
Highlights from the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Hearing
I was honored to testify before the US government’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Check out the video to see my speech and a few of my favorite excerpts.
Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Dan
The elimination all dairy products may be a cure for childhood constipation. Americans, and especially New Yorkers, are among the most constipated people on earth. Not surprisingly, then, constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the United States. One-third of preschoolers in the United States may be constipated in part due to the under-consumption of fiber-containing (whole plant) foods.
The minimum fecal output should be about half a pound per day for cancer prevention. Larger bowel movements have also been associated with lower rates of appendicitis, colon cancer, constipation, and diverticulitis. Those who eat plant-based diets, on average, have the healthiest stools and are the most regular. This may be due to the fiber found in plants. On a traditional African diet, which consists largely of plants, constipation is essentially nonexistent.
In addition to fiber, appropriate water intake could stave off constipation. Prunes may be especially helpful in treating constipation. On a plant-based, fiber-rich diet, people should be able to have an easily passable bowel movement after every meal.
Women who have more frequent bowel movements appear to be at lower risk for breast cancer possibly because bile acids absorbed from our intestines concentrate in the breast and have an estrogen-like tumor promoting effect.
Certain artificial sweeteners can have a laxative effect. In Latin America, greta, made almost of pure lead, is alarmingly used to treat constipation.
I was honored to testify before the US government’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Check out the video to see my speech and a few of my favorite excerpts.
Seven dates a day for three weeks are put to the test in a randomized controlled trial.
Most Americans get less than half the recommended minimum fiber intake a day and the benefits of fiber go way beyond bowel regularity.
Is carbonated water good or bad for heartburn, dyspepsia, and bowel regularity?
Berries counteract the neurotoxic effects of pesticides in vitro, potentially explaining why berry consumption is associated with lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Our physiology evolved for millions of years eating a plant-based diet. What would happen if researchers tried to recreate our ancestral diet in the lab?
What’s the best way to fulfill the omega-3 essential fat requirements?
A guideline is suggested for how to read food labels for grain products such as bread and breakfast cereals.
Squatting and leaning can help straighten the anorectal angle, but a healthy enough diet should make bowel movements effortless regardless of positioning.
Most people have between 3 bowel movements a day and 3 a week, but normal doesn’t necessarily mean optimal.
Less than 3% of Americans meet the daily recommended fiber intake, despite research suggesting high-fiber foods such as whole grains can affect the progression of coronary heart disease.
Based on the potential benefits of proper hydration such as reduced bladder cancer risk, how many cups of water should we strive to drink every day?