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Ask about CT angiography. If you have risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history, or smoking), ask your doctor whether a coronary CT angiography might be appropriate. It’s the imaging technique used in this study and can detect plaque before it causes symptoms.
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Let’s talk about treating weight loss, cholesterol, and PCOS with diet. What can an eighth of a teaspoon a day of onion powder do for body fat, and what can raw red onion do for cholesterol?
In one of my previous videos about onions, I talked about the data supporting—or not supporting—the role of onions in boosting testosterone in men, protecting bone health, controlling allergies, and dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy. What about weight loss? Enter the “Effect of Steamed Onion (ONIRO) Consumption on Body Fat and Metabolic Profiles in Overweight Subjects.” Researchers used steamed onions, which aren’t as spicy and have a weaker smell, so they could better disguise them as a placebo. They dried them into onion powder and gave people a minuscule amount—about an eighth of a teaspoon (300 mg) a day. Surely, a little daily dusting of onion powder wouldn’t affect people’s weight. But check out the results reported in the abstract: Measurements using a DEXA scan showed a significant reduction in body fat mass, and a CT scan revealed a significant decrease in whole, visceral, and subcutaneous fat areas.
Hold on. If a little onion powder is so effective for weight loss, why wasn’t it featured in my book How Not to Diet? Because, as so often happens in studies, the spin in the abstract doesn’t accurately represent the actual data. The DEXA scan results measured no significant change of fat in the group that got the placebo capsules. They only appeared to lose about a spoonful (7 g) of fat, whereas the group unknowingly taking an eighth of a teaspoon of onion powder stuffed into capsules lost nearly one and a half pounds (0.64 kg) of body fat—a significant drop from baseline, but not a statistically significant drop compared to the placebo group, meaning the loss could have just been due to chance. Same thing with the CT scan results: 5 times more loss of overall fat and over 30 times more loss of the dangerous visceral fat, but the results did not reach statistical significance compared to placebo.
A more recent study tried four teaspoons (9 g) of onion powder a day and similarly failed to accelerate the loss of visceral, total, or subcutaneous fat compared to placebo—but the placebo was also four teaspoons (9 g) of onion powder a day. They used yellow onions versus white onions, and it seems they both may have caused a loss of abdominal body fat, without a significant difference between them. Either way, you might look at these two studies and think, sure, but what are the downsides? It’s only an eighth of a teaspoon of onion powder a day, so why not give it a try? It can’t hurt, but we just don’t have enough evidence to be confident it will actually help.
Let’s talk about polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS. It’s one of the most common hormone disorders, affecting 5% to 10% of reproductive-aged women. In addition to causing symptoms like irregular periods, “PCOS is a pre-diabetic state, with decreased insulin sensitivity.” PCOS treatment is challenging due to medication side effects. So, are there dietary options? How about a randomized controlled clinical trial of raw red onion intake?
Why onions? Well, onion extracts can evidently improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in rats with diabetes and, more importantly, were found to reduce blood sugar levels in humans with diabetes, but evidently not in non-diabetic humans. People with PCOS are kind of pre-diabetic, so would it work for them? First, let’s look at those other two studies. To study the “Metabolic Effects of Onion and Green Beans,” people with diabetes spent a week eating either a small onion (60 g) each day or the same diet with about six cups (600 g) of green beans instead—and both approaches worked. The onion lowered people’s blood sugar levels by about 10% compared to a non-onion control diet, while the green beans lowered them by roughly 15% compared to the control.
Here’s the study that supposedly shows no blood sugar benefits for people without diabetes. It’s true—onions don’t seem to lower normal blood sugar levels, which is a good thing, but check out what happens when you feed people sugar. Have people consume about two and a half tablespoons (50 g) of corn syrup, and their blood sugar levels shoot up over the next two hours before their body can tamp it back down. But give people the exact same amount of sugar along with more and more onion extract, and the blood sugar spike is significantly dampened, almost as much as if you had instead given them an antidiabetic drug, as you can see below and at 4:00 in my video Onions Put to the Test for Weight Loss, Cholesterol, and PCOS Treatment.
We see the same blunting effect on blood sugar when people get a shot of adrenaline and eat onion extract, compared to receiving adrenaline without the onion extract, as you can see below and at 4:11 in my video.
So, are there blood sugar benefits for both people with and without diabetes? No difference was found in blood sugar levels or other markers of insulin resistance between the high-onion and low-onion groups of PCOS patients, nor were there any differences in a marker of inflammation between the two groups. But women with PCOS aren’t just at higher risk for diabetes and inflammation—they are also at higher risk for high cholesterol.
Women with PCOS are over seven times more likely to have a heart attack and develop heart disease, the number one killer of women. But consuming raw red onion appears to be effective in lowering cholesterol, though the group that ate more onions only dropped their LDL cholesterol about 5 points (5 mg/dL), which was not significantly different than the group that ate fewer onions.
