Diet Quotes

Morel, shitake, and Agaricus mushrooms, like white, cremini, and portobello, should be cooked before eaten. Oyster mushrooms can be safely consumed raw. [2023] - Michael Greger

Vegans and vegetarians should take vitamin B12 supplements containing at least 50 mcg cyanocobalamin (the most stable form) each day or at least 2,000 mcg once a week, as should all individuals between 50 and 65, regardless of their diets (since we lose some of the ability to absorb B12 from food as we age). I recommend 1,000 mcg of cyanocobalamin a day for everyone after age 65, ideally as a chewable, sublingual, or liquid supplement. [2023] - Michael Greger

Vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower bone mineral density (this translates into elevated fracture risk) compared to meat eaters, not only because they are generally more slender but because of the potential for inadequate vitamin D status and calcium intake. I recommend 2,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D a day for those getting inadequate sun exposure and at least 600 mg of calcium daily via calcium-rich plant foods——preferably low-oxalate dark green leafy vegetables, which include all greens except spinach, chard, and beet greens. (All very healthy foods, but just stingy with their calcium.) [2023] - Michael Greger

Flaxseeds can be used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Men given the equivalent of around 3 tablespoons of flaxseeds daily experienced relief comparable to that achieved with commonly prescribed drugs such as Flomax or Proscar——but without their side effects. Pumpkin seeds also work. Significant improvements in BPH symptoms, quality of life, and all urination parameters studied were noted for about tree-quarters of a teaspoon a day of powdered cranberries. [2023] - Michael Greger

Goji berries do actually appear to have relevant, real-world, beneficial effects on immune function. [2023] - Michael Greger

Those who choose organic produce seem to have lower cancer rates after controlling for confounding factors, but even if it's cause and effect, the benefits of consuming conventionally grown produce are likely to outweigh any possible risks from pesticide exposure. So, concerns over pesticide risks should never discourage us from eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible. The potential lifelong damage of any pesticides on produce is estimated to cut only a few minutes off a person's life on average, which is nothing compared to benefits we get from eating fruits and veggies. [2023] - Michael Greger

Nori, the most accessible seaweed, are the sheets used for making sushi rolls, but they can also make quick and easy snacks. It's hard to beat the nutrient density; each sheet has as little as a single calorie. Study participants randomized to a nori extract for 8 weeks experienced an increase in natural killer cell activity. The dose they were given was equivalent to about 7 sheets of nori a day, though, so it's not clear what the effects of smaller does might be. [2023] - Michael Greger

Blueberries, garlic and spinach improve muscle quality, performance, mass, and/ or strength. Older men and women given a tablespoon of natural, unprocessed cocoa a day for 12 weeks experienced a significant improvement in muscle mass index, grip strength, and all four physical function tests. [2023] - Michael Greger

The longevity benefits associated with nuts (including peanuts) do not appear to extend to peanut butter, perhaps due to the lack of intact cellular structures that deliver a bounty of prebiotic goodness to our friendly gut flora. The healthiest nut, however, is probably walnuts. Not only do they have some of the highest antioxidant and omega-3 levels, but walnuts are the only nuts known to significantly improve artery function, and they beat out others in suppressing cancer cell growth in vitro. [2023] - Michael Greger

In a head-to-head comparison between red grapes and green ones, eating about 3 cups a day of red grapes for 8 weeks significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, but the same amount of green grapes did not. Similarly, raisins were not able to acutely improve artery functions, but a cup and a quarter of various fresh grapes, including red and blue-black ones, can even blunt the arterial dysfunction caused by a McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg meal. The skins of grapes hold 30% of the polyphenols, but the seeds contain 64%. I've found the best odds of finding seeded grapes are at Asian markets. [2023] - Michael Greger

Time-restricted eating is defined as fasting for periods of at least 12 hours but less than 24. Early time-restricted eating, a narrow eating window shifted toward the morning, carry a variety of metabolic benefits. Prolonged nightly fasting with reduced evening food intake may decrease cancer risk and recurrence. [2023] - Michael Greger

