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.
Fish Oil and Atrial Fibrillation
Researchers recently published an observational study on over 415,000 subjects in the UK Biobank database who took a fish oil supplement. During a follow-up period of almost 12 years, they statistically demonstrated a 13% increased hazard ratio (a measure over time of how often a particular event happens in one group compared to another group) […]
Nothing to Fear from the Multivitamin Study
If you’re concerned about taking your multivitamin, I think you can lower the concern. Is it still possible that there may be individuals who may have a unique set of genes and covariates that may increase the risk? Sure, it’s possible, but this study brought us no closer to finding out if that’s true. Here’s […]
Will Taking a Multivitamin Increase Your Risk of Death?
Close to a month ago, the health headlines were full of warnings about multivitamins. A long-time researcher even did a video to explain the study. This headline was based on a study that demonstrated an increase in Hazard Ratio if a person took a multivitamin every day, compared to occasionally or never. On the face […]
Nutritional Epidemiology: Still Confusing
Remember where we began: frustrated with the conflicting studies on nutrition and their impact on our health. The researchers used specification curve analysis to illustrate several issues. The most important point is that there are many ways to analyze large datasets in nutritional epidemiology. Reviewing 15 studies in 24 papers, they found that the number […]
Nutritional Epidemiology: Specification Curve Analysis
Did you look up quadrillion? It’s a 1 with a whole lot of 0s—15 to be exact. When I finished Saturday’s Memo, the researchers had chosen an area of nutritional epidemiology to focus on: the analytics used to analyze the data. They began with the premise that there are many ways to analyze any data […]
Nutritional Epidemiology: The Problem
The health headline shouts: “Fish oil increases your risk of heart disease.” The next week, “Fish oil beneficial for reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease.” It makes one wonder what is going on in research. I’ve felt that way for a long time, and I know you have as well. I think I’ve found part of […]
How Did You Do in the Holiday Challenge?
Did you keep track of the fruits and veggies you ate over the holiday weekend (or July 4–7 for those of you outside the U.S.)? Remember to email me your results. Some people didn’t need reminding—I have already gotten replies. I didn’t do as well as I would have liked. Here are my lists: I […]
Start Your Lists!
A reminder that today is the beginning of the Holiday Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. There will be three prizes this time: Start keeping track this morning and keep going until bedtime Sunday. I’m keeping my list as well. Winners can choose between a free six-month Insider membership or the digital Optimal Performance program. What are […]
The Holiday Challenge, Part 2
I enjoyed the Memorial Day Challenge so much, I want to see if you can do better. I want more of you to respond this time, so I’m going to make it a little more enticing for you by handing out more prizes. This time, I’m going to reward the person who eats the most […]
A Closer Look at Ultra-Processed Food Risk
I think the results of the UK Biobank ultra-processed food (UPF) study were interesting, as I relayed on Tuesday, but the researchers went further. They estimated how substituting non-UPF plant-sourced foods for any of the other three sources of food resulted in a reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Further, and what got […]
