification enzymes we do have?
One of my previous videos Prolonged Liver Function Enhancement from Broccoli investigated how broccoli can dramatically boost the activity of the detox enzymes in our liver, but what about our lungs? Researchers fed some smokers a large stalk of broccoli every day for ten days to see if it would affect the level of inflammation within their bodies. Why smokers? Smoking is so inflammatory that you can have elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels for up to 30 years after quitting, and that inflammation can start almost immediately after you start smoking, so it’s critical to never start in the first place. If you do, though, you can cut your level of that inflammation biomarker CRP nearly in half after just ten days eating a lot of broccoli. Broccoli appears to cut inflammation in nonsmokers as well, which may explain in part why eating more than two cups of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or other cruciferous veggies a day is associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of dying, compared to eating a third of a cup a day or less, as you can see at 3:41 in my video.
What about air pollution? We know that the cruciferous compound “is the most potent known inducer” of our detox enzymes, so most of the research has been on its ability to fight cancer. But, for the first time, researchers tried to see if it could combat the pro-inflammatory impact of pollutants, such as diesel exhaust. They put some human lung lining cells in a petri dish, and, as you can see at 4:11 in my video, the number of detox enzymes produced after dripping on some broccoli goodness skyrocketed. Yes, but we don’t inhale broccoli or snort it. We eat it. Can it still get into our lungs and help? Yes. After two days of broccoli sprout consumption, researchers took some cells out of the subjects’ noses and found up to 100 times more detox enzyme expression compared to eating a non-cruciferous vegetable, alfalfa sprouts. If only we could squirt some diesel exhaust up people’s noses. That’s just what some UCLA researchers did, at an amount equal to daily rush hour exposure on a Los Angeles freeway. Within six hours, the number of inflammatory cells in their nose shot up and continued to rise. But, in the group who had been getting a broccoli sprout extract, the inflammation went down and stayed down, as you can see at 4:58 in my video.
Since the dose in those studies is equivalent to the consumption of one or two cups of broccoli, their study “demonstrates the potential preventive and therapeutic potential of broccoli or broccoli sprouts,” but if broccoli is so powerful at suppressing this inflammatory immune response, might it interfere with normal immune function? After all, the battle with viruses like influenza can happen in the nose. So what happens when some flu viruses are dripped into the nostrils of broccoli-sprout eaters compared with people consuming non-cruciferous alfalfa sprouts? After eating broccoli sprouts, we get the best of both worlds—less inflammation and an improved immune response. As you can see at 5:55 in my video, after eating alfalfa sprouts, there is a viral spike in their nose. After eating a package of broccoli sprouts every day, however, our body is able to keep the virus in check, potentially offering “a safe, low-cost strategy for reducing influenza risk among smokers and other at risk populations.”
So, better immune function, yet less inflammation, potentially reducing the impact of pollution on allergic disease and asthma, at least for an “enthusiastic broccoli consumer.” But what about cancer and detoxifying air pollutants throughout the rest of our body? We didn’t know, until now. Off to China, where “levels of outdoor air pollution…are among the highest in the world.” By day one, those getting broccoli sprouts were able to get rid of 60 percent more benzene from their bodies. “The key finding…was the observed rapid and highly durable elevation of the detoxification of… a known human carcinogen.” Now, this was using broccoli sprouts, which are highly concentrated, equivalent to about five cups of broccoli a day, so we don’t know how well more modest doses would work. But if they do, eating broccoli could “provide a frugal means to attenuate…the long-term health risks” of air pollution. More on air pollution here.
I’ve been reading about the terrible effects of air pollution for a long time and I am thrilled there’s something we can do other than uprooting our families and moving out to the countryside.
For more on cruciferocity, see my videos Lung Cancer Metastases and Broccoli and Breast Cancer Survival Vegetable.
There’s a secret to maximizing broccoli’s benefits. See Flashback Friday:Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli.
For more on Cooking Greens: How to Cook Greens and Best Way to Cook Vegetables.
What about broccoli sprout pills? See Broccoli: Sprouts vs. Supplements.
Speaking of respiratory inflammation, what about dietary approaches to asthma? Learn more:
There are sources of indoor pollution, too. See Throw Household Products Off the Scent.
