Diet Science

Psyllium is best known for its ability to aid in digestive health, but it has also been clinically proven to lower cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Listen in this week as Dee discusses how psyllium stimulates several biochemical functions in the body to provide super health benefits.Purchase psyllium: https://amzn.to/3TtUqVBReference:McRorie, J. W., Gibb, R. D., Sloan, K. J., & McKeown, N. M. (2021). Psyllium. Nutrition Today, 56(4), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1097/nt.0000000000000489

There's a lot of nutrition packed into these tiny little seeds, and the chia seed trend is making a splash with a new generation now. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the key benefits of including chia seeds in your meals and snacks.

Our eyes need nourishment to keep them moist so that we can have crisp, clear vision. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the foods that provide nourishment for your eyes, and the various types of supplements to be aware of.

Pickling and Fermenting are two techniques used to preserve fruits or vegetables in jars.  Listen in this week as Dee discusses the important differences between these two techniques when it comes to your long term health.

A new study comparing daily consumption of cocao versus multivitamins shows the multivitamins improved brain function in older adults, and the benefit was greater for those with a history of heart disease. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the results of the study and what it means for your cognitive health.Reference:Baker, L. D., Manson, J. E., Rapp, S. R., Sesso, H. D., Gaussoin, S. A., Shumaker, S. A., & Espeland, M. A. (2022). Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2022, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12767 Link to Multivitamins: https://amzn.to/3C6rU6D

A new study published in the journal Cell, showed that consuming saccharin and sucralose harms the ability of healthy adults to dispose of glucose in their body. The study also looked at the effect of Aspartame and Stevia. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the study and what it means for your health.Reference:Suez, J., Cohen, Y., Valdés-Mas, R., Mor, U., Dori-Bachash, M., Federici, S., Zmora, N., Leshem, A., Heinemann, M., Linevsky, R., Zur, M., Ben-Zeev Brik, R., Bukimer, A., Eliyahu-Miller, S., Metz, A., Fischbein, R., Sharov, O., Malitsky, S., Itkin, M., … Elinav, E. (2022). Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance. Cell, 185(18), 3307–3328.E19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.016Link to Stevia Clear Drops: https://amzn.to/3Dx85qr

If your goal in selecting plant-based meat alternatives is better health, then you'll want to know which one can get you there. Listen in this week as Dee discusses a variety of different options for replacing meat in your diet.Link to Non-GMO Shopping Guide: https://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/verified-products/

A 2015 study published in the journal Science found that high doses of vitamin C impaired growth of colon cancer tumors that have previously resisted other treatments. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the findings of the study, and what this means for the future of treatment for many other types of cancer.References:Monti, D. A., Mitchell, E., Bazzan, A. J., Littman, S., Zabrecky, G., Yeo, C. J., Pillai, M. V., Newberg, A. B., Deshmukh, S., & Levine, M. (2012). Phase I evaluation of intravenous ascorbic acid in combination with gemcitabine and erlotinib in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. PLoS ONE, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029794Yun, J., Mullarky, E., Lu, C., Bosch, K. N., Kavalier, A., Rivera, K., Roper, J., Chio, I. I., Giannopoulou, E. G., Rago, C., Muley, A., Asara, J. M., Paik, J., Elemento, O., Chen, Z., Pappin, D. J., Dow, L. E., Papadopoulos, N., Gross, S. S., & Cantley, L. C. (2015). Vitamin C selectively kills KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer cells by

A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that lower intake of calcium and potassium leads to high odds of developing kidney stones. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the findings of the 8-year study. and how to increase intake of foods containing these important nutrients.Reference:Chewcharat, A., Thongprayoon, C., Vaughan, L. E., Mehta, R. A., Schulte, P. J., O’Connor, H. M., Lieske, J. C., Taylor, E. N., & Rule, A. D. (2022). Dietary risk factors for incident and recurrent symptomatic kidney stones. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 97(8), 1437–1448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2022.04.016

If you enjoy eating jackfruit as a meat alternative, you'll want to know about banana blossoms.  Listen in this week as Dee discusses the purple flower with a surprisingly flaky fish-like texture, its health benefits, and how to use it in your meals.Link to purchase Banana Blossom: https://amzn.to/3CmVyW6

The Paleo Diet has long been touted as a diet that did not contain potatoes, beans or other starchy foods. New research now shows that likely wasn't the case. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the findings of the 7-year study on the dental plaque and oral microbiome of a 100,000-year old Neanderthal.Reference:Fellows Yates, J. A., Velsko, I. M., Aron, F., Posth, C., Hofman, C. A., Austin, R. M., Parker, C. E., Mann, A. E., Nägele, K., Arthur, K. W., Arthur, J. W., Bauer, C. C., Crevecoeur, I., Cupillard, C., Curtis, M. C., Dalén, L., Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, M., Díez Fernández-Lomana, J. C., Drucker, D. G., … Warinner, C. (2021). The evolution and changing ecology of the african hominid oral microbiome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(20). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2021655118 

