Nutrition Diva

Adaptogens, Botanicals, and Boosters: Which Products Actually Deliver? | Nutrition Diva LIVE in NYC!

In this special live episode, recorded at the Drinks with Benefits alcohol-free festival in New York City—brought to you in partnership with Liquid I.V.—host Monica Reinagel dives into the fascinating world of functional beverages to separate scientific fact from clever marketing.

Monica explains exactly what you should look for on a label, how much of an active ingredient you actually need to see results, and why a sprinkle of "mushroom dust" doesn't necessarily make a beverage functional.

This episode explores the real evidence behind today's trendiest drink categories, including:
Adaptogens: How ingredients like ashwagandha affect stress resilience and why daily consistency matters.
Nootropics: The truth about mushroom coffee blends, and the powerful, jitter-free cognitive focus created by combining L-theanine and caffeine.
Sleep Aids: Why timing is everything for melatonin, and the current evidence for valerian root and magnesium.
Immune Support: The effectiveness of high-dose vitamin C, elderberry, specific probiotic strains, and medicinal mushrooms like reishi and turkey tail.

Not all functional drinks are created equal, but Liquid I.V. is a perfect example of formulation done right. Their hydration multipliers are clinically proven to hydrate you more efficiently than plain water alone. As discussed in the show, their Sugar-Free Lime Energy Multiplier perfectly balances 100mg of caffeine with 200mg of L-theanine to give you sharp focus and mental clarity without the jitters.

💧 Listener Perk: Use code 2026ND for 20% off your first order at liquidiv.com

A big thank you to our event partners for making this night possible:
🎉 Drinks with Benefits, for hosting this incredible alcohol-free festival
🍋 Liquid I.V., for bringing the clinically proven hydration and providing amazing White Peach and Lime Margarita mocktails for our live audience

Presented by Liquid I.V. @liquidiv #paidpartner
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

881. Bodybuilders have been taking creatine for decades, and its effects on strength and muscle mass are well established. Lately it's also being sold for brain health, better sleep, and menopause. The evidence on those newer claims is a lot thinner, but it isn't nothing.
Creatine is stored mostly in your muscles, where it powers short bursts of high-intensity effort. Your body makes some of it, and you get the rest from meat and fish, which is why vegans tend to run lower. Stores also decline with age as muscle mass drops.

Monica walks through what the research actually shows, including her own experiment with creatine supplementation:
Why creatine doesn't build muscle directly, and what it does instead
The 2 to 5 pounds of water weight most people gain in the first few weeks, and why it isn't the kind you'd notice in your jeans
What a 2025 meta-analysis found about creatine, resistance training, and strength in adults over 50, and why the training group eventually caught up
The sleep-deprivation studies, where a single large dose measurably improved memory and processing speed for up to nine hours
Why women may respond differently than men
What the cognition research in older adults does and doesn't support
Whether creatine is hard on your kidneys, and what that creatinine bump on your bloodwork really means
Loading doses versus starting straight at maintenance

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself!
Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.
Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com
Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

References
Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation | Scientific Reports
Single-Dose Creatine Reduces Sleep Deprivation-Induced Deterioration in Cognitive Performance
Creatine and Cognition in Aging: A Systematic Review of Evidence in Older Adults | Nutrition Reviews | Oxford Academic
The impact of creatine supplementation associated with resistance training on muscular strength and lean tissue mass in the aged: a systematic review and meta-analysis | European Review of Aging and Physical Activity | Springer Nature Link
Creatine in women’s health: bridging the gap from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause - PMC
Creatine Improves Total Sleep Duration Following Resistance Training Days versus Non-Resistance Training Days among Naturally Menstruating Females
Impact of creatine supplementation on menopausal women’s body composition, cognition, estrogen, strength, and sleep: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: Vol 22, No sup1
Effect of creatine supplementation on kidney function: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC

Related Episodes
877 - Why is everyone talking about L-Theanine?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

880. CoQ10 shows up in cellular energy production, in antioxidant defense, and increasingly, in marketing aimed at anyone over fifty. It's sold for energy, for athletic performance, and especially to the millions of people taking a statin, since those medications really do lower CoQ10 levels in the blood.
So who genuinely benefits? In this episode, Monica sorts the credible case from the promotional one. She covers why your body makes most of its own CoQ10 rather than getting it from food, what statins actually do to your levels and whether that matters, and what the evidence says about the claim that CoQ10 relieves statin-related muscle pain. You'll also hear the better-validated steps to try before reaching for a supplement, why she compares this situation to glucosamine and joint pain, how to take CoQ10 if you decide to test it yourself, and why the energy-boosting claims deserve real skepticism.

