Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:
Is it more beneficial to drink bottled water?
Bottled water is better for you than drinking unfiltered water, but there are some other things you need to consider before drinking bottled water.
Unfortunately, there are many concerns with using plastic bottles. First, the plastic that is used in the bottle may not be safe and can seep into your bloodstream and cause health issues. Another problem is the impact it has on the environment, since plastic doesn't degrade.
Can I eat too much fruit?
Dr. Mike would never tell someone to not eat fruit, but you have to remember that there are sugars in fruit. So, if you're someone who needs to watch your sugar intake, you may want to consider keeping track of how much you're actually eating.
Dr. Mike also wants to make a note that the best way to consume fruit is raw, and not by juicing, due to the high sugar content.
Are energy drinks beneficial to helping maintain overall health?
Well, no. There's a chronic insomnia and stress issue that's very prevalent in society today. Just drinking one or two cups of coffee a day isn't harmful, but if you're someone who's ingesting high amounts of caffeine, not only is it dangerous, but it can also negatively impact your health.
However, if you are into energy drinks you have to be a smart consumer. You must read the labels, since energy drinks are notorious for not telling you how much caffeine is actually in the drink.
Dr. Mike suggests focusing on internal cell energy health by taking CoQ10 on a daily basis, or ginseng.
If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.877.711.5211) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.
Selected Podcast
Ask Dr. Mike: Energy Drinks, Bottled Water & Can You Eat Too Much Fruit?
Transcription:
RadioMD Presents:Healthy Talk | Original Air Date: March 5, 2015
Host: Michael Smith, MD
You're listening to RadioMD. It's time to Ask Dr. Mike on Healthy Talk. Call or email to ask your questions now. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call: 877-711-5211. The lines are open.
Alright. Let's go right to your questions. First one:
"Is it more beneficial to drink bottled water?"
Now, I'm not sure what this email question really is about. Am I comparing bottled water to just faucet water? Non-filtered water? I mean, obviously, in those cases, yes, bottled water is going to be cleaner, filtered. I think the big issue with bottled water is if we're talking about plastics. I mean, make sure you're drinking from a plastic that's at least ranked a number 2. You can see that on the bottom of the water bottle. There will be a little triangle and there's a number.
As a matter of fact, I did a whole segment on how to read plastic numbers and what they mean. A "2" is a good plastic. The higher the number doesn't always mean better plastic, by the way. A "2" is a good plastic. You're not going to see a leeching of the plastic chemicals into the water. But, of course, there's another issue with plastic bottles and that's the environment. Plastic doesn't degrade pretty much at all and we have, even out in the ocean, I can't remember if it's the Pacific or the Atlantic ocean, there's—I think they call it the "Plastic Island". You can just Google it. I'm tempted to Google it right now. But, Plastic Island is exactly what it is. It's an island of plastic that's floating around that the currents kind of have brought all the plastic bottles and all the other plastic materials that we use and it's floating around out there.
So, I think just for that reason, I think we're seeing more of a movement towards either your own filtration system in your home, a filtered water you can do right on your faucet. I have a Brita filter right in my little jug of water. That's probably better. I'm not going through plastic. Or maybe even just going back to glass containers and stuff like that, or, reusable ones. There are biodegradable plastics that are made from plant materials.
So, maybe that's a better route to go. I think they're a little bit more expensive, but when you throw those out, they will degrade. So, we have some other choices there than just the standard plastic. I'm assuming that's where the question was. Bottled water, yes, it's fine. It's filtered. It's good stuff. Just be careful with the plastics. Maybe purchase from a plastic that is biodegradable.
Alright. Next question. "Can I eat too much fruit?" I get this question more than you think.
"Can I eat too much fruit? I consume 2 to 3 bananas a day plus 2 or 3 other fresh fruit varieties."
I would never tell somebody not to eat fruit. I mean, I just wouldn't do that. You just have to remember there is some sugar in fruit. I mean, that's all there is. I mean, there's fructose. Fructose will break down into the simple sugars.
