Artwork for podcast 1,000 Waking Minutes
19 - Science You Can Use: VILPAs, More Beans, Red Dye No. 3
Episode 205th February 2025 • 1,000 Waking Minutes • Wendy Bazilian
00:00:00 00:32:38

Share Episode

Shownotes

Science is always evolving, and when new research makes headlines, it can be exciting—but also confusing. In this special Science You Can Use  episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian breaks down three major new studies and what they really mean for your health, your choices, and your waking minutes.

From the latest research  on short bursts of exercise to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines’ push for more beans, and the FDA’s recent ban on Red Dye No. 3, we’re unpacking the science, separating fact from fiction, and giving you practical takeaways you can apply in your daily life.

FROM THE EPISODE

[This research on VILPAS] reinforces that ‘move daily’ concept that I always talk about, that you don't have to carve out an hour for the gym to get meaningful benefits.

WE DISCUSS:

(1:18) Introduction: Why science updates matter and what’s on today’s agenda

(3:49) Study #1 - VILPA: The power of short bursts of movement for heart health

(9:17) Study #2 - 2025 Dietary Guidelines: Why beans, peas, and lentils are making headlines

(16:34) Study #3 - Red Dye No. 3: What the FDA ban means and how to approach artificial ingredients

(29:15) Recap and final takeaways

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT:

If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!

  • Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
  • Rate & Review the show—your feedback helps others find the podcast.
  • Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

REFERENCES:

2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. (2024). Scientific report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://doi.org/10.52570/DGAC2025

Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M. N., & Fraser, G. (2024). Association of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with major cardiovascular disease events and mortality in non-exercising adults: A prospective study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2024/12/28/bjsports-2024-108484

U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2024). FDA to revoke authorization for use of Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs

Transcripts

Speaker:

Science keeps evolving and so

Speaker:

should we.

Speaker:

Just a few extra steps

Speaker:

a day, a little more

Speaker:

real food on your plate,

Speaker:

and fewer artificial ingredients.

Speaker:

It all adds up.

Speaker:

Let's break down the latest

Speaker:

research and make it work

Speaker:

for your waking minutes.

Speaker:

We experience 1,000 Waking Minutes

Speaker:

on average every day.

Speaker:

How are you spending yours?

Speaker:

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

Speaker:

you're listening to 1,000 Waking

Speaker:

Minutes.

Speaker:

I can't wait to connect

Speaker:

with you here with practical

Speaker:

ways to eat well, move

Speaker:

daily, and be healthy, to

Speaker:

optimize every waking minute you

Speaker:

live for a happier, healthier

Speaker:

life.

Speaker:

Thank you for sharing some

Speaker:

of your waking minutes with

Speaker:

me today.

Speaker:

Let's get started.

Speaker:

Welcome back to 1,000 Waking

Speaker:

Minutes.

Speaker:

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

Speaker:

today I'm bringing you a

Speaker:

special science update.

Speaker:

I'm thinking of it like

Speaker:

from evidence to our everyday

Speaker:

lives or something like that.

Speaker:

This may be an evolving

Speaker:

thematic within 1,000 Waking Minutes,

Speaker:

but because I really do

Speaker:

love reading the science and

Speaker:

keeping up to date, I

Speaker:

want to keep you up

Speaker:

to date as well.

Speaker:

Most of my episodes, as

Speaker:

you know, I sort of

Speaker:

dive into a theme and

Speaker:

I bring you science in

Speaker:

there that's recent and compelling,

Speaker:

that gives us some ROIs

Speaker:

and reasons to talk about

Speaker:

the topic of the day.

Speaker:

But today is really just

Speaker:

about three studies and reports

Speaker:

that have come out recently,

Speaker:

and I want to share

Speaker:

them with you and what

Speaker:

they mean for our 1,000

Speaker:

waking minutes as well.

Speaker:

So a little bit of

Speaker:

a focssed dive into these

Speaker:

three studies and how they

Speaker:

impact our daily choices.

Speaker:

Science is always evolving and

Speaker:

when new research makes headlines,

Speaker:

it can be exciting.

Speaker:

It can also be a

Speaker:

little confusing and it can

Speaker:

also sometimes invoke fear or

Speaker:

big question marks on what

Speaker:

we should do with that

Speaker:

information.

Speaker:

So today I want to

Speaker:

break it down a little

Speaker:

bit through the studies and

Speaker:

what they really mean for

Speaker:

you so we can make

Speaker:

it work within the context

Speaker:

of your life and your

Speaker:

choices that you make every

Speaker:

day.

Speaker:

So here's what's on the

Speaker:

agenda.

Speaker:

One is a study of

Speaker:

a physical activity of vigorous

Speaker:

intermittent activity known as VILPA,

Speaker:

short bursts of activity and

Speaker:

the impact on heart health.

