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.
[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.
(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
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
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.
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.
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
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.