Chasing Life: "Why Does Everyone Have the Flu?"

Host: Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Date: January 13, 2026
Summary Prepared By: [Your AI Podcast Summarizer]

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Sanjay Gupta addresses two front-of-mind issues for many listeners:

1. The new 2025-2030 U.S. dietary guidelines — what’s changed and why it matters
2. The especially brutal flu season of 2026 — why it’s so bad, what you need to know, and how to protect yourself

With insight from Sophia (show producer), Dr. Tim Spector (genetic epidemiologist), and Meg Tyrell (health reporter), Sanjay navigates the science behind hot topics impacting diet, disease prevention, and everyday habits.

New Dietary Guidelines: Key Insights

[00:25 – 08:22]

Major Takeaways and Guidance

• Whole Foods Over Processed Foods

  • Guidance emphasizes eating “more whole foods. We should be eating more real foods.” – Dr. Sanjay Gupta [00:41]

  • Ultra-processed foods are now directly called out as health hazards; previously they were not even mentioned in guidelines.

    “If you’re seeing ingredients that you can’t pronounce or you don’t know what it is, those are probably ultra processed foods.”
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [01:33]

  • Action: Read labels; aim for foods you could theoretically prepare yourself.

• Ultra-Processed Foods and Kids

  • 2/3 of the average American kid’s diet is now ultra-processed foods [02:10]
  • The guidelines strongly recommend families work to reduce this.

• Sugar Intake

  • Recommendation now framed per meal, not per day:

    “No more than 10 grams of added sugar per meal.”
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [02:41]

  • Distributing sugar intake evenly avoids dangerous spikes in blood glucose, especially at night.

• Protein Intake

  • Noticeable increase in recommendations:

    • 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kg per day (~80–110g daily for a 150-lb person)
    • Previous guidance was far less: 13–56g per day.

  • All sources count: animal, eggs, plant-based (beans, peas, legumes, nuts, soy)

    “It's a lot of protein to try and get into your body in a particular day.”
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [03:30]

  • Expert perspective:

    “…studies have shown that Americans have more than enough protein…90% of Americans are deficient in fiber, and yet nobody's fighting the corner of fiber.”
    — Dr. Tim Spector [04:54]

• Fiber: The Overlooked Nutrient

  • Despite protein focus, most Americans are fiber-deficient — “We need to be thinking more about fiber.” [05:25]
  • Fiber got little attention in the guidelines but came up as a blind spot.

• Full-Fat Products and Saturated Fat

  • Guidance now allows/promotes full-fat dairy, red meat, butter, and even beef tallow.

    "That’s going to surprise a lot of people."
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [05:36]

  • Nuance: Only 10% of calories should come from saturated fats; people with heart disease risk should remain especially wary.

    “For me, personally, I'm still trying to avoid, if not eliminate, many of those full fat products entirely.”
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [06:07]

• Alcohol

  • Previous explicit serving limits are gone; now: “try and limit your alcohol consumption in pursuit of better health.”
  • This departs from older wisdom (i.e., the “red wine is good for your heart” era) and aligns with current science:

    “…the science is increasingly trending towards this idea that there really is no safe amount of alcohol.”
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [07:24]

  • WHO and American Heart Association both now advise against alcohol for health/blood pressure [06:32–07:24]

The 2026 "Terrible" Flu Season

[09:39 – 11:50]

Why Is Everyone Sick?

• Listener Question:
  "I feel like everyone I know is sick... is it too late to get a flu shot? How can you get better faster, and should you worry if you have a lingering cough?"
  — Sophia [09:44]

Meg Tyrell’s Flu Update

• New Strain — The Subclade K Factor

  • Subclade K: Emerged after this year’s vaccine was formulated → “a little bit of a mismatch between that circulating strain and the flu shot.” [10:13]

• Why Get the Shot Anyway?

  • It still helps, especially for severe disease:

    “…it may not stop you from getting the flu completely, but it may keep you from having a really bad time with it.”
    — Meg Tyrell [10:33]

  • Data from the UK shows continued protection

• Antivirals: Act Fast

  • Early testing allows antivirals (like Tamiflu, Zofluza) to work best.

    “…if you take them early, they can shorten the duration of your illness and they can reduce your symptoms.”
    — Meg Tyrell [11:00]

  • Can be used for prevention in exposed households

• Lingering Coughs

  • “...not necessarily unusual to have a cough that persists for a couple weeks after a viral infection.”
  • When to worry: Cough continues beyond a couple weeks, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, coughing blood → see a doctor.

• General Prevention

  • “Wash your hands, stay home if you can, and take care.” [11:44]

Notable Quotes

• On ultra-processed foods:
  "These are foods that you probably couldn't possibly make in your own kitchen."
  — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [01:22]

• On sugar:
  "You don't want to be thinking about avoiding sugar during the day and then suddenly having a glucose spike at night followed by an insulin spike at night."
  — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [02:50]

• On protein vs fiber:
  "Most people are already on twice the [recommended protein] amount. And yet 90% of Americans are deficient in fiber, and yet nobody's fighting the corner of fiber."
  — Dr. Tim Spector [04:54]

• On full-fat products:
  "Only 10% of your overall calories should come from these saturated fat products."
  — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [05:56]

• On alcohol's changing narrative:
  "At one point, people thought drinking could actually improve your health. That started to fade away over the last decade..."
  — Dr. Sanjay Gupta [06:44]

• On the flu shot and new strain:
  "It may not stop you from getting the flu completely, but it may keep you from having a really bad time with it."
  — Meg Tyrell [10:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:25]: Introduction to new dietary guidelines
• [01:22]: Ultra-processed foods explained
• [02:41]: New approach to sugar intake
• [03:30]: Increased protein recommendations and sources
• [04:41]: Interview clip — Dr. Tim Spector on protein vs fiber
• [05:36]: Surprising support for full-fat products, with heart risk caveats
• [06:32]: Update on alcohol guidance and evolving science
• [09:44]: Listener question on the 2026 flu season
• [10:13]: Meg Tyrell explains the new flu strain and vaccine matchup
• [11:00]: When and how to use antiviral medications
• [11:29]: What to expect from a lingering cough

Closing Thoughts

This episode delivers a pragmatic update to nutrition and flu guidance for 2026, emphasizing moderation, transparency, and evidence-based action while urging listeners to adapt within their personal and family health contexts. Dr. Gupta balances official recommendations with his own clinical experiences and those of respected colleagues, offering actionable advice that is both grounded and relatable.