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. With a PhD in exercise physiology, I’ve been teaching people how to improve their health through diet, exercise, and supplementation for over 30 years. I look at the science behind all the headlines and social media, 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.
I walked down the aisle in the pharmacy section of my local supermarket and saw a woman that was standing there, looking at one product after another, trying to understand the nutrition facts label or list of ingredients. She was definitely in the over age 60 demographic but age doesn’t matter. I’ve seen people of all ages, races, and ethnicities do the same thing: be confused over supplements, from vitamins and herbs to protein and the latest thing—creatine.
Why? I think because there is no single coherent recommendation coming from the purported experts. Everyone has an opinion and they give it—whether it is an accurate representation of the research or not. I certainly think people should check a variety of sources because everyone has some biases including me. I come from an exercise physiology background so exercise is always at the top of my list. But exercise is really all about biochemistry and nutrition so they are definitely related. I also have the education to support my opinion as well as 35 years of experience.
I think providing some perspective is important. Think of it as the sources of the quality and quantity of nutrition information you get. I could start anywhere but perhaps let’s start with the food products themselves. I’m going to skip fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy and other natural sources of foods for the most part. I know that herbicides, pesticides, water sources, and whether a product is genetically modified or not is important to some, but we’re going to focus on the information provided by various sources that we all can experience. Let’s begin with manufacturers.
I just used a term you may have heard in one context or another, GMO. That stands for genetically modified organism. What you probably saw used the term non-GMO. That means that the fresh produce or processed food did not contain ingredients that were genetically modified in a laboratory farm. Manufacturers have used that on foods for decades, especially fresh fruit and vegetable packaging.But in 2018, Congress changed the wording so that the legal term is now Bioengineered food. You may be asking yourself “I thought Dr. Chet just said he wasn’t going to talk about fresh foods?” There is a reason. When you purchase any processed food, not even ultra-processed food, you more than likely won’t see the GMO identifier any more. Instead, you may see the term “contains bioengineered foods.” That term may not have the same negative connotation that GMO has but it means the same thing: this plant or ingredient was genetically modified in a lab. Welcome to the world of labeling used by food manufacturer’s.
They try to get away with saying things on their packaging that suggests they have beneficial effects like “contains protein that builds muscle” or so many “grams of fiber can benefit your heart health.” In this day and age of ever-changing dietary guidelines, and every expert claiming a new diet, manufacturers develop products to fit that nutritional profile. Today it’s protein. Protein in yogurt. Protein in pasta. Protein in cereals. Protein in breads. The issue is simple. Protein tastes like nothing. It has no flavor. What else are they adding to make it taste as good? Remember when saturated fat was bad years ago? Every manufacturer took out the fat—which meant a flavor enhancer—and added more carbohydrates. especially sugar. Remember the first keto wave about 20 years ago? They took out the carbs and were left with less taste. Today the second wave of keto has taken over and seems here to stay. Manufacturers respond to trends but do we really need protein or fiber in alcoholic beverages? Maybe consider drinking less alcohol?
Let’s turn to the health and wellness gurus and influencers. There are plenty that are legit but too many try to pass as credentialed experts in their field. They are good at using social media to gain followers. The first thing I do is check on their background; what educational background do they have? Is it rooted in nutrition, exercise, or another hard science field like biochemistry? What have they done since then to stay current? What jobs have they held? What I find a lot is that they have had some condition or disease, traditional medicine could not help them, and they found the solution to their problem in a diet, supplement, or some other device. That made them drop everything else and commit their life to helping others. There is nothing like a compelling story that includes overwhelming odds against a person and they find a way to overcome. Congratulations but it doesn’t mean it will help a single other person.
Influencers may have a the same background story but they also look for products that will sponsor them. They are in it for the money. I personally don’t find that problematic if it’s a product someone legitimately uses. But I also think they have to be able to specifically explain the why and the how that something has benefitted them. If they can’t, they shouldn’t be able to talk about it without saying something like “This company is paying me for promoting this product.” Simple enough but never happens.
Physicians also get caught up in the health and nutrition information complex. There are a couple of ways they do that. The first is to repeat the doctrine laid out by the FDA and AMA to question the use of dietary supplements during every patient visit. In addition, it is also suggested that they report any negative symptom a person has to the Dietary Supplement Adverse Effects report. I’m not suggesting that people don’t overdo it on supplements and exceed reasonable intake limits but most take a reasonable number to complement their diet. To suggest that every symptom a person may have is related to a supplement is unreasonable. But the videos are still posted online guiding what physicians should say and do related to dietary supplements.
The other part are the physicians who use their credentials to become experts in nutrition. The AMA just passed guidelines to have medical students take solid nutrition courses before or during medical school because they don’t get much if any training in medical school. They may also have had a Road to Damascus moment and found the answer to a problem that medicine hasn’t discovered yet. The medical degree gives them an aura of authority but let’s be realistic: what does a world renowned cardiothoracic surgeon know about digestive health replete with supplements they sell to solve it? My point is that a person should stay in their lane unless there is a complete re-education and training involved. I know a lot about the anatomy and physiology of the heart but I’m not ever doing open-heart surgery. It’s not my area. I’ll leave it there.
Finally, be selective in where you get your health news. Often, my first inkling of a potential health or nutrition story is from an online news source. That can range from a press release reposted from the university or laboratory where the scientists did the research behind the headline to a video story from your local television station. It may be from a website in another country or it may be from one of the experts, gurus, or influencers I talked about. Most of you probably don’t remember Dragnet, a TV show from the 1960s and 70s. The lead detective had a line that’s worth mentioning: Just the facts.
The original research paper on health or nutrition is promoted by the PR people of the university or journal, often times together with commentary from one of the researchers. That’s fine for the most part. It’s when reporters or health experts add their comments where things can go sideways depending on their expertise. What you get may bear little resemblance to what the research actually showed. Stick to the largest sources of news for the basic information on health and nutrition news. The influencer or local media outlet can be less attentive to the facts and go heavy on the commentary which can distort the actual message.
I hope that this helps you discern all the nutrition and health information you may see or hear. That’s all the time I have for this episode. If you like this podcast, 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.
