345 - Stanford Nutrition Scientist: What The New Dietary Guidelines Get Wrong

2026-02-11

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"You're bombarded with all these messages. Try to think of the one that means the most to you. Is it your kid's health? Is it your health? Is it the environment? Is it nutrition? What resonates with you, and helps you make a shift you feel good about?" The Dietary Guidelines for Americans shape how a nation eats, but the science, politics, and industry forces behind them are rarely discussed. In this can't-miss episode, renowned nutrition scientist Dr. Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and lead researcher of the Netflix Twin Experiment, pulls back the curtain on the latest update: how it was crafted, what's shifted, and where it diverges from the evidence. Dr. Gardner helps us separate fact from...

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans shape how a nation eats, but the science, politics, and industry forces behind them are rarely discussed.

In this can't-miss episode, renowned nutrition scientist Dr. Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and lead researcher of the Netflix Twin Experiment, pulls back the curtain on the latest update: how it was crafted, what's shifted, and where it diverges from the evidence. Dr. Gardner helps us separate fact from manipulation and noise, and offers practical, realistic takeaways for building a balanced, sustainable way of eating.

What we discuss in this episode:

Dr. Gardner's experience working on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
What the dietary guidelines would look like if they strictly reflected current scientific evidence.
The influence of the dairy and meat industries on the DGA.
Ingredients and additives in processed foods that are designed to drive consumption.
Tips for improving your diet.
Research comparing Beyond Meat to pasture-raised organic red meat.
How much vitamin B12 you actually need.
Saturated fats in plant foods compared with saturated fats in animal products.
The potential of diet to reverse harmful health patterns.

Resources:

Nutrition Studies Research Group | Stanford Medicine
Instagram: Christopher Gardner (@cgardnerphd) • Instagram photos and videos - https://www.instagram.com/cgardnerphd/
YouTube: Watch You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment | Netflix Official Site
The Uncompromised Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030
The center for science and public interest: Fuel the fight for safer food!
Plant-based meat lowers some cardiovascular risk factors compared with red meat, study finds