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May 10, 2024 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:39
Cook to Beat Cancer: Dr. Andrew Weil's 3 Anti-Cancer Recipes | Dr. Oz | S7 | Ep 39 | Full Episode
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Coming up next.
Three recipes to reduce your risk for cancer.
Dr. Andrew Weil shares tips from his kitchen.
It is so good, my friends.
Plus, the fight to end the crippling crisis of addiction starts here.
The five questions to ask before getting painkillers.
And thousands rally to end the shame of addiction.
Rock legend Stephen Tyler speaks out.
Coming up next.
We'll save lives today.
We'll save lives today.
You guys ready to get healthy?
Today's guest, thank you very much.
Today's guest says health is about paying attention to your body and what you put in it.
He's one of my most trusted friends and colleagues.
Dr. Andrew Weil is here.
And he's joining us to reveal his simple secrets to his cancer-fighting diet, all of which can be found in your local grocery store.
He's also going to show you his shopping list with the supermarket staples that he cannot live without, and he's very good at this, so you're going to want to learn this.
Now, that's just one of the topics I am passionate about today.
Here are two more that I care a lot about.
First, he's the youngest son of Senator Ted Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy.
And today he speaks out about his and his family's struggles with alcohol and mental illness.
And I just got back from Washington, D.C., where I took part in this history-making rally, right in the mall there, the iconic place where Martin Luther King gave his speech.
And we demanded solutions to the addiction crisis.
We are at a turning point in America, and we need all of you, that's right, you, to help put an end to this epidemic.
So today I've got the five questions you need to ask your doctor before you ever accept a prescription for painkillers.
But first, he's a pioneer in alternative medicine who was one of the first to really prove you are what you eat.
Dr. Andrew Weil.
Come join us.
Thank you very much for being here.
Sure.
Thank you.
So Dr. Weil's iconic in medicine, especially when I was in medical school and residency, and I was trying to see who's out there in the vanguard of changing our thoughts about, in particular, food in our lives.
You were there.
So what's the problem with the all-American diet?
The fast food so many of us get addicted to?
The mainstream diet gives us the wrong kinds of fats.
It gives us the wrong kinds of carbohydrates that quickly digest, raise blood sugar, which promotes inflammation.
It does not give us enough of the protective elements, which are mostly found in fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
So when you offer an anti-inflammation diet, which is what you speak so beautifully about, what is the essence of it and why does it specifically prevent against cancer?
You know, the anti-inflammatory diet that I developed is based on the Mediterranean diet.
We have overwhelming evidence that the Mediterranean diet is the one that has the strongest correlation with overall health and longevity.
So it sounds great, doesn't it?
Eat differently and maybe you can make a difference in a chance of getting cancer, a problem that all of us fear so deeply in our souls.
Come on over here.
Let's talk about how much of an impact it could really have in your life.
I want you to see these numbers because you'll recognize this is not just a little nudge to the chance of getting cancer.
First off, if you eat anti-inflammatory foods, it affects colorectal cancer.
Why?
And which ones?
Well, adding cruciferous vegetables, this is the cabbage family vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collard greens, all of that.
Adding those to the diet can actually lower risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.
That's a big difference, one in five.
How about breast cancer?
Again, so common in women.
Breast cancer, I think using whole soy foods, this can reduce breast cancer risk by 30%.
You guys impressed with these numbers?
Yeah.
Isn't this crazy?
You know, so many women walking around fearful of an ailment.
And of course, we're encouraging the screening and all the other things.
But to realize that food can impact it in a material weight.
Specifically, I'm saying that people who eat these foods seem to have less of these cancers around the world, right?
And I'm glad you're bringing this to light because we often ignore the power of this.
It's also what we don't eat.
Before we get to that, I have one more.
Let me put the last one up here, which is gastric cancer, because then I'm going to turn to your point.
So gastric cancer, it also makes an impact.
Tomatoes and tomato products can reduce risk of gastric cancer by 27%.
So now we know the power of food.
Show us the negative influence.
The Western diet specifically.
That can increase cancer risk by up to 200%.
Unbelievable.
So, Dr. Weil created a food pyramid, which we have taken the liberty of actually recreating.
This is, for the first time, the anti-inflammatory cancer-fighting food pyramid.
You like our artwork?
You did a beautiful job here.
This is beautiful.
Explain to everybody why this is different from the traditional food pyramid we all grew up with learning in school.
