Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Joyce Hollman

What a high-fat diet does to the brain in just 3 days

Obesity has been linked to cognitive decline, even Alzheimer’s, but researchers questioned if it really was the weight, which can take years to gain, or the high-fat foods harming the brain. In just three days, they had their answer.

Joyce Hollman

From UTIs to sepsis: Eat this to reduce infection risk

Two bacterial strains commonly found in the gut are behind some nasty infections, such as UTIs, meningitis and sepsis, and can lead to diarrhea and liver abscesses. The best nutrient to keep them under control is one Americans don’t get nearly enough of…

Carolyn Gretton

A cholesterol cure to save your heart and your vision

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has no known cause and no known cure. But scientists are seeking to change that. Their explorations into AMD’s mechanisms have uncovered a surprising link between AMD and heart disease….

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Young-onset colon cancer and heart disease: A concerning parallel

You might be surprised that a cardiologist has something to say about colon cancer. But we’re seeing a parallel: what causes heart disease earlier in life may also be a setup for aggressive colon tumors.

Joyce Hollman

The Japanese secret to avoid brain shrinkage

One factor related to cognitive decline is brain shrinkage, also known as brain atrophy. As brain size decreases, connections between brains cells are lost and that leads to problems with thinking skills, memory and even performing daily activities, But a Japanese diet may keep your brain plump and sharp…

Joyce Hollman

Is CoQ10 the answer to chronic fatigue syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome has puzzled doctors for decades. People with the debilitating condition have felt left out in the cold and worse, told “it’s all in their head.” But several recent studies have found that low blood levels of an important nutrient may be to blame…

Joyce Hollman

The medication that trades acid reflux for hypertension

Acid reflux is more than annoying. If not managed, it can develop into even more serious conditions. But if you’re treating it with the popularly prescribed and OTC acid busters, you may notice your blood pressure start to rise…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising benefits of regular sex in menopause

Women in menopause tend to lose interest in sex. Considering it can become painful, that’s no surprise. What is surprising is that a “pleasure prescription” may be just what’s needed to overcome this challenging time of life…

Carolyn Gretton

This ancient Chinese herb could be the next big thing in cancer treatment

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has millennia of evidence backing up its remedies. Which is why when searching for the next cancer breakthrough, researchers have turned to an unusual medicinal herb with a solid reputation for acting against cancer cells…

Joyce Hollman

Diabetes + obesity = a recipe for serious liver damage

Metabolic syndrome can lead to serious trouble impacting different organs in the body. But it’s the combination of diabetes and obesity that can wreak significant harm on the liver. Here’s what you need to know…

Carolyn Gretton

The cellular longevity switch tripped by caffeine

After climbing for decades, it looked as though human longevity had hit a ceiling. But sometimes you can accidentally trip a switch that triggers a protective mechanism. When you drink coffee, it’s an ancient longevity switch hidden in your cells.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Meds for certain chronic conditions trigger heat-related dangers

Medications for four categories of conditions make it difficult for the body to handle hot weather by reducing its ability to sweat or increase blood flow to the skin. That can result in heat-related illness or increase risk of heart attack. Are your meds on this hot list?

Carolyn Gretton

The edge that could keep you out of the dentist’s chair

For a healthy mouth and avoiding gum disease, oral hygiene matters. So do regular checkups. But who couldn’t use an edge to stay out of the dentist’s chair, especially to avoid those procedures we dread the most…

Joyce Hollman

When dementia starts with your liver

When is dementia, not dementia? When it’s a liver disease that attacks the brain and leaves surprisingly similar symptoms in its wake. Good news? When this liver condition attacks your brain you can fight it with laxatives and medication…

Joyce Hollman

How the Keto diet may help treat Autoimmune Disorders

Scientists have suspected the Keto diet holds answers to treating autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Changes in the gut show they’re on target, but if the diet’s too extreme, a supplement mimicks the helpful effects.

Carolyn Gretton

3 ingredients that stop hot flashes, start weight loss in menopause

Menopause is not fun. Hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain… it all adds up to a really unpleasant time. But researchers have identified three key elements that can relieve the worst symptoms, and know exactly why they work…

Carolyn Gretton

Two molecules explain Alzheimer’s ‘mystery’ and enable early detection

Women are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as men. While the exact reason has been a mystery, there are plenty of plausible theories. But a connection between two molecules is strong enough to even lead to a blood test for early detection…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The stem cell secret behind middle-age spread

At middle age, some things are just expected, including the dreaded middle-age spread. But the more we understand about how that fat gets there, the better our chances of doing something about it, starting now…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Cold water immersion: Adapting your cells to live longer

It may not be your cup of tea, but evidence links cold water immersion to living longer. After taking a deep dive, researchers know why: It enhances a critical cellular protective mechanism that promotes health and longevity.