Speaker:

The second is a major

Speaker:

public health report that says

Speaker:

we should all be eating

Speaker:

more beans, peas, and lentils.

Speaker:

And the third is the

Speaker:

FDA's ban on Red Dye

Speaker:

Number 3, what the science

Speaker:

says, what's hype, and my

Speaker:

take on artificial ingredients.

Speaker:

So I'll be bringing you

Speaker:

this format from time to

Speaker:

time as a way to

Speaker:

keep you updated on specific

Speaker:

research and also to talk

Speaker:

about how different studies come

Speaker:

into our space either through

Speaker:

headlines or why they make

Speaker:

news and are buzzworthy that

Speaker:

you may be seeing.

Speaker:

And I also encourage you

Speaker:

if there are ones that you

Speaker:

see of relevance to write

Speaker:

in and ask about them

Speaker:

and maybe I'll feature them

Speaker:

on one of these episodes.

Speaker:

So let's dive in.

Speaker:

Okay, the first one we're

Speaker:

going to talk about VILPAs.

Speaker:

Get to know that term

Speaker:

VILPAs.

Speaker:

It is an acronym.

Speaker:

It stands for Vigorous Intermittent

Speaker:

Lifestyle Physical Activity.

Speaker:

Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity.

Speaker:

VILPAs is a fancy way

Speaker:

of saying short bursts of

Speaker:

movement that happen naturally in

Speaker:

our day.

Speaker:

Sound familiar with some things I've

Speaker:

talked about before?

Speaker:

It should.

Speaker:

So this could be like

Speaker:

running to catch a bus,

Speaker:

taking the stairs instead of

Speaker:

the escalator, walking briskly instead

Speaker:

of casually with purpose, carrying

Speaker:

your groceries.

Speaker:

It could be functional movement.

Speaker:

It could be dancing in

Speaker:

your kitchen with your kids

Speaker:

or on your own.

Speaker:

So a recent study published

Speaker:

in just this past October

Speaker:

in the British Journal of

Speaker:

Sports Medicine looked at how

Speaker:

even tiny bursts of movement,

Speaker:

these VILPAs can impact heart

Speaker:

health.

Speaker:

The researchers found that just,

Speaker:

get this, 3.4 minutes

Speaker:

a day on average was

Speaker:

linked to 45% lower

Speaker:

risk of major cardiovascular events.

Speaker:

Major cardiovascular events are stroke,

Speaker:

heart attack, heart failure.

Speaker:

Even doing just 1.5

Speaker:

minutes, that's 90 seconds(!), showed

Speaker:

a 30% lower risk

Speaker:

of heart attack and a

Speaker:

40% lower risk of

Speaker:

heart failure.

Speaker:

Now these were hazard ratios

Speaker:

as the science says, and

Speaker:

these may or may not

Speaker:

apply to you directly, but

Speaker:

this was a well-designed

Speaker:

research looking at these short

Speaker:

bursts of activity.

Speaker:

And this is what's really

Speaker:

fascinating.

Speaker:

Women seem to benefit the

Speaker:

most while associations for men

Speaker:

were a little bit less

Speaker:

clear.

Speaker:

And one theory on that

Speaker:

is that the research focused

Speaker:

on middle age - middle years,

Speaker:

I'm going to say - adults,

Speaker:

40 to 69 year olds,

Speaker:

adults.

Speaker:

And it's a stage where

Speaker:

heart health risks shift and

Speaker:

increase a lot, especially for

Speaker:

women who are going through

Speaker:

menopause.

Speaker:

So it's important for me

Speaker:

to make clear, though, that

Speaker:

menopause doesn't cause heart disease

Speaker:

itself, but heart disease risk

Speaker:

factors can show up and

Speaker:

increase during these times, during

Speaker:

this life stage shift due

Speaker:

to hormonal and other changes

Speaker:

taking place, which ultimately makes

Speaker:

it even more challenging and

Speaker:

more important to focus on

Speaker:

cardiovascular health during this time.

Speaker:

So what's cool and scientifically

Speaker:

relevant here is that this

Speaker:

study adds to a growing

Speaker:

body of evidence that shows

Speaker:

that short bursts of activities

Speaker:

matter for our health.

Speaker:

Another example on studies in

Speaker:

this area are ones that

Speaker:

have shown that high intensity

Speaker:

interval training, so HIIT training,

Speaker:

HIIT fitness, have shown that

Speaker:

when repeated regularly, that they

Speaker:

can result in real improvements

Speaker:

in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Speaker:

That's sort of heart fitness,

Speaker:

but cardio meaning heart, respiratory

Speaker:

meaning lungs, are overall aerobic

Speaker:

fitness, along with other benefits

Speaker:

to our heart.

