[Examine Newsletter] February 2023 Updates

See what's new on Examine from the past month!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Examine]( [View in browser](=) Hello! Here’s your recap of Examine's February 2023 updates. 📧 Reminder: If you would like to switch back to weekly emails instead of a monthly newsletter — just [click here](). --------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know… we just lowered the price of the Examine+ membership?! Even though a price drop is financially risky, we’re committed to making health evidence accessible to as many people as possible. If you’d like to support us, consider picking up [Examine+ Lifetime for just $349!]() This one-time offer ends this Friday. [Read the full announcement explaining our price drop here.](=) --------------------------------------------------------------- 📅 Top 5 Study Summaries for February Feb 16, 2023 Every month, we summarize 150+ recent studies for our [Examine+ Members](). You can read five of this month’s most favorited Study Summaries for free by clicking the links below. The Study Summaries marked with are Editor’s Picks, which provide more details about the study, mention related studies, and include helpful graphics. [Does time-restricted eating impair muscle protein synthesis?]() In this acute trial, time-restricted eating did not impair daily muscle protein synthesis rates. = [Intermittent calorie restriction for diabetes remission]() This randomized trial in people with type 2 diabetes found that the consumption of an intermittent calorie-restricted diet for 3 months resulted in nearly half of the participants achieving diabetes remission. [Childhood fatty acid intake and the risk of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes]() =In this cohort study conducted in children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes, the intake of different dietary fatty acids was associated with lower risks of developing islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. [Does a higher exercise volume and intensity worsen the progression of atherosclerosis?]() In a group of male athletes, exercise volume was not related to the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, and although vigorous exercise was associated with less atherosclerosis progression, very vigorous exercise increased its progression. [Which “flavor” of intermittent fasting is the most effective for weight loss?]() In this meta-analysis, different types of intermittent fasting diets produced similar weight loss, compared to conventional calorie-restricted diets, among participants with normal weight or overweight/obesity. Adherence to the diets was also very similar. You can also check out the [most-favorited summaries from previous months]().🔥 --------------------------------------------------------------- The evidence on paleo diets Feb 9, 2023 Here’s our page on the paleo diet, which covers eight randomized trials enrolling about 2,500 participants: [Paleo diets: benefits, downsides, and FAQs](. Paleo diets spiked in popularity about ten years ago. Interest has steadily declined ever since. [Worldwide trend for the "paleo" search term.] Is it because paleo is wrong or harmful? Unlikely. In my opinion as a guy who spends too much time reading nutrition stuff and was involved in the ancestral health community many years ago, much of paleo’s “diet market share” split off into keto and some other related diets. That’s not to say paleo diets are without critique. There are plenty: - There’s no single paleolithic diet that humans ate — our ancestors were spread among many different food environments. Rigid paleo food plans can lead to confusion and low adherence. - Not everything that was eaten long ago is healthy in any amount, nor are modern foods universally unhealthy. - It can be hard and sometimes expensive to maintain a paleo diet in the modern food environment. - Paleo (and many other restrictive diets) can lead to yo-yo dieting in some people. At the end of the day though, it’s usually a good idea to include lots of minimally processed plants and/or animals into your diet. That’s at the core of the paleo diet, and whether you do it all the time or just much of the time is up to you. You don’t have to call yourself “paleo” or any other term to eat this way! --------------------------------------------------------------- Allulose: the hottest sweetener on the block? Feb 2, 2023 What is allulose and why is it used? There are a ton of “natural” zero-calorie sweeteners available today compared to decades past. Allulose, which is about 70% as sweet as table sugar per gram, may be the fastest-rising in popularity out of all of them. That’s probably because allulose tastes and acts more like sugar than other sweeteners do. For example, it caramelizes, has a similar mouthfeel as sugar, and doesn’t have a funky aftertaste. As always, though, individual perceptions vary. Many people like the taste of allulose, but others hate it. Allulose is technically a “rare sugar”, meaning it’s found in teeny tiny quantities in certain plants. In order to make tons and tons of allulose, scientists first had to find a way to enzymatically convert fructose into it, so it was only made available in the U.S. a few years ago. That’s why you may not have heard much about it until now. Wait just a second … is Examine funded by the allulose industry? Unless you’re new to Examine, you probably know that we have zero ties to any outside company (including allulose manufacturers). That means no ads, sponsorships, or partnerships. All of our revenue comes from sales of the Examine+ membership. That’s why we’re still a relatively tiny company. We don’t accept money or even free samples from any company or organization (and they make us offers pretty frequently!). I personally don’t use allulose, because it doesn’t agree with my tummy. Keep reading to see the mechanism behind that. How do I count allulose if I’m counting carbs? Allulose isn’t truly zero-calorie. It provides about 0.2 to 0.4 calories per gram. That’s different from other sweeteners, like monkfruit extract, which don’t provide any calories. In the grand scheme of things, this many calories shouldn’t matter very much, because hopefully you’re not eating tons of allulose every single day. Although allulose doesn’t count toward your net carbs, it’s counted as a carbohydrate on nutrition labels in the U.S. Confusing! So if you’re counting carbs, go by the net carbs noted on the product. Does allulose have any downsides? If you read our acarbose email from two weeks ago, you know that nearly every food substitute and blocker has potential downsides. Allulose is both a substitute and a blocker: it substitutes for sugar, and it can partially block digestion of other carbohydrates, causing them to ferment in the colon. Some people end up with an upset tummy after ingesting allulose. This effect is dependent on how much you eat, what you eat it with, and how your individual gut responds. At typical human doses, the risk of serious long-term harm doesn’t seem high. However, there are unknowns. For example, allulose might favor the growth of some undesirable bacteria in our guts, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, and the long-term consequences of feeding those bacteria in susceptible populations aren’t known. Again, these consequences would be highly dependent on how much allulose is consumed. If I don’t use sweeteners at all and am against the very idea, should I send Examine an angry email for providing information on them? No. 🙂 --------------------------------------------------------------- So, did you find something of interest? If not, please reply to this email to let me know which topics you’d like us to tackle. And if you’re ready to stay on top of the latest research, consider becoming an [Examine+ Member]( or picking up [Examine+ Lifetime for just $349]( by Friday. Sincerely, Kamal Patel Co-founder, Examine Follow us on: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram](=) [About Examine]( | [Careers]() | [Member’s Area]() [Unlock Examine+]( PO Box 592, Station-P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T1 [Switch to weekly emails]() | [Opt out of all emails](