There is one way what we eat can directly impact air pollution, beyond just personal protection. Check out Flashback Friday: Diet and Climate Change: Cooking Up a Storm.
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


Limited-time merch!

Show off your love for NutritionFacts.org with these limited-edition products !
This summer , we ’ ve got brand new designs on a tee , tank , and mask .
Funds raised help my team and I continue to bring you the bite-sized lifestyle medicine information you count on .
Get the swag here .
New Webinar : The Human Health Implications of Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat for Pandemic Prevention and Climate Mitigation In my new book How to Survive a Pandemic and my last COVID-19 webinar I marveled at the constellation of new consumer choices in the dairy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our precarious situation with regards to the pandemic threats posed by animal agriculture .
Plant-based meats , milks , and egg products—as well as even more pioneering approaches involving cellular agriculture—could also offer enormous benefits for the climate crisis .
But what are the nutritional and personal human health effects of eating products like Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger , or even actual animal products grown without the animals ?
I did a deep dive and crafted a dozen videos on the topic that I ’ m going to unveil in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A at 2pm ET on August 26 : 1 .
The Environmental Impacts of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives 2 .
Are Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger Healthy ?
3 .
Are Pea and Soy Protein Isolates Harmful ?
4 .
Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Put to the Test 5 .
The Health Effects of Mycoprotein ( Quorn ) Products 6 .
What About the Heme in Impossible Burgers ?
7 .
Does Heme Iron Cause Cancer ?
8 .
Heme-Induced N-Nitroso Compounds and Fat Oxidation 9 .
Is Heme the Reason Meat Is Carcinogenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cultivated Meat : Food Safety 11 .
The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat : Antibiotic Resistance 12 .
The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat : Chemical Safety All of these videos will eventually be available for free on NutritionFacts.org , but if you don ’ t want to wait , you can watch it all now by joining me in this live webinar and get your burning questions answered .
Make a donation of any amount with this form and we will send you a link to register for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support helps keep NutritionFacts.org going and growing !
Last day to register : August 19th Webinar date & time : August 26th , 2pm ET And if you missed my last webinar on my latest B12 recommendations , you can now get the digital download of those videos .
After first being released only in audio and digital format , my newest book is now available for paperback pre-order and will be out on August 18 .
After first being released only in audio and digital format , my newest book is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on August 18 .
Pre-order it today !
If you haven ’ t seen it yet , we ’ ve put up a resource page all about COVID-19 with videos , links to my pandemic blog post and special Q & A sessions , my DIY hand sanitizer recipes , and more .
Check it out here .
My 17-video series on COVID-19 is wrapping up , so you can now see all of the videos on the topic page .
And I recently did an interview with The Daily Mail for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : read it here .
New subscribers to my newsletter will be receiving an infographic on the latest fasting research .
You can sign up here .
Join me for a live Instagram Q & A with one of my favorite dietitians and dearest friends , Julieanna Hever .
Head over to the NutritionFacts.org Instagram page on 8/17 at 3pm ET to get the answers to your health and nutrition questions .
COVID-19 prevention , and how long can the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus survive on surfaces like paper ?
Where Did the COVID-19 Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wildlife trafficking , and pangolins have played in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 .
COVID-19 Symptoms vs. the Flu , a Cold , or Allergies What does clinical course of COVID-19 look like for both those who survive and those who don ’ t ?
How the symptoms compare to the flu .
Every month now I do Q & As live from my treadmill , and today is the day .
Thanks to a new software we are using , I can now stream to both places at once !
• Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
ET TODAY , July 23 go to our Facebook page OR YouTube to watch live and ask questions .
You can now find links to all of my past live Q & As right here on NutritionFacts.org .
If that ’ s not enough , remember I have an audio podcast to keep you company at http : //nutritionfacts.org/audio .
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Show off your love for NutritionFacts.org with these limited-edition products! This summer, we’ve got brand new designs on a tee, tank, and mask. Funds raised help my team and I continue to bring you the bite-sized lifestyle medicine information you count on. Get the swag here.
