Dr. Steve Chaney

Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

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Why Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

calcium supplementsWhen most people think of the nutrients required to build strong bones, they just think of calcium and vitamin D. This is understandable because these two nutrients are essential for building healthy bone.

But in reality “it takes a village” to build strong bones.

  • The bone matrix also contains magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese. They are also needed.
    • Fun fact: As an undergraduate at the University of Southern California my wife, Suzanne, worked for Dr. Paul Saltman, the biochemist who discovered the importance of these nutrients for building healthy bone.
  • Vitamin C is required to build collagen, the foundation on which bone is built, and the cartilage that helps bones resist fractures.
  • Vitamin K delivers calcium to osteoblasts, the cells responsible for building bone.

But a new study (L Zhou et al, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25: 487, pages 1-9, 2024) suggests that folate is also important for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis as we age. I didn’t see that one coming. So, let me start by explaining why folate may be important for bone health before I review the study.

Why Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

Question MarkThere are four facts we need to know about human metabolism to understand the effect of folate on bone health.

Fact 1: We tend to think of bone as a permanent, unchanging part of our body. But that’s not true. As we move about our bones experience wear and tear. As they age they become more brittle and susceptible to fracturing.

So, our bodies have a process for continuously removing old bone and replacing it with new bone. Although you don’t notice the change, your bones today are not the same bones you had 10 or 15 years ago. They are continually being renewed.

The cells responsible for removing the old bone are called osteoclasts, and the cells responsible for building new bone are called osteoblasts. It is the perfect balance between osteoclast and osteoblast activity that keeps our bones strong.

Fact 2: When cellular folate levels are low, an amino acid metabolite called homocysteine accumulates in our cells and in our blood.

Fact 3: (This is the one I didn’t know until I looked it up): Homocysteine increases osteoclast activity and decreases osteoblast activity.

This tips the balance towards breaking down our bones. For young people that makes it more difficult to build strong, healthy bones. For older people that increases the risk of osteoporosis.

Fact 4: To clear up any confusion before we get started, I should tell you that the term “dietary folates” often includes folates from foods and folic acid from supplements. That is because folic acid is efficiently taken up by our cells and converted to folates in the cell.

And when methyl folate and folic acid are compared head to head in clinical studies, methyl folate offers no advantage over folic acid, even in individuals with mutations in the MTHFR gene. For more detail on this statement, go to https://www.chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/ and type “methy folate” in the search box.

How Was The Study Done?

Clinical StudyThe investigators used data from the CDC’s 2017-2020 NHANES (National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey) database. The NHANES program has been obtaining health and nutrition data from approximately 5,000 US citizens a year since 1969. Every 4 years the data are compiled into a database that can be used for studies like this one.

The investigators excluded participants who were missing important information such as calcium, vitamin D, or folate intake and bone density measurements. This left 2297 participants for the current study.

The participants were 49.9% female, 73% white, and the average age was 64 years. The prevalence of osteoporosis in this group was 6.92%, which is similar to other estimates of osteoporosis prevalence in this age group.

Dietary intake was based on two 24-hour dietary recalls. Bone density in the femur region was assessed by DXA radiological imaging. Osteoporosis was defined as a bone mineral density of <0.64 g/cm2 for women and <0.68 g/cm2 for men.

The study measured the correlation between dietary folate intake and prevalence of osteoporosis.

Is Folate Needed For Strong Bones?

folic acidThe investigators separated the participants into 3 groups based on dietary folate intake: lowest (<264 mcg/day), middle (264-390 mcg/day), and highest (>390 mcg/day). For reference the daily value (DV) for folate is 400 mcg/day for adults in this age group.

When adjusted for other factors that affect bone density such as calcium, vitamin D, smoking, and alcohol consumption, those with the highest dietary intake of folates compared to those with the lowest dietary intake of folates:

  • Decreased their risk of osteoporosis by 70%.

And when the data were broken down by gender and age, the highest intake of dietary folates:

  • Decreased the risk of osteoporosis by 82% for women.
    • Also, decreased the risk of osteoporosis for men. But the decrease was not statistically significant (Because men are less likely to develop osteoporosis than women, a much larger study would likely be required to show a statistically significant decreased risk for men.)
  • Decreased the risk of osteoporosis by 70% for people over 60.
    • Did not significantly decrease the risk of osteoporosis for people under 60 (Osteoporosis is rare in people under 60.)
  • In short, adequate intake of folates (including folic acid) significantly decreases the risk of osteoporosis for those who are at highest risk, namely postmenopausal women over 60.

When the investigators did a dose response plot they found an L-shaped relationship between dietary folate and the risk of osteoporosis. They concluded that:

  • Dietary folate intake between 264 and 569 mcg/day was effective in preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Intakes above 569 mcg/day provided little or no additional benefit.

The authors concluded, “This finding suggests the potential importance of dietary folate for preventing and managing osteoporosis.”

“However, further longitudinal research and randomized controlled trials are necessary to elucidate the causal association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis.”

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Healthy BoneI am not suggesting that you should throw out your calcium and vitamin D supplement and rely on a folic acid supplement to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Calcium and vitamin D are absolutely essential for building strong bones. But they are not sufficient by themselves. It takes a holistic approach to build strong bones.

I have previously alerted you to the importance of vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese for building strong bones. This study suggests I may need to add folic acid to the list. And who knows how many additional nutrients may play a role we don’t yet know about.

And it’s not just nutrients. There are many other lifestyle factors that influence the health of our bones. I have described what it takes to have a “bone healthy lifestyle” in a previous issue of “Health Tips From the Professor”.

This is why so many studies looking at the effect of calcium/vitamin D supplements on the risk of developing osteoporosis have come up empty. These studies were asking if calcium and vitamin D were “magic bullets” that could prevent osteoporosis on their own.

The answer to that question appears to be, “No”. But it isn’t the right question. As I have said before, “When clinical studies ask the wrong question, they get the wrong answer.”

Calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone formation, but they aren’t sufficient by themselves. It takes a village. Any study that ignores that is doomed to failure.

What does that mean for you? My recommendation is simple. If you want to build strong bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis:

  • Start with a comprehensive multivitamin/multimineral supplement to make sure your bases are covered.
  • If your intake of calcium and vitamin D are below DV values (1,300 mg of calcium and 600-800 IU of vitamin D for adults in this age range), consider a calcium/vitamin D supplement.

The Bottom Line

A recent study suggests that dietary folate is important for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

In this article I review the study, put it into perspective, and discuss what it means for you.

For more details about this study and what it means for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance 

____________________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Do Bad Genes Doom You To Bad Health?

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The Influence Of Genetics And Diet On Type 2 Diabetes

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

Does it ever feel like you have drawn the short straw?

Everyone in your family has succumbed to heart disease, diabetes, or cancer at a young age. Are you doomed to the same fate?

You ordered a DNA test. It sounded like fun. But when the gene report came back it said you had a “bad” genetic profile. You were told you are at high risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, or dementia. Are you doomed to a short and sickly life?

In both cases, you are probably wondering, “Is there anything I can do to improve my odds of a healthy life? What if I lost some of those extra pounds, exercised more, and ate a healthier diet? Would that make a difference?”

The study (J Merino et al, PLoS Medicine 19(4): e1003972, April 26, 2022) I will describe today was designed to answer these questions.

But before I describe the study, I should probably cover what I call Genetics 101: “How Genes Affect Your Health”.

Genetics 101: How Genes Affect Your Health

GeneticistIf you studied genetics in school, you probably learned about diseases like sickle cell anemia, which is caused by a single mutation in a single gene. If you get two copies of the “bad” gene, you will have sickle cell anemia. If you get one copy of the “bad” gene and one copy of the normal gene, you have sickle cell trait, which is much less severe.

Simply put, you either have the disease or you don’t. It’s dependent on your genetics, and you can’t do much about it.

If you know someone who has been treated for breast cancer, you are probably familiar with a more complex relationship between genetics and health. There are several “bad” genes that increase the risk of breast cancer. And knowing which gene is involved is important for selecting the best treatment regimen.

But most of the diseases that shorten our lives (like diabetes, heart disease, most cancers, and dementia) are what we call polygenetic diseases. Simply put, that means that there are dozens of genes that increase the risk of these diseases. Each gene makes a small contribution to the increased risk. So, we can only measure the genetic contribution to these diseases by measuring hundreds of mutations in dozens of genes, something called a polygenetic risk score.

The study I will be describing today looked at the relative effect of genetics (measured as the type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score) and diet quality (measured as the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)) on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyThe data for this study were obtained from 3 long-term clinical studies conducted in the United States – the Nurses’ Health Study (121,700 participants), the Nurses’ Health Study II (116,340 participants), and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (51,529 participants).

These studies measured lifestyle factors (including diet) every 4 years and correlated them with disease outcomes over 20+ years.

The study I will be discussing today was performed with 35,759 participants in these 3 studies for whom DNA sequencing data was available.

  • The DNA sequence data were used to generate a type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score for each participant in this study.
  • Food frequency questionnaires obtained every 4 years in these studies were used to calculate the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) score for each participant.
    • The AHEI is based on higher intake of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and legumes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, moderate intake of alcohol, and lower intake of red and processed meats, sugar sweetened drinks and fruit juice, sodium, and trans-fat).

The investigators used these measurements to estimate the relative effect of genetics and diet quality on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Influence Of Genetics And Diet On Type 2 Diabetes 

Genetic TestingThe participants were divided into low, intermediate, and high genetic risk based on their type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score.

Compared with low genetic risk:

  • Intermediate genetic risk increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 26%.
  • High genetic risk increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 75%.

Put another way, each 1 standard deviation increase in the polygenetic risk score:

  • Increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 42%.

Simply put, bad genes can significantly increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That’s the bad news. But that doesn’t mean you should think, “Diabetes is in my genes. There is nothing I can do.”

The investigators also divided the participants into those who had a high-quality diet, those who had an intermediate quality diet, and those who had a low-quality diet based on their AHEI (Alternative Healthy Eating Index) score.