I did find this study from 50 years ago where researchers fed people nearly an entire stick (100 g) of butter, and their cholesterol shot up about 30 points within hours of consumption but by only 9 points or 3 points when combined with about a third of a cup (50 g) of raw or boiled onion. The moral of the story: Don’t eat a stick of butter.
Doctor’s Note
Check out the previous video I mentioned: Friday Favorites: Are Onions Beneficial for Testosterone, Osteoporosis, Allergies, and Cancer?.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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What is the recommended diet for treating leaky gut? Which foods and food components can boost the integrity of our intestinal barrier?
Our intestinal tract is the largest barrier between us and the environment. More than what we touch or breathe, what we eat is our largest exposure to the outside world. Normally, our entire gastrointestinal tract is impermeable to what’s inside of it, allowing our body to pick and choose what goes in or out. But there are things that may make our gut leaky, and the chief among them is our diet.
The standard American or Western diet can cause gut dysbiosis, meaning a disruption in our gut microbiome, which can lead to intestinal inflammation and a leaky intestinal barrier. Then, tiny bits of undigested food, microbes, and toxins can slip uninvited through our gut lining into our bloodstream and trigger chronic systemic inflammation.
“To avoid this dysbiosis and intestinal inflammation, a predominantly vegetarian diet”—in other words, eating plants—“should be preferred.” The gut bacteria of people eating a vegetarian diet are associated with intestinal microbiome balance, high bacterial biodiversity, and integrity of the intestinal barrier. Vegetarians tend to have markedly less uremic toxins, like indole and p-cresol, and because fiber is the primary food for our gut microbiome, the gut bacteria of those eating plant-based diets have been found to produce more of the good stuff—namely short-chain fatty acids that play “a protective and nourishing role” for the cells lining our gut, “ensuring the preservation” of our intestinal barrier. Plant fiber is of “prime importance” to preserving the integrity of our intestinal barrier, but you can’t know for sure until you put it to the test.
When people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were given whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds for six months, they had a significant reduction in zonulin levels.
Zonulin is a protein responsible for the disassembly of the tight junctions between gut-lining cells and is “considered to be the only measurable biomarker that reflects an impairment of the intestinal barrier.” In other words, zonulin is a useful marker of a leaky gut. But since adding all those plants seemed to lower levels, that may “imply that appropriate fiber intake helps to maintain the proper structure and function of the intestinal barrier.” But whole healthy plant foods have a lot more than fiber. How do we know it’s the fiber? And the study didn’t even have a control group. That’s why the researchers said “gut permeability might be improved by dietary fiber” [emphasis added]. To prove cause and effect, it’d be nice to have a randomized, double-blind, crossover study where you compare the effect of the same food with or without fiber.
Such a study does, in fact, exist! A group of healthy young men was randomized to eat pasta with or without added fiber, and there was a significant drop in zonulin levels in the added-fiber group compared to both pre-intervention levels and those of the control group, as you can see below and at 2:51 in my video How to Heal a Leaky Gut with Diet.
So, fiber does indeed appear to improve gut leakiness.
Are there any plant foods in particular that may help? Curcumin, the yellow pigment in the spice turmeric, can help prevent the intestinal damage caused by ibuprofen-type drugs in rats. Similar protection was noted for the broccoli compound sulforaphane in mice. There are no human studies on broccoli yet, but there was a study on three days of the equivalent of about 2 to 3 teaspoons a day of turmeric, which did reduce markers of gastrointestinal barrier damage and inflammation caused by exercise compared to a placebo. Less turmeric may work, too, but no smaller doses have been put to the test.
If you ask alternative medicine practitioners what treatments they use for a leaky gut, number one on the list—after reducing alcohol consumption—is zinc. You can see the list below and at 3:42 in my video.
Zinc doesn’t just protect against aspirin-like drug-induced intestinal damage in rats; when put to the test in a randomized trial of healthy adults, the same thing was found. Five days of 250 mg of indomethacin, an NSAID drug, “caused a threefold rise in gut permeability,” as one would expect from that class of drugs. But this rise in permeability did not occur when participants also took zinc, “strongly suggesting a small-intestinal protective effect.” The dose they used was massive, though—75 mg a day, which is nearly twice the tolerable upper daily limit for zinc. What about getting zinc just at regular doses from food?
A significant improvement in gut leakiness was found even with a dose of just 3 mg of zinc, suggesting that even relatively low zinc supplementation may work. You can get an extra 3 mg of zinc in your daily diet by eating a cup (200g) of cooked lentils.
