Ultra-Processed Foods And Risk Of Early Onset Colon Cancer

The Study

There has been a very disturbing trend of increasing colon cancer incidence in patients under the age of 50 in recent years. This study tries to figure out one of the reasons why this is happening. 29,105 young women from Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study II cohort had their diet and colonoscopy results monitored for a 24-year follow-up.

The results were compelling. When comparing subjects consuming the most ultra-processed foods to those consuming the least, there was a 45% increased risk of early onset colorectal conventional adenomas.

JAMA Oncol. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.4777

Take Home Message

Ultra-processed food are commercially produced food products that are ready to eat and low in bioactive compounds such as fiber, vitamins and polyphenols. They are usually high in unhealthy fats, refined carbs, sodium and food additives.

In this cohort, the most common sources of ultra-processed foods were breads, breakfast foods, sauces, spreads and condiments. 

The authors believed that these foods may disrupt gut microbiota and increase inflammation in the colon, leading to an increased risk of colon cancer.

Do your best to limit ultra-processed foods and eat your food in its whole and natural form.

Is It OK To Drink Whole Milk Again?

The Study

Several fad diets claim that whole milk is a healthier choice than low fat milk. A recent study put this theory to the test. A Norwegian cohort of 73,860 subjects had their milk consumption measured and were followed for 33 years.

The results were compelling:

Whole milk was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death from ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality.

When compared to whole milk, low fat milk was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, death by ischemic heart disease, death by acute myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;122:1075-85.

Take Home Message

Whole milk contains high amounts of saturated fat, which is known to be an unhealthy source of fat. Don’t let authors of fad diets books distract you from decades of high quality research.

Shoot for low fat or fat free dairy products and choose healthy sources of fat such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds and avocados.

Book Review: Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

Next up for review is Diet, Drugs And Dopamine by David Kessler, MD. The author is the former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

Introduction

The main focus of this book is the new class of weight loss drugs; the GLP-1 agonists such as Wegovy and Zepbound. It contains chapters on the use of these drugs, side effects, our current food environment and weight maintenance when you get off the medication. The book is 385 pages. It is very well-written and I enjoyed reading it.

3 Things I Really Liked About Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

1) I really like how this book presents the advice of multiple experts and not just the author’s opinions.  Dr. Kessler includes quotes from many of the world’s foremost clinicians and researchers in weight loss medicine. This adds a lot to the book.

2) The author stresses that doctors are not providing the proper nutrition support for patients on the GLP-1 agonists. I couldn’t agree more. Most patients are eating between 500 and 800 calories a day on these medications. This is similar to what an anorexic patient eats in a day. There has been widespread signs of malnutrition in these patients and one expert even reported a case of scurvy in his office. Scurvy, in 2025! 

3) The author also points out that up to 40% of weight lost by these patients is muscle mass. This can cause a host of problems and I like that the author stresses resistance training as an essential part of the program for these patients.

3 Things I Didn’t Agree With In Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

1) I feel like the book was a little longer than it needed to be. If it was a bit more focused on the GLP-1 medicines, it would have been an easier read. Sections on the history of food labels and nutritional biochemistry, for example, were not really necessary in my opinion.

2) The author repeatedly states that lifestyle changes always fail for those trying to lose weight. I strongly disagree here. I have seen clients lose weight and keep it off for well over 20 years. Just because weight loss is not easy or quick does not mean it is not possible.

3) I wish the references were cited numerically in the text instead of just lumped together in the back of the book. I am sure most readers won’t notice or care about this, but as a nutrition researcher, I often will find a reference I want to download and it is much harder to find them this way.

Is Diet, Drugs And Dopamine Worth Reading?

Absolutely! The GLP-1 agonist meds have hit our world like a ton of bricks and a lot is not known about them. This book provided a wealth of information about how these drugs work, known and potential side effects and some strategies about what to do when you go off of them. This is really important, as up to 90% of patients stop taking them after 1 year (according to one of the experts in the book).

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone taking these meds, thinking about taking them or any health care clinician working with these patients.

What Are Some Simple Ways To Reduce Sodium In My Diet?

1) Eat out less. Restaurant food is loaded with sodium. Eating out is fun but always keep in mind that a restaurant’s job is to make their food taste amazing so you want to come back again and again. Adding lots of fat, sugar and salt is how they make that happen.

2) Avoid processed and prepared foods. Fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne used to say “If man made it, don’t eat it”. The less processed the better.

3) Focus on whole foods in their natural form. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, legumes and whole grains are naturally low in sodium. These foods should make up the majority of your diet.

Breakfast Cereals Marketed To Children Are Getting Worse

The Study

Breakfast cereals are a common choice for school age children because they are quick and easy to prepare. This interesting study analyzed the nutritional quality of breakfast cereals marketed to children in 2010 and compared it to cereals marketed to children in 2023. 

The results were not great:

Total fat increased by 33.6%

Sodium increased by 32.1%

Sugar increased by 10.9%

Protein decreased by 14%

Fiber decreased by 23%

JAMA Network Open 2025;8:e2511699

Take Home Message

Breakfast cereals marketed to children have always been a nutritional disaster and seem to be getting worse. These are not a good choice for a young person starting their day. If you love cereal as a breakfast for your kid, old fashioned oatmeal, as a hot or cold cereal, is a much better option.

The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid At 30 Years

The Study

It has been 30 years since the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid was first published. A recent review article summarized the research examining the effect of this approach on a variety of health outcomes. In both randomized trials and cohort studies, this diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, total mortality, cancer mortality, stroke, type 2 diabetes and dementia.

 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;122:17-28

Take Home Message

The research literature has consistently shown the Mediterranean diet to be outstanding at reducing the risk of chronic disease. It is the diet I recommend to my clients and the one I consume myself and feed to my family.

The base of the Mediterranea Diet Pyramid consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil. These should be the most commonly eaten foods.

The next level up you find fish and seafood, which you can eat often.

After that comes poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt, which you eat in moderate portions.

The top of the pyramid is red meat and sweets, which are strictly limited.

 

A Tool To Measure Your 10 Year Risk of Heart Disease And Stroke

When it comes to heart disease and stroke, prevention is critical. Reducing cardiovascular risk factors with lifestyle change and/or medication is very effective at reducing risk. There is a really nice tool to assess your 10 year odds of heart disease and stroke that is free to use. It is called the ASCVD Risk Estimator and you can find it here:

https://tools.acc.org/ascvd-risk-estimator-plus/#!/calculate/estimate/

You will need a number of lab values to fill out this assessment, so make sure to have handy your most recent blood work. 

This includes: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

Once you plug in all of the data you will get a score that estimates your chance of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years. 

Here is what the number says about your 10 year risk of having a heart attack or stroke:

Less than 5% = Low risk

5-7.4% = Borderline risk

7.5-19.9% = Intermediate risk

Greater than 20% = High risk

With this information, you and your doctor can come up with a plan combining lifestyle modifications and medications to lower your risk and help prevent a cardiovascular event. Take advantage of this free tool and find out your ASCVD score.