nutritionfactsorg--2020-09-22--Vitamin C for Male Infertility and Lead Poisoning?

What is the clinical relevance of vitamin C among lead-exposed infertile men ?
Compared to controls , lead battery industry workers given 1,000 mg of vitamin C every workday for three months experienced “ a significant increase in sperm motility and sperm count , as well as decrease in abnormal sperm , ” and “ a significant reduction in the incidence of sperm DNA fragmentation , ” that is , damaged sperm DNA .
Okay , but the ideal endpoint would be bouncing baby boys and girls .
Enter this extraordinary little study from the University of Texas from more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with fertile wives had been trying to have kids for years to no avail .
Twenty of them were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day for two months , and 7 acted as controls and didn ’ t get any vitamin C. The researchers followed up at the end of the 60 days .
By then , every single one of the wives of each of the 20 men who had gotten the vitamin C had became pregnant—20 out of 20 !
After years of frustration , boom : 100-percent pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single one of the wives of men in the control group got pregnant .
Rarely does one see these kinds of black-and-white results in the medical literature for any intervention .
Is the vitamin C lowering the oxidative stress from the lead , or is it actually lowering the level of lead ?
Sure , antioxidant supplementation can have antioxidant effects , but it may fail to actually lower lead levels in the blood .
Now , this was in a group of workers who were breathing lead day in and day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may work is by simply blocking the “ intestinal absorption of lead.
” An earlier study showed vitamin C supplementation apparently cut lead levels by a third within six months , but that was with a whopping dose of 2 g with added zinc .
Another small study found the same 30 percent drop with just 500 mg a day , no zinc , and in only one month .
But neither of those studies had a control group of subjects who didn ’ t take anything , so we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway .
Similarly , there is an almost too-good-to-be-true study on the role of vitamin C in scavenging lead toxicity from “ biosystems , ” by which they meant children .
They got 250 to 500 mg a day of vitamin C for a few months , and shaved hair samples every month saw up to a 69 percent decline in lead levels .
Researchers repeated it in two other small groups of kids and saw the same amazing kind of drops in every single child .
But maybe lead levels were just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time ?
Without measuring lead levels in a control group of kids not taking vitamin C , we can ’ t be sure .
As I illustrate from 3:17 in my video Yellow Bell Peppers for Male Infertility and Lead Poisoning ?
, with eight weeks of vitamin C , lead levels dropped in the blood and rose in the urine .
One could conclude that the vitamin C was pulling lead out of the body , but the same thing happened in the placebo group : Blood levels dropped , and urine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing to do with the vitamin C at all .
That ’ s why it ’ s always important to have a control group .
The same applies with studies that appeared to show no benefit .
For example , 36 battery manufacturing workers were studied .
Each was given vitamin C , yet there was no change in their lead levels .
But , maybe their co-workers suffered a big increase in lead levels during that same time period , and the vitamin C was actually successful in keeping the subjects ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know without a control group .
That ’ s why studies like “ The effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood and hair levels of cadmium , lead , and mercury ” are so important .
Vitamin C versus an identical-looking sugar pill placebo .
The result ?
The vitamin C failed to help , which really put a damper on enthusiasm for using vitamin C for lead poisoning until a now-famous study was published in 1999 that showed that vitamin C supplementation could lead to a decrease in blood levels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my video , after four weeks of taking a placebo , not much change occurred in blood lead levels in the control group , which is what we ’ d expect .
In contrast , the vitamin C group started out at about the same blood lead level as the control group , but within one week of taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day , lead levels dropped 81 percent .
So , supplementation of vitamin C “ may provide an economical and convenient method of reducing blood-lead levels , possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The urine lead levels didn ’ t change , so it ’ s not as if the subjects were excreting more lead in their urine to bring down their blood levels .
However , most of the lead in our blood is in the red blood cells , which are recycled in the liver and discharged through the bile into the gut where the lead could just get reabsorbed—unless , perhaps , you ’ ve got a lot of vitamin C in there to block the re-absorption .
But 1,000 mg is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like 200 mg , which is just about how much vitamin C you ’ d get in an orange and a cup of broccoli or strawberries , work ?
The researchers tested that , too .
The 200 mg group started out the same as the control and the 1,000 mg group , but blood lead levels didn ’ t really budge .
Bummer !
So , 1,000 mg seemed to work , but 200 mg didn ’ t .
Isn ’ t 1,000 mg of vitamin C a bit unnatural , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , actually , we may have evolved for millions of years getting closer to 600 mg a day—ten times the current RDA—because we were eating so many fruits and greens .
Okay , but could you reach 1,000 mg of vitamin C without having to take pills ?
Yes !
That ’ s the amount of vitamin C , for example , that can be found in three yellow bell peppers .
Other videos in my series on lead include : • Is Lipstick Safe Given the Lead Contamination ?
• Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • How the Lead Paint Industry Got Away with It • How the Leaded Gas Industry Got Away with It • The Effects of Low-Level Lead Exposure in Adults • How to Lower Lead Levels with Diet : Thiamine , Fiber , Iron , Fat , Fasting ?
• How to Lower Lead Levels with Diet : Breakfast , Whole Grains , Milk , Tofu ?
• Can Vitamin C Help with Lead Poisoning ?
• How Much Lead Is in Organic Chicken Soup ( Bone Broth ) ?
• Should Pregnant Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• The Rise in Blood Lead Levels at Pregnancy and Menopause Note that there is nothing special about yellow bell peppers—other than their extraordinary vitamin C content , that is .
I just used them as a practical way to get 1,000 mg of vitamin C in whole-food form .
They ’ re certainly easier than eating ten oranges !
Though , remember my video Peppers and Parkinson ’ s : The Benefits of Smoking Without the Risks ?
So , one would expect to get all the benefits of the 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why not just take vitamin C supplements ?
See Do Vitamin C Supplements Prevent Colds but Cause Kidney Stones ?
.
If hundreds of milligrams a day of vitamin C sounds like a lot , check out What Is the Optimal Vitamin C intake ?
.
You may be interested in my vitamin C and cancer series : • The Role of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Terminal Cancer • Do Apricot Seeds Work as an Alternative Cancer Cure ?
Finally , for more on male fertility , see : • The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 Death

What is the clinical relevance of vitamin C among lead-exposed infertile men? Compared to controls, lead battery industry workers given 1,000 mg of vitamin C every workday for three months experienced “a significant increase in sperm motility and sperm count, as well as decrease in abnormal sperm,” and “a significant reduction in the incidence of sperm DNA fragmentation,” that is, damaged sperm DNA. Okay, but the ideal endpoint would be bouncing baby boys and girls. Enter this extraordinary little study from the University of Texas from more than 30 years ago.
Twenty-seven men with fertile wives had been trying to have kids for years to no avail. Twenty of them were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day for two months, and 7 acted as controls and didn’t get any vitamin C. The researchers followed up at the end of the 60 days. By then, every single one of the wives of each of the 20 men who had gotten the vitamin C had became pregnant—20 out of 20! After years of frustration, boom: 100-percent pregnant. What’s more, not a single one of the wives of men in the control group got pregnant. Rarely does one see these kinds of black-and-white results in the medical literature for any intervention.
Is the vitamin C lowering the oxidative stress from the lead, or is it actually lowering the level of lead? Sure, antioxidant supplementation can have antioxidant effects, but it may fail to actually lower lead levels in the blood. Now, this was in a group of workers who were breathing lead day in and day out, and the way vitamin C may work is by simply blocking the “intestinal absorption of lead.” An earlier study showed vitamin C supplementation apparently cut lead levels by a third within six months, but that was with a whopping dose of 2 g with added zinc. Another small study found the same 30 percent drop with just 500 mg a day, no zinc, and in only one month. But neither of those studies had a control group of subjects who didn’t take anything, so we don’t know if their levels would have fallen anyway.
Similarly, there is an almost too-good-to-be-true study on the role of vitamin C in scavenging lead toxicity from “biosystems,” by which they meant children. They got 250 to 500 mg a day of vitamin C for a few months, and shaved hair samples every month saw up to a 69 percent decline in lead levels. Researchers repeated it in two other small groups of kids and saw the same amazing kind of drops in every single child. But maybe lead levels were just dropping throughout the whole community during that time? Without measuring lead levels in a control group of kids not taking vitamin C, we can’t be sure.
As I illustrate from 3:17 in my video Yellow Bell Peppers for Male Infertility and Lead Poisoning?, with eight weeks of vitamin C, lead levels dropped in the blood and rose in the urine. One could conclude that the vitamin C was pulling lead out of the body, but the same thing happened in the placebo group: Blood levels dropped, and urine levels rose. So, it had nothing to do with the vitamin C at all. That’s why it’s always important to have a control group.
The same applies with studies that appeared to show no benefit. For example, 36 battery manufacturing workers were studied. Each was given vitamin C, yet there was no change in their lead levels. But, maybe their co-workers suffered a big increase in lead levels during that same time period, and the vitamin C was actually successful in keeping the subjects’ levels from rising. You don’t know without a control group.
That’s why studies like “The effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood and hair levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury” are so important. Vitamin C versus an identical-looking sugar pill placebo. The result? The vitamin C failed to help, which really put a damper on enthusiasm for using vitamin C for lead poisoning until a now-famous study was published in 1999 that showed that vitamin C supplementation could lead to a decrease in blood levels. As you can see at 4:32 in my video, after four weeks of taking a placebo, not much change occurred in blood lead levels in the control group, which is what we’d expect. In contrast, the vitamin C group started out at about the same blood lead level as the control group, but within one week of taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day, lead levels dropped 81 percent. So, supplementation of vitamin C “may provide an economical and convenient method of reducing blood-lead levels, possibly by reducing the intestinal absorption of lead.”
The urine lead levels didn’t change, so it’s not as if the subjects were excreting more lead in their urine to bring down their blood levels. However, most of the lead in our blood is in the red blood cells, which are recycled in the liver and discharged through the bile into the gut where the lead could just get reabsorbed—unless, perhaps, you’ve got a lot of vitamin C in there to block the re-absorption. But 1,000 mg is a lot of vitamin C. Would something like 200 mg, which is just about how much vitamin C you’d get in an orange and a cup of broccoli or strawberries, work? The researchers tested that, too. The 200 mg group started out the same as the control and the 1,000 mg group, but blood lead levels didn’t really budge. Bummer! So, 1,000 mg seemed to work, but 200 mg didn’t. Isn’t 1,000 mg of vitamin C a bit unnatural, though? The RDA is only 60 mg. Well, actually, we may have evolved for millions of years getting closer to 600 mg a day—ten times the current RDA—because we were eating so many fruits and greens. Okay, but could you reach 1,000 mg of vitamin C without having to take pills? Yes! That’s the amount of vitamin C, for example, that can be found in three yellow bell peppers.
Other videos in my series on lead include:
Note that there is nothing special about yellow bell peppers—other than their extraordinary vitamin C content, that is. I just used them as a practical way to get 1,000 mg of vitamin C in whole-food form. They’re certainly easier than eating ten oranges!
Though, remember my video Peppers and Parkinson’s: The Benefits of Smoking Without the Risks? So, one would expect to get all the benefits of the 1,000 mg of vitamin C with benefits. Why not just take vitamin C supplements? See Do Vitamin C Supplements Prevent Colds but Cause Kidney Stones?.
If hundreds of milligrams a day of vitamin C sounds like a lot, check out What Is the Optimal Vitamin C intake?.
You may be interested in my vitamin C and cancer series:
Finally, for more on male fertility, 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--2020-09-24--The Role of Meat and Dairy Viruses in Cancer