Doctor’s Note
For more on preventing gut dysbiosis and leaky gut, check out Flashback Friday: Gut Dysbiosis: Starving Our Microbial Self and Avoid These Foods to Prevent a Leaky Gut.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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Peptides are having a moment. Scroll through social media, and you’ll find everyone from orthopedic surgeons to your neighbor extolling them as the next frontier in longevity. The hype isn’t entirely misplaced, but the reality is more nuanced than a trending reel might suggest.
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Common drugs, foods, and beverages can disrupt the integrity of our intestinal barrier, causing a leaky gut.
Intestinal permeability, the leakiness of our gut, may be a new target for both disease prevention and therapy. With all its tiny folds, our intestinal barrier covers a surface of more than 4,000 square feet—that’s bigger than a tennis court—and requires about 40% of our body’s total energy expenditure to maintain.
There is growing evidence implicating “the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity” in the development of a number of conditions, including celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers measured intestinal permeability using blue food coloring. It remained in the gut of healthy participants but was detected in the blood of extremely sick patients with sepsis with a damaged gut barrier. You don’t have to end up in the ICU to develop a leaky gut, though. Simply taking some aspirin or ibuprofen can do the trick.
Indeed, taking two regular aspirin (325 mg tablets) or two extra-strength aspirin (500 mg tablets) just once can increase the leakiness of our gut. These results suggest that even healthy people should be cautious when using aspirin, as it may cause gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction.
What about buffered aspirin, an aspirin-antacid combination which theoretically “buffers” gastrointestinal irritation? It apparently doesn’t make any difference: Regular aspirin and Bufferin both produced multiple erosions in the inner lining of the stomach and intestine. Researchers put a scope down people’s throats and saw extensive erosions and redness inside 90% of those who took aspirin or Bufferin at their recommended doses. How many hours does it take for the damage to occur? None. It can happen within just five minutes. Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol in the United States, may not lead to gastrointestinal damage and could be a better choice, unless you have problems with your liver. And rather than making things better, vitamin C supplements appeared to make the aspirin-induced increase in gut leakiness even worse.
Interestingly, this may be why NSAID drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen “are involved in up to 25% of food-induced anaphylaxis.” In other words, they are associated with over 10-fold higher odds of life-threatening food allergy attacks, presumably because these drugs increase the leakiness of the intestinal barrier, causing tiny food particles to slip into the bloodstream. But can exercise increase risk, too?
Strenuous exercise—for instance, an hour at 70% maximum capacity—may divert so much blood to the muscles and away from our internal organs that it may cause transient injury to our intestines, causing mild gut leakiness. But this can be aggravated if athletes take ibuprofen or any other NSAID drugs, which is unfortunately all too common.
Alcohol can also be a risk factor for food allergy attacks for the same reason—increasing gut leakiness. But cut out the alcohol, and our gut might heal up.
What other dietary components can make a difference? Elevated consumption of saturated fat, which is found in meat, dairy, and junk food, can cause the growth of bad bacteria that make the rotten-egg gas hydrogen sulfide, which can degrade the protective mucus layer. You can see the process below and at 3:21 in my video Avoid These Foods to Prevent a Leaky Gut.
It is said to be clear that high-fat diets in general have a negative impact on intestinal health by “disrupting the intestinal barrier system through a variety of mechanisms,” but most of the vast array of studies that cited the negative effects were done on lab animals or in a petri dish. Are people affected the same way? You don’t know for sure until you put it to the test.
Rates of obesity and other cardiometabolic disorders have increased rapidly alongside a transition from traditional lower-fat diets to higher-fat diets. We know a disturbance in our good gut flora has been shown to be associated with a high risk of many of these same diseases, and studies using rodents suggest that a high-fat diet “unbalances” the microbiome while impairing the gut barrier, resulting in disease. To connect all the dots, though, we need a human interventional trial—and we got one: a six-month randomized controlled-feeding trial on the effects of dietary fat on gut microbiota. It found that, indeed, higher fat consumption was associated with unfavorable changes in the gut microbiome and proinflammatory factors in the blood. Note that this wasn’t even primarily saturated fat, such as from meat and dairy. The researchers just replaced refined carbohydrates with refined fats—swapping out white rice and wheat flour for soybean oil. These findings suggest that countries westernizing their diets should advise against increasing dietary fat intake, while countries that have already adopted such diets should consider cutting down.
Doctor’s Note
For more on leaky gut, check out The Leaky Gut Theory of Why Animal Products Cause Inflammation and How to Heal a Leaky Gut with Diet.
I also talked about gut leakiness in my SIBO video: Friday Favorites: Tests, Fiber, and Low FODMAP for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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Exercise remains one of the most effective tools for managing knee osteoarthritis (yes, the right type of movements help manage this kind of pain), researchers are increasingly curious about whether certain supplements can help people get more out of rehab. One compound drawing attention? Creatine. This supplement is best known for muscle strength and athletic performance, but one that may also play a role in joint health and functional recovery.