Finally, they divided the participants into groups depending on their BMI, a measure of obesity.

Compared to an obese person consuming a low-quality diet, a lean person consuming a high-quality diet:

  • Reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 43% for each category of genetic risk.
  • More specifically, a lean person consuming a high-quality diet reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
    • By 41% if they were at low genetic risk.
    • By 50% if they were at intermediate genetic risk.
    • By 38% if they were at high genetic risk.

The investigators then made a statistical adjustment to remove BMI from their calculations, so they could focus on Mediterranean Diet Foodsthe effect of diet alone on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Compared to a low-quality diet, a high-quality diet:

  • Reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 33% for each category of genetic risk.
  • More specifically, a high-quality diet reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
    • By 31% for those at low genetic risk.
    • By 39% for those at intermediate genetic risk.
    • By 29% for those at high genetic risk.

Looking at it another way:

  • When people at high genetic risk consumed a high-quality diet, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes was only 13% higher than people at intermediate genetic risk who consumed a low-quality diet (such as the typical American diet).
  • When people at intermediate genetic risk consumed a high-quality diet, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 5% less than people at low genetic risk who consumed a low-quality diet.

Simply put:

  • If you are at intermediate genetic risk, a high-quality diet may completely reverse your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • If you are at high genetic risk, a high-quality diet can partially reverse your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In short, the good news is that bad genes do not doom you to type 2 diabetes.

  • The investigators did not provide similar information for the effect of an ideal weight on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but it is likely that the combination of diet plus weight management would result in an even more significant reduction in risk of developing type 2 diabetes for individuals in the even the highest risk category.

The authors concluded, “These data provide evidence for the independent associations of genetic risk and diet quality with incident type 2 diabetes and suggest that a healthy diet is associated with lower diabetes risk across all levels of genetic risk.”

Do Bad Genes Doom You To Bad Health?

Bad GenesAt the beginning of this article I posed the question, “Do bad genes doom you to bad health?”

Based on this study, the good news is that bad genes don’t doom you type 2 diabetes. And just because most of your relatives are diabetic doesn’t mean that must be your fate.

  • This study shows that a healthy diet significantly reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes at every genetic risk level.
  • And the study suggests that a healthy diet plus a healthy weight is even more beneficial at reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • While not included in this study, other studies have shown that exercise also plays a role in reducing type 2 diabetes risk.

None of this information is new. What is new is that a healthy diet is equally beneficial at reducing type 2 diabetes risk even in individuals with a high genetic risk of developing the disease. Simply put, you can reverse the effects of bad genes.

“And what is this magic diet?”, you might ask. In this study, it was based on AHEI score. Someone with a high AHEI score consumes:

  • Lots of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and legumes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Moderate or no amounts of alcohol.
  • Little or no red and processed meats, sugar sweetened drinks, fruit juices, sodium, and foods with trans-fat.

Any whole food, primarily plant-based diet from vegan to Mediterranean or DASH fits the bill.

Finally, while this study focused just on type 2 diabetes, other studies have come to similar conclusions for other diseases.

Should You Get Your DNA Tested?

If you are looking for guidance on how to reduce your risks, the answer is, “No”. In this study, the same diet and lifestyle changes lowered the risk of type diabetes at every genetic risk level. Despite what some charlatans may tell you, there is no special diet or magic potion for people with a high genetic risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

If you are looking for motivation, the answer may be, “Yes”. If knowing you are at high risk makes it more likely that you will make the diet and lifestyle changes needed to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, a DNA test may be just what you need

The Bottom Line

If a serious disease runs in your family or if you have had your DNA tested and found out you are at high risk for some disease, you are probably wondering whether there is anything you can do or whether your bad genes have doomed you to a short and sickly life.

A recent study answered that question for type 2 diabetes. It showed a healthy diet significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes even in people at high genetic risk of developing the disease.

Other studies have come to similar conclusions for other diseases. In short, bad genes don’t doom you to bad health.

For more details about the study and what it means for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Is Olive Oil Overrated?

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What Is The Truth About Olive Oil And You? 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

You may have seen headlines claiming that olive oil doesn’t deserve its “health halo”. It isn’t as healthy as many experts have claimed. It is overrated.

These headlines aren’t referring to the scandalous practice of selling “extra virgin” olive oil that contains cheaper oils. That is another topic for another day.

The headlines are claiming that, while the Mediterranean diet is healthy, it is fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fish that make the Mediterranean diet healthy. Their claim is that olive oil has little to do with it.

To evaluate these claims I have reviewed the study (AK Krenek et al, Journal of the American Heart Association, Volume 13, Number 15:e035034, July 24, 2024) behind the headlines.

And to provide context, I have also reviewed another recent study (M Guasch-Ferre et al, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 79, Number 2, 2022).

How Were These Studies Done?

clinical studyThe two studies were very different:

The First Study used a randomized cross-over design to compare high and low olive oil diets.

In the randomized cross-over design participants were randomly assigned to one of the two diets at the beginning of the study. They followed that diet plan for 4 weeks. And after a one week “washout” they followed the other diet plan for 4 weeks. In this type of study each participant serves as their own control.

Study participants (50 obese participants, average age = 64, 75% women, 72% white, ≥ 5% risk of heart disease) were all eating a typical American diet.

Each of the experimental diets was a whole food plant-based diet, with comparable amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Both diets were high in fiber, low in added sugar, and contained less than an ounce of animal products a day. In other words, the base diet was a healthy plant-based diet.

Participants in the high olive oil group were asked to add 4 tablespoons/day of extra virgin olive oil to their diet while participants in the low olive oil group were asked to restrict their olive oil intake to < 1 teaspoon/day.

No effort was made to control portion sizes or caloric intake. As we will see below, this was a major weakness of the study. As you might expect, fat intake was significantly greater for those on the high olive oil diet (49% of calories) compared to the low olive oil diet (32% of calories). Consequently, caloric intake was also significantly greater on the high olive oil diet.

All participants met with a dietitian/chef at the beginning of the study and were given access to online training programs and a dietitian hotline for questions. Dietary intake was measured by a 24-hour dietary recall 4-7 times prior to the study and 4 times during each diet period.

Fasting blood and urine samples were collected prior to the study and at the end of each 4-week diet period to measure biomarkers with possible predictive value for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol.

The Second Study was a prospective cohort study using data obtained from 60,582 women in the Nurses Health Study and 31,801 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

In a prospective cohort study a cohort or group of people (in this case, the 60,582 women and 31,801 men in the two studies) are followed over time (in this case for 28 years from1990 to 2018). The study then measures the association between some aspect of their diet and lifestyle (in this case the kind of fat in their diet) and health outcomes at the end of the study (in this case all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality, and respiratory disease mortality).

A strength of this study was that the diet of all participants was assessed every 4 years, which allowed the investigators to track changes in their diet over time. The intake of most fats was remarkably stable over the entire 28-year duration of the study.

However, as the bad news about margarine and the good news about olive oil entered the popular media, margarine consumption declined, and olive oil consumption increased. Because the investigators were able to track these changes over time, they were able to correct for them in their data analysis.

Is Olive Oil Overrated?

thumbs down symbolResults From The First Study: If we restrict ourselves to statistically significant observations, the results were as follows:

  • Switching from the baseline diet (typical American diet) to either the high olive oil or low olive oil diets for 4 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
  • In this case, there was no statistically significant difference between the two diets.

However, when transitioning from the low olive oil diet to the high olive oil diet and from the high olive oil diet to the low olive oil diet, some statistically significant differences were observed.

For example, transitioning from the high olive oil diet to the low olive oil diet resulted in:

  • A 7% decrease in total cholesterol.
  • An 11% decrease in LDL-cholesterol.
  • A 2.2% decrease in HDL-cholesterol.
  • A 2% decrease in blood glucose levels.

And transitioning from the low olive oil diet to the high olive oil diet resulted in:

  • A 14% increase in total cholesterol.
  • A 14% increase in LDL-cholesterol.
  • A 15% increase in HDL-cholesterol.
  • A 17% decrease in blood glucose levels.

The authors of this study said, “Although both [whole food, primarily plant-based] diets improved [risk factors for heart disease], a low olive oil intervention may provide superior LDL-cholesterol lowering in individuals at highest risk [of heart disease]. Future studies are needed to determine if these short-term effects are sustainable and translate to improvements in cardiac outcomes…Nevertheless, a whole food primarily plant-based diet with relatively lower olive oil may be a useful tool for clinicians for improving cardiovascular risk compared with greater olive oil intake.”

The authors also went on to say, “…olive oil may not be the beneficial additive of a Mediterranean diet.”

thumbs upResults From The Second Study:

Higher intake of olive oil (>0.5 tablespoons/day compared to ≤1 teaspoon/day) resulted in:

  • A 19% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality. And when that was broken down by cause it amounted to:
    • A 19% decrease in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.
    • A 17% decrease in the risk of cancer mortality.
    • A 29% decrease in the risk of neurodegenerative disease mortality.
    • An 18% decrease in the risk of respiratory disease mortality.

In a substitution analysis calculating the effect of consuming 10 g/day of olive oil instead of 10 g/day of:

  • Butter resulted in a 14% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Margarine or dairy fat resulted in a 13% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Mayonnaise resulted in a 9% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Other vegetable oils had no effect on all-cause mortality.
  • Results were similar when the investigators looked at the effect of replacing fats with olive oil on mortality due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and respiratory disease.

The authors of the second study concluded, “Higher olive oil intake was associated with lower risk of total and cause-specific mortality. Replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil was associated with lower risk of mortality.”

How can we reconcile these conflicting viewpoints? Let me start by looking at the flaws in the first study. Then I will summarize the “truth” about olive oil based on what these two studies tell us.

Is The Study Behind The Headlines Misleading?

flawsFirst let me summarize why I consider the study to be misleading. Then I will discuss why the headlines about the study are misleading.