“ Nearly 20 % of cancer cases arising worldwide can be linked to infectious agents , including viruses.
” Seven viruses are now conclusively tied to human cancers , and , as new viruses enter into human populations , the incidence and causes of cancer will likely change accordingly .
The foundation of modern tumor virology was laid more than a century ago with the discovery of a cancer-causing chicken virus , for which a Nobel Prize was awarded .
Another Nobel Prize went to the “ medical doctor-turned-virologist ” who discovered that the HPV virus was causing cervical cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mused that there may be a bovine polyoma virus—a multiple tumor virus in cattle—that could be playing a role in human colon cancer , lung cancer , and breast cancer , but no polyoma virus had ever been discovered in meat…until now .
As I discuss in my video The Role of Burger Viruses in Cancer , polyomaviruses are a particular concern—not only because they are known to be carcinogenic , but also because they can survive cooking temperatures .
Since a single burger these days can contain meat from “ many dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this could present an ideal situation for virus-hunting… ” Researchers from the National Cancer Institute purchased meat samples from three separate supermarkets and found three different polyomaviruses in ground beef , as you can see at 1:52 in my video .
Now , just because three types of “ polyomavirus species are commonly detectable in food-grade ground beef ” doesn ’ t necessarily mean they are causing human disease .
What made this Nobel laureate suspect them ?
Well , for one thing , some people got cancer right where they had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancers , in fact .
The vaccine had been harvested from the skin of calves , so “ it is possible ” there could have been some cancer-causing cow virus .
“ Many people are exposed to potentially virus-contaminated meat and dairy products ” through their diets , but those in the industry , “ such as farm workers , butchers , veterinarians , and employees in dairies , ” would be even more exposed .
Do these groups have higher cancer incidence ?
Indeed , it now appears to be clear “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at increased risk of developing and dying from cancer.
” Another reason to suspect the involvement of some kind of bovine infectious factor in colorectal cancer is the fact that there appear to be relatively low rates of colorectal cancer in countries where not a lot of beef is eaten .
And , when meat consumption suddenly increases , rates shoot up , as you can see at 3:15 in my video .
“ The only exception is Mongolia where they have low rates of colon cancer and eat a lot of red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Maybe yaks don ’ t harbor the same viruses .
Can ’ t you just avoid steak tartare ?
Even steak cooked “ medium ” may not reach internal temperatures above 70° Celsius , and it takes temperatures higher than that to inactivate some of these viruses , so we would expect viruses to survive both cooking and pasteurization .
In fact , researchers followed up with a paper suggesting the consumption of dairy products may “ represent one of the main risk factors for the development of breast cancer ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger number of presumably new viruses in the blood , meat , and milk of dairy cows should be investigated , since one might speculate that infectious “ agents present in dairy products possess a higher affinity to mammary [ breast ] cells , ” since they came from breast cells .
The fact that people with lactose intolerance , who tend to avoid milk and dairy throughout their lives , have lower rates of breast and other cancers could be seen as supporting this concept .
Though , there are certainly other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as increasing levels of the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1 or adversely affecting our gut microbiome .
Or , for that matter , maybe the plant-based milks they ’ re drinking instead could be protective .
That ’ s the problem with population studies : You can ’ t tease out cause and effect .
It doesn ’ t matter how many viruses are found in retail beef , pork , and chicken , as you can see at 5:16 in my video , if we can ’ t connect the dots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presence of these viruses within human tumors ?
Researchers have tried and did find some , but even if you don ’ t find any , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean viruses didn ’ t play a role .
There ’ s a “ viral hit-and-run ” theory of cancer development that suggests that certain viruses can slip in and out of our DNA to initiate the cancer , but be long gone by the time the tumor matures .
There ’ s still a lot of work to be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bovine polyomaviruses and human disease pans out , the National Cancer Institute researchers envision the development of a high potency vaccine .
So , just like the HPV vaccine may prevent cervical cancer from unsafe sex , perhaps one day , vaccines may prevent breast and colon cancer from unsafe sirloin .
This reminds me of the story of bovine leukemia virus and breast cancer .
For more on that , see : • The Role of Bovine Leukemia Virus in Breast Cancer • The Best Diet for Colon Cancer Prevention • Banning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Animal Fat What about chicken ?
Check out The Role of Poultry Viruses in Human Cancers and Poultry and Penis Cancer .
One of the problems with eating other animals is that we put ourselves at risk of their diseases .
Not once have I diagnosed anyone with Dutch Elm Disease or a really bad case of aphids .
See Eating Outside Our Kingdom for more on this concept .
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 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

“Nearly 20% of cancer cases arising worldwide can be linked to infectious agents, including viruses.” Seven viruses are now conclusively tied to human cancers, and, as new viruses enter into human populations, the incidence and causes of cancer will likely change accordingly.
The foundation of modern tumor virology was laid more than a century ago with the discovery of a cancer-causing chicken virus, for which a Nobel Prize was awarded. Another Nobel Prize went to the “medical doctor-turned-virologist” who discovered that the HPV virus was causing cervical cancer. In his acceptance speech, he mused that there may be a bovine polyoma virus—a multiple tumor virus in cattle—that could be playing a role in human colon cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer, but no polyoma virus had ever been discovered in meat…until now.
As I discuss in my video The Role of Burger Viruses in Cancer, polyomaviruses are a particular concern—not only because they are known to be carcinogenic, but also because they can survive cooking temperatures. Since a single burger these days can contain meat from “many dozens of animals,” researchers felt “this could present an ideal situation for virus-hunting…” Researchers from the National Cancer Institute purchased meat samples from three separate supermarkets and found three different polyomaviruses in ground beef, as you can see at 1:52 in my video. Now, just because three types of “polyomavirus species are commonly detectable in food-grade ground beef” doesn’t necessarily mean they are causing human disease. What made this Nobel laureate suspect them? Well, for one thing, some people got cancer right where they had been vaccinated for smallpox—a whole bunch of different cancers, in fact. The vaccine had been harvested from the skin of calves, so “it is possible” there could have been some cancer-causing cow virus.
“Many people are exposed to potentially virus-contaminated meat and dairy products” through their diets, but those in the industry, “such as farm workers, butchers, veterinarians, and employees in dairies,” would be even more exposed. Do these groups have higher cancer incidence? Indeed, it now appears to be clear “that workers in the meat industry are at increased risk of developing and dying from cancer.”
Another reason to suspect the involvement of some kind of bovine infectious factor in colorectal cancer is the fact that there appear to be relatively low rates of colorectal cancer in countries where not a lot of beef is eaten. And, when meat consumption suddenly increases, rates shoot up, as you can see at 3:15 in my video. “The only exception is Mongolia where they have low rates of colon cancer and eat a lot of red meat, but there they eat yak.” Maybe yaks don’t harbor the same viruses.
Can’t you just avoid steak tartare? Even steak cooked “medium” may not reach internal temperatures above 70° Celsius, and it takes temperatures higher than that to inactivate some of these viruses, so we would expect viruses to survive both cooking and pasteurization. In fact, researchers followed up with a paper suggesting the consumption of dairy products may “represent one of the main risk factors for the development of breast cancer” in humans. The recent discovery of a larger number of presumably new viruses in the blood, meat, and milk of dairy cows should be investigated, since one might speculate that infectious “agents present in dairy products possess a higher affinity to mammary [breast] cells,” since they came from breast cells. The fact that people with lactose intolerance, who tend to avoid milk and dairy throughout their lives, have lower rates of breast and other cancers could be seen as supporting this concept. Though, there are certainly other reasons dairy may increase cancer risk, such as increasing levels of the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1 or adversely affecting our gut microbiome. Or, for that matter, maybe the plant-based milks they’re drinking instead could be protective. That’s the problem with population studies: You can’t tease out cause and effect. It doesn’t matter how many viruses are found in retail beef, pork, and chicken, as you can see at 5:16 in my video, if we can’t connect the dots.
Can’t we just look for the presence of these viruses within human tumors? Researchers have tried and did find some, but even if you don’t find any, that doesn’t necessarily mean viruses didn’t play a role. There’s a “viral hit-and-run” theory of cancer development that suggests that certain viruses can slip in and out of our DNA to initiate the cancer, but be long gone by the time the tumor matures.
There’s still a lot of work to be done. But, if the link between bovine polyomaviruses and human disease pans out, the National Cancer Institute researchers envision the development of a high potency vaccine. So, just like the HPV vaccine may prevent cervical cancer from unsafe sex, perhaps one day, vaccines may prevent breast and colon cancer from unsafe sirloin.
This reminds me of the story of bovine leukemia virus and breast cancer. For more on that, see:
What about chicken? Check out The Role of Poultry Viruses in Human Cancers and Poultry and Penis Cancer.
One of the problems with eating other animals is that we put ourselves at risk of their diseases. Not once have I diagnosed anyone with Dutch Elm Disease or a really bad case of aphids. See Eating Outside Our Kingdom for more on this concept.
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--2020-09-29--Updating Our Microbiome Software and Hardware

