Dr. Eric Berg DC · 2026-08-21 · Eric Berg (host), Steve (host), Gina, Eric, Dwayne, Jacone Harrison

The Dr. Berg Show LIVE - August 21, 2026

40 research-tied claims examined: 3 contradicted 11 overstated 8 context 14 supported 4 unverified

14

Supported by research

0:11:20Eric Berg (host)supportedmoderate

Standing on vibration plates is beneficial for countering osteoporosis.

"There's also data that shows that standing on the vibration plates are very beneficial to counter osteoporosis." (said at 0:11:20)

Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials demonstrate that whole-body vibration (WBV) therapy using vibration platforms has beneficial effects on bone mineral density (BMD), particularly at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, in postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis. While the magnitude of improvement in BMD is generally modest and dependent on specific frequency, amplitude, and cumulative exposure parameters, published clinical trial data supports the claim that vibration plate training provides therapeutic benefit for countering osteoporosis.

0:20:51Eric Berg (host)supportedmoderate

TUDCA crosses the blood-brain barrier.

"It can actually go systemically through the entire body, across the blood-brain barrier, go into your eyes." (said at 0:20:51)

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is a hydrophilic bile acid conjugate that is widely documented to be orally bioavailable and capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via passive diffusion and bile acid transporters, reaching the central nervous system to exert neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic effects in various neurological models.

0:30:17Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

B vitamin deficiency can cause cracked lips.

"Even B vitamin deficiency can create cracked lips." (said at 0:30:17)

Deficiencies in several B-complex vitamins—particularly riboflavin (vitamin B2), as well as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), folate (vitamin B9), and cobalamin (vitamin B12)—are well-established causes of cheilosis and angular stomatitis/cheilitis (fissuring, inflammation, and cracking of the lips and mouth corners).

0:30:49Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Scientific data does not support the idea that dietary acid or alkaline intake can dramatically alter systemic blood pH due to buffering mechanisms.

"there's no real data that shows that you can dramatically alter your pH by just I'm just now going to start eating more acids because the body is constantly buffering and things like that." (said at 0:30:49)

The host's statement that scientific data does not support dramatic alterations in systemic blood pH via dietary acid or alkaline intake due to homeostatic buffering mechanisms is supported by clinical research. Systemic acid-base homeostasis is tightly regulated by physiological buffering systems, renal excretion, and respiratory compensation. Clinical trials investigating protein-rich or acid-base dietary interventions show that while acidifying or alkalizing diets or supplements may induce minor fluctuations in urinary pH, blood bicarbonate concentrations, or tissue-level markers, they fail to induce substantial or dramatic shifts in systemic blood pH (Fenton et al., 2011, PMID 21529374; Ströhle et al., 2020, PMID 32873957). Randomized trials confirm that standard dietary acid loads do not significantly alter baseline acid-base homeostasis or systemic blood pH in healthy adults.

0:40:35Eric Berg (host)supportedmoderate

Butterbur herb is supported by solid research as an effective remedy for migraine headaches.

"There's also, just as a side note, a wonderful herb that I stumbled on that has hardcore research on migraines. It's called butterbur um herb. Check it out if you have migraines. It might be something that can help." (said at 0:40:35)

Multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and systematic reviews demonstrate that standardized butterbur root extract (Petasites hybridus, specifically 75 mg twice daily / 150 mg daily) is effective in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks compared to placebo. Clinical guidelines, such as the Canadian Headache Society migraine prophylaxis guideline, have formally recommended butterbur for migraine prevention based on randomized trial evidence.

0:42:00Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Nitric oxide facilitates arterial vasodilation, decreases with aging, and is significantly depleted by high glucose levels in the bloodstream.

"What allows the arteries to be very very u vasodilated and relaxed is uh nitric oxide. Nitric oxide as we age it does go down but the biggest killer of that is too much glucose flowing through that those blood vessels. It'll just wipe out the nitric oxide." (said at 0:42:00)

Nitric oxide (NO) is the primary endothelium-derived relaxing factor responsible for vascular smooth muscle relaxation and arterial vasodilation. Established clinical and mechanistic literature demonstrates that NO bioavailability declines progressively with aging and is markedly impaired by hyperglycemia. High blood glucose levels promote reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, and advanced glycation end-products, all of which directly quench NO and diminish endothelial vasodilation.

  • supports: Vascular endothelial dysfunction and pharmacological treatment. (World journal of cardiology 2015) · cited 238x in the literature
    "Different risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, homocystinemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, smoking, inflammation, and aging contribute to the development of endothelial dysfunction... Among these mechanisms, a reduction in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability plays a central role in the development of endothelial dysfunction because NO exerts diverse physiological actions, including vasodilation, anti-inflammation, antiplatelet, antiproliferation and antimigration." (abstract, results)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
  • supports: Cardiovascular risk factors and molecular routes underlying endothelial dysfunction: Novel… (Biochemical pharmacology 2022) · cited 83x in the literature
    "Endothelial dysfunction is a systemic disorder in which traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as aging, gender, hypertension, smoking, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia... act synergistically to tip the endothelial balance in favor of vasoconstrictive, pro-inflammatory, and pro-thrombotic phenotypes... The hallmark of endothelial dysfunction is a marked reduction of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability owing to epigenetic-sensitive dysregulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in endothelial cells (ECs)." (abstract, results)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
0:42:35Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Oral bacteria produce nitric oxide precursors, and mouthwash kills the oral microbes responsible for nitric oxide production.