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What happened when topical olive oil was pitted against an ibuprofen-type drug for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Fifty million Americans suffer from arthritis, and osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common form, making it a leading cause of disability. There are several inflammatory pathways that underlie the disease’s onset and progression, so various anti-inflammatory foods have been put to the test. Strawberries can decrease circulating blood levels of an inflammatory mediator known as tumor necrosis factor, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into clinical improvement. For example, drinking cherry juice may lower a marker of inflammation known as C-reactive protein, but it failed to help treat pain and other symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. However, researchers claimed it “provided symptom relief.” Yes, it did when comparing symptoms before and after six weeks of drinking cherry juice, but not any better than a placebo, meaning drinking it was essentially no better than doing nothing. Cherries may help with another kind of arthritis called gout, but they failed when it came to osteoarthritis.
However, strawberries did decrease inflammation. In fact, in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, dietary strawberries were indeed found to have a significant analgesic effect, causing a significant decrease in pain. There are tumor necrosis factor inhibitor drugs on the market now available for the low, low cost of only about $40,000 a year. For that kind of money, you’d want some really juicy side effects, and they do not disappoint—like an especially fatal lymphoma. I think I’ll stick with the strawberries.
One reason we suspected berries might be helpful is that when people consumed the equivalent of a cup of blueberries or two cups of strawberries daily, and their blood was then applied to cells in a petri dish, it significantly reduced inflammation compared to blood from those who consumed placebo berries, as you can see below and at 2:02 in my video Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Arthritis.
Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory effect increased over time, suggesting that the longer you eat berries, the better. Are there any other foods that have been tested in this way?
Researchers in France collected cartilage from knee replacement surgeries and then exposed it to blood samples from volunteers who had taken a whopping dose of a grapeseed and olive extract. They saw a significant drop in inflammation, as shown below and at 2:30 in my video.
There haven’t been any human studies putting grapeseeds to the test for arthritis, but an olive extract was shown to decrease pain and improve daily activities in osteoarthritis sufferers. So, does this mean adding olive oil to one’s diet may help? No, because the researchers used freeze-dried olive vegetation water. That’s basically what’s left over after you extract the oil from olives; it’s all the water-soluble components. In other words, it’s all the stuff that’s in an olive that‘s missing from olive oil.
If you give people actual olives, a dozen large green olives a day, you may see a drop in an inflammatory mediator. But according to a systematic review and meta-analysis, olive oil—on its own—does not appear to offer any anti-inflammatory benefits. What about papers that ascribe “remarkable anti-inflammatory activity” to extra virgin olive oil? Their evidence is from rodents. In people, extra virgin olive oil may be no better than butter when it comes to inflammation and worse than even coconut oil.
So, should we just stick to olives? Sadly, a dozen olives could take up nearly half your sodium limit for the entire day, as you can see below and at 3:47 in my video.
When put to the test, extra virgin olive oil did not appear to help with fibromyalgia symptoms either, but it did work better than canola oil in alleviating symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any studies putting olive oil intake to the test for arthritis. But why then is this blog entitled “Can Olive Oil Compete with Arthritis Drugs?” Because—are you ready for this?—it appears to work topically.
Topical virgin olive oil went up against a gel containing an ibuprofen-type drug for osteoarthritis of the knee in a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Just a gram of oil, which is less than a quarter teaspoon, three times a day, costing less than three cents a day, worked! Topical olive oil was significantly better than the drug in reducing pain, as you can see below and at 4:37 in my video.
The study only lasted a month, so is it possible that the olive oil would have continued to work better and better over time?
Is olive oil effective in controlling morning inflammatory pain in the fingers and knees among women with rheumatoid arthritis? The researchers went all out, comparing the use of extra virgin olive oil to rubbing on nothing and also to rubbing on that ibuprofen-type gel, and, evidently, the decrease in the disease activity score in the olive oil group beat out the others.
Doctor’s Note
For more on joint health, see related posts below.
What about eating olive oil? See Olive Oil and Artery Function.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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Does your dog scratch constantly, get hot spots, or have digestive problems like diarrhea? Dogs with food allergies and sensitivities can experience a host of problems. In fact, it’s estimated that about 40% of dogs with dermatitis and itchy skin have food allergies. In other words, there’s a good chance diet could be contributing to your dog’s symptoms. When you switch to a limited ingredient dog food, it can benefit your pups’ sensitive stomachs and allergic reactions in many ways, including these seven!
While it’s not always possible to pinpoint what your dog is allergic to, common ingredient list items include beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, and eggs. When you limit their diet, you reduce potential allergen exposure, making it easier to avoid triggers and reactions.