New Webinar: The Human Health Implications of Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat for Pandemic Prevention and Climate Mitigation
In my new book How to Survive a Pandemic and my last COVID-19 webinar I marveled at the constellation of new consumer choices in the dairy and meat aisle helping to innovate us out of our precarious situation with regards to the pandemic threats posed by animal agriculture. Plant-based meats, milks, and egg products—as well as even more pioneering approaches involving cellular agriculture—could also offer enormous benefits for the climate crisis. But what are the nutritional and personal human health effects of eating products like Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger, or even actual animal products grown without the animals?
I did a deep dive and crafted a dozen videos on the topic that I’m going to unveil in a 2-hour live webinar with Q&A at 2pm ET on August 26:
1. The Environmental Impacts of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
2. Are Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger Healthy?
3. Are Pea and Soy Protein Isolates Harmful?
4. Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Put to the Test
5. The Health Effects of Mycoprotein (Quorn) Products
6. What About the Heme in Impossible Burgers?
7. Does Heme Iron Cause Cancer?
8. Heme-Induced N-Nitroso Compounds and Fat Oxidation
9. Is Heme the Reason Meat Is Carcinogenic?
10. The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Food Safety
11. The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Antibiotic Resistance
12. The Human Health Effects of Cultivated Meat: Chemical Safety
All of these videos will eventually be available for free on NutritionFacts.org, but if you don’t want to wait, you can watch it all now by joining me in this live webinar and get your burning questions answered.
UPDATE: The digital download of this webinar’s videos is now available here.
Last day to register: August 19th
Webinar date & time: August 26th, 2pm ET
And if you missed my last webinar on my latest B12 recommendations, you can now get the digital download of those videos.
How to Survive a Pandemic – Paperback Edition
After first being released only in audio and digital format, my newest book is now available for paperback pre-order and will be out on August 18. Pre-order it today! If you haven’t seen it yet, we’ve put up a resource page all about COVID-19 with videos, links to my pandemic blog post and special Q&A sessions, my DIY hand sanitizer recipes, and more. Check it out here. My 17-video series on COVID-19 is wrapping up, so you can now see all of the videos on the topic page. And I recently did an interview with The Daily Mail for their article on factory farms and pandemics: read it here.
Fasting Infographic Available
New subscribers to my newsletter will be receiving an infographic on the latest fasting research. You can sign up here.
Doctor and Dietitian Q&A
Join me for a live Instagram Q&A with one of my favorite dietitians and dearest friends, Julieanna Hever.
Head over to the NutritionFacts.org Instagram page on 8/17 at 3pm ET to get the answers to your health and nutrition questions.
How to Avoid COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention, and how long can the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus survive on surfaces like paper?
Where Did the COVID-19 Coronavirus Come From?
The role wet markets, wildlife trafficking, and pangolins have played in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19 Symptoms vs. the Flu, a Cold, or Allergies
What does clinical course of COVID-19 look like for both those who survive and those who don’t? How the symptoms compare to the flu.
Live Q&As TODAY, July 23
Every month now I do Q&As live from my treadmill, and today is the day. Thanks to a new software we are using, I can now stream to both places at once!
Facebook AND YouTube Live: At 1:00 p.m. ET TODAY, July 23 go to our Facebook page OR YouTube to watch live and ask questions.
You can now find links to all of my past live Q&As right here on NutritionFacts.org. If that’s not enough, remember I have an audio podcast to keep you company at http://nutritionfacts.org/audio.
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-28--The Crowding Out Strategy to Eating Healthier

It may be more expedient politically to promote an increase in consumption of healthy items rather than a decrease in consumption of unhealthy items , but it may be far less effective .
The World Health Organization has estimated that more than a million deaths “ worldwide are linked to low fruit and vegetable consumption.
” What can be done about it ?
I explore this in my video Is it Better to Advise More Plants or Less Junk ?
There ’ s always appealing to vanity .
A daily smoothie can give you a golden glow as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been shown to “ enhance healthy appearance ” in Caucasian , Asian , and African skin tones , as you can see at 0:24 in my video .
What about giving it away for free ?
A free school fruit scheme was introduced in Norway for grades 1 through 10 .
