[Examine Newsletter] September 2021 Updates

See what's new on Examine this month!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Examine]() Here’s your recap of Examine's August 2021 updates. 📧 Reminder: If you would like to switch back to weekly emails (instead of a monthly newsletter) — just [click here](. --- Sep 2, 2021 The latest evidence on spirulina We added 32 studies to our spirulina database: [Spirulina: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects]( Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae and one of those supplements all nutrition nerds know about but few other people have ever heard of. Why hasn’t it become as widely popular as some other supplements? I have some thoughts on that. - If you can’t pronounce it, you probably won’t remember it. (Hint: it’s pronounced spee-ruh-lee-nuh.) - It has a hippie, grassy vibe that some people don’t want to associate with. - Its strong flavor is … an acquired taste. One few people ever acquire. - There are contamination [concerns](=). - Most people aren’t aware of the sizable evidence backing its benefits. Speaking of sizable evidence … if you want to learn the latest about spirulina’s effects on body weight, blood lipids, oxidation, and more, check out our updated evidence page: [Learn more](=) Related articles - [Chlorella](=) - [Spirulina: A weight loss aid?]( - [Supplementing spirulina for metabolic maladies](=) - [Allergies](=) Related study summaries - [Spirulina for ulcerative colitis]( - [Does spirulina enhance fat loss?]() - [Are phytonutrients cardioprotective?]() - [Can spirulina help you lose weight?](=) --------------------------------------------------------------- Sep 9, 2021 Top five study summaries for September Every month, we summarize 150+ new studies for our [Examine Members](=). Below are five of our Members’ favorites from this month’s issue. 🔥 Note that three of the five studies focus on a food: tomato, prune, or cacao. Each of these has been called a “functional food” — a food whose benefits go beyond those of its individual nutrients. Then again, is a tomato really superior to, let’s say, a carrot? Or do the two simply provide different benefits? Without clinical trials pitting one against the other (and a placebo) to determine their relative effects on a variety of health outcomes, we’ll never know for sure. In truth, most whole foods are potentially functional foods, in some way or another. Avoiding ultraprocessed foods is better than agonizing over which whole foods are “the best”. Anyway, just something to chew on. Now on to the studies! - [Can lycopene or tomato products reduce blood pressure?]( - [Prunes may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease]( - [Dark chocolate increases energy expenditure in women]( - [Does your metabolism slow down as you age?]( - [Excessive screen time is associated with developmental delay in young children]( --- You can also check out the [most-favorited summaries from previous months.]() Did you see anything of interest above? If not, let us know which topics you’d like us to tackle. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sep 16, 2021 New page on low-FODMAP diets! We have a brand-new, comprehensive page on a type of diet frequently used to address gut issues: [Low-FODMAP Diets: Benefits, Side Effects, Latest Research](=) =Below is a little story about my personal experience with FODMAPs. ---------------- I used to smother everything in garlic, social graces be damned. Cooking up a batch of caramelized onions sparked joy. And then, around ten years ago, I started getting an upset tummy after eating garlic, onions, avocados, and other delicious foods. What was going on? Being a nutrition researcher, I knew who to turn to: The Aussies! Monash University, located in Melbourne (pronounced Mel-Bin or Mel-Bern, not Mel-Borne), had been at the forefront of research on a troublesome type of carbohydrates comprising fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. FODMAPs. A good chunk of the carbs in garlic and onion are FODMAPs. And even if most of a given food’s carbs are well absorbed, a small amount of FODMAPs can be enough to cause issues in people who are susceptible. FODMAPs are a relatively new concept. In 2005, a seminal paper was published: “Personal view: food for thought — western lifestyle and susceptibility to Crohn’s disease. The FODMAP hypothesis”. Soon after, clinical research started in earnest. Which foods are high in FODMAPs? Does processing impact FODMAP levels? How long does one have to follow a low-FODMAP diet to get results? Ten years after the aforementioned seminal paper, a meta-analysis was published, [which we analyzed in depth](=). Thanks to the recent expansion of our research team, we finally have an experienced gut health researcher, and she wrote a thorough page on FODMAPs: [Learn more about the low-FODMAP diet]() Related articles and study summaries - [Cut out FODMAPs, cut out IBS symptoms?](=) - [Vitamin D and intestinal barrier function in IBS patients on a low-FODMAP diet]( - [IBD: Interventions to Beat Disease?](=) - [The diets of some patients with inflammatory bowel disease may have nutritional gaps]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Sep 23, 2021 Does fish oil increase the risk of atrial fibrillation? If you take fish oil, you may want to check out our quick evidence recap regarding atrial fibrillation: [Safety Spotlight: Omega−3 fatty acid supplementation can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation](=) Supplements are typically thought of as harmless. Fish oil, the most popular type of omega−3 supplement, especially gets a pass, since it’s so widely used and is derived from real food. Don’t fall for that trap. Based on preliminary studies, fish oil was first thought to benefit atrial fibrillation (or AFib, for short). As more rigorous trials were conducted, though, the weight of the evidence started leaning toward harm. This is important because AFib can be quite a serious issue. It increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, and death, and is the most common heart rhythm disorder, with around 5 million people in the US experiencing it. So if heart disease and/or fish oil are of interest to you, check out our quick evidence recap: [Learn more]() Related articles - [A fishy relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and heart health]( - [Fish oil and major cardiac events — a meta-analysis](=) - [The top 21 nutrition myths of 2021]() Related study summaries - [EPA, with or without DHA, may reduce the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease]( - [The health effects of dietary fat](=) --------------------------------------------------------------- Latest on Social Media [Sitting for long periods is associated with worse risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Working in a standing position, if only for a while, can help improve these risk factors.⁠PMID: 33367205⁠⁠⁠](=) [Your liver creates and clears cholesterol. Your diet accounts for a relatively small percentage of the cholesterol in your bloodstream. Thus, current US dietary guidelines no longer limit consumption of dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day.⁠Will eating eggs increase your cholesterol? Find out through the link in bio!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](=) [What are your highest-impact methods to achieve your health goals?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](=) [he term “proprietary blend” is used in the supplement industry to label a blend of ingredients, without disclosing the exact amount of each ingredient. The obvious problem is that the consumer can’t know if they’re getting sufficiently high doses of each ingredient.⁠⁠Get a free supplement mini-course through the link in bio. Learn about what supplements work and how you can make sure you're buying the right ones.⁠⁠](=) [Does fish oil increase the risk of atrial fibrillation? Recent evidence suggests that it may, especially when using higher doses.⁠⁠⁠⁠](=) Sincerely, Kamal Patel Co-founder, Examine P.S. The [Examine Membership]() now includes free continuing education hours for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). [Click here to learn more.]() follow us on: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram](=) [About Examine]() | [Careers]( | [Member’s Area](=) [Free 2-week Membership trial](=) PO Box 592, Station-P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T1 | [Email Preferences]( [Switch to once-a-month emails](=) | [Unsubscribe](