Speaker:

So what does this all

Speaker:

mean to us?

Speaker:

What do VILPAs mean to

Speaker:

you?

Speaker:

Well, it's really good news.

Speaker:

It reinforces that 'move daily'

Speaker:

concept that I always talk

Speaker:

about, that you don't have

Speaker:

to carve an hour for

Speaker:

the gym to get meaningful

Speaker:

benefits.

Speaker:

It doesn't mean that I

Speaker:

wouldn't like you to carve

Speaker:

out some time for some

Speaker:

purposeful exercise for other health

Speaker:

benefits and wonderful ones, but

Speaker:

it means that everyday movements

Speaker:

count.

Speaker:

Walking faster or further on

Speaker:

purpose or taking the stairs,

Speaker:

again, carrying your bags instead

Speaker:

of pushing a cart in

Speaker:

a grocery store, carrying one

Speaker:

of the baskets, playing actively

Speaker:

with your kids, even, dare

Speaker:

I say, 'vacuuming with vigor',

Speaker:

it all counts and can

Speaker:

have pretty substantial impact.

Speaker:

Will you get the 30

Speaker:

to 45% risk reduction?

Speaker:

I'm afraid I can't go

Speaker:

that far and give that

Speaker:

to you.

Speaker:

I wish that I could

Speaker:

because you can't generalize the

Speaker:

findings of the study per

Speaker:

se, but when we do

Speaker:

have quality research design and

Speaker:

methods as we have here

Speaker:

that have gone through the

Speaker:

peer review process and been

Speaker:

published, and when in consideration -

Speaker:

in tandem - with other research

Speaker:

that has shown similar, it

Speaker:

is likely you will experience

Speaker:

some benefits for your health

Speaker:

and your heart.

Speaker:

And you can hope for

Speaker:

the max too.

Speaker:

I'm all for that.

Speaker:

So if you have 60

Speaker:

seconds, make them count.

Speaker:

Quick set of squats.

Speaker:

You can do jumping jacks.

Speaker:

You can do a fast

Speaker:

-paced walk.

Speaker:

You can do indoor recess,

Speaker:

as I've talked about before,

Speaker:

and possibly add time well

Speaker:

-lived to your life too.

Speaker:

So find what works best

Speaker:

for you and fits your

Speaker:

lifestyle.

Speaker:

So that's the VILPAS study.

Speaker:

Next up, beans, peas, lentils.

Speaker:

The new 2025 Dietary Guidelines

Speaker:

Advisory Committee report, boy, isn't

Speaker:

that a mouthful - the DGAC

Speaker:

report, we call it - just

Speaker:

released last month with a

Speaker:

big recommendation.

Speaker:

One sort of big shift,

Speaker:

and it's big with a

Speaker:

capital B, or rather a

Speaker:

capital Bean, I want to

Speaker:

say.

Speaker:

We need to eat more

Speaker:

of them.

Speaker:

Currently the recommendation is for

Speaker:

1.5 cups per week.

Speaker:

So think of that as

Speaker:

sort of a half cup

Speaker:

serving three times a week.

Speaker:

But the new report, one

Speaker:

that comes out every five

Speaker:

years from a diverse scientific

Speaker:

advisory committee that reviews the

Speaker:

body of scientific evidence on

Speaker:

nutrition and health, then it's

Speaker:

published by the USDA and

Speaker:

the Department of Health and

Speaker:

Human Services.

Speaker:

This report suggests that we

Speaker:

need a full one cup

Speaker:

MORE per week.

Speaker:

So that brings up the

Speaker:

recommendation to 2.5 cups

Speaker:

per week for adults.

Speaker:

So we can think of

Speaker:

that like a half cup

Speaker:

five times a week, or,

Speaker:

you know, one cup, and

Speaker:

it could be spread among

Speaker:

meals and snacks

Speaker:

one day, ... half cup another

Speaker:

day, you can divvy it

Speaker:

up any way you wish.

Speaker:

Why is this?

Speaker:

Because the research has shown

Speaker:

it, and beans produce some,

Speaker:

provide, rather, some very valuable

Speaker:

nutrients that we need in

Speaker:

our diet.

Speaker:

And some of them are

Speaker:

considered the nutrients of concern,

Speaker:

like potassium.

Speaker:

So beans provide, among other

Speaker:

things like plant-based protein,

Speaker:

which is a notable contribution,

Speaker:

and fiber they provide, and

Speaker:

they're wide in variety.

Speaker:

Think of all the different

Speaker:

beans you could name just

Speaker:

off the top of your

Speaker:

head.

Speaker:

There's dozens of varieties, but

Speaker:

they contain nutrients like potassium,

Speaker:

choline, vitamin E, folate, magnesium,

Speaker:

and more.

