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March 19, 2025 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:36
75% of Americans Lack This Vital Nutrient! Dr. Oz Reveals Why | Dr. Oz | S6 | Ep 6 | Full Episode
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Time Text
An important piece of your health puzzle is missing.
80% of you aren't getting enough of a critical nutrient.
If you want to fight off all sorts of problems, find out what it is and how to get more of it.
Plus, Beverly Hills housewife Lisa Vanderpump's home remedy for great skin.
Doesn't this feel good?
The action feels divine.
Her secrets to looking and feeling younger.
Coming up next on Dr. Oz.
The number one thing you need more of, get this, 75% of you could be lacking a critical nutrient that can help protect you from all these problems.
From heart disease, from memory loss, from weight gain, which I know a lot of you care about.
You all like that, I'm sure.
How many of you want to avoid depression or just being moody in the wrong place?
And finally, the big C, cancer.
Now imagine this.
We have the ability to impact all these.
So what is it?
I spelled it for you.
Vitamin D. You got it.
Here's the question.
Here's the question.
How are you getting it?
And equally importantly, are you getting enough?
Imagine your health as one giant puzzle.
You work tirelessly to fit all the pieces together.
But for three out of every four of you, there's one essential piece missing.
Vitamin D. Why is vitamin D so important?
Because the D stands for defense against diseases like cancer, dementia, and diabetes.
But that D also stands for deficient because so many of you aren't getting enough of them.
The question is, why not?
Maybe you're not getting enough sun, the best source of vitamin D, because you're working longer hours indoors.
Or you live north of Atlanta, where nearly half of the year the sun isn't strong enough.
It could also be that you're not eating the right foods rich in vitamin D. Or you simply need more of it because you're getting older.
Today, we put all the pieces back together and show you how to get the number one thing your body needs more of, vitamin D. So, how do you know if you need more vitamin D?
Well, let's find out.
How many of you spend more than eight hours a day indoors?
If you do, please stand.
All the eight hours people.
If you consider yourself overweight, please stand.
Keep standing if you're an eight hours person.
You don't get to sit down again.
It's a hard question to answer for some people, but how many of you consider yourselves moody?
Those should stand.
We've got a couple moody women here.
Moody guys stood too.
How many of you have trouble concentrating?
They should stand as well.
If you, like any of you that are standing, I think that you really do fill in those categories, then you probably need more vitamin D. And you're not alone, because guess what?
Three out of four Americans, three-quarters of us, are actually deficient in vitamin D. That's why I'm spending time on it today on the show.
You can have a seat.
Thank you very much.
Christine, Deb, and Rita, well, they all had low vitamin D levels, and they're here with us today.
How are you each?
Thanks for joining us.
All right.
You guys have actually dealt with your vitamin D issues, and you have a difference.
So we'll start with Christine.
You apparently had a little issue with depression.
Yes.
And moodiness.
And moodiness.
Yeah.
I was overworked.
I was stressed out.
And I didn't want to always take the depression medicine.
Right.
And someone said to me, try vitamin D or check your levels to see if they're where they need to be.
And I had a test and I was low.
You were low.
What was your number?
Do you remember?
It was 19. 19. Really low.
Which is low.
We're going to talk about levels in a second.
Deb, you said that your blood pressure was a little bit erratic.
It was.
It was a bit high.
And how did you figure out the vitamin D might be linked to it?
I did some research on the internet, believe it or not, and I saw there was a bunch of different research that stated that D3 particularly might be helpful.
And so you took D3?
I did.
And blood pressure?
It's so low that every time I come in, they don't even bother telling me my numbers anymore.
I'm usually around 106 over 68. It's fantastic.
And no medications?
None.
All right.
And Rita?
You had a separate issue.
You said you had severe pain.
Yes, Dr. Oz, I have to tell you, my life was hijacked by pain.
It was hijacked.
It was to the point I was taking Percocet, living on Percocet.
I didn't want to live that way.
I didn't.
And once I got my vitamin D levels high, I am pain-free, Percocet-free.
Please do applaud.
That's unbelievable.
Whatever gave you the idea that a problem like chronic pain, which...
Maybe 100 million Americans have an issue with.
Could be treated with vitamin D. So I did my own research.
I went on the web and did my own research.
And I saw that there was a connection between vitamin D and pain.
And so I bought a home test kit.
And I tested my blood.
And I was low.
And you treated yourself.
I treated myself.
So everyone at home, come over here.
The question is, how do you get your vitamin D?
That's the question that I think a lot of folks are asking themselves.
There are different ways of doing it.
But there's clearly one single best way of getting your vitamin D. You want to show everybody what it is?
I sure will.
Here it is.
Pretty straightforward, isn't it?
They all agree, and you're all right.
It's through pill form.
And here's why.
I love getting things from food, and for most vitamins, I strongly support that.
It's just hard to get enough vitamin D from the foods we eat.
There's not that much in there, and we don't eat enough of the things that do have vitamin D. And the other thing, of course, is the sun.
Which works, but it's hard to get that in many months of the year.
And a lot of us, because we're spending so much time indoors doing our jobs, aren't getting the vitamin D that we need from the sun.
