Intelligent Medicine

Nutritional Insights for a Healthy New Year: Breakfast Ideas and Metabolic Health: Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the importance of a protein and fat-rich breakfast to stabilize blood sugar levels. She emphasizes the metabolic benefits of avoiding carbohydrate-heavy meals in the morning and shares various breakfast ideas that are convenient and nutritious, such as protein shakes, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and leftovers from previous meals. Leyla also highlights the impact of diet on menstrual health, citing studies showing how ketogenic diets can regulate menstrual cycles and treat conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Listeners are encouraged to adopt these dietary habits for better overall health and well-being in the new year.

Understanding Constipation: Carmen Fong, MD, FACS, author of “CONSTIPATION NATION: What to Know When You Can’t Go,” discusses the pressing issue of constipation. The conversation delves into the definition and causes of constipation, the importance of diet, hydration, and regular bowel habits, and misconceptions around the condition. Dr. Fong shares insights on natural remedies, modern treatments, and factors contributing to early-onset colorectal cancer. The episode also covers hemorrhoid treatments and new medical advances in constipation management.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Carmen Fong, MD, FACS, author of “CONSTIPATION NATION: What to Know When You Can’t Go.”

Headlines are sounding alarms over the widespread use of melatonin—especially as a sleep aid for young kids. Dr. Deanna Minich has authored a comprehensive review of melatonin, in which she likens it to vitamin D in its potential utility for a variety of ailments—not just for insomnia and jet lag, but also for metabolic syndrome and diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain disorders, autoimmune conditions, eye problems, tinnitus, PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, viral infections, and even ADHD and autism. Additionally, melatonin may confer anti-aging benefits. She affirms its overall safety, but cautions that some formulations are sketchy and may contain contaminants or vastly exceed or undershoot their claimed melatonin content. She discusses how modern life, with its ever-present artificial light, shift work, and travel across time zones may disrupt our circadian rhythms and put us in a state of darkness deprivation, with consequent melatonin depletion. For many conditions less is more, and use in children should be limited to special cases. Dr. Minich also emphasizes that lifestyle factors like properly timed light and darkness exposure, blue blocker glasses and screen apps, exercise and diet are cornerstones to optimal melatonin production, with melatonin supplements constituting only part of a holistic approach.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Deanna Minich who authored a comprehensive review of melatonin.

Commemorating 38th year of Intelligent Medicine; A pricey prostate drug advertised on football games may extend life for mere months without promise of cure; You dutifully threw out your “toxic” black plastic spatulas—was it faulty math? Air pollution robs marathoners of record times—and may be responsible for deaths of millions; Indian man, declared dead, taken to hospital after awakening on funeral pyre.

Doctors fleeing Medicare—leaving patients stranded; CEO murder heightens scrutiny of United Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage coding shenanigans; Can blood pressure spikes cause strokes? Does a calcium score of 20 call for a statin Rx? Treatments for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS); New “improved” tea bags release millions of plastic microparticles; The surprising trigger of a bout of hives.

The Importance of Regenerative Agriculture: Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the concept of regenerative agriculture in response to a listener’s question. She explains how regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic practices by enhancing soil quality and promoting a healthier ecosystem. Leyla covers various methods such as composting, crop rotation, and water management, emphasizing the importance of soil health in producing nutrient-dense food and combating global warming. She also highlights the economic advantages of regenerative practices and encourages listeners to support local farmers engaged in sustainable agriculture.

In this special New Year's edition Q&A Dr. Ronald Hoffman and Nutritionist Leyla Muedin share their personal supplement regimens for 2025. They discuss the variety of supplements they take, including multivitamins, specific minerals, omega-3s, anti-inflammatories, probiotics, and immune-supportive nutrients. They also emphasize the importance of personalized nutrition and caution listeners against directly mirroring their supplement routines. The episode includes advice on seasonal adjustments to supplementation, the benefits of different nutrient combinations, and general tips for maintaining a balanced approach to supplement intake. Dr. Hoffman and Leyla also touch on their personal health goals and the rationale behind their choices, offering listeners insights into optimizing their own supplement strategies.

Dr. Ronald Hoffman and Nutritionist Leyla Muedin continue their reveal of the supplements they personally take.

“Dead butt syndrome”—you probably already have it; Over half of Americans with uncontrolled hypertension are unaware of their condition; Is a smartwatch app for continuous blood pressure monitoring ready for primetime? What are frequent causes of errors in blood pressure measurement? How long can you continue to take Prolia? What’s the likelihood of a colon adenoma turning cancerous? Metformin scores cognitive and anti-aging benefits in monkeys—human trials underway.

Is “Morgellon’s Disease” a figment of the imagination? Are reports of frequent liver problems with popular herbs unfairly alarmist? Diagnosing stomach pain; Harmful micro-organisms can travel hundreds of miles high in the atmosphere; Toxic condoms; Sales of herbal supplements soar—we breakdown the most popular; The three tests for cardiovascular risk that you absolutely need.

Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses intermittent fasting, specifically addressing whether skipping morning coffee affects metabolism. She explains different approaches to intermittent fasting, including Bulletproof Coffee and time-restricted eating (TRE). Leyla also delves into a study on the effectiveness of TRE in weight loss and cardiometabolic health, highlighting that eating within a specific time window (7am-3pm) led to greater weight loss and improved mood compared to a broader eating period. She emphasizes the importance of a minimum nightly fast of 12 hours for autophagy and overall health benefits.