First of all, the standard food pyramid, the one that we learned in school and that the USDA puts out, the base of it is grains and bread, lots of loaves of bread down there.
I don't think that's wise.
Those are pro-inflammatory carbohydrates.
Also, animal foods figure very heavily in the standard pyramid.
Pyramid, and many more servings of dairy than I would allow in my pyramid.
So, meaningful differences, and there are a lot of folks, I think, Dr. Waugh, who are in your camp notes.
Let's go through this in detail, I want people to know this stuff.
First, fruits and veggies.
They're the bottom, they're the foundation.
Beans, pasta, grains.
You do allow some grains.
I allow grains, but grains in whole form as opposed to flour.
Alright, so you can get away with some of this stuff.
You don't have to run away from it.
It just showed me the foundation of your diet.
You have fish next up, and you have salmon in particular.
Salmon, because it's loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, and this is something we want more of.
They reduce inflammation.
You can also get this from sardines.
Are you worried about toxins in fish?
Absolutely, and I think you have to do your homework here.
There's a very good website.
It's seafoodwatch.org.
This is put out by the Monterey Aquarium.
They have wallet cards.
They rate fish both in terms of sustainability and toxicity.
That's a very good guide to have with you when you go shopping for fish.
You don't ban meats.
A lot of people think you're vegetarian.
No, I am not.
I personally only eat fish and vegetables, but I think moderate amounts of animal protein are fine, but these should be up higher on the pyramid, not low down on the pyramid.
Herbism spices you call out in particular?
I think that these are the more varied kinds of herbs and spices you include in the diet, the better, because these have unique protective compounds in it.
Up here we have ginger and turmeric, very powerful anti-inflammatory agents.
Garlic, one of my favorites.
I can't imagine life without garlic.
Now we're going to turn to why everyone loves Dr. Andrew Weil.
Look what he's got at the very top here.
He's got red wine and chocolate.
So what is it about these that make them acceptable to you?
Both red wine and chocolate are very powerful sources of antioxidants.
It's the pigments in red wine, their compounds in chocolate, and also in tea, that these are related, highly protective antioxidant compounds.
You know, this is really good.
This is also a recipe from the book.
They're called Ridiculously Good Triple Chocolate Brownies.
Made with chopped dark chocolate.
And it uses olive oil instead of butter.
And some almond flour.
And these are, I think, really good.
You know, I really feel guilty about not sharing the salmon with the audience.
As we go to break, I'm going to talk this over to you guys, but hold back for one second.
When we come back, quick and easy recipes from Dr. Weil.
They're on drwellers.com, and we're going to talk about his book when we come back as well, because he's sticking around.
It's the supermarket staples Dr. Weil can't live without.
Who wants these?
We'll be right back.
Come on over.
Next, don't have time to shop and cook?
We're going aisle by aisle with Dr. Andrew Weil in his local grocery store.
Find out what his must-have items are and how easy it is to cook healthy meals in under 30 minutes.
Coming up.
These women are carrying hearts in their hands.
We've asked two of our viewers to spend three days with a human heart.
Can my experiment get two moms to take their health seriously?
Plus, there's been a lot of news about statins.
Today, I'm giving you my advice.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
The truth about pork.
Why are farmers using a drug that's banned in many countries?
Plus, how hangover star and real-life doctor Ken Jeong uses comedy as medicine.
All new odds.
That's coming up on Wednesday.
So Dr. Underwild is here today and he's keeping it local.
He's taking you to his neighborhood grocery store to show you the supermarket staples he cannot live without.
I've been all over the world and have shopped for food in many different places.
I have to say there's nothing like an all-American supermarket.
I love walking into the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle.
I'm very happy to see an organic produce section.
These are becoming more common in supermarkets.
I see some wonderful loose carrots here.
Carrots, by the way, should never come from a can or be frozen.
You want them fresh like this.
Here's some organic Baby broccoli, sweet broccoli.
This is a new vegetable.
It has stems that taste like asparagus.
This is a wonderful assortment of fresh herbs.
Bay leaves, basil, chives, dill, mint, margarine, rosemary.
This is terrific.
I'm a big fan of berries, which are great sources of antioxidants, fiber.
These are organic strawberries.
They smell good.
I'm sure they're going to taste great.
The canned food aisle is also on my grocery list.
One of my favorites is Kipper snacks.
This is smoked herring, packed in water.
These are cheap, wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Tastes good.
I mash them up with mustard, onion, and lemon.