So it comes down to getting a daily supplement of vitamin D. And here's the reality.
If it can treat some of these really severe problems, it's worth doing a little experiment.
Especially because today I'm giving you clues that you're one of the three-quarters of Americans that have low vitamin D. So come on over here.
I put some of the most common problems we face in America on this list.
These happen to also be problems that we can address with vitamin D. So please, each of you, grab your problem.
So we have pain.
Pain-free.
Free.
Go ahead, walk down, Rita.
High blood pressure.
Out of here.
No more depression.
I love the way you tossed it away, by the way.
It also helps with, we believe, some cases of dementia.
If you've got thyroid issues, it's linked to having low vitamin D levels.
How about trouble sleeping?
People have problems with this.
It happens to also be linked.
Now, I'm not saying taking vitamin D will cure all these problems.
I wish it was that simple.
What I'm saying is people with these problems have low vitamin D levels, and it could be contributing together with other things that may be going on in your life to this issue.
But without the vitamin D, it's hard to tackle the other issues.
And sometimes you get, to me, very eye-opening examples of how powerful this is.
So then we come to the big question.
How much do you need?
Let's go back over to the supplement table.
This is a very, very important conversation.
Vitamin D, I do believe, is the single most important vitamin we can take.
Now, I've always historically on this show said take 1,000 units of vitamin D. But here's the big news, everybody.
It may not be enough for many of you.
How do I know that?
Because it wasn't enough for me.
I actually took 1,000 units of vitamin D. My level was also as low as some of yours was.
I was in the 19 range.
I took 1,000.
I didn't get to where I needed to be.
We like to, in America, get at least to a level of 30. If I wasn't taking 2,000 units of vitamin D, I wouldn't be there right now.
So the question then becomes, what is the right number for each of us?
So Christine, how much vitamin D do you take now?
I take 2,000 like you, Dr. Oz.
You're a 2,000er.
What's your on our list?
I take 1,000 because I eat a lot of salmon.
All right.
So let's go back for everybody so we're all on the same page.
How do you know the right dose for you?
I still think for everybody the right dose is take 1,000 a day.
Start there.
If you don't feel better after about two months, because it takes a little while for your levels to change, doesn't it?
How long did it take for each of you?
Oh, it took probably about a month or so.
Three months for me.
Three months.
So, it takes a few months.
So, take your 1,000, wait a few months, and if you don't feel like your symptoms have gotten better, or you're worried that your levels were so low in the beginning, let's say less than 20, that you're not where you need to be, that you might want to take 2,000 like a couple of us on this table.
The currently acceptable level I mentioned is 30, but here's the little thing.
I don't think acceptable is our goal in America.
We want optimal.
Am I clear about this?
30 is the minimum because we look at all the population of America and we say, if you're below 30, you're really, really outside, you know, where you need to be.
But if you, instead of trying to satisfy government regulation, think about what the optimal level is.
You'd probably go look at people who lived the way all of us lived a couple hundred years ago.
Right?
So people have done that.
They've gone and looked at other parts of the world where people still live outdoors all the time and live a life that was similar to what was happening for all of us.
And guess what?
Their levels are in the 50s.
In the 50s.
So the optimal level for us probably is in that range.
And I would endorse and support all of you to try to do that.
Try to get your level into the 40s and 50s.
Not just to a 30, but a minimum of a 30. Now, do you ever take your vitamin D in a multivitamin?
Any of you?
No.
No.
No longer.
No longer.
It's sometimes hard to find in the right dose.
I want you to be aware of this because there's some head fakes with multivitamins.
Some of them have the perfect dose for you, 1,000 or 2,000.
Some of them just put a tiny little sprinkling in there so they can say they have it in there.
So make sure your vitamin D level is 1,000 at least, maybe 2,000, even a little higher in some people.
And then the question is, when do you take your vitamin D?
Deb?
I take it first thing in the morning because I eat like a king in the morning and that's my biggest meal of the day.
First thing in the morning.
First thing in the morning.
Well, queen, right?
It turns out that you probably ought to have your vitamin D with your biggest meal of the day.
You actually absorb 50% more of it if you do that.
So I don't know what your biggest meals are.
It's probably dinner.
Breakfast.
Perfect.
You're good?
So adjust it to yourself.
If you're going to take a vitamin D pill, take it with your biggest meal, get the maximum benefit out of it.
And you can get the kinds of benefits that we're talking about today.
These are important changes in how we think about a vitamin, and they're all going to play in our health.
And I thank you for sharing your story with us.
We'll be right back.
Tell us, how do you make sure you get your vitamin D?
Sunshine.
I live in San Diego and work from home.
Whenever we have a beautiful day, I convince myself I deserve some time on the beach so I can get sufficient vitamin D. Share your story on Facebook.com slash Dr. Oz.
Coming up, Beverly Hills housewife, Lisa Vanderpump.
How she copes with the pressure of looking young in Hollywood.
Her secrets on anti-aging and skin care.
And the serious skin emergency that took her by surprise.
Coming up next.
All new Dr. Oz.
