Doctor rejects Vanity Fair's protein-MAGA connection, saying health ‘doesn't have a political belief'
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon rejected the politicization of high-protein diets, telling Fox News Digital, "Health is for everybody. Health doesn't have a political belief, nor should it. It should be about unifying us and making us stronger. Because at the end of the day, if you have a strong country... then you have... Strong character, strong children."
Dr. Lyon is a board-certified physician and bestselling author of "Forever Strong," and she promotes the importance of a high-protein diet and resistance training.
"What a wasted opportunity to actually correct some of the science. The reality is, the majority of individuals are overweight or obese. According to the dietary reference intake, the majority of us, 95% or so, are over-consuming refined carbohydrates and grains. We're not over consuming high-quality proteins," Dr. Gabrielle Lyon told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
5 Excellent Protein Sources That Aren't Meat, According To Nutritionists
The May 1 article titled "Why Are Americans So Obsessed With Protein? Blame MAGA," attempts to compare Americans eating a diet aimed at promoting muscle growth and longevity to the MAGA political movement.
Read On The Fox News App
The piece claims that American "protein mania" has been building over the last few decades and says the trend is part of the "manosphere," an umbrella term for sites and influencers that promote masculinity and anti-feminism.
Despite the Vanity Fair article focusing almost entirely on men, Dr. Lyon said women are realizing the importance of protein and being strong.
"We're really entering an era where women want to be strong and recognize the importance of it. And listen, muscles for everybody. We need more women who believe in strength," she said.
Protein-packed American-grown Rice Alternative Has Twice The Amount As Quinoa
Dr. Lyon is described in the article as a "prominent pro-protein online personality" with content primarily targeted towards women.
In response to her mention, Dr. Lyon said, "What does it matter that I've had over a decade of training from some of the world-leading scientists? I think it was unfortunate. It was very unfortunate and truly a missed opportunity from the writers to be able to highlight the importance, and of course correct what's happening in our country."
Additionally, Dr. Lyon argued that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is too low. The RDA suggests adults should obtain 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Meat 'Cheat Meals' Among Vegetarians, Vegans 'More Common Than You Might Think'
The article makes the claim of more men being interested in increasing protein in their diets.
"I don't have a good sense on what's driving that right now, other than if it's just the usual manosphere—or manomania, here in the United States," Pieter Cohen, an internist at Cambridge Health Alliance and associate professor, mentioned in the piece. Cohen made this claim because he said he had more male patients bring up the interest of increasing protein than women patients.
"Why wouldn't a woman want to be strong and take care of this tissue, and also, weights, and red meat is not just for guys, it's for everybody," Lyon said.
"Protein is the most essential macronutrient and, actually, it's the only macronutrient that we need more of as we age. Of course, there's carbohydrates, but the body can generate its own carbohydrates based on the food that you're eating. And the need for essential fatty acids is very low. But protein, dietary protein, while we call it protein, it's actually made up of 20 different amino acids. And each of these amino acids do various things that are critical for overall health, and it's not interchangeable," she added.Original article source: Doctor rejects Vanity Fair's protein-MAGA connection, saying health 'doesn't have a political belief'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vox
2 minutes ago
- Vox
The NYC shooter said his brain was damaged by football. Here's what we know about CTE.
