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When Is the Best Time to Take Vitamins, Minerals and Other Supplements?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:24:47 +0000

Joe Boland via Dr. Axe – When is the best time to take vitamins: morning or night? The timing of supplements can influence their absorption and effectiveness. Taking vitamins and supplements is a great way to support overall health, but timing matters when it comes to maximizing their benefits. Utilizing supplements at the right time can enhance their absorption and effectiveness, which begs the question: When is the best time to take vitamins and other supplements? While some vitamins and minerals work best when taken with food, others are better absorbed on an empty stomach. In addition, certain combinations can enhance or inhibit absorption, making it crucial to plan your intake accordingly. Understanding when to take supplements can help optimize their benefits. This guide, supported by scientific research, will help you determine the best time to take vitamins for maximum impact. When is the best time to take vitamins: morning or night? The timing of supplements can influence their absorption and effectiveness. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, can provide an energy boost, making them ideal for the morning. Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K, are best taken with meals for improved absorption, particularly meals with healthy fats, such as coconut oil, eggs, avocado, etc. On the other hand, some minerals, like magnesium, have a calming effect and may be better suited for nighttime use. While many people take their vitamins in the morning out of habit, the best time depends on the type of vitamin and how your body absorbs it. However, whenever you find is best for you, whether out of routine or for how you’ve found your body best responds, is the best time to take vitamins and other supplements. In fact, studies have relayed that taking vitamins consistently at the same time each day helps with adherence and absorption. Best time to take water-soluble vitamins Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B-complex vitamins (including B12, B6 and folate), dissolve in water and are best taken on an empty stomach for maximum absorption. They dissolve in water and are not stored in the body, requiring regular intake. Vitamin C Vitamin C is best taken in the morning or midday on an empty stomach to enhance absorption. It’s a good idea to use your vitamin C early in the day to support immune function and reduce fatigue. Sunlight and other factors can lead to oxidation of vitamin C, which could lower its effectiveness. That’s why it’s recommended to take it early and store it in a cool, dark place. Ingesting probiotics with vitamin C can also lead to better absorption. B vitamins Research has shown that B vitamins help convert food into energy, making them most effective when taken in the morning. Since they play a role in energy production, they are best taken early to avoid sleep disturbances. You can take B vitamins with food, but it’s not necessary. It’s a good idea to take them with water or your morning beverage of choice. Taking B vitamins together, such as in a B-complex supplement, is ideal, as they work better together. Using them in combination with probiotics can also enhance their absorption. B-complex vitamins include: Vitamin B1/thiamine Vitamin B2/riboflavin Vitamin B3/niacin Vitamin B5/pantothenic acid Vitamin B6/pyridoxine Vitamin B7/biotin Vitamin B9/folate (folic acid) Vitamin B12/cobalamin The best time to take vitamins that are water-soluble is typically considered early and on an empty stomach, but you can take them any time of day that works for you. They also can be taken with or without food, along with water or your drink of choice. Best time to take fat-soluble vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are stored in the body’s fat tissues and liver. These vitamins require dietary fat for optimal absorption, making them most effective when taken with a meal containing healthy fats. To maximize benefits, take fat-soluble vitamins with breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here’s more on when is the best time to take vitamins that are fat-soluble: Vitamin D Studies have indicated that taking vitamin D with a meal containing fat increases its bioavailability. For example, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that vitamin D absorption improved significantly when taken with a fat-containing meal. Doubling up by pairing vitamin D and vitamin K is a good idea, as vitamin K helps your body absorb more vitamin D. The best time to take vitamins D and K together is typically thought to be in the morning or afternoon, when the sun is out, since sunlight is the main way humans obtain vitamin D. Vitamin A Vitamin A is best taken with meals that contain healthy fats like olive oil, avocado or nuts to optimize absorption. It can be taken any time of time, and it’s a good idea to take it with the same meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) every day if possible. Vitamin E Research has shown consuming vitamin E with healthy fats can boost its absorption greatly, so the best time to take vitamins like E is mealtime, whether that’s morning, noon or night. Vitamin K As mentioned, the best time to take vitamins that are fat-soluble are mealtimes, but vitamin K is a bit unique compared to other fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin K stands out due to its three distinct forms: phylloquinone (vitamin K1), menaquinones (vitamin K2) and menadione (vitamin K3). K1 and K2 are found in foods (K1 in leafy greens, K2 in some animal foods) and often included in supplements, while K3 is rarely found in either. Both K1 and K2 can be taken at any time of day, but K2 supplements are best absorbed when paired with a meal or snack containing