Those simple sugars will impact insulin. Of course, when you're eating fruit, though, not all of that fructose actually gets into your system because there are fibers in the fruit, too, that absorb the sugar. So, the main fiber, it's a soluble fiber called "pectin". It's found in the rind of many fruits and stuff and when you consume the fruit, the pectin surrounds the fructose and doesn't allow a lot of that fructose to actually get into your bloodstream.
So, eating the fruit is probably better than juicing on a day to day basis. That's why, when people juice, I tell them, "If you're going to put a piece of fruit in there, make sure there's 3 vegetables--a 3:1 ratio--because there is more fiber in the vegetables. That tends to be more consistent in the juicing than just with the fruit. So, yes, you are consuming sugar—especially bananas. As matter of fact, I did a lecture once. Let' see if I can remember this.
Okay. I compared a banana to a watermelon and I was looking at glycemic index versus glycemic load. Glycemic index is just kind of the sugar content of something and the watermelon's glycemic index was far higher than the banana, but what is a better number to look at when you're really looking at the impact of the sugar on your body is called "glycemic load" which is taking into account how much sugar per serving type of thing. I don't remember the formula. In the banana, the glycemic load was far greater than the watermelon because the watermelon is mostly water.
So, the glycemic index can be a little misleading. It turns out, it was better to eat the watermelon than the banana. A banana is kind of like a sugar stick—high glycemic load. So, maybe cut back on the 2 to 3 bananas a day and add more of the berries like the deep, dark berries and the pomegranates. Those kinds of things maybe are a little bit better than the 2 to 3 bananas. Maybe go to 1 banana a day.
So, I would never tell you to stop eating that. That' awesome. Just remember there is sugar, right? Stick to eating it, not juicing it so much. Maybe cut out 1 or 2 of those bananas and add some blueberries. How's that? That will help to manage that fructose load a little more.
Next question. "Are energy drinks beneficial to helping maintain overall health?"
Energy drinks. Oh, boy. Energy drinks. Well, no. Listen, it's a market. You know, the situation is pretty simple. We have a chronic insomnia issue in this country. We're stressed out. People need a boost here and there. There's been a move away from caffeine. You know, a little bit of caffeine is not going to hurt you, but drinking cup after cup after cup of coffee at work and you're crashing and you need another cup.
I mean, that's not good. So, really, these energy drinks really came out because of that type of specific person. Then, they kind of moved into exercise, giving you energy during the gym and all that kind of stuff.
Listen, you have to look at the label. We all have to be smart consumers. What's the sugar content? How many grams of simple sugar are you getting? How many milligrams of caffeine are you getting? I know they say things like, "Oh, we've added B vitamins and maybe some other types of like carnitine, which is an energizer, or D-Ribose. But, how much are they adding? I mean, when you really look at it, it's pretty insignificant.
As a matter of fact, in most of the cases, they don't even tell you how much B vitamins they're putting in it or if they do, it's barely 10% of the RDA or RDI, so it's really not about the B vitamins. It's really not about the D-Ribose or the carnitine. It's the caffeine and the sugar. Let's be honest. They're not great replacements at all. Okay? I think you should focus more on internal cell energy health. Cocuten on a daily basis. D-Ribose and carnitine are good choices, but you have to do them daily in the right amount, not what you find in an energy drink.
So, those are other good options. There's ginseng and cordyceps which is a funky mushroom type thing. As a matter of fact, there's a combination extract of ginseng and cordyceps which directly improves cell energy production ATP. That's the kind of stuff you need, not the little jolt once in a while from sugar or caffeine.
The body's resilient. You can probably handle that, but the unfortunate side of this is people are drinking these things all the time and, by the way, mixing them with alcohol. Don't do that because then, you're just an up drunk—an awake drunk. That's just dangerous. So, don't do that, but I think we're just abusing these drinks a little bit too much and getting lots of caffeine and lots of sugar and that's just not the way to do it.