covers health for Vox, guiding readers through the emerging opportunities and challenges in improving our health. He has reported on health policy for more than 10 years, writing for Governing magazine, Talking Points Memo, and STAT before joining Vox in 2017. The scene of the shooting in New York City at an office building that included the NFL's offices. The shooter reportedly blamed CTE brain trauma for his actions. Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images On Monday evening in Midtown Manhattan, a 27-year-old gunman opened fire in an office building that houses NFL offices, killing four people, including a police officer and then himself. In a note left in his wallet, the shooter referenced chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly called by its initials CTE, and criticized the NFL for covering up the traumatic brain effects of playing football. 'Study my brain please,' read the note left by the shooter, who was a former high school football player, according to the New York Times. The Times reported that the note also included references to NFL players who had also committed violent acts and were then diagnosed with CTE after their deaths. The shooter shot himself in the chest rather than in the head, following the example of retired NFL Hall of Famer Junior Seau. Seau's suicide in 2012, which reportedly followed his own mood changes, helped bring the link between an NFL career and CTE to the public's attention after his autopsy found evidence of the disease. More than a decade later, like many mental health conditions, CTE remains mysterious. The condition cannot be accurately diagnosed until after death and symptoms, such as trouble thinking clearly, can be hard to identify and easily confused with other neurological problems. We are still learning exactly how many people have CTE and exactly how much trauma is necessary for the disease to develop. Here's what we know and what we don't, as another tragedy puts CTE back in the news. What is CTE? Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries. Though more research on the condition is needed, scientists do not believe that a single head injury, such as a concussion, alone can cause CTE. In a person with CTE, nerve cells in their brain die, compromising mental functions. It was first described as 'punch-drunk syndrome' in boxers in the 1920s, before attracting more attention in the 2000s after autopsies of former football players revealed the extent of their brain trauma. The death of Seau, an eight-time All-Pro linebacker, forced the NFL and the American public to take the toll on players' brains more seriously, starting a debate that continues to this day. CTE is most commonly associated with professional athletes who play contact sports, especially football and hockey, but has also been associated with those serving in the military. Other people, particularly victims of physical abuse, can also be at an elevated risk — the only known risk factor is recurring brain trauma. What are the symptoms of CTE? It seems like a straightforward question, but scientists and public health providers still don't have the full picture. Part of the challenge in recognizing CTE is that its symptoms are vague and can be confused with other forms of dementia, even Alzheimer's disease in older patients. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are not specific behavioral or physical changes that are unique to CTE. But some of the commonly cited symptoms include: Difficulty thinking clearly and memory loss Impulsive and aggressive behavior Sudden onset of depression, emotional instability, or suicidal thoughts Trouble walking and loss of control of bodily movement Experts think that younger patients with CTE are more likely to experience mood changes, while older patients endure more of the memory loss and are unable to think clearly, which can progress to more advanced dementia, according to Mayo. Patients are encouraged to get in touch with a health care professional if they experience any of those symptoms or if they suffer a serious head injury that could lead to brain damage. How do we diagnose CTE? Unfortunately, there's no way to diagnose CTE in a living person. Currently, brain samples must be removed from the person and studied under a microscope — something that is not safe for a living patient. To diagnose CTE with certainty after a person's death, an autopsy collects evidence of damaged brain tissue as well as the build-up of tau proteins that have also been associated with Alzheimer's disease. This is obviously suboptimal: If we are ever to develop better interventions and treatments, we need to be able to diagnose people who are still alive with CTE. Scientists are working on new tests that would look for biomarkers in saliva or blood that could tell scientists that a person has the condition. New imaging technology could also provide a path to earlier CTE diagnosis. But for now, in living people, doctors can still attempt to screen for CTE as well as other similar conditions. If medical professionals suspect CTE, they will diagnose a patient with what is called traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, and provide behavioral or occupational therapy. That's why doctors still urge people who worry they could have CTE to get checked out. There is also no specific treatment for CTE; in general, nerve cells that die in the brain cannot be revived, which means the damage done by CTE cannot be reversed through medicine. Does literally every NFL player have CTE? We don't know — but it may be close. A 2023 study from Boston University's CTE Center found that 345 of the 376 former NFL players whose brains they studied had the condition. Though the authors cautioned against interpreting that finding to mean 90 percent of players have CTE — the brains donated to brain banks may not be representative of all players — the research would seem to suggest that playing a sport that involves violently crashing into other people, even with helmets and padding, leads to a higher chance of having brain damage. Part of the mystery with CTE is it's not clear why some people develop it and other people don't. Repeated head injuries clearly put you at risk — a separate BU study of NHL players concluded that the risk of CTE increased by 34 percent for every season played — but they are not enough on their own. Scientists still have more to learn about what causes some people to develop CTE while other people do not. How common is CTE among the general public? Most of us, of course, do not play professional football or hockey. But that doesn't mean we should ignore CTE's risks. Some jobs, such as serving in the military or working in construction, can lead to frequent head injuries. New studies indicate even younger kids playing recreational sports face some danger of CTE. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients may also face a higher risk if they experience one head trauma and then another in quick succession, before their first injury can heal. One study published in JAMA Neurology in 2023 focused specifically on people who died before the age of 30 and were known to have repeated head injuries. In the study, the most common causes of death were suicide or drug overdose. The researchers found 40 percent of the people studied had at least a mild form of CTE; among those with the condition, 70 percent had played a variety of sports at the amateur level — in youth leagues, high school or college. Clearly, being an NFL lineman or NHL enforcer isn't the only way to develop CTE. Concerns have been raised about the accumulations of the micro-traumas that occur when, for example, heading a ball in soccer. Volleyball players, too, can be concussed during game play, which at least opens up the possibility of CTE risk.
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
US health officials crack down on kratom-related products after complaints from supplement industry
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials are warning Americans about the risks of an opioid-related ingredient increasingly added to energy drinks, gummies and supplements sold at gas stations and convenience stores, recommending a nationwide ban. The chemical, known as 7- hydroxymitragynine , is a component of kratom , a plant native to Southeast Asia that has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.
