Latest news with #DrPoonamDesai
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I'm a doctor and want everyone over 30 years old to stop eating after 7pm
A longevity expert claims you should close the kitchen by 7pm if you want better sleep, balanced hormones, and a slimmer waistline - especially once you hit your thirties. Dr Poonam Desai, a former ER doctor who specialises in preventative health, says late-night meals wreak havoc on the metabolism, disrupt hormones, and set you up for morning sugar spikes that leave you feeling tired and hungry. 'When you eat after 7pm, you may convert calories into fat faster than you ever thought,' Dr Desai, a hormone and nutrition specialist, explained in an Instagram post. That's because melatonin - your sleep hormone - doesn't play well with insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. Together, she says, these hormones create 'a recipe for trouble' when it comes to late-night eating - and men and women over 30 are more sensitive to it. Eating late forces your metabolism into overdrive, raising your heart rate and body temperature. This not only affects your waistline, but also makes it almost impossible to fall into deep, restorative sleep. Without that, your body misses crucial repair time, leaving you feeling drained and unproductive the next day. The melatonin-insulin clash can also cause you to wake up starving because poor sleep raises ghrelin, the hormone that tells you you're hungry, while lowering leptin, which signals fullness. 'You wake up craving unhealthy foods, and the cycle begins all over again,' Dr Desai said. Research shows poor sleep can cause a 23 per cent increase in morning blood sugar levels due to cortisol - your stress hormone. Late-night eating also keeps cortisol elevated, which can promote belly fat and disrupt your body's circadian rhythm, particularly when combined with screen time and low daylight exposure. Hence, Dr Desai says late dinners often spiral into Netflix binges, poor sleep, hormone chaos, weight gain and frustration. But the fix can be surprisingly simple. 'Clients who close their kitchen at 7pm often find they shed fat more effectively and get much better sleep,' she said.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I'm an injury lawyer - there's a popular home accessory I'd NEVER touch: 'It causes all sorts of health problems'
A lawyer has warned consumers against using three potentially cancer-causing products commonly found in homes. American lawyer Tom Bosworth, who specialises in wrongful death cases, said carcinogens silently reside in items like non-stick pans, weedkiller and air fresheners. In a video posted to Instagram thethe attorney, from Pennsylvania, shared three products that he personally 'would never use or buy'. One was 'any non-stick frying pan' like those used in Teflon kitchenware. He explained: 'The Teflon non-stick material has been shown to contain forever chemicals or PFOAs or PFOS—which are extremely volatile, dangerous and toxic.' Mr Bosworth said these chemicals can leach into your food when the pan is heated up to a very high temperature—like when cooking on a stove. 'That in turn can be extremely damaging to your health because you are obviously eating food made on those things,' he said. Studies on animals have shown chemicals used in non-stick pans increases the risk of tumours in the liver, pancreas and testicles of lab animals, as well as reducing their fertility. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Bosworth (@lawyertombosworth) Other possible risks include weight gain, hormonal changes, thyroid disruption, low birth weight and inflammatory bowel disease Medics have also issued similar warnings about avoiding non-stick pots and pans. Dr Poonam Desai, a US-based GP, previously said she opts for cast iron and stainless-steel pans because her family's health is her priority, In an Instagram video, she said: 'Scratched or chipped, nonstick cooking pans, can leech millions of micro plastics into our food.' The second product Mr Bosworth said he would never have in his home was scented plug-in air fresheners. 'I get it I've had them before, but they're toxic, they contain really bad chemicals,' he said. If then sprayed into your room in your house, as you breath them in, it can cause 'all sorts of health problems' he explained. 'You're spraying these in an enclosed space inside your house, so it's building up, building up, building up over time. 'And even though they might smell good, they can hurt you,' he warned. He explained that the danger is linked to a substance called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are tiny chemicals the sprays expel into the air which can then seep into your lungs. In the short term, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns they can then travel to the brain causing dizziness, headaches, concentration lapses and visual disorders. And long term exposure has been linked to heart and lung problems, fertility issues, hormonal imbalances and even cancer. The final product Mr Bosworth highlighted was the weedkiller Roundup with explaining it contains glyphosate and other toxic chemicals. 