Good bacteria , those living in symbiosis with us , are nourished by fruits , vegetables , grains , and beans , whereas bad bacteria , those in dysbiosis with us and possibly contributing to disease , are fed by meat , junk food and fast food , seafood , dairy , and eggs , as you can see at 0:12 in my video Microbiome : We Are What They Eat .
Typical Western diets can “ decimate ” our good gut flora .
We live with trillions of symbionts , good bacteria that live in symbiosis with us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
A month on a plant-based diet results in an increase in the population of the good guys and a decrease in the bad , the so-called pathobionts , the disease-causing bugs .
“ Given the disappearance of pathobionts from the intestine , one would expect to observe a reduction in intestinal inflammation in subjects.
” So , researchers measured stool concentrations of lipocalin-2 , “ which is a sensitive biomarker of intestinal inflammation.
” As you can see at 1:13 in my video , within a month of eating healthfully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of microbial homeostasis ” —or balance— “ by an SVD [ strict vegetarian diet ] resulted in reduced intestinal inflammation.
” What ’ s more , this rebalancing may have played a role “ in improved metabolic and immunological parameters , ” that is , in immune system parameters .
In contrast , on an “ animal-based diet , ” you get growth of disease-associated species like Bilophila wadsworthia , associated with inflammatory bowel disease , and Alistipes putredinis , found in abscesses and appendicitis , and a decrease in fiber-eating bacteria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacteria multiply , and we get more anti-inflammatory , anti-cancer short-chain fatty acids .
When we eat less fiber , our fiber-eating bacteria starve away .
They are what we eat .
Eat a lot of phytates , and our gut flora get really good at breaking down phytates .
We assumed this was just because we were naturally selecting for those populations of bacteria able to do that , but it turns out our diet can teach old bugs new tricks .
There ’ s one type of fiber in nori seaweed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally breakdown , but the bacteria in the ocean that eat seaweed have the enzyme to do so .
When it was discovered that that enzyme was present in the guts of Japanese people , it presented a mystery .
Sure , sushi is eaten raw , so some seaweed bacteria may have made it to their colons , but how could some marine bacteria thrive in the human gut ?
It didn ’ t need to .
It transferred the nori-eating enzyme to our own gut bacteria .
“ Consequently , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the most likely mechanism that promoted this CAZyme [ enzyme ] update into the human gut microbe ” —almost like a software update .
We have the same hardware , the same gut bacteria , but the bacteria just updated their software to enable them to chew on something new .
Hardware can change , too .
A study titled “ The way to a man ’ s heart is through his gut microbiota ” was so named because the researchers were talking about TMAO , trimethylamine N-oxide .
As you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain gut flora can take carnitine from the red meat we eat or the choline concentrated in dairy , seafood , and eggs , and convert it into a toxic compound , which may lead to an increase in our risk of heart attack , stroke , and death .
This explains why those eating more plant-based diets have lower blood concentrations of TMAO .
However , they also produce less of the toxin even if you feed them a steak .
You don ’ t see the same “ conversion of dietary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gut microbiota in omnivores.
” They are what we feed them .
As you can see at 4:17 in my video , if you give people cyclamate , a synthetic artificial sweetener , most of their bacteria don ’ t know what to do with it .
But , if you feed it to people for ten days and select for the few bacteria that were hip to the new synthetic chemical , eventually three quarters of the cyclamate consumed is metabolized by the bacteria into another new compound called cyclohexylamine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those bacteria die back .
Unfortunately , cyclohexylamine may be toxic and so was banned by the FDA in 1969 .
In a vintage Kool-Aid ad from 1969 , Pre-Sweetened Kool-Aid was taken “ off your grocer ’ s shelves , ” but Regular Kool-Aid “ has no cyclamates ” and “ is completely safe for your entire family.
” But , if you just ate cyclamate once in a while , it wouldn ’ t turn into cyclohexylamine because you wouldn ’ t have fed and fostered the gut flora specialized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with TMAO .
Those who just eat red meat , eggs , or seafood once in a while would presumably make very little of the toxin because they hadn ’ t been cultivating the bacteria that produce it .
Here ’ s the link to my video on TMAO : Carnitine , Choline , Cancer , and Cholesterol : The TMAO Connection .
For an update on TMAO , see How Our Gut Bacteria Can Use Eggs to Accelerate Cancer , Egg Industry Response to Choline and TMAO , and How to Reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on keeping our gut bugs happy ?
See : • How to Change Your Enterotype • Paleopoo : What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces • How to Become a Fecal Transplant Super Donor • The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Autism • Gut Microbiome – Strike It Rich with Whole Grains • Flashback Friday : Effect of Sucralose ( Splenda ) on the Microbiome 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

Good bacteria, those living in symbiosis with us, are nourished by fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, whereas bad bacteria, those in dysbiosis with us and possibly contributing to disease, are fed by meat, junk food and fast food, seafood, dairy, and eggs, as you can see at 0:12 in my video Microbiome: We Are What They Eat. Typical Western diets can “decimate” our good gut flora.
We live with trillions of symbionts, good bacteria that live in symbiosis with us. We help them, and they help us. A month on a plant-based diet results in an increase in the population of the good guys and a decrease in the bad, the so-called pathobionts, the disease-causing bugs. “Given the disappearance of pathobionts from the intestine, one would expect to observe a reduction in intestinal inflammation in subjects.” So, researchers measured stool concentrations of lipocalin-2, “which is a sensitive biomarker of intestinal inflammation.” As you can see at 1:13 in my video, within a month of eating healthfully, it had “declined significantly…suggesting that promotion of microbial homeostasis”—or balance—“by an SVD [strict vegetarian diet] resulted in reduced intestinal inflammation.” What’s more, this rebalancing may have played a role “in improved metabolic and immunological parameters,” that is, in immune system parameters.
In contrast, on an “animal-based diet,” you get growth of disease-associated species like Bilophila wadsworthia, associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and Alistipes putredinis, found in abscesses and appendicitis, and a decrease in fiber-eating bacteria. When we eat fiber, the fiber-munching bacteria multiply, and we get more anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer short-chain fatty acids. When we eat less fiber, our fiber-eating bacteria starve away.
They are what we eat.
Eat a lot of phytates, and our gut flora get really good at breaking down phytates. We assumed this was just because we were naturally selecting for those populations of bacteria able to do that, but it turns out our diet can teach old bugs new tricks. There’s one type of fiber in nori seaweed that our gut bacteria can’t normally breakdown, but the bacteria in the ocean that eat seaweed have the enzyme to do so. When it was discovered that that enzyme was present in the guts of Japanese people, it presented a mystery. Sure, sushi is eaten raw, so some seaweed bacteria may have made it to their colons, but how could some marine bacteria thrive in the human gut? It didn’t need to. It transferred the nori-eating enzyme to our own gut bacteria.
“Consequently, the consumption of food with associated environmental bacteria is the most likely mechanism that promoted this CAZyme [enzyme] update into the human gut microbe”—almost like a software update. We have the same hardware, the same gut bacteria, but the bacteria just updated their software to enable them to chew on something new.
Hardware can change, too. A study titled “The way to a man’s heart is through his gut microbiota” was so named because the researchers were talking about TMAO, trimethylamine N-oxide. As you can see at 3:33 in my video, certain gut flora can take carnitine from the red meat we eat or the choline concentrated in dairy, seafood, and eggs, and convert it into a toxic compound, which may lead to an increase in our risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
This explains why those eating more plant-based diets have lower blood concentrations of TMAO. However, they also produce less of the toxin even if you feed them a steak. You don’t see the same “conversion of dietary L-carnitine to TMAO…suggesting an adoptive response of the gut microbiota in omnivores.” They are what we feed them.
As you can see at 4:17 in my video, if you give people cyclamate, a synthetic artificial sweetener, most of their bacteria don’t know what to do with it. But, if you feed it to people for ten days and select for the few bacteria that were hip to the new synthetic chemical, eventually three quarters of the cyclamate consumed is metabolized by the bacteria into another new compound called cyclohexylamine. Stop eating it, however, and those bacteria die back. Unfortunately, cyclohexylamine may be toxic and so was banned by the FDA in 1969. In a vintage Kool-Aid ad from 1969, Pre-Sweetened Kool-Aid was taken “off your grocer’s shelves,” but Regular Kool-Aid “has no cyclamates” and “is completely safe for your entire family.”
But, if you just ate cyclamate once in a while, it wouldn’t turn into cyclohexylamine because you wouldn’t have fed and fostered the gut flora specialized to do so. The same thing happens with TMAO. Those who just eat red meat, eggs, or seafood once in a while would presumably make very little of the toxin because they hadn’t been cultivating the bacteria that produce it.
Here’s the link to my video on TMAO: Carnitine, Choline, Cancer, and Cholesterol: The TMAO Connection. For an update on TMAO, see How Our Gut Bacteria Can Use Eggs to Accelerate Cancer, Egg Industry Response to Choline and TMAO, and How to Reduce Your TMAO Levels.
Interested in more on keeping our gut bugs happy? 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--2020-10-01--Topical Lemon Balm Lotion for Alzheimer’s