Join us for a live show taping on September 17 in New York City. Details at wellnessworkshere.com/live.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself!
Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.
Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com
Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

References
Marcoff L, Thompson PD. The role of coenzyme Q10 in statin-associated myopathy: a systematic review - PubMed
Grundy SM, Stone N. AHA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: PubMed
Kovacic S, Habicht SD, Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on myopathy in statin-treated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed
Warden BA, Guyton JR, Assessment and management of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS): A clinical perspective from the National Lipid Association - PubMed
Stroes ES, et al. Statin-associated muscle symptoms: impact on statin therapy - PubMed
Iatan I, Mancini J Statin associated muscle symptoms (SAMS): strategies for prevention, assessment and management - PubMed
Deng H, Song T Coenzyme Q10 supplementation increases blood concentrations but shows limited and inconsistent effects on exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed

Related Episodes
871
687
101
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

879. Are you eating too much protein, or not enough? The honest answer is that the question itself is flawed, because there's no single number that fits everyone.
In this episode, Monica breaks down why protein needs shift across a lifetime. The mTOR "growth switch" inside your cells runs hot during childhood, powering the tissue-building that young bodies require. In your 30s and 40s, dialing protein back may nudge cells toward repair and cleanup instead. And after 50, when muscle naturally starts to decline, eating more actually helps preserve strength, mobility, and bone health well into later years.
She also puts the recent longevity headlines in context. A widely covered review of animal studies found that lower protein intake can extend lifespan in flies and rodents, yet those results don't map neatly onto human biology, where lifestyle, genetics, and the rest of your diet all shape how you grow older.
Monica offers a more grounded way to think about protein: match your intake to your age, sex, and activity level, and treat the current RDA as a floor rather than a goal.
nutritionovereasy.com/calculator

Join us for a live show taping on September 17 in New York City. Details at wellnessworkshere.com/live.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself!
Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.
Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com
Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

References
The hallmarks of protein and amino acid restriction in aging and longevity: Cell Press Blue
Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population: Cell Metabolism
New Horizons: Dietary protein, ageing and the Okinawan ratio | Age and Ageing | Oxford Academic
Dietary protein intake and all-cause mortality: results from The Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project - PMC
The impact of dietary protein intake on longevity and metabolic health - PMC
Protein Intake and Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies - PMC

Related Episodes
699 - Are we eating too much protein? Or not enough?
847 - Does a high protein diet accelerate aging?
865 - The new food pyramid: progress or paradox?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

878. A tick bite you may not even remember getting can leave you unable to eat a hamburger, a slice of pizza, or a bowl of ice cream. That's alpha-gal syndrome, and it's turning up far outside its original range.
Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in the cells of most mammals but not in humans. When a lone star tick injects it under the skin, the immune system can start treating it as a threat. After that, beef, pork, lamb, venison, and sometimes dairy or gelatin can trigger a reaction three to six hours later, which is a big part of why this food allergy goes undiagnosed for years.
Today, Monica breaks down what the research actually shows:
Why the lone star tick's range is expanding into the Midwest, the Northeast, and eastern Canada
How alpha-gal syndrome differs from Lyme disease, and why they get confused
What the CDC's estimate of 450,000 cases means, and why the "1 in 4" figure circulating on social media isn't measuring the same thing
What a diagnosis means for your diet, including collagen, gelatin, organ meats, and why tolerance varies so much from person to person
Why symptoms can be worse on some days than others
Whether the condition is permanent, and what happens to antibody levels over time
How to lower your risk of tick bites, per the CDC
Where gene-edited GalSafe pigs fit into the picture

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself!
Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.
Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com
Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

References
About Alpha-gal Syndrome | Alpha-gal Syndrome | CDC
Nearly One in Four Adults in High-Risk States Have Alpha-gal Antibodies Linked to Tick-Borne Meat Allergy | Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases

Join us for a live show taping on September 17 in New York City. Details at wellnessworkshere.com/live.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.