Dr. Tim Spector (4:41)

I'm not saying protein's bad. You have to take a lot of it for it to be harmful. So in general, protein is pretty good, particularly if it's plant protein. But nothing wrong with meat protein in moderation, but it's what it replaces. We need to start thinking much more holistically. And this is whenever you add too much of something, you can't get the rest of it. So studies have shown that Americans have more than enough protein. They're getting a lot. There might be a few exceptions out there, but most people are already on twice the amount. And yet 90% of Americans are deficient in fiber, and yet nobody's fighting the corner of fiber.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta (5:25)

I think that's something really important that was not mentioned in these new dietary guidelines. We need to be thinking more about fiber. And that brings us to something that I think is surprising in these new dietary guidelines. There is promotion of full fat products, including dairy products, red meat, butter and Even beef tallow. And I think that's going to surprise a lot of people. Part of the reason over the last few decades, there's been a move away from saturated fat products like the ones I just mentioned and is because of the concerns about heart disease. Keep in mind, about half of us adults have some form of heart disease. And even though there is now this promotion of these full fat products, you have to be careful, especially if you're worried about heart disease, as I am. I have a strong family history of heart disease. There is a nuance here in the dietary guidelines, basically saying only 10% of your overall calories should come from these saturated fat products. So be really careful here. For me, personally, I'm still trying to avoid, if not eliminate, many of those full fat products entirely. Alcohol was another thing that came up in these new dietary guidelines. And in the past, there were precise limits on alcohol consumption. Those precise limits have gone away. Now they basically say to try and limit your alcohol consumption in pursuit of better health. Now, that was a little surprising because in 2023, the World Health Organization came out with a pretty strong statement saying that people should abstain from alcohol. There was no amount of alcohol that was good for your health. In 2025, the American Heart association sort of followed basically saying, especially when it came to your blood pressure, you should avoid alcohol completely. So this is going to be a personal choice, obviously. But keep in mind that over the years, the science has evolved on alcohol. At one point, people thought drinking could actually improve your health. A couple glasses of red wine, for example. That started to fade away over the last decade. And then again over the last couple of years, these strong statements coming out, basically saying alcohol in and of itself was not good for your health and people should abstain from it. Okay, so those are some of the headlines, those are some of the takeaways, and some of the nuances as well. The full fat, dairy and food recommendations. Those surprise me a little bit. I would urge caution again, especially if you're worried about heart disease. And be very careful with the alcohol consumption. I think the science is increasingly trending towards this idea that there really is no safe amount of alcohol. I hope that helps. Now it may seem like everyone around you is sniffling and sneezing, and that means flu season is in full swing. So after the break, we'll tell you what you need to know and how to stay safe.

Audie Cornish (8:22)

This week on the Assignment with me, Audie Cornish talking with Ira Madison the third about heated rivalry.

Ira Madison III (8:30)

First of all, Brokeback Mountain woke it up. For so many gay men of a certain age. You know, I think, like, the final essay in my book is about Brokeback Mountain.

Meg Tyrell (8:39)

Oh, really?

Audie Cornish (8:40)

Why did you let me lecture you on Brokeback Mountain? Iron Madison iii.

Ira Madison III (8:44)

You were completely.

Audie Cornish (8:45)

Shut up.

Ira Madison III (8:45)

You were cooking. You were cooking.

Audie Cornish (8:48)

Listen to the assignment with me, Audie Cornish. Streaming now on your favorite podcast app.

Anderson Cooper (8:55)

Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper. On my podcast All There Is, we explore grief and loss in all its complexities. You'll hear deeply moving and honest discussions with people who have faced and are living with life altering losses.

Unknown Narrator (9:08)

Loss is something you have to navigate. It's not a thing where time heals all wounds.

Anderson Cooper (9:14)

My guest is legendary rock musician, writer, poet Patti Smith.

Unknown Narrator (9:19)

They're sacred wounds. They're not going to heal. You learn to live with them.

Anderson Cooper (9:24)

Talking grief, building community. That's what the podcast is all about. This is all there is. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta (9:39)

Okay, we know that sound. Sophia, what do we have next?

Sophia (9:44)

Sanjay, I feel like everyone I know is sick. And I keep seeing headlines on how bad this flu season is. So we're wondering, Sanjay, what's behind this? 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?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta (10:00)

Okay, great questions and really important this time of year, I'm going to turn this over, actually to my colleague and friend, Meg Tyrell. She's been following this flu season very closely.

Meg Tyrell (10:13)

Part of the reason we're having such a severe flu season is because there is a new strain of flu going around. It's known as subclade K, and it arose in the United States after health officials had designed what the flu vaccine was gonna look like. So there is a little bit of a mismatch between that circulating strain and the flu shot. But does that mean that the shot is useless? And no, should you still get it even though it doesn't match that circulating strain? Experts say yes. Data out of the UK in November suggests that it still provides protection, especially against more severe disease. So what that means is it may not stop you from getting the flu completely, but it may keep you from having a really bad time with it. Next, you might be wondering how you can get better faster. And here there is good news. Unlike for the common cold, for example, there are actually ways to treat the flu, and it's best if you get tested quickly because that's when antiviral drugs work. The best things like Tamiflu and Zofluza, they're available by prescription. And if you take them early, they can shorten the duration of your illness and they can reduce your symptoms. You can also take them to try to prevent symptoms of the flu if somebody you live with, for example, has been diagnosed. And finally, if you're dealing with a lingering cough that is so annoying. But doctors say it's not necessarily unusual to have a cough that persists from for a couple weeks after a viral infection even as you start to feel better in every other way. Of course, there are exceptions here. If it goes on for longer than that or you have other troubling symptoms like having trouble swallowing, feeling hoarse, coughing blood, obviously get those things checked out. In the meantime, wash your hands, stay home if you can, and take care.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta (11:50)

Meg, thank you so much. I hope that helps everyone stay healthy. And that's all the time we have for today's episode. And if you or anyone in your life has questions, I want to hear them. Record a voice memo. Email it to Paging Dr. Gupta. That's pagingdrgupta.com or give us a call 470-396-0832. Leave a message. And as always, thanks for listening.

Unknown Narrator (12:21)

The engagement that broke the Internet. A Taylor Swift wedding is a pinnacle moment of celebrity culture. Could it have billion dollar ripple effect on the wedding industry? I do. The Taylor and Travis era now streaming on the CNN app.