You know, there's a common belief that frozen fruits and vegetables lose a lot of their nutritional value, but actually, some varieties of frozen corn are very good.
Also, some frozen fruits are very good quality.
Blackberries, here's a berry blend.
So I would keep all of those in my freezer.
There's lots of traps at the checkout counter, a lot of things that you don't need.
But there is one thing I do pick up.
Dr. Wiles' new book is called Fast Food, Good Food, and every ingredient in his book, it's a handsome picture of you, by the way, can be found in the grocery store.
You actually brought your shopping list.
I did.
You have very neat writing for a doctor, don't you think?
It's the sign of a sick mind.
So, how difficult is it to eat healthy on a budget?
You know, what are the most expensive foods that you find in the market?
It's animal foods.
It's meat.
Meat, dairy products.
So if you're cutting down on those, you have more money to spend on fruits and vegetables, which are the bottom of the pyramid.
Beans, wonderful source of protein, slow-digesting carbohydrate, very inexpensive.
Whole grains, generally very inexpensive.
Now you spend a lot of time trying to offer recipes and ideas that can be made in a shorter period of time.
That's a big obstacle that folks always complain about.
Absolutely.
The main complaint that I hear from people is they don't have time to cook.
They want recipes that can be made very simply.
A lot of the recipes in this new book can be made in 30 minutes or less.
And the ingredients are familiar ingredients, and the ones that are a little odd, I tell you where to get them online.
All right, come on back here.
Today, Dr. Wild's going to reveal supermarket staples he cannot live without.
These are not things that we normally talk about, so I'm curious about, because you're always on the cutting edge of this stuff.
He's a little bit ahead of everybody else.
And all of these, we check, can be found in your local grocery store, so I don't want you complaining.
He's telling you, less than 30 minutes, and they taste good, I can guarantee that, but it's also affordable.
Okay, fine.
Grapeseed oil.
Why grapeseed oil?
Grapeseed oil has a neutral taste and a high smoke point, so it's safer to cook with at higher temperatures.
I mostly use olive oil.
It's like cognac.
I mostly use olive oil, but if I'm cooking something Asian where I don't want the flavor of olive oil, I use grapeseed oil.
Next, cashew milk.
We've talked about almond milk a lot on the show.
There's lots of alternatives to dairy.
I've not talked about cashew milk.
No, this is my favorite non-dairy alternative.
It's your favorite?
Yeah, it's got a rich taste.
I use it as the base of cream soups and frozen desserts.
I make my own.
It's very easy to do.
You buy raw cashews, grind them in a blender, fine, add cold water, blend at high speed, that's it.
You can flavor it with a little maple syrup or...
You know, I want to find out what people really think about cashew milk.
Now, I don't want any polite people up there.
Dr. Weil's a doctor.
He can take the criticism if you don't like his suggestions.
Again, we know he can use this in many meals.
Go ahead and give that a taste, see what you guys think.
And I want some, you know, here, hold that passage along if you don't mind.
I want some honest opinions here.
What do you guys think?
Nice.
That's all you have to say, nice?
It has no flavor.
No flavor.
So it's bland.
Bland.
He's not looking for bland.
He's looking for the opposite.
He's looking for...
Actually, I like it.
I find that I drink the almond milk often, but this is pretty good.
It's pretty good.
And if you use this in a cream soup, nobody will ever know it doesn't have cream in it.
Have you thought of a better word than bland yet?
Neutral.
You know, it's rich to me.
Doesn't it taste like it's got some fullness?
It has a rich taste, and it's got actually fewer calories than skim milk.
So this is a good...
It does?
Yes, and it's a healthy fat.
Yeah, you see, oh, now they're in.
All right, maple syrup.
Well, that's my favorite sweetener.
I love the flavor of maple.
The other reason I like it is maple syrup has the lowest content of fructose of any of the common sweeteners.
All right, now this, on the other hand, looks like it's going to taste and look good.
This is cashew scream.
Scream?
Scream.
Like I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
But this is not made with dairy, this is made with cashew milk.
And very simple, you blend cashew milk with frozen fruit, add maple syrup as a sweetener.
Keep going.
Now, let's just find out, and the word you use to describe it, I'm just going to use the word, she just whispered in my ear, cold.
Is that the best you can do for Dr. Weil?
Delicious.
Delicious.
You got it delicious.
That is something special.
Up next, Dr. Weil reveals the one secret that keeps him healthy and you won't believe what it is, and I love it.