Speaker:

And studies have shown also

Speaker:

that substituting red meat with

Speaker:

plant-based protein sources like

Speaker:

beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds

Speaker:

can lower your risk of

Speaker:

heart disease too.

Speaker:

So the recommendation is quite

Speaker:

a shift.

Speaker:

It gives us more opportunity

Speaker:

to eat more beans.

Speaker:

And let's get a reality

Speaker:

check before we do that.

Speaker:

Most of us aren't even

Speaker:

meeting the 1.5 cups

Speaker:

a week, so we have

Speaker:

some room for improvement.

Speaker:

In fact, 83% of

Speaker:

people already aren't meeting that

Speaker:

lower recommendation.

Speaker:

And it's also an important

Speaker:

source of fiber, these beans.

Speaker:

And as I have said

Speaker:

before, and I'm going to

Speaker:

repeat it now, some 93

Speaker:

to 95% of us

Speaker:

aren't meeting the fiber recommendation

Speaker:

on a daily basis.

Speaker:

AREN'T meeting it.

Speaker:

That means about 5%

Speaker:

of us are.

Speaker:

So there's so much benefit

Speaker:

to gain from this amazing

Speaker:

category of food, a category

Speaker:

that is versatile, that's pretty

Speaker:

easy to assemble, it's affordable,

Speaker:

and it's got a lot

Speaker:

going on.

Speaker:

What can we do to

Speaker:

add more beans into our

Speaker:

meals?

Speaker:

And I encourage you to

Speaker:

try some of these.

Speaker:

And you probably have ways

Speaker:

that you do it already.

Speaker:

Maybe we try to add

Speaker:

a few more of those

Speaker:

instances of ways you already

Speaker:

like in.

Speaker:

The one thing you can

Speaker:

do is to mix black

Speaker:

beans into tacos in the

Speaker:

taco meat.

Speaker:

So even if you are

Speaker:

a meat lover in your

Speaker:

tacos, you could do half

Speaker:

meat, half black beans cooked

Speaker:

together.

Speaker:

You can also do just

Speaker:

beans.

Speaker:

One of the things that

Speaker:

we do at our Taco

Speaker:

Tuesday, which by the way,

Speaker:

doesn't always fall on a

Speaker:

Tuesday, is to mix cannellini

Speaker:

and black beans together.

Speaker:

We put a couple tablespoons

Speaker:

of tomato sauce in, we

Speaker:

let them really simmer and

Speaker:

cook down for about a

Speaker:

half an hour on the

Speaker:

stove.

Speaker:

And it just becomes such

Speaker:

a nice meld for us.

Speaker:

That's something that we enjoy

Speaker:

doing.

Speaker:

Another thing you can do

Speaker:

is add chickpeas - garbanzo beans -

Speaker:

to your salad.

Speaker:

Or you can even chop

Speaker:

some into your chicken salad.

Speaker:

So it can sort of

Speaker:

not hide but like amplify

Speaker:

a traditional chicken salad recipe.

Speaker:

You can even blend cannellini,

Speaker:

those are the white beans,

Speaker:

or garbanzo beans into creamy

Speaker:

dressings.

Speaker:

You might add a little

Speaker:

bit of water or a

Speaker:

little bit of your favorite

Speaker:

culinary oil, olive oil or

Speaker:

otherwise.

Speaker:

And I've even made a

Speaker:

garbanzo cake, garbanzo bean cake,

Speaker:

I guess, before.

Speaker:

It sort of has a

Speaker:

feel and taste of like

Speaker:

a sweeter cornbread when it

Speaker:

comes out.

Speaker:

But I've gone through phases

Speaker:

where I've made that.

Speaker:

I remember finding a recipe

Speaker:

and trying and saying, yeah,

Speaker:

this is this is really

Speaker:

cool.

Speaker:

Wasn't 'birthday cake' cake,

Speaker:

it was sort of like

Speaker:

a, like I said, a

Speaker:

cornbread cake.

Speaker:

What else can we do?

Speaker:

We can stir lentils into

Speaker:

soups and stews and pasta.

Speaker:

And we can add them

Speaker:

to pasta sauces as well,

Speaker:

either blended in or lentils

Speaker:

because they're small, they just

Speaker:

might add a little bit

Speaker:

of texture and character to

Speaker:

your tomato sauce.

Speaker:

They bring that extra protein

Speaker:

and fiber.

Speaker:

And pureed, they can just

Speaker:

make things thicker and creamier

Speaker:

without adding cream as a

Speaker:

thickener, or cornstarch for that

Speaker:

matter.

Speaker:

And if you're ambitious, you

Speaker:

might just try this:

Speaker:

Even a smoothie can handle

Speaker:

some blended white beans in

Speaker:

general for creaminess and nutrients.