fat. For optimal results, try to take vitamin K separately from vitamins A and E, as they may interfere with each other’s absorption. On the other hand, combining vitamin K with vitamin D can be beneficial, as they work together to maintain healthy calcium levels and support strong bones. Best time to take multivitamins Multivitamins contain a mix of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, making their timing slightly tricky. The best approach is to take them with a meal containing some fat to aid in fat-soluble vitamin absorption while ensuring water-soluble vitamins are utilized effectively. Multivitamins contain a combination of vitamins and minerals, some of which require fat for absorption while others do not. Because they often include B vitamins, which can boost energy, it is generally best to take multivitamins in the morning with food. Iron or magnesium However, if a multivitamin contains iron or magnesium, taking it later in the day may be preferable to avoid potential stomach discomfort. Research does suggest that taking multivitamins in the morning with breakfast improves compliance and absorption. Whether you opt for morning or night, consistency is key, so try to take your multivitamin at the same time each day if you can. Best time to take prenatal vitamins Prenatal vitamins are crucial for maternal and fetal health, often containing iron, folic acid and DHA, which are crucial for fetal development. Research has found that taking prenatal vitamins with food can reduce nausea, a common concern for pregnant individuals. Because iron absorption is optimized on an empty stomach but can also cause discomfort, taking prenatal vitamins with a light meal, such as breakfast, is recommended. Pregnant women can be prone to having sensitive stomachs during the morning, though, so some may prefer to take prenatal vitamins with dinner before bed. Here is a bit more on some prenatal vitamins to consume and the best time to take vitamins for pregnancy: Folic acid: Best taken in the morning on an empty stomach to enhance absorption. Iron: Should be taken separately from calcium-containing foods or supplements, as calcium inhibits iron absorption. DHA (omega-3s): Best absorbed with a meal containing healthy fats. It’s best to take prenatal vitamins at the same time every day for consistency’s sake. Best time to take minerals and other supplements When is the best time to take vitamins, minerals and other supplements not specified above? Here are some recommendations: Iron is absorbed best on an empty stomach but can cause stomach irritation. It’s best taken in the morning on an empty stomach with vitamin C for enhanced absorption, but it should not be taken with calcium or caffeine, which can make it harder to absorb. Ideally consume iron one to two hours before or after a meal. Known for its muscle-relaxing and sleep-promoting effects, magnesium may be best taken at night. You can also take magnesium in the morning with food or split into two doses divided between morning and night. More specifically, magnesium glycinate and magnesium threonate are better to take in the morning since they aid energy levels, while magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride may be best to take at night since they promote sleep. If consuming high doses (more than 500 mg) of calcium, split intake into multiple doses for better absorption. Similarly to iron, zinc should be taken one to two hours before or after eating a meal, and you can ingest it with or without water. You should not take it with fiber, calcium or iron, which can interfere with absorption. What vitamins should not be taken together? Certain vitamins and minerals can interfere with each other’s absorption: Calcium and iron: Compete for absorption. Take iron supplements separately from high-calcium meals or supplements. Zinc and copper: High doses of zinc can interfere with copper absorption. If supplementing both, take them at different times. Vitamin C and B12: Some research has suggested that high doses of vitamin C may reduce B12 absorption when taken together. Consider spacing them apart. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K): Avoid taking high doses together, as they may compete for absorption. Vitamin C and iron: Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, but taking excessive amounts together may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. It is best to consume them in moderate amounts. Calcium and magnesium: These minerals compete for absorption, so taking them together in high doses may reduce their effectiveness. Consider spacing them apart. Zinc and magnesium: High doses of zinc can interfere with magnesium absorption. To optimize benefits, take them at different times of the day. Conclusion Taking vitamins and supplements at the right time can enhance their effectiveness. To maximize the benefits of vitamins and supplements, it’s essential to take them when they can be utilized best and with the right combinations. Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B-complex vitamins are best taken in the morning on an empty stomach, while fat-soluble vitamins should be taken with meals. Minerals like magnesium and iron have specific timing requirements for optimal absorption. For instance, magnesium may work better at night, and some nutrients should be spaced apart to prevent absorption interference. However, consistency appears to be the most important factor, so really the best time to take vitamins, minerals and other supplements is whenever you can on a consistent basis. Following a well-planned schedule based on research-backed guidelines can help you get the most out of your supplements. By aligning your supplement intake with your body’s needs, you can maximize their health benefits. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your supplement routine. To read the original article click here.