I mean, we've replaced coffee with these things because we were worried about the caffeine, but many of these energy drinks have more caffeine than a standard cup of coffee or they have an equal amount. Well, I thought we were trying to move away from that. You see? So, they're just really good marketing products.
So, again, cocuten, D-Ribose, carnitine, ginseng, cordyceps. Those are healthy, natural ways to improve internal cell energy production ATP. That's how you're going to remain energized throughout your day. That's how you're going to avoid the crash. That's how you're going to improve your cardiovascular health, your mental health, your stamina, your productivity. Not through an energy drink.
This is Healthy Talk on RadioMD. I'm Dr. Mike. Stay well.
RadioMD Presents:Healthy Talk | Original Air Date: March 5, 2015
Host: Michael Smith, MD
You're listening to RadioMD. It's time to Ask Dr. Mike on Healthy Talk. Call or email to ask your questions now. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call: 877-711-5211. The lines are open.
Alright. Let's go right to your questions. First one:
"Is it more beneficial to drink bottled water?"
Now, I'm not sure what this email question really is about. Am I comparing bottled water to just faucet water? Non-filtered water? I mean, obviously, in those cases, yes, bottled water is going to be cleaner, filtered. I think the big issue with bottled water is if we're talking about plastics. I mean, make sure you're drinking from a plastic that's at least ranked a number 2. You can see that on the bottom of the water bottle. There will be a little triangle and there's a number.
As a matter of fact, I did a whole segment on how to read plastic numbers and what they mean. A "2" is a good plastic. The higher the number doesn't always mean better plastic, by the way. A "2" is a good plastic. You're not going to see a leeching of the plastic chemicals into the water. But, of course, there's another issue with plastic bottles and that's the environment. Plastic doesn't degrade pretty much at all and we have, even out in the ocean, I can't remember if it's the Pacific or the Atlantic ocean, there's—I think they call it the "Plastic Island". You can just Google it. I'm tempted to Google it right now. But, Plastic Island is exactly what it is. It's an island of plastic that's floating around that the currents kind of have brought all the plastic bottles and all the other plastic materials that we use and it's floating around out there.
So, I think just for that reason, I think we're seeing more of a movement towards either your own filtration system in your home, a filtered water you can do right on your faucet. I have a Brita filter right in my little jug of water. That's probably better. I'm not going through plastic. Or maybe even just going back to glass containers and stuff like that, or, reusable ones. There are biodegradable plastics that are made from plant materials.
So, maybe that's a better route to go. I think they're a little bit more expensive, but when you throw those out, they will degrade. So, we have some other choices there than just the standard plastic. I'm assuming that's where the question was. Bottled water, yes, it's fine. It's filtered. It's good stuff. Just be careful with the plastics. Maybe purchase from a plastic that is biodegradable.
Alright. Next question. "Can I eat too much fruit?" I get this question more than you think.
"Can I eat too much fruit? I consume 2 to 3 bananas a day plus 2 or 3 other fresh fruit varieties."
I would never tell somebody not to eat fruit. I mean, I just wouldn't do that. You just have to remember there is some sugar in fruit. I mean, that's all there is. I mean, there's fructose. Fructose will break down into the simple sugars.
Those simple sugars will impact insulin. Of course, when you're eating fruit, though, not all of that fructose actually gets into your system because there are fibers in the fruit, too, that absorb the sugar. So, the main fiber, it's a soluble fiber called "pectin". It's found in the rind of many fruits and stuff and when you consume the fruit, the pectin surrounds the fructose and doesn't allow a lot of that fructose to actually get into your bloodstream.
So, eating the fruit is probably better than juicing on a day to day basis. That's why, when people juice, I tell them, "If you're going to put a piece of fruit in there, make sure there's 3 vegetables--a 3:1 ratio--because there is more fiber in the vegetables. That tends to be more consistent in the juicing than just with the fruit. So, yes, you are consuming sugar—especially bananas. As matter of fact, I did a lecture once. Let' see if I can remember this.