Stay with us.
She's it.
She said it's cold.
Coming up next, we all know a pet can make us happier.
But what about healthier?
Owning dogs in particular reduces stress.
Dr. Andrew Weil shares his secrets on what best to feed our pets and keep them healthy and happy too.
Coming up.
We all have secrets and sometimes those secrets can be essential to live in a healthy life.
They're good things.
My friend and colleague Dr. Andrew Wow is here with his secret that keeps him going strong.
So, drum roll, what is the secret to staying young?
My dogs.
Your dogs?
My dogs.
So here they are.
They're beautiful.
Tell me about them.
The male, Ajax, is seven.
They're Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and my female is a year and a half old, Juno.
So they make us happy, but why do they make us healthy?
Well, there's a lot of research actually showing that owning pets in general, but dogs in particular, lowers blood pressure, that it improves circulatory function, improves general health, immune function, reduces stress.
You mentioned in this study where they actually had people stare into dogs' eyes.
This is very recent stuff.
Dogs are unique among animals in that they look us in the eye.
In the wild, most animals see looking in the eyes as a threat.
Dogs have learned to look us in the eye.
The longer they hold our gaze, the more oxytocin is released in our brain and in their brain.
And oxytocin is the Feel-good hormone that's released during breastfeeding and social bonding.
A lot of research on this, and this is amazing research.
So cool.
So I love pets.
I didn't know about the oxytocin, but here are my pets.
I got them all up here.
I first off have, of course, the two cats, Baby Cat and Rocky.
There they are.
But notice on the left, my pet bees.
And I'm missing, of course, in those pictures, Rosie, because my black lab Rosie is actually here in person.
Come on, Rosie.
Come on, girl.
There she is.
Making a run for it.
Rosie.
Here, Rosie.
Come here, Ronnie.
Thank you.
I had, you know, Tom was in the medical unit and one of my great producers thankfully can convince Rosie to come out because she's a little shy.
Hi, honey.
You don't need this.
You don't need this.
Rosie.
Oh, that's what she came for.
Oh, she loves the...
Rosie will eat anything.
Sometimes we feed her a little too much, as you can tell.
That's why, unfortunately, she's called the Flabrador sometimes.
But I would never say that publicly about you, Rosie.
Come over here, honey.
Come over here.
But you can keep eating.
There's much more food.
With the food, she'll come with us.
Come over here.
Come on, Rosie.
Come on, Rosie.
All right.
So, listen, I got a lot of things I can feed Rosie, and you do too, for your beautiful dogs.
We have dried dog food.
We have canned.
There's organic foods.
There's table scraps.
She's happy, happy now.
Come over here, Rosie.
They want to see you, not your tail.
So, educate me a little bit.
When you feed your dogs, what do you feed them?
Well, I feed them a mixture of dry food and wet food.
Dry food's really good for their teeth, helps clean the teeth.
Wet food helps maintain hydration.
But I'm very picky about what I feed my dogs.
First of all, I feed them a grain-free diet because they don't think dogs are meant to eat grains.
And often if you look at commercial dog foods, the first ingredient is grain.
It's corn or wheat.
So I use grain-free dry food and wet food.
You also want to look to see what's the first ingredient on a dog food.
And I think you want to avoid products that have animal byproducts in them.
Whether it's chicken meal, stuff like that.
So, Rosie, I got you this book.
This is Dr. Weil's book.
Fast food, good food.
I know you're going to love this.
We're going to cook these meals, and you'll get the leftovers as well.
You know, I really feel badly today because we only gave a little bit of those brownies to the audience.
Yeah, yeah.
What do you think?
I think we could give them more.
You guys want more?
All right, because he's such a good guy, and I love him dearly.
You're all going home with a copy of this wonderful book, Fast Food, Good Food.
Even Rosie's getting one.
We'll be right back.
Next, a member of one of America's most famous first families breaks the code of silence.
Patrick Kennedy opens up about his legacy of substance abuse and mental illness.
He's sharing his personal journey of addiction to help others.
These women are carrying hearts in their hands.
We've asked two of our viewers to spend three days with a human heart.
Can my experiment get two moms to take their health seriously?
Plus, there's been a lot of news about statins.
Today, I'm giving you my advice.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
May 5th, 2006 was a turning point in the life of Patrick Kennedy.
On that day, the New York Times ran two stories.
