Webinars with Dr. Greger

Excess consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to increased risks of disease and death. However, these associations appear to be driven largely by sweetened beverages and processed meats. In that case, instead of being a part of the problem, plant-based meats may be the solution to the ultra-processed foods issue. Unlike other ultra-processed foods, plant-based meats are healthier than the foods they were designed to replace. How do they compare to whole plant foods? In this live 3-hour CME-approved webinar, I’ll explore the public health implications of full or partial replacement of animal products with both ultra-processed plant-based products and whole plant foods.

Cold water immersion is a popular post-exercise recovery strategy for athletes during training. In the 1.5-hour CME-approved live webinar, I will take a deep dive (pun intended!) into the best temperature, timing, and duration for cold plunges, as well as cover the negative effects of cold plunges for muscle building and identify which of the benefits may just be a placebo effect. I will then discuss whether cold showers can improve immune function, the merits of using cold water immersion for gout flares, and the risks and benefits of winter sea bathing. I knew next to nothing about this topic when I started, and it turned out to be much more interesting than I thought.

Taurine is an important non-essential amino acid that’s often added to energy drinks. Our body can make it, but as we age, our production drops and taurine blood levels fall as much as 80 percent. As is the case with other purported longevity vitamins like spermidine, even though our bodies can produce taurine, maybe we don’t produce enough for optimal health and longevity, so we may need to ensure we’re getting more in our diet starting in middle age. A landmark study showing that taurine supplementation can improve the healthspan and lifespan of animals was released after I had already submitted my How Not to Age manuscript to the publisher. Now that I’ve had time to do a deep dive into the important paper, let’s discuss the best sources, risks, and benefits of adding taurine to our diet.

The new class of weight-loss medications are hailed as game-changing wonder drugs, but just how safe and effective are they? Why do most people stop taking them within months of starting? Why does weight loss plateau, and what happens when you quit? How can you control the short-term side effects, such as gastrointestinal symptoms and muscle loss (“Ozempic face”), and what are the long-term risks of taking these drugs?

The adverse health effects of obesity itself are so dire that, like bariatric surgery, one could argue that these weight-loss drugs should be considered as a last resort, but there are diet and lifestyle changes that can naturally restore our GLP-1 satiety circuits. In this in-depth, three-hour live webinar event, Dr. Greger exposes what’s really happening in our bodies when we take drugs like Ozempic, explains why we should be concerned about supplements purported to act as “nature’s Ozempic,” and discusses the foods, beverages, spices, and lifestyle habits that can actually boost GLP-1 activity, cut cravings, and accelerate the loss of body fat.

NAD+ is an essential cofactor for hundreds of enzymes, including the purported anti-aging activities of sirtuins. Raising levels can extend lifespan and rejuvenate health in many animals. What about humans? The four main NAD+-boosting supplements on the market are nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinic acid (NA), and nicotinamide (NAM). In this 2-hour webinar, I will cover the pros and cons of each one. I’ll also go over the other five––NAD, NADH, NMNH, NRH, and tryptophan––and discuss three ways to naturally boost NAD levels without supplements.

Metformin is a drug that boosts the anti-aging enzyme AMPK, and rapamycin is a drug that suppresses the pro-aging enzyme mTOR. Metformin is so powerful that, compared to individuals without diabetes, people with diabetes who take metformin live longer. Rapamycin is considered a universal anti-aging drug, extending lifespan in every animal tested. Both drugs are off-patent, inexpensive, and widely available. Do the potential upsides outweigh the risks?

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability of older men and women. Billions of dollars are spent every year on glucosamine and chondroitin supplements to treat the condition. Do they work, and, if so, what are their downsides? Join me for this one-hour live webinar on these popular supplements to get all your questions answered.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over the age of 6 months get a routine annual flu shot, a shingles vaccine series at age 50, and vaccination against pneumonia at age 65. Data from observation studies on vaccine recipients that show benefits far exceeding the risks are confounded by the fact that people who choose to get vaccinated are more likely to be white, married, nonsmokers of a higher social class, with higher levels of education, higher incomes, and health insurance. You can’t tell cause-and-effect until you put it to the test by randomizing people to vaccine or placebo injections. Join me for my live webinar on March 15 at 2pm ET to find out what randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have to say about the pros and cons of getting these vaccines.

Join me for a series of four live webinars where I’ll dive into each part of my new book, How Not to Age, and highlight some of the most important passages. I’ll spend time summarizing each week’s section, then open it up for Q&A. If you’ve already gotten your copy, you know that How Not to Age is such a massive book that there’s a lot of ground to cover in each webinar.