Fruit consumption is so powerfully beneficial that if kids ate only an additional 2.5 grams of fruit a day , the program would pay for itself in terms of saving the country money .
How much is 2.5 grams ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , that cost-benefit analysis assumed this minuscule increased fruit consumption would be retained through life .
It certainly seemed to work while the program was going on , with a large increase in pupils eating fruit , but what about a year after the free fruit program ended ?
The students were still eating more fruit .
They were hooked !
Three years later ?
Same thing .
Three years after they had stopped getting free fruit , they were still eating about a third of a serving more , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than necessary for the program to pay for itself .
There were also some happy side effects , including a positive spillover effect where not only the kids were eating more fruit , but their parents started eating more , too .
And , although the “ intention of these programs was not to reduce unhealthy snack intakes , ” that ’ s exactly what appeared to happen : The fruit replaced some of the junk .
Increasing healthy choices to crowd out the unhealthy ones may be more effective than just telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could actually backfire .
Indeed , when you tell kids not to eat something , they may start to want it even more , as you can see at 2:20 in my video .
Which do you think worked better ?
Telling families to increase plants or decrease junk ?
Families were randomly assigned to one of two groups , either receiving encouragement to get at least two servings of fruits and veggies a day , with no mention of decreasing junk , or being encouraged to get their junk food intake to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no mention of eating more fruits and veggies .
What do you think happened ?
The Increase Fruit and Vegetable intervention just naturally “ reduced high-fat/high-sugar intake , ” whereas those in the Decrease Fat and Sugar group cut back on junk but didn ’ t magically start eating more fruits and vegetables .
This crowding out effect may not work on adults , though .
As you can see at 3:12 in my video , in a cross-section of over a thousand adults in Los Angeles and Louisiana , those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and veggies a day did not consume significantly less alcohol , soda , candy , cookies , or chips .
“ This finding suggests that unless the excessive consumption of salty snacks , cookies , candy , and sugar-sweetened beverages ” —that is , junk— “ is curtailed , other interventions… [ may ] have a limited impact….It may be politically more expedient to promote an increase in consumption of healthy items rather than a decrease in consumption of unhealthy items , but it may be far less effective.
” In most public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct and explicit : don ’ t smoke , don ’ t drink , and don ’ t take drugs.
” In contrast , food campaigns have focused on eat healthy foods rather than cut out the crap .
“ Explicit messages against soda and low-nutrient [ junk ] foods are rare.
” In the United States , “ if one-half of the U.S. population were to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by one serving each per day , an estimated 20,000 cancer cases might be avoided each year.
” That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer had they been eating their fruits and veggies .
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends we “ fill half [ our ] plate with colorful fruits and vegetables , ” but less than 10 percent of Americans hit the recommended daily target .
Given this sorry state of affairs , should we even bother telling people to strive for “ 5 a day , ” or might just saying “ get one more serving than you usually do ” end up working better ?
Researchers thought that “ the more realistic ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more effective than the very ambitious ‘ 5 a day ’ goal , ” but they were wrong .
As you can see at 4:56 in my video , those told to eat one more a day for a week , ate about one more a day for a week , and those told to eat five a day for a week did just that , eating five a day for a week .
But here ’ s the critical piece : One week after the experiment was over , the group who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day ” was still eating about a serving more , whereas the “ just 1 more ” group went back to their miserable baseline .
So , more ambitious eating goals may be more motivating .
Perhaps this is why “ in the US ‘ 5 a day ’ was replaced by the ‘ Fruits and Veggies—More Matters ’ campaign…in which a daily consumption of 7–13 servings of fruits and vegetables – FVs – is recommended.
” However , if the recommendation is too challenging , people may just give up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the science , policy makers evidently need to ask themselves questions like “ How many servings are regarded as threatening ?
” For more on appealing to vanity to improve fruit and vegetable consumption , see my videos Eating Better to Look Better and Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep .
What does the science say about smoothies ?
See : • Are Green Smoothies Good for You ?
• Are Green Smoothies Bad for You ?
• Flashback Friday : Green Smoothies – What Does the Science Say ?
• Green Smoothies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Dr. Greger in the Kitchen : My New Favorite Beverage The flipside of free fruit programs is to tax instead of subsidize .