A new study has found that potassium-rich diets were associated with lower blood pressure, particularly in women with high salt intake. Three specific foods had the most benefit. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the research, and why a high potassium diet is important for everyone.Reference:Wouda, R. D., Boekholdt, S. M., Khaw, K. T., Wareham, N. J., de Borst, M. H., Hoorn, E. J., Rotmans, J. I., & Vogt, L. (2022). Sex-specific associations between potassium intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular outcomes: the EPIC-Norfolk study. European Heart Journal, ehac313. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac313

The idea that exercising more can mitigate the effects of eating a poor diet is being put to rest. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the research, and how the synergy of a good diet and physical activity promote the best health outcomes.Reference:Ding, D., Van Buskirk, J., Nguyen, B., Stamatakis, E., Elbarbary, M., Veronese, N., Clare, P. J., Lee, I.-M., Ekelund, U., & Fontana, L. (2022). Physical activity, diet quality and all-cause cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality: A prospective study of 346 627 UK Biobank participants. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105195

A growing body of evidence suggests that consumption of diet soda is correlated to increased risk of metabolic issues and dementia, among other medical conditions. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the research, and how to cut down on diet soda consumption.Reference:Johnson, R. K., Lichtenstein, A. H., Anderson, C. A. M., Carson, J. A., Després, J.-P., Hu, F. B., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Otten, J. J., Towfighi, A., & Wylie-Rosett, J. (2018). Low-calorie sweetened beverages and cardiometabolic health: A science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 138(9). https://doi.org/10.1161/cir.0000000000000569

Alzheimer's Disease currently devastates the lives of 5.8 million Americans, and there is no cure, but some promising research on curcumin gives us some hope. Listen in this week as Dee discusses how curcumin, the active component in the spice turmeric, quells the flame of inflammation in the brain that is linked to Alzheimer's.Link to Turmeric: https://amzn.to/3OZmG0BSource:Mishra, S., & Palanivelu, K. (2008). The effect of curcumin (turmeric) onalzheimer′s disease: An overview. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 11(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-2327.40220 

A new study has shown that adding about two servings of pecans a day to your diet produces a greater and more consistent reduction in cholesterol compared to many other interventions. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the results of the study, with a bonus comparison to how avocados also reduce cholesterol levels.Sources:Guarneiri, L. L., Paton, C. M., & Cooper, J. A. (2021). Pecan-enriched diets alter cholesterol profiles and triglycerides in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease in a randomized, controlled trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 151(10), 3091–3101. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab248 Lichtenstein, A. H., Kris‐Etherton, P. M., Petersen, K. S., Matthan, N. R., Barnes, S., Vitolins, M. Z., Li, Z., Sabaté, J., Rajaram, S., Chowdhury, S., Davis, K. M., Galluccio, J., Gilhooly, C. H., Legro, R. S., Li, J., Lovato, L., Perdue, L. H., Petty, G., Rasmussen, A. M., … Reboussin, D. M. (2022). Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: A randomized trial. J

A new study reveals that people are usually wrong when ranking how well they eat, particularly when they think their diet is healthy. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the significant disconnects between the researcher-calculated evaluation and how participants ranked their own diet, and how to ensure your diet meets the criteria for excellence.Links to research presented orally at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held on June 14, 2022, titled Relationship Between Dietary Patterns and Behavioral/Societal Outcomes: abstractpresentation details

Testosterone is a key hormone needed by both men and women for optimal bone density, blood sugar control, muscle mass, energy levels, and libido. Testosterone production in the body may decrease due to a number of diet and lifestyle factors. Listen in this week as Dee discusses how to naturally boost testosterone levels, and why you need to keep your levels up.Link to Reed's Zero Sugar Extra Ginger Ale, co-host Michael's new favorite beverage that, according to Dee, can help to naturally increase testosterone: https://amzn.to/3OoLbUN Dee appeared on the cover of the June 27th, 2022 issue of Woman's World Magazine. To get a copy of that edition, click here: https://www.zinio.com/woman-s-world/june-27-2022-i550366

Every year the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit advocacy group, publishes a list of common produce items and ranks them according to how contaminated they are with pesticide residues that you may potentially be eating!  Listen in this week as Dee discusses what's new this year and which foods you should always eat organically grown, and which are safe to eat non-organic. Download a pocket size copy of the 2022 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 List at https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Table olives are one of the oldest fermented foods hailing from the Mediterranean area. Fermentation gives them probiotic properties in addition to their many other health benefits. Listen in this week as Dee discusses how olives are fermented, and the difference between black olives vs fermented olives.