Dr. McDougall's Audio Podcast "McDougallCast"

In 1994 Dr. McDougall spoke with William Clifford (“WC”) Roberts, the former head of the pathology division of the National Institutes of Health, the editor in chief of the American Journal of Cardiology, and the executive director of Baylor Cardiovascular Institute at Baylor University Medical School. Roberts discusses the prevention and reversal of heart disease, and the advantages and methods of getting one's cholesterol down to 150, a level that he says can create immunity, in most cases, to atherosclerosis. “Most people get 40% of their calories from fat, but if you can get your fat down to 10% of calories, that's how you can reduce your total cholesterol by 30%,” says Roberts, who adds that without medication this requires adhering to a pure vegetarian diet such as the McDougall Program. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (11/30/94), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this 1995 interview, Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), talks with Dr. McDougall about the health risks people take by drinking milk. Despite aggressive ad campaigns by the dairy industry that advocate milk as a solution to osteoporosis, Barnard says that drinking milk and taking calcium supplements do not help osteoporosis. “The idea of guzzling milk to keep our bones strong is such a weak strategy compared to not putting calcium-wasting foods and substances into our body in the first place,” he says. Following the interview, listeners call in with questions on various topics, including hypothyroidism and thrombocytopenia. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (6/6/95), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

Michael Jacobson, PhD is one of the founders of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates for nutrition, health and food safety. The organization's Nutrition Action Healthletter has over 900,000 public, industry and government subscribers in the United States and Canada. In this 1992 interview, Dr. McDougall talks to Dr. Jacobson about a variety of topics, including food irradiation, to which Jacobson states, “Using radioactivity to preserve foods is like using a sledgehammer to kill ants. We need to find alternatives.” Also discussed is food labeling, food additives, and the quality of fast foods. Jacobson got his start in nutrition after earning his PhD in microbiology and taking a job as an intern for Ralph Nader. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (5/19/92), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this 1991 interview, Dr. McDougall talks with Kenneth Cooper, MD, founder and director of Texas' Cooper Clinic. Cooper's philosophy is that it's much cheaper and effective to maintain good health than to regain it once it's lost. To this point, Cooper believes that being examined when we don't feel sick is an important key to overall wellness. “It is safe to assume that men in the U.S. who are between 20-25 years old already have some level of coronary heart disease,” he says. Cooper follows four steps in his practice: evaluation; education and motivation; implementation; and re-evaluation. He notes that a stress test and cancer screening test are two of the most important evaluations one can have toward prolonging life. To date, Cooper is the author of 19 best-selling books, many emphasizing how aerobic exercise and diet work hand-in-hand. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (12/10/91), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this lively 1993 interview, Dr. McDougall talks with National Dairy Council spokesperson Greg Miller, who holds a Ph.D. in nutrition, and at the time of this interview was vice president of nutrition research and technical services. Despite research pointing to dairy's role in inhibiting the absorption of certain minerals (such as calcium and iron) and contributing high amounts of cholesterol and fat (that can lead to obesity, heart disease and stroke), Miller staunchly defends dairy products as safe, wholesome and nutrient-rich foods that are an important part of a well-rounded diet. Miller explains that we should not look at just one food (such as dairy) when searching for connections to our modern day ailments, but should instead look at the overall balance and variety of our diet. Also discussed are the viruses (such as leukemia and AIDS) and infections (such as E. coli, salmonella, staph, and tuberculosis) carried by cattle, and how they may affect the health of people who regularly consume dairy products. Note: This is a taped interview from “Your Good Health” (8/5/93), hosted by Dr. McDougall.

Have you ever wondered if aluminum could be the cause of Alzheimer's disease? Dr. Daniel Perl, professor of pathology and neuroscience at New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, discusses how aluminum accumulates in the brain and may lead to Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Perl explains how aluminum exposure can come in many forms, and answers questions regarding its effect on health via everyday products such as pots and pans, antiperspirants, antacids, and drinking water. In this 1995 radio interview with Dr. McDougall, Dr. Perl also discusses the possible connections of aluminum to two other neurodegenerative disorders: Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease.Note: This is a taped interview from “Your Good Health” (3/19/95), hosted by Dr. McDougall.

Dr. Allan Cunningham, a pediatrician and expert on infant feeding, discusses the importance of breast-feeding over formula-feeding. He notes that babies who are breast-fed have fewer illnesses, especially in the first year of life, and have fewer cases of ear infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, and type I diabetes. Dr. Cunningham adds that crib death has also been found to be much higher among formula-fed babies (likely due to viral respiratory infections). “There are no downsides to breast-feeding,” says Cunningham, who advises mothers to nurse for at least the first nine months. Given all the evidence against formula-feeding, Dr. McDougall and Dr. Cunningham also discuss in this 1992 interview the reasons why it continues to be such common practice.Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (4/23/92), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

