Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The red fruit that lowered blood pressure like medication

Like a lot of fruit, often the most nutritional and health-promoting parts are the parts we throw away. When it comes to this unique red fruit, the same is true. But considering it lowered blood pressure as well as a prescription medicine, it warrants learning how to eat the most effective parts…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Move over high blood pressure: There’s a new ‘silent killer’

Hypertension has long been the silent killer, damaging blood vessels without obvious symptoms until heart disease develops. However, experts are warning about a new silent killer, just as pervasive and sneaky, making up 60 percent of the average American adult’s diet…

Carolyn Gretton

Real or artificial: The sweet drinks linked to AFib

Sugar may taste sweet. But its health impacts are anything but. And artificial sweeteners have lots of problems of their own. The best advice? Unless you want to risk AFib and stroke, quench your thirst, not your sweet tooth…

Carolyn Gretton

What Kundalini yoga does for those at high risk for Alzheimer’s

One out of nine Americans over 65 has Alzheimer’s. The odds of becoming that ‘one’ grow with every risk factor you may have. Some risk factors can be managed, while others can’t be changed: Almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women.

Joyce Hollman

The ‘other change’ behind menopausal weight gain and disease risk

If you’re post-menopausal, you’ve experienced a lot of change, but one’s recently been identified that helps explain why weight gain and higher risk for metabolic disease are among them. The loss of those hormones impacts a certain organ more than anyone thought…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Move over fish and krill oil: Is this the omega-3 for you?

The fact that fish oil is packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids is no secret. Because it’s got its drawbacks, we can also reach for krill oil. But hold on to your hat… there’s a third contender in the ring. Is this what you’ve been waiting for to transform your health?

Joyce Hollman

From kidney disease to heart disease: How much salt matters

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for people with Chronic kidney disease (CKD). And CKD can raise the risk of CVD significantly. They often occur together and share many of the same risk factors — and one popular spice…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The one fruit moms-to-be and older adults need

What do moms-to-be and seniors have in common? These two groups may seem worlds apart but they have one very important issue in common: special nutritional requirements that can make or break their health. One fruit can help them both thrive…

Carolyn Gretton

Lose fat exercising just two days a week

For optimal health and weight, experts say we have to get anywhere from 75 to 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week. But who has time for that much exercise? That’s why scientists have been exploring whether it’s truly necessary to get that much…

Joyce Hollman

The diet linked to cancer, heart disease and 30 other conditions

It’s no surprise a steady diet of the wrong foods packs on pounds, raises blood pressure and blood sugar and ruins good health. But when you come face to face with facts from 45 studies that include 30+ conditions and cancer, time to look at what we’re eating…

Easy Health Options Staff

FDA Alert Concerning Cinnamon: Check your spice rack for lead-tainted brands

The FDA has issued an official alert concerning certain ground cinnamon products due to the presence of elevated levels of lead. We’re sharing the six brands you need to check for and dispose of, as well as a link to their full statement concerning the scope of the problem.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The down-the-road dangers of heart attack

Experts say quick emergency treatment is why seven in ten people now survive a heart attack. But the road they face post-heart attack won’t be an easy one. It’s the beginning of working even harder to secure their health, and why anyone should try that much harder to avoid a first attack…

Carolyn Gretton

Depressed? Your immune system may have been hacked

Your immune system defends against injury and disease. It attacks pathogens, neutralizes harmful substances and fights disease-causing changes in the body. But less has been known about its role in depression, until experts realized it can get hacked — by stress.

Joyce Hollman

The critical deficiency doctors can finally test for

The human body can produce many of the nutrients it needs to maintain health. But not all of them. And if you’re not eating all the right foods, you could be deficient in one of the most critical: omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, someone’s doing something about it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The menopause-migraine link to heart attack and stroke

Heart problems in women are risky enough for reasons like having symptoms doctors are slower to recognize. But a life transition there’s no escape from and higher odds for migraine makes matters worse. Here’s what you need to know about this risky combination and how to protect yourself…

Carolyn Gretton

Is it IBS or IBD?

IBS and IBD have a few things in common: they both affect the GI tract and can cause constipation, diarrhea, pain and fatigue. They’re both difficult to diagnose and can make life miserable. Here’s your guide to understanding the differences and getting relief…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising truth about medications and driving

If you take certain medications, you may have seen “Do not operate heavy machinery” on the label. For sleeping pills, that may seem like a given. But there are others you may be surprised to learn could get you into trouble if you take them before driving…

William Davis

Dimethylglycine: The key to stamina, performance and endurance

In the 1970s, scientists were able to isolate an amino acid known as DMG from its source. Eventually, it became one of many nutrients used by athletes to help give them a performance edge. But why should athletes get all the benefits? Find out what DMG can do for you…

Joyce Hollman

15 risk factors for young-onset dementia

When dementia hits before 65, it’s considered young-onset and may have strong genetic ties. But if epigenetics has taught us anything, it’s that genes don’t reign supreme, and scientists have identified 15 factors that can make all the difference.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How concerning is news about lead in Stanley cups?

Drinking water is a healthy habit — one that’s made tumblers popular for keeping it cold and tracking how much we drink. But headlines implying some cups contain lead could make you wonder if your healthy habit has been sabotaged. Here’s why that cup may be the least of your worries…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Study reveals what men can expect after prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer presents a range of outcomes. Some diagnoses are favorable enough doctors only advise watching and waiting. Others need more aggressive treatment. From one end of the spectrum to the other, men have needed more to go on to make critical decisions. Now they may have it…

Joyce Hollman

8 steps to slow aging as much as six years

The American Heart Association has a running list on how to achieve optimal heart health. As a nation, we’ve got a lousy score. But an unexpected finding of adhering to this list doesn’t just mean a higher score… it can help you turn your age back as much as 6 years.

Joyce Hollman

The weird connection between mouthwash, gum disease and diabetes

There’s an especially complex relationship between gum disease and type 2 diabetes. It’s a loop where one condition exacerbates the other, and vice versa. But research says it may be possible to gargle away both problems. Let’s look at the facts…

Carolyn Gretton

Activating a gene that slows brain aging and increases lifespan

No one really likes restricting calories. However, it becomes much more attractive when research says it could help slow brain aging and increase lifespan. But to this point they haven’t been entirely sure how. A gene influenced by diet may change all that…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why a fat cell’s ability to burn energy fails and how to avoid it

Being overweight or obese is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. That’s because it becomes harder to lose weight and easier to gain it, all at the same time. But now we know why fat cells lose their ability to burn energy, what triggers it and how to avoid it…

Joyce Hollman

The daily trick for overcoming pain

Chronic pain can consume you, make you unable to concentrate on work or family, and ultimately keep you from doing things you enjoy. Drugs can be both disappointing and risky. But science says there’s a daily habit for overcoming pain that really works…

Carolyn Gretton

The nutrient deficiency driving age-related memory loss

There’s an idea emerging among researchers that the aging brain requires specific nutrients for optimal health, just as the brain of an infant needs certain nutrients for proper development. That’s led them to discover one particular deficiency that drives age-related memory loss…

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin your spine needs the most to battle disc degeneration

If you live in the northern hemisphere, you’re most susceptible to a vitamin deficiency that can have far-reaching health consequences, mostly involving your bones. If you’re a woman that makes you especially vulnerable to a perfect storm that sets you up for disc degeneration…

Joyce Hollman

The diet habit exercise can’t save your heart from

To avoid just about any ailment, you’ll find some research that shows how exercise can shut it down. When it comes to heart disease, it may just be the Holy Grail. But there are heart health risks associated with one diet habit that even exercise may not help…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The high-calorie snack that burns fat and slims bodies

What would you say if I told you there’s an amazingly healthy snack food that most of us don’t eat, even though the disease-fighting benefits are through the roof? Why? For fear this high-calorie, delicious-tasting snack causes weight gain. But the truth, in fact, is the total opposite…

Joyce Hollman

10 minutes a day helps keep flu from turning fatal

The flu may be the furthest thing from your mind this summer. But Australia is having an intense flu season right now, an indication we may too. If you’ve got 10 minutes a day, you can start doing something now that could keep a bout of flu or pneumonia from turning fatal.

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…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 ailments to take apple cider vinegar for

Overweight, diabetic and suffering from everything from heart disease to cancer could describe a large percentage of U.S. adults today. If you want to make sure you don’t end up this way, there could be powerful help sitting on your kitchen shelf right now…

Jedha Dening

For lowest BP, eat your beets this way

Beets are a root vegetable we love for their bright purple flesh and pleasing sweet flavor. And if you’ve beat around the bush for a while, you might be aware that beets help your body produce a heart-healthy compound called nitric oxide. Here’s how to get the most of it…

Joyce Hollman

Fluctuating cholesterol: Causes and links to dementia

For a long time, the only concerns the medical community had about cholesterol were high levels and an inconsistent link to heart disease. Then, research uncovered cholesterol’s significant role in the brain, and that levels can do much more than climb high or lay low…

Carolyn Gretton

The strong connection between naps, hypertension and heart trouble

Evidence is stacking up that napping is connected to heart trouble. If you’re around the age of 60, you’re most affected and need to take a serious look at your blood pressure, how long you sleep at night and how frequent those naps have become…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What an extra cup of coffee does for diabetes risk

Considering that 1 in 3 of us have prediabetes, researchers know the implications could be huge if they could could find a simple fix. Especially if it’s something most of us enjoy, don’t need a prescription for and tackles a key inflammatory biomarker…

Carolyn Gretton

That low-fat dairy advice has more holes than Swiss cheese

Cheese and other whole-fat dairy foods have endured a bad rap for far too long. Considering it’s one of six foods linked to longevity, experts are calling for a re-evaluation of low-fat recommendations and have proof the old advice has more holes than a hefty slice of Swiss cheese.

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin that reduced atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation or AFib causes an irregular heartbeat. When blood pools in the atria (top chamber) of the heart, stroke risk increases. AFib is not the same as heart palpitations. Here’s how to tell the difference and the vitamin that may keep the condition at bay…

Joyce Hollman

Why menopause makes time in the sun riskier

Sun exposure is a double-edged sword. The good side: vitamin D; the bad side: photoaging. But it goes deeper. Sun exposure can further throw a post-menopausal woman’s hormones out of whack, making her more vulnerable to significant health risks…

Carolyn Gretton

How green tea may shrink uterine fibroids

By age 50, up to 80 percent of women suffer with uterine fibroids. These non-cancerous tumors cause lower back pain, heavy bleeding, exhaustion, pain during sex, complications during pregnancy and bladder trouble. Research shows a tea habit may help…

Carolyn Gretton

How purple produce pushes back at blood sugar problems

The anthocyanins found in purple, blue and red plants pack a powerful punch against a host of inflammatory-related conditions and blood sugar issues. But researchers digging deeper into the impact of these powerful antioxidants have discovered an interesting quirk as to why they’re so effective at reducing diabetes risk…

Joyce Hollman

The light aging your skin that sunscreen can’t block

Electronic screens expose your eyes to the damaging effects of blue light. But what many don’t know is, the sun is a significant source of blue light and, just like UV rays, blue light prematurely ages your skin. But unlike UV rays, sunscreen can’t protect you…

Carolyn Gretton

The ‘Barbie drug’ for tanning, weight loss and cancer

It’s a lab-made chemical originally used to help treat certain skin conditions. It’s similar to a hormone produced naturally by our bodies that increases production of skin-darkening pignments. But it’s a killer tan that you want to avoid at all costs…

Carolyn Gretton

For lowering stroke risk, diet isn’t the answer (this is)

You’ve heard it time and again: eat healthy to protect your cardiovascular health. Yet stroke is the one cardiovascular condition that doesn’t seem to be influenced by diet. So, what can you do? The answer is another lifestyle factor (not exercise) that affects us all at one time or another…

Joyce Hollman

The dangerous connection between surgery and obesity

There are many good reasons to maintain a healthy weight. And most of them are on a long list of dangerous conditions. But it’s actually a health issue no one’s sounded an alarm about yet that may put anyone dealing with obesity in the danger zone…

Carolyn Gretton

It’s official: Aspartame could cause cancer

Much research has connected artificial sweeteners to not-so-sweet health issues, while health agencies continued to maintain their safety. It’s no wonder we’re confused. Now a recent declaration by a leading global health body has only made things murkier about this possible carcinogen…

Carolyn Gretton

How deep sleep tonight improves blood sugar tomorrow

Sleep is essential to our well-being. But we’re still learning how it helps prevent disease. One surprising finding? Deep-sleep brain waves reboot the body’s sensitivity to insulin, resulting in a more effective control of blood sugar the next day…

Dr. Geo Espinosa

Never buy foods with these 7 ingredients

Are you destroying your wellness with the food you buy at the supermarket? Learn about the seven deadly ingredient sins you may be unknowingly committing when you fill up your cart at the grocery. By purchasing health-promoting foods, instead, you can help your heart and lower your risk of cancer. Here’s how to make those crucial supermarket aisle decisions.

Carolyn Gretton

The troubling truth about arsenic and diabetes

There’s no question arsenic can be poisonous in large amounts. But are the small amounts we’re exposed to over time in rice and drinking water really that bad for us? Research points to yes. In fact, a recent study has underscored the connection between arsenic exposure, insulin production and sensitivity and type 2 diabetes…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

A three-way attack on erectile dysfunction

Remember that super sexy foodie scene from the steamiest movie to come out of the late 80s — 9 1/2 Weeks? In “that” scene, the two romantic leads share some sensuous snacks, including grapes and strawberries, while sitting in front of an opened refrigerator. But do you know what was missing?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Beat menopause with a 10,000-year-old Chinese secret

Menopause can be a nightmare of hot flashes, depression and fatigue. Luckily, there is an answer in a 10,000-year-old traditional Chinese practice that has helped many women overcome these challenges and reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms…

Carolyn Gretton

Can napping save you from brain shrinkage?

Brain shrinkage is linked with aging and cognitive decline. So the more we know about pumping up the volume, the better. Despite research linking the habit to health problems, going down for a nap may be the easiest way to keep your brain volume up…

Joyce Hollman

The factor inflating H. pylori’s gastric cancer risk by 45%

For most, the common bacteria H. pylori has no symptoms. But for some it leads to all sorts of gastric problems, like heartburn, indigestion, gastritis and gastric cancer. Now, research has found a troubling factor that can ramp that cancer risk way up…

Carolyn Gretton

Largest trial to date finds vitamin D reduces heart attacks

More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, which is why doctors pay such close attention to warning signs like blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But it looks like there’s another important level they should be paying a lot more attention to…

Carolyn Gretton

A lager a day keeps your gut flora robust

Numerous studies indicate that alcohol and a disease-free life just don’t mix. But is something about beer different? It’s been tied to fewer infections and blood clots and less inflammation. And now we may know the secret behind its health-promoting benefits…

Joyce Hollman

Exercise relieves depression better than medication

Besides a long list of side effects, antidepressants don’t always work, have been linked to dementia and cause weight gain. But according to a comprehensive review, there’s a free solution that works better than medication and the only ‘side effects’ are health and happiness…

Joyce Hollman

The Alzheimer’s symptom that signals an antioxidant intervention

Once diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there’s little that can be done. That’s why prevention and slowing progression has been the main focus of research. But one early symptom already has a well-researched solution that could be the intervention we’ve been looking for…

Margaret Cantwell

CoQ10: Your personal fountain of youth

St. Augustine, Florida, is said to be where Ponce de Leon discovered the legendary fountain of youth. If you’re looking for a lovely vacation, St. Augustine is a great choice. But if you’re looking for your own fountain of youth, how about an option heavier on science than myth…

Joyce Hollman

The one habit crucial for stroke recovery

No one wants to think they’ll have a stroke. The fact is, in the U.S., one occurs every 40 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke about every three minutes. But multiple studies show one habit can help you not only survive stroke but increase your odds of a full, unimpaired recovery.

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