If you want to feel more focused and energetic, uncover the seven hidden sugars in your diet.
Three steps to wean off the sweet stuff.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Beverly Hills housewife, Lisa Vanderpump, has been described as the most glamorous of all the Bravo housewives.
Today, she's sharing some of her anti-aging secrets.
But first, take a look at Lisa in action in Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules.
She's got it all.
The jewels, the shoes, fast cars, fine dieting, and famous friends.
How are you going to get lucky tonight?
But whether this Beverly Hills housewife and restaurateur is at work or play, Lisa Vanderpump puts a premium on style, grace, and elegance, down to the last detail.
Are you going to wear, then, that?
Yes.
Okay, more importantly, what's jiggy?
For Lisa, you have to color coordinate.
Wow!
You look amazing.
Do you like it?
Oh, my God.
What do you think?
You look amazing.
Please welcome Lisa Vanderpump.
You look marvelous.
How are you?
Thank you for being here.
Thank you so much.
Please have a seat.
Okay.
We want to get into all these anti-aging ideas, but I thought you'd walk out of here.
I feel ancient today.
I hope not.
Where's Jiggy?
You always walk around with the dog.
Oh, I know.
Well, it was so cold for him.
And also because he's got alopecia, as most of you know, really.
Alopecia?
Yes, he's got no fur at all, so he has to wear clothes.
But here it's just really too cold, so he's in L.A. Oh, my goodness.
Is he doing well in general?
Yeah, he's doing fantastic.
He really is.
But it's precarious, you know, with that very thin skin.
Speaking of skin, you had a skin scare, I heard.
Yes, I had skin cancer, and quite seriously, I had, like, I had a mole, and it was very small, and it turned into, like, about a dime-sized piece, you know, and it was rough.
And I kept looking at it and thinking, oh, this feels like a little bit of rough skin.
And I left it.
So don't anybody ever leave it if it feels rough.
So I went to the dermatologist.
They took it off.
And, yes, it was skin cancer.
And I do pay a lot more attention now, you know, than I used to.
You live in Beverly Hills.
Yes.
And you're in front of a camera all the time.
There are a lot of pressures to look your best.
Right.
How do you cope with that?
How do you stay young in a city that that rewards only youth?
Well, there's a lot of things you can do, but I actually do embrace getting older.
But do I fight against it?
Of course I do.
I have to.
Do I have all the little tricks, a little bit of filler, a little bit of Botox, the Retin-A, the masks, all those things?
Yes, I do that.
Absolutely.
So, for the women out there, and there are many, who just feel not as proud of themselves as they should because they think they're looking older, what's your message for them?
Well, as I said, I do think, you know, just all the little tricks.
I think your skin is one thing, you know, that you can really spend time looking after.
Are you sure somebody's with us?
Absolutely.
She's agreed to give us her best tips to how she looks like this.
Because I do think, although we embrace, and I think we should embrace the wisdom of ages, if you look...
And feel younger.
Yes.
They'll travel together.
Come on over.
Yes, absolutely.
Thank you.
So the first tip is one that surprised me, actually, because we often warn people about alcohol, but you say that red wine may be one of your best little tips of all.
Yes, I love a glass of red wine.
Absolutely.
Just one of them.
Are both these for you or just one for you?
No, no, I have these before breakfast.
No wonder she looks so young.
No, I think, I mean, it's got antioxidants.
I really, yeah, I love a glass of red wine.
And, you know, being European, absolutely.
I'll toast that.
So resveratrol, obviously, with the red wine, we've talked about that.
Helps up memory, too, so you'll remember what you're actually doing in your life.
Yeah, until you drink so much, you can't remember your name.
That's right.
That's a different story.
Yeah, one glass a day.
That's good.
Absolutely.
Love that.
This is an interesting idea.
Chocolate with bran.
Yes.
Well, I love chocolate, so I eat chocolate every single day.
But I find if I mix it with bran, then it kind of almost fools me into thinking that I'm eating more.
So, yeah, just pick up a little trail mix or a handful of bran, mix it with the chocolate, and then, yeah, I feel quite full.
That's an in-between-a-meal snack, though.
Are you pretty regular?
Regular with, you mean like...
Bowel movements, yeah.
You know what?
I haven't...
Well, you're eating all the bran.
I'm wondering.
I'm curious.
I've been married 32 years and my husband thinks I've been constipated for 32 years because I never talk about things like that.
I'm English.
We don't go to the bathroom.
I like the queen.
That's right.
It's a very private situation.
We'll go there.
By the way, the brand will help you be more regular.
Yes.
Okay, now this is one that's your little home remedy.
Yes, just a moisturizing mask.
I think that's very good for the skin.
Keeps it hydrated.
I'm going to try this myself.
Go ahead.
Oh, I can?
I'm going to put it on you.
Really?
So tell me, it's honey and oatmeal.
Yes.
And what else?
It's got yogurt.
Oh, yogurt.
Yeah.
Okay.
Do you want to eat it or should I put it on you?
Let me eat it first.
I'm going to...
Oh, okay.
I mean, she has to be eating out of her hands.
Okay.
No, this is very good.