Caloric restriction (CR)'s usefulness remains doubtful outside of the lab. Very lean animals may be more susceptible to death from infection or cold temperatures. And long-term severe caloric restriction is difficult if not impossible for most humans to sustain. Furthermore, there is no evidence that extreme CR would truly maximize the longevity function in an organism as complex as we humans. [2023] - Peter Attia

I used to recommend long periods of water-only fasting for some of my patients-and practiced it myself. But I no longer do so, because I've become convinced that the drawbacks (mostly having to do with muscle loss and undernourishment) outweigh its metabolic benefits in all but my most overnourished patients. [2023] - Peter Attia

I'm no longer a dogmatic advocate of any particular way of eating, such as a ketogenic diet or any form of fasting. It took me a long time to figure this out, but the fundamental assumption underlying the diet wars, and most nutrition research-that there is one perfect diet that works for every single person-is absolutely incorrect. [2023] - Peter Attia

The results of the large Spanish study known as PREDIMED were so dramatic. The group receiving the olive oil had about a one-third lower incidence (31%) of stroke, heart attack, and death than the low-fat group, and the mixed-nuts group showed a similar reduced risk (28%). By the numbers, the nuts-or-olive-oil "Mediterranean" diet appeared to be as powerful as statins, in terms of number needed to treat (NNT), for primary prevention of heart disease-meaning a population that had not yet experienced an "event" or a clinical diagnosis. [2023] - Peter Attia

TR or time restriction-also known as intermittent fasting-is the latest trend in ways to cut calories. But this can still backfire if you overeat. I have, much to my amusement, watched patients gain weight on a one-meal-a-day approach by turning their meal into a contest to see who could eat the most pizza and ice cream. But the more significant downside of this approach is that most people who try it end up very protein deficient. One not uncommon scenario that we see with TR is that a person loses weight on the scale, but their body composition alters for the worse: they lose lean mass (muscle) while their body fat stays the same or even increases. [2023] - Peter Attia

Avoiding diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction-especially by eliminating or reducing junk food-is very important to longevity. There appears to be a strong link between calories and cancer, the leading cause of death. The quality of the food you eat should be as important as the quantity. If you're eating the SAD (Standard American Diet), then you should eat much less of it. Conversely, if your diet is high quality to begin with, and you are metabolically healthy,, then only a slight degree of caloric restriction-or simply not eating to excess-can still be beneficial. [2023] - Peter Attia

A significant issue with Dietary Restriction (DR) is that everyone's metabolism is different. Some people will lose tremendous amounts of weight and improve their metabolic markers on a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, while others will actually gain weight and see their lipid markers go haywire-on the exact same diet. Conversely, some people might lose weight on a low-fat diet, while others will gain weight. Any form of DR that restricts protein is probably a bad idea for most people, because it likely also impairs the maintenance or growth of muscle. Similarly, replacing carbohydrates with lots of saturated fats can backfire if it sends your apoB concentration (and thus your cardiovascular disease risk) sky-high. [2023] - Peter Attia

The real art to dietary restriction, Nutrition 3.0-style, is not picking which evil foods we're eliminating. Rather, it's finding the best mix of macronutrients for our patient-coming up with an eating pattern that helps them achieve their goals, in a way that they can sustain. This is a tricky balancing act, and it requires us to forget about labels and viewpoints and drill down into nutritional biochemistry. [2023] - Peter Attia

Rice and oatmeal are surprisingly glycemic (meaning they cause a sharp rise in glucose levels), despite not being particularly refined; more surprising is that brown rise is only slightly less glycemic than long-grain white rice. Nonstarchy veggies such as spinach or broccoli have virtually no impact on blood sugar. Foods high in protein and fat (e.g., eggs, beef short ribs) have virtually no effect on blood sugar (assuming the short ribs are not coated in sweet sauce), but large amounts of lean protein (e.g., chicken breast) will elevate glucose slightly. Protein shakes, especially if low in fat, have a more pronounced effect (particularly if they contain sugar, obviously). [2023] - Peter Attia