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Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonLearn more about what you put in your mouth. Author: Terry Simpson
Fork U(niversity) Not everything you put in your mouth is good for you. Theres a lot of medical information thrown around out there. How are you to know what information you can trust, and whats just plain old quackery? You cant rely on your own google fu. You cant count on quality medical advice from Facebook. You need a doctor in your corner. On each episode of Your Doctors Orders, Dr. Terry Simpson will cut through the clutter and noise that always seems to follow the latest medical news. He has the unique perspective of a surgeon who has spent years doing molecular virology research and as a skeptic with academic credentials. Hell help you develop the critical thinking skills so you can recognize evidence-based medicine, busting myths along the way. The most common medical myths are often disguised as seemingly harmless food as medicine. By offering their own brand of medicine via foods, These hucksters are trying to practice medicine without a license. And though theyll claim nutrition is not taught in medical schools, it turns out thats a myth too. In fact, theres an entire medical subspecialty called Culinary Medicine, and Dr. Simpson is certified as a Culinary Medicine Specialist. Where today's nutritional advice is the realm of hucksters, Dr. Simpson is taking it back to the realm of science. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine, Nutrition Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Alcohol Cuts Healthspan
Episode 106
Wednesday, 10 December, 2025
The Holiday Party That Turned DeadlyIt started at a holiday party.Laughter, champagne, a toast — then a collapse.A fifty-two-year-old, active and healthy, suddenly lost consciousness.Paramedics did CPR and shocked her heart twice.She survived — barely.Doctors called it Holiday Heart Syndrome: an alcohol-triggered arrhythmia that can kill.What Is Holiday Heart?Holiday Heart arises after binge or even moderate drinking, especially around celebrations. Alcohol irritates heart cells, disrupts electrolytes, and scrambles electrical signals, which can trigger atrial fibrillation — an erratic rhythm that raises the risk of clots, stroke, and sudden death. Even a single heavy night can set it off, and repeated use amplifies inflammation and structural damage long after the hangover fades.Alcohol and Your HeartFor years, the “French paradox” suggested red wine protects the heart, but newer evidence points instead to lifestyle patterns rather than wine itself. Ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde directly injure heart muscle, disturb calcium handling, damage mitochondria, and can lead to Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy — an enlarged, weakened heart. Harm shows up even in relatively low intake, and improvement typically requires reducing or stopping alcohol.Alcohol and CancerAlcohol is a proven carcinogen that promotes DNA damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal shifts that favor tumor growth. At least seven cancers — including those of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast — are directly linked to alcohol, with risk beginning above zero and rising with each additional drink. Even up to one drink a day meaningfully increases breast cancer risk, and the combined use of alcohol and tobacco multiplies risk even further.Blue Zones, Not Blue WineYou’ve probably heard this one:People in Sardinia or Ikaria drink wine every night and live to 100.What’s missing is the math.They sip 3 to 4 ounces — not a glass, not a typical American glass, but a tasting. The flight of wine.Their rustic wines are 10–11 percent alcohol, not the 16 percent bombs from Sonoma.And they don’t live long because of the wine.They live long because of everything else:walking hills, eating beans, taking naps, sleeping well, and belonging to a community.Their wine is cultural, not clinical.If you want their healthspan, copy their diet, movement, and purpose — not the nightly pour.Weight, Metabolism, and AgingAlcohol hijacks metabolism by forcing the liver to prioritize ethanol breakdown, pushing fat and sugar processing aside. Drinks can add substantial hidden calories, promote fatty liver, and stall fat loss, even when the rest of a diet looks reasonable.Why “Detox” Fixes FailPopular “alcohol detox” supplements promise faster clearance or hangover prevention, but research points to ethanol itself and the inflammatory response as the main drivers of symptoms. Blocking acetaldehyde alone does not prevent mitochondrial damage, immune activation, or the residual effects that follow a night of heavy drinking.The Longevity HypocrisyModern wellness culture often warns about “toxins” while normalizing regular drinking, even framing certain spirits or wines as health tools. Yet, when viewed through a longevity lens, alcohol stands out as one of the most potent, fully optional biological stressors in the modern lifestyle.When You StopOnce drinking stops or drops sharply, the body begins to repair: blood