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Ghee: Is It Better Than Butter?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:09:52 +0000

Rachael Link, MS, RD via Dr. Axe – So what is ghee butter, and why should you add it to your pantry? Keep reading. With the surge in popularity of health trends like the ketogenic diet, healthy fats have garnered a lot of attention. Right alongside familiar favorites like olive oil and coconut oil is ghee, a type of fat made by heating butter — ideally grass-fed butter — to boost its natural nutrient profile and flavor. It is full of fat-soluble vitamins and healthy fatty acids, and ghee benefits can range from building stronger bones to enhancing weight loss. Used for thousands of years and a staple in Ayurvedic healing practices, ghee is one of the most powerful healing foods out there. So what is ghee butter, and why should you add it to your pantry? Keep reading. What Is Ghee? Ghee is similar to clarified butter, which is produced by heating butter to remove the milk solids and water. However, in comparing ghee vs. clarified butter, ghee is simmered longer to bring out the butter’s inherent nutty flavor and is left with a higher smoke point than butter, meaning that it can be heated to a higher temperature before it starts to smoke. Not only that, but ghee is rich in beneficial nutrients and contains several fatty acids that are important to health. Plus, there are numerous benefits of ghee, and some of its components have been shown to do everything from boost weight loss to improve digestion and relieve inflammation. Ghee has been used for thousands of years, quite literally. It’s truly an “ancient” health food and definitely not a fad. The first known use of butter was back in 2000 B.C. It became very popular in the cooler northern parts of India but didn’t survive well in the southern warmer regions. It’s believed that the southerners started to clarify butter in order to keep it from spoiling. Ghee quickly was integrated into the diet, into ceremonial practice and into Ayurvedic medicine. It’s believed to promote both mental purification and physical purification through its ability to cleanse and support wellness. Ghee benefits the body both inside and out and is actually used topically as well. Ghee benefits for skin include treating burns and rashes and moisturizing the skin and scalp. Much like coconut oil, it’s a multi-use fat that is healthy in many ways. Although ghee originates in India, it is also commonly found in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines and is used now around the world. Although fat was once vilified as unhealthy and disease-causing, we are now beginning to understand the importance of including healthy fats in your diet. Today, ghee is recognized not only for its intense flavor and versatility, but for the numerous health benefits associated with it. Nutrition Facts Ghee benefits come from the nutrition ghee provides. It’s high in fat and provides an extra dose of several fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin K. A one-tablespoon serving of ghee (about 14 grams) contains approximately: Calories: 123 Total Fat: 13.9 g Saturated Fat: 8.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g Protein: 0.04 g Sodium: 0.3 mg (

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Epigenetics and Obesity

The AHA! Team — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 06:06:42 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Identical twins don’t just share DNA; they also share a uterus. Identical twins don’t just share DNA; they also share a uterus. Might that help account for some of their metabolic similarities? “Fetal overnutrition, evidenced by large infant birth weight for gestational age, is a strong predictor of obesity in childhood and later life.” Could it be that you are what your mom ate? A dramatic illustration from the animal world is the crossbreeding of Shetland ponies with massive draft horses. Either way, the offspring are half pony/half horse, but when carried in the pony uterus, they come out much smaller, as you can see below and at 0:47 in my video The Role of Epigenetics in the Obesity Epidemic. (Thank heavens for the pony mother!) This is presumably the same reason why the mule (horse mom and donkey dad) is larger than the hinny (donkey mom and horse dad). The way you test this in people is to study the size of babies from surrogates after in vitro fertilization. Who do you think most determines the birth weight of a test-tube baby? Is it the donor mom who provided all the DNA or the surrogate who provided the intrauterine environment? When it was put to the test, the womb won. Incredibly, a baby who had a thin biological mother but was born to a surrogate with obesity may harbor a greater risk of becoming obese than a baby with a heavier biological mother but born to a slim surrogate. The