The first, Patrick Kennedy crashed his car into a Capitol Hill barrier.
Then, hours later, Patrick Kennedy says he'll seek help for addiction.
It would be the first time the Congressman and son of Senator Ted Kennedy publicly admitted his problems with addiction.
He was born into the closest thing this country has to a royal family.
Patrick Kennedy, youngest son of Senator Ted Kennedy and former congressman from Rhode Island, was finding his place in the family dynasty.
But years of addiction and mental illness would stand in the way.
Everything coming to a head when Kennedy crashes his car into a traffic barrier on Capitol Hill.
Witnesses said he appeared intoxicated.
The accident was the turning point that led Kennedy to sobriety.
Now, in his new book, A Common Struggle, Kennedy faces his addiction and mental health problems head-on.
He also reveals his family's pattern of alcohol abuse.
He describes his dad's negative reaction to an intervention attempt, and recounts his embarrassment having to hide his inebriated mother from visitors, breaking what he refers to as the Kennedy Code of Silence.
Please welcome former Congressman Patrick Kennedy.
His new book is A Common Struggle, A Personal Journey to the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction.
The book is filled with lots of shocking admissions, and I do appreciate the integrity and honesty it takes to talk about these things, especially coming from your family.
So let's start at age 10. It's the first time you say you got drunk.
It's almost impossible for me to envision that happening at such a young age.
Well, you know, when you live in a busy life and a lot of people are drinking around you, it's not hard to also drink.
And I can't say that it really grabbed me until much later in my life.
Let's jump forward then, because you talk about your life at age 18, where you're drinking too much, using cocaine.
You know, you're manic depressive.
Did you know at the time that you were in trouble?
I had no idea, because with most of these diseases of addiction, they accompany a denial.
It's shocking to me when I look back that, you know, I could do these things and not have anybody say, hey, guess what?
You come from a family where addiction is prevalent.
Where trauma is prevalent, and you need to look out for this.
But no physician, no pediatrician ever bothered asking, you know, what can I do for your mental health?
Of course, they checked my asthma, they did all the other physical exams, but they left out what I think is the most important physical exam, a checkup from the neck up.
When physicians now will require that they do the neck up because we leave out anxiety, depression, addiction from all of our students.
You bring your family, as you have to, I think, into this discussion quite a bit, and some of them aren't happy.
I've got a statement from your brother, Ted Kennedy Jr. He's been public about this.
I'm just going to read it.
Sure.
He said, mental illness and addiction are critically important issues that deserve a serious discussion, not a narrative that is misleading and hurtful.
What do you say to your brother?
Well, I love my brother.
He's my...
Sibling, I will always love him, and I think that these issues are really difficult to talk about.
The thing I write about in The Common Struggle is that the common aspect of this is that we don't want to talk about it, because we look at it in a shameful way, when in fact, People are suffering.
My mom never would have chosen to live the life of disability that she suffered from.
And frankly, she suffered in a generation where everybody suffered, that this was some kind of moral failing as opposed to a medical issue.
And today, we've advanced a great deal, Dr. Oz, but we're still not kind of out of this shame and stigma that still pervades any discussion of these illnesses as real physical illnesses.
So if your father was alive today, I'm going to ask you.
Do you think your father, Senator Ted Kennedy, was addicted to alcohol?
I think my dad clearly self-medicated after the assassination of his brothers, which really have to be called murders.
I can't imagine the incomprehensible pain that my father went through.
And it's not surprising to me that he would self-medicate with alcohol.
Would it have been healthier for him to have been able to be public about that?
Well, you know, Dr. Oz, if he were experiencing those losses today, the whole medical community would take him aside and say, you need to get help.
I just hope that we can have a conversation about how to look at these issues in a nonjudgmental way.
When we come back, Patrick Kennedy can reveal what his father, Ted Kennedy, said to him when he went public about his addiction.
Stay here.
Later, it's the fastest rising addiction in the U.S.
And it often starts right in the doctor's office.
Before you fill a prescription for painkillers, I have five questions you need to ask your doctor.
How to make the safe decision to manage your pain.
Coming up. - We're back with Patrick Kennedy talking about his new book, A Common Struggle.
So that day back in 2006 when you admitted you needed help, that you were addicted.
Yeah.
What did your father say to you behind closed doors?
Well, he said, do you really want to talk about this?
I was in the position at the time of being the lead sponsor of a legislation that would require that illnesses of addiction and mental illness be covered by insurance companies in the same way they would cover any other physical illness.
