"The Game Changers" is billed as a documentary about meat, protein and strength. The mission: to show folks that for many professional athletes, a vegan or vegetarian diet gives them an e...

"The Game Changers" is billed as a documentary about meat, protein and strength. The mission: to show folks that for many professional athletes, a vegan or vegetarian diet gives them an edge over their competition, and it can do the same for you in the gym, on the field, at work and at home. As the vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian says: "When people ask me, 'How can you get strong as an ox without eating meat?' my answer is, 'Have you ever seen an ox eating meat?' "

Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil back up the documentary's claims. It turns out that it's the amount, not the source, of protein that matters when it comes to building lean muscle mass and strength. Their research, published in Sports Medicine, compared the effects of strength training on healthy men eating a vegan or an omnivorous diet. Daily for 12 weeks, volunteers took in 1.6 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of their body weight, either from a mixed diet containing animal and plant protein plus a whey protein supplement or from a plants-only diet and a soy-based protein supplement. Both groups increased lean muscle mass and strength equally.

The American College of Sports Medicine says that if you exercise regularly or are older, that's a good amount of protein to take in. And vegans and vegetarians need to make sure they get enough protein daily from whole grains, tofu, legumes and, as needed, a vegan or vegetarian protein supplement (think smoothie).

©2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Lady Gaga, Kate Winslet and even Gwyneth Paltrow have all admitted to smoking. Gwyneth goes for one cig a week on Saturday night; Winslet says she didn't do it around her kids - which this tip prov...

Lady Gaga, Kate Winslet and even Gwyneth Paltrow have all admitted to smoking. Gwyneth goes for one cig a week on Saturday night; Winslet says she didn't do it around her kids - which this tip proves is not good enough; and Gaga opts for smoking with a glass of whisky while she works, because, she says, "it just frees my mind a little bit."

What they don't realize is that not only are they putting themselves at risk for everything from super-wrinkles to lung cancer, heart disease, decreased orgasm quality and dementia, they are putting those around them in peril too. One study of 10,000 nonsmokers, average age 48, found that over six years, if they were exposed to enough second- and third-hand smoke so that their urine revealed smoking contaminants (living with or being around smokers can do it), their risk of premature heart failure skyrocketed 30%. Another recent study found that when a fetus or infant is exposed to secondhand smoke as a 6-year-old, he or she will have decreased lung function. Kids who were exposed both in utero and as young children had a 15% reduction in lung function at age 6.

Clearly it's just not a good idea to smoke, even a little. But if you still need help believing you should quit - one more study has found that for women, smoking is closely aligned with cognitive dysfunction, impaired verbal learning and the inability to memorize. For help, go to DoctorOz.com and search "10 Tips to Quit Smoking for Good."

©2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

To B12 or not to B12 - that's a question a lot of folks are asking. The answer? It depends. If you have a healthy blood level of B12, taking a supplement won't boost your energy, improve your mood ...

To B12 or not to B12 - that's a question a lot of folks are asking. The answer? It depends. If you have a healthy blood level of B12, taking a supplement won't boost your energy, improve your mood or sharpen your concentration. However, if you're deficient - and it's estimated that up to 15% of adults in the U.S. are - you can get those benefits from increasing your intake of certain foods and perhaps taking supplements or getting injections. So who's likely to B lacking?

- Vegans and vegetarians may be, because most B12 you can get comes from animal products. That's one reason it's important to eat grains that are B12 fortified.

- People over 50, because reduced levels of stomach acid hinder absorption. Folks taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastroesophageal reflux disease and acid reflux, the diabetes medicine metformin and aspirin can also have lower levels.

- Celiac, Crohn's and other gastrointestinal disorders may cause reduced levels of B12, as can drinking alcohol regularly.

- Weight-loss surgery also interferes with absorption.

You can check your level with a blood test. Most laboratories define subnormal serum or plasma values as lower than 200 or 250 pg/mL. A serious vitamin B12 deficiency can be corrected with weekly shots of vitamin B12 or daily high-dose B12 supplements. A mild B12 deficiency can be corrected with a standard multivitamin and by eating fish, skinless poultry and fortified grains, cereals and nutritional yeast. Three ounces of cooked Atlantic salmon delivers 2.6 micrograms; 3 ounces of broiled bluefin tuna provides 9.3 micrograms.

©2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.