When your dog eats food that contains something they’re allergic to, it triggers an immune response that includes inflammation and a range of skin symptoms, including:
When you remove potential common allergens and irritants from their diet, it gives their immune system a chance to calm down, bringing relief from constant scratching and irritation.
Food allergies cause itching and inflammation, so they can also cause recurring skin and ear infections. Inflammation can disrupt the skin barrier, so when your dog scratches, wounds form and bacteria enter, causing an infection.
By stopping the allergy cycle, a limited-ingredient diet can give your dog’s skin and coat a chance to heal, especially if the diet contains quality protein sources, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Not only will symptoms cease, but they’ll also have healthier skin and a shinier, softer coat.
Allergies and food sensitivities also cause gastrointestinal problems. Limited-ingredient dog diets usually focus on simple, highly digestible ingredients. This supports better nutrient absorption, less strain on the gut, and improved overall digestive health. What’s more, they’ll have better stool quality and fewer GI symptoms, such as:
Companies that make limited-ingredient diets typically prioritize high-quality, nutrient-dense, whole food ingredients and complete, balanced diets that promote stronger energy levels and better long-term wellness. Furthermore, a limited-ingredient dog food diet supports a calmer, more balanced immune response, enabling their body to focus on maintaining total body health.
Dogs often avoid eating when food causes stomach pain, itching, or discomfort. By contrast, when their body feels good after eating, they’ll naturally develop a stronger, healthier appetite. Therefore, one of the benefits of limited-ingredient pet food is that it eliminates triggers and can help make mealtime enjoyable again.
Venture recipes from Earthborn Holistic are an ideal solution for dogs with allergies and sensitivities. They feature carefully selected proteins, omega fatty acids, antioxidant-rich vegetables, probiotics, amino acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. What they don’t contain is common triggers for allergies or sensitivities, such as:
Crafted in the USA using premium ingredients, Earthborn Holistic comes from a long-standing, family-owned company established in 1926. For generations, they’ve focused on nourishing food for dogs and cats with quality nutrition, protecting the environment through sustainability efforts, and giving back to communities through meaningful charitable programs.
Visit Earthborn Holistic to learn more about their Venture recipes and other high-quality diets for dogs and cats!
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Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
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Animal Wellness
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Dog and cat parents understand the value of pet supplements that contain functional ingredients with proven benefits. Supplements of this kind are used to support mobility, cognition, healthy aging, energy, and overall health. And what if there were a functional ingredient that did it all? Sounds too good to be true, right? Glyconutrients like sialic acid have wide-ranging advantages for pet health, but only MIRANEST has found a potent natural source of sialic acid and harnessed it into a powerful pet supplement that supports skin and coat health, digestion, energy, healthy aging, and so much more!
Sialic acid is one of the eight essential glyconutrients, specialized sugars the body relies on for cellular repair and regeneration. These sugars are fundamental components of cell membranes and help cells communicate so the body can heal and function properly. Sialic acid also helps activate mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside cells that convert nutrients into ATP, the energy required for nearly every biological process. In addition, glyconutrients like sialic acid stimulate growth factors such as filaggrin and IGF-1.
By stimulating filaggrin and IGF-1, sialic acid reinforces the skin barrier and nourishes hair follicles. And by improving nutrient delivery at the cellular level, it also enables the body to heal from within and:
By activating mitochondria, glyconutrients like sialic acid boost cellular energy, support muscle repair and regeneration, and help maintain strength, stamina, and healthy muscle function as the body ages.
Sialic acid also supports pain relief and mobility by improving cellular energy, reducing inflammation, promoting tissue repair, and supporting healthy joints, muscles, and connective tissues. This helps dogs and cats move more comfortably and stay active longer.
Thanks to sialic acid’s ability to support cellular communication, including between neurons, it has neuroprotective properties and contributes to cognitive function and long-term brain health.
Another role of sialic acid is helping form glycocalyx, the protective outer layer of cells that regulates immune signaling and inflammatory responses. In other words, sialic acid helps regulate inflammation, strengthen immune responses, and protect against pathogens.
You can find small amounts of sialic acid in foods like organ meats, colostrum, royal jelly, and some dairy products. However, most commercial pet diets are lacking in this important nutrient. Fortunately, one Japanese company has harnessed nature’s most potent source of sialic acid to create a powerful skin and coat solution for dogs and cats. MIRANEST uses a cruelty-free, bio-sustainable swiftlet nest extract paired with healing plant-based ingredients to promote vitality, skin and coat health, hot spots, allergies, joints and mobility, immunity, gut health, and whole-body health. Trusted by more than 100,000 pet parents and pet professionals worldwide, 93% of pet parents see results in as little as 30 days!
Visit MIRANEST to learn more about sialic acid for pet health and their 100% natural pet products that support health without drugs, steroids, or side effects!
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Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
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Animal Wellness
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How do barukas, also known as baru almonds, compare with other nuts?
