Welcome to Straight Talk on Health. I’m your host Dr. Chet Zelasko. Straight Talk on Health is a joint production with WGVU in Grand Rapids MI. I examine the practical application of health information. Nutrition. Exercise. Diet. Supplementation. I look at the science behind them, and let you know whether it’s something to consider or not. You can check out other things that I do on my website Drchet.com and sign up for my free emails.
Welcome to a new season of Straight Talk on Health. Because some listeners may be new, I thought I would review my credentials and experience in the health field. Why? So you know who’s doing the talking when you listen. Every week, I put together the latest in health information on diet, exercise, nutrition and other topics related to health. I also take a look at some of the things that travel around social media related to health habits, find the research behind them IF it exists, and then let you know whether it’s real or not. My goal is to provide you with the best and most accurate information so you can make informed decisions about what you can do to support your health. It all comes down to what I’ve been saying for years: Eat less. Eat better. Move more.
All that’s well and good but you may wonder if I have any professional preparation for this task. Here’s what you should know. I have a PhD and Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology and Health Education from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Canisius College in Buffalo NY. I completed a teaching and research post-doctoral fellowship at Ball State University in Indiana; in the two years at Ball State, I was voted one of the Top 10 Teachers at the University. I’ve been certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, have taught in ACSM certification workshops throughout the U.S., and belong to the American Society of Nutrition. I’ve conducted research and been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Okay. Great but what’s my experience in this field you may ask? In the 1990s, I was an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Health and Wellness Department at Buffalo State College, part of the State University of New York system. At the same time, I managed the weight-loss program for an HMO in the Western New York area.
In 1998, I left academia to become the chief research scientist for a health consulting firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I developed weight-management programs, a cleansing and detoxification program, and various fitness programs. I’ve written over 8,000 e-mail messages and newsletters and presented seminars to large and small groups all over North America and the Caribbean. I’ve also recorded over 900 episodes of STOH before the switch to a podcast.
But here’s the most important thing for you to know about me: even with all those degrees and experience, at heart I’m still just an average guy from Buffalo, New York. I don’t live in some ivory tower where nothing matters but science and people always behave as they’re supposed to. I’m down here in the real world with all of you, and that’s my angle when I look at the latest research: how does this apply to real people? I thank God for the greatest gift he gave me: the ability to explain, in everyday terms, how the latest science can help you work to be healthy. That’s my mission.
My strength is my ability to take complex scientific health concepts and translate them into simple lifestyle changes that my readers and you as listeners can use to improve your health. I also have a simple philosophy for health: Eat less. Eat better. Move more. That philosophy was developed over my 35-plus years of experience in the health and fitness field. It all begins with a foundation rooted in science and research. I hope you decide to listen to STOH every month so you can get the latest information to help build a healthy lifestyle.
Let’s turn to the two biggest announcements related to autism in the early fall of 2025. Acetaminophen and folinic acid. The OTC medication first. Acetaminophen is pain reliever by itself but it’s also an ingredient in OTC meds such as Nyquil, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Theraflu, Goody’s Powder, Pamprin, and so on.
The controversy surrounds a recently published study that concluded pregnant women should use acetaminophen with caution under the supervision of a physician for short periods of time—which is exactly what the major medical associations already recommend.
The researchers used a statistical technique called navigation guide analysis. Essentially, it’s a meta-analysis typically used to assess environmental toxins; whether it should be used in a pharmacological analysis is not clear. In addition, there’s always the risk of bias when selecting studies for inclusion in any meta-analysis, and this is no different.
It’s especially difficult to ignore bias when three of the four researchers have provided expert evidence for plaintiffs in prior lawsuits against acetaminophen manufacturers. Even if that were not a concern, the methodology for assessing acetaminophen use depended on recall questionnaires from the mothers-to-be or their healthcare providers—not medical records. We know how well that works in Food Frequency Questionnaires, so let’s go: Did you take any pain meds in the last year? Which ones? Don’t remember? I’m not surprised—neither would I expect a woman who’s busy growing another person to remember every OTC med she took. Look, acetaminophen has been recommended for pain since the 1950s. If it were directly linked to the risk of autism or other neurological issues, it would have become apparent before this, some 75 years later. Research should continue, but for now, acetaminophen appears to be safe when taken as recommended for short periods of time under the direction of a physician.
The other news related to autism was talk about the potential benefits of a pharmacological form of folate called folinic acid, an active form of vitamin B9; it’s being described as a cure for autism. In fact, the new CDC administration is fast-tracking a change in label use for the drug so it can be prescribed more often. Here’s why I think that would be a mistake.
While doing background research on an updated future webinar on pregnancy, I found a paper that discussed the potential impact of mutations of the methylene-tetra-hydro-folate reductase or (MTHFR) gene of the mother on the development of the baby. If the mother had both mutated genes, her body wouldn’t process folate very well, resulting in the over production of homocysteine as well as other issues. That could be related to the development of neurological disorders in their babies, including autism spectral disorders and ADHD.
Folinic acid is a pharmacological form of folate that has been prescribed for use with chemotherapy patients. Some forms of chemo block the MTHFR gene, and folinic acid helps ameliorate the problems related to the chemotherapy. It seemed obvious to me that it could potentially help pregnant women with the mutated MTHFR genes and thus maybe prevent neurological disorders in the baby. That’s where it ended because there’s not enough research to suggest it will work. The research has to happen now. Simply changing the uses for the drug based on small studies and testimonials isn’t good enough without research to support it.
As far as a treatment for autism, the same holds true. We don’t know whether the impact is dependent on, or independent of, the MTHFR mutation. Perhaps in people without the gene mutation it wouldn’t be effective, or worse, detrimental in some way that is not apparent right now. Treatments should not be based on a few case studies or worse, solely on potential. We need at least some conventional proof.
That’s your summer update and all the time I have for this episode. If you like this podcast, please hit the share button and tell your friends and colleagues about it. Until next time, this is Dr. Chet Zelasko saying health is a choice. Choose wisely today and every day.
Reference: Environmental Health (2025) 24:56 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0