Put your face back, though, because I feel that I'm going to...
Now, doesn't this feel good?
It is relaxing, actually.
You do this a lot.
No, I eat it.
Yes, you do.
And leave that on for half an hour, like, whilst you relax.
And it's a moisturizing mask.
Don't you like that?
It actually feels divine.
Exactly.
Would you like a glass of red wine now?
Yes, I have both the glasses you poured for us.
Now, this is actually interesting.
We don't talk about these home remedies as much as we should.
But the oatmeal is fantastic for rejuvenating the skin.
Yes.
And the yogurt.
Yes.
You can eat the leftovers.
Yes.
All right, well.
Sorry about that.
Are we saved on, please?
Save the best tip for all.
Right.
This is something that I didn't realize women actually have been thinking about that much.
But Lisa says she's the best secret for everybody over 40 for their lips.
Yes, I think lip glosses are really important because I think sometimes the look of dry lips...
Would you like to try this as well?
Yeah, try it.
Go ahead.
I've never had lip glosses on before.
I love one color, like, on...
I love one color on the outside, and then the lighter one.
This is a really good look for you, you know?
Hold on a second.
You should be on my show.
Look, see?
Hold on.
And then the lighter one in the middle.
You see, I love that.
Are we okay to share the same lip gloss?
Where have you been?
We'll find out.
Okay.
I love the lighter one in the middle, and it makes your lips look like plumper and juicier and more kissable.
See?
I'm getting in trouble in my own home.
What about the lipstick?
Why don't you use lipstick?
Regular lipstick.
Well, I don't like it to look too dry.
And so if you outline it with a nude pencil and then you get a couple of lip glosses and put the lighter one in the middle, I mean, look how sexy you look now.
See, look.
You guys think?
Sexy.
You can see Lisa as sexy as she is every Monday night on Vanderpump Rules and every Tuesday night on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, both on Bravo.
We'll be right back.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Coming up, it's a burning condition that affects almost half of you, and many of you are taking medication for it right now.
But is it doing more harm than good?
Learn easy no-pill solutions to prevent flare-ups and say goodbye to acid reflux next.
Music
Acid Reflux, now it affects about 50% of you, and many of you are probably taking medications for it right now.
But new research suggests that medications may secretly be doing you harm.
So today, I'm going to show you no pill solutions so you can say goodbye to acid reflux.
But I need a little bit of help from the audience.
I need my assistant today to come on down.
How about seat number 54?
Come on down.
Oh, we got a winner right here.
Oh my goodness, how are you?
I've got shaken host syndrome.
How are you?
I'm fabulous now.
Now you're fabulous.
I love this outfit you've got on.
Thank you.
Purple goes ideally with it.
What's your first name?
Maritza.
And who are you here with, Maritza?
I'm with my cousins.
Hello.
Manza, Martha, Betty, and Aunt Judy.
Thanks, Aunt Judy.
Who brought you?
Myself.
You brought yourself with all of them?
You're the ringleader.
Yes, I am.
Okay, so we're talking about reflux.
Do you or any of those compatriots of yours have reflux, do you think?
I do, and my aunt does.
Well, you know who has it already.
Oh, yeah.
We're a family.
We're a family, of course.
So, I'm going to give you some common symptoms.
And I want you to just listen to them all and then tell me which ones you have.
Because I think a lot of folks don't even realize how symptoms start.
For example, heartburn is sort of obvious, right?
That sensation in your chest.
But some people get sour taste in their mouth.
Some get hoarseness in their vocal cords.
Some get a chronic cough.
Which of those do you have?
I get the one that starts in the stomach and works its way up.
So, when you wake up in the morning, you ever feel hoarse?
Yes.
You really got the acid going up there.
You know, a lot of folks don't realize that they have reflux because they don't realize the symptoms aren't always the most obvious ones.
One other question before we get started.
Spicy foods.
With a name like Maritza?
I'm Spanish.
I love it.
Yes, you love it.
Hot sauce on everything.
Everything, right?
Everything.
You love it to all get with the family.
Oh, it's so good.
All right, come over here.
Now that we understand a little bit more about your story, which is very typical.
You know, I got tons of people who have the exact same issues.
I'm going to show you why certain foods can cause acid reflux.
So, I made you three stomachs here.
Stomachs are the round things.
These tubes are the esophagus.
The right tube coming out of the top takes the acid that's in your stomach and is supposed to stay there and allows it to go up in the wrong direction rather than the way it's supposed to go, which is downwards.
This little muscle here is supposed to protect you from that.
It's called a sphincter.
If it's not working correctly, you start to have problems.
So when you wake up in the morning, are you a coffee drinker by any chance?
Not really.
I cut it out because I thought, you know, it has to do with the acid reflux.
So the question is, how important is coffee to acid reflux?
You think it's important?
I think so.
Show me.
Go ahead and take that coffee.
There's coffee there.
Pour it in the mouth of this unsuspecting victim.
And when the coffee hits his stomach, what happens?
Oh, you make gas and you make acid.
And it begins to work its way up.
And just like you predicted, which is why I think you were wise to stop your coffee, that sphincter relaxes.