Los Angeles Times
32 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
California, other states sue Trump administration over bill defunding Planned Parenthood
California and a coalition of other liberal-led states sued the Trump administration Tuesday over a provision in the 'Big Beautiful Bill' that bars Planned Parenthood and other large nonprofit abortion providers from receiving Medicaid funding for a host of unrelated healthcare services. The measure has threatened clinics across the country that rely on federal funding to operate. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who is helping to lead the litigation, called it a 'cruel, backdoor abortion ban' that violates the law in multiple ways. The states' challenge comes one day after Planned Parenthood won a major victory in its own lawsuit over the measure in Boston, where a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the ban from taking effect against Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide. Federal law already prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funding to pay for abortions, but the new 'defund provision' in the bill passed by Congressional Republicans earlier this month goes further. It also bars nonprofit abortion providers that generated $800,000 or more in annual Medicaid revenue in 2023 from receiving any such funding for the next year — including for services unrelated to abortion, such as annual checkups, cancer screenings, birth control and testing for sexually transmitted infections. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice have argued that the measure 'stops federal subsidies for Big Abortion,' that Congress under the constitution is 'free to decline to provide taxpayer funds to entities that provide abortions,' and that Planned Parenthood's position should not hold sway over that of Congress. In announcing the states' lawsuit Monday, Bonta's office echoed Planned Parenthood officials in asserting that the provision specifically and illegally targets Planned Parenthood and its affiliate clinics — calling it 'a direct attack on the healthcare access of millions of low-income Americans, disproportionally affecting women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities of color.' Bonta's office said the measure threatened $300 million in federal funding for clinics in California, where Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider, and 'jeopardized the stability' of Planned Parenthood's 114 clinics across the state, which serve about 700,000 patients annually — many of whom use Medi-Cal, the state's version of Medicaid. During a virtual news conference Monday, Bonta noted that federal funds already don't cover abortions. He said the new provision was 'punishment for Planned Parenthood's constitutionally protected advocacy for abortion' and 'a direct attack on access to essential health care for millions who rely on Medicaid.' 'The Trump administration and Congress are actually gutting essential life-saving care, like cancer screenings and STI testing, simply because Planned Parenthood has spoken out in support of reproductive rights,' Bonta said. 'The hypocrisy is really hard to ignore. A party that claims to be defenders of free speech only seem to care about it when it aligns with their own agenda.' Bonta added: 'Rest assured, California will continue to lead as a reproductive freedom state, and will continue to defend healthcare as a human right.' In their lawsuit, the states argue that the measure is unlawfully ambiguous and violates the spending powers of Congress by singling out Planned Parenthood for negative treatment, and that it will harm people's health and increase the cost of Medicaid programs for states by more than $50 million over the next decade. In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood also argued that the measure intentionally singled it and its affiliates out for punishment, in violation of their constitutional rights, including free speech. In granting Planned Parenthood's request for a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani wrote Monday that she was 'not enjoining the federal government from regulating abortion and is not directing the federal government to fund elective abortions or any healthcare service not otherwise eligible for Medicaid coverage.' Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote that she also was not requiring the federal government 'to spend money not already appropriated for Medicaid or any other funds.' Instead, Talwani wrote, her order blocks the Trump administration from 'targeting a specific group of entities — Planned Parenthood Federation members — for exclusion from reimbursements under the Medicaid program,' as they were likely to prove that 'such targeted exclusion violates the United States Constitution.' In a statement to The Times Tuesday, White House spokesman Harrison Fields said the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' was 'legally passed by both chambers of the Legislative Branch and signed into law by the Chief Executive,' and Talwani's order granting the injunction was 'not only absurd but illogical and incorrect.' 'It is orders like these that underscore the audacity of the lower courts as well as the chaos within the judicial branch. We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue,' Fields said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment on the states' lawsuit. Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, joined Bonta during his news conference. She welcomed the states' lawsuit, saying 'an attack this severe requires a multi-pronged response with both short and long term strategies.' Hicks said it's particularly important that California is helping to fight back, given the huge stakes for the state. 'California is the most impacted state across the country because of the volume of patients that we have, but also because of the amount of Medicaid that our state takes,' she said. 'It speaks to our values. And this defund provision is certainly [an] attack on values — most heavily on California.' Bonta is leading the lawsuit along with the attorneys general of Connecticut and New York. Joining them are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Bonta noted the lawsuit is the 36th his office has filed against the Trump administration in the last 27 weeks.
