Mag, Yerba Mate | 40th Year Tribute

From eNewsletter 4/28/2025

DID YOU KNOW that Yerba Mate tea, the traditional South American beverage that we love recommending, has recently been flaunted by celebrities as an alternative to GLP-1 weight loss drugs?

Taking it a step further, a new study from Frontiers in Nutrition lists Yerba mate's metabolic effects across eight pathways: gut microbiota and hormonal signaling, hypothalamic appetite regulation, oxidative stress reduction, inflammation reduction, lipid metabolism reprogramming, glycemic regulation, mitochondrial efficiency, and neurotransmitter modulation.

Specifically, Yerba mate enhances GLP-1 secretion, restores leptin sensitivity via inflammation reduction, and boosts mitochondrial efficiency, yielding lower HbA1c, triglycerides, and adiposity (fat mass).

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Cancer Risk Starts When?

From eNewsletter 4/23/2025

DID YOU KNOW that when it comes to preventing gastrointestinal related cancers, here are two of many lifestyle choices you can optimize?

Mobile Phones

Why have so many people under 50 in affluent countries been developing colorectal cancer in recent decades? De-Kun Li, a senior epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente, offered a new possibility: carrying a cell phone below the waist. When placed in a pocket below the belt, the phone transmits RF radiation into the abdomen. In his small pilot study, he found that those who carried a phone below the waist were four times more likely to develop colorectal tumors. Solution: Try not carry your mobile phone on your person.

Diet

More than 1 in 5 of new gastrointestinal cancer cases globally were attributable to suboptimal dietary intake, according to a recent study in Gastroenterology. Excessive consumption of processed meats and sugars and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake were the leading dietary risk factors. In addition, the number of diet-related cases doubled from 1990 to 2018. Whereas in a JAMA Network Open study, participants with high adherence to a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk for obesity-related gastric cancers than those with low adherence.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Creatine Study Disappoints

From eNewsletter 4/21/2025

DID YOU KNOW that we are asked more about creatine than any other supplement right now?

We have consistently recommended against creatine supplementation and will continue to. Many argue the evidence is overwhelmingly supportive. However, if you look at the fine print, almost all of the studies are sponsored by creatine manufacturers. We finally have an independent study to consider.

According to a study from Nutrients, researchers found that participants who underwent a 12-week resistance training program while taking a daily five gram creatine supplement didn't have more substantial muscle gains than the placebo group. Moreover, subjects were healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 50 with limited training history so they had a lot to gain. Additionally, they started taking creatine one week before starting training.

For those that claim other benefits from creatine besides muscle building such as improved memory, there is scant, insufficient, and non-independent data.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.