The acid goes up there.
Not just the tip of the iceberg.
Then you have a spicy fajita.
Oh, yes.
Go ahead and pour that in there.
And then all of a sudden, when you pour that in there, guess what happens?
You make so much...
Acid, and that sphincter relaxes with the onions, it begins, ooh, bubble out.
Then, finally, late at night comes, and you want a little snack, maybe a little bit of chocolate, right?
Trail mix.
Trail mix, even better.
Trail mix in there, guess what happens?
The acid now gets so large, so high, that it creates this incredible burning sensation.
And now you've got a fire raging in your throat.
Right?
So you've got the acid from lunch burning your esophagus, or you've got the fire raging in your throat from a late night snack as you lie down.
And this can go on a long time, a long, long time, if you don't have treatment, and that can damage your esophagus.
Onions, you said?
Onions, fajitas, they all have lots of things.
So, let's go talk a little bit about what this actually does to you.
Now, I love showing organs to folks, but I've never shown this before to anybody.
Put your purple gloves on.
Are you looking forward to this?
Not really?
I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.
I can handle it.
But I'll show you something that is remarkable.
So this is a normal esophagus over here.
That's what the normal looks like.
See how those little lines there?
And this side, see how it's thickened and gnarly?
Go ahead and feel both of those and compare them.
That's the gnarly one that's thickened.
And feel this, the thin one.
Oh, wow.
What's the difference?
This is chunky.
Chunky.
That chunkiness is called Barrett's esophagus.
It's a change that happens in our esophagus.
People all over the country have it and don't know about it.
When the esophagus, which is supposed to be nice and thin, gets scarred over, it begins to become gnarly, like wood that's grown in with knots, and then this eventually becomes cancer.
This is why we have so much cancer today of the esophagus in America.
In part, when you take an antacid, you just reduce the amount of pain you have sometimes, but you don't actually reduce the amount of acid going up like we just showed over there.
So the question is, what do you do to reduce this from happening to you?
So in your life, what do you take?
Well, I, you know, I pop some pills, like Tums now and then.
Yep.
Do they work for you?
A little while, but then they just kind of wear off.
Take your gloves off.
I'm going to give you some no-pill solutions that I think you and everyone else are going to enjoy.
Now, these flare-ups, when you have them, the antacids do work, like you mentioned.
But for the no-pill solutions, we have some easy ones.
The first no-pill solution, bananas and oatmeal.
Do you like oatmeal by any chance?
I love it.
You do?
All right.
A cup of oatmeal.
And a banana mixed on top of it will actually reduce the acidity.
That's the first thing.
That makes sense.
Yes, definitely.
Second issue, the other end of the day from breakfast is night time.
What time do you go to bed at night usually?
10. 10. And when's the last meal you have normally?
9.30?
No.
Like 7:38.
Alright, that's in the right range.
You want to leave ideally three hours between when you eat last and when you go to sleep.
That way you don't have all that acid and food being regurgitated in there that can leak up.
Now here's the biggest question of all.
I want you to please personally demonstrate exactly the position you sleep in when you go to bed.
Okay.
Take it away, Tigris.
Let's see how she sleeps at night.
I start off like this.
On your back.
And then?
that. I grabbed some pillows.
Now...
I love everything you're doing, except one little bit.
Let me grab this pillow.
I want you to roll the other way.
Lying on your right side makes your reflux worse.
You want to lie on your left side.
When you lie on your left side...
There we are.
Good.
Now, a couple things.
Notice you're still relatively flat, but you're angled up, which is good.
But when you're lying on your left side, you actually...
It sinks down on that sphincter we're talking about, and somehow the stomach is able to process it better so it doesn't push the acid the wrong direction.
Doctors have been looking at this for a long time.
We're never quite sure why, but it over and over again helps folks.
So I want people on their left side.
One little tip also.
Put blocks beneath the head of your bed just to angle the bottom of the bed up a tiny bit.
That little bit of gravity will help you out.
Okay.
You've been a wonderful assistant today.
You tired now?
Can I take a nap?
Yes, you take a nap.
While we go to break, I'll be right back.
Dr. Oz wants to know, do you have a no-pill solution for a sore throat?
My family always uses honey.
I put a little bit of it in some hot water and drink it slowly.
I do that twice daily, and it always does the trick.
Share your remedy on Facebook.com slash Dr. Oz.
Coming up, can a new at-home test be the answer to prevent colon cancer?
If detected early, there can be a cure.
Find out the number one symptom that no one should ignore.
Can this new and innovative product be right for you?
Coming up next.
All new Dr. Oz.
If you want to feel more focused and energetic, uncover the seven hidden sugars in your diet.
Three steps to wean off the sweet stuff.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Breaking medical news.
A new at-home test can prevent colon cancer.
If detected early, 90% of people are cured.
But when left undetected, the chance of surviving drops under 10%.
So we're asking the question, can this test?
Save your life.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new at-home colorectal cancer screening kit.
ColoGuard is a breakthrough DNA-based test, allowing patients to collect stool samples from the comfort of home, mailing them in for analysis of colon cancer risks.