Why The Study Is Misleading: The main conclusion of this study was that adding olive oil to a primarily plant-based diet increased the risk of heart disease. While this study is well-designed in some respects, it is flawed in others. I will summarize the flaws here:

Flaw Number 1: The authors rely on the relative effects of the high and low olive oil diets on LDL-cholesterol levels in predicting the effect of the two diets on heart disease risk. However, there is a major problem with this argument:

  • HDL-cholesterol levels move in the same direction. Both are decreased in the transition from the high olive oil to the low olive oil diet. Both are increased in the transition from the low olive oil to high olive oil diet. The ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol changes very little, so it is almost impossible to predict what effect these changes will have on heart disease outcomes.

Flaw Number 2: This is related to the flaw I mentioned earlier. No effort was made to control portion size or caloric intake of participants on these diets. The high olive oil diet added 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the low olive oil diet. This significantly increased the fat and caloric intake of participants on the high olive oil diet.

  • Participants lost weight on both diets, but weight loss was significantly greater on the low olive oil diet. In their discussion, the authors admitted that the greater reduction in LDL-cholesterol on the low olive oil diet could have been due to the greater reduction in weight on that diet.

Flaw Number 3: I call this the “straw man” flaw. By adding 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the high olive oil diet the authors created the equivalent of a straw man that was easy knock over. Even if their conclusions were correct, nobody has recommended the addition of 4 tablespoons of olive oil to any diet as a heart-healthy approach.

Mediterraneans don’t add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to their diet. Olive oil is part of the foods they eat and the way they prepare their food.

Why The Headlines Are Misleading: Of course, the headlines were misleading because they ignored the many flaws of the study.

However, I find it amusing that some of the headlines came from “Forks Over Knives” an organization that advocates for a very low-fat plant-based diet. They were using this study to question the value of olive oil as part of a whole-food plant-based diet.

However, when you look at the study, 32% of calories came from fat in the low olive oil diet, and 49% of calories came from fat in the high olive oil diet.

For perspective:

  • The low-fat whole-food plant-based diet recommended by “Forks Over Knives” has <10-15% of calories from fat.
  • The Mediterranean diet typically contains 35-40% of calories from fat.
    • Around 18-19% of that is monounsaturated fat.
    • Around 8% of that is saturated fat.
  • The typical American diet also contains 35-40% of calories from fat.
    • Around 12-14% of that is monounsaturated fat.
    • Around 12% of that is saturated fat.

In other words, the low olive oil diet in this study resembles the fat content of the Mediterranean and typical American diets, not the low-fat whole food plant-based diet recommended by “Forks Over Knives”.

And the high olive oil diet contains fat levels not seen in any natural diet. Except for a few keto enthusiasts, I don’t know of any experts who think getting almost 50% of your calories from any kind of fat is a good thing.

What Is The Truth About Olive Oil And You?

The TruthAs described above, the study behind the headlines is a very small, very short study with multiple flaws. So, you can ignore headlines like “Olive oil is overrated” or “Olive oil doesn’t deserve its health halo.”

The second study I discussed is much larger (92,383 participants) and of much longer duration (28 years). More importantly, it measures health outcomes, not blood biomarkers that might predict health outcomes.

Finally, the second study was not measuring the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, as many other studies have done. It was looking at the effect of varying olive oil intakes in the American diet. The high olive oil intakes in this study were less than those seen in the Mediterranean diet. This is good news for the average American who may feel overwhelmed trying to adopt to a Mediterranean diet.

This study reinforces previous studies showing that olive oil is healthy. But let me put this into context.

  • Olive oil is not a superfood. This study showed that it is no healthier than other plant oils. It is, however, considered one of the best vegetable oils for sauteing. It is also less susceptible to oxidation than seed oils, although I still recommend you store it in the refrigerator.
  • It is not something you add to your diet. It is something you incorporate into your diet. People who live in Mediterranean regions:
    • Cook with olive oil.
    • Use olive oil in their salad dressings and drizzle a little olive oil on cooked vegetable and pasta dishes instead of adding butter.
    • Dip their bread in olive oil rather than using butter or mayonnaise.
    • Use it in spreads like tapenade or hummus.
    • Use olives in cooking.
  • Finally, look for extra virgin olive oil. That doesn’t mean you need to spend “an arm and a leg”. But I would do a little online research before I bought the cheapest brand at the discount store.

The Bottom Line

You may have seen recent headlines claiming that olive oil is overrated and that it doesn’t deserve its “health halo”. So, I looked at the study behind the headlines.

It was a very small, very short study with multiple flaws. You can forget the headlines.

For context I also reviewed another recent study. It was a much larger (92,383 participants) and longer duration (28 years) study. More importantly, it measured actual health outcomes, not just blood biomarkers that might predict health outcomes.

It concluded that olive oil is good for us. It is healthier than most fats commonly found in the American diet, but it is no healthier than other plant oils.

For more details on these studies, what they mean for you, and how to incorporate more olive oil into your diet read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_____________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

 

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Is It Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

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Or Is It Something Else?

Treatment For Wrist Pain Masquerading As Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

HotIt’s been hot this summer. High temperature records were broken not just in the USA, but all over the world!  The funny thing is it was sometimes hotter up north than down here in Florida.

A snowbird client came in several weeks ago and told me they came back to Florida because they don’t have central air in their house up north (never needed it before).  That’s pretty incredible.

For those of us who are old enough to remember the days before air conditioning, we are even more grateful for air conditioning.

I remember being pregnant with my son in 1967, when we were living in San Antonio, Texas.  Most people didn’t have air conditioning yet, and we certainly didn’t.

I came to realize why Southerners talk so slow (remember, I’m a New Yorker).  It was so hot we just didn’t talk at all. It took too much effort!

Fortunately, this time of year seems to pass quickly, and we’ll be getting back into cooler weather before we know it.  At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

Update On Giving To The Lakota Sioux Tribe

(https://www.onespiritlakota.org)

Thank you to so many people who generously gave clothes, shoes, and coats.  Plus, two people gave a donation of money to pay for shipping, and one woman bought shoes during a Walmart Online sale, then she had them shipped directly to the tribe.  I’m getting ready to send a box with coats and sweaters, and I’ve been told more will be coming to the office or being sent directly.  If you would like to send it directly you can get a $30 shipping label for a box up to 70 pounds by going to https://givebackbox.shop/products/one-spirit-shipping-label.

Fusion Massage 

I mentioned to you that I’ve added Fusion Massage to my list of therapies.  Fusion Massage is a blending of relaxing oil massage with the focused osteopathic techniques that I normally do every day.  It works extremely well.  I’ve been doing focused osteopathic therapy for over 30 years, so there is no way that I could glide over a knot in your muscles, knowing that this knot is causing you pain, and not stop to take care of it.  And that’s how Fusion Massage works…I stop gliding when I find a knot, put a piece of cloth on it, and work it out.  Then it’s back to relaxing, gliding strokes again.  Try it, you may like it.

This Month’s Focus Is On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 

For some reason conditions seem to run in waves.  Lately I’ve had several people come in with pain and numbness in their arms, wrists and hands.  Some have even been diagnosed as having carpal tunnel syndrome, others are told they have something different going on.  One person was told she had thoracic outlet syndrome, which is closer to the truth.

Rarely did any of them actually have carpal tunnel syndrome.  CTS is when the median nerve is impinged within the carpal tunnel of the wrist.

This graphic of the carpal tunnel shows how the median nerve and the tendons of the underside of your forearm (the flexor muscle tendons) all pass through the tiny carpal tunnel.

I hope it will help you visualize the problem as you watch the video (below) that explains why muscles from your neck to your thumb can cause burning and tingling in your wrist, hand, and fingers.

A Bonus…A Treatment For Trigger Finger 

Trigger finger is when one of your fingers gets stuck in the bent position, or when a finger won’t bend at all.  Surgery is often recommended, and while it is sometimes necessary, it’s wise to check the tight forearm muscles before doing a medical procedure that can’t be reversed.  The forearm muscles merge into tendons that move your fingers.  If a muscle fiber gets tight, it is pulling on the tendon and therefore putting pressure on the finger.  Release the tight muscles and your finger will move just fine.

Is It Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Or Something Else? 

This video explains how muscles from the neck to the hand can cause symptoms that feel like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Hand and Wrist Pain Caused By Muscle Pain and Joint Stiffness

Treatment For Wrist Pain Masquerading As Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 

If you have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, you can come into the office and I’ll treat each muscle for you, or you can learn to treat it yourself.

In 1997 I had a severe case of CTS, which was so bad it shut down my entire therapy practice.  It took some time and a LOT of searching, but I was able to eventually figure out how to self-treat it for 100% relief WITHOUT surgery.  I’ve been sharing that knowledge ever since, and I’m happy to say it has helped hundreds of people avoid surgery and get total relief.

It’s simple to do, although it takes some time and concentration to learn each technique.  The most challenging part was getting people to be able to apply the right pressure without hurting their opposite hand.

 

I had a client who was a sculptor, and he solved the problem.  He designed a specialized tool, which we called the TotalTX Tool (TX is the abbreviation for “treatment” in the medical world).  We tested it and found that not only does it work to treat the tight muscles that cause CTS, but it can release tension from your neck to your feet!

 

 

For the first few years a person had to come to me to learn how to do it themselves, but ultimately, I figured out how to teach the treatments on a video.  That video became a DVD, and the DVD has grown into an MP4.  Now you can order it on my shopping cart, I’ll mail you the TotalTX Tool, and you’ll get the rest of the pieces as an MP4, so you have them immediately.

Check it out for yourself.  You CAN be your own Best Therapist and Stop Pain FAST!

https://julstromethod.com/product/julstro-system-for-hand-wrist-pain-and-numbness-dv

Give A Man Or Woman A Fish Or Teach Him/Her HOW To Fish

If you have been to my office for therapy, you know that I always teach you how to do something to help yourself at home.  It’s something people really appreciate and tell others about because it’s not the norm in the therapeutic world. Teaching people self-treatment is something I’m very proud of because I am teaching my clients “how to fish.”