"your microbes do make it. And this is why like mouthwash really kills off the microbes that help you make nitric oxide" (said at 0:42:35)

The host's statement that oral bacteria help generate nitric oxide (via the enterosalivary nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway) and that antibacterial mouthwashes disrupt these microbes is supported by extensive human clinical literature. Human salivary bacteria (such as *Veillonella*, *Actinomyces*, and *Rothia*) express nitrate reductases that reduce dietary nitrate to nitrite, which is subsequently converted into nitric oxide systemically. Randomized controlled trials demonstrate that broad-spectrum antibacterial mouthwashes (such as chlorhexidine) significantly reduce nitrate-reducing oral bacteria, lower salivary and plasma nitrite levels, and blunts nitric oxide generation.

0:49:23Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Statin medications block and deplete coenzyme Q10 in the body.

"They're pretty smart because it is co-enzyme Q10. It blocks co-enzyme Q10. So, um, this is why if someone is on a statin, they better be taking co-enzyme Q10." (said at 0:49:23)

Statin medications inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. Because mevalonate is a common precursor for both cholesterol and ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) synthesis, statin treatment blocks endogenous CoQ10 biosynthesis and significantly lowers circulating and cellular CoQ10 concentrations in humans and animal models.

0:50:54Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

In the human circadian rhythm, cortisol levels are naturally at their lowest around 2:00 AM and peak at 8:00 AM.

"You want it at the very lowest at 2:00 in the middle of the night, 2:00 a.m. Okay. And it should be the highest at 8:00 a.m." (said at 0:50:54)

The speaker's description of human circadian cortisol timing is supported by established endocrinology research. In healthy individuals on a typical diurnal sleep-wake schedule, cortisol secretion follows a robust 24-hour circadian rhythm governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Systemic cortisol levels reach their lowest point (nadir) around the middle of the night (typically midnight to 2:00 AM) and peak in the early morning shortly after awakening (around 7:00 to 9:00 AM).

0:46:47Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

The final stage of converting vitamin D into its active form requires functioning kidneys.

"that last stage of conversion of vitamin D to the active form requires a good kidney" (said at 0:46:47)

The synthesis of biologically active vitamin D is a multi-step process. Vitamin D precursors undergo initial 25-hydroxylation in the liver to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcifediol). The final activation step to form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol) occurs primarily in the proximal tubules of the kidneys via the 1-alpha-hydroxylase enzyme (encoded by CYP27B1). Consequently, functional renal tissue is required to maintain adequate physiological conversion and circulating levels of active vitamin D.

0:54:01Eric Berg (host)supportedmoderate

Increasing dietary potassium intake has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke.

"taking more potassium has been shown to reduce reduce excuse me the risk of a stroke and a 100% of respondents say that's true. HOST: That's some confidence right there. Yes, potassium is fascinating." (said at 0:54:01)

Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies demonstrate that higher dietary potassium intake is significantly associated with a reduced risk of stroke. A meta-analysis published in the BMJ found that higher potassium intake was associated with a 24% reduction in incident stroke risk (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.66–0.89), alongside randomized trial evidence showing that increased potassium lowers blood pressure in adults with hypertension. Another dose-response meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Heart Association confirmed a 13% lower stroke risk comparing highest to lowest potassium intake categories (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.94), with maximum risk reduction observed at around 3,500 mg (90 mmol) of daily potassium intake.

0:59:10Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

UVB phototherapy has been demonstrated to effectively treat and clear psoriasis.

"there's also another uh valid therapy using UVB uh lights and that's been shown to dramatically get rid of psoriasis." (said at 0:59:10)

Ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy, particularly narrowband UVB (NB-UVB), is an established first-line phototherapeutic treatment that effectively treats and clears chronic plaque and guttate psoriasis. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials demonstrate high response rates, with approximately 70% of patients achieving at least a 75% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score and substantial disease clearance in both outpatient clinic and home settings.

1:00:43Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Modern cultivated fruits such as Honeycrisp apples, pineapples, pears, and peaches have been hybridized and bred to have significantly higher sugar and fructose content than ancestral or indigenous varieties.

"they've been hybridized to be super high in sugar. Uh especially like pineapple and um uh even some of these uh honeycrisp apples like versus you know apples used to be more like indigenous kind of sour and not that sweet. Even like indigenous uh pears are like not that sweet and even peaches are certain are not that sweet but they've been bred for more sugar which gives you more fructose." (said at 1:00:43)

Human domestication and selective breeding of fruit crops (such as apples, pears, and peaches) have systematically increased fruit sweetness and sugar content (specifically simple sugars like fructose and sucrose) compared to wild or ancestral ancestors. Population genomics studies confirm that artificial selection during domestication and modern improvement directly targeted fruit taste and sugar accumulation pathways—for instance, selecting for increased fructose content in modern peach cultivars via transport genes such as PpERDL16 and sweet/acid balance loci across wild vs. cultivated fruit species.

1:02:20Eric Berg (host)supportedhigh

Tinnitus or ringing in the ears frequently results from prior exposure to loud sounds or explosions that caused ear damage.

"A lot of times um ringing in the ear has occurred um from old loud sounds or explosions that could have damaged the ear that now it's showing up." (said at 1:02:20)

The speaker's claim that tinnitus frequently develops from past exposure to loud noises or explosions causing ear damage is supported by clinical and epidemiological research. Large cohort studies and systematic reviews demonstrate that acoustic trauma, occupational or combat noise exposure, and blast injuries are major risk factors for tinnitus. For example, analysis of over 750,000 military veterans in the Million Veteran Program showed that daily combat noise exposure and traumatic injuries significantly increased the risk of tinnitus compared to age alone, with tinnitus frequently presenting as a long-term consequence of prior acoustic injury.

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.