I mean the brain shouldn't be left out of insurance coverage.
Revolutionary concept, you know.
But it's unbelievable that we tolerate the level of the epidemic of suicide and addiction and overdose in this country and we're just absolutely silent about it.
So your father, I'm sure, heard you give these arguments.
You talked about this a lot.
Well, you know, my dad really bought the political argument.
And my dad came on the floor of the house when we were debating the mental health parity and addiction equity act and tapped me on the leg and said, this is important.
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
And he always was ahead of the game.
You know, he was promoting equal rights, human rights his whole life.
And I think he understood that this was a medical civil rights issue.
He understood that people were disregarded and dismissed.
And I think he always was thinking about people who were living in the margins of society.
Disability that you've referred to has changed the face of mental health care in this country.
And you made the argument that we should treat mental health issues and addiction like they're a cancer.
Not because you're a cancer, but because cancer is a chronic illness too.
That you often don't get completely better from, but you can get a lot of help for.
How does that help deal with the shame and stigma around mental health?
This is an epidemic staring us in the face, and it's the elephant in the room, Dr. Oz, because just like we don't like to talk about it in our own families because we're feeling shamed, we don't talk about it as a society.
Our government is ignoring this issue, and we don't hear it from anybody.
And I think that this ought to change.
I think it will change.
I hope the book helps start the conversation.
I'm always surprised when you hear tragic stories like Lamar Odom, you know, folks that you think have everything and they get into bad situations with drugs.
We're always sort of surprised.
But it's happening every single day, numerous, numerous times.
And I'm still concerned we haven't put it on the radar screen in the right way.
And in your case, just to be personal about you, it's been five years now that you've been sober.
Four and a half.
Four and a half.
You count the days.
How do you get there?
How do you go from a person who's so ashamed you're not talking about to someone who's been sober four and a half years?
So, we have to treat body, mind, spirit.
We have to treat the whole person.
So we need to give the body, the brain, enough time to be detoxed and kind of be in a good space.
Then we've got to make sure that the mind, the mental compulsion to use, is treated with evidence-based therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy, very strong evidence of recovery with it.
Then you have to address the spiritual aspect, which means you've got to be part of a community where you're embraced and you're loved.
Because that's not a familiar experience for anyone who suffered from addiction or alcoholism or mental illness.
They're really ostracized.
And so they need to be amongst their peers to be loved and embraced.
And then something magical happens, Dr. Oz.
People have a new life that is beyond their wildest dreams.
No one...
So let's talk about your journey.
So in 2011, you meet Amy Sowell, who is a school teacher.
She was in the audience with us.
You have three kids, one more on the way.
I gather the community you're speaking about is Amy and her team.
So what is it like, Amy, to love and live with someone who's struggling with addiction and mental health issues?
You know, it's been really important for us in our relationship that I'm supportive in my own lifestyle for the things that Patrick needs, living a healthy lifestyle, but also that I give a lot of significance to his exercise, 12-step meetings, and that he has time to do those things and not feel like that's selfish time.
That's really part of his whole health so that he has that time.
So much of this conversation revolves around how families talk about these things.
What are you going to tell those beautiful children of yours when they're the right age about their father's problems with addiction and your fears for them?
Yeah, we're expecting our fourth child, and we already are talking about it in our house, that Patrick goes to 12-step meetings.
They know that.
They see him go each morning.
They also will hear that they have a genetic predisposition, and we're going to talk about that and let them know this is something that you need to think about, be aware of.
Good for you.
So, Patrick, last words for you.
You speak so brilliantly.
Aren't I blessed to have such an incredible wife?
We are blessed.
You can't make it if you don't have family that's supportive.
It really matters because these are family illnesses.
You can't have the illness and not have it affect your whole family.
And in recovery, you need your family to be part of it.
Obviously, you can't always win with every member of your family, but I'm blessed that my partner in life is absolutely behind me.
Thank you for your insight, Dr. Kennedy.
Addiction can often start in the doctor's office.
- Follow us up next to five questions, just five of them that you need to ask before you accept a prescription for pain pills. - Later, Steven Tyler speaks out at the rally to fight the epidemic of addiction.
We've asked two of our viewers to spend three days with a human heart.
Can my experiment get two moms to take their health seriously?
Plus statins.
Should you be on one?
I'm giving you my advice.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
This year, I'm learning a lot about an epidemic that affects every one of us, heroin.