Have a wonderful month!

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

www.FlexibleAthlete.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Julie DonnellyJulie Donnelly has been a licensed massage therapist since 1989, specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries. The author of several books including Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living, The Pain-Free Athlete, and The 15 Minute Back Pain Solution.

Julie has also developed a proven self-treatment program for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

She has a therapy practice in Sarasota, Florida, and she travels around the USA to teach massage and physical therapists how to do the Julstro Method, and she also teaches self-treatment clinics to anyone interested in taking charge of their own health and flexibility.

She may be reached at her office: 919-886-1861, or through her website: www.FlexibleAthlete.com

About The Editor

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Are All Plant-Based Diets Healthy?

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Why Are Plant-Based Diets Healthy?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Unless you are like Rip van Winkle and have been asleep for the past 30 years, you have probably heard that plant-based diets are good for you. In fact, that advice is sound. It is based on multiple long-term studies.

But you may still be hesitant to make the switch. You are probably wondering if you have to be a vegan purist to benefit from a plant-based diet. If so, you are wondering whether you can make that drastic a change in your diet. Or, you may have already decided “that is a bridge too far” and don’t want to even consider it.

So, one important question is, “Do you have to go vegan to benefit from a plant-based diet?”

On the other hand, “Big Food, Inc” has made it easier than ever to switch to more “plant-based” eating. After all, sugar comes from plants. And highly processed grains come from plants. Add a few chemicals and you can come up with an endless supply of highly processed plant-based foods.

So, another important question is, “Can a diet of highly processed plant-based foods be as healthy as a diet of whole, unprocessed plant-foods?”

The study (Y. Wang et al., Nutrition Journal, 22: 46, 2023) I am reviewing today was designed to answer these two questions. It also represents the first meta-analysis to combine data from studies on the effects of plant-based diets on diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mortality into a single study.

How Was The Study Done?

clinical studyThe investigators performed a meta-analysis of 76 studies with 2,230,443 participants that looked at the associations of plant-based dietary patterns and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality among adults 18 years or older.

The characteristics of study participants ranged from:

  • 25 to 87 years old.
  • BMI of 20 to 30.

And the duration of the studies within the meta-analysis ranged from 2 to 36 years.

The adherence to plant-based diets was defined as higher consumption of plant-based foods and lower consumption or exclusion of animal-based foods.

The meta-analysis also included studies looking at the effect of changing from a more animal-based to a more plant-based dietary pattern.

The meta-analysis included studies looking at the benefit of vegan and vegetarian diets. In terms of participants these studies represented just over 50% of the data in the meta-analysis. So, this meta-analysis was ideally positioned to determine whether vegan and vegetarian diets were more beneficial than other primarily plant-based dietary patterns that included some animal foods.

The methodology used to classify diets as primarily plant-based varied from study to study. But in each case the study participants were divided into quartiles ranging from consuming the most plant-based diet to consuming the least plant-based diet.

The study then compared study participants with the highest adherence to plant-based diets to those with the lowest adherence to plant-based diets with respect to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality.

Finally, the study also compared adherence to healthy plant-based dietary patterns (whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds) to unhealthy plant-based dietary patterns (foods and drinks with added sugar, highly processed plant foods, and starchy vegetables).

Are Plant-Based Diets Healthy?

When comparing highest to lowest adherence to plant-based dietary patterns the risk of:

  • Type-2 diabetes was reduced by 18%.
  • Cardiovascular disease was reduced by 10%.
  • Cancer was reduced by 12%.
  • Mortality was reduced by 16%.

In short, all the news was good for primarily plant-based dietary patterns.

Are All Plant-Based Diets Healthy?

Increased adherence to a healthy plant-based dietary pattern (That term is defined in the methods section above) was associated with an even better reduction in disease risk. For example:

  • Type-2 diabetes was reduced by 21%.
  • Cardiovascular disease was reduced by 15%.
  • Cancer was reduced by 13%.
  • Mortality was reduced by 14%, which was statistically indistinguishable from the reduction in mortality associated with all plant-based dietary patterns above.

Factory FarmIn contrast, increased adherence to an unhealthy plant-based dietary pattern was associated with increased risks of disease. For example:

  • The risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 8%.
  • The risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 14%.
  • The risk of cancer increased by 7%.
  • The risk of mortality increased by 16%.

In short, plant-based dietary patterns consisting of whole or minimally processed plant foods are good for you. Plant-based dietary patterns consisting of highly processed plant foods are not.

Are Vegan and Vegetarian Diets More Beneficial Than Other Plant-Based Dietary Patterns?

Mediterranean Diet FoodsTwenty seven of the studies within this meta-analysis compared vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns with animal-based dietary patterns. These studies had 1,343,967 participants, which amounts to 57% of the participants in the meta-analysis.

Thus, this meta-analysis was well positioned to determine relative benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets compared to other primarily plant-based dietary patterns that include some animal foods. The investigators reported that:

  • The risk reduction for type 2 diabetes was greater in studies with vegan and vegetarian diets than in studies with other primarily plant-based diets.
  • No other statistically significant benefits were observed for vegan and vegetarian diets compared to other primarily plant-based diets.

In short, you don’t need to become a vegan to experience the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

In contrast, increased adherence to an unhealthy plant-based dietary pattern was associated with increased risks of disease. For example:

  • The risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 8%.
  • The risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 14%.
  • The risk of cancer increased by 7%.
  • The risk of mortality increased by 16%.

In short, plant-based dietary patterns consisting of whole or minimally processed plant foods are good for you. Plant-based dietary patterns consisting of highly processed plant foods are not.

What If You Change From An Animal-Based To A Plant-Based Diet?

Food ChoicesIf you have been consuming an animal-based diet for years, you may be wondering whether it is too late to change. Has the damage already been done?

Six studies within this meta-analysis examined the effect of changing from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet on type 2 diabetes and mortality. Changing to a more plant-based dietary pattern:

  • Reduced diabetes by 17% and mortality by 5%.

In short, it’s never too late to switch to a more plant-based dietary pattern.

Why Are Plant-Based Diets Healthy?

The short answer is that we don’t know for sure, but the authors mentioned several popular hypotheses.

  • Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. And studies have shown that people consuming plant-based diets tend to weigh less.
  • The increased fiber content and higher ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats lower cholesterol levels and improve blood lipid profiles, which are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • Plant-based diets are anti-inflammatory, which reduces the risk of all three diseases.
  • Plant foods are rich in polyphenols and other phytonutrients that are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and improvements in insulin sensitivity.
  • Plant foods are metabolized by gut bacteria to metabolites that are associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • Plant foods support healthy gut bacteria associated with a reduced risk of several diseases.
  • Finally, plant-based dietary patterns are associated with no or reduced consumption of red and processed meats, which increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

For a more detailed discussion read the article).

What Does This Study Mean For You?

The authors of this study concluded, “Higher adherence to plant-based dietary patterns, especially from healthy sources, may be universally beneficial for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality. The current study provides further evidence in support of current recommendations that emphasize consuming high-quality plant-based foods for achieving optimal health.”

“Future studies are needed to elucidate…mechanistic pathways linking plant-based diets with multiple disease outcomes.”

I would just like to emphasize a few points:

  • These are all association studies. It takes decades for diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer to develop. So, it is impossible to confirm these findings with double blind, placebo-controlled studies. However, when you have 76 studies with over 2 million participants all pointing to the same conclusion, it is hard to ignore the findings.
  • The good news is that you don’t have to become a vegan to experience these benefits. There are many healthy primarily plant-based diets available. Choose the one that best fits your food preferences and lifestyle.
  • Be aware that whatever diet you choose, Big Food Inc is only too happy to provide you with highly processed foods that fit that dietary pattern. Don’t fall for that trap. Stick with whole or minimally processed plant foods.
  • If your current diet isn’t the best, it is never too late to switch to a healthier primarily plant-based diet.

The Bottom Line

A recent meta-analysis of 76 studies with 2,230,443 participants looked at the associations of plant-based dietary patterns and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality among adults 18 years or older.

The authors of the study concluded, “Higher adherence to plant-based dietary patterns, especially from healthy sources, may be universally beneficial for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality. The current study provides further evidence in support of current recommendations that emphasize consuminh high-quality plant-based foods for achieving optimal health.”

Other key points from the study are:

  • These are all association studies. It takes decades for diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer to develop. So, it is impossible to confirm these findings with double blind, placebo-controlled studies. However, when you have 76 studies with over 2 million participants all pointing to the same conclusion, it is hard to ignore the findings.
  • The good news is that you don’t have to become a vegan to experience these benefits. There are many healthy primarily plant-based diets available. Choose the one that best fits your food preferences and lifestyle.
  • Be aware that whatever diet you choose, Big Food Inc is only too happy to provide you with highly processed foods that fit that dietary pattern. Don’t fall for that trap. Stick with whole or minimally processed plant foods.
  • If your current diet isn’t the best, it is never too late to switch to a healthier primarily plant-based diet.

For more details about how the authors came to these conclusions and what they mean for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 ______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Are Calcium Supplements Safe?

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What Does This Study Mean For You?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

Pendulum
Pendulum

Should you avoid calcium supplements because they increase your risk of heart disease? Some headlines and blog posts would have you believe that. You may have been told that by your doctor. But is it true?

Unfortunately, this is another example of the swinging pendulum that we often see in supplement studies. One day a study comes out saying that calcium supplements increase the risk of heart disease. A few months later another study comes out saying that is not true. Calcium supplements don’t increase heart disease risk.

The pendulum keeps swinging until you are totally confused. You don’t know what to believe. And “experts” (including your doctor) pick one side or the other depending on what they believe about supplements in general.

I have told you before that good scientists wait until multiple studies have been done and base their opinion based on what the preponderance of studies show. I can tell you that multiple studies have been done and the preponderance of studies show that calcium supplements do not increase the risk of heart disease. But that doesn’t prove that calcium supplements are safe. It just shows they are likely to be safe.

