Dr. Mehmet Ouncesbuilt his tv empire on the straightforward promise that you may take management of your well being.
Over 13 seasons of “The Dr. OuncesShow,” from 2009 to 2022, he informed viewers what to eat, train, what dietary supplements to take and when to fret about signs.
The center surgeon turned daytime host is an unconventional decide to run the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies, which oversees medical health insurance packages for greater than 150 million folks nationwide. Nonetheless, his longtime deal with prevention appears to align with the Trump administration’s stated intentions to deal with America’s continual illness “epidemic.”
The New York Instances analyzed claims Dr. Ounceshas made about preventive well being measures throughout 2,500 tv appearances, clips from “The Dr. OuncesShow,” social media posts and different public statements. We then requested consultants to weigh in on the proof behind a few of his widespread claims.
A lot of Dr. Ouncess recommendation is rooted in robust science and standard knowledge: Eat effectively, transfer extra, prioritize sleep. However he has additionally incessantly pushed merchandise and hacks which have little to no scientific proof exhibiting that they stave off illness, drawing scrutiny from members of Congress and from researchers. In some instances, he has had financial ties to the merchandise he has promoted.
A few of his claims have raised issues amongst medical consultants about how Dr. Ouncesmight use his perch if he’s confirmed.
Dr. Marion Nestle, an emeritus professor of vitamin, meals research and public well being at New York College, stated that a few of Dr. Ouncess speaking factors, like these about weight reduction and dietary supplements, have been “shocking, coming from someone with medical coaching, who you’d assume would strategy this a bit extra scientifically.”
“However he has stated on quite a few events that he needs to offer folks hope,” she added.
Dr. Ouncesdidn’t reply to a request for remark.
The Declare: Fish Oil and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary supplements Are Good for Your Coronary heart
In on-line columns and on episodes of his present, Dr. Ounceshas mentioned the wide-ranging advantages of “celebrity” omega-3 fatty acids in meals. He has additionally touted fish oil dietary supplements that comprise omega-3s as a method of stopping coronary heart illness and different situations. The dietary supplements embrace these offered on iHerb, an organization he has served as a spokesman for and has invested in.
Many individuals with out coronary heart illness take fish oil tablets to forestall it, however reviews of studies on fish oil haven’t discovered these dietary supplements stop cardiovascular points, stated Dr. Pieter Cohen, an affiliate professor at Harvard Medical College who research dietary supplements.
“I see this on a regular basis,” he added. “People who find themselves completely wholesome can be like, ‘Oh yeah, I take omega-3.”
Some studies have even discovered that fish oil tablets may very well elevate the chance of growing an irregular heartbeat. Nevertheless, there’s proof that folks with pre-existing coronary heart illness or excessive triglycerides ranges could benefit from the supplements. And intensive analysis reveals that consuming a eating regimen wealthy in fatty acids is useful to your total well being.
The Declare: Daylight Will Make You More healthy
Spending 15 to twenty minutes basking within the solar with out sunscreen can treatment any variety of ills, Dr. Ounceshas stated on his present, in weblog posts and on TikTok. It could possibly energize you, scale back despair, minimize most cancers threat and decrease your blood stress, he has claimed. He mostly attributes these advantages to vitamin D, which the pores and skin produces when uncovered to ultraviolet gentle.
There was a good quantity of scientific controversy over vitamin D. Dr. Ounceshas raised that earlier than his viewers, however he has additionally promoted vitamin D dietary supplements, together with these offered by iHerb.
Although vitamin D is a essential nutrient for robust bones, Individuals additionally get it from their eating regimen, together with fortified meals, stated Dr. Steven Wang, the chief of dermatology at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Seaside, Calif. And a big body of research has been inconclusive about other health benefits, resembling lowering the incidence of cancers, heart attack or stroke. However, Dr. Wang stated, there’s a recognized threat related to continual solar publicity: pores and skin most cancers. About 5 million new instances are identified every year in the USA.
The Declare: Sure Meats Elevate Most cancers Danger
Eat crimson, processed, or charred meats solely carefully, or keep away from them altogether, Dr. Ounceshas suggested on his present, in TV appearances and on public posts. That steering comes from his concern that they improve the chance of most cancers.