Speaker:

I swear, I've done it.

Speaker:

And it's true.

Speaker:

You can try it.

Speaker:

You can let me know

Speaker:

if you're on team bean

Speaker:

smoothie or not.

Speaker:

But you add them into

Speaker:

your existing favorite recipes and

Speaker:

see what you think.

Speaker:

Beans are affordable, they're nutritious,

Speaker:

they're convenient, and they're versatile.

Speaker:

So if you're worried about

Speaker:

how to start here, just

Speaker:

add a little bit to

Speaker:

your diet, little by little.

Speaker:

Some people worry about their

Speaker:

digestive reaction to beans.

Speaker:

And research has actually said

Speaker:

that there's not as much

Speaker:

to that as we originally

Speaker:

thought.

Speaker:

You can say otherwise, and

Speaker:

I will believe you.

Speaker:

The thing is that most

Speaker:

people can ease in.

Speaker:

You don't just put a

Speaker:

whole cup into your diet

Speaker:

that wasn't there before.

Speaker:

You add small amounts.

Speaker:

And as we slow down

Speaker:

our 'speed of feed', we

Speaker:

chew consciously, we incorporate it

Speaker:

in healthful ways throughout the

Speaker:

week.

Speaker:

I think you will find

Speaker:

that you can enjoy beans

Speaker:

in a number of ways

Speaker:

that not only enhances your

Speaker:

health, but tastes good too.

Speaker:

This is one pretty darn

Speaker:

simple swap that can make

Speaker:

a real difference in your

Speaker:

diet and your overall health.

Speaker:

Okay, I'm on number three

Speaker:

already.

Speaker:

So this is going to

Speaker:

be a little bit more

Speaker:

of a brief episode today,

Speaker:

a science update, and I

Speaker:

really encourage you to provide

Speaker:

some feedback to me and

Speaker:

your thoughts.

Speaker:

I always love to be

Speaker:

sort of challenged on some

Speaker:

of these - and ask more

Speaker:

questions or share your own

Speaker:

insights and experiences.

Speaker:

So number three, this one

Speaker:

has been all over the

Speaker:

headlines, and it's a bit

Speaker:

controversial.

Speaker:

Let's talk about Red Dye

Speaker:

Number 3.

Speaker:

You might have seen many

Speaker:

of these headlines very recently,

Speaker:

and some of them have

Speaker:

really gotten on like the

Speaker:

edge of scare tactic-y,

Speaker:

I would say.

Speaker:

The FDA is banning Red

Speaker:

Dye Number 3 in foods

Speaker:

and medicines.

Speaker:

It's been a couple decades

Speaker:

since it did ban it

Speaker:

in cosmetics, but food and

Speaker:

medicines is what is most

Speaker:

recent.

Speaker:

So these sound kind of

Speaker:

scary when you read about

Speaker:

them, and understandably so.

Speaker:

And anytime we read the

Speaker:

word cancer, it causes us

Speaker:

to pause and probably invokes

Speaker:

a bit of fear, especially

Speaker:

when it's something in our

Speaker:

food supply that we may

Speaker:

have on purpose or inadvertently

Speaker:

put into our mouths over

Speaker:

the course of time.

Speaker:

So I want to bring

Speaker:

context to the science behind

Speaker:

this decision and what it

Speaker:

means for your nutrition choices

Speaker:

that you make each day,

Speaker:

and then you can decide

Speaker:

what fits your lifestyle.

Speaker:

And I'll give you a

Speaker:

bit of my professional and

Speaker:

personal opinion as well.

Speaker:

So here's the science.

Speaker:

Red Dye Number 3 is

Speaker:

a synthetic red food dye.

Speaker:

It's been used for decades.

Speaker:

It's been used in a

Speaker:

lot of times, most prominently,

Speaker:

I would say, in candies,

Speaker:

in baked goods, and in

Speaker:

medicines, in everything from that

Speaker:

bright red icing, red velvet

Speaker:

cake inside the store-bought

Speaker:

varieties, processed package cakes, maraschino

Speaker:

cherries, the bright, bright red

Speaker:

maraschino cherries in a jar,

Speaker:

the Swedish fish, it's a

Speaker:

sort of gummy fish candy,

Speaker:

and many, many of those

Speaker:

shiny red Valentine's Day treats.

Speaker:

Well, this goes back to

Speaker:

the 1980s, really, where two

Speaker:

studies - 1980s, I did say

Speaker:

that - two studies in male

Speaker:

lab rats showed that high

Speaker:

doses of Red Dye Number 3

Speaker:

caused thyroid tumors.

Speaker:

That was shown in 1980s.

