8 thoughts on “The Health Edge: Interesting Medical Headline News”

  1. Marianne

    I enjoyed the podcast. Congratulations on receiving the Halbert L. Dunn Wellness Award, Dr. Mark, which recognizes the important community health work you have done over many years. Re type 2 diabetes (your second health topic), hopefully the approach you advocate will get a boost in nephrologist Dr. Jason Fung’s latest book (published April 3, 2018), The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally. Like you both, he has a gift for explaining complex topics in ways that lay people can understand and act on.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    Hi John and Mark,
    I’m hoping that at some point you might address or comment on the recent DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial done at Stanford (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2673150). I have heard some (lay) folks use the findings as a means of simplistically dismissing or diminishing the potential benefits of a low carb high fat (LCHF) way of eating and I sincerely welcome your more nuanced analysis. I fully recognize that nutrition is highly individualized and that LCHF is not appropriate or effective for everyone but as you have pointed out many a time, for many Americans awash in carbs it can be a shift in the right direction (going full keto and then easing to a more LCHF did wonders for my dad after a diabetes diagnosis — which vanished in under 9 months).

    I’m an avid listener and huge fan of The Health Edge and tell family, friends, coworkers, healthcare professionals, and even strangers about your work so thanks a million for the information you so generously share.
    All the best,
    Elizabeth

    Reply
    • Mark Pettus

      Hi Elizabeth,
      Thanks so much for your thoughtful question and for listening to our podcast!
      Here are a few impressions off the top of the Dietfit Study:
      1. Nice to see a randomized nutritional interventional study from a center like Stanford as quality interventional nutritional clinical trials continue to be few in number.
      2. The low carb group at 6 months and 12 months were consuming (on average) 113(26% kcal/day) and 132 gms/day (30% kcal/day). For those of us in the lo-carb community, that is still well above the 50 gms or less one might need to see a more significant change in weight and cardiometabolic risk factors (generally <10% calories from carbs/day). The LCHF group did consume fewer carbs than the Low fat group and surely lower than the SAD though perhaps not low enough to see a more significant difference in wt. loss as other LCHF (or LC Ketogenic) vs low fat trials that have been published (Stephen Phinney MD, PhD).
      3. Importantly, macronutrient quality of the food is likely more important than macronutrient proportion for most, except perhaps those with more insulin resistance where, I believe, a more restricted low-carb high fat program (than what was achieved in the DietFits Study was able to maintain) might have revealed greater differences.

      I hope that sheds some additional light. I applaud your awareness of the study.
      Well wishes!

      Mark

      Reply
  4. John

    John – say it ain’t so! Because I love the Health Edge I have to comment on the very disturbing statements made by John about the new policy in the Netherlands.

    By supporting state coercion in this one case in the Netherlands, John’s statement is actually supporting a dangerous principle. It is this kind of coercive policy – enforced by the state – that has led to so much of the appalling situation in medicine and nutrition that John and Mark have to stand up against in these podcasts – raw milk prohibition being just one small example.

    No matter how much one may disagree, it is wrong – in fact an evil – to dictate to others what they can or cannot put into their bodies;
    what treatments they may or may not choose; what they may or may not give their children to eat (or keep out of their little bodies, such as state mandated vaccines).

    Mark, in an earlier podcast, quoted Jefferson on the the danger of allowing the state to dictate what inhabitants can or cannot eat or drink. Thank you for that, Mark. And thanks for your final comments in this podcast: (something like) “… it comes down to choosing for ourselves – period.”

    With deep respect and appreciation for these podcasts,
    John

    Reply
  5. Tim

    Hi Mark and John,

    I’m a big fan of your work (but you probably know that). This podcast is truly a goldmine and i’ve been recommending it around so keep up the great work. It’s getting to be time to ween my 14 month old daughter off of breastmilk. I know that ideally she would continue breast feeding until she’s two but the experience has gotten increasingly unpleasant for my wife and she’s looking to make a change. Every pediatrician says to switch her to formula but I’m not convinced. It seems to me absurd to that a baby should consume the reconstituted milk of an animal that has 4 stomaches and grows to be 1000lbs. I would love it if you would do a podcast on milk and milk products, mentioning of course infants, so that I have a better sense of what the benefits and drawbacks could be (and what alternatives exist).

    Thanks again for the great podcast!

    Reply

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