Improving cognitive performance with aromatherapy in young , healthy volunteers is one thing , but how about where it really matters ?
As I discuss in my video Best Aromatherapy Herb for Alzheimer ’ s , a group of Japanese researchers had a pie-in-the-sky notion that certain smells could lead to “ nerve rebirth ” in Alzheimer ’ s patients .
Twenty years ago , even simply raising such a possibility as a hypothetical was heretical .
Everybody knew that the loss of neurons is irreversible .
In other words , dead nerve cells are not replaced , an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what I was taught and what everyone was taught , until 1998 .
Patients with advanced cancer volunteered to be injected with a special dye that ’ s incorporated into the DNA of new cells .
On autopsy , researchers then went hunting for nerve cells that lit up in the brains .
And , as you can see at 1:14 in my video , there they were : new nerve cells in the brain that didn ’ t exist just days or months before , demonstrating “ that cell genesis occurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain retains the potential for self-renewal throughout life ” —something in which we can take comfort .
It still doesn ’ t mean smells can help , though .
An aromatherapy regimen of rosemary , lemon , lavender , and orange essential oils was attempted for a month .
At 1:43 in my video , you can see the trajectory of the subjects ’ cognitive function and their ability to form abstract ideas starting six weeks before the treatment .
Prior to the aromatherapy regimen , there was a rather steady decline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The researchers concluded that aromatherapy may be efficacious and “ have some potential for improving cognitive function , especially in AD [ Alzheimer ’ s disease ] patients ” —all , of course , without any apparent side effects .
What about severe dementia ?
We always hear about the cognitive deficits , but more than half of patients with dementia experience behavioral or psychiatric symptoms .
Thorazine-type antipsychotic drugs are often prescribed , even though they appear to be particularly dangerous in the elderly .
“ Antipsychotic medication may be viewed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” such as aromatherapy .
Another study examined the effect of rubbing a lemon balm-infused lotion on the arms and face of patients twice daily by caregiving staff , compared with lotion without the scent .
“ During the 4 weeks , significant improvements were seen ” in agitation , shouting , screaming , and physical aggression , as were improved quality of life indicators , with patients less socially withdrawn and more engaged in constructive activities , compared to the unscented control .
This is important because antipsychotics cause patients to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are like a chemical restraint .
The drugs can reduce agitation , too .
So , aromatherapy with lemon balm “ is safe , well tolerated , and highly efficacious , with additional benefits on key quality of life parameters.
” These findings clearly indicate the need for longer-term multicenter trials , ” but we never had any , until…never .
We still don ’ t have any .
This study was conducted in 2002 , and there have been no follow-ups .
Is that a surprise ?
Who ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Balm ?
I ’ ve produced one other video on lemon balm : Reducing Radiation Damage with Ginger and Lemon Balm .
We grow lemon balm in our garden .
It makes a delicious tea .
Give it a try !
For more on the potential ( and limitations ) of aromatherapy , check out : It ’ s better , of course , to prevent dementia in the first place .
Learn more : • None Alzheimer ’ s and Atherosclerosis of the Brain • None How to Prevent Alzheimer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Cause of Alzheimer ’ s Disease • Flashback Friday : Preventing Alzheimer ’ s with Lifestyle Changes and Diet • Flashback Friday : Does Meditation Affect Cellular Aging ?
& Telomeres – Cap It All off with Diet 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

Improving cognitive performance with aromatherapy in young, healthy volunteers is one thing, but how about where it really matters? As I discuss in my video Best Aromatherapy Herb for Alzheimer’s, a group of Japanese researchers had a pie-in-the-sky notion that certain smells could lead to “nerve rebirth” in Alzheimer’s patients. Twenty years ago, even simply raising such a possibility as a hypothetical was heretical. Everybody knew that the loss of neurons is irreversible. In other words, dead nerve cells are not replaced, an important factor in neurodegenerative diseases. That’s what I was taught and what everyone was taught, until 1998.
Patients with advanced cancer volunteered to be injected with a special dye that’s incorporated into the DNA of new cells. On autopsy, researchers then went hunting for nerve cells that lit up in the brains. And, as you can see at 1:14 in my video, there they were: new nerve cells in the brain that didn’t exist just days or months before, demonstrating “that cell genesis occurs in human brains and that the human brain retains the potential for self-renewal throughout life”—something in which we can take comfort.
It still doesn’t mean smells can help, though. An aromatherapy regimen of rosemary, lemon, lavender, and orange essential oils was attempted for a month. At 1:43 in my video, you can see the trajectory of the subjects’ cognitive function and their ability to form abstract ideas starting six weeks before the treatment. Prior to the aromatherapy regimen, there was a rather steady decline, which was reversed after the aromatherapy. The researchers concluded that aromatherapy may be efficacious and “have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD [Alzheimer’s disease] patients”—all, of course, without any apparent side effects.
What about severe dementia? We always hear about the cognitive deficits, but more than half of patients with dementia experience behavioral or psychiatric symptoms. Thorazine-type antipsychotic drugs are often prescribed, even though they appear to be particularly dangerous in the elderly. “Antipsychotic medication may be viewed as an easier option than non pharmacological alternatives,” such as aromatherapy. Another study examined the effect of rubbing a lemon balm-infused lotion on the arms and face of patients twice daily by caregiving staff, compared with lotion without the scent. “During the 4 weeks, significant improvements were seen” in agitation, shouting, screaming, and physical aggression, as were improved quality of life indicators, with patients less socially withdrawn and more engaged in constructive activities, compared to the unscented control. This is important because antipsychotics cause patients to become more withdrawn and less engaged. They are like a chemical restraint. The drugs can reduce agitation, too. So, aromatherapy with lemon balm “is safe, well tolerated, and highly efficacious, with additional benefits on key quality of life parameters.”
These findings clearly indicate the need for longer-term multicenter trials,” but we never had any, until…never. We still don’t have any. This study was conducted in 2002, and there have been no follow-ups. Is that a surprise? Who’s going to fund such a study: Big Balm?
I’ve produced one other video on lemon balm: Reducing Radiation Damage with Ginger and Lemon Balm. We grow lemon balm in our garden. It makes a delicious tea. Give it a try!
For more on the potential (and limitations) of aromatherapy, check out:
It’s better, of course, to prevent dementia in the first place. Learn more:
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--2020-10-06--Topical Green Tea for Acne and Fungal Infections