There is a new nut on the market called baru almonds, branded as “barukas” or baru nuts. Technically, it isn’t a nut but a seed native to the Brazilian Savannah, known as the Cerrado, which is now among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Over the last 30 years, much of the Cerrado’s ecosystem has been destroyed by extensive cattle ranching and feed crop production to fatten said cattle. If it were profitable not to cut down the native trees and instead sell baru nuts, for example, that could be good for the ecosystem’s health. But what about our health?
“Although baru nuts are popular and widely consumed, few studies report on their biological properties.” They do have a lot of polyphenol phytonutrients, presumably accounting for their high antioxidant activity. (About 90% of their phytonutrients are present in the peel.) Are they nutritious? Yes, but do they have any special health benefits—beyond treating chubby mice?
Researchers found that individuals fed baru nuts showed lower cholesterol, supposedly indicating the nuts “have great potential for dietary use” in preventing and controlling cholesterol problems. But the individuals were rats, not humans, and the baru nuts were compared to lard. Pretty much everything lowers cholesterol compared to lard. Nevertheless, there haven’t been any reports about the effect of baru nut consumption on human health, until this: A randomized, controlled study of humans found that eating less than an ounce a day for six weeks led to a 9% drop in LDL cholesterol. Twenty grams would be about 15 nuts or a palmful.
Like many other nut studies, even though the research subjects were told to add nuts to their regular diets, there was no weight gain, presumably because nuts are so filling that we inadvertently cut down on other foods throughout the day. How good is a 9.4% drop in LDL? It’s the kind of drop we can get from regular almonds, though macadamias and pistachios may work even better, but those were at much higher doses. It appears that 20 grams of baru nuts work as well as 73 grams of almonds. So, on a per-serving basis or a per-calorie basis, baru nuts really did seem to be special.
There are lower-dose nut studies that show similar or even better results. In this one, for instance, people were given 25 grams of almonds for just four weeks and got about a 6% drop in their LDL cholesterol. In another study, after consuming just 10 grams of almonds a day, or just seven individual almonds a day, study participants got more like a 30% drop in LDL during the same time frame as the baru nuts. Three times better LDL at half the dose with regular almonds, as you can see below and at 2:47 in my video Are Baruka Nuts the Healthiest Nut?.
The biggest reason we are more confident in regular almonds than baru almonds is that studies have been done over and over in more than a dozen randomized controlled trials, whereas in the only other cholesterol trial of baru nuts, researchers found no significant benefit for LDL cholesterol, even at the same 20-gram dose given for even longer—a period of eight weeks.
That’s disappointing, but it isn’t the primary reason I would suggest choosing other nuts instead of baru nuts. I would do so because we can’t get raw baru nuts. They contain certain compounds that must be inactivated by heat before we can eat them. The reason raw nuts are preferable is because of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), so-called glycotoxins, which are known to contribute to increased oxidative stress and inflammation.
Glycotoxins are naturally present in uncooked animal-derived foods, and dry-heat cooking like grilling can make things worse. The three highest recorded levels have been in bacon, broiled hot dogs, and roasted barbecued chicken skin—nothing even comes close to that, not even Chicken McNuggets, as you can see below and at 3:50 in my video.
However, any foods high in fat and protein can create AGEs at high enough temperatures. So, although plant foods tend to “contain relatively few AGEs, even after cooking,” there are some high-fat, high-protein plant foods. But, again, AGEs aren’t a problem at all with most plant foods. See the AGE content in boiled tofu (in a soup, for instance), broiled tofu, a raw apple, a baked apple, a veggie burger—I was surprised that veggie burgers are so low in AGEs, even when baked or fried—and nuts and seeds, which are up in tofu territory, especially when roasted, which is why I would recommend raw nuts and seeds and nut and seed butters whenever you have a choice. See below and at 4:33 in my video.
Doctor’s Note
In my Daily Dozen checklist, I recommend eating a quarter cup of nuts or seeds or two tablespoons of nut or seed butter each day. Why? See related posts below.
For those unfamiliar with advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), check out the first two videos I did on them way back when: Glycotoxins and Avoiding Glycotoxins in Food.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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Did the five randomized controlled trials of reishi mushrooms in cancer patients show benefits in terms of tumor response rate, survival time, or quality of life?
Can mushrooms be medicinal? Mushroom-based products make up a sizable chunk of the $50 billion supplement market. “This profitable trade provides a powerful incentive for companies to test the credulity of their customers and unsupported assertions have come to define the medical mushroom business.” For example, companies marketing herbal medicines “exploit references to studies on mice in their promotion of mushroom capsules and throat sprays for treating all kinds of ailments”—but we aren’t mice.