David Hoffmann, a clinical medical herbalist since 1979, talks to Dr. McDougall about the effectiveness of herbs as second-line therapies (after diet and lifestyle). Hoffmann discusses safe and easy-to-use “tonic” herbal supports, especially for elderly adults facing coronary artery and liver issues. Hoffman also touches on uses for Ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, hawthorn berries, and ginseng while answering caller questions related to osteoarthritis, bowel function, and menopause. A Fellow of Britain's National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Hoffmann is one of the founding members of the American Herbalists Guild and the author of 17 books, including An Elders' Herbal and the New Holistic Herbal, which are referenced in this 1993 interview. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (7/15/93), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this 1991 interview, Dr. McDougall talks with one of his favorite guests, Henry Heimlich, MD, best known for the lifesaving “Heimlich maneuver,” which has been shown to be effective in saving drowning victims, asthma sufferers and cystic fibrosis patients. Heimlich, the president of the Heimlich Institute Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio, discusses the history and evolution of the Heimlich Maneuver, as well as his foundation's work with Lyme disease and “malariotherapy,” the practice of intentionally infecting a patient with malaria in order to treat another ailment.Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (12/12/91), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

Radio personality and voice actor Casey Kasem talks with Dr. McDougall about the social issues that led him to a vegan diet. As a child Kasem says he didn't feel right about eating meat, and today feels compelled to educate others about industrialized agriculture and the poor living conditions of chickens, pigs, and calves. As a well-known celebrity and an outspoken animal rights activist, Kasem says he is not deterred by any potential backlash from sharing his progressive views with America: “I feel that this is much more important than if I do another commercial or if I get another sponsor for my radio show,” he says. “What's terrific today is the idea that as a vegetarian you are not only making a contribution to the animals, but also to your health and the safety of the planet,” says Kasem. Note: This is a taped interview from “Your Good Health” (12/19/90), hosted by Dr. McDougall.

Julian Whitaker, the author of Reversing Heart Disease, Reversing Diabetes, and Reversing Hypertension, discusses the big business of medicine, which he says is responsible for brainwashing physicians and ignores underlying issues of poor health. Dr. Whitaker talks about angioplasty and bypass surgeries, and how they were never intended to improve people's health. “The scientific studies are so powerful in refuting the assumptions of these therapies, I'm surprised they are legal, much less growing in popularity,” says Whitaker, who notes that only about 10% of heart surgeries are necessary. “For everyone else, it's dishonest fear tactics by cardiologists that are scaring people into a procedure they don't need.” In fact, says Whitaker, studies show that people who have heart surgery actually end up having more heart attacks than those who don't have surgery. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health” (2/21/92), hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

Robert Pritikin, the son of Nathan Pritikin (creator of the groundbreaking Pritikin Program), discusses diet as both the cause and the cure for many widespread diseases of modern times, primarily heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The Pritikin family introduced America to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet that not only supported health, but was also palatable and easy to follow. “Nathan and Robert Pritikin will go down in history as people who have made more of a difference in the health of Americans than anyone else in this country,” says Dr. McDougall. In this 1992 interview, Robert Pritikin makes the point that because a high-fat diet creates so many risk factors, a low cholesterol number may not indicate that you're risk-free. “Just taking a drug to lower your cholesterol number does not give you safety,” says Pritikin.Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health,” hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

John Robbins, the bestselling author of Diet for a New America, discusses the far-reaching effects of meat production and factory farming. “Whether you're concerned about human health, animal welfare, ecosystems, water shortages, or global warming, all roads lead to the same place: meat production,” says Robbins, noting that the cumulative effect of our choices is taking an enormous toll on the planet's life support systems. For example, every fast food hamburger that comes from beef raised in the rainforest represents the destruction of 55 square feet of tropical rainforest. In addition, it takes as much water to produce just one pound of beef as an average person uses to shower for an entire year. “We can't wait for a leader to gallop in save us and take the pork chop out of our hand. We have to say, this is my life. Am I really making the right choices?” (Recorded in 1991.) Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health,” hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this 1993 interview, Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), touches on some key topics of his book, Food for Life, as well as some of the dietary myths that people cling to. Barnard says he founded PCRM in 1985 for three reasons: to put a greater focus on prevention, to clean up research, and to promote better and more compassionate access to medical care. “We've got to prevent disease, not just detect it and treat it, because that's where we win the game with cancer, heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses,” he says. Barnard emphasizes the fact that vegetarians cost our country far less than those who consume animal products, and that approximately $50-$60 billion annually could be saved (related just to heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes and gallbladder surgery) if people followed Dr. McDougall's dietary recommendations. Note: This taped interview from “Your Good Health,” hosted by Dr. McDougall has been edited. Any contact information provided during the interviews should be confirmed first since it may have changed since the original taping.

In this May 2007 lecture at the Health and Wellness Expo in Templeton, California, Dr. McDougall discusses how the composition of the food we eat determines our health. Not unlike quitting smoking or drinking, if people discontinue their unhealthy eating habits, they will get better. Being sick has become the norm nowadays, with fully three-quarters of medical costs being spent on the treatment of chronic disease. “It's wasted money, let's put it toward prevention,” says Dr. McDougall, who notes that populations consuming plant-based diets rich in complex carbohydrates (rice, corn, potatoes), such as in Peru, Japan and New Guinea, are hearty, trim, and young looking (much like the U.S. population was 100 years ago). Dr. McDougall also answers questions from the audience and shares inspiring stories of Star McDougallers who have found their way back from debilitating disease to great health.