Build Up Catch Up - 12/1/2023
Spotify: Dietitian Edition, Asparagus and Stinky Pee, Herbalife and DPP, Black peppercorns and cannabis, 3 Book picks and more.
“If Spotify Wrapped Made a Dietitian Edition”
via Jessica Isaacs, RD, CSSD
Spotted this on Linkedin - too good not to share Be sure to click on that hyperlink to see all of Jessica’s images which are golden.
Asparagus and Why It Makes Your Pee Smell (via Unbiased Sci Pod)
“The reason why not everyone experiences this odor is due to genetic factors. People who lack a specific enzyme, the FMO3 (flavin-containing monooxygenase 3), are unable to efficiently break down asparagusic acid.”
Research in the News: Twin Study
Comparing a healthy vegan and healthy omnivorous diet for 8 weeks on cardiometabolic measurements. Cardiometabolic Effects of Omnivorous vs Vegan Diets in Identical Twins: A Randomized Clinical Trial | Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
Be sure and read the strengths and limitations of this study noted in the link/hyperlink and compare the study title vs how this is being covered by the media.
Herbalife and Diabetes Prevention Program
What would you think if you learned a multi-level marketing (MLM) company, best known for selling supplements, reprimanded by the FTC for their business practices, known for preying on women and the BIPOC community, was given the green light by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to run a CDC certified Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)? Would you be shocked? Appalled? Yes, this is happening with Herbalife.
(Black) Peppercorns and Pseudoscience
Of this list of supposed benefits of black peppercorns, we know for sure “culinary” is one of the uses. When we posted this image, we got a comment from a dietitian who wrote that at FNCE (Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo) she’d heard a presentation by a dietitian that claimed that black peppercorns, “…reduced anxiety induced by cannabis use”. A review of literature doesn’t seem to support this claim with actual research - only anecdotal accounts. Apparently the likes of Neil Young and Joe Rogan have used peppercorns in this way (cue eye roll). The idea appears to be that black peppercorns, “…contain terpenes, a type of aromatic compound found in cannabis and other plants. The terpene caryophyllene—which is present in spices and herbs like black pepper, rosemary, and lavender—is associated with reducing symptoms of anxiety, according to Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS, co-director of the medical cannabis science and therapeutics program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.”
Everything we can find on-line indicates that these assertions about chewing black peppercorns to reduce cannabis-induced anxiety appears to be primarily anecdotal. More research is needed to answer questions like: How many peppercorns do you have to chew and for how long? Would this work for all individuals or just some? How unpleasant would this be to chew a bunch of peppercorns? Do all black peppercorns work the same way? and If you experience anxiety when using cannabis products, Why wouldn’t you just use lower THC products or not use the cannabis at all?
Book Nook Picks - Covid Themed
These are 3 very different books … but all talk about Covid 19.
“Wish You Were Here” - Jodi Picoult (fiction)
A woman and her medical resident boyfriend are planning a vacation to the Galapagos Islands …and then the Covid 19 outbreak and begins. Before the anticipated lockdown begins he urges her to go on the trip without him. What follows will surprise you. “Wish You Were Here” by Jodi Picoult
“Fake Medicine” - Dr. Brad McKay
Covid-19 denialism and anti-vax sentiment along with other examples of pseudoscience in Australia (not much different than the U.S).
“These Vital Signs: A Doctor’s Notes on Life & Loss in Tweets” - Sayed Tabatabai
“My talk ends with the final global and American casualty figures for Covid-19…
I look away.
I’ve never been able to look at those numbers without my eyes filling with tears and my heart sinking.
It didn’t have to be that way.”