That is why the authors of the current study (X Huo et al, Current Developments In Nutrition, volume 7, Issue 3: 100046, March 2023) analyzed the weaknesses of previous studies and tried to design a study that lacked those weaknesses.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyThe investigators searched through the literature to identify all placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials (the gold standard for clinical studies) assessing the effects of calcium supplements alone or calcium supplements with vitamin D on heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality.

They restricted their analysis to studies with at least 500 participants that lasted for at least a year. They further restricted their analysis to studies whose authors were willing to share unpublished data on the number of participants in each treatment group who had a heart attack, stroke, or any other kind of heart disease; died from heart disease; or died from all causes during the study.

They ended up with 11 clinical studies in their analysis. The breakdown was as follows:

  • Seven studies with 8,634 participants compared calcium alone with placebo.
    • Participants in these studies averaged 71 years old and were 79% female.
    • The daily calcium dose varied from 1.0 to 1.5 g/day.
    • The mean duration of treatment was 4.1 years (range = 2-5 years).
  • Six studies with 46,804 participants compared calcium plus vitamin D with placebo.
    • Participants in these studies averaged 65 years old and were 98% female.
    • The daily calcium dose varied from 1.0 to 1.5 g/day and the daily vitamin D dose ranged from 400 to 2,000 IU/d.
    • The mean duration of treatment was 6 years (range = 1.5-7 years).
  • In case you were wondering about the math, some studies included both calcium alone versus placebo and calcium plus vitamin D versus placebo.

The authors then combined the data from all 11 studies and performed a meta-analysis on the effect of calcium alone on adverse heart outcomes and calcium plus vitamin D on adverse heart outcomes.

Are Calcium Supplements Safe? 

calcium supplementsThe results were clear-cut.

  • Calcium alone was not significantly associated with any increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease of any kind, deaths from heart disease, and deaths from all causes.
  • Calcium with vitamin D was not significantly associated with any excess risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease, deaths from heart disease, and deaths from all causes.

In their discussion, the authors pointed out two caveats to their conclusions:

  • In the calcium only portion of the meta-analysis the number of participants who experienced a stroke or types of heart disease other than heart attack and stroke was very small. So, they could not exclude an absolute increased risk of 0.3-0.5% per year for these types of rare events.
  • The participants in the 11 studies included in their meta-analysis were not selected based on their risk of heart disease. So, the authors could not exclude the possibility that calcium supplements might increase the risk of heart disease in people who were already at high risk of heart disease.

The authors concluded, “This meta-analysis demonstrated that calcium supplements were not associated with any significant hazard for heart disease, stroke, or all-cause mortality…Hence, for people with low bone density and low absolute risks of heart disease, the present report demonstrates no concern about excess heart disease risks associated with calcium supplements.

However, further large trials are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of combined supplementation with calcium and vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporotic fracture in older people at high risk of heart disease.”

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Questioning WomanAs I said above, the preponderance of evidence suggests that calcium supplementation does not increase your risk of heart disease. This study reinforces that conclusion.

I can’t guarantee that some future study won’t come to the opposite conclusion, and the pendulum will swing again. And I can’t guarantee that your doctor has kept up with the most recent literature on calcium supplementation and heart disease risk.

The authors of this study also pointed out that we don’t have any clinical studies on the effect of calcium on heart disease risk if you are already at high risk of heart disease. So, if you are at high risk of heart disease, any advice that I or your doctor give you about calcium supplementation might be wrong. We simply don’t know.

Finally, I realize that you may be equally confused about whether calcium supplementation can strengthen your bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. I won’t discuss that question today. Instead, I will refer you to two previous articles I have written in “Health Tips From the Professor” on that topic.

The first article discusses the flaws in previous studies claiming that calcium supplements are ineffective at increasing bone density and preventing osteoporotic fracture.

The second article describes a bone-healthy lifestyle.

The Bottom Line

While the preponderance of studies have shown that calcium supplementation does not increase the risk of heart disease, that conclusion remains controversial.

To clarify that issue, a group of investigators searched through the literature to identify all placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials (the gold standard for clinical studies) assessing the effects of calcium supplements alone or calcium supplements with vitamin D on heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality. They then performed a meta-analysis of those clinical studies.

Their meta-analysis showed that:

  • Calcium alone was not significantly associated with any increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease of any kind, deaths from heart disease, and deaths from all causes.
  • Calcium with vitamin D was not significantly associated with any excess risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease, deaths from heart disease, and deaths from all causes.

This study strengthens the conclusion that calcium supplementation does not increase the risk of heart disease.

For more details about the study and references discussing the effect of calcium supplementation on bone density, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Omega-3 Supplements Are Safe

by

Why Do Clinical Studies Disagree? 

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney 

Pendulum
Pendulum

Six weeks ago, the title of my “Health Tips From the Professor” article was, “Are Omega-3 Supplements Safe?” That’s because I was reviewing a study that claimed long-term use of omega-3 supplements increased the risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke. And it had led to headlines like, “Omega-3 Supplements May Increase the Risk of Heart Disease” and “Fish Oil Supplements May Increase The Risk of Stroke and Heart Conditions”.

This week, the title of my article is, “Omega-3 Supplements Are Safe”. I did not choose this title to express my opinion, although I am in general agreement with the statement. I chose that title because the omega-3 pendulum has swung again. The article (M Javaid et al, Journal of The American Heart Association, Volume 13, Number 10: e032390, 2024) I am reviewing today came to the conclusion that omega-3 supplements don’t increase the risk of stroke.

I understand your confusion. You are wondering how scientists can tell you one thing today and the total opposite tomorrow. It is conflicting results like this that cause the public to lose faith in science. And when people lose faith in science they are easily influenced by “snake oil” charlatans on the internet.

So, after I describe this study, I will discuss why scientific studies come up with conflicting results and compare these two studies in detail. That is probably the most important part of this article.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyScientists from Freeman Hospital and Newcastle University in the UK conducted a meta-analysis combining the data from 120,643 patients enrolled in 11 clinical trials that evaluated the effects of omega-3 supplementation. The inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis were as follows:

  • The studies were randomized trials that compared omega-3 supplements with placebo or standard treatment. Half the patients received the omega-3 supplement.
  • The patients were either previously diagnosed with heart disease or were at high risk of developing heart disease.
  • The studies reported the incidence of bleeding events.

The study asked whether omega-3 supplementation increased the risk of bleeding events (defined as hemorrhagic stroke, intracranial bleeding, or gastrointestinal bleeding) compared to a placebo or standard treatment.

Omega-3 Supplements Are Safe

Omega-3s And Heart DiseaseThe results were reassuring for omega-3 supplement users. When compared to a placebo or standard treatment, omega-3 supplements.

  • Did not increase the risk of overall bleeding events.
  • Did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, intracranial bleeding, or gastrointestinal bleeding.
  • Did not increase the risk of bleeding in patients who were also taking blood thinners (Blood thinners reduce the ability of blood to clot and can lead to bleeding events. This study found that adding omega-3 supplements to these drugs did not increase bleeding risk.

But here is where it gets interesting. One of the 11 studies included in the meta-analysis used a high dose (4 grams/day) of Vascepa, a highly purified ethyl ester of EPA produced by the pharmaceutical company Amarin. When the authors analyzed the data from this study alone, they found that Vascepa:

  • Increased the relative risk of bleeding by 50% compared to the control group.
    • While this sounds scary, the absolute risk of bleeding was only increased by 0.6% compared to the control group.
    • I will explain the difference between relative risk and absolute risk below. But for now, you can think of absolute risk as a much more accurate estimate of your actual risk.

The authors of the meta-analysis speculated that the increased bleeding risk associated with the use of Vascepa could be due to the:

  • High dose of EPA (4 gm/day) or…
  • Lack of DHA and other naturally occurring omega-3s in the formulation. The authors said:
    • The effect of DHA on the endothelial lining is weaker than that of EPA (EPA makes the endothelial lining “less sticky” which reduces its ability to trigger blood clot formation. This is one of the mechanisms by which EPA is thought to decrease blood clot formation.)
    • The ability of DHA to inhibit oxidation of Apo-B-containing particles was less sustained than that of EPA (Oxidized Apo-B-containing particles increase the risk of blood clot formation. Inhibition of that oxidation by EPA is another of the mechanisms by which EPA is thought to decrease blood clot formation.)

The authors concluded, “Omega-3 PUFAs [polyunsaturated fatty acids] were not associated with increased bleeding risk. Patients receiving high-dose purified EPA [Vascepa] may incur additional bleeding risk, although its clinical significance is very modest.”

What Is The Difference Between Relative And Absolute Risk?

Question MarkRelative risk is best defined as the percentage increase or decrease in risk compared to the risk found in a control group. Absolute risk, on the other hand, is the actual increase or decrease in risk in the group receiving the intervention.

Relative risk is an excellent tool for identifying risks. However, it magnifies the extent of the risk, so it can be misleading. For example,

  • If the absolute risk of some event occurring in the general population was 40%, a 50% increase in relative risk would increase the absolute risk by 20% (40% X 0.5 = 20%) to give a total risk of 60% (40% + 20%). In this case, both the relative and absolute risk are significantly large numbers.
  • However, if the absolute risk in the general population was 1%, a 50% increase in relative risk would only increase the absolute risk to 1.5%, a 0.5% increase in absolute risk. In this case, the increase in relative risk appears significant, but it is misleading because the absolute increase in risk is a modest 0.5%.
  • The latter resembles the situation in this study when the authors compared bleeding events in patients receiving Vascepa to those receiving a placebo. The absolute risk of bleeding events in the control group was 1.2%. The risk of bleeding events in the Vascepa group was 1.8%. That is a 50% increase in relative risk but only a 0.6% increase in absolute risk.

Why Do Clinical Studies Disagree?