On this level, consultants agree. There’s strong evidence that consuming crimson and processed meat will increase the chance of digestive and different cancers, stated Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, a dietary epidemiologist at MD Anderson Most cancers Middle in Texas. The iron in meat, together with the chemical substances which can be used to protect it, or which can be produced when it’s cooked at very excessive temperatures, can injury DNA, trigger irritation and produce poisonous compounds when digested, Dr. Daniel-MacDougall stated.
The Declare: Dietary supplements Work for Weight Loss
Pine nuts, apple cider vinegar, “teatoxing,” dietary supplements containing green-coffee-bean extract, raspberry ketones: The listing of weight reduction hacks Dr. Ounceshas promoted on his present through the years goes on.
“These sorts of issues make folks really feel like they’re doing one thing constructive for his or her well being,” Dr. Nestle stated.
However there is no such thing as a rigorous analysis that helps weight reduction dietary supplements, Dr. Cohen stated. There could also be theoretical advantages to a number of the merchandise Dr. Ounceshas promoted — for instance, Dr. Nestle stated it’s doable that the fermentation in apple cider vinegar may barely support with digestion. However there’s not substantial proof that these things result in weight reduction.
The Declare: Probiotics Are Good for Intestine Well being
Dr. Ounceshas talked concerning the perks of probiotics — reside microorganisms typically generally known as “good micro organism” — together with bettering intestine well being. He has promoted iHerb’s probiotic dietary supplements on social media.
One principle behind the advantages of probiotics is that they bolster the gut microbiome. However there is no such thing as a consensus on whether or not a generic probiotic capsule helps wholesome folks, stated Justin L. Sonnenburg, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford College. The contents of those dietary supplements may differ. And since everybody has a unique intestine microbiome, folks’s reactions to particular probiotics are laborious to foretell, he stated.
Dr. Sonnenburg does, nonetheless, suggest consuming meals like kimchi and kefir that comprise microbes which can be good for the intestine. These meals additionally comprise useful substances, referred to as metabolites, that aren’t present in most dietary supplements.
The Declare: You Ought to Train to Decrease Illness Danger
Dr. Ounceslong promoted train on his present as a technique to keep at bay Alzheimer’s illness, most cancers, cardiovascular points and extra. A wealth of analysis has proven that to be professional. Even common short bursts of exercise — just like the 10-minute or much less exercise routines Dr. Ouncesincessantly highlighted on his present — are linked with a decrease probability of most cancers and different illnesses. Train additionally strengthens the brain, bolsters heart health and improves the immune system’s protection in opposition to infections.
The Declare: Socializing Is Very important for Good Well being
Your coronary heart wants a cause to maintain beating, Dr. Ouncestold his followers repeatedly. He has referred to as loneliness an “epidemic.” On Valentine’s Day, he posted a TikTok in entrance of a Rodin statue on the Nationwide Gallery in Washington, D.C., opining that friendships “scale back your blood stress, scale back your continual ache, your nervousness, your despair.”
Researchers have theorized that social connections are very important for managing stress, which in flip might help preserve blood stress in test. Social isolation has also been linked to an elevated threat of despair, coronary heart illness and cognitive decline, notably among older adults. And research have found a link between social isolation and continual ache.
The Declare: Poor Sleep Raises Most cancers Danger
America is dealing with a “sleep crisis,” in response to Dr. Oz. He has stated that insufficient sleep can increase your risk of cancer, result in high blood pressure and make it laborious to drop pounds.
“Sleep is useful in your well being, however the physique of proof on sleep period and most cancers just isn’t constant,” stated Trang VoPham, an epidemiologist on the Fred Hutch Most cancers Middle in Washington. A number of research and analysis evaluations have found no association between the 2, whereas just a few have linked sleeping for 9 hours or extra with an elevated threat of colorectal most cancers.
Dr. VoPham stated there’s proof that night-shift employees, whose schedules are chronically misaligned with their publicity to gentle, are at elevated threat for obesity and cancer. Power poor sleep can be related to an elevated threat of insulin resistance and high blood pressure.