Learn more by checking out my video Would Taxing Unhealthy Foods Improve Public Health ?
For more on the paternalistic attitude that you don ’ t care enough about your health to be told the truth , see my videos Everything in Moderation ?
Even Heart Disease ?
and Optimal Diet : Just Give It to Me Straight , Doc .
I explore this same patronizing attitude when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Should You Exercise ?
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the @ @ @ @

It may be more expedient politically to promote an increase in consumption of healthy items rather than a decrease in consumption of unhealthy items, but it may be far less effective.
The World Health Organization has estimated that more than a million deaths “worldwide are linked to low fruit and vegetable consumption.” What can be done about it? I explore this in my video Is it Better to Advise More Plants or Less Junk?
There’s always appealing to vanity. A daily smoothie can give you a golden glow as well as a rosy glow, both of which have been shown to “enhance healthy appearance” in Caucasian, Asian, and African skin tones, as you can see at 0:24 in my video.
What about giving it away for free?
A free school fruit scheme was introduced in Norway for grades 1 through 10. Fruit consumption is so powerfully beneficial that if kids ate only an additional 2.5 grams of fruit a day, the program would pay for itself in terms of saving the country money. How much is 2.5 grams? The weight of half of a single grape. However, that cost-benefit analysis assumed this minuscule increased fruit consumption would be retained through life. It certainly seemed to work while the program was going on, with a large increase in pupils eating fruit, but what about a year after the free fruit program ended? The students were still eating more fruit. They were hooked! Three years later? Same thing. Three years after they had stopped getting free fruit, they were still eating about a third of a serving more, which, if sustained, is considerably more than necessary for the program to pay for itself.
There were also some happy side effects, including a positive spillover effect where not only the kids were eating more fruit, but their parents started eating more, too. And, although the “intention of these programs was not to reduce unhealthy snack intakes,” that’s exactly what appeared to happen: The fruit replaced some of the junk. Increasing healthy choices to crowd out the unhealthy ones may be more effective than just telling kids not to eat junk, which could actually backfire. Indeed, when you tell kids not to eat something, they may start to want it even more, as you can see at 2:20 in my video.
Which do you think worked better? Telling families to increase plants or decrease junk? Families were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either receiving encouragement to get at least two servings of fruits and veggies a day, with no mention of decreasing junk, or being encouraged to get their junk food intake to less than ten servings a week, with no mention of eating more fruits and veggies. What do you think happened? The Increase Fruit and Vegetable intervention just naturally “reduced high-fat/high-sugar intake,” whereas those in the Decrease Fat and Sugar group cut back on junk but didn’t magically start eating more fruits and vegetables.
This crowding out effect may not work on adults, though. As you can see at 3:12 in my video, in a cross-section of over a thousand adults in Los Angeles and Louisiana, those who ate five or more servings of fruits and veggies a day did not consume significantly less alcohol, soda, candy, cookies, or chips. “This finding suggests that unless the excessive consumption of salty snacks, cookies, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages”—that is, junk—“is curtailed, other interventions…[may] have a limited impact….It may be politically more expedient to promote an increase in consumption of healthy items rather than a decrease in consumption of unhealthy items, but it may be far less effective.” In most public health campaigns, “messages have been direct and explicit: don’t smoke, don’t drink, and don’t take drugs.” In contrast, food campaigns have focused on eat healthy foods rather than cut out the crap. “Explicit messages against soda and low-nutrient [junk] foods are rare.”
In the United States, “if one-half of the U.S. population were to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by one serving each per day, an estimated 20,000 cancer cases might be avoided each year.” That’s 20,000 people who would not have gotten cancer had they been eating their fruits and veggies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends we “fill half [our] plate with colorful fruits and vegetables,” but less than 10 percent of Americans hit the recommended daily target. Given this sorry state of affairs, should we even bother telling people to strive for “5 a day,” or might just saying “get one more serving than you usually do” end up working better? Researchers thought that “the more realistic ‘just 1 more’ goal would be more effective than the very ambitious ‘5 a day’ goal,” but they were wrong.
