the science
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HealthSee articleWhat’s the Best Diet to Prevent Alzheimer’s?
Harmful Foods Saturated fats, trans fats, and excess metals are the biggest threats to brain health. Saturated fats are found in all animal products and seem to encourage the production of plaques within the brain. The Chicago Health and Aging Study reported in the Archives of Neurology in 2003 that individuals with the most saturated […] -
WellnessSee articleDo Vegans Need to Worry About Lectins? Does Anyone?
Last year, Steven Gundry, MD, released The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain, which claimed that lectins, a type of protein in many plant foods, are the culprits behind autoimmune diseases, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other health problems. A new fad […] -
WellnessSee articleThe Real Coconut Oil Miracle: How a High-Fat, High-Calorie Condiment Became a “Superfood”
The real coconut oil miracle has nothing to do with any magical healing or nutritional properties in coconut oil—it’s how a high-fat, high-calorie condiment was turned into a superfood. Some Background Around the turn of the century, Americans were using butter, lard, schmaltz (chicken fat), and other rendered animal fats as an ingredient in food […] -
WellnessSee articleNew Study: Avoiding Animal Products Is the Best Thing You Can Do for the Planet
Since Forks Over Knives debuted in 2011, there’s been an explosion of nutritional research supporting the idea that a whole-food, plant-based diet can provide optimal health for just about anyone. But the benefits of plant-based eating go far beyond personal health. In recent years, a multitude of studies have shown that the production of animal […] -
WellnessSee articleI Have PCOS. What Should I Eat?
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is common among women of reproductive age. Hallmarks include irregular periods, insulin resistance, and an excess of male hormones. For the 40 to 60 percent of women with PCOS who are overweight, weight loss can improve symptoms. But what specific foods and nutrients play a role? What’s the best diet for […] -
WellnessSee articleWhy Feeding Your Gut Bacteria Might Be the Secret to Better Health
Our gut bacteria influence our health in profound ways. They help digest food, make key nutrients, fight harmful organisms, protect our gut lining, train our immune systems, turn genes on and off, regulate gut hormones, and possibly even affect mood and cravings. Gut bacterial changes are closely linked to autoimmunity, inflammation, body weight, diabetes, cancer, […] -
WellnessSee articleHarvard Study: Plant-Based Diet Could Reduce Early Deaths by One-Third
Anybody who’s watched Forks Over Knives knows the powerful effect a plant-based diet can have on their health. Now, research at Harvard suggests that roughly one-third of early deaths—that amounts to almost 200,000 lives a year—could be prevented if everyone moved toward a plant-based diet. That number comes from new, not-yet-published research led by Walter Willett, M.D., […] -
WellnessSee article8 Striking Nutrition Studies That Make the Case for Avoiding Meat
In the United States, dietary factors are the most important risk factors for disease, yet medical schools fail to provide adequate nutrition education. As a consequence, medical students graduate without the knowledge base or skills needed to address nutrition-related concerns in clinical practice. In my experience, most medical students either vastly underestimate the health-promoting potential […] -
WellnessSee articleVitamin B12: All Your Questions Answered
Vegans are regularly advised to mind their levels of vitamin B12, but vegetarians and even meat eaters often come up short on this important nutrient, which helps keep nerves and blood cells healthy. In this informative Q&A—and in the video below—Dr. Sofia Pineda Ochoa goes deep on where vitamin B12 comes from, why we need […] -
WellnessSee article5 Ways Saturated Fat Defenders Deceive the Public
The pattern of provocations, proclamations, and click-bait innuendo related to saturated fat is fairly clear to anyone who reads past the headlines. It’s entirely clear to anyone who actually reads the studies that are blithely cited, and routinely misrepresented, in a show of pseudo-erudition (look at me; I can cite a scientific paper!). Just about […] -
WellnessSee articleEverything You Need to Know About Insulin Resistance and Diet
Insulin resistance significantly increases your risk for the development of a collection of health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. What Is Insulin and Why Is It Important? Insulin is a hormone that is manufactured and secreted by the pancreas in response to rising blood […] -
WellnessSee articleExtreme Nutrition: The Diet of Eskimos*
The carnivorous diet of traditional Eskimo inhabitants of the frozen, northern, circumpolar regions of planet Earth (Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland), serves as a testament to the strengths and adaptability of the human species. The foods consumed by these hardy people are in “polar” opposition to those recommended by me (the McDougall Diet of starches, […]
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