researchers “concluded that the environment provided by the human mother is more important than her genetic contribution to birth weight.” The most compelling data come from comparing obesity rates in siblings born to the same mother, before and after her bariatric surgery. Compared to their brothers and sisters born before the surgery, those born when mom weighed about 100 pounds less had lower rates of inflammation, metabolic derangements, and, most critically, three times less risk of developing severe obesity—35 percent of those born before the weight loss were affected, compared to 11 percent born after. The researchers concluded that “these data emphasize how critical it is to prevent obesity and treat it effectively to prevent further transmission to future generations.” Hold on. Mom had the same DNA before and after surgery. She passed down the same genes. How could her weight during pregnancy affect the weight destiny of her children any differently? Darwin himself admitted, “In my opinion, the greatest error which I have committed, has been not allowing sufﬁcient weight to the direct action of the environment, i.e. food…independently of natural selection.” We finally figured out the mechanism by which this can happen—epigenetics. Epigenetics, which means “above genetics,” layers an extra level of information on top of the DNA sequence that can be affected by our surroundings, as well as potentially passed on to our children. This is thought to explain the “developmental programming” that can occur in the womb, depending on the weight of the mother—or even the grandmother. Since all the eggs in your infant daughter’s ovaries are already preformed before birth, a mother’s weight status during pregnancy could potentially affect the obesity risk of her grandchildren, too. Either way, you can imagine how this could result in an intergenerational vicious cycle where obesity begets obesity. Is there anything we can do about it? Well, breastfed infants may be at lower risk for later obesity, though the benefits may be confined to those who are exclusively breastfed, as the effect may be due to growth factors triggered by exposure to the excess protein in baby formula, as you can see below and at 3:51 in my video. The breastfeeding data are controversial, though, with charges leveled of a “white hat bias.” That’s the concern that public health researchers might disproportionally shelve research results that don’t fit some goal for the greater good. (In this case, preferably publishing breastfeeding studies showing more positive results.) But, of course, that criticism came from someone who works for an infant formula company. Breast is best, regardless. However, its role in the childhood obesity epidemic remains arguably uncertain. Prevention may be the key. Given the epigenetic influence of maternal weight during pregnancy, a symposium of experts on pediatric nutrition concluded that “planning of pregnancy, including prior optimization of maternal weight and metabolic condition, offers a safe means to initiate the prevention rather than treatment of pediatric obesity.” Easier said than done, but overweight moms-to-be may take comfort in the fact that after the weight loss in the surgery study, even the moms who gave birth to kids with three times lower risk were still, on average, obese themselves, suggesting weight loss before pregnancy is not an all-or-nothing proposition. What triggered the whole obesity epidemic to begin with? There are a multitude of factors, and I covered many of them in my 11-video series on the epidemic in the related posts below. We are what our moms ate in other ways, too. Check out: Heart Disease May Start in the Womb Maternal Diet May Affect Stress Responses in Children Flashback Friday: The Effect of Animal Protein on Stress Hormones, Testosterone, and Pregnancy Key Takeaways Babies who are born larger are at higher risk of obesity later in life, suggesting early metabolic programming by maternal diet. The intrauterine environment significantly influences birth weight and later obesity risk, potentially outweighing genetic contributions from the biological mother. A baby with a thin biological mother but born to a surrogate with obesity may harbor a greater risk of future obesity than a baby with a heavier biological mother but born to a slim surrogate. Siblings born to the same mother before and after her bariatric surgery show reduced obesity risk in later-born children, highlighting the critical role of maternal weight during pregnancy. Epigenetics explain how environmental factors, like maternal weight, can influence gene expression and obesity risk across generations. Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding, may lower obesity risk in children, contrasting with potential risks associated with formula feeding and excess protein exposure. To read the original article click here.