The test's high accuracy rate is a landmark for cancer home testing.
But even more important, its pain-free convenience will help doctors reach the one in three Americans ages 50 to 75 who never get screened.
The astroenterologist Dr. Mark Pochapin joins me now.
This is not the first at-home test, so what makes it so special?
Well, it's amazing because it uses the technology to look for DNA, which is the genetic material specific for the cancer.
So in addition to microscopic blood, which is the current at-home stool test, this looks for DNA.
So you're really looking for the cancer when it's very early, and that's what's so special about it.
How does it actually work?
Try to get my mind around how you actually collect the samples.
Well, you know, the sample is something that we all know about, and actually we have a device here that collects the sample by going within the actual toilet bowl itself.
This goes under the toilet seat, and when it's sitting there...
You have a device that collects, which will be without any type of discomfort because it's just sitting within the toilet bowl.
You do your business.
You then put in a special buffer, which is a little liquid that will stabilize the sample.
You also check for microscopic blood because that's the current test.
And then it closes up and it gets sent off to the lab.
Now make sure that you have the right label on because you don't want to go somewhere else.
Make sure you tighten the lid.
A lot.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's for sure.
Who should be using this?
So that's the thing.
This is part of a toolkit of many different interventions we have to prevent colon cancer.
And I think the most important message is that any of these tests will really have a potential life-saving intervention.
This is a test that should be done by only people who have no risk.
If someone has a risk, then they would need a more conventional study like a colonoscopy, which not only can detect cancer, but can also detect the precancer, what's called a polyp.
A polyp is a growth that has the...
The potential of turning to cancer.
So a colonoscopy can potentially prevent colon cancer, where this test really can only detect early cancer.
So there is a difference.
However, it's so simple at home, there's no excuse not to do one of these tests.
And that's the real take-home message.
You have to do something.
There's no excuse just to avoid colorectal cancer.
So if I understand correctly, about a third of people don't do anything.
That's right.
And so let's just start with that one-third of people.
If they don't have any of the big risk factors, they ought to be doing this.
It's still, if I checked it out, it costs almost $600.
Right.
So does insurance cover it?
Yeah, the nice thing is both the FDA and the CMS actually both approved it.
So although it's not covered yet, I'm sure it will be, and they should always check with their insurance company.
There's some very inexpensive alternatives.
The standard just occult blood, which is called fecal immunochemical test, is relatively inexpensive, less than $25 if there's an insurance issue.
And, of course, call it on.
The colonoscopy remains the gold standard.
It's one that, if negative, is actually good for 10 years.
If this test is positive, it still needs a colonoscopy to make the diagnosis, to look in and find the cancer, if this test is suggesting there is one there.
From what I can tell, folks, this will be covered by most insurance companies within three to six months.
That's how effective and promising it seems to be.
Bottom line, I think you've covered it.
Colonoscopy, you get on yourself if you could.
But if you're not going to get a colonoscopy, this is something that's worth happening.
Exactly.
I think the bottom line is the right test is the one that gets done.
You should discuss with a doctor.
This needs to be prescribed by a doctor.
This is not something that you could just go and get on your own.
So the discussion needs to be had.
How can I prevent colorectal cancer?
And this is one option, and the vast majority of people will try and do something if it's recommended.
So let me shift gears for a second, because I'm sort of seeing this as the mammography of the colon.
Is that a reasonable metaphor?
Yes, because what this does is it finds early cancer.
So in many ways, this is like doing a mammography finding early cancer for the breast.
This is finding early cancer of the colon.
Whereas colonoscopy might prevent it, this is actually finding it when it's small.
So with mammography, you use the test to identify cancers that you couldn't feel, theoretically, but you still want to feel your breasts.
So what's the equivalent in colon cancer?
You can't put your hand in there and check.
Are there signs and symptoms you look for in talking to your patients to identify whether they might be at risk for having a colon cancer?
Absolutely.
And if there are signs or symptoms, then you're looking at diagnosis.
You're no longer screening.
But surprisingly, Mehmet, the most important sign is the fact that someone's feeling well.
And I know that sounds crazy, but actually when cancer is really small in the colon, there's no symptoms at all.
But the number one symptom, if you're going to start finding it, is something like a change in bowel habits, discomfort.
So things of that nature, if you find it, you need to make sure you get it explained.
And how about changing the size of the poop?
Thinner.
Thinner in caliber.
Persistent.
Something that looks very narrow.
And last question, just advice for general prevention.
What should folks do today to make sure they never have the colon cancer, they have to worry about all this?
Most important thing is to talk to your doctor, get something done.
Talk about whether this is the right test, colonoscopy, or other options.
But the most important thing is not to ignore it.
You know, colon cancer has dropped by 30% over the past 10 years.
It's amazing.
It's staggering in cancer prevention.
And a lot of that, the majority of that, is from screening.
The other thing is healthy lifestyle.
making sure that you eat correctly, low in red meat, low in alcohol.
Alcohol actually has been shown to increase the risk of cancer.
Mark, thanks very much.
We'll be right back.
pleasure. Coming up, are you relying on supplements to keep your energy up and from getting sick?