Which plant should we use for which skin disease ?
That ’ s the topic of my video Natural Treatment for Acne and Fungal Infections .
Thousands of studies have been published to date about the health effects of green tea , but it wasn ’ t until fairly recently that researchers began to look at the possibility of using green tea for the prevention and treatment of infections .
Patents have been taken out on the antibacterial , antifungal , and antiviral properties of tea .
Let ’ s review some of the evidence .
In terms of fungal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ potent antifungal activity ” against the primary cause of athlete ’ s foot , fungal nail infections , jock itch , and ringworm—comparable , in some cases , to powerful antifungal drugs like fluconazole .
This was shown in a petri dish , though .
How about a green tea footbath for athlete ’ s foot fungus between the toes ?
Evidently , tea leaves were once used as a folk remedy for the fungus , so why not put it to the test ?
Indeed , a once-a-day , 15-minute dilute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvement in symptoms compared to controls .
Green tea baths also appeared to help with fungus-associated atopic dermatitis , though there was no control group in that study , and a full-strength green tea may help clear candida yeast from poorly cleaned dentures .
What about the bacteria that cause plaque and gingivitis ?
Even a 2 % green tea mouthwash was found to be effective .
Yes , you should be able to control plaque just with proper brushing and flossing—with an emphasis on “ proper.
” Most people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , so a dilute green tea mouthwash may help .
In terms of plaque bacteria-killing ability , green tea was beaten out by a “ garlic with lime mouth rinse , ” but I think I ’ ll just stick to green tea , especially when green tea appears to not only kill plaque bugs directly but also boost the antibacterial capacity of saliva after you drink it .
What about green tea for acne ?
Six weeks of a 2 % green tea lotion cut the number of pimples by more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as you can see at 2:48 in my video , making it a cheap , effective treatment for acne .
Impetigo is another bacterial skin infection that can affect the face , but a tea ointment can affect an 80 percent cure rate , on par with antibiotics given topically or orally .
What about bladder infections ?
We know a certain concentration of green tea compounds can kill the type of E. coli that causes urinary tract infections .
The question then becomes how much tea do you have to drink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Not much , it turns out .
Just one cup of tea might have an effect , but you may need to space out multiple cups over the day because it gets cleared out of your system within about eight hours , as you can see at 3:45 in my video .
So , where do we stand now ?
The test tube data look promising , but there has yet to be a single study to put it to the test .
At this point , green tea should just be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections .
But , with emerging multidrug-resistant organisms , green tea certainly holds potential .
Wait a moment .
If green tea is so good at killing bacteria , might we be killing the good bacteria in our gut when we drink it ?
No .
That ’ s what ’ s so amazing .
“ It has also been shown that green tea has no effect over intestinal flora , which is a great advantage against other bactericidal [ bacteria-killing ] agents.
” But that may not actually be true .
Drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our good bacteria by acting as a prebiotic , thereby improving the colon environment , so it may actually have some effect on our gut flora after all , but it appears to be all good .
Drinking tea with meals may impair iron absorption , so it ’ s better to drink it between meals .
For more on green tea , one of my favorite beverages , along with water and hibiscus tea , see : • Greger in the Kitchen : My New Favorite Dessert • What are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , check out : 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 @ @ @ @

Which plant should we use for which skin disease? That’s the topic of my video Natural Treatment for Acne and Fungal Infections. Thousands of studies have been published to date about the health effects of green tea, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that researchers began to look at the possibility of using green tea for the prevention and treatment of infections. Patents have been taken out on the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties of tea. Let’s review some of the evidence.
In terms of fungal infections, green tea compounds have demonstrated “potent antifungal activity” against the primary cause of athlete’s foot, fungal nail infections, jock itch, and ringworm—comparable, in some cases, to powerful antifungal drugs like fluconazole. This was shown in a petri dish, though. How about a green tea footbath for athlete’s foot fungus between the toes? Evidently, tea leaves were once used as a folk remedy for the fungus, so why not put it to the test? Indeed, a once-a-day, 15-minute dilute green tea footbath led to a significant improvement in symptoms compared to controls.
Green tea baths also appeared to help with fungus-associated atopic dermatitis, though there was no control group in that study, and a full-strength green tea may help clear candida yeast from poorly cleaned dentures. What about the bacteria that cause plaque and gingivitis? Even a 2% green tea mouthwash was found to be effective. Yes, you should be able to control plaque just with proper brushing and flossing—with an emphasis on “proper.” Most people don’t brush for the recommended four minutes a day, so a dilute green tea mouthwash may help.
In terms of plaque bacteria-killing ability, green tea was beaten out by a “garlic with lime mouth rinse,” but I think I’ll just stick to green tea, especially when green tea appears to not only kill plaque bugs directly but also boost the antibacterial capacity of saliva after you drink it.
What about green tea for acne? Six weeks of a 2% green tea lotion cut the number of pimples by more than half and significantly reduced the severity, as you can see at 2:48 in my video, making it a cheap, effective treatment for acne.
Impetigo is another bacterial skin infection that can affect the face, but a tea ointment can affect an 80 percent cure rate, on par with antibiotics given topically or orally.
What about bladder infections? We know a certain concentration of green tea compounds can kill the type of E. coli that causes urinary tract infections. The question then becomes how much tea do you have to drink to achieve those concentrations in your bladder? Not much, it turns out. Just one cup of tea might have an effect, but you may need to space out multiple cups over the day because it gets cleared out of your system within about eight hours, as you can see at 3:45 in my video.
So, where do we stand now? The test tube data look promising, but there has yet to be a single study to put it to the test. At this point, green tea should just be used as an adjunct therapy for bladder infections. But, with emerging multidrug-resistant organisms, green tea certainly holds potential.
Wait a moment. If green tea is so good at killing bacteria, might we be killing the good bacteria in our gut when we drink it? No. That’s what’s so amazing. “It has also been shown that green tea has no effect over intestinal flora, which is a great advantage against other bactericidal [bacteria-killing] agents.” But that may not actually be true. Drinking green tea may actually boost the levels of our good bacteria by acting as a prebiotic, thereby improving the colon environment, so it may actually have some effect on our gut flora after all, but it appears to be all good.
Drinking tea with meals may impair iron absorption, so it’s better to drink it between meals. For more on green tea, one of my favorite beverages, along with water and hibiscus tea, see:
For more on acne, check out:
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--2020-10-08--How to Treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) with Diet