And I thought I was immune to the crisis, until a colleague of mine told me a sobering fact.
As a doctor, I've received less training on prescribing painkillers than a veterinarian.
Now think about that for a second.
That statement made me realize that addiction could often start in a doctor's office like mine.
So let's end that today.
The use of prescription painkillers, they're known as opioids, are the fastest growing addictions in the U.S. It affects nearly two million people.
Forty-six people die every day from these prescription pain overdoses.
You know what that means?
In the one hour that we're having this show, two people will have died.
Now, this issue is such a crisis that we've brought together two of the biggest groups in medicine and dentistry.
Dr. Wanda Feier is president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Dr. Ada Cooper is a dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association.
Wanda, Dr. Feier, what is it about these opioids that are an issue?
What defines them for us?
Dr. Oz, we're talking about opiates.
Some people know them as narcotics.
They're incredibly potent pain medication.
They can be addicting.
Sometimes they can be a gateway process to heroin and other substance abuse.
They can also lead to overdoses.
And unfortunately in this country, I think it's something that many of us have lost our respect for, and that's a dangerous process.
We need to have a lot of respect for opiate medications and use them very carefully.
Dr. Cooper, I've heard from so many folks who say their first step into addiction started actually in a dentist's office, which I didn't understand until I thought about it.
What is going on here?
You know, actually, the rate of prescriptions by dentists has actually declined dramatically over the last few years, and that's largely because of the efforts of the American Dental Association.
We have championed The importance of this issue for decades now.
You know what we have to do as dentists is a complex balance.
What we have to do is balance the need for compassionate pain relief against the very real risks of addiction.
So here's the big question.
We all agree that doctors and dentists have to play a role in this.
We're all in this.
However, as we get trained better, as we catch up, we need you.
That's right, you sitting right there watching the show to be part of the solution.
So working closely with the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Dental Association, we've come up with five important questions that you have to ask your doctor or dentist or even your pharmacist.
Before you say yes to painkillers.
Let's get the respect that Dr. Fowler spoke about.
So question number one, what is the goal of taking this prescription?
Dr. Fowler, this is more sophisticated than it seems.
Well, and I think, Dr. Oz, this is a question you should know about all of your prescription medications.
Why am I taking this medication?
But opiates, in particular, need ultimate respect.
If I say no to you, we're not going to give you this pain medication, not trying to make you suffer.
But there is a real reason why this is not in your best interest.
Let's try some other strategies.
And importantly, recognize that the goal of pain meds is not to get rid of all your pain.
It's to reduce the pain so you can function.
Too much is not better, although this is America.
Question number two, when and how should I take these pills?
You know, if you do have a dental problem, you can avoid pain and pain medication completely by getting your problem fixed immediately.
If you find that you have to take pain medication, I always recommend that patients try over-the-counter products first.
Ibuprofen with acetaminophen can often be even more effective than opioid medication.
I want you all to hear that for a second.
We all think that narcotics are the best.
Not the case.
Not the case.
A lot of times you can actually get better treatment with some of these other medications over the counter that are safer.
But here's the other big story.
Chronic pain is not well treated with pain medications.
And nerve-based pain.
Nerve-based pain.
These medications don't work well at all.
Don't underestimate the power of yoga.
Don't underestimate the power of ice, of massage therapy.
Many other things.
Opiates are our last resort.
Okay, version number three.
How long should I be taking these pills?
Dr. Cooper, when do you say no more?
As we said, you don't have to have these pills at all.
But certainly, if you do have some medication, get as little as you could possibly need.
I recommend in my office that patients, as a last resort, have no more than a one or two day supply.
Dr. Fowler will give us back to you as well.
If you are at the point where you think you've taken this medication too long, you need to be talking to your family physician because that's a red flag.
And if you take that one pill and you say, gee, I like how this makes me feel, that should be your warning sign to say, I don't want to be taking any more of these.
I'm headed down the wrong path.
You should feel relief, not joy with these pills.
Question number four, are there risks from these pills?
That is an absolutely critical question.
It's important to remember that everyone's risk factors vary.
So you have to talk to your dentist about what your specific risks are.
And the way to do that is to tell your dentist what medications you're taking.
Tell your dentist what your medical history is.
Tell your dentist what your experience with opioid medications has been in the past.
Let your dentist know whether there's any family history of opioid addiction.
Ask your dentist to call your pharmacist.
Call your physician in case you've forgotten to list some medications on your health history form.
