Welcome Back!
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2025
If this is your first newsletter, then welcome. There are so many "health gurus" out there that it is impossible to know who to trust and who might be uninformed. Personally, I would not trust any professional who isn't trained to critically evaluate research. Unfortunately, there are professionals out there who claim to know the secrets, and have huge followings--can you trust them or are they doing more harm?
One trend I see is "experts" taking conclusions from preclinical (animal studies) and extrapolating them to humans. Many times we see results disappear, or even reverse when applied to humans! Mouse models are not a great substitute for human studies, they can only point us in directions to explore. I certainly wouldn't start taking a supplement that made mice live longer because we have no idea what the impact might be long-term on the human body. So, please know who you are taking advice from and what their training is. For the most part, I find that a lot of suggested supplements and services are unsupported by evidence and profit the person that is suggesting them.
In these newsletters, I will give you a high-level explanation of what the real evidence to date says. I do not profit from anything I recommend, and if I do sponsor a brand I will fully disclose that I am a sponsor and why.
Topics of my most recents research findings include: what products and ingredients to avoid to keep your family healthy, what supplements are dangerous v. effective, how to maximize your efforts to achieve the healthiest lifestyle possible, and who you shouldn't trust on the internet with your health. Now, lets get learning!
The below might shock you and it is definitely information that the grocery stores chains and many food manufacturers do NOT want you to know.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PROCESSED FOOD IN 5 BULLET PONTS:
Avoid high levels of Acrylamide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as a "probable human carcinogen and The National Toxicology Program studies found clear evidence for carcinogenic activity. Acrylamide can be found in potato chips, french fries, processed cracks and crisp breads, breakfast cereals and roasted almonds. Use dark roast coffees for lower levels of Acrylamide.
Limit Processed Meats. Processed meats have been associated with high levels of several cancers include stomach and colon. Processed meats are now considered a Class 1 carcinogen. Colon cancer increases by 18% for every 50 grams of processed consumed daily, stomach cancer by 72%. Processed meats with nitrates and nitrites are the worst, but there are also other chemicals in the meats like heterocyclic amines and polycyclic amines which are harmful. Eat this food in moderation.
Sugary Beverages. High sugar in beverages is associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Limit daily intake.
Natural Flavors. Natural flavors are a mixture of elements that can hide over 100 chemicals. Currently the FDA does not review the ingredients in natural flavors as long as those chemicals are on the GRAS (generally regarded as safe list) which has not been updated or reviewed adequately in many decades. This is a hands-off approach which allows the food manufacturer to have considerable autonomy without federal oversight. Consuming products with natural flavors is gambling with your health.
Titanium Dioxide. Recent research shows this chemical is harmful and the European Food Safety Authority has concluded that titanium dioxide should not be considered safe as a food additive, yet it is MANY (THOUSANDS) of our foods like: jello, puddings, cookies, frozen pizza, soups, macaroni and cheese, coffee creamers, processed pastries, gum, skittles, starbursts and more. They can hide titanium dioxide by calling it "artificial color" or "color added", "E171" . According to the IARC it is a group 2B carcinogen and there are concerns about neurotoxicity and inflammation.
Conclusion: processed food is a way for food manufacturers to hide a bunch of chemicals that hurt our bodies, avoid it as much as is reasonable for you.
Thank you for reading and learning with me.
Comments? Email me at Jen@drjendunphy.com or reach out to me on instagram
@drjendunphy
Stay Healthy,
Dr Jen Dunphy
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