>> Dr. Terry Simpson: Before 1800, even those who survived

childhood rarely lived past their mid-30s to

early 40s. And that was despite eating

organically, free from microplastics and

artificial dyes. It wasn't kale or root

vegetables that boosted human lifespan. It

was clean water, vaccines and modern

medicine. That's why I cringe when I hear the likes

of Mark Hyman say if

doctors were trained in nutrition, we could prevent

90% of heart disease and type 2

diabetes. It sounds

inspiring. It's also wrong.

Today we'll unpack why, what the evidence really

shows, and why public health depends on both

nutrition and medicine.

I'm Dr. Terry Simpson, your chief medical

explanationist, and this is Fork U

Fork University, where we make sense of the

madness, bust myths, and teach you

real food and real medicine.

To begin with, I'm actually certified in culinary

medicine and follow a Mediterranean diet. I

believe in nutrition, but expecting it to work

magic alone. That is not reality.

The DASH trial dietary approach to stop

hypertension showed that eating more fruits

and vegetables while cutting sodium lowers

blood pressure about as much as taking a single pill.

That's great, but if you already have heart

disease, diabetes or kidney problems,

diet alone won't cure you. You need medicine,

too. And here's the perspective Hyman leaves

out. Life expectancy didn't soar

because we ate clean. It soared because of

sanitation, vaccines and modern medical

care. Let's talk about a perfect

example. Samoa. In 2019,

Samoa had a diet health gurus would post

on Instagram. Fresh fish,

tropical fruit, root vegetables,

then measles hit. Two years before, in

2017, two infants died after nurses

improperly prepared MMR vaccines.

Public trust collapsed in vaccinations. The

government suspended its vaccination program for nearly 10

months, and coverage plummeted to about

31%. Into that

gap stepped anti vaccine activists.

Yes, including RFK Jr

spreading misinformation. By

October of 2019, measles had ripped through

the islands. Over 5,700

infections and 83 deaths, mostly

in toddlers and infants, in a population of

just 200,000. Schools

closed, public gatherings were banned. The government

ordered unvaccinated households to hang red

flags outside so mobile vaccination

teams could find them. Only when vaccination

rates soared did the outbreak stop.

Tahiti's story is familiar. Incredible

diet, plenty of fresh local food. But measles

still spread. The difference between

life and death wasn't the menu. It

was the vaccination. Nutrition is

important, but against infection, disease,

medicine, not mangoes, wins every

time. Mark Hyman is a family medical trained

physician. He co directed Canyon Ranch's health

program, later founding the Cleveland Clinic's center

for Functional Medicine. Though that leadership has quietly

ended. Functional medicine isn't recognized by the

American Board of Medical Specialties. You can get

certified if you're a dentist, a nurse, or a

chiropractor. Pay the fee, take the six

month course, print the certificate. In

California, at least, chiropractors can't legally call

themselves physicians. But in other states they can

and they do. And patients are

easily misled. Now Hyman

is pushing his Make m America Healthy Again

movement, borrowing the RFK Jr

playbook, using the language of prevention to sell

supplements. Here's the money trail.

My Crestor, a statin cost

$2.36 for a three month

supply. My doctor doesn't profit from prescribing

it hymen supplements. 100 bucks for

the same time straight into his pocket.

Here's some real evidence. Let's talk about the Lion Diet

heart study that showed the Mediterranean diet cut the risk

of another heart attack by 72% in patients or

with established heart disease. But here's the

detail Hyman won't tell you. These patients stayed

on statins, aspirins and blood pressure

medications. The diet complemented

medicine. It didn't replace it.

The Jupiter trial found that statins reduced

Cardiovascular events by 44% in people

with a normal, low density lipoprotein. That's the

bad cholesterol, but an elevated crp, that's

a, uh, form of inflammation. You won't get that from

kale or coconut oil. Medications like

statins, antihypertensives, and modern

diabetic drugs outperform diet alone.

In advanced disease, nutrition training

is important, but that should start from

kindergarten to 12th grade. We

doctors are here for absolution, not for

repentance. Why? This is personal.

You know, my dad had his first heart attack at age 55,

and he had to retire because the heart attack was so bad from the University of

Alaska. Doctors told him not to expect another

20 years. Five years later, statins hit the

market. He took them along with his other medications

faithfully. He lived independently, wrote a

memoir, and outlived, uh, both his primary care doctor

and cardiologist. And he died at 98 just

a couple of years ago. My dad didn't eat perfectly.

There was always a bowl of candy by his chair. He drank

a ton of coffee. But it was science, not

perfection, that kept him alive and

independent for 43 years after

his heart attack. Here's the bottom

line. Nutrition is essential.

Medicine is essential. The best results

come when we combine them. Science backed,

not supplement hyped. When Hyman says

doctors just need more nutritional training to prevent

90% of diseases. RA Remember, that's a

sound bite. That's not a solution.

Check out my blog@yourdoctorsorders.com and

forq.com this episode was

researched and written by me, Dr. Terry Simpson. And uh, while I am

a board certified physician, I am not your

physician. If you're on a health journey, please check with

your doctor. And a registered dietitian, Not a

chiropractor, not an eastern trained shaman who can't

prescribe or even pronounce the medications we've discussed.

Distribution and audio were handled by my friends at Simpler media

and the pod God. Mr. Evo Terra. Have, um,

a good week everybody.

Hey Evo, what percentage of functional medicine do you

think is just functionally profitable?

Profits over patience.

Every time with those guys. Every time.