Speaker:

Under a U.S. law

Speaker:

that's in existence called the

Speaker:

Delaney Clause, any additive that's

Speaker:

linked with cancer in animals

Speaker:

or humans must be banned,

Speaker:

no matter the exposure level.

Speaker:

That's how the Delaney Clause

Speaker:

goes.

Speaker:

So in humans or animals,

Speaker:

any level of exposure, if

Speaker:

it's found to cause cancer,

Speaker:

and this Delaney Clause dates

Speaker:

back to 1958.

Speaker:

So since that time, human

Speaker:

studies have not confirmed the

Speaker:

risk of cancer from Red

Speaker:

Dye Number 3.

Speaker:

And researchers say that the

Speaker:

mechanism that caused the tumors

Speaker:

in the male lab rats

Speaker:

doesn't apply to humans.

Speaker:

And why is that?

Speaker:

Well, it's actually specific because

Speaker:

this particular hormonal pathway literally

Speaker:

doesn't occur in humans.

Speaker:

So what compelled the FDA

Speaker:

to revisit this now?

Speaker:

Well, a really good think

Speaker:

tank advocacy group for health

Speaker:

and wellness called Center for

Speaker:

Science in the Public Interest

Speaker:

developed a campaign to ban

Speaker:

this particular food dye and

Speaker:

others as well.

Speaker:

There's renewed interest and California

Speaker:

also banned it as of

Speaker:

2023.

Speaker:

Some countries have banned it

Speaker:

or do not allow its

Speaker:

usage, I should say.

Speaker:

Others allow it with limitations.

Speaker:

Is there new research on

Speaker:

cancer?

Speaker:

There hasn't been.

Speaker:

However, there is some research

Speaker:

that has been done that

Speaker:

shows a link between synthetic

Speaker:

food dyes across a number

Speaker:

of different food dyes, but

Speaker:

synthetic food dyes like Red

Speaker:

Number 3, and adverse or

Speaker:

worsened - adverse is worsened - behavioral

Speaker:

outcomes, so not cancer, in

Speaker:

children, like attention and activity.

Speaker:

Let me repeat that again.

Speaker:

Some more recent research, and

Speaker:

I'm going to mention a

Speaker:

specific 2022 review, has shown

Speaker:

a link between synthetic food

Speaker:

dyes like Red Dye Number 3

Speaker:

and worsened behavioral outcomes,

Speaker:

behavioral again, in children.

Speaker:

This was published in the

Speaker:

journal called Environmental Health in

Speaker:

2022. And in this review, nearly

Speaker:

two-thirds of the studies

Speaker:

reviewed, showed some association with

Speaker:

negative behavioral outcomes, and nearly

Speaker:

half of those reviewed in

Speaker:

children who were exposed to

Speaker:

various levels of the synthetic

Speaker:

dyes, the link was statistically

Speaker:

significant, meaning it was, that's

Speaker:

science, it showed a link -

Speaker:

in half of the studies.

Speaker:

So in science, statistically significant

Speaker:

means a strong association, and

Speaker:

it's unlikely due to chance.

Speaker:

But the research across this

Speaker:

review varies, as you can

Speaker:

imagine, not everyone has the

Speaker:

same methods or even tests

Speaker:

exactly the same things.

Speaker:

There are potential confounding variables

Speaker:

and factors.

Speaker:

They didn't mention all the

Speaker:

various synthetic dyes that were

Speaker:

then pooled together, so it's

Speaker:

tricky stuff.

Speaker:

As a result, the researchers

Speaker:

cautioned that more research is

Speaker:

needed, and we hear this,

Speaker:

and sometimes we're like, yeah,

Speaker:

they always say that, and

Speaker:

it's true.

Speaker:

More research is needed.

Speaker:

We can't tease out a

Speaker:

definitive yet, but more research

Speaker:

is needed to better understand

Speaker:

the impact and mechanism of

Speaker:

these synthetic dyes and the

Speaker:

results, because currently they're inconclusive,

Speaker:

although there's a number that

Speaker:

have shown some association, and

Speaker:

half with statistically significant association.

Speaker:

As I mentioned a couple

Speaker:

moments ago, several countries have

Speaker:

already banned or put limited

Speaker:

use restrictions on red dye

Speaker:

number three as well, and

Speaker:

the CSPI, the Centers for

Speaker:

Science in the Public Interest,

Speaker:

have been campaigning and raising

Speaker:

concern and encouraging the FDA's

Speaker:

ban.

Speaker:

But should we be worried

Speaker:

about that occasional red frosted

Speaker:

cookie or the cupcake that

Speaker:

we had with that red

Speaker:

frosting or the brightly dyed

Speaker:

red maraschino cherry that may

Speaker:

have shown up in a

Speaker:

cocktail or another beverage or

Speaker:

place in the diet?