You could be taking too many.
Learn to take back control and master your health with vitamin-packed foods instead.
The plan to break your supplement addiction is next.
We are bringing healthy back this season and want you to bring it too.
Grab your prescription pad for fun and sign up for free tickets today.
You can go to DrRoz.com/tickets and sign up.
Thank you.
This season is all about bringing healthy back.
Now a couple of weeks ago we met Joanne who was taking 17 supplements a day.
All of these.
She thought that without these pills she was going to get sick.
Lose her energy.
And not be a good mom.
But since the show, Joanne took a big step and kicked her supplement addiction.
Remember Joanne, the busy, single, working mom trying to keep her energy up with a supplement habit that spiraled out of control?
Dr. Mike Dow challenged her to some big changes.
And if you can go to these natural sources, you're going to maybe need just a little bit less supplements in your daily life.
Nice.
So, how is Joanne doing?
My life has changed a ton since you guys were last here, and I've changed for the better.
I was taking 17 pills a day, trying to find some type of magical mix to make me look better, to make me feel better.
I was putting all of my faith in supplements, thinking that I could find a shortcut to health.
Since the show, I've been weaning myself off of supplements.
Now I'm eating nutrient-rich foods, and instead of starting my day with the two crackers and the supplements, I'm starting it with a nutrient-rich smoothie.
Before, I would wake up tired.
I would drag myself out of bed.
I'd be popping supplements all day just to give me the energy that I needed.
Now I'm exercising 45 minutes a day, and, you know, it's true.
Hi, baby!
About an object in motion stays in motion.
It's given me more energy than before and I even sleep better as a result.
I used to have in my bag stashes of supplements in case I ever forgot, but now all I have in my bag is more cash.
I've been working now on being more mindful and Dr. Dao has been leading me on guided meditations.
I'm kind of shocked that just taking a few minutes every day has made that kind of a difference.
I have more compassion and acceptance for myself and as a result for the people in my life now.
My Sunday night pill ritual has been replaced with yoga with my daughter.
I now have a completely different vision on better health.
I'm more into how I feel.
Do I feel well?
And I am proud to tell you that I am no longer a supplement addict.
Joanne, you have broken your supplement addiction.
I'm so proud of you.
That's right, you deserve this.
I'm proud of myself.
You used to see these pills as a do-over, as a safety valve, as a way of gaining control, which it really wasn't.
So what's changed?
You know, I don't view them as a reset button anymore because now our lifestyle, my lifestyle is I'm eating so healthy.
I'm exercising.
I'm getting great sleep.
I'm peaceful.
I'm mindful.
I don't even think of the control part anymore.
So will you walk back to the truth tube again with me?
Sure.
Last time I know it was a little uncomfortable.
Okay.
So we looked at what happened over this 28-day plan.
And that's all it took.
So you can stand right up here.
First of all, you were taking the 17 pills that I mentioned earlier.
Yes.
I mean, you're pretty much dominating your day.
Thinking you were in control by looking at these.
Now, you are down to three pills a day.
That's a healthy number.
And you mentioned that you took these supplements to feel the energy.
You just told me you feel even more energized.
So what changed?
How did that happen?
It's through the food.
It's through the making a conscious effort to eat right, to sleep right, to...
I'm more patient with the children.
I don't need the supplements.
The supplements weren't really doing anything for me.
It was getting the mind and body connection that I needed.
That's what did it for me.
So you save a lot of money when you cut down.
No, that's true.
You do all these things that actually make your life better.
And I just added up what you're saving.
The cost of the supplements, roughly, let's put it up there.
$1,841 of savings.
Wow.
That's your money.
That's a chance to pay yourself back.
I don't want my children to see that because they'll have it spent.
How are you going to spend it?
What are you going to do to celebrate?
You know, I think that we're going to go on a vacation.
You are?
We are.
We haven't really decided yet whether it'll be a cruise or maybe Disney, but that's enough for all of us to go.
You can go wherever you want to go pretty much.
So Mike Dow, who I know you became very close to.
I love him too.
All of our experts really do follow through, and I'm very proud of what he's done with you.
So he spoke with you frequently in order to help you break his addiction.
And we actually checked in with him, and he wanted to send a message, a very heartfelt message to you.
Okay.
Take a look.
Joanne, congratulations.
You did it.
I know this journey was hard for you as a working mom.
The biggest thing you did for yourself was that you committed to this process.
I remember when I led you on that meditation and it brought you to tears and you found that inner peace.
The other thing you did was that you found those natural superfoods that gave you energy every single day.
So Joanne, congratulations.
You now have the natural energy and immunity you want by getting off of all of those supplements.
You did it and anybody else can too.
I want to show everybody exactly how you eat your vitamins every day because you actually have wandered upon the recipe for success.
So the first thing is you traded in the energy pills that I know people are being hocked at all the time with a vitamin-packed energy drink that you make yourself.
Yes.
So walk me through this.
And I make it myself every morning so I'm covered and I don't even have to worry about what I'm lacking.
So I take my base, which is usually coconut milk, sometimes almond, whatever I'm feeling for the day.
I use the bee pollen.
We love the bee pollen.
My son has eczema, so bee pollen helps for eczema.
So I like to sneak that in.
I like to sneak a lot of things in that the children don't know about, because we all drink this shake.
So you use almond butter, and then the chia seeds have great protein.
And then these are the base.
I usually do this every day.
And then, depending on my mood...
Whether I'm feeling sweet or, you know, usually I'll put the strawberries.
Put strawberries in there.
A lot of vitamin C. By the way, go through this.
You know, bananas have the vitamin A. The chia seeds have vitamin B. The strawberries have vitamin C. Kale is vitamin K, which a lot of folks don't even have in a multivitamin.
The almond butter is vitamin E. So you basically got your multivitamin in there pretty seasoned without difficulty.
Don't use the strawberries and the grapes together because I don't necessarily like it sweet unless I'm making it for the children.
We always like to put at least half a banana in.
Is this what it tastes like?
Is this it?
Try it.
Did you like it?
No, it's good.
And you would want to do this.
And you could drink that every day.
Sure.
And you're saving money at the same time.
Saving a lot of money.
Toast to you.
We're making that happen.
Yes.
Cheers.
Nicely done.
Nicely done.
All right.
Now, this I sort of expected you to do.
I think everyone should be thinking about a plan like this in the morning.
Get your vitamins in early and get them through real foods.
This next little tip really caught me by surprise, and I adore it.
Here with a very unique snack recipe.
This is a taco-seasoned chickpea snack.
It is packed with both folate and zinc, two essential vitamins for energy and for immunity, things that you are concerned about.
So explain to folks what this is, because these things are absolutely to die for.
Yes.
Nice crunch when you want to crunch.
Oh, they're perfect.
I'm going to keep eating.
You talk.
Okay.
So...
This is what I do.
I have my chickpeas, and they're tossed in olive oil.
So I take my chickpeas, and depending on time, if I have enough time, I'll make my own taco seasoning.
If not, I'll buy just a low-sodium taco seasoning.
Okay, so I add that to my chickpeas, and then simple as tossing it all together.
And then I spread it out on a pan.
So you don't spray this ahead of time?
The olive oil is already in the...
I like to toss it.
You can do it either way, but I like to toss it just so that they're coated.
But you know they're coated.
Yeah, my way's a good way.
Yeah, it worked for you.
That's why people are paying attention.
So I spread them out on my pan.
I set my oven to 400, 425, depending.
I bake them until they're crispy.
And then I put them out on the table in a bowl, and then the children come and devour them one by one.
They are so cool.
And the kids will never let them go.
They taste great.
They have the right texture to them.
The kids love them.
I love them.
And I feel like I'm doing something healthy.
I don't feel like I'm popping chips in my mouth.
I'm eating something healthy.
I'm eating something good for me.
And I've been spending so much time in the kitchen since you've been showing me all the great benefits of the healthy foods that I've been creating recipes left and right.
So I can't tell you how happy I am.
I love your success.
I want to keep celebrating it.
This is what we've been doing across America.
So if it's okay with you, I'm going to take all your recipes that you're coming up with with all those wonderful times.
I have a lot of them for you.
You're going to put them on DrOz.com.
You can all share these as well.
It will help break your addictions, supplements, and lots of other things as well.
They'll be on DrOz.com on our Truth To page.
We'll be right back.
This is really good.
All new Dr. Oz.
If you want to feel more focused and energetic, Dr. Oz has your three-step plan to cut down on sugar, uncover the seven hidden sugars in your diet, and wean off the sweet stuff.
Plus, Tony Robbins has helped millions conquer life's toughest challenges.
Now he's sharing his biggest secrets to help you manage your number one stress, money.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Food comes in some strange shapes.
So let me ask you a question.
What does this walnut look like to you?
What organ does that look like?
Yes, the brain.
I see a brain too, which is fascinating because walnuts boost brain function and may even protect your memory.
So here's other foods just like this that give us clues to what they actually do in our body.
Look at a carrot.
What part of the body does that look like?
A little harder.
Oh, they got it all.
That's that easy.
It's eyes.
You're right.
It looks like the iris.
And of course, the carrots will help you protect your vision.
One more.
This is a hard one.
You ready?
Shout out the body part this looks like.
Ah!
Couldn't trick you.
That's the heart, and it's a very special place in my life as well because it helps protect that organ that I take care of.
Now it's time for in case you missed it.
First, there's a new at-home test that can detect colon cancer.
So here are the symptoms I want you to know to protect yourself from this deadly problem that we can prevent if we know about it.
This at-home test, we've got information on DrRoz.com, but in the meantime, if you've got persistent abdominal discomfort, if you feel like your bowel doesn't fully empty even when you go to the bathroom, or if there's any change in your bowel consistency or color that lasts for a week or two especially, you've got to talk to somebody about it.
Finally, let me close with a warning.
I want you to be careful about what you buy online, especially weight loss pills.
There's some dubious people online that prey on folks like you who are trying to do the right things for your health.
Sometimes they make it seem like I'm endorsing the product that they're selling to you, but I don't.
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