HoldsUp

Max Lugavere

Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist, and author. His work focuses on the relationship between nutrition, brain health, and cognitive function. He has published on a food-first prescription for cognitive longevity in Missouri Medicine.

31 claims checked on air: 5 context 1 contradicted 23 supported 2 unverified

What they said on air - context

0:17:16needs contextmoderateWhat to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | T

Studies demonstrate that giving creatine supplements to vegans and vegetarians improves their cognitive function.

"There are studies that have taken vegans and vegetarians who don't regularly consume creatine... and when given supplemental creatine, they see an improvement in their cognitive function" (said at 0:17:16)

Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that creatine supplementation can improve specific aspects of cognitive function, such as short-term memory, in vegetarians and vegans who typically have lower baseline tissue creatine levels compared to omnivores. However, qualification is needed because the broader literature shows mixed or equivocal results across overall cognitive domains, and more recent randomized trials have found no distinct difference in cognitive benefit between vegetarians and omnivores.

0:23:59needs contextmoderateWhat to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | T

Stretching the stomach turns off the release of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

"helps us feel full by stretching the stomach, turning off the release of that hunger hormone ghrelin." (said at 0:23:59)

While gastric distension from mechanical volume expansion (such as drinking a large volume of liquid or inflating a gastric balloon) can suppress circulating ghrelin levels, animal and human research demonstrates that postprandial ghrelin suppression is primarily driven by nutrient sensing and absorption in the small intestine rather than gastric stretch alone. In animal models, mechanical gastric distension without nutrient delivery fails to suppress ghrelin, whereas intestinal nutrient infusions effectively lower ghrelin even when bypassing the stomach. In human studies, rapid water loading or nutrient infusions decrease plasma ghrelin, whereas non-nutrient gastric balloon distension does not trigger the hormonal response seen with nutrient intake. Thus, stomach stretch contributes to fullness signaling primarily via neural vagal mechanoreceptors, while ghrelin suppression relies substantially on nutrient sensing.

0:46:54needs contextmoderateWhat to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | T

Meta-analyses demonstrate that exercise is as effective as pharmaceutical drugs in normalizing blood pressure.

"But we now know, thanks to very high quality meta-analyses, that exercise plays a powerful role and is just as effective as drugs with regard to normalizing one's blood pressure." (said at 0:46:54)

A landmark network meta-analysis of 391 randomized controlled trials (PMID: 30563873) found that among populations with hypertension (baseline SBP ≥140 mmHg), structured exercise (endurance or dynamic resistance training) achieved reductions in systolic blood pressure comparable to commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, and diuretics). However, several important qualifications apply: across all evaluated populations (including normotensive individuals), medications achieved greater overall reductions than exercise (-3.96 mmHg difference). Furthermore, no direct head-to-head randomized trials comparing exercise directly against medication exist (the evidence relies on indirect network comparisons), exercise trials carried higher risk of bias, and the evidence evaluates mean blood pressure reduction rather than complete normalization.

0:49:24needs contextlowWhat to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | T

A study published in the journal Nitric Oxide found that frequent mouthwash users have a 50% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

"Published in the journal Nitric Oxide, they found that people who frequently used mouthwash were at a 50% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, again, through this pathway because we know that nitric oxide is a powerful signaling molecule with regard to insulin sensitivity." (said at 0:49:24)

A 2017 observational study published in the journal Nitric Oxide (Joshipura et al., analyzing 945 overweight/obese participants in the San Juan Overweight Adults Longitudinal Study) found that frequent mouthwash use (≥2 times daily) was associated with an approximately 50% increased risk of developing metabolic impairment compared to non-users (multivariate incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13–1.95) or less frequent users (IRR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.21–1.99). However, the primary outcome analyzed was a composite of pre-diabetes and diabetes rather than type 2 diabetes alone, and the observational design in an overweight/obese cohort demonstrates correlation rather than definitive causation.

0:54:40needs contextmoderateWhat to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | T

A single nitrate-rich meal can boost cognitive function.

"and in fact, one single nitrate-rich meal can actually boost cognitive function." (said at 0:54:40)

Evidence from randomized controlled crossover trials evaluating the acute impact of dietary nitrate (such as beetroot supplements or nitrate-rich spinach) on cognitive performance is mixed. A double-blind crossover trial found that acute intake of a beetroot-based supplement significantly improved specific cognitive domains, including short- and long-term memory consolidation and cognitive flexibility (PMID 37875637). However, other randomized crossover trials evaluating acute ingestion of nitrate-rich spinach or concentrated beetroot juice found no significant acute effect on cognitive function or cognitive flexibility (PMID 24676365, PMID 39017740). While single-dose nitrate ingestion can improve performance in specific cognitive tasks under certain conditions, it does not consistently or universally boost overall cognitive function.

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