The Medical Advisor

If you’re eating a healthy diet and you’re still dealing with fatigue, inflammation, anxiety, recurrent injuries, or chronic pain, the problem could be your spinach, almonds, sweet potatoes, and other trusted plant foods. And your key to vibrant health may be quitting these so-called superfoods!? In this interview, Sally Norton, author of “ Toxic Superfoods: How Oxalate Overload Is Making You Sick — and How to Get Better ,” reviews how and why even foods we’ve been told are healthy can wreak havoc on your health. As the title of the book implies, the main culprit in question is oxalate or oxalic acid, found in many plants, beans, grains, seeds and nuts, fruits, berries and herbs. ( R ) So, just what are oxalates, why are they so bad, and how are they hidden in these superfoods that so many people are consuming? In short, it’s a naturally-occurring toxic, corrosive acid. In that state, it’s called oxalic acid. When the oxalic acid has minerals attached to it, it’s called oxalate. Chemi...

C15:0, also known as pentadecanoic acid, is an odd-chain saturated fat primarily found in dairy products, some fish, and certain plants. The story of C15:0's importance begins in an unlikely place — with dolphins. Since Venn-Watson and her team’s groundbreaking work with dolphins, scientific interest in C15:0 has surged, and there are now more than 100 papers on C15:0 and its benefits. However, despite the increased research, few people have heard of C15:0. Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, a veterinary epidemiologist, was brought on board the Navy's Marine Mammal program about 20 years ago to help understand aging in dolphins and protect their health. The Navy has been caring for a population of dolphins for over 60 years, and these dolphins are living much longer in captivity (40 to 50+ years) compared to their wild counterparts (around 20 years). As these dolphins aged, researchers noticed they developed conditions similar to humans, including chronic inflammation, high cholestero...

Dairy milk has been a staple food for humans for thousands of years.1 However, it was only during the 20th century that it has been vilified, supposedly because of its fat content. Hence, you’ll see plenty of milk alternatives sold in grocery stores, one of which is almond milk. Almond milk is now one of the best-selling alternatives to dairy milk. Global Almond Milk Market size is expected to be worth around USD 25.4 Bn by 2032 from USD 8.5 Bn in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 11.9% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032 — a whopping 198.82% growth. But despite the extraordinary expansion, a closer look reveals that almond milk isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you’re a regular consumer of this alternative dairy product, I recommend you remove it from your pantry right away. The bar chart shows that cow milk is rich in SFAs and low in PUFAs. Whereas, oat milk and soy milk are significantly higher in PUFAs. Compelling Reasons to Avoid Almond Milk One of the reasons to avoid almond...