00:02:14 - **Q:** Is there any evidence for the role of fermented foods in generating/maintaining/restoring a healthy gut microbiome?
00:03:10 - Yogurt with live cultures confers many health benefits though altering the gut microbiome. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28733284/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28733284/) [3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26732026/) [4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28803012/) [5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28558854/) [6](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28558854/) [7](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33022694/) [8](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27133564/) [9](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29065710/)
00:09:00 - Fermented cheeses can decrease the amount of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the gut and reduce clostridium difficile abundance. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18554738/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21264685/)
00:10:25 - Fermented soy products, like natto, can increase beneficial bacteria and decrease sulfide gas production in the gut. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22040525/)
00:10:55 - Kimchi can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, immunity, digestion, and decreased waist size. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24456357/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25688926/)
00:11:18 - Kombucha was shown to increase immune T-regulatory cells which are important for preventing autoimmunity and limiting chronic inflammatory diseases. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29499632/)
00:12:56 - One glass of red wine per a day increases gut biodiversity while decreasing blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, C - reactive protein, and liver damage. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23576043/) [2](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mnfr.201600620) [3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22552027/) [4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26599039/)
00:16:21 - **Q:** What are your personal thoughts and interpretation on the literature of soy consumption?
00:18:18 - Soy consumption: summarizing the science on its effect on mortality, cancer, heart health, diabetes, and hormones [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31584249/) [2](https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(04)02020-5/abstract)
00:24:44 - **Q:** Is reverse osmosis for filtering water comparable to Berkey filters?
00:25:48 - **Q:** What are your recommendations for choline supplementation during pregnancy?
00:25:48 - Adequate choline in pregnancy may have cognitive benefits for offspring. [1](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/01/adequate-choline-pregnancy-may-have-cognitive-benefits-offspring#)
00:26:47 - Q**:** Are there substances that dissolve plaque from arteries and reduce risk of strokes or heart attacks?
00:26:47 - Animal studies show potential for interference RNA to be used to regress existing plaque by decreasing TGF-𝛃. [1](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190826121948.htm) [2](https://bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1753-6561-7-S2-K21)
00:28:08 - Animal studies also show potential for cyclodextrin, a complex sugar, to dissolve cholesterol crystals and reduce the inflammatory response in artery walls. [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclodextrin#Applications) [2](https://www.invasivecardiology.com/news/cyclodextrin-dissolves-cholesterol-crystals-so-they-can-be-excreted-body-reduces-arterial-wall)
00:28:53 - Statin medications have been shown to modestly decrease and stabilize plaque in arteries. [1](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/202629) [2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960066/#r28)
00:29:21 - Aerobic exercise decreases LDL cholesterol, stabilizes plaques, and can develop life-saving collateral vessels. [1](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000623) [2](https://lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12944-017-0515-5) [3](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.115.016442)
00:31:08 - **Q:** What are your thoughts on advanced glycation end products (AGEs)? Do you consider it when thinking about your diet or how you prepare your food?
00:32:33 - Diabetics are more prone to AGE accumulation and are responsible for many of the complications of diabetes such as cardiovascular disease, retinal damage, nerve damage, and worsening kidney function. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11270668/)
00:33:14 - AGEs are also implicated in many chronic diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, heart disease, and dementia. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19409449/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18335520/)
00:33:24 - Those with the highest blood levels of AGEs are twice as likely to die from heart disease than those with the lowest levels because of AGEs ability to react with LDL particles [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19448391/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7937786/)
00:34:01 - There are many mechanisms by which AGEs cause damage including forming alpha-synuclein bodies, increasing reactive oxygen species, causing vasoconstriction, secreting proinflammatory cytokines, and changing the structure and function of cell membranes, platelets, coagulation factors, collagen, and other proteins. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18335520/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11270668/)
00:34:43 - Clinical trials in diabetics, obese individuals, and individuals with kidney disease have all found that dietary AGE consumption correlates closely with blood AGE levels and inflammation. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12429856/) [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27468708/) [3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19820033/)
00:35:17 - Dry, high-temperatures cooking modalities can increase AGEs in food up to 100-fold. [1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704564/) [2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704564/)
00:37:14 - Medications and supplements that can lower AGEs or mediate AGE-related damage. [1](https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/108104) [2](https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00126839-200203020-00004) [3](https://www.dustri.com/article_response_page.html?artId=1264&doi=10.5414/CPP43071&L=0) [4](https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2008-1065351) [5](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3391239/) [6](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286396001283) [7](https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/14/1/68.short)
00:38:02 - Aerobic exercise has been shown to lower AGEs in the blood. [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19478714/)
00:38:58 - **Q:** Does melatonin help fragmented sleep?
00:38:58 - One study found that that 3mg melatonin a night decreased sleep interruptions from 4.5 to 3.1 times per night [1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668086/#:~:text=In%20our%20study%20a%20decrease,and%20subjective%20sleepiness%20%5B19%5D)
00:43:17 - **Q:** Does xylitol spike insulin, or alter the gut microbiome \[_Correction: the body_ **_does_** _metabolize xylitol.\]_
00:43:54 - Xylitol is a low-calorie sweetener that has a low glycemic index, does not cause an insulin spike, improve oral microbiota, with unclear effects on the gut microbiome. [1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2225984/#:~:text=This%20study%20determined%20the%20dose,unstimulated%20saliva%20to%20xylitol%20gum.&text=Xylitol%20at%206.44%20g%2Fday,and%2010.32%20g%20xylitol%2Fday.) [2](https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/77/2/388/2650342?login=true) [3](https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/499194)
00:45:43 - An overview of aspartame and sucralose. [1](https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3408) [2](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691518308780) [3](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4819855/)
00:48:17 - Stevia and monk-fruit extract are natural zero-calorie sweeteners but their effects on the gut is unknown. [1](https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article-abstract/96/6/fiaa079/5827635)
00:48:46 - Erythritol is a zero-calorie sweetener that has no significant effect on the gut microbiome with a glycemic index of 0. [1](https://doi.org/10.1079%2FBJN20051546) [2](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027869159800091X?via%3Dihub) [3](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b06181?casa_token=eL3XBy7PbNQAAAAA:ryrxJ72ks5JedQHhoF478GDZXJDzFOYZ1fttkHSP9QS0fAb7C1qTF2QaXPk57dvV2GvhDJiqHX0flA) [4](https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4033)
00:50:44 - **Q:** What are your thoughts on the recent study showing heart damage from long-term ketosis. [1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-020-00411-4)
00:55:37 - **Q:** Do we need to manage electrolyte during prolonged fasts? [1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002934371901525) [2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1274154/pdf/westjmed00207-0055.pdf) [3](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5762322)
01:00:26 - **Rhonda's Rapid Fire Questions**
01:00:29 - **Q:** What biomarkers would you say are the most important to general wellbeing?
01:04:44 - **Q:** What are your thoughts on exposure of wheat and gluten to babies/toddlers.
01:06:08 - Rhonda's thoughts on saturated fat for babies/toddlers.
01:06:41 - **Q:** What is your recommendation for cooking oil and dealing with fraudulent cooking oils?
01:08:35 - **Q:** Is it worth measuring omega-3/omega-6 ratio?
01:10:07 - **Q:** Do you have any insight or advice for sleep training your infant?
01:12:06 - **Q:** Do you give baby iron fortified cereal or iron supplement?
01:14:00 - **Q:** What are your thoughts on continuous glucose monitoring and does it help as a biomarker for metabolic health?
01:20:35 - When should a mother who is breastfeeding switch from taking a prenatal multivitamin to a regular multivitamin?
01:23:24 - Rhonda's thoughts on getting the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.