Speaker:

Well, according to the research,

Speaker:

and the research evidence is

Speaker:

pretty solid for cancer, it

Speaker:

just doesn't exist.

Speaker:

So I would say probably

Speaker:

not.

Speaker:

And in fact, the human

Speaker:

body is so amazing, which

Speaker:

I'll come back to, I'm

Speaker:

sure, as we wrap up

Speaker:

today.

Speaker:

The human body is so

Speaker:

amazing that small exposures probably

Speaker:

are fine if they've happened

Speaker:

before, particularly if it comes

Speaker:

to the cancer risk that

Speaker:

may be attributed to Red

Speaker:

Dye Number 3 or causing

Speaker:

some of the scare in

Speaker:

the headlines, because it just

Speaker:

isn't there.

Speaker:

And again, the lab rats

Speaker:

had unrealistically high amounts in

Speaker:

their diet to anything any

Speaker:

human would ever consume on

Speaker:

a daily basis, not to

Speaker:

mention that they measured it

Speaker:

in a mechanism that doesn't

Speaker:

even exist in humans as

Speaker:

well.

Speaker:

But does that mean you

Speaker:

shouldn't care at all or

Speaker:

throw out those headlines and

Speaker:

just disregard them or be

Speaker:

aware or possibly even limit

Speaker:

or avoid the Red Dye

Speaker:

Number 3?

Speaker:

I don't think so.

Speaker:

Here's where I stand on

Speaker:

that.

Speaker:

We don't need artificial dyes

Speaker:

in our diet.

Speaker:

They don't add nutrition.

Speaker:

They add color.

Speaker:

And we don't need artificial

Speaker:

ingredients in our diet either,

Speaker:

flavors or preservatives.

Speaker:

And for many people, when

Speaker:

it comes to the Red

Speaker:

Dye Number 3 or the

Speaker:

synthetic dyes in general, and

Speaker:

especially kids, there's enough uncertainty

Speaker:

around the behavioral effects to

Speaker:

make reducing the artificial dyes

Speaker:

or even eliminating them, if

Speaker:

you choose a smart choice.

Speaker:

This shouldn't, in my opinion,

Speaker:

be about creating fear,

Speaker:

however, it should be about

Speaker:

creating choice.

Speaker:

That's what it is.

Speaker:

It's about giving us information

Speaker:

that we can understand, hopefully

Speaker:

now a little bit better

Speaker:

and put that information in

Speaker:

our brain and process it

into:

How does that apply

into:

to my life and how

into:

I feel about my choices

into:

and what I want to

into:

do.

into:

So more and more companies

into:

are already shifting to natural

into:

alternatives like beet powder and

into:

make a beautiful red and

into:

magenta and pink hue.

into:

There's fruit and vegetable extracts

into:

for natural coloring.

into:

You can seek alternatives and

into:

we, the consumers, can help

into:

create that.

into:

We create like demand for

into:

it.

into:

We look for it.

into:

We ask questions, even while

into:

we wait for the ban

into:

to take effect, which doesn't

into:

go officially into law, into

into:

effect, until 2027 in two

into:

years.

into:

So if you want to

into:

avoid Red Dye Number 3

into:

or any dye, be sure

into:

to check your labels.

into:

Check the labels on your

into:

packaging.

into:

At the bakery, ask the

into:

bakery if there's labels or

into:

what the ingredients are in

into:

the frosting, for example.

into:

If you don't see one,

into:

check a website.

into:

If you don't know and

into:

you're suspicious, maybe assume that

into:

it is Red Dye Number 3

into:

or there's some other

into:

red dyes, Red Dye Number

into:

40, and I think that's

into:

probably coming down the path

into:

here as a synthetic dye

into:

of advocacy for banning as

into:

well.

into:

I don't know that to

into:

be a fact.

into:

I'm just hypothesizing here, but

into:

ingredients need to be listed

into:

or they can be found.

into:

And if they can't be

into:

found, make an assumption.

into:

And this is why I

into:

say in this case, make

into:

an assumption:

into:

If they're using natural dyes

into:

or food-based dyes, they

into:

usually say it because there's

into:

a little bit of a

into:

health halo or there's something

into:

that they want to share

into:

about that.

into:

It's like sort of plussing

into:

up what their ingredient selection

into:

is.

into:

So just to level set

into:

us for a second, Red

into:

Dye Number 3, however, is

into:

not the worst thing out

into:

there in the whole planet.

into:

I just want to always

into:

put this in context because

into:

we get headlines for a

into:

week, and this is such

into:

a good example, and we

into:

sort of throw out all

into:

the other things that we

into:

know for a moment.

into:

We have very clear links

into:

to cancer that have been

into:

shown from smoking cigarettes and

into:

excess alcohol consumption to certain

into:

cancers as well.

