Culinary Medicine in Focus: Teaching Tomorrow's Doctors Nutrition, Part 1

Teaching Nutrition to Doctors: Dr. Nate Wood, MD, inaugural director of Culinary Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, discusses the persistent lack of nutrition education in medical training. Wood defines culinary medicine as combining nutrition science, medicine, education, and culinary skills to help patients and trainees cook health-promoting food. He reviews diet’s broad impact on chronic disease (cardiometabolic disease, dementia, cancer, mental health, MS), challenges in nutrition research, and Yale’s approach emphasizing plant-forward, minimally processed foods while addressing controversies. Barriers to adoption include crowded curricula, lack of trained faculty, unclear competencies, and limited exam coverage, though nutrition is being added to Step exams. Wood describes free patient classes, community outreach, research showing culinary training boosts counseling confidence, GLP-1s as complementary to lifestyle change, and his upcoming book, “Food Figured Out,” due in 2027.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Nate Wood, MD, inaugural director of Culinary Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

MDs react to JAMA op-ed claiming autonomous AI will outperform doctors on routine medical tasks by 2030, spurring widespread layoffs: When even intravenous iron isn’t enough to stave off anemia; “Emergency “ home medical kits draw ire of medical experts: Meta dinged $567 for teen addiction—why spending it for therapy of adolescents who are hooked on social media may be a waste of money; Adequate vitamin D minimizes post-op pain; When is a second prostate biopsy called for? 

Cancer rise in younger adults may be explained by accelerated cellular aging; “Quadriceps activation failure” may explain common waking difficulty following successful knee replacement; Is “Calocurb” a good natural alternative to GLP-1 drugs? New study claims 4 to 6 servings of whole grains may be the key to heart health—but doubts arise due to its authorship in Iran, a hotbed of scientific research fraud; Splenda back in the crosshairs as new evidence points to genetic damage; Bright lights at night emerge as new heart disease risk factor. 

Concurrent Training for Healthy Aging and the Overlooked B12 Risk of Metformin: Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses how concurrent training—combining cardio and strength work—supports healthy aging by building endurance, preserving muscle, and maintaining independence and “healthspan.” She explains that aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory efficiency while resistance training preserves lean tissue and functional strength, and offers practical scheduling tips: place strength sessions on two non-consecutive days, add moderate cardio around them, separate hard sessions, prioritize recovery with rest days, sleep, and adequate protein, and avoid pairing heavy lifting with hard endurance work if explosive power is important. She then summarizes evidence that clinicians often fail to check vitamin B12 levels in diabetic patients on long-term metformin, despite guidelines; metformin can impair B12 absorption, leading to deficiency, anemia, and potentially reversible neuropathy, with higher risk in the elderly, high-dose users, vegans, and PPI users. She urges proactive B12 monitoring and supplementation, such as a multivitamin with at least 100 mcg B12.

Autonomous Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of medicineAre there any alternative ways to lower my blood pressure other than taking prescription medication?

As soon as I take my blood pressure meds, I get tired and lack energy for the rest of the day.  What gives?I'm 77 and have Sjögren's syndrome.  Can I take carnitine?  How much should I take?Are there cardiac side effects to berberine?  Both my husband and I take it for blood sugar.What types of protein are most helpful for osteoporosis and weight gain?The coronary artery inflammation controversy

Innate–Adaptive Balance and BWH 85 Beta-Glucan with Functional Medicine Physician Dr. Rob Rountree: He brings a nuanced view of immunity that rejects the simple “immune boosting” dimmer-switch model and emphasizes immune regulation and readiness. He reviews innate immunity as sentinel cells using pattern recognition receptors (e.g., macrophages) and explains how innate and adaptive systems interface, with innate signaling training adaptive responses; chronic inflammatory disease is framed as rooted in innate dysregulation. He reveals how immune responses can both protect and harm (candida, cytokine storm concerns during COVID) and why test-tube “stimulation” doesn’t equal human effects. The focus is a purified brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) beta-1,3/1,6-glucan (BWH 85, 85% purity), its triple-helix structure, receptors (Dectin-1, CR3), dosing (100–500 mg), evidence for improving vaccine response in elders, and potential relevance for autoimmunity, athletes, and cancer surveillance alongside lifestyle and key nutrients like vitamins A, C, D and zinc.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with functional medicine practitioner Robert Rountree, MD, medical director of Boulder Wellcare, in Boulder, Colorado, and long-time educator at the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Ross Pelton, Director of Science & Education for Essential Formulas Incorporated, maker of Dr. Ohhira’s premium probiotic products, reveals how the gut microbiome affects metabolism, appetite, weight regulation, and overall health. He emphasizes the importance of microbiome diversity, supported by eating a wide variety of plant foods rich in fiber and polyphenols, and discusses how fermented foods and postbiotic metabolites help maintain a healthy gut environment. Pelton explains Dr. Ohhira’s multi-year fermentation process and the idea that postbiotics may be key health regulators. He reviews studies suggesting benefits from Dr. Ohhira’s probiotics for athletic performance markers, reduced fatigue, and improved bowel regularity, and notes research showing antibiotic-related losses in gut diversity can persist for years. He also mentions a higher-dose “Reset Challenge,” a postbiotic paste concentrate, and an ME-3 product aimed at increasing glutathione.