As you can see at 4:56 in my video, those told to eat one more a day for a week, ate about one more a day for a week, and those told to eat five a day for a week did just that, eating five a day for a week. But here’s the critical piece: One week after the experiment was over, the group who had been told to eat “5 a day” was still eating about a serving more, whereas the “just 1 more” group went back to their miserable baseline. So, more ambitious eating goals may be more motivating. Perhaps this is why “in the US ‘5 a day’ was replaced by the ‘Fruits and Veggies—More Matters’ campaign…in which a daily consumption of 7–13 servings of fruits and vegetables – FVs – is recommended.” However, if the recommendation is too challenging, people may just give up. So, instead of just sticking with the science, policy makers evidently need to ask themselves questions like “How many servings are regarded as threatening?”
For more on appealing to vanity to improve fruit and vegetable consumption, see my videos Eating Better to Look Better and Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep.
What does the science say about smoothies? See:
The flipside of free fruit programs is to tax instead of subsidize. Learn more by checking out my video Would Taxing Unhealthy Foods Improve Public Health?
For more on the paternalistic attitude that you don’t care enough about your health to be told the truth, see my videos Everything in Moderation? Even Heart Disease? and Optimal Diet: Just Give It to Me Straight, Doc.
I explore this same patronizing attitude when it comes to physical activity in How Much Should You Exercise?
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:


nutritionfactsorg--2020-07-30--What Exercise Authorities Don’t Tell You About Optimal Duration

Physical fitness authorities seem to have fallen into the same trap as the nutrition authorities , recommending what they think may be achievable , rather than simply informing us of what the science says and letting us make up our own minds .
Researchers who accept grants from The Coca-Cola Company may call physical inactivity “ the biggest public health problem of the 21st century , ” but , in actually , physical inactivity ranks down at number five in terms of risk factors for death in the United States and even lower in terms of risk factors for disability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my video How Much Should You Exercise ?
What ’ s more , inactivity barely makes the top ten globally .
As we ’ ve learned , diet is our greatest killer by far , followed by smoking .
Of course , that doesn ’ t mean you can just sit on the couch all day .
Exercise can help with mental health , cognitive health , sleep quality , cancer prevention , immune function , high blood pressure , and life span extension , topics I cover in some of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collectively exercised enough to shave just 1 percent off the national body mass index , 2 million cases of diabetes , one and a half million cases of heart disease and stroke , and 100,000 cases of cancer might be prevented .
Ideally , how much should we exercise ?
The latest official “ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans ” recommends adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise , which comes out to be a little more than 20 minutes a day .
That is actually down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the American College of Sports Medicine , which jointly recommend at least 30 minutes each day .
The exercise authorities seem to have fallen into the same trap as the nutrition authorities , recommending what they think may be achievable , rather than simply informing us what the science says and letting us make up our own minds .
They already emphasize that “ some ” physical activity “ is better than none , ” so why not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone the truth ?
As you can see at 2:16 in my video , walking 150 minutes a week is better than walking 60 minutes a week , and following the current recommendations for 150 minutes appears to reduce your overall mortality rate by 7 percent compared with being sedentary .
Walking for just 60 minutes a week only drops your mortality rate about 3 percent , but walking 300 minutes weekly lowers overall mortality by 14 percent .
So , walking twice as long—40 minutes a day compared with the recommended 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an hour-long walk each day may reduce mortality by 24 percent .
I use walking as an example because it ’ s an exercise nearly everyone can do , but the same applies to other moderate-intensity activities , such as gardening or cycling .
A meta-analysis of physical activity dose and longevity found that the equivalent of about an hour a day of brisk walking at four miles per hour was good , but 90 minutes was even better .
What about more than 90 minutes ?
Unfortunately , so few people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t enough studies to compile a higher category .
If we know 90 minutes of exercise a day is better than 60 minutes , which is better than 30 minutes , why is the recommendation only 20 minutes ?
I understand that only about half of Americans even make the recommended 20 daily minutes , so the authorities are just hoping to nudge people in the right direction .
It ’ s like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advising us to “ eat less…candy.
” If only they ’ d just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what I try to do with NutritionFacts.org .
