Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Does Creatine Help Build Muscle?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoCreatine is a naturally occurring chemical your body makes by combining glycine, arginine, and methionine. It’s primarily used in energy production as a precursor in the manufacture of ATP in your body. Creatine is often used to help increase muscle mass in people who train with weights and that’s the focus of the paper I’m […]
More About Fats and Oils
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoIn my research on fats and oils, I found out a few things I didn’t know and discovered some more research about seed oils. The issues raised about seed oils have always been related to how unhealthy seed oils are rather than the overconsumption of seed oils. But are they as hazardous as they’re made […]
Cooking with Fat
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoPaula and I watch a lot of cooking shows, which led me to wonder: what are the best types of fat to use while cooking? In addition to oils and seed oils, the question would include animal and vegetable sources. I’ll leave taste off the table (or cooktop) because everyone has an opinion. Cooking would […]
Maltodextrin in Moderation
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoNow that we know a little about maltodextrin (MAL), let’s get into the details. I think there are two issues behind the concern about maltodextrin. The first is that MAL increases the glycemic index (GI). The GI of MAL is nearly as high as glucose, coming in at 95. That’s why it’s found in some […]
What Is Resistant Maltodextrin?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI received a question from a long-time reader last week concerning maltodextrin and why it might be bad enough to end up on some health experts’ do-not-eat list. I’ve never written about it before, so let’s take a look. Let’s start with this: there are two forms of maltodextrin. One is known as maltodextrin (MAL) […]
Choosing to Live Longer
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe researchers from the study I reviewed in Tuesday’s Memo had their thoughts on why the U.S. may experience excess deaths compared to other high-income countries. They also suggested that our healthcare system isn’t serving the American people as well as it might. That may be part of the answer. Let me give you my […]
Too Many Deaths
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoRecently I read an interesting study that examined the mortality rates in the United States between 1980 through 2023, including the time before, during, and after the COVID epidemic. Researchers took it one step further: they obtained mortality data from other high-income countries to compare the mortality rates between the countries while accounting for the […]
Magnesium Bonanza: Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoLately I’ve written about magnesium, and I often talk about eating cruciferous vegetables every day. I decided to fall back to one of my favorite recipes from my mother-in-law, Ruth, modify it a little, and give you a recipe for a great salad you can enjoy this holiday weekend. Nutritional information is at the bottom. […]
Is Taurine Safe?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe title said, “Could your energy drink be fueling cancer?” “Now what?!” was my first thought. Researchers reported in a press release that the amino acid taurine may help cancerous cells make energy to fuel their growth. Because taurine is found in energy drinks and protein supplements, I wanted to check whether this is something […]
Protect Your Brain—Eat More Magnesium
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoIn the last Memo, we were left with the researchers’ question: if magnesium intake and BP were not related to a neuroprotective effect, what was? The researchers had some idea based on prior research: inflammation. Let’s take a look at what they found on the follow-up to their original study. The methodology and subject pool […]