Confusion Clinical StudiesAs I have said many times before, there is no perfect clinical study. Every study has its strengths and its flaws. So, it is perhaps instructive to compare this study and the previous study I reviewed 6 weeks ago. Here are some of the questions I ask when evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of clinical studies.

#1: What kind of study is it?

  • The previous study was an association study. It can only report on associations. It cannot determine cause and effect. Outcomes like atrial fibrillation and strokes could have been caused by unrelated variables in the population studied.
  • The current study was a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled clinical trials. Because the only difference between the two groups is that one received omega-3 supplements, it can determine cause and effect.

#2: How many people were in the study?

  • Both studies were very large, so this was not a factor.

#3: How long was the study?

  • The previous study lasted 12 years. The clinical trials within this meta-analysis lasted one to five years. This is a slight advantage for the previous study because it might be better able to detect risks of chronic use of omega-3 supplements.

#4: How were participants selected?

  • Participants in the previous study had no previous diagnosis of heart disease while participants in the current study either had a previous diagnosis of heart disease or were at high risk of developing heart disease.

This difference would be relevant if both studies were looking at the benefits of omega-3 supplements. However, the current study was only looking at the side effects of omega-3 supplements, so this is not an important consideration.

Doctor With Patient#5: How was omega-3 intake monitored?

  • This was a significant flaw of the previous study. Use of omega-3 supplements was determined by a questionnaire administered when the subjects entered the study. No effort was made to determine whether the amount of omega-3s consumed remained constant during the 12-year study.
  • The clinical studies within the current meta-analysis were comparing intake of omega-3 supplements to placebo and monitored the use of the omega-3 supplements throughout the study.

#6: What is the dose-response?

  • This was another serious flaw of the previous study. There was no dose-response data.
  • The current study provided limited dose-response data. From the data they presented it appeared that the risk of bleeding events was only slightly dose-dependent except for the clinical study with the high dose (4 gm/day) EPA-only Vascepa drug. It was a clear outlier, which is why they analyzed the data from that study independently from the other studies.

#7: What outcomes were measured?

  • The only common outcome measured in the two studies was hemorrhagic stroke.
  • The previous study reported that omega-3 supplementation increased the risk of stroke by 5% in the general population. However:
    • That result just barely reached statistical significance.
    • It was a 5% increase in relative risk. The authors did not report absolute risk.
    • It was an association study, so it could not determine cause and effect.
  • The current study found omega-3 supplementation had no effect on the risk of stroke in a population that either had heart disease or were at high risk of heart disease.
    • The exception, of course, was the group taking the high dose Vascepa drug (see below).

Heart Disease Study#8: Was the risk clinically significant?

  • As I said above, the previous study only reported relative risk, which can be misleading. However, absolute risk can be calculated from their data. For example,
    • The risk of developing atrial fibrillation in the group taking omega-3 supplements was 4.4% (calculated from Table 2 of the manuscript). The authors said that represented a 13% increase in relative risk compared to the group not taking omega-3 supplements. This means the absolute (actual) increase in risk is about 0.6%.
    • The risk of stroke in the group taking omega-3 supplements was 1.5% (calculated from Table 2 of the manuscript). The authors said that represented a 5% increase in relative risk compared to the group not taking omega-3 supplements. This means the absolute (actual) increase in risk is about 0.08%.
  • In the current study the increased risk of stroke in the group taking the high-dose (4 gm/day) EPA-only Vascepa drug was 50% for relative risk, but only 0.6% for absolute risk.
    • The authors of the current study argued that, based on absolute risk, the risk of stroke for people taking Vascepa was “clinically insignificant”. I would argue the same is true for the results reported in the previous study and the headlines they generated.

#9: Who sponsored the study? 

  • The previous study was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization that has no obvious interest in the outcome of the study.
  • The current study is sponsored by Amarin, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures and markets Vascepa.
    • However, to their credit, the authors made no effort to hide the negative data about Vascepa.
      • In fact, they highlighted the negative data, noted that the increased bleeding risk with Vascepa was different from the omega-3 supplements studied, and offered possible explanations for why a high potency, EPA-only supplement might increase the risk of bleeding more than a lower potency omega-3 supplement containing both EPA and DHA.
    • They did, however, choose to emphasize the 0.6% absolute increase in bleeding risk rather than the 50% relative increase in bleeding risk. However, as I noted above absolute risk is a more accurate way to report risk, especially when the risk in the control group is only 1.2%.

Perspective On This Comparison:

You may be tempted to conclude that the previous study was garbage. Before you do, let me provide some perspective.

  • The data for that study came from the UK Biobank, which is a long-term collection of data by the British government from over 500,000 residents in the United Kingdom. The data are made available to any researcher who wants to study links between genetic and environmental exposure to the development of disease. However, the data were not collected with any particular study in mind.

This is why omega-3 intake was only determined at the beginning of the study and there was no dose-response information included. The experimental design would have been different if the study were specifically designed to measure the influence of omega-3 supplementation on health outcomes. However, because of cost, the sample size would have been much smaller, which would have made it difficult to show any statistically significant results.

  • Relative risk rather than absolute risk is almost universally used to describe the results of clinical studies because it is a larger number and draws more attention. However, as I described above, relative risk can be misleading. In my opinion, both relative and absolute risk should be listed in every publication.

What Does This Study Mean For You?

ConfusionScientists know that every study has their flaws, so we don’t base our recommendations on one or two studies. Instead, we look at the totality of data before making recommendations. When looking at the totality of data two things stand out.

  • The bleeding risk with Vascepa is not unique. There are some studies suggesting that high dose (3-4 gm/day) omega-3 supplements containing both EPA and DHA may increase bleeding risk, although probably not to the same extent as Vascepa.
  • An optimal Omega-3 Index of 8% is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and does not appear to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation or bleeding events such as hemorrhagic stroke. And for most people, an 8% Omega-3 Index can be achieved with only 1-2 gm/day of omega-3s.

So, my recommendations are the same as they were 6 weeks ago.

  • Be aware that high-dose (3-4 gm/day) of omega-3 supplements may cause an increased risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke, but the risk is extremely small.
  • Omega-3 supplementation in the 1-2 gm/day range appears to be both safe and effective.
  • I recommend getting your Omega-3 Index determined, and if it is low, increasing your omega-3 intake to get it into the 8% range.

The Bottom Line

A recent meta-analysis concluded that omega-3 supplementation does not increase the risk of bleeding events, including hemorrhagic stroke, intracranial bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

The exception was the high-dose (4 gm/day), EPA-only drug Vascepa, which increases bleeding risk from 1.2% to 1.8%, a 0.6% increase in absolute risk.

This study contradicts a previous study I shared with you only six weeks ago, so I made a detailed comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of each study.

For more details on these studies and what they mean for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_______________________________________________________________________

About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Is It Achilles Tendonitis Or Something Else?

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Treatment For The Flexor Digitorum and Hallucis Muscles

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

The snowbirds are long gone!  The plus is that it’s easier to get into restaurants, and the roads aren’t as crowded.  Of course, the minus is the weather. August is the hottest month of the year.

August is definitely a s-l-o-w month in Florida.  The temperature is in the mid-upper 90’s, which isn’t too bad for a Floridian, but the humidity feels like it’s 120°!

You walk out of your cool house, and it hits you like a wet washcloth, immediately making you sweat from your hair to your toes.

So, it’s time to just relax, enjoy the beach and read a good book.   And thank heaven for air-conditioning!

Helping Others

Helping HandSeveral years ago, I was curious as to who is the poorest Native American tribe in the USA.  I did a search through the internet and found that it is the Lakota Sioux who live in Pine Ridge, SD.  I found that 97% of the population has a median household income that ranges between $2,600 and $3,500 A YEAR!  That means that the median household income ranges between $215 and $290 a month!  That is appalling!

This is the United States of America, and the First Nation, who was here before any of our ancestors arrived on this land, is starving, freezing, and living in squalor.  They don’t even have running water!

There is so much more that you can read for yourself by going to https://www.truesiouxhope.org/single-post/2015/02/10/the-lakota-sioux-tribe-a-look-at-the-statistics.

The only way the Lakota Sioux are going to be able to enjoy even some of the freedoms that we take for granted, is for them to be educated so they can raise their standard of living.

With that in mind, about four years ago I started a monthly donation that is earmarked specifically for education.  I’m continuing that donation, but I want to take it a bit further.

I called Jeri Baker, the Director of www.OneSpiritLakota.org to find out how to collect the items that would help the children get an education.

Ms. Baker said that 75% of the children don’t finish high school because they are ashamed of the clothes they are wearing.

Kids/teenagers can be so cruel, making fun of them because of their poverty.

We can help!  I am setting up a box in my office and I’m asking you to help.  If you have gently used clothes, or winter coats, that are appropriate for teenagers to wear to school, or maybe a pair of new sneakers (kids really make fun of their beat-up shoes), that would be wonderful.

If you don’t have anything you can donate, perhaps you could help pay for the postage to South Dakota.  That would help so I can send more boxes.

Or if you’d rather do this on your own, go to https://www.onespiritlakota.org and you can see how you can donate directly to the tribe.

Thank you for your kindness!

Is It Achilles Tendonitis Or Something Else? 

It may feel like Achilles Tendonitis, but the area of the body that we are talking about this month is underneath your Achilles Tendon.

Especially runner’s think that they are having Achilles Tendonitis, which is caused by your calf muscles getting tight and putting pressure on the Achilles Tendon.  However, the muscles we’ll be treating are underneath your calf muscles and cause the same pattern as Achilles Tendonitis.

The muscles are the flexor digitorum longus (on left) which inserts into the bottom of your four toes

and the flexor hallucis longus (on right) which inserts into the bottom of your big toe

These muscles curl your toes down, toward your arch.

Treatment For The Flexor Digitorum and Hallucis 

Click on the link below and you can watch a video on how to self-treat both of these muscles.

https://www.capcut.com/view/7368473939858686470?workspaceId=7296693802712973318

Helping Yourself 24/7 At Home

Pain-Free AthleteYou don’t have to be an athlete to get the most out of this book!