Okay. I compared a banana to a watermelon and I was looking at glycemic index versus glycemic load. Glycemic index is just kind of the sugar content of something and the watermelon's glycemic index was far higher than the banana, but what is a better number to look at when you're really looking at the impact of the sugar on your body is called "glycemic load" which is taking into account how much sugar per serving type of thing. I don't remember the formula. In the banana, the glycemic load was far greater than the watermelon because the watermelon is mostly water.
So, the glycemic index can be a little misleading. It turns out, it was better to eat the watermelon than the banana. A banana is kind of like a sugar stick—high glycemic load. So, maybe cut back on the 2 to 3 bananas a day and add more of the berries like the deep, dark berries and the pomegranates. Those kinds of things maybe are a little bit better than the 2 to 3 bananas. Maybe go to 1 banana a day.
So, I would never tell you to stop eating that. That' awesome. Just remember there is sugar, right? Stick to eating it, not juicing it so much. Maybe cut out 1 or 2 of those bananas and add some blueberries. How's that? That will help to manage that fructose load a little more.
Next question. "Are energy drinks beneficial to helping maintain overall health?"
Energy drinks. Oh, boy. Energy drinks. Well, no. Listen, it's a market. You know, the situation is pretty simple. We have a chronic insomnia issue in this country. We're stressed out. People need a boost here and there. There's been a move away from caffeine. You know, a little bit of caffeine is not going to hurt you, but drinking cup after cup after cup of coffee at work and you're crashing and you need another cup.
I mean, that's not good. So, really, these energy drinks really came out because of that type of specific person. Then, they kind of moved into exercise, giving you energy during the gym and all that kind of stuff.
Listen, you have to look at the label. We all have to be smart consumers. What's the sugar content? How many grams of simple sugar are you getting? How many milligrams of caffeine are you getting? I know they say things like, "Oh, we've added B vitamins and maybe some other types of like carnitine, which is an energizer, or D-Ribose. But, how much are they adding? I mean, when you really look at it, it's pretty insignificant.
As a matter of fact, in most of the cases, they don't even tell you how much B vitamins they're putting in it or if they do, it's barely 10% of the RDA or RDI, so it's really not about the B vitamins. It's really not about the D-Ribose or the carnitine. It's the caffeine and the sugar. Let's be honest. They're not great replacements at all. Okay? I think you should focus more on internal cell energy health. Cocuten on a daily basis. D-Ribose and carnitine are good choices, but you have to do them daily in the right amount, not what you find in an energy drink.
So, those are other good options. There's ginseng and cordyceps which is a funky mushroom type thing. As a matter of fact, there's a combination extract of ginseng and cordyceps which directly improves cell energy production ATP. That's the kind of stuff you need, not the little jolt once in a while from sugar or caffeine.
The body's resilient. You can probably handle that, but the unfortunate side of this is people are drinking these things all the time and, by the way, mixing them with alcohol. Don't do that because then, you're just an up drunk—an awake drunk. That's just dangerous. So, don't do that, but I think we're just abusing these drinks a little bit too much and getting lots of caffeine and lots of sugar and that's just not the way to do it.
I mean, we've replaced coffee with these things because we were worried about the caffeine, but many of these energy drinks have more caffeine than a standard cup of coffee or they have an equal amount. Well, I thought we were trying to move away from that. You see? So, they're just really good marketing products.
So, again, cocuten, D-Ribose, carnitine, ginseng, cordyceps. Those are healthy, natural ways to improve internal cell energy production ATP. That's how you're going to remain energized throughout your day. That's how you're going to avoid the crash. That's how you're going to improve your cardiovascular health, your mental health, your stamina, your productivity. Not through an energy drink.
This is Healthy Talk on RadioMD. I'm Dr. Mike. Stay well.