'Over the years it's been demonstrated over and over and over again, that there's a causative link between Roundup use and certain blood cancers,' he said. Roundup, originally made by company Monsanto, is the UK's most widely used weedkiller with the amount used in the agricultural sector rising by 16 per cent between 2016 and 2020, revealed an Ends Report. But since the 90s, studies have found its active ingredient glyphosate to be linked to liver and kidney disease, infertility, birth abnormalities and cancer. Bayer, the company which purchased Monsanto in 2018, has denied claims that Roundup or its active ingredient glyphosate causes cancer, claiming studies have shown the product is safe. However, there have been approximately 181,000 lawsuits filed against the weedkiller Roundup as of January this year, according to the Bayer website. In 2020, Monsanto agreed to pay almost $11billion (£8billion) to settle most Roundup cancer claims, and additional trials are expected to resume this year. In the UK, the controversial chemical glyphosate remains legal for use until December this year—when the government has to decide if it will approve its use for another 15 years. It follows an urgent warning from scientists last month after they found toxic chemicals in UK tampons. Experts tested 15 boxes of tampons from UK retailers across a range of popular brands including Tampax, Lil Lets, Superdrug, Tesco and Boots. Analysis revealed one sample, which has not been named, contained 0.004mg/kg of glyphosate – a toxic chemical that is the world's most popular weedkiller. While this may seem like a small amount, this is 40-times the level permitted in drinking water.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Why longevity doctor threw away popular kitchen gadget that hundreds of thousands of Aussies use every day
It's one of the much-hyped kitchen gadgets found in many Aussie homes - but a longevity doctor is warning against using it. Dr Poonam Desai, from New York, has revealed why air fryers may cause more harm than good. 'I am a longevity doctor and I threw out my air fryer,' she said. 'While air fryers provide a healthier alternative to dep frying by using less oil, they can produce acrylamides - chemicals linked to cancer - during high-heat cooking.' According to the SafeWork NSW, acrylamide is classified as potentially cancer-causing to humans. Acrylamide is a white crystalline solid, a chemical that forms naturally in certain foods - particularly in starchy foods like potatoes - when cooked at high temperatures. 'The longer and hotter the food is cooked, the more acrylamide it can produce,' Dr Desai claimed. 'Many air fryers contain non-stick coatings that contain PFAS that can be harmful to health.' While current exposure to PFAS in Australia is generally considered low and not directly linked to widespread health issues, the Australian Government PFAS Taskforce has reported potential associations with certain cancers. Dr Desai said she would avoid using air fryers for health reasons - but if she had to cook in one, she'd choose an all-stainless steel model. However, she emphasised that she would only use it occasionally. In Australia, air fryers are considered safe to use - as long as they don't have a PFAS-based non-stick coating, which can pose health risks when exposed to high temperatures. Her video has been viewed more than five million times - with many surprised with the statement. However, not everyone was convinced, with one pointing out: 'They said this 40 years ago with the microwave. Funny thing, every house still has one.' Dr Desai's warning comes just months after she revealed why she recommends her patients with no dietary restrictions drink regular cow's milk instead of the skim alternative. 'Here's why I prefer whole milk over skim milk. I choose whole milk because the fat helps with better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A and D (which are often added back into milk),' she explained. 'The fat also helps slow down glucose spikes, making it a more blood sugar-friendly option.' Dr Desai explained how the process of making skim milk can result in the loss of natural health benefits - including vitamins. Most skim milk is typically made by spinning full cream milk in a centrifuge at high speed, forcing the fat to separate from the liquid. 'To make skim milk, manufacturers take out the fat content. But with it, they also take out the healthy stuff like vitamins A and D. They then add them back in as an additive,' she said. 'I don't know about you but I prefer to get my nutrients in its most natural form. Not only that, vitamins A and D are fat soluble vitamins. 'What that means is they need fat for optimal absorption so skim milk has less fat, then it has vitamin A and D as an additive but it's not even absorbed as well as the vitamins in whole milk.' In Australia, skim milk, also known as fat-free milk, contains the lowest amount of fat and calories compared to other dairy milks, with no more than 0.15 per cent fat per 100g. Despite offering less fat and fewer calories, Dr Desai explained why she avoids skim milk at all cost. 'Skim milk is not good for your metabolic health because it causes a faster rise in glucose levels,' she said. 'Milk naturally has lactose, which is a carbohydrate and carbohydrates will spike your blood sugar but they will spike it even faster without fat content. 'Fat content in whole milk helps curb that sugar high that comes when you have carbohydrates. 'So if you ask me, I prefer to drink whole milk over skim milk because it provides better nutrient absorption and less of a glucose spike.'