Not only are there pictures demonstrating how to treat your entire body, but there is a LOT of information about the muscles and why they are causing problems.

There are also 4 color charts that show you where you feel the pain, and where the source of the pain is coming from.

This book also has a detailed nutrition chapter, and an exercise chapter that can be altered to fit every level of ability.

Stop rubbing on the symptoms of pain and treat the source!

https://julstromethod.com/product/pain-free-athlete-book/

And Finally, Look At This!!!! 

Julie Donnelly – TALK SHOW INTERVIEW – Fabulous with Fabio

I’m so excited!  I was interviewed by an amazing man named Fabio Marques.  It’s almost an hour long, but you may find it interesting, so I wanted to share it with you.

If you know anyone who owns a business, and whose employees do a repetitive movement, please share it with them. I want to bring the ability to stop pain FAST to millions of people.  It could change their lives!

Have a beautiful summer!

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

www.FlexibleAthlete.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

____________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 _____________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Julie DonnellyJulie Donnelly has been a licensed massage therapist since 1989, specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries. The author of several books including Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living, The Pain-Free Athlete, and The 15 Minute Back Pain Solution.

Julie has also developed a proven self-treatment program for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

She has a therapy practice in Sarasota, Florida, and she travels around the USA to teach massage and physical therapists how to do the Julstro Method, and she also teaches self-treatment clinics to anyone interested in taking charge of their own health and flexibility.

She may be reached at her office: 919-886-1861, or through her website: www.FlexibleAthlete.com.

About The Editor

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.

Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Which Diets Are Best For The Planet?

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Which Diets Are Best For Your Health?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

HotIs it hot enough yet? I’m not going to take a stand in the global warming debate. But I will say this summer has been extraordinarily hot – even for North Carolina.

So, what can we do about it? I will list some options below. But with “tongue in cheek” I will give voice to both sides of each option.

  • We can elect politicians of our choice and hope they have the wisdom to balance reductions in global warming with the energy needs of our country – but there has been little evidence of that wisdom from either end of the political spectrum.
  • We can purchase electric cars – despite their cost, limited range, and long refueling times.
  • We can recycle – even though most of what we recycle ends up in regular trash.
  • We can turn up our thermostats in summer and down in winter – and choose to swelter in summer and shiver in winter.
  • We can change our diet – but wait. Could this be a win no matter what our views are on climate change? Could the same diets that are better for the planet also be better for our health?

That is the hypothesis today’s study (K. O’Malley et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117: 701-708, 2023) set out to test.

How Was The Study Done?

clinical studyThe investigators analyzed 24-hour dietary recall data from 16,412 participants from the 2005 – 2010 NHANES survey. NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) is an ongoing, nationally representative, survey to measure the health and nutrition status of the US population. This investigation used data collected between 2005 and 2010.

The dietary data were used to categorize the intake of individual participants into different diets as follows:

  • Vegan – plant foods only.
  • Vegetarian – includes eggs and dairy but excludes meat.
  • Pescatarian – includes fish as the major source of meat.
  • Paleo – excludes grains, legumes, and dairy.
  • Keto – excludes grains, legumes, fruits, and starchy vegetables.
  • Omnivore – Any diet not included in the categories above.

The omnivore diet was further divided to identify people following the DASH and Mediterranean diets.

The environmental impact of each diet was calculated based on the amount of CO2 and methane produced in the production of the foods included in the diet.

The impact on our health of each diet was calculated based on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index.

  • The Healthy Eating Index was first developed in 1995 as tool to gauge how well a diet followed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans established by the Department of Health & Human Services and the USDA.
  • The Alternative Healthy Eating Index was first developed in 2002 to include a wider range of foods and to better predict the effect of diet on chronic diseases based on clinical studies of health outcomes.
  • Each of these indices are regularly updated as more data become available.

Which Diets Are Best For the Planet?

I have put the data in a graphical format, so it is easier to visualize.The vertical axis is greenhouse gas emissions expressed as kg of CO2 equivalents per 1,000 calories (The term CO2 equivalents is used because cows and sheep produce methane which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2). Lower is better.

On the horizontal axis the diets from left to right are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, paleo, keto, omnivore, DASH, and Mediterranean. The diets with the least greenhouse gas emissions are shown in green (the greener the better), and the diets with the most greenhouse gas emissions are shown in orange and red.

Which Diets Are Best For Your Health?

Once again, I have chosen a graphical representation.

The vertical axis is the Alternative Healthy Eating Index. In this case, higher is better.

The color score is the same as above. However, I would note that:

  • Fish is the main animal protein source in the pescatarian diet. I suspect that the vegan and vegetarian diets would score just as high as the pescatarian diet in the Alternative Healthy Eating Index if an omega-3 supplement was taken along with the diets.
  • The Alternative Healthy Eating Index is weighted heavily on clinical studies showing that a particular diet reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and/or cancer. That is likely why the DASH diet ranks so high. It was designed to decrease the risk of hypertension. Because of that there have been dozens of studies showing it reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

The available evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet is just as effective as the DASH diet at reducing the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes. But we do not yet have as many studies looking at the effect of the Mediterranean diet on those diseases. Based on the currently available evidence, I consider the Mediterranean diet to be just as healthy as the DASH diet.

Finally, I would like to point out the obvious. This and other studies show that the same diets that are good for the planet are good for our health.

For example, the authors estimated:

  • For any given day, if a third of omnivores in the United States switched to a vegetarian diet, it would be equivalent to eliminating 340 million passenger miles in gas-powered vehicles.
  • If this change were implemented year-round, it would amount to almost 5% of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed to meet the original US targets in the Paris accords.
  • For those omnivores who made the switch to a vegetarian diet, it would improve diet quality by 6%.

Of course, if all omnivores in the United States switched to a vegetarian diet, these percentages would be tripled, but that is wildly unrealistic.

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Planetary DietThe take home lesson from this study is clear.

If your primary concern is climate change, choose the planet-healthy diet that best fits your food preferences and lifestyle. [The ones with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions are shown in green in the first graph above – the greener, the better.] Any of these diets will also be good for your health.

If your primary concern is health, choose the healthy diet that best fits your food preferences and lifestyle. [The ones with the highest Alternate Healthy Eating Index are shown in green in the second graph above – the greener, the better.] Any of these diets will also be good for the planet.

 

The Bottom Line

A recent study compared 8 popular diets (vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, paleo, keto, omnivore, DASH, and Mediterranean) with respect to their impact on the environment and on your health.

The results were clear-cut. The diets that were best for the planet were best for your health and vice-versa.

For example, the authors estimated:

  • For any given day, if a third of omnivores in the United States switched to a vegetarian diet, it would be equivalent to eliminating 340 million passenger miles in gas-powered vehicles.
  • If this change were implemented year-round, it would amount to almost 5% of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed to meet the original US targets in the Paris accords.
  • For those omnivores who made the switch to a vegetarian diet, it would improve diet quality by 6%.

For more details about this study and what it means for you read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

 About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

 

Can You Build Muscle in Your 80s?

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What Does It Take to Build Muscle in Your 80s?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

As we age it becomes harder to build muscle, so we start to lose muscle mass and strength, a physiological process called sarcopenia. In last week’s issue of “Health Tips From the Professor” I shared studies showing it was possible to slow, and even reverse, age-related loss of muscle mass in our 60’s and 70’s with the correct combination of resistance exercise, protein, and leucine.

But what about those of us in our 80s? Here recent studies have not been as reassuring. The results have been mixed, with some studies suggesting it is impossible to maintain muscle mass in our 80s.

But we know that it is possible for some people to maintain their muscle mass and accomplish incredible physical feats in their 80s. For example, those of you who are my age or older may remember Jack LaLanne, the so-called “Father of the Fitness Movement” who had a popular fitness show on TV from 1953 to 1985. He celebrated his 80th birthday by swimming one and a half miles in the Long Beach harbor towing 80 rowboats with 80 people in them.

Was Jack LaLanne a “freak of nature” or was it his incredible dedication and focus that allowed him to perform incredible physical feats in his 80’s? After all:

  • He ate only whole, unprocessed foods. He did not allow processed foods, fast foods, or convenience foods to cross his lips.
  • He did two hours of high-intensity workouts every day until the day before he died at age 96 in 2011.

More important is the question of what his physical feats mean for us. Does his example hold out hopes for all of us who wish to maintain our strength and vigor until the Lord calls us home? Or did he set a standard too high for mere mortals like us to achieve?

That is essentially the question that today’s study (GN Marzuca-Nassr et al, International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 34: 11-19, 2024) set out to answer.

The authors postulated that previous studies with subjects in their 80s came up short because they included infirm subjects in their studies and/or the intensity of exercise was too low. This study was designed to overcome those shortcomings.

How Was This Study Done?

clinical studyThe investigators recruited 29 healthy, elderly adults (9 men and 20 women) who were either 65-75 (average age = 68) or over 85 (average age = 87) who were still living in the community rather than being institutionalized for health reasons. The average BMI was 26.4 (moderately overweight) for both groups.

The participants selected for the study had not engaged in any kind of regular resistance training in the previous 6 months. The study excluded individuals with any kind of heart disease, health conditions, or physical limitations that would prevent them from participating in the resistance exercise training program associated with this study.

Participants were asked to fill in a three-day dietary recall at the beginning and end of the study. They were asked not to change their habitual dietary intake or physical activity during the study The diet recall at the end of the study showed compliance with this request. Their dietary intake was calculated based on the average of the two diet recalls.

No significant difference in macronutrient content of the diet was found between groups. For example, the 65-75 group consumed 1.1 g of protein/kg of body weight/day, and the over 85 group consumed 1.2 g of protein/kg of body weight/day.