Jenny Smiechowski

How olive oil and chocolate keep your arteries clear

Some foods are just made for each other… Beans and franks. Chips and dip. Mac and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Spaghetti and meatballs. But nothing’s better than a food pairing that keeps your blood pumping…

Joyce Hollman

The major impact of mini-stroke on the brain

Stroke can change or take your life in an instant. But one type, known as a mini-stroke, is often referred to as a warning stroke. Heed it and you might escape significant harm. But that adage no longer holds up…

Joyce Hollman

Semaglutide melts muscle: Why that’s bad news for blood sugar

The list of harmful effects tied to semaglutide keeps growing. Sure, it melts fat, but almost half the weight loss may come from muscle loss. That’s trouble for anyone, but especially if you have blood sugar problems…

Carolyn Gretton

How antibiotics wreak lasting damage in your gut

The good news is that antibiotic use is on the decline after years of discovering the damage they do to the gut microbiome. But, there are times they’re necessary, and that means the risk of another sinister way they cause harm long after their use…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising risk AFib carries for early-onset dementia

Atrial fibrillation is more common in people over 65. But trends in certain risk factors are changing that, and linking the condition with more than a 50% increased risk for early-onset dementia, even without stroke…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The habit that helps cancer survivors live like they never had cancer

Colorectal cancer is growing among folks 50 and younger. But a potent daily habit could help survivors live longer, in some cases, than their peers who never had cancer. Here’s what we all need to know to kick our bodies into high gear for cancer survival and prevention…

Joyce Hollman

Diversify your flavonoids to ditch disease and live longer

“Eat the rainbow” was coined for a good reason: To reap the incredible disease-fighting benefits of flavonoids and reduce your risk of early death, research suggests it’s key to get them from these different sources…

Joyce Hollman

Why cannabis is as bad for your heart as cigarettes

There’s no question that smoking is a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But if you thought cannabis, smoking or eating edibles, was safer, we’ve got a warning about how it could impact your blood vessels…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The chemical exposure behind early onset breast cancer

Health experts are sounding a warning as rates of early-onset breast cancer in women under 50 are growing dramatically. It’s a trend, they say, that cannot be explained by genetics alone, and we know eactly why…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The weird warning your feet send about your blood vessels

Feet get cold, sore and tired. It’s par for the course, right — or is it? Your feet are surprisingly responsive to what’s going on in your body. One serious signal spells danger for your heart and blood vessels. Here’s how to recognize your feet are flashing a warning light that requires attention…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The deficiency threatening to bring back goiter

While goiter was once a common health problem, it seemed to all but disappear. So why are we now hearing it may be making a comeback, the kind no one wants to see? The reasons may surprise you…

Joyce Hollman

What standing on one leg reveals about aging

How well do you think you’re aging? Considering all we now know about slowing the rate of aging so we can reduce risks for functional decline and disease, we’d be foolish not to try. The first step is to gauge your biological age…

Carolyn Gretton

The vitamin that could treat and prevent pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a painful sudden attack that could land you in the hospital. Damage from repeat attacks put you in serious jeopardy. Rest, IV fluids, pain meds and antibiotics can only do so much. But this vitamin may treat, protect and prevent…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The ‘youth protein’ that age-proofs your vision

As age goes up, the more likely we are to experience vision loss due to age-related changes in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye. But what if it was possible to age-proof our eyes with the help of a protein that keeps them young in the same way collagen helps age-proof our joints?

Joyce Hollman

The bad side of good cholesterol linked to Alzheimer’s in women

Deciphering cholesterol readings can be complex but we all know HDL is the good stuff, or so we thought. For women, menopause can help bring out the bad side of HDL that could lead to the first sign of Alzheimer’s…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

5 scary heart health facts that could haunt you

Heart disease is not always top of mind. Maybe because we’ve become numb to it. Yet it remains the leading cause of death. While that almost makes it almost seem “normal”, it’s time to get scary serious about it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

6 cancers associated with ‘too much’ alcohol

The question of whether or not alcohol provides health benefits seems to have sparked a never-ending debate. It may have started with the French Paradox, but could end with these six cancers…

Joyce Hollman

What to know about the new heart disease risk measurement

Being overweight is considered a risk factor for heart disease. But rumblings among experts began casting doubt on BMI as a measure of that risk. It’s been missing an important fat distribution detail that gives a much clearer, potentially life-saving picture…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

These scientists say travel could help us defy aging

Based on the theory of entropy, which translates to the breakdown of cells and systems in humans — exactly what happens with aging — scientists have stumbled on a novel anti-aging intervention. Here’s how you can put it to work…

Margaret Cantwell

The golden ticket to a fall free of allergy symptoms

If nature can throw allergens at us, it’s not surprising the answer to taming them is found in nature as well. If anyone understands the concept of balance, it’s Mother Nature. Thanks to these natural allergy relievers, you could enjoy fall without walking around in an antihistamine fog…

Carolyn Gretton

How bacteria linked to gum disease increase cancer risk

The oral microbiome is the second largest microbiome in the body. Research links it with whole-body health and longevity when it’s balanced. When it’s not, gum disease-causing bacteria can increase risks for certain cancers…

Joyce Hollman

The nut that heals a leaky gut

A leaky gut is exactly what it sounds like. So you can imagine having one can lead to all sorts of problems, from pain to autoimmune disorders. Just 2 of these nuts a day can make a significant improvement…

Joyce Hollman

Who’s most at risk for skimping on omega-3s?

Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with healthy aging throughout life, promoting healthy brain and heart function. But as important as they are throughout life, they need to be there at the beginning too…

Carolyn Gretton

Stroke among sour health risks of a sweet tooth

Indulging a sweet tooth occasionally seems harmless. But having a penchant for sweets, especially when sugars hide where we least expect them, can raise several markers for serious trouble, particularly stroke.

Carolyn Gretton

Move over Lyme disease: a new tick illness is on the rise

Longer warmer seasons are making ticks a year-round menace rather than just a summertime scourge. That could be one reason why rates of a certain tick-borne illness known as “American malaria” are on the rise…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3,000-year-old spice battles autoimmune disease

Autoimmune disease turns your body’s once-balanced immune system into an overactive nightmare that begins attacking your own healthy cells and organs. Even with medication, many can be hard to manage. But an ancient spice may be what the doctor orders to improve your treatment plan…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The popular diet recommendation that could land you on dialysis

Before trying a high-protein diet to get healthy and lose weight, think again, especially if blood sugar is an issue. It’s advice that could backfire for those at higher risk for underlying kidney disease who may not even know it…

Joyce Hollman

The good and the bad: Drinks that impact stroke risk

Strokes seem to strike from nowhere. But in truth the risk of having one doubles every 10 years after age 55. Bad habits take it higher. But all of us know someone seemingly hit by one out of left field. Or was it? It could have been their favorite beverage.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Symptoms that can increase women’s dementia risk 74%

Alzheimer’s is almost twice as common in women, which makes identifying female-specific risk factors vital. Especially since experts estimate 40 percent of cases can be prevented or, at the least, delayed. These are the symptoms that need urgent attention…

Carolyn Gretton

The biomarker that could lead to a heart disease vaccine

There are a lot of differences between men’s and women’s heart attack symptoms and heart disease risk factors. But getting caught up in the differences makes it easy to miss lifesaving similarities, like a biomarker that may lead to a vaccine for heart disease….

Carolyn Gretton

7 food additives that can trigger type 2 diabetes

Emulsifiers do magic things to foods. They make them creamy, thick or even velvety smooth. They also keep our snacks on the shelves longer, so they’re always there when you have a craving. But that’s just the beginning of their bad side…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Manuka honey strengthens fight against ER+ breast cancer

Manuka honey comes from Australia and New Zealand, but what really makes it unique are anti-cancer compounds and that it blocks estrogen receptors. Here’s what researchers believe breast cancer treatment with Manuka honey could look like…

Joyce Hollman

The heart disease warning a mammogram shows

One in 31 American women dies of breast cancer yearly, but heart disease kills one in three. While tools to assess women’s unique signs of heart trouble have been lacking, a routine medical procedure has identified a common denominator that could save more lives.

Carolyn Gretton

Brain’s blood vessels reveal path to halt cognitive decline

There’s nothing “mild” about mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia. Early detection may slow it but that’s relied on ruling out other conditions. But blood vessels in the brain reveal clues on how it could be prevented…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to eat processed food and not get diabetes

Rates of type 2 diabetes just keep going up, and a lot of finger-pointing is aimed at the standard American Diet. Is your only choice to give up convenience for whole-food home cooking? Not necessarily…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Medical panel finally admits we need more vitamin D

Despite decades of mounting evidence on vitamin D’s prevention potential, the medical community has held fast to a very meager RDA. But change is in the air, at least for certain people and conditions. Did you make the cut?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The weekend warrior phenomenon: Beating disease 2 days at a time

Chances are we all know a weekend warrior: someone who gets in little activity during the week, but hikes, climbs, kayaks, or the like, every weekend. We could learn a lot from them, like how to avoid more than 260 diseases.

Joyce Hollman

4 common infections that spread cancer risks

Cancer isn’t as random as you might think. There are five types of cancer that are caused by four common viruses and bacteria. Knowledge is half the battle. Prevention can help you win it…

Carolyn Gretton

When sleep apnea sets you up for aortic aneurysm

Obstructive sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night. It can raise the odds of several cardiovascular complications. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is the latest to join that list…

Carolyn Gretton

Hashimoto’s: An often misdiagnosed thyroid disorder

An underactive thyroid can make you tired, achy, overweight and lead to mysterious symptoms including anxiety. That’s why it’s important to know if your thyroid is working as it should. If not, it could be due to an increasingly common and misdiagnosed autoimmune disorder…

Carolyn Gretton

Move over coffee: Tea lowers dementia risk too

We’ve known for a while that coffee has loads of health benefits, especially for the brain. But what about tea? Well, it’s time for tea lovers to celebrate, because their beverage of choice looks to be just as good for the brain as that cup of joe…

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