DR MARC SIEGEL: What Dr. Oz says about Trump’s diet may surprise his harshest critics

I person known cardiologist Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, for galore years. I’ve interviewed him aggregate times connected my show, "Doctor Radio Reports" connected SiriusXM, and person besides spent clip astir the meal array with him and his family.

Many successful the cardiac and cardiac country fields successful New York person told maine that helium is 1 of the champion bosom surgeons successful history. I person ever recovered him to beryllium highly analytical and to person a bully consciousness of humor.

Dr. Oz spends a batch of clip with President Donald Trump these days arsenic they question to and be events together. He told maine precocious connected my amusement that helium is struck by however clever and comic the president is and however helium doesn’t really person a atrocious diet. 

Here are 5 things that struck maine astir the president’s fare pursuing our caller conversation.

On Diet Coke

Last week, the quality mediamedia excoriated President Trump for supposedly saying that Diet Coke kills crab cells. It is nary concealed that the president drinks a batch of fare soda, but it is little good known what helium thinks astir its properties.

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Here’s what Dr. Oz said to maine successful an interrogation for my show, "Doctor Radio Reports," connected SiriusXM. "We sometimes question together, and truthful I was joking with his lad astir thing his lad knows precise well, which is that his begetter is precise clever. He volition woody with your chastising him oregon disagreeing with him successful a humorous way. I was giving him a small spot of grief for drinking fare soda, and helium said, ‘What are you talking about? This worldly volition termination grass. That’s wherefore I deliberation it astir apt kills crab cells.’ It was a joke. Obviously, nary 1 is going to reason that fare soda has that impact. It’s humorous that radical don’t person a consciousness of humor. Nothing astir that remark is unsafe oregon harmful. I deliberation astir folks took it successful the close spirit."

On Trump’s Sense of Humor

Clearly, not everyone took the president’s "kills grass" remark successful the close spirit, and galore successful the quality media utilized it arsenic yet different level to onslaught Trump. But Dr. Oz’s remark to maine — that it’s humorous that radical don’t person a consciousness of wit — is besides noteworthy, due to the fact that wit is bully for your health, adjacent if fare soda isn’t (I don’t deliberation it tin termination grass, but it decidedly isn’t healthy).

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Humor, connected the different hand, is precise steadfast due to the fact that it decreases accent and accent hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine), which strain the heart, and tin amended mood. Humor besides releases feel-good hormones, including oxytocin, which improves bonding and lowers humor pressure. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/the-health-benefits-of-humor/

On Trump’s Cognitive Ability

Dr. Oz told maine helium is impressed with the president’s absorption connected the occupation astatine manus and his thrust to execute things. Oz said, "The president is remarkably beardown successful his quality to get things done. He calls astatine each hours, he’s focused connected this job. It’s wanting to bash this occupation good that keeps him truthful energized."

President Donald Trump speaks arsenic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from left, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Oz's woman Lisa Oz perceive during a swearing successful ceremonial for Oz to beryllium Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, successful the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, April 18, 2025, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In fact, highly skilled, cognitively demanding jobs with precocious decision-making authorization are associated with a little hazard of dementia. The president often comments astir however good helium performs connected repeated cognitive tests, and helium appears articulate and engaged, which doesn’t support the media from speculating excessively.

On Trump’s Diet and Fast Food

Dr. Oz made the constituent that President Trump’s fare is overmuch amended than radical whitethorn deliberation portion he’s astatine the White House and Mar-a-Lago, but that connected the roadworthy — and, of course, helium travels often — helium has less options, truthful helium turns to accelerated nutrient due to the fact that helium knows it has to conscionable a definite modular and volition beryllium well-prepared.

President Donald Trump appears with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz sermon the TrumpRx.gov medicine website, connected Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, astatine the White House successful Washington, D.C. (Pool / Fox News)

Dr. Oz said to maine during the interview, "Sometimes helium eats junky food. He says this to me, and others person heard this arsenic well, [that] erstwhile he’s connected the roadworthy his main extremity is to not get sick from a repast that’s not well-prepared. Going to the larger concatenation fast-food joints allows him to bargain nutrient that’s precise standardized, precise safe, and allows him to support going astatine afloat speed. When helium eats connected his own, backmost astatine Mar-a-Lago oregon the White House, helium eats plentifulness of steadfast foods that helium has entree to and that helium mostly consumes. I don’t deliberation it’s just to accidental that helium has a ‘bad diet.’ But he’s connected the roadworthy a lot, and sometimes erstwhile you are connected the roadworthy you can’t prime the meals you privation to person — you person to devour what you tin get."

There is immoderate information to what Dr. Oz is saying here. Overall, foodborne unwellness is much prevalent successful restaurants than successful fast-food chains. And a survey released successful 2017 by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania recovered that concatenation restaurants committed an mean of astir six violations per inspection, compared to an mean of 9 for non-chain locations.

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Of course, this attack ignores the MAHA movement’s absorption connected ultra-processed foods arsenic a apt origin of obesity, diabetes, bosom disease, and definite kinds of cancer.

On Trump’s Exercise and Sleep

Dr. Oz didn’t get into this straight during our interrogation connected SiriusXM, but "calling astatine each hours" apt means the president is not getting capable sleep. Less than 7 hours of slumber per nighttime has been linked to poorer health, and it is improbable that the president sleeps astir that much.  And though helium is simply a large golfer, and play is an fantabulous signifier of relaxation and exercise, helium could astir apt get adjacent much of his indispensable workout if helium played without the play cart.

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On the different hand, President Trump’s humor unit has repeatedly been shown to beryllium normal, and his cholesterin is good managed with medication. 

According to his physicians, his physicals person each been wholly normal, which is particularly awesome for a 79-year-old. While immoderate mightiness not privation the president well, Dr. Oz’s insights overgarment a reassuring picture. But please, spell casual connected the aspirin, Mr. President.

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