Given the role that oxidant free radicals are thought to play in aging and disease , one reason fruits and vegetables may be so good for us is that they contain antioxidant compounds .
As you can see at 0:20 in my video Benefits of Marjoram for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ( PCOS ) , different vegetables and herbs have different antioxidant content .
When making a salad , for example , spinach , arugula , or red leaf lettuce may provide twice the antioxidants as butterhead lettuce , and choosing purple cabbage over green , or red onions over white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antioxidant power .
Fresh herbs are so powerful that even a small amount may double or even quadruple the antioxidant power of the entire meal .
For instance , as you can see at 0:50 in my video , the total antioxidants in a simple salad of lettuce and tomato jump up by adding just a tablespoon of lemon balm leaves or half a tablespoon of oregano or mint .
Adding marjoram , thyme , or sage not only adds great flavor to the salad , but effectively quadruples the antioxidant content at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little fresh garlic or ginger to the dressing ups the antioxidant power even more .
Herbs are so antioxidant-rich that researchers decided to see if they might be able to reduce the DNA-damaging effects of radiation .
Radioactive iodine is sometimes given to people with overactive thyroid glands or thyroid cancer to destroy part of the gland or take care of any remaining tumor cells after surgery .
For days after the isotope injection , patients become so radioactive they are advised not to kiss or sleep close to anyone , including their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone , they ’ re advised to wipe it “ carefully ” or cover it “ with an easily removed plastic bag.
” Other recommendations include “ avoid [ ing ] splatter of radioactive urine , ” not going near your kids , and basically just staying away from others as much as possible .
The treatment can be very effective , but all that radiation exposure appears to increase the risk of developing new cancers later on .
In order to prevent the DNA damage associated with this treatment , researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chromosomes of human blood cells in vitro from exposure to radioactive iodine .
As you can see at 2:25 in my video , at baseline , about 1 in 100 of our blood cells show evidence of chromosomal damage .
If radioactive iodine is added , though , it ’ s more like 1 in 8 .
What happens if , in addition to the radiation , increasing amounts of oregano extract are added ?
Chromosome damage is reduced by as much 70 percent .
Researchers concluded that oregano extract “ significantly protects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radioactive iodine in white blood cells .
This was all done outside the body , though , which the researchers justified by saying it wouldn ’ t be particularly ethical to irradiate people for experimental research .
True , but millions of people have been irradiated for treatment , and researchers could have studied them or , at the very least , they could have just had people eat the oregano and then irradiate their blood in vitro to model the amount of oregano compounds that actually make it into the bloodstream .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly unsatisfying .
In a comparison of the effects of various spice extracts , including bay leaves , fennel , lavender , oregano , paprika , parsley , rosemary , and thyme , oregano beat out all but bay leaves in its ability to suppress cervical cancer cell growth in vitro while leaving normal cells alone .
But people tend to use oregano orally—that is , they typically eat it—so the relevance of these results are not clear .
Similarly , marjoram , an herb closely related to oregano , can suppress the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a petri dish , as you can see at 3:53 in my video , and even effectively whole human breast tumors grown in chicken eggs , which is something I ’ ve never seen before .
Are there any clinical trials on oregano-family herbs on actual people ?
The only such clinical , randomized , control study I could find was a study on how marjoram tea affects the hormonal profile of women with polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) .
The most common cause of female fertility problems , PCOS affects up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is characterized by excessive male hormones , resulting in excess body or facial hair , menstrual irregularities , and cysts in one ’ s ovaries that show up on ultrasounds .
Evidently , traditional medicine practitioners reported marjoram tea was beneficial for PCOS , but it had never been put to the test…until now .
Drinking two daily cups of marjoram tea versus a placebo tea for one month did seem to beneficially affect the subjects ’ hormonal profiles , which seems to offer credence to the claims of the traditional medicine practitioners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t last long enough to confirm that actual symptoms improved as well , which is really what we care about .
Is there anything that ’ s been shown to help ?
Well , reducing one ’ s intake of dietary glycotoxins may help prevent and treat the disease .
“ Over the past 2 decades there has been increasing evidence supporting an important contribution from food-derived advanced glycation end products ( AGEs ) … [ to ] increased oxidative stress and inflammation , processes that play a major role in the causation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) .
Women with PCOS tend to have nearly twice the circulating AGE levels in their bloodstream , as you can see at 0:33 in my video Best Foods for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ( PCOS ) .
PCOS may be the most common hormonal abnormality among young women in the United States and is a common cause of infertility , menstrual dysfunction , and excess facial and body hair .
The prevalence of obesity is also higher in women with PCOS .
Since the highest AGE levels are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and roasted foods of “ mostly animal origin , ” is it possible that this causal chain starts with a bad diet ?
For instance , maybe eating lots of fried chicken leads to obesity , which in turn leads to PCOS .
In that case , perhaps what we eat is only indirectly related to PCOS through weight gain .
No , because the same link between high AGE levels and PCOS was found in lean women as well .
“ As chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress have been incriminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] of PCOS , the role of AGEs as inflammatory and oxidant mediators , may be linked with the metabolic and reproductive abnormalities of the syndrome.
” Further , the buildup of AGE inside polycystic ovaries themselves suggests a potential role of AGEs contributing to the actual disease process , beyond just some of its consequences .
RAGE is highly expressed in ovarian tissues .
The receptor in the body for these advanced glycation end products , the “ R ” in RAGE , is concentrated in the ovaries , which may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AGEs might indeed be contributing to the cause of PCOS and infertility .
Does this mean we should just cut down on AGE-rich foods , such as meat , cheese , and eggs ?
Or hey , why not come up with drugs that block AGE absorption ?
We know AGEs have been implicated in the development of many chronic diseases .
Specifically , food-derived AGEs play an important role because diet is a major source of these pro-inflammatory AGEs .
Indeed , cutting down on these dietary glycotoxins reduces the inflammatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often made that stewed chicken would be less tasty than fried chicken… ” Why not have your KFC and eat it , too ?
Just take an AGE-absorption blocking drug every time you eat it to reduce the absorption of the toxins .
What ’ s more , it actually lowers AGE blood levels .
This oral absorbent drug , AST-120 , is just a preparation of activated charcoal , like what ’ s used for drug overdoses and when people are poisoned .
I ’ m sure if you took some ipecac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go down , too .
There ’ s another way to reduce absorption of AGEs , and that ’ s by reducing your intake in the first place .
It ’ s simple , safe , and feasible .
The first step is to stop smoking .
The glycotoxins in cigarette smoke may contribute to increased heart disease and cancer in smokers .
Then , decrease your intake of high-AGE foods , increase your intake of foods that may help pull AGEs out of your system , like mushrooms , and eat foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herbs , and spices .
“ Dietary AGE intake can be easily decreased by simply changing the method of cooking from a high dry heat application to a low heat and high humidity… ” In other words , move away from broiling , searing , and frying to more stewing , steaming , and boiling .
What we eat , however , may be more important than how we cook it .
At 4:00 in my video , I include a table showing the amounts of AGEs in various foods .
For instance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the glycotoxins of roasted chicken , but even deep-fried potatoes have less than boiled meat .
We can also eat foods raw , which doesn ’ t work as well as for blood pudding , but raw nuts and nut butters may contain about 30 times less glycotoxins than roasted , and we can avoid high-AGE processed foods , like puffed , shredded , and flaked breakfast cereals .
Why does it matter ?
Because study after study has shown that switching to a low-AGE diet can lower the inflammation within our bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in AGEs can profoundly impair our arterial function within just two hours of consumption .
At 4:54 in my video , you can see the difference between a meal of fried or broiled chicken breast and veggies compared with steamed or boiled chicken breast and veggies .
Same ingredients , just different cooking methods .
Even a steamed or boiled chicken meal can still impair arterial function , but significantly less than fried or broiled .
“ Interestingly , the amount of AGEs administered [ to subjects ] during the HAGE [ high-AGE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated daily intake by the general population , ” who typically follow the standard American diet .
This is why we can decrease inflammation in people by putting them on a low-AGE diet , yet an increase in inflammation is less apparent when subjects switch from their regular diet to one high in AGEs .
Indeed , they were already eating a high-AGE diet with so many of these glycotoxins .
Do we have evidence that reducing AGE intake actually helps with PCOS ?
Yes .
Within just two months , researchers found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a high-AGE diet and then to a low-AGE diet , with parallel changes in insulin sensitivity , oxidative stress , and hormonal status , as seen at 5:54 in my video .
The take-home learning ?
Those with PCOS may want to try a low-AGE diet , which , in the study , meant restricting meat to once a week and eating it only boiled , poached , stewed , or steamed , as well as cutting out fast-food-type fare and soda .
What if instead of eating steamed chicken , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than measuring blood levels , which vary with each meal , we can measure the level of glycotoxins stuck in our body tissues over time with a high-tech device that measures the amount of light our skin gives off because AGEs are fluorescent .
And , not surprisingly , this turns out to be a strong predictor of overall mortality .
So , the lower our levels , the better .
The “ one factor that was consistently associated with reduced [ skin fluorescence ] : a vegetarian diet.
” This “ suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to preformed dietary AGE…potentially reduc [ ing ] tissue AGE , ” as well as chronic disease risk What ’ s so great about antioxidants ?
See my videos : Just how many antioxidants do we need ?
Check out : • How to Reach the Antioxidant “ RDA ” For a few simple tips on how to quickly boost the antioxidant content of your food with herbs and spices , see my video Antioxidants in a Pinch .
I touched on the benefits of spearmint tea for PCOS in Enhancing Athletic Performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue is endometriosis , which I discuss in How to Treat Endometriosis with Seaweed .
Because of AGEs , I no longer toast nuts or buy roasted nut butters , which is disappointing because I really enjoy those flavors so much more than untoasted and unroasted nuts .
But , as Dr. McDougall likes to say , nothing tastes as good as healthy feels .
For more on why it ’ s important to minimize our exposure to these toxic compounds , see : • Why Is Meat a Risk Factor for Diabetes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Type 1 Diabetes 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 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 @ @ @