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The Biggest Lie Ever Told; The War on Red Meat

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:07:23 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – I’ve spent the past two decades traveling thousands of miles around the world to visit and observe the last remaining native cultures still in existence. A lot of my colleagues question my research methods. That’s because most modern doctors only treat – and most researchers only study – sickness. They don’t consider health. They see a disease and prescribe a pill. That’s not how I see it. I focus on what healthy people have in common… What protects them from getting sick in the first place. And I feel I owe it to my patients – and you – to visit these cultures and pass on their knowledge before it’s lost. Like the Maasai in Kenya. Visiting them was remarkable. I didn’t see one overweight person the entire time I was there.1 Everyone I came across in every village was lean and strong. And they have almost zero heart disease. In fact, they don’t suffer from any of the chronic diseases that have become the world’s worst killers. There’s a good reason for that… It’s a secret inherent in their native diet. A diet that includes almost no grains but plenty of red meat, fat, protein, and bone marrow — all things that are missing or extremely limited in the modern Western diet. Of course, this is exactly the opposite of what the American Heart Association and nearly every standard American doctor recommends…yet, the rate of heart disease among the Maasai is almost zero. There’s no obesity. And the Maasai don’t suffer from chronic aging problems like our culture does. From all my experiences with patients and in all my travels around the world, from Africa to Bali to South America, here’s what I’ve learned: You CAN avoid disease and obesity, and the chronic conditions that plague us in the West. But it has nothing to do with following standard medicine’s recommendations. Instead, you want to be strong, muscular, robust, lean, happy, healthy, and eat the foods you were born to eat. You have a natural desire for them. Dropping weight will come easier and faster. You will wake up charged with energy that will last the whole day, you’ll stay strong and healthy, and you’ll never have to fear heart disease. I’ve helped hundreds of people use this approach. I’ve watched them make a remarkable transition. They are becoming leaner, healthier, and they stay free of heart disease. Unfortunately, the modern medical establishment has been nagging you for over 50 years to eliminate red meat from your diet. They claim that eating red meat causes raises cholesterol, causes heart disease, and can eventually kill you. I call it the biggest lie ever told. Red meat doesn’t cause disease. As a matter of fact, we evolved to eat meat. Our primal ancestors thrived on its fat and protein. And without it, we never would have made it to the 21st century. Almost every cell in your body needs both the protein and the fat from meat to survive. You use protein to build and repair tissues. It’s an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, hair, nails, and blood. You need protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. And the fat helps you transport nutrients around your body and deliver them where they’re needed. Vitamins A, D, E, K, and CoQ10 can’t even be absorbed without fat. But there is a problem with today’s red meat… Ranchers aren’t interested in the quality of their beef. They care about making a profit. So they feed their cattle a combination of grain and corn. But cattle evolved to eat grass. Today’s meat factories make cows diseased. So they’re pumped full of antibiotics. The antibiotics make them sick, and they’re given more drugs. It’s an endless unnatural cycle. These animals are also injected with growth hormones so they can be sent to slaughter that much sooner. Because they are confined to a crowded feedlot, they never get any exercise. The result is an unhealthy ratio of omega-3s to inflammation-causing omega-6s. And it’s this chronic inflammation from omega-6s that leads to heart disease and cancer… Eat Like Your Ancestors Avoid commercially raised red meat. I can’t say this enough… You should stay away from factory-farmed meat. Choose grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone-free beef. I consider this to be perhaps the healthiest food you can eat. Compared to grain-fed animals, products from grass-fed animals have 10 times more omega-3 fats, more vitamins B, E, D, and K2, more CoQ10 and zinc, and more antioxidants like glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD).1 Choose bison meat. All bison are grass-fed. In fact, this animal would rather starve than eat corn. Nutritionally, bison has more protein, iron, and B12 than most beef. But what makes it a top meat choice is that it has more omega-3s — and a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Eat “salad-bar” beef. This is what my friend Joel Salatin calls his pasture-raised, grass-fed meat. He gave it the name because the cattle he raises get to graze in an open “salad bar.” His animals are never exposed to hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, or other toxins. You can check out and order from his website at polyfacefarms.com. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Daley CA, et al. “A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef.” Nutr J. 2019;9:10. To read the original article click here.