It wouldn’t be surprising if mushrooms had some potent properties. After all, fungi are where we’ve gotten a number of drugs, not the least of which is penicillin, as well as the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin and the powerful immunosuppressant drug cyclosporin. Still don’t think a little mushroom can have pharmacological effects? Don’t forget they can produce some of our most powerful poisons, too, like the toxic Carolina false morel that looks rather toadstooly, while others, as you can see here and at 1:15 in my video Medicinal Mushrooms for Cancer Survival, have a more angelic look like the destroying angel—that is its actual name—and as little as a single teaspoon can cause a lingering, painful death.
We should have respect for the pharmacological potential of mushrooms, but what can they do that’s good for us? Well, consuming shiitake mushrooms each day improves human immunity. Giving people just one or two dried shiitake mushrooms a day (about the weight-equivalent of five to ten fresh ones) for four weeks resulted in an increase in proliferation of gamma-delta T lymphocytes and doubled the proliferation of natural killer cells. Gamma-delta T cells act as a first line of immunological defense, and, even better, natural killer cells kill cancer. Shiitake mushrooms did all this while lowering markers of systemic inflammation.
Oyster mushroom extracts don’t seem to work as well, but what we care about is whether mushrooms can actually affect cancer outcomes. Shiitakes have yet to show a cancer survival benefit, but what about reishi mushrooms, which have been used as a cancer treatment throughout Asia for centuries?
What does the science say about reishi mushrooms for cancer treatment? A meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials showed that patients who had been given reishi mushroom supplements along with chemotherapy and radiation were more likely to respond favorably, compared to chemotherapy/radiotherapy on its own. Although adding a reishi mushroom extract improved tumor response rates, “the data failed to demonstrate a significant effect on tumour shrinkage when it was used alone,” without chemo and radiation. So, they aren’t recommended as a single treatment, but rather an adjunct treatment for patients with advanced cancer.
“Response rate” just means the tumor shrinks. Do reishi mushrooms actually improve survival or quality of life? We don’t have convincing data suggesting reishi mushroom products improve survival, but those randomized to reishi were found to have “a relatively better quality of life after treatment than those in the control group.” That’s a win as far as I’m concerned.
What about other mushrooms? Although whole shiitake mushrooms haven’t been put to the test for cancer yet, researchers have said that lentinan, a compound extracted from shiitakes, “completely inhibits” the growth of a certain kind of sarcoma in mice. But, in actuality, it only worked in one strain of mice and failed in nine others. So, are we more like the 90% of mouse strains in which it didn’t work? We need human trials—and we finally got them. There are data on nearly 10,000 cancer patients who have been treated with the shiitake mushroom extract injected right into their veins. What did the researchers find? We’ll find out next.
Doctor’s Note
Stay tuned for White Button Mushrooms for Prostate Cancer.
Also check out Friday Favorites: Mushrooms for Prostate Cancer and Cancer Survival.
For more on mushrooms, see Breast Cancer vs. Mushrooms and Is It Safe to Eat Raw Mushrooms?.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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A few months ago, I got my routine lab work back, and one number stopped me in my tracks. My neuroinflammation marker was off the charts. Which made no sense. I felt great. I was training regularly, sleeping well, and eating clean. But my doctor, Frank Lipman, M.D., told me it could be a lingering sign of Long COVID, even though I hadn’t had symptoms in months.
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Whenever we have red, itchy, dry, or inflamed skin, we often reach for various cleansers, lotions, serums, and other concoctions to help calm things down. While these topicals can be very effective (here’s what we recommend to get rid of redness on the face at home), certain nutrients you consume also protect the skin.
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There’s a reason spices and herbs have been prized in herbal medicine for thousands of years: These key players contain powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that help with myriad health concerns—from immunity to skin health to cognition.
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For many dog owners, the idea of chiropractic care for animals sounds either surprising or downright strange. Isn’t chiropractic something for people with bad backs? What does it have to do with dogs? As it turns out, a lot.
Animal chiropractic is a growing field that focuses on one critical principle: the connection between the spine and the nervous system. When that connection is free and functional, your dog’s body works better. When it’s restricted, the result can be pain, stiffness, behavioral changes, and even organ dysfunction.
The beauty of chiropractic lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t treat specific diseases or prescribe medication. Instead, it works with your dog’s own innate intelligence, the body’s built-in ability to heal and regulate itself. When the spine is properly aligned, that natural healing potential is unleashed.
To understand how animal chiropractic works, you first need to understand how the nervous system functions. The nervous system is the master control system of the body. It sends messages between the brain and every organ, gland, muscle, and tissue. Whether your dog is wagging their tail, digesting breakfast, fighting off an infection, or reacting to a sound, it all happens through the nervous system.
