What if we have more control over our risk for cancer than we thought? Turns out, we might.
Preeminent cancer researcher and professor Dr. Thomas Seyfried joins me to discuss his groundbreaking research on the origins of cancer and spoiler alert: it’s not genetics.He believes the majority of cancer cases today are driven by metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the fermentation of glucose for fuel by cancer cells.
We talk about the research-backed benefits of a ketogenic diet for starving cancer, the limitations of conventional cancer treatment, and how you can be proactive about cancer prevention using things like diet, lifestyle, and fasting.
Dr. Seyfried is a firecracker of knowledge, and I super appreciate his passion and expertise in this area. This episode is poppin’ off on YouTube. Don’t miss it! Watch here.
Avoid these foods to keep fat off, live longer, and prevent disease.
While we’re on the topic of metabolic health, my next guest is revolutionizing our understanding of blood sugar and, dare I say it, even making it exciting and cool. Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) joins me to talk about the importance of balanced blood sugar for everyday health and lowering our risk for chronic diseases like cancer.
She shares top insights from her four-week program for optimizing glycemic control, the different ways glucose spikes damage the body, her infamous vinegar hack, why savory breakfasts are nonnegotiable, the impressive results from her pilot study of 3,000 people implementing her Glucose Goddess Method, and so much more.
Jessie is super charismatic, fun, and always delivers a ton of actionable tips. Click here to listen on your favorite podcast platform (Ep 288).
Machine-learning AI might be the answer to defining ultra-processed foods
There’s been a lot of debate on what classifies a food as “ultra-processed,” which I recently talked about on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast (I highly recommend listening for a super fun and slightly controversial conversation.)
Because ultra-processed food consumption is a major risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other noncommunicable diseases, there’s a desperate need to define foods based on their degree of processing.
Researchers have unleashed an AI-powered solution — FoodProX — which can predict the level of food processing with 90 percent accuracy in an objective, reproducible, and scalable fashion. Let’s go! According to FoodProX, over 73 percent of the U.S. food supply is ultra-processed — bonkers!
With this new and improved system, the hope is that FoodProX will help guide public health and nutrition policy by using food labeling to inform consumers on how processed a food is to hopefully persuade them into making healthier choices. Read the study here.
Americans are exercising more than ever but still gaining weight… what gives?
I’m sure you’re familiar with the “eat less and exercise more” mantra. This “health advice” given by the U.S. government is for preventing weight gain and accompanying chronic diseases. No doubt, calories are a part of the story — and by the way, you can overdo it on healthy calories (nut butters, I’m looking at you 👀).
But for the majority of Americans, ultra-processed foods are responsible for the calorie surplus. As a compact source of carbs and sugar, this combination, in excess, is cataclysmic to our metabolism.
No matter how much the media tries to paint obesity as genetic or due to a lack of exercise, new research shows this argument is as faulty as ever. Speakman et al report that Americans are actually exercising more (and last I checked, our genes haven’t changed in the past 100 years).
Yet, since the 1980s, basal metabolic rates have been steadily declining. Ultra-processed foods (which make up 73 percent of the U.S. food supply), in addition to environmental toxins, are potentially poisoning our mitochondria and disrupting energy metabolism. It’s time we call a spade a spade.
Americans are moving more, but if we’re fueling ourselves with a hyperphagic (meaning, foods that make us eat more) diet, we can only get so far with weight loss. I hope this new FoodProX system instead can help guide policy change and make ultra-processed foods more obvious to consumers. Read the study here.
Noise pollution: a potential risk factor for chronic disease?
I grew up in New York City, spent my college years at the University of Miami (go Hurricanes!), and currently live in Los Angeles, so I’m no stranger to city life or the noise that comes with it. An observational study sought to establish if there was a link between transport noise and health outcomes.
Not surprisingly, there was. Researchers reported annoyance, cognitive disruption, sleep problems, and noise-induced hearing loss as outcomes directly related to noise exposure. Whereas stress, mental health, metabolic health, cardiovascular health, and health-related quality of life were indirectly related.
Obviously, there are a million confounding variables to consider here. Sure, transport noise could play a role in direct health outcomes, but to what degree? We can’t say for sure.
Moreover, indirect health outcomes are likely a result of poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, depression, anxiety, socioeconomic status, living conditions, and lifestyle factors due to city life itself rather than transport noise.
Regardless, this is an example of where we can apply the precautionary principle. If you’re exposed to noise pollution or loud noises often, magnesium has been shown to help prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss.
As a bonus, it may provide benefits to help offset indirect health outcomes. Read the study here.