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Fat Can Make You Thin?

The AHA! Team — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 08:07:52 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Most mainstream doctors are horrified when they hear I teach my patients about the benefits of more fat. The patients who come to the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine tell me as much. But I’m not just talking about adding more healthy fats – like butter, lard, coconut oil, or omega-3s – to your diet. I’m also talking about a special kind of fat you already have in your body… A fat that makes you thin. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of fat in your body – white fat and brown fat. And, despite what doctors and nutritionists will tell you, the more brown fat you have, the better. Until a few years ago, scientists thought only babies had brown fat – that this was nature’s way of keeping them warm before they develop the ability to shiver. Unlike white fat – which shows up as flabby bellies, love handles, and plump thighs – brown fat burns calories rather than storing them. But studies show brown fat is very different from white fat in another important way… Brown fat contains mitochondria, which are full of iron and give this fat its brown color.1 As you may know, mitochondria are the energy-generating organelles in your cells. They are the power plants that turn fuel into energy for your body. Brown fat is also healthy. It cuts your risk of multiple conditions, including:2 Type 2 diabetes Cardiovascular disease High blood pressure Congestive heart failure Although most of your brown fat disappeared when you were a baby, your adult body retained small amounts – mainly in your neck, around the collarbone and the upper half of your spine. And even in small quantities, brown fat has the ability to burn huge amounts of calories. Although it makes up less than 5% of all your fat, it burns up a staggering 70% of your total calorie expenditure each day. By contrast, white fat burns almost no calories at all. Now astonishing new research shows you can easily transform your flabby white fat into calory-burning brown fat. The clue lies in a little-known protein called Zfp516. Animal studies conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, found that Zfp516 works to turn white fat into brown fat, and can be triggered by exposure to cold temperatures.3 The researchers found that mice with boosted Zfp516 levels had “browned” parts of their white fat, and as a result gained 30% less weight than the control mice. The good news is you don’t have to expose yourself to extreme temperatures to “brown” your own white fat. I experienced extreme below-freezing temperatures when I was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a life-changing experience, but I don’t want to subject myself to cold temperature if I don’t have to! Turn Flabby White Fat Into Calorie-Burning Brown Fat Luckily, there are much more comfortable ways to brown your fat. Here are three: Supplement with berberine: This ancient herbal medicine for treating diarrhea, and now one of the most effective treatments for diabetes, also activates Zfp516 and helps turn flabby white fat into healthy, pound-shedding brown fat.4 Berberine is a plant phytonutrient extracted from a number of medicinal herbs, such as barberry and goldenseal. A dose of 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg is effective for most people, and it has been shown to have no nasty side effects. Use the power of flavanols: Recent studies conducted by scientists in Japan reveal that foods rich in these antioxidant plant compounds – also known as flavan-3-ols – have the ability to turn white fat brown.5 Flavanols have long been known to have multiple health benefits, including antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, and neuroprotective properties. Foods that are rich in flavan-3-ols include apple, grapeseed, berries, legumes, citrus fruits, red wine, and green tea. But the two best sources are dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Don’t forget to PACE yourself: Studies at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia show that exercise is just as effective as cold exposure for “browning” white fat.6 The researchers found that an hour of moderate exercise was equivalent to 10 to 15 minutes of shivering in the cold for turning white fat brown. I recommend my PACE exercise program. It stands for Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion. It uses brief but vigorous routines of increasing intensity – so, the beauty of it is that you only need to exercise for 12 minutes a day, instead of an hour. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Minwoo N and Cooper MP. “Role of energy metabolism in the brown fat gene program frontiers in endocrinology.” Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2015;6:104. 2. Cohen P and Spiegelman BM. “Brown and beige fat: molecular parts of a thermogenic machine.” Diabetes 2015;64:2346–2351 3. Depriver J, et al.” Cold-inducible Zfp516 activates UCP1 transcription to promote browning of white fat and development of brown fat.” Mol Cell. 2015 Jan 22;57(2):235-46. 4. Song, NJ, et al. ‘Induction of thermogenic adipocytes: molecular targets and thermogenic small molecules.’ Exp Mol Med 49, e353. 2017. 5. Ishii Y, et al. “Repeated oral administration of flavan-3-ols induces browning in mice adipose tissues through sympathetic nerve activation” Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4214. 6. Lee P, et al. “Irisin and FGF21 are cold-induced endocrine activators of brown fat function in humans.” 2014. Cell Metabol. 19(2):302-309 To read the original article click here.

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A Plant-Based Workplace Wellness Program Put to the Test

AHA Publisher — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 07:00:10 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What is the return on investment for educating employees about healthy eating and living? “How do you wipe out the nation’s heart disease epidemic?” Those were the opening words to an editorial by Dr. Michael Jacobson, co-founder of Center for Science in the Public Interest, in the October 2005 issue of the charity’s Nutrition Action publication. Wrote Jacobson, “The best approach I’ve seen is the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP),” which was renamed the Complete Health Improvement Program and then most recently, Pivio. CHIP tells people to eat more whole plant foods and less meat, dairy, eggs, and processed junk. It is considered to be “a premier lifestyle intervention targeting chronic disease that has been offered for more than 25 years.” More than 60,000 individuals have completed the program, which I discuss in my video A Workplace Wellness Program That Works. More than 60,000 individuals have completed the program Most CHIP classes are “facilitated by volunteer directors, sourced primarily through the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, who had an interest in positively influencing the health of their local community.” Why the Adventists? Their “health philosophy is built around the holistic biblical notion” that the human body should be treated as a temple. What’s more, many CHIP participants are Adventists, too. Is that why the program works so well? Because they have faith? You don’t know until you put it to the test. Researchers looked at the influence of religious affiliation on responsiveness to CHIP, studying 7,000 participants. Even though Seventh-Day Adventists (SDAs) make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, about one in five CHIP-goers were Adventists. How did they do, compared with the non-Adventists (non-SDAs)? “Substantial reductions in selected risk factors were achieved…for both SDA and non-SDA,” but some of the reductions were greater among the non-Adventists. “This indicates that SDA do not have a monopoly on good health…” Middle-class, educated individuals also disproportionally make up CHIP classes. Would the program work as well in poverty-stricken populations? Researchers tried to reduce chronic disease risk factors among individuals living in rural Appalachia, one of the poorest parts of the country. “Conventional wisdom has been that each participant needs financial ‘skin in the game’ to ensure their attentiveness and commitment” to lifestyle change programs. So, if offered for free to impoverished communities, the results might not be as good. In this case, however, the “overall clinical changes in this pilot study [were] similar to those found in other 4-week CHIP classes throughout the United States,” suggesting CHIP may have benefits that “cross socioeconomic lines” and are “independent of payment source.” So, why don’t employers offer it free to employees to save on health care costs? CHIP is “described…as ‘achieving some of the most impressive clinical outcomes published in the literature,’” including “clinical benefits of the intervention, as well as its cost-effectiveness…” Lee Memorial, a health care network in Florida, offered CHIP to some of its employees as a pilot program. (Sadly, health care workers can be as unhealthy as everyone else.) As you can see below and at 3:05 in my video, they reported an average 17-pound weight loss, a 20-point drop in bad LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure normalization in most participants. Lee Memorial initially invested about $38,000 to make the program happen, but then saved $70,000 in reduced health care costs in just that next year. How? Because the employees became so much healthier. They