into:

I mean, those are just

into:

to name two.

into:

But if you're looking to

into:

make a shift in your

into:

diet, reducing artificial colors, or

into:

reducing artificial ingredients, can be

into:

a very good place to

into:

start.

into:

Less artificial, more real?

into:

This isn't new news from

into:

my mouth, by the way.

into:

I've been saying the same

into:

thing for 25 years, and

into:

I haven't needed evidence to

into:

say that, by the way.

into:

I rely on evidence.

into:

I count on evidence.

into:

I am such an advocate

into:

for good quality science being

into:

done.

into:

But reducing and eliminating artificial

into:

ingredients, flavors, and colors when

into:

you can, and seeking out

into:

whole foods and their natural

into:

components in its many forms.

into:

Reducing our commercial and industrial

into:

highly processed foods, and then

into:

apply a gentle hand to

into:

yourself, you know, because the

into:

body is an amazing processor.

into:

So small exposures probably don't

into:

have major impact.

into:

They're probably unlikely to cause

into:

real harm.

into:

And Paracelsus, the ancient physicist,

into:

I think, I always thought

into:

he was a chemist, but

into:

I think he was a physicist,

into:

said "it's the dose that's

into:

the poison" and applies, not

into:

only to things like synthetic

into:

dyes, but to basically anything

into:

with many things - some of

into:

our great things even.

into:

So remember, eating well is

into:

an ongoing and dynamic practice

into:

and process.

into:

You don't have to do

into:

it all at once.

into:

And in fact, there isn't

into:

good or bad to your

into:

choices at all.

into:

It's an evolution.

into:

There are some things that

into:

we know that are backed

into:

by science that we can

into:

have and provide some guidance

into:

toward the positive health-enhancing

into:

direction.

into:

And I think it's worth

into:

leaning toward those when you

into:

can.

into:

So before I wrap up

into:

this episode about science and

into:

our everyday choices, let's recap.

into:

Number one, tiny bursts of

into:

movement.

into:

You remember the acronym?

into:

VILPAs.

into:

They can dramatically lower your

into:

heart disease risk.

into:

Go, do, just have fun,

into:

but do it with some

into:

movement.

into:

Number two, beans, peas, and

into:

lentils are powerhouse foods.

into:

We should be eating more

into:

of them. More, more, more

into:

on the beans.

into:

And Red Dye Number 3,

into:

it's on its way out.

into:

The FDA did ban it.

into:

And while the science isn't

into:

100% incriminating, it's never

into:

a bad idea to reduce

into:

artificial ingredients in general.

into:

So I turn it over

into:

to you.

into:

What's your takeaway from today?

into:

Are you going to squeeze

into:

in a few extra bursts

into:

of movement?

into:

Are you going to try some

into:

more beans to your meals,

into:

smoothies calling?

into:

(Maybe not there first!)

into:

Maybe check the labels on

into:

your favorite snacks or candies.

into:

See what might be in

into:

the cupboard.

into:

Maybe all three.

into:

Why not?

into:

So I'd love to hear.

into:

You can come find me

into:

on Instagram @1000WakingMinutes or

into:

write me at 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

into:

.

into:

So that's all for today.

into:

If you found this helpful,

into:

I invite you to share

into:

it with a friend, subscribe

into:

to the podcast and leave

into:

a review.

into:

I so appreciate your support

into:

and it helps to get

into:

our messages and this information

into:

out there.

into:

Thank you for sharing a

into:

few of your waking minutes

into:

with me today.

into:

Until next time, be well.

into:

Thank you for tuning into

into:

1,000 Waking Minutes.

into:

A huge thank you to

into:

our amazing collaborators, including our

into:

production and marketing teams and

into:

Gabriela Escalante in particular.

into:

To the ultra talented Beza

into:

for my theme music, my

into:

lifelong friend and artist Pearl

into:

Preis Photography and Design.

into:

To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,

into:

Joanna Powell, and of course

into:

my family and everyone working

into:

tirelessly behind the scenes.

into:

And to you, our valued

into:

listeners.

into:

I so appreciate your support.

into:

If you enjoyed today's episode,

into:

please consider leaving a comment,

into:

writing a review, and giving

into:

1,000 Waking Minutes, that's us,

into:

a five-star rating.

into:

And please hit subscribe on

into:

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever

into:

you enjoy your podcasts.

into:

Please follow and stay connected

into:

at wendybazilian.com.

into:

And don't forget to share

into:

with your friends.

into:

Your support helps us grow

into:

and bring you more great

into:

content.

into:

Until next time, find some

into:

simple opportunities to optimize those

into:

1,000 Waking Minutes each day.

into:

I'm saying 'YES!' It's gonna be okay, yeah.

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube