HoldsUp

The Diary Of A CEO · 2026-02-26 · Steven Bartlett (host), Jessie Inchauspé

They're Lying About 'Healthy' Foods & Sugar! Shocking New Research That's Harming You

55 research-tied claims examined: 3 contradicted 4 overstated 4 context 39 supported 5 unverified

4 Needs context
0:05:22Jessie Inchauspéneeds contexthigh

The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 25 grams of sugar per day or less.

"The World Health Organization recommends 25 g of sugar per day or less." (said at 0:05:22)

The statement is partially accurate but requires important qualification. The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on sugar intake sets guidelines as percentages of total energy intake specifically for 'free sugars' (added sugars plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices), not total dietary sugars. The WHO makes a strong recommendation to limit free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake (approximately 50 g/day for a standard 2,000 kcal diet) and a conditional recommendation to reduce them to less than 5% of total daily energy intake (which corresponds to roughly 25 g or 6 teaspoons per day for an adult consuming 2,000 kcal). In addition, fixed daily limits such as 25 g/day are formally stated by other organizations, such as the American Heart Association (for children and women).

0:35:42Steven Bartlett (host)needs contextmoderate

A Diabetes Care study of 700 women found that continuous glucose monitoring in the first trimester accurately predicted who would develop gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks.

"I was reading about a study from Diabetes Care that stated they put these continuous glucose monitors on 700 women and found that if they did it in the first trimester, they could accurately predict who would develop gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks." (said at 0:35:42)

Studies published in Diabetes Care have evaluated first-trimester continuous glucose monitoring (CGM at 10–14 weeks) to predict gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed at the standard 24–28 weeks. The large multi-center GO MOMs study (PMID 42251767, n=2,178) found that adding first-trimester CGM data to clinical risk factors modestly improved GDM prediction (positive predictive value 19.8% vs. 12.2% for clinical factors alone at a fixed negative predictive value ≥96%), though early oral glucose tolerance testing was superior (PPV 26.5%). A smaller cohort in Diabetes Care (PMID 39235839, n=103) also found higher predictive discrimination with CGM metrics. While the host correctly identifies the journal, timing (first trimester), and target outcome (GDM at 24–28 weeks), describing CGM as being able to 'accurately predict' overstates the modest clinical predictive value observed in large prospective cohorts.

  • partial: Utilizing Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Early Detection of Gestational Diabetes Mellit… (Diabetes care 2024) · cited 25x in the literature
    "All of them had worn blinded CGM devices in early pregnancy and underwent the universal GDM screening at 24-28 gestation weeks. Models were selected based on early pregnancy risk factors and CGM-derived parameters to compare their respective predictive values for GDM and pregnancy outcomes... CGM-derived novel parameters demonstrated greater performance (e.g., area under the curve: 0.953 vs. 0.722) for predicting incident GDM compared with the model using traditional risks." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
  • context: Early Pregnancy Glycemic Testing for Prediction of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Large… (Diabetes care 2026)
    "In the Glycemic Observation and Metabolic Outcomes in Mothers and Offspring (GO MOMs) study, a prospective observational study at nine U.S. sites (2021-2025), participants with singleton gestation and without preexisting diabetes underwent blinded 75-g OGTT and CGM at 10-14 weeks' gestation. Predictive models for GDM at 24-28 weeks' and LGA were developed using these data and clinical factors (maternal age, BMI, GDM or macrosomia history)... At NPV ≥96% and 8.3% GDM prevalence, PPV for GDM was 12.2% (95% CI 11.0-13.3%) for clinical factors alone, 26.5% (23.1-30.3%) for OGTT plus clinical factors, and 19.8% (17.2-22.5%) for CGM plus clinical factors." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
0:40:44Jessie Inchauspéneeds contextmoderate

Performing soleus calf raises after eating reduces postprandial blood glucose spikes.

"So, this muscle is very good at soaking up glucose from your bloodstream. So, an easy hack you can do after you eat something sweet is you just do some calf raises at your desk like this. Nobody can notice. 5 minutes, and that's going to help reduce the glucose spike of what you just ate." (said at 0:40:44)

Performing seated calf raises/soleus contractions (known as the 'soleus push-up') has been shown in acute crossover human trials to substantially reduce postprandial glucose excursions (by approximately 32% to 52%) and insulin responses. However, context is required regarding the duration: the foundational studies demonstrating these large reductions had participants perform continuous or prolonged soleus contractions over the 2- to 3-hour postprandial testing window, rather than a brief 5-minute bout.

1:00:18Jessie Inchauspéneeds contextmoderate

Methylated folate is better absorbed than standard folic acid.

"a type of folic acid called methylated folate, which is better absorbed." (said at 1:00:18)

The claim states that methylated folate is a type of folic acid that is better absorbed. Pharmacokinetically, synthetic folic acid (pteroylmonoglutamic acid) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF, methylated folate) are both well-absorbed through the intestinal proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT). Clinical crossover trials evaluating bioavailability show that 5-MTHF results in equal or higher plasma folate area-under-the-curve (AUC) and peak concentrations compared to equimolar folic acid, partly because 5-MTHF does not require hepatic reduction by dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) or conversion via MTHFR. However, stating simply that it is 'better absorbed' conflates intestinal absorption with post-absorptive systemic bioavailability and metabolic processing, and strictly speaking, methylated folate is the biologically active form of folate rather than a 'type of folic acid'.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.