The spine houses and protects the spinal cord, which is like the main communication highway connecting the brain to the rest of the body. But the spine is more than a shield—it’s a moving, dynamic structure. Each vertebra is connected by joints, supported by muscles, and wrapped in connective tissue. When one of those vertebrae becomes restricted in movement or misaligned (a condition called a vertebral subluxation), it can irritate nearby nerves or interfere with signal transmission.
This nerve interference can lead to a wide variety of symptoms—some obvious, like limping or stiffness, and some subtle, like lethargy, frequent infections, behavioral changes, or poor digestion. Chiropractic care addresses these problems not by treating symptoms directly, but by correcting the structural imbalances that cause them.
Certified animal chiropractors begin with a detailed health history and a hands-on examination of your dog’s posture, gait, spinal alignment, and muscle tone. They may ask about behavioral changes, appetite, or even how your dog prefers to sit or sleep—because all of these can offer clues about what’s happening in the spine.
Next comes the palpation exam. The chiropractor will gently feel along the spine and joints, assessing restricted movement, muscle spasms, heat, swelling, or misalignment. This step is precise and highly refined—animal chiropractors are trained to detect subtle shifts that aren’t visible to the untrained eye.
If a subluxation is detected, the chiropractor delivers a gentle, specific adjustment. This is a rapid but controlled movement applied by hand to a joint that is not moving correctly. The goal is to restore normal motion, reduce tension, and remove interference from the nervous system.
Contrary to popular belief, adjustments are not forceful, and they’re nothing like the dramatic “cracking” you may have seen in human chiropractic videos. In fact, most dogs tolerate the adjustment well and often respond with a stretch, shake, or visible relaxation afterward. Some dogs even fall asleep.
Yes, when performed by a certified professional, animal chiropractic is very safe. Chiropractors and veterinarians who pursue post-graduate certification in animal chiropractic undergo hundreds of hours of specialized education, including anatomy, neurology, biomechanics, and hands-on clinical skills. Programs like those recognized by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) require rigorous training and testing.
That said, chiropractic should never be performed by someone without proper credentials. Dog anatomy is not the same as human anatomy, and improper techniques can cause harm. Always ask to see proof of certification, and make sure your animal chiropractor is legally permitted to practice in your state or province.
Because the nervous system is involved in virtually every function of the body, chiropractic can have wide-reaching benefits. These may include:
But chiropractic doesn’t “treat” these conditions in the way traditional medicine does. It simply removes interference so that the body can correct its own dysfunctions. For example, if a misaligned vertebra is affecting the nerve that supplies the hind leg, restoring that alignment can allow the nerve to resume normal function, and the dog may stop limping.
Chiropractic is particularly valuable for:
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Frequency depends on your dog’s age, activity level, health status, and goals. An agility dog might benefit from weekly or biweekly adjustments during competition season. A senior pet may do well with monthly care to manage arthritis. For many family pets, a schedule of every 4–6 weeks works well as maintenance.
After an initial exam and adjustment, your chiropractor will recommend a care plan based on your dog’s specific needs. Just like with dental cleanings or grooming, consistency is key to getting the full benefit.
Chiropractic care is sometimes confused with massage, physical therapy, or acupuncture. While all of these are valuable, they each serve different functions:
Often, the best outcomes occur when these modalities are used together in an integrative care plan. Chiropractic is not meant to replace your veterinarian, but to complement their care by addressing structural imbalances that can affect recovery and performance.
Results can be immediate, cumulative, or subtle. Some dogs show improvement right after their first adjustment—moving more freely, jumping up with ease, or playing with renewed enthusiasm. Others need several sessions before significant change is noticeable, especially if the problem has been long-standing.
Just as importantly, chiropractic helps prevent problems before they start. Many owners report fewer injuries, fewer vet visits, and better overall wellness when their dog receives regular adjustments.
And then there’s the intangible: the lightness in your dog’s step, the extra tail wags, the way they stretch and breathe more easily. When the body is in balance, your dog simply feels better—and it shows.
The Takeaway:
Animal chiropractic is not a trend—it’s a science-based, hands-on way to help your dog live a more comfortable, agile, and balanced life. Whether your dog is a working athlete or a beloved couch companion, chiropractic care supports the nervous system that runs it all. When that system is clear, your dog has the best chance to heal, move, and thrive—naturally.
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Dr. Bill Ormston graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After attending Options For Animals in 1998 he received certification from the AVCA and began using chiropractic to treat his animal patients. Jubilee Animal Health is a mobile mixed animal practice in the Dallas Metroplex area where he cares for pets and horses using mostly alternative methods. He is one of the founding instructors of the post graduate course in Animal Chiropractic at Parker Chiropractic College in Dallas. Dr.O has lectured both nationally and internationally on Animal Chiropractic and biomechanics and gait analysis in the quadruped. He has written booklets on chiropractic care in the dog and horse and a book about blending traditional and alternative care in pets.
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Bill Ormston, DVM
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