Given the role that oxidant free radicals are thought to play in aging and disease, one reason fruits and vegetables may be so good for us is that they contain antioxidant compounds. As you can see at 0:20 in my video Benefits of Marjoram for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), different vegetables and herbs have different antioxidant content. When making a salad, for example, spinach, arugula, or red leaf lettuce may provide twice the antioxidants as butterhead lettuce, and choosing purple cabbage over green, or red onions over white can also boost the salad’s antioxidant power.
Fresh herbs are so powerful that even a small amount may double or even quadruple the antioxidant power of the entire meal. For instance, as you can see at 0:50 in my video, the total antioxidants in a simple salad of lettuce and tomato jump up by adding just a tablespoon of lemon balm leaves or half a tablespoon of oregano or mint. Adding marjoram, thyme, or sage not only adds great flavor to the salad, but effectively quadruples the antioxidant content at the same time, and adding a little fresh garlic or ginger to the dressing ups the antioxidant power even more.
Herbs are so antioxidant-rich that researchers decided to see if they might be able to reduce the DNA-damaging effects of radiation. Radioactive iodine is sometimes given to people with overactive thyroid glands or thyroid cancer to destroy part of the gland or take care of any remaining tumor cells after surgery. For days after the isotope injection, patients become so radioactive they are advised not to kiss or sleep close to anyone, including their pets, and if they breathe on a phone, they’re advised to wipe it “carefully” or cover it “with an easily removed plastic bag.” Other recommendations include “avoid[ing] splatter of radioactive urine,” not going near your kids, and basically just staying away from others as much as possible.
The treatment can be very effective, but all that radiation exposure appears to increase the risk of developing new cancers later on. In order to prevent the DNA damage associated with this treatment, researchers tested the ability of oregano to protect chromosomes of human blood cells in vitro from exposure to radioactive iodine. As you can see at 2:25 in my video, at baseline, about 1 in 100 of our blood cells show evidence of chromosomal damage. If radioactive iodine is added, though, it’s more like 1 in 8. What happens if, in addition to the radiation, increasing amounts of oregano extract are added? Chromosome damage is reduced by as much 70 percent. Researchers concluded that oregano extract “significantly protects” against DNA damage induced by the radioactive iodine in white blood cells. This was all done outside the body, though, which the researchers justified by saying it wouldn’t be particularly ethical to irradiate people for experimental research. True, but millions of people have been irradiated for treatment, and researchers could have studied them or, at the very least, they could have just had people eat the oregano and then irradiate their blood in vitro to model the amount of oregano compounds that actually make it into the bloodstream.
Other in vitro studies on oregano are similarly unsatisfying. In a comparison of the effects of various spice extracts, including bay leaves, fennel, lavender, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, and thyme, oregano beat out all but bay leaves in its ability to suppress cervical cancer cell growth in vitro while leaving normal cells alone. But people tend to use oregano orally—that is, they typically eat it—so the relevance of these results are not clear.
Similarly, marjoram, an herb closely related to oregano, can suppress the growth of individual breast cancer cells in a petri dish, as you can see at 3:53 in my video, and even effectively whole human breast tumors grown in chicken eggs, which is something I’ve never seen before. Are there any clinical trials on oregano-family herbs on actual people? The only such clinical, randomized, control study I could find was a study on how marjoram tea affects the hormonal profile of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The most common cause of female fertility problems, PCOS affects up to one in eight young women and is characterized by excessive male hormones, resulting in excess body or facial hair, menstrual irregularities, and cysts in one’s ovaries that show up on ultrasounds.
Evidently, traditional medicine practitioners reported marjoram tea was beneficial for PCOS, but it had never been put to the test…until now. Drinking two daily cups of marjoram tea versus a placebo tea for one month did seem to beneficially affect the subjects’ hormonal profiles, which seems to offer credence to the claims of the traditional medicine practitioners. However, the study didn’t last long enough to confirm that actual symptoms improved as well, which is really what we care about.
Is there anything that’s been shown to help? Well, reducing one’s intake of dietary glycotoxins may help prevent and treat the disease. “Over the past 2 decades there has been increasing evidence supporting an important contribution from food-derived advanced glycation end products (AGEs)…[to] increased oxidative stress and inflammation, processes that play a major role in the causation of chronic diseases,” potentially including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS tend to have nearly twice the circulating AGE levels in their bloodstream, as you can see at 0:33 in my video Best Foods for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS may be the most common hormonal abnormality among young women in the United States and is a common cause of infertility, menstrual dysfunction, and excess facial and body hair. The prevalence of obesity is also higher in women with PCOS. Since the highest AGE levels are found in broiled, grilled, fried, and roasted foods of “mostly animal origin,” is it possible that this causal chain starts with a bad diet? For instance, maybe eating lots of fried chicken leads to obesity, which in turn leads to PCOS. In that case, perhaps what we eat is only indirectly related to PCOS through weight gain. No, because the same link between high AGE levels and PCOS was found in lean women as well.
“As chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress have been incriminated in the pathophysiology [or disease process] of PCOS, the role of AGEs as inflammatory and oxidant mediators, may be linked with the metabolic and reproductive abnormalities of the syndrome.” Further, the buildup of AGE inside polycystic ovaries themselves suggests a potential role of AGEs contributing to the actual disease process, beyond just some of its consequences.
RAGE is highly expressed in ovarian tissues. The receptor in the body for these advanced glycation end products, the “R” in RAGE, is concentrated in the ovaries, which may be particularly sensitive to its effect. So, AGEs might indeed be contributing to the cause of PCOS and infertility.
Does this mean we should just cut down on AGE-rich foods, such as meat, cheese, and eggs? Or hey, why not come up with drugs that block AGE absorption? We know AGEs have been implicated in the development of many chronic diseases. Specifically, food-derived AGEs play an important role because diet is a major source of these pro-inflammatory AGEs. Indeed, cutting down on these dietary glycotoxins reduces the inflammatory response, but the “argument is often made that stewed chicken would be less tasty than fried chicken…” Why not have your KFC and eat it, too? Just take an AGE-absorption blocking drug every time you eat it to reduce the absorption of the toxins. What’s more, it actually lowers AGE blood levels. This oral absorbent drug, AST-120, is just a preparation of activated charcoal, like what’s used for drug overdoses and when people are poisoned. I’m sure if you took some ipecac with your KFC, your levels would go down, too.
There’s another way to reduce absorption of AGEs, and that’s by reducing your intake in the first place. It’s simple, safe, and feasible. The first step is to stop smoking. The glycotoxins in cigarette smoke may contribute to increased heart disease and cancer in smokers. Then, decrease your intake of high-AGE foods, increase your intake of foods that may help pull AGEs out of your system, like mushrooms, and eat foods high in antioxidants, like berries, herbs, and spices. “Dietary AGE intake can be easily decreased by simply changing the method of cooking from a high dry heat application to a low heat and high humidity…” In other words, move away from broiling, searing, and frying to more stewing, steaming, and boiling.
What we eat, however, may be more important than how we cook it. At 4:00 in my video, I include a table showing the amounts of AGEs in various foods. For instance, boiled chicken contains less than half the glycotoxins of roasted chicken, but even deep-fried potatoes have less than boiled meat. We can also eat foods raw, which doesn’t work as well as for blood pudding, but raw nuts and nut butters may contain about 30 times less glycotoxins than roasted, and we can avoid high-AGE processed foods, like puffed, shredded, and flaked breakfast cereals.
Why does it matter? Because study after study has shown that switching to a low-AGE diet can lower the inflammation within our bodies. Even just a single meal high in AGEs can profoundly impair our arterial function within just two hours of consumption. At 4:54 in my video, you can see the difference between a meal of fried or broiled chicken breast and veggies compared with steamed or boiled chicken breast and veggies. Same ingredients, just different cooking methods. Even a steamed or boiled chicken meal can still impair arterial function, but significantly less than fried or broiled.
“Interestingly, the amount of AGEs administered [to subjects] during the HAGE [high-AGE] intervention was similar to the average estimated daily intake by the general population,” who typically follow the standard American diet. This is why we can decrease inflammation in people by putting them on a low-AGE diet, yet an increase in inflammation is less apparent when subjects switch from their regular diet to one high in AGEs. Indeed, they were already eating a high-AGE diet with so many of these glycotoxins.
Do we have evidence that reducing AGE intake actually helps with PCOS? Yes. Within just two months, researchers found differences from subjects’ baseline diets switched to a high-AGE diet and then to a low-AGE diet, with parallel changes in insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, and hormonal status, as seen at 5:54 in my video. The take-home learning? Those with PCOS may want to try a low-AGE diet, which, in the study, meant restricting meat to once a week and eating it only boiled, poached, stewed, or steamed, as well as cutting out fast-food-type fare and soda.
What if instead of eating steamed chicken, we ate no meat at all? Rather than measuring blood levels, which vary with each meal, we can measure the level of glycotoxins stuck in our body tissues over time with a high-tech device that measures the amount of light our skin gives off because AGEs are fluorescent. And, not surprisingly, this turns out to be a strong predictor of overall mortality. So, the lower our levels, the better. The “one factor that was consistently associated with reduced [skin fluorescence]: a vegetarian diet.” This “suggests that a vegetarian diet may reduce exposure to preformed dietary AGE…potentially reduc[ing] tissue AGE,” as well as chronic disease risk
What’s so great about antioxidants? See my videos:
Just how many antioxidants do we need? Check out:
For a few simple tips on how to quickly boost the antioxidant content of your food with herbs and spices, see my video Antioxidants in a Pinch.
I touched on the benefits of spearmint tea for PCOS in Enhancing Athletic Performance with Peppermint. Another sorely under-recognized gynecological issue is endometriosis, which I discuss in How to Treat Endometriosis with Seaweed.
Because of AGEs, I no longer toast nuts or buy roasted nut butters, which is disappointing because I really enjoy those flavors so much more than untoasted and unroasted nuts. But, as Dr. McDougall likes to say, nothing tastes as good as healthy feels. For more on why it’s important to minimize our exposure to these toxic compounds, see:
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.


nutritionfactsorg--2020-10-13--The Food Industry’s “model of systemic dishonesty”

In 1993 , the Harvard Nurses ’ Health Study found that a high intake of trans fat may increase the risk of heart disease by 50 percent .
That ’ s where the trans fat story started in Denmark , ending a decade later with a ban on added trans fats in 2003 .
It took another ten years before the United States even started considering a ban .
All the while , trans fats were killing tens of thousands of Americans every year .
With so many people dying , why did it take so long for the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I explore this in my video Controversy Over the Trans Fat Ban .
One can look at the fight over New York City ’ s trans fat ban for a microcosm of the national debate .
Not surprisingly , opposition came from the food industry , complaining about “ government intrusion ” and “ liken [ ing ] the city to a ‘ nanny state.
’ ” “ Are trans fat bans…the road to food fascism ?
” A ban on added trans fats might save 50,000 American lives every year , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in healthcare costs , but not so fast !
If people eating trans fat die early , think about how much we could save on Medicare and Social Security .
Indeed , “ smokers actually cost society less than nonsmokers , because smokers die earlier.
” So , “ we should be careful about making claims about the potential cost-savings of trans fat bans….more research is needed on the effects of these policies , including effects on the food industry.
” Yes , we might save 50,000 lives a year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about the “ effects on the food industry ” !
How about “ education and product labeling ” rather than “ the extreme measure of banning trans fats ” ?
As leading Danish cardiologist “ puts it bluntly , ‘ Instead of warning consumers about trans fats and telling them what they are , we ’ ve [ the Danes ] simply removed them.
’ ” But we ’ re Americans !
“ As they say in North America : ‘ You can put poison in food if you label it properly.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the risks should be able to eat whatever they want , but that assumes they ’ re given all the facts , which doesn ’ t always happen “ due to deception and manipulation by food producers and retailers.
” And , not surprisingly , it ’ s the unhealthiest of foods that are most commonly promoted using deceptive marketing .
It ’ s not that junk food companies are evil or want to make us sick .
“ The reason is one of simple economics ” —processed foods simply “ offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlike fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables.
” The food industry ’ s “ model of systemic dishonesty , ” some argue , “ justifies some minimal level of governmental intervention.
” But is there a slippery slope ?
“ Today , trans fats ; tomorrow , hot dogs.
” Or , what about the reverse ?
What if the government makes us eat broccoli ?
This argument actually came up in the Supreme Court case over Obamacare .
As Chief Justice Roberts said , Congress could start ordering everyone to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the broccoli horrible.
” Hypothetically , Congress could compel the American public to go plant-based , however , no one can offer the “ hypothetical and unreal possibility…of a vegetarian state ” as a credible argument .
“ Judges and lawyers live on the slippery slope of analogies ; they are not supposed to ski it to the bottom , ” said one legal scholar .
If anything , what about the slippery slope of inaction ?
“ Government initially defaulted to business interests in the case of tobacco and pursued weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to counter all the tobacco industry lies .
Remember what happened ?
“ The unnecessary deaths could be counted in the millions .
The U.S. can ill afford to repeat this mistake with diet.
” Once added trans fats are banned , the only major source in the American diet will be the natural trans fats found in animal fat .
For more on this , see Banning Trans Fat in Processed Foods but Not Animal Fat and Trans Fat in Meat and Dairy .
Ideally how much trans fat should we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same goes for saturated fat and cholesterol .
See Trans Fat , Saturated Fat , and Cholesterol : Tolerable Upper Intake of Zero , Good , Great , Bad , and Killer Fats , and Lipotoxicity : How Saturated Fat Raises Blood Sugar .
More on industry hysterics and manipulation in : • None Seeing Red No .
3 : Coloring to Dye For • None Who Says Eggs Aren ’ t Healthy or Safe ?
• None How Smoking in 1959 Is Like Eating in 2019 • None The Saturated Fat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How the Leaded Gas Industry Got Away with It • None The Food Industry Wants the Public Confused About Nutrition • Which Is a Better Breakfast : Cereal or Oatmeal ?
• Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal for Weight Loss ?
• Is Skipping Breakfast Better for Weight Loss ?
• The Role of Food Advertisements in the Obesity Epidemic • The Role of Marketing in the Obesity Epidemic PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 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