got a financial return on investment of 1.8 times what they put in. There hadn’t been a return on investment (ROI) study in the peer-reviewed medical literature until Dexter Shurney stepped up to the plate and published a workplace study out of Vanderbilt. “There was a high degree of skepticism at the planning stage of this study that active engagement could be realized in a sizable portion of the study group around a lifestyle program that had as its main tenets exercise and a plant-based diet.” Vanderbilt is, after all, in Tennessee, smack dab in the middle of the Stroke Belt, known for its Memphis ribs. (You can see a graphic of “Stroke Death Rates…by County” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention below and at 3:55 in my video.) Nevertheless, the subjects got on board enough to improve their blood sugar control and cholesterol. They also reported “positive changes in self-reported physical health and well-being.” Health care costs were substantially reduced for study participants compared to the non-participant group. For example, nearly a quarter of the participants were able to eliminate one or more of their medications, so they got about a two-to-one return on investment within just six months, providing evidence that just “educating a member population about the benefits of a plant-based, whole-foods diet is feasible and can reduce associated health care costs.” The largest workplace CHIP study done to date involved six employee populations, including, ironically, a drug company. The study included a mix of white-collar and blue-collar workers. As you can see below and at 4:40 in my video, there were dramatic changes experienced by the worst off. Those starting with blood pressures up around 170 over 100 saw their numbers fall to around 140 over 85. Those with the highest LDL cholesterol dropped 60 points and had a 300-point drop in triglycerides, as well as a 46-point drop in fasting blood sugars. Theoretically, someone coming into the program with both high blood pressure and high cholesterol might “experience a 64% to 96% reduction in overall risk of myocardial infarction,” a heart attack, our number one killer. As Dr. Jacobson concluded in his editorial in Nutrition Action, “For the cost of a Humvee, any town could have a CHIP of its own. For the cost of a submarine or a farm subsidy, the entire country could get a CHIP on its shoulder.” Key Takeaways More than 60,000 people have completed the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), formerly known as the Coronary Health Improvement Project, an approach lauded by Dr. Michael Jacobson, co-founder of Center for Science in the Public Interest, for its effectiveness in battling the heart disease epidemic. A lifestyle intervention program, CHIP encourages its participants to eat more whole plant foods and less animal products and processed junk. Most classes are led by trained volunteer facilitators, many of whom are Seventh-Day Adventists, whose “health philosophy is built around the holistic biblical notion” that our body should be treated as a temple. About one in five CHIP participants is Adventist, but when researchers investigated the influence of religious affiliation on responsiveness to the program, they found that both Adventists and non-Adventists achieved reduced risk factors and some were even greater among the non-Adventists. When CHIP was offered for free to impoverished communities, the overall results were similar to those from other four-week programs in the United States, which suggests that CHIP’s benefits may “cross socioeconomic lines.” Health care network Lee Memorial and Vanderbilt University offered CHIP to some of their employees, and participants experienced improvements in their health, such as better cholesterol. Lee Memorial invested about $38,000 to offer CHIP and got a financial return on investment (ROI) of 1.8, saving $70,000 in reduced health care costs the following year. At Vanderbilt, health care costs were substantially lowered for CHIP participants compared to non-participants. Nearly 25 percent were able to eliminate one or more medications, for example, getting about a two-to-one ROI in just six months. The largest workplace study on CHIP involved six employee populations, including white- and blue-collar workers. Those starting in the worst physical condition experienced dramatic changes, with significant improvements in their blood pressures, LDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and fasting blood sugars. Theoretically, someone coming into the program with both high blood pressure and high cholesterol might “experience a 64% to 96% reduction in overall risk of myocardial infarction,” a heart attack, our number one killer. To read the original article click here.

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