Both groups were enrolled in a 3-times/week resistance exercise program for 12 weeks. The exercise training program was designed as follows:

  • Warm up consisted of 5-minutes on a cycle ergometer followed by full range of motion upper limb movements and one warm up set on both leg press and leg extension machines.
  • This was followed by 4 sets on the leg press and leg extension machines and 2 sets of upper body exercises (chest press, lat pulldown, and horizontal row).
  • Cool-down consisted of 5 minutes of stretching exercises.

Just prior to the study, the maximum strength on each exercise machine was determined for each participant. The intensity of their workouts was increased from 60% to 80% of that maximum over the 12 weeks of exercise training.

The outcomes of the study were as follows:

  • Quadriceps (the muscles on the front of the thigh) cross-sectional area was measured at the beginning and end of the study.
  • Whole body lean mass and appendicular lean mass (The lean mass in legs and arms) were measured at the beginning and end of the study.
  • The maximum strength for one repetition on each exercise machine was measured at the beginning and end of the study.

The increase in quadriceps cross-sectional area, lean mass, and strength was compared for the 65-75 group and the over 85 group.

Can You Build Muscle In Your 80s? 

Frail ElderlyAt the beginning of the study, the over 85 age group scored lower in every category measured in this study. For example:

  • Quadriceps cross-sectional area was 7% less in the over 85 age group than in the 65-75 age group.
  • Leg extension strength was 10% less in the over 85 age group than in the 65-75 age group.

This loss of muscle mass and strength is to be expected. Although the over 85 age group was consuming enough protein, they were not exercising on a regular basis. Consequently, they were experiencing sarcopenia, age-related loss of muscle mass.

The results of this 12-week resistance exercise intervention were impressive.

  • Quadriceps cross-sectional area increased by 10% in the 65-75 age group and by 11% in the over 85 age group. These increases were not statistically different.
    • Quadriceps cross sectional area increased for everyone in the study, but the increase varied widely from individual to individual.
    • The increase varied from 1% to 18% in the 65-75 age group and from 6% to 21% in the over 85 age group.
  • Whole body lean muscle mass increased by 2% in both the 65-75 and over 85 age groups.
  • Appendicular lean muscle mass (lean muscle mass in the arms and legs) also increased by 2% in both groups.
  • Leg extension strength increased by 38% in the 65-75 age group and by 46% in the over 85 age group.
    • Once again, the increase in leg extension strength varied considerably from individual to individual. The increase varied from 5% to 76% in the 65-75 age group and from 26% to 70% in the over 85 age group.
  • Similar results were seen for leg press, lat pull down, chest press, horizontal row, and grip strength.

The authors concluded, “Prolonged [12 week] resistance exercise training increases muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in the aging population, with no differences between 65-75 and 85+ adults. The skeletal muscle adaptive response to resistance exercise training is preserved even in male and female adults older than 85 years.”

What Does It Take To Build Muscle In Your 80s?

Why did this study show a benefit of resistance exercise for building muscle mass in octogenarians when previous studies have come up short? The authors postulated this was due to differences in the subjects included in the study and the intensity, frequency, and duration of resistance exercise.

  • This study included only healthy, community dwelling seniors who could engage in a rigorous training program. Some previous studies included institutionalized seniors who may have been less healthy and more frail.
  • The resistance exercise training used in this study involved multiple sets on exercise machines three times a week at 60-80% of maximum intensity for a total of 12 weeks. Previous studies included 1-2 sets, once or twice a week, at lower intensity, and for a shorter duration.

Much more research needs to be done, but the take-home lessons appear to be:

1) It is possible to increase muscle mass in your 80s with sufficient protein and a sufficiently intense resistance exercise program.

2) Not every 80-year-old adult will be able to increase their muscle mass. At the very least, this and previous studies suggest that frail, institutionalized men and women in their 80s may not be able to increase their muscle mass.

    • Whether this is because their health conditions interfere with their muscle’s ability to build muscle, or they are simply unable to perform the high intensity exercises required to build muscle mass in their 80’s is unclear. More research is needed. While everyone in this study increased muscle mass and strength, the increase varied widely from individual to individual (see above).

My guess is that some of the people in the study did not get enough protein in their diet to support an increase in muscle mass at 85 and older. The over 85 group averaged 1.2 gm of protein/kg body weight/day, but their intake ranged from 0.8gm/kg/day to 1.6 gm/kg/day.

However, the difference in gain of muscle mass and strength could have been due to almost anything. Unfortunately, this study was too small to reliably determine what caused the differences in response to the resistance training.

3) It may require a high intensity resistance exercise program to increase muscle mass in your 80s. Unfortunately, there are very few studies like this for people in their 80s. All we know is that this was a high intensity, high frequency, and long duration resistance exercise program, and it worked. Studies with lower intensity exercise programs have not worked. But nobody has done a study comparing the effectiveness of different intensity exercise programs for people in their 80s.

4) There are too few studies on what it takes for people in their 80s and beyond to stay fit and healthy. The authors of this report argued that this information is vital for guiding government programs designed to support an aging population. It is equally important for all of us who want to remain fit and healthy in our 80s and beyond.

What Does This Study Mean For You?

good news bad newsIn my previous “Health Tips From the Professor” I have discussed multiple studies looking at sarcopenia or age-related muscle loss.

The bad news is that we start losing muscle mass and strength around age 50, and the rate of decline starts to accelerate in our 60s and beyond. This is a normal part of aging. It affects all of us. And if left unchecked, it can have devastating effects on our quality of life in our golden years.

The good news is that we can slow and even reverse the age-related loss of muscle mass by a combination of adequate intake of protein, adequate intake of the essential amino acid leucine, and resistance exercise. Leucine intake is usually adequate when we rely on animal proteins as our main protein source but may be a concern if we rely primarily on plant proteins. So, let’s take a deeper look at protein and exercise requirements.

  1. We need more protein to build muscle in our golden years than we did in our 30s. If you want more information on the studies supporting that statement, go to https://chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/ and type sarcopenia in the search box. Most experts in this field of study recommend around 1.2 gm of protein/kg of body weight/day rather than the RDA of 0.8 gm of protein/kg of body weight/day for people 65 or older who wish to maintain or increase muscle mass. This study suggests that 1.2 gm/kg/day is also sufficient for people who are 85 and older.

Previous studies have shown that the protein is best utilized to preserve muscle mass when it is spread evenly through the day. That is a concern because many seniors get most of their protein in the evening meal. The article I shared last week showed that adding 20 grams of supplemental protein to the low-protein meals (typically breakfast and/or lunch) was sufficient to balance protein intake and minimize age-related muscle loss.

[Note: To help you with the calculations, 1.2 gm of protein/kg of body weight/day is equal to 0.54 gm of protein/pound of body weight/day. Some quick calculations show that amounts to 78 grams if you weigh 140, 95 grams if you weigh 170, and 112 grams if you weigh 200. Or to simplify, that amounts to 25-30 grams of protein/meal for most people – more if you weigh above 170 pounds.]

2) We need a higher intensity of resistance exercise to build muscle in our golden years than we did in our 30s. Several previous studies have hinted at that possibility. This study shows that a high intensity resistance exercise program is effective at building muscle mass for people 85 and above. Previous studies suggest that lower intensity exercise programs are not effective in this age group. 

This is an important finding because it is opposite to the usual recommendations for this age group. In the words of the authors, “At an advanced age, people are generally recommended to partake in low-intensive physical activities. We strongly advocate that resistance exercise should be promoted without restriction to support more active, healthy aging.”

Of course, the caveat is that this study excluded frail, institutionalized adults and people with health or physical limitations that would prevent them from participating in a high-intensity resistance exercise program.

So, here are my recommendations:

  • Discuss your desire to implement a high intensity resistance exercise program with your health professional. Ask them about any health issues or physical limitations that would affect the exercises you choose.
  • Ask your health professional to refer you to a physical therapist to design a high-intensity exercise program you can do at home that is appropriate to your health and physical condition. If the referral comes from your health professional, these sessions may be covered by insurance.
  • If you want to utilize the exercise equipment in a gym, start by having a personal trainer knowledgeable about working with people like you design a workout program for you. My personal preference is to continue working with a personal trainer who challenges me to maximize the intensity of my training while taking into account any temporary physical limitations I may be experiencing.

Finally, I recognize that the exercise program described in this study may be too intense for many of my readers. But I also suspect that none of you want to become so frail you can’t enjoy your golden years. So, do what you can. But do something.

The Bottom Line

Most Americans lose lean muscle mass as they age, a physiological process called sarcopenia. This loss of muscle mass leads to reduced mobility, a tendency to fall (which often leads to debilitating bone fractures) and a lower metabolic rate – which leads to obesity and all the illnesses that go along with obesity.

Fortunately, sarcopenia is not an inevitable consequence of aging. There are 3 things we can do to prevent it.

  • Optimize resistance exercise training.
  • Optimize protein intake.
  • Optimize leucine intake.

Last week I talked about optimizing protein and leucine intake. This week I review an article that compared the effectiveness of a 12-week high intensity resistance exercise program for increasing muscle mass and strength with people in the 65-75 age group with those who were age 85 and above.

The results of this 12-week resistance exercise intervention were impressive.

  • Quadriceps cross-sectional area increased by 10% in the 65-75 age group and by 11% in the over 85 age group. These increases were not statistically different.
  • Whole body lean muscle mass increased by 2% in both the 65-75 and over 85 age groups.
  • Leg extension strength increased by 38% in the 65-75 age group and by 46% in the over 85 age group.
  • Similar results were seen for leg press, lat pull down, chest press, horizontal row, and grip strength.

The authors concluded, “Prolonged [12 week] resistance exercise training increases muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in the aging population, with no differences between 65-75 and 85+ adults. The skeletal muscle adaptive response to resistance exercise training is preserved even in male and female adults older than 65 years.”

“At an advanced age, people are generally recommended to partake in low-intensive physical activities. We strongly advocate that resistance exercise should be promoted without restriction to support more active, healthy aging.”

For more details about the study and what it means for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

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About The Author 

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years.  Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Health Tips From The Professor