In 1993, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that a high intake of trans fat may increase the risk of heart disease by 50 percent. That’s where the trans fat story started in Denmark, ending a decade later with a ban on added trans fats in 2003. It took another ten years before the United States even started considering a ban. All the while, trans fats were killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. With so many people dying, why did it take so long for the United States to even suggest taking action? I explore this in my video Controversy Over the Trans Fat Ban.
One can look at the fight over New York City’s trans fat ban for a microcosm of the national debate. Not surprisingly, opposition came from the food industry, complaining about “government intrusion” and “liken[ing] the city to a ‘nanny state.’” “Are trans fat bans…the road to food fascism?”
A ban on added trans fats might save 50,000 American lives every year, which could save the country tens of billions of dollars in healthcare costs, but not so fast! If people eating trans fat die early, think about how much we could save on Medicare and Social Security. Indeed, “smokers actually cost society less than nonsmokers, because smokers die earlier.” So, “we should be careful about making claims about the potential cost-savings of trans fat bans….more research is needed on the effects of these policies, including effects on the food industry.” Yes, we might save 50,000 lives a year, but we can’t forget to think about the “effects on the food industry”!
How about “education and product labeling” rather than “the extreme measure of banning trans fats”? As leading Danish cardiologist “puts it bluntly, ‘Instead of warning consumers about trans fats and telling them what they are, we’ve [the Danes] simply removed them.’” But we’re Americans! “As they say in North America: ‘You can put poison in food if you label it properly.’”
People who are informed and know the risks should be able to eat whatever they want, but that assumes they’re given all the facts, which doesn’t always happen “due to deception and manipulation by food producers and retailers.” And, not surprisingly, it’s the unhealthiest of foods that are most commonly promoted using deceptive marketing. It’s not that junk food companies are evil or want to make us sick. “The reason is one of simple economics”—processed foods simply “offer higher profit margins and are shelf-stable, unlike fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables.” The food industry’s “model of systemic dishonesty,” some argue, “justifies some minimal level of governmental intervention.”
But is there a slippery slope? “Today, trans fats; tomorrow, hot dogs.” Or, what about the reverse? What if the government makes us eat broccoli? This argument actually came up in the Supreme Court case over Obamacare. As Chief Justice Roberts said, Congress could start ordering everyone to buy vegetables, a concern Justice Ginsburg labeled “the broccoli horrible.” Hypothetically, Congress could compel the American public to go plant-based, however, no one can offer the “hypothetical and unreal possibility…of a vegetarian state” as a credible argument. “Judges and lawyers live on the slippery slope of analogies; they are not supposed to ski it to the bottom,” said one legal scholar.
If anything, what about the slippery slope of inaction? “Government initially defaulted to business interests in the case of tobacco and pursued weak and ineffective attempts at education” to try to counter all the tobacco industry lies. Remember what happened? “The unnecessary deaths could be counted in the millions. The U.S. can ill afford to repeat this mistake with diet.”
Once added trans fats are banned, the only major source in the American diet will be the natural trans fats found in animal fat. For more on this, see Banning Trans Fat in Processed Foods but Not Animal Fat and Trans Fat in Meat and Dairy.
Ideally how much trans fat should we eat a day? Zero, and the same goes for saturated fat and cholesterol. See Trans Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol: Tolerable Upper Intake of Zero, Good, Great, Bad, and Killer Fats, and Lipotoxicity: How Saturated Fat Raises Blood Sugar.
More on industry hysterics and manipulation 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--2020-10-15--We’re Hiring Two Positions (and Cookbook Reminder)!

A reminder that my new cookbook is now available for preorder !
We will be rolling out teaser recipes on our social media , so be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook if you don ’ t already .
I ’ ve continued doing a lot of interviews on a range of topics , especially pandemics based on my latest book , How to Survive a Pandemic .
I was recently on the UK ’ s Chris Evans Breakfast Show ( select the 8:30 – 9:00 time slot ) , and contributed to an article in The Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizing and executing design projects , prioritizing creative requests , and helping the organization reach its strategic goals through creative thinking , artistic ability , and problem-solving .
This position also oversees and coordinates the production of our video content .
Social Media Administrative Assistant : Responsible for organizing and scheduling social media content , creating templated graphics , and assisting the Director of Nutrition and Social Media Strategy with oversight of our accounts .
R.D .
Join me for another live Instagram Q & A , this time with my good friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over to the NutritionFacts.org Instagram page on October 22 at 9pm ET to get the answers to all of your health and nutrition questions .
In his new book Healthy at Last , Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams shares his incredible story of reversing type-2 diabetes by adopting a plant-based diet .
Order it on Amazon or wherever you get your books .
National dietary guidelines serve as a framework for millions of meals around the globe , from school lunches to doctors ’ recommendations , but many are manipulated by corporate actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many lives are on the line , we ’ re teaming up with ProVeg International to organize a powerful team of scientists , doctors , and advocates to make guidelines globally more evidence-based .
Click here to learn more and get involved .
The Benefits of Fasting for Healing Where did the idea of therapeutic fasting come from ?
I love being a NutritionFacts volunteer .
I started about three years ago as a Portuguese translator and , from the beginning , was delighted to imagine that I was collaborating with such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people around the world .
It inspires me to know that I can help to make reliable information , purely based on science , available and accessible to as many people as possible worldwide .
My favorite recipe : Mash two bananas with some ginger , cinnamon , and clove powder , and top with blueberries , chopped strawberries , and nuts .
Every month , I do a live Q & A right from my treadmill , and October 22 is the day .
Join on our Facebook page OR YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be streaming to both at the same time !
You can find links to all of my past live Q & As here on NutritionFacts.org .
If that ’ s not enough , I also have an audio podcast to keep you company .
PS : If you haven ’ t yet , you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live , year-in-review presentations : • 2016 : How Not To Die : The Role of Diet in Preventing , Arresting , and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

A reminder that my new cookbook is now available for preorder! We will be rolling out teaser recipes on our social media, so be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook if you don’t already.
I’ve continued doing a lot of interviews on a range of topics, especially pandemics based on my latest book, How to Survive a Pandemic. I recently contributed to an article in The Daily Mail.
Now Hiring Two Full-Time, Remote Positions
Design Director: Responsible for organizing and executing design projects, prioritizing creative requests, and helping the organization reach its strategic goals through creative thinking, artistic ability, and problem-solving. This position also oversees and coordinates the production of our video content.
Social Media Administrative Assistant: Responsible for organizing and scheduling social media content, creating templated graphics, and assisting the Director of Nutrition and Social Media Strategy with oversight of our accounts.
Doctor and Dietitian Q&A
R.D. Join me for another live Instagram Q&A, this time with my good friend and distinguished colleague, Brenda Davis Head over to the NutritionFacts.org Instagram page on October 22 at 9pm ET to get the answers to all of your health and nutrition questions.
New Book by Eric Adams
In his new book Healthy at Last, Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams shares his incredible story of reversing type-2 diabetes by adopting a plant-based diet. Order it on Amazon or wherever you get your books.
Help Transform the Dietary Guidelines Worldwide
National dietary guidelines serve as a framework for millions of meals around the globe, from school lunches to doctors’ recommendations, but many are manipulated by corporate actors to undermine the science. Because so many lives are on the line, we’re teaming up with ProVeg International to organize a powerful team of scientists, doctors, and advocates to make guidelines globally more evidence-based.
The World’s Largest Fasting Study Buchinger modified fasting is put to the test.
The Best Diet for Weight Loss and Disease Prevention The most effective diet for weight loss may also be the most healthful.
The Benefits of Fasting for Healing
Where did the idea of therapeutic fasting come from?
Tania Bassi
I love being a NutritionFacts volunteer. I started about three years ago as a Portuguese translator and, from the beginning, was delighted to imagine that I was collaborating with such a noble initiative to bring vital health information to people around the world. It inspires me to know that I can help to make reliable information, purely based on science, available and accessible to as many people as possible worldwide.
My favorite recipe: Mash two bananas with some ginger, cinnamon, and clove powder, and top with blueberries, chopped strawberries, and nuts.
Live Q&A on October 22
Every month, I do a live Q&A right from my treadmill, and October 22 is the day.
Join on our Facebook page OR YouTube channel at 3pm ET. I’ll be streaming to both at the same time!
You can find links to all of my past live Q&As here on NutritionFacts.org. If that’s not enough, I also have an audio podcast to keep you company.
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live, year-in-review presentations: