Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

Why are more men dying from ‘broken heart syndrome’

Dying from a broken heart is not just something you’d read in a romance novel. Broken heart syndrome is a bona fide condition more likely to develop in women after the loss of a loved one. But why are more men dying from it?

Joyce Hollman

Don’t give up these carbs, for healthiest aging

Too many people still subscribe to the myth that carbs are bad. But not all carbs are created equal. And if you’re a woman, eating the right carbs can be like an insurance policy that will all but guarantee your health in old age…

Carolyn Gretton

4 factors to improve by 60 to avoid a nursing home

Healthy aging is something you might not focus on until you feel, well, older. But research shows how you take care of yourself, and the habits you form won’t only impact your health but also your risk of ending up in a nursing home. Pay attention to these four before you near 60…

Joyce Hollman

The 10 most frequently misdiagnosed conditions

Never leave a doctor’s office until you’re satisfied with the answers you get. A misdiagnosis can happen more often than you’d think, especially if you present with symptoms linked to conditions doctors frequently dismiss…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Are anti-inflammatories the secret to dementia prevention?

Several studies have found links between dementia and high levels of inflammation in the body. So researchers are begging the question, “Are NSAIDs the simple answer we’ve been looking for — to decrease brain inflammation and decrease dementia?”

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What’s the chemical burden of your personal care routine?

If your personal care routine is like most, with each swipe of deodorant, spritz of perfume or glop of hair product, you’ve layered your body with chemicals deemed hazardous in over 17 categories. Reducing the risks they pose can be easier than your think…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

10 warning signs you’re mentally exhausted

While the signs of physical exhaustion are easy to spot, mental exhaustion is harder to recognize. But its harm can be just as serious. Here are 10 signs you need to assess things before you reach the point of no return — and how to recover…

Joyce Hollman

Brain worms: Sorting cringeworthy fact from fiction

In National Geographic’s award-winning documentary, Body Snatchers, they reported, “Parasites have killed more humans than all the wars in history.” But how much do you know about them? From worms that cause cancer to brain worms, here are the facts…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Exercise reduces ‘insulin resistant’ dementia risk

Exercise keeps your brain from shrinking, slows its aging process and stimulates the growth of cells in your hippocampus. But when insulin resistance is part of the story, you’ve got to work harder to dementia-proof your brain. Here’s why exercise works…

Joyce Hollman

This Japanese spice turns up the heat on brain power

There are many foods that are good for your brain. But a new study adds one to the list that can improve your memory within weeks. Not many people can handle its heat though… but no worries, it comes in supplement form, too.

Carolyn Gretton

Microplastics in your artery plaque may be the final straw

Plastic waste can take from 20 to 500 years to decompose. As it does, it breaks down into tiny bits, showing up in brain matter and blood clots. But how it builds up in artery plaque may be the final straw. Do these two things to get ahead of it…

Joyce Hollman

7 skin changes that should never go unchecked

Your skin is a shield between you and the pollutants, UV radiation, pathogens and toxins you encounter daily. A lot can go wrong, and not just skin cancer. From skin tags to spots, skin changes warn of conditions that are more than skin deep…

Joyce Hollman

Trouble sleeping? It could lead to liver disease

Fatty liver has a new name that recognizes its ties to metabolic dysfunction. That means high cholesterol, blood sugar and belly fat can foreshadow liver trouble. But poor sleep could be a common factor that brings it all together…

Carolyn Gretton

12 medications you shouldn’t take with coffee

Coffee is generally considered a safe and health-promoting beverage. But if you drink coffee and take one (or more) of these 12 drugs, you’ll want to pause and consider whether coffee might be adversely affecting your medication…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Focus on protein? The fiber gap matters most

As a cardiologist focused on preventive health, I’ve noticed a preoccupation with protein, while a key regulator of metabolism, inflammation, appetite and immune function is being neglected. If you have concerns about health and weight, the fiber gap is where it’s at…

Joyce Hollman

Preventable metabolic disorder raises dementia risk 70%

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that increase risks for diabetes, heart disease and stroke, but it’s also a turning point. New findings reveal it can drastically increase dementia risks as early as 40. Time to turn it around…

Joyce Hollman

A brisk walk lowers a leading cause of stroke by 46%

Hopefully you’ve gotten the memo about the heart benefits of walking. And if you pick up the pace a little, you could avoid a condition that doubles mortality and is a leading cause of stroke…

Carolyn Gretton

How to live disease-free at 70 and beyond

Healthy aging is defined as reaching 70, free of major chronic diseases, with cognitive, physical and mental health intact. What if you’ve thrown caution to the wind for years? Can you turn things around? Here’s proof we can…

Joyce Hollman

The warning bladder leaks could have for your heart

It’s not unusual for research to discover connections between seemingly unrelated conditions. And that’s the crossroad we find ourselves at today, of urinary incontinence, heart problems and stroke…

Carolyn Gretton

Why a banana a day is key to regulating blood pressure

The doctor says to cut back on salt if your blood pressure is high. But that’s only half the story. If you’re not getting more of a nutrient essential to healthy blood pressure, even the most common BP medications won’t help much.

Carolyn Gretton

Losing it just to gain it back? Blame fat cell memories

It’s beyond infuriating when you work so hard to lose weight, only to see it effortlessly come back. This yo-yo effect is called weight cycling. Stop blaming yourself and understand your enemy to defeat it…

Margaret Cantwell

The super slimming secrets of olive oil

There are enough health benefits tied to olive oil that you really don’t need one more reason to make it part of your life. But these five reasons to choose olive oil over weight loss drugs are too good not to share…

Joyce Hollman

Sex hormones can trigger opioid-like pain relief

Chronic pain is one of the most difficult things someone can face. But a radical discovery can upend how we treat it, explain why some painkillers work better for women than men and reveal why menopause is painful…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The superfood enzyme that ‘dissolves’ sinus pain and pressure

Superfoods get their reputation because they’re nutrient dense and do for your body what it normally takes a variety of other foods (in copious amounts) to do. Or because they contain that “one amazing” ingredient, like the natural answer for your sinus problems…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising reason fatty liver can double your death risk

Fatty liver has a new name: metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. But it’s just as dangerous, and new research shows how it can practically double the risk of death from a host of unrelated causes.

Joyce Hollman

How to naturally suppress your appetite like those weight loss drugs  

Losing those first pounds may feel impossible. No wonder those weight loss drugs, even with a growing list of side effects, are popular. But what if you could naturally regulate your appetite, without the risk or expense?

Carolyn Gretton

It’s time to rename it ‘the anti-cancer diet’

Research has uncovered multiple ways that obesity spurs cancer in the body. But we know weight loss is not only difficult, losing weight takes time. Is there an answer to fighting this cancer fuel? One diet answers the call.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The Amazonian fruit ‘prescription’ that tames blood sugar

Insulin resistance is considered a driver for the cluster of conditions that make up metabolic syndrome. When blood sugar spikes often, the pancreas produces too much insulin and the body stops responding to it. Once the door’s open, it’s hard to keep the other conditions out…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Don’t trade hot flashes for liver damage

Menopause isn’t for the weak. But a new drug to relieve symptoms like hot flashes is on the market, designed for women for whom HRT could pose risks. Just be careful not to trade your hot flashes for liver damage…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The brain-boosting benefits of surfing the internet

There are lots of warnings linked to too much time on computers, smartphones and tablets. But surprisingly, how you use these devices could support your memory by improving a memory recall impairment linked to Alzheimer’s.

Joyce Hollman

Medicinal cannabis linked to health-related quality of life

Over the past decade or so, study after study and personal reports have demonstrated how cannabis can impact a variety of conditions. Now, it hits a home run in one area that few prescription drugs can touch…

Carolyn Gretton

The fermented, gut-loving benefits of sauerkraut

Wouldn’t it be great if there were just one thing we could do (or take) that could grant us complete health and well-being? The unfortunate truth is that no such “magic bullet” exists. But there is one thing that comes close…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Beef tallow: Benefits, risks and truths behind the trend

You can’t scroll through a social media feed without running across someone touting beef tallow’s benefits. From nutrition to skin care, this “ancestral fat” is definitely having its moment. Should you just jump on the bandwagon?

Joyce Hollman

The cruciferous compound that keeps fatty liver from advancing

Many people with fatty liver disease live a fairly normal life. But almost a third go on to develop an advanced form of liver disease, and experts have not understood why, until they made the connection to a key protective mechanism…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

How to handle that ‘growing’ prostate problem

If you open a magazine in a waiting room, you’d think only women face urinary problems. But that “growing problem” men face has them feeling the urgency, too. Finding relief starts with understanding prostate changes…

Joyce Hollman

When low-calorie sweeteners backfire: Increasing cravings & weight

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s reasonable to think low-calorie sweeteners are a good choice. Not so fast. They cause the opposite effect by hijacking an area of the brain that regulates appetite control and weight.

Joyce Hollman

4 common movements that cause back pain & what helps

The opioid crisis made it painfully evident that drug therapy, the first line of treatment for back pain, isn’t good enough. What can you do? Avoid movements that tweak your back and reach for nutrients that strengthen, relieve, support and heal.

Carolyn Gretton

Parkinson’s toxic triggers and how they enter the brain

Scientists have debated for years about where a protein that plays a crucial role in the development of Parkinson’s Disease originates. But more interesting may be how it gets to the brain…

Carolyn Gretton

Why bad breath is a red flag for liver trouble

From heart disease to dementia, the link between the health of the mouth and the health of the body has been firmly established. But for people with liver trouble, the link may be highest…

Joyce Hollman

The troubling effect gum disease has on COPD

Research has long shown that the health of the mouth is closely linked to the health of the body. Take heart disease. Now, we’re learning how it could exacerbate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Carolyn Gretton

The plant compounds that keep breast cancer from coming back

Surviving breast cancer can be a triumphant moment. But for many women, it’s tempered by the fear it may return. That’s why reasearch into plant compounds that can help are especially hopeful…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The strawberry solution to heart disease and diabetes

Strawberries are the sweetest thing about summer, pun intended. What’s even sweeter is news that eating them isn’t just enjoyable: adding strawberries to your daily diet means better blood sugar and a significantly lower risk of heart disease…

Joyce Hollman

2 factors that protect women from stiff arteries at any age

Stiff arteries, a harbinger of heart disease, can happen for a few reasons. But mostly, it’s another age thing we just have to deal with. But research has found that for women at least, 2 modifiable factors can protect against it — at any age…

Carolyn Gretton

The diet that slowed aging and reduced dementia risk

Diet is the foundation of heart and metabolic health. But for dementia, the focus has been on how specific nutrients affect the brain. Now, decades of research tells us slowing the body’s pace of aging should be part of the strategy, and the diet that does it…

Joyce Hollman

40 things that go wrong with your body when you don’t exercise

Hippocrates warned that if all parts of the body “are unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective growth and age quickly.” Modern science has proven him right. Here are 40 ways your health can go wrong without exercise.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Sleep impacts microvascular complications in T2D

If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, you know the importance of taking steps to keep your arteries healthy. But if your doctor hasn’t discussed your sleep habits, you could be missing a crucial factor in guarding against microvascular damage.

Carolyn Gretton

What cranberries can do for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and more

When you hear cranberries mentioned in a health conversation, you probably immediately think of urinary tract infections. But then we heard about their effect on cholesterol. Turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg for these little berries…

Carolyn Gretton

What receding gums signal about this shrinking organ

The cause of Alzheimer’s is elusive. But studies that find an association with certain conditions or practices provide clues for prevention. The more we learn about what causes brain shrinkage, the more healthy habits we can adopt to keep it healthy and plump as long as possible.

Carolyn Gretton

1 change in 17 risk factors reduces risk of stroke, dementia and depression

Health conditions start popping up like a game of Whac-a-Mole as we age. Smash one down, and another pops up. That makes prevention our best bet. What better odds than making one change to beat three diseases of the brain?

Joyce Hollman

Phthalates & placenta: The danger that breaches the womb

The placenta was thought to act as a shield protecting a developing baby from harmful substances. But a modern scourge has found a way to get in and wreak havoc. Here’s what moms-to-be need to know…

Carolyn Gretton

Dopamine receptors link pathways from ADHD to Parkinson’s and more

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and the brain’s reward center. New findings about it could lead to new treatments for disorders, including ADHD, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why the fight against colon cancer might start in your mouth

In my work, I see the data regularly and know that colon cancer has been on the rise for several years. As more and more research is being carried out to get to the root causes and slow the tide, a disturbing revelation may have just been found in a surprising place — the mouth.

Joyce Hollman

The common condition accelerating Alzheimer’s

More than a blood sugar problem, T2D can set you on the road to cognitive decline by kickstarting mild cognitive impairment, a transitional phase from cognitive changes in normal aging to those typically found in dementia.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Need an excuse to clean your tongue? Try these alarming conditions

You brush and floss, but do you scrape your tongue? One reason for this practice is to get rid of smelly bacteria that cause bad breath. Another is to keep ahead of conditions that steal your health.

Margaret Cantwell

Cordyceps: Superfood or Brain-hijacking ‘zombie’ fungus

Mushrooms are potent botanicals. And at the moment, one fungus in particular is trending: Cordyceps. You should know about its history with (hopefully, not the last of) us, and the fungus that’s made the jump from soil to humans…

Joyce Hollman

What vitamin C can do for pancreatic cancer

Some cancers are especially cruel, like pancreatic cancer. It’s hard to detect and can progress rapidly. But a treatment added to standard chemotherapy, could double the life expectancy for those facing this challenge…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The warning men get 10 years before their brain shrinks

While we all face risk factors that could steal our brain health, men need to start paying attention to them an entire decade earlier than women. For one brain threat, in particular, men’s vulnerability is greater, begins sooner and lasts longer…

Joyce Hollman

The snack swap that takes cholesterol down

Eating lots of fiber and doing lots of exercise can help lower cholesterol — an important measure to avoid metabolic syndrome, stroke and heart attack. But a simple nutty snack swap could work just as well…

Carolyn Gretton

The herbal compound that could reverse Alzheimer’s

Lifestyle factors help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. But once you have it, there’s precious little that can help. Or so we thought. Meet the herb research says slowed decline and turned brains back to normal…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The longlasting harm of brief glyphosate exposure

Glyphosate, the herbicide made famous by Roundup®, opened up a Pandora’s Box. It’s not in the news much, but it’s still a threat. That’s because even when exposed to a little, research shows it hangs around harming the brain…

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