Tom Brenna 1 source tracked
Nutrition scientist and analytical chemist specializing in fatty acids, infant nutrition, and mass spectrometry; professor at UT Austin's Dell Medical School.
About Tom Brenna →
Tom Brenna (J. Thomas Brenna) is Professor of Pediatrics, Chemistry, and Human Nutrition at the Dell Medical School and College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, and Professor Emeritus at Cornell University, where he spent 28 years on the faculty. His research focuses on polyunsaturated and branched-chain fatty acid requirements in the perinatal period, advanced mass spectrometry for biomedical applications, and high-precision isotope ratio mass spectrometry used in anti-doping science. His work contributed to FDA acceptance of DHA in U.S. infant formulas. He served on the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is a past president of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL). He has received the American Society for Nutrition's Osborne and Mendel Award (2017) and Robert Herman Memorial Award (2013).
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Breastfeeding is important in part because it delivers DHA/omega-3 to the developing infant brain.
“breastfeeding is so important. Kids are getting omega 3, they're getting DHA in breast milk.
TD▶ 0:48Certaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Organic (prompted)
Pregnant women should eat fish, not avoid it; higher fish intake during pregnancy is associated with better cognitive outcomes in offspring with no detectable harm even at 100 oz/week.
“Is it a mistake for pregnant women to avoid fish? Absolutely a mistake.
TD▶ 0:25DosageGovernment recommends 12 oz/week; studies show benefit up to 100 oz/week with no harmCaveatsMercury levels in fish are below detectable harm levels in studied populationsCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Olive oil (monounsaturated fat) is the preferred replacement for omega-6 vegetable oils.
“the best thing I think to replace it with is monounsaturated. So olive oil.
TD▶ 1:11:20CaveatsSupply limited; high-oleic sunflower/safflower/peanut oils are acceptable alternativesCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA) supplementation at ~2 g/day reduced colorectal polyps by ~50% at one year in individuals of a certain genotype.
“Two grams a day... it pushes down colorectal polyps... by 50%
TD▶ 1:10:18Dosage2 grams per day for one yearCaveatsEffect depends on FADS gene cluster insertion-deletion polymorphismCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Endorsement
Omega-3 Index blood test is a useful guide for assessing omega-3 status; below 4% is bad and above 8% is good.
“below 4 is bad and above 8 is good
TD▶ 1:18:35DosageTarget Omega-3 Index >8%; <4% is poorCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Fresh, unprocessed red meat should not be lumped with processed meat; the speaker sees no problem with fresh red meat.
“The red meat part, fresh red meat, I don't see a problem.
TD▶ 48:00CaveatsDistinguishes from highly processed meatsCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Whole-fat dairy should not be feared based on saturated fat content; Congress exempted it from the 10% saturated fat cap in school lunches and dairy fat is low in omega-6.
“if you're scared of cheese and milk... you're going to stay away from it
TD▶ 34:40Certaintyexplicitrecommendation -
The dietary guideline limiting saturated fat to under 10% of calories is not justified by clean evidence; studies conflate saturated fat with trans fat from partially hydrogenated marine/vegetable oils.
“the 10% limit is not justified
TD▶ 34:40Certaintyexplicitstrong warning -
Excess omega-6 linoleic acid from vegetable oils suppresses omega-3 metabolism and should be reduced; current US intake is historically unprecedented.
“omega 6 linoleic acid suppresses all the omega 3s metabolically, everywhere
TD▶ 1:05:20DosageSome omega-6 is required; current US intake is excessiveCaveatsSmall amount is essential—deficiency causes skin lesionsCertaintyexplicitstrong warning -
Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), including the historic partially hydrogenated whale and fish oils used in margarines, are harmful and should be avoided; they damage brain and retinal tissue.
“those weird looking fatty acids... go into the brain, they go into the retina. And that's terrible.
TD▶ 22:00CaveatsNow largely illegal in the USCertaintyexplicitstrong warning -
Organic (prompted)
Plant ALA sources like flax, chia, and walnuts are not equivalent to long-chain omega-3s (EPA/DHA) from fish; better than nothing but insufficient as a substitute.
“plant based sources of Omega 3 are not the same as the long chain Omega 3s
TD▶ 1:17:55CaveatsAlgae oil is a vegetarian source of long-chain omega-3Certaintyexplicitmild caution