Most of the content in my book How Not to Die came from my video research , but this particular video actually sprung from the book .
I wanted to include exercise in my Daily Dozen list , but needed to do this research to see what was the best “ serving size.
” I wish someone would start some kind of FitnessFacts.org website to review the exercise literature .
I ’ ve got my brain full with the nutrition stuff—though there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have time to review that there could be ten more sites just covering nutritional science !
For more on all that exercise can do for our bodies and minds , see • The First Studies on Vegetarian Athletes • The Gladiator Diet : How Vegetarian Athletes Stack Up • The Role of Diet vs .
Exercise in the Obesity Epidemic Some tips for maximizing the benefits : • Whole Beets vs. Juice for Improving Athletic Performance PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers • 2015 : Food as Medicine : Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet • 2014 : From Table to Able : Combating Disabling Diseases with Food • 2013 : More Than an Apple a Day • 2012 : Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Physical fitness authorities seem to have fallen into the same trap as the nutrition authorities, recommending what they think may be achievable, rather than simply informing us of what the science says and letting us make up our own minds.
Researchers who accept grants from The Coca-Cola Company may call physical inactivity “the biggest public health problem of the 21st century,” but, in actually, physical inactivity ranks down at number five in terms of risk factors for death in the United States and even lower in terms of risk factors for disability, as you can see at 0:17 in my video How Much Should You Exercise? What’s more, inactivity barely makes the top ten globally. As we’ve learned, diet is our greatest killer by far, followed by smoking.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can just sit on the couch all day. Exercise can help with mental health, cognitive health, sleep quality, cancer prevention, immune function, high blood pressure, and life span extension, topics I cover in some of my other videos. If the U.S. population collectively exercised enough to shave just 1 percent off the national body mass index, 2 million cases of diabetes, one and a half million cases of heart disease and stroke, and 100,000 cases of cancer might be prevented.
Ideally, how much should we exercise? The latest official “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans” recommends adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise, which comes out to be a little more than 20 minutes a day. That is actually down from previous recommendations from the Surgeon General, as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine, which jointly recommend at least 30 minutes each day. The exercise authorities seem to have fallen into the same trap as the nutrition authorities, recommending what they think may be achievable, rather than simply informing us what the science says and letting us make up our own minds. They already emphasize that “some” physical activity “is better than none,” so why not stop patronizing the public and just tell everyone the truth?
As you can see at 2:16 in my video, walking 150 minutes a week is better than walking 60 minutes a week, and following the current recommendations for 150 minutes appears to reduce your overall mortality rate by 7 percent compared with being sedentary. Walking for just 60 minutes a week only drops your mortality rate about 3 percent, but walking 300 minutes weekly lowers overall mortality by 14 percent. So, walking twice as long—40 minutes a day compared with the recommended 20 daily minutes—yields twice the benefit. And, an hour-long walk each day may reduce mortality by 24 percent. I use walking as an example because it’s an exercise nearly everyone can do, but the same applies to other moderate-intensity activities, such as gardening or cycling.
A meta-analysis of physical activity dose and longevity found that the equivalent of about an hour a day of brisk walking at four miles per hour was good, but 90 minutes was even better. What about more than 90 minutes? Unfortunately, so few people exercise that much every day that there weren’t enough studies to compile a higher category. If we know 90 minutes of exercise a day is better than 60 minutes, which is better than 30 minutes, why is the recommendation only 20 minutes? I understand that only about half of Americans even make the recommended 20 daily minutes, so the authorities are just hoping to nudge people in the right direction. It’s like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advising us to “eat less…candy.” If only they’d just give it to us straight. That’s what I try to do with NutritionFacts.org.
Most of the content in my book How Not to Die came from my video research, but this particular video actually sprung from the book. I wanted to include exercise in my Daily Dozen list, but needed to do this research to see what was the best “serving size.”
I wish someone would start some kind of FitnessFacts.org website to review the exercise literature. I’ve got my brain full with the nutrition stuff—though there’s so much good information I don’t have time to review that there could be ten more sites just covering nutritional science!
For more on all that exercise can do for our bodies and minds, see
Some tips for maximizing the benefits:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations: