Dr. Mindy Pelz on Ice Cream, Trans Fats and Glyphosate: A Fair Check
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 · Part of our series What health influencers get right and wrong
In plain words: Dr. Pelz is right that trans fats raise heart disease risk. But mono- and diglycerides, the emulsifiers she pointed to in ice cream, aren't trans fats, though a large French study did link them to slightly higher heart and cancer risk. A claim on her podcast that glyphosate acts as a glycine "Trojan horse" was made by a guest and was directly tested and not found.
Who is Dr. Mindy Pelz?
Dr. Mindy Pelz is an author and podcast host known for her fasting and women's health content. Her podcast episodes include food topics like "the most dangerous types of ice cream."
How we checked
We collected claims from this person's own website, podcast transcripts or show pages, and checked each quote at the source in October 2026. When we couldn't find a claim in their own words, we left it out or say so. Then we compared each claim with human studies, large reviews and the positions of food-safety agencies like the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). We grade the claim, never the person. Many popular voices mix good advice with ideas that go further than the evidence, and that's true here too.
Claim by claim
| What Dr. Pelz says | Our verdict | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| "That creamy texture is monoglycerides and diglycerides, which are trans fats" (ice cream episode) | Not supported | Mono- and Diglycerides |
| Trans fats increase heart disease risk (ice cream episode) | Supported | Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fat) |
| Glyphosate acts as a glycine "Trojan horse" (said by a guest on her podcast, ep. 340) | Contradicted | Glyphosate Residues |
Where Dr. Pelz gets it right
- Trans fats. Industrial trans fat is linked with more heart disease and death.1
- Being wary of ice cream additives. A large French study did link mono- and diglycerides to slightly higher heart disease2 and cancer risk.3 So her instinct had some support, even though the trans-fat label was wrong.
Where the evidence points another way
- Mono- and diglycerides aren't trans fats. They'd contain trans fat only if made from partially hydrogenated oil, which is no longer allowed in US food.4
- Glyphosate and glycine. A 2019 lab study looked for glyphosate replacing glycine in human-cell proteins and found none.5 The claim came from a guest, and the episode promoted a mineral supplement.
Good to know
- An "aspartame is an obesogen" quote attributed to her appears only on a third-party site we didn't consider reliable, so we didn't grade it. See Aspartame for the evidence.
- Her fasting advice is outside the scope of this ingredient guide.
The takeaway for families
Choosing ice cream with a short ingredient list is a reasonable habit, just for slightly different reasons than "trans fats." And be cautious when a podcast claim about a farm chemical comes paired with a supplement to fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Are mono- and diglycerides trans fats?
No. They'd contain trans fat only if made from partially hydrogenated oil, which is banned in US food.
Does glyphosate replace glycine in the body?
No. A direct lab test found no glyphosate substituting for glycine in human-cell proteins.
Sources
- Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2015. PubMed 26268692 · doi:10.1136/bmj.h3978
- Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2023. PubMed 37673430 · doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076058
- Food additive emulsifiers and cancer risk: Results from the French prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. PLoS medicine, 2024. PubMed 38349899 · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004338
- FDA: Trans Fat. Link
- Glyphosate does not substitute for glycine in proteins of actively dividing mammalian cells. BMC Res Notes, 2019. PubMed 31395095 · doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4534-3
This guide is for general education. It is not medical advice and does not replace advice from your doctor, pediatrician, allergist or registered dietitian. If you think you or your child reacted to a food, talk to a health professional. Research changes; we review these pages when new evidence or rules come out. Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].