Latest Stories

Latest Stories

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…

Margaret Cantwell

Cancelling the mercury threat in tuna

Toxic metals, like lead and mercury, cause brain damage, heart problems and kidney dysfunction. Abundant in daily life, the threat is real, but the news is good: Mercury can be manufactured out of our favorite nutrient-rich fish.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The least number of steps to lower heart disease risk

Wallking is great exercise with big benefits. Luckily, research is showing that while getting close to 10,000 steps a day might be an admirable goal, it takes far fewer steps to tip the scales in favor of a healthy heart and longevity…

Joyce Hollman

The easy way to improve fitness factors for healthy aging

If you’re looking forward to good health in older age, exercise is essential. And if you plan your activities around your personal peak hours, you’ll improve two measures of healthy aging by working smarter, not harder…

Carolyn Gretton

It’s not normal aging: Dementia and a surprising driver

Some of us worry about losing physical independence with age, while others fear falling victim to dementia. But here’s the thing: neither frailty nor dementia is part of normal aging. And you can intervene early enough to keep one from leading to the other.

Carolyn Gretton

The ‘guardians’ that balance immune system response

The immune system is great when it’s working properly. But when it becomes overactive, it attacks healthy tissues and organs and can lead to devastating autoimmune diseases. That’s where guardians come in…

Joyce Hollman

Heart-protecting drugs that backfire when it’s hot out

It’s common for people with coronary heart disease to take medications that protect the heart and reduce risk of a heart attack or stroke. But these very same protective medications may actually elevate these risks during summer heat. Take these precautions…

Joyce Hollman

Embrace your cravings and still lose weight

Are pesky cravings your downfall when it comes to losing weight? It’s natural to desire what we perceive as off-limits. Would you believe there’s a way to have it all that can actually boost your weight loss efforts? Read on…

Carolyn Gretton

A hidden cause of Alzheimer’s that starts 20 years early

Alzheimer’s is a disease you often don’t know you have until damage is done. But now a marker has been identified that can predict it up to 20 years before symptoms appear, and the best part? It’s something we can actively work on.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The seed that takes down bad cholesterol and raises good

None of us want to add one more medication to a list that may already be long. So when a natural remedy, especially one with history, has the clout to improve cholesterol, that’s just too good to keep quiet about.

Joyce Hollman

Why women face a higer risk of death from heat-related illnesses

Older adults are vulnerable to heat exhaustion and stroke. But the threat is more often deadly for women and starts in middle age. In other words, women need more help cooling down. Here’s one way to get it.

Carolyn Gretton

7 reasons to wear sunglasses this summer and beyond

When I was in high school, all the cool kids wore Ray-Ban sunglasses. Now that we’re older, there are more important reasons to break out the sunglasses, and not just during the summer months, if you want to maintain healthy vision…

Joyce Hollman

Energy drinks, taurine and cancer? About that research

You may have seen some alarming headlines such as, “Urgent warning issued about cancer-causing energy drinks.” There are a lot of concerning things about energy drinks. But does new research linking them to leukemia affect you? Here’s what to know…

Carolyn Gretton

8 factors for lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor for early death. But eight factors, when improved, incrementally stack the odds for a long life. It may seem daunting, but improving just four gets you on the same playing field as people with normal BP!

Joyce Hollman

The ‘bone density’ berry that beats back bone loss

Bone loss can cause fractures that can be life-altering. But researchers found supplementing a powdered form of a certain tart berry can reduce post-menopausal bone loss and prevent osteoporosis…

Carolyn Gretton

Slow biological aging 3 years with a vitamin

People have sought the Fountain of Youth for nearly as long as recorded history. But it’s time to ditch the legend and reach for the vitamin that not only slows biological aging but also reduces your risk of the diseases that come with it…

Joyce Hollman

Insulin resistance: Early signs and ditching the diabetes danger

Insulin resistance isn’t a disease state. It is an early warning, though, that if things don’t change, that’s exactly where you body’s headed. But if you’re only focusing on food and weight loss, you missing some very important pieces of the puzzle…

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.

Joyce Hollman

The oral health-mental health connection for happy aging

There’s a lot of focus on living longer and living healthier. But depression and anxiety can often sneak in with age, surprisingly through your mouth. Here are four ways to keep that from happening…

Carolyn Gretton

How stress becomes a post-menopausal Alzheimer’s trigger

Women carry a higher burden for Alzheimer’s, two-thirds of it, actually. Loss of protective hormones during menopause are a prime contributor. But it’s a stress hormone that may push women’s risks much higher…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Electrolyte drinks: Good, bad or Fad?

Are Americans chronically dehydrated? The idea of that is making electrolyte drinks and powders hugely popular. Is there any truth to it or is it just a good marketing gimmick with questionable results? Here’s what the doctor says…

Joyce Hollman

Choline: Breaking barriers in Alzheimer’s prevention

The blood-brain barrier is a layer of cells that keeps harmful elements from the brain while letting nutrients in. If treatments can be developed to cross the barrier, a cure for Alzheimer’s could come soon. Choline is helping in the process in more ways than one…

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…

Joyce Hollman

Daily aspirin could keep cancer cells from spreading

It’s not unusual for doctors to suggest aspirin to avoid blood clots, though it’s not without risk. What is unusual is that the very mechanism that helps aspirin prevent blood from clotting can also stop cancer from spreading…

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?

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…

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

The drink to save your heart from high-fat stress eating

When life gets stressful, stress eating on high-fat food is a common reaction. But that bag of chips compounds the dangerous impact of stress on your heart. The right drink, though, contains nutrients powerful enough to dial it back…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Medicating against your circadian rhythm can be toxic

Most of us don’t think about what time it is when we take medication. Sure, you may have one or two your doctors suggest taking at a certain time of day. But if a headache hits, you probably pop a pain releiver without a second thought. That could be toxic and bad for you and your liver…

Carolyn Gretton

The syndrome that quadruples the risk of diabetic neuropathy

More than 50 percent of the half a billion people with diabetes suffer from a nerve condition that can cause pain and numbness. And most of them aren’t even aware they have it, the threats it poses or about the syndrome that quadruples their risk for it…

Joyce Hollman

What we can learn from the