With all of this information, your dentist can talk about the risks, your risks specifically with you.
And question number five is, what do you do with the extra pills?
Because there are going to be extra pills now that you've heard this conversation.
We know there's no free lunch on this topic.
So, Dr. Fai, what do you think we should do with those pills, if there are extra ones left?
Well, there's a couple things.
While you're taking the medication, make sure you keep it locked up.
Make sure you keep it out of the hands.
If you have a house guest, then suddenly they disappear.
Unfortunately, those things happen.
Kids are house guests, by the way.
Exactly.
Or they get into your purse, and the next thing you know, you've got another tragedy on your hand.
But if you do have some leftover, I like to tell people to use what we call a take-back program.
And many communities are running those take-back programs.
Dr. Feiler pointed it out to me.
This is the Office of Diversion Control.
That's what they call it when you take your pain meds, when you're not supposed to take them.
So you literally put your zip code in there.
Put it there.
Let's put it in the studio here.
Actually, I put my office.
That's my office.
And I search.
And you see them tell me within 50 miles, these are all of the places I can travel and drop off my pills.
If you don't have an ability to go to one of these places, take the pills, crunch them up, mash them up in a coffee blender, mix them with something that's not palatable so no one else is going to ever get into them and put them in the trash.
Please don't flush them down the toilet in the trash.
Here's the thing.
Most people, most people don't realize this, but 50% of people who have opioid addictions actually got the pills from somebody else.
So it's our legitimately acquired pills that are being misused, so you've got to take an action step.
So here's what we're going to do.
First of all, we've got a big program we're going to do together.
It's our jobs as parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, Dentists, whoever you are, and friends, to share the five questions we talked about with people that you love.
So we created this wallet-sized card.
It's on my website.
It's on our partners' websites.
It's going to be available to you so you can find it, share it with people.
Knowing the answers to these five questions will reduce your risk for becoming accidentally addicted.
When we come back, there's a movement to face addiction and change the conversation.
We want to see this.
The search is on.
We're looking for a nurse to join our core team of experts to provide wisdom, expert commentary, and advice.
If you'd like to nominate yourself or a nurse who's made a difference in your life, go to DrHaz.com and click on hashtag nurse search.
Tomorrow you'll be talking about KC Addictions.
That's an organization dedicated to fighting the epidemic of addiction.
Now, I recently attended a very important, actually an iconic rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It attracted thousands, all wanting to raise awareness about this national health crisis.
It was one of the first of its kind.
The Unite to Face Addiction Rally, which took place recently in Washington, D.C. I came to support and take part in this historic and groundbreaking event.
Welcome to the moment that the silence around addiction ends.
Over 600 organizations gathered here to show their solidarity and declare it's finally time to end the shame and find the hope when it comes to addiction.
And everyone I met had a story to share.
My brother was 20 years old when he died from an overdose.
He started at 12, 13 years old with pot.
I'm so sorry.
Opioid overdose that started when he was 18 years old.
He was prescribed Oxycontin from his doctor for back pain.
We actually had her in a detox, ready to be admitted, and she didn't meet the requirements.
So they said, sorry, we can't help you.
And within a couple months, she overdosed.
The rally took place on the National Mall and featured performances by Steven Tyler, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, and The Fray.
And we kicked it off with an anthem written specially for the event.
I talked to a few of the performers backstage about why they came, including Joe Walsh from The Eagles.
People who are addicted to something and want to stop, good luck.
It's tough.
It's tough.
It doesn't have to be that hard.
I'm here to celebrate recovery.
I think everybody knows somebody today.
that's in recovery and or an addict and or died from this disease.
You know there's 20 million plus people who are in recovery and they're usually embarrassed about being public about it.
What message do you have for them?
The message is that there is help and that we're all in this together and we're here to help each other.
But the event wasn't just about rock stars.
Politicians and policymakers were here too, including the Surgeon General.
It was a day about raising awareness, fighting for treatment, and most of all, celebrating the 20 million Americans in recovery, living successful lives.
And celebrate we did.
The unforgettable day.
There is help, and you are being heard.
This event is going to put a stake in the ground to end addiction.
Here's the big message.
In order to drive change, you've got to be willing to talk openly and honestly about it.
Let's prove recovery is real, because it really is.
Now, if you want to find out more about Facing Addiction, support their efforts to see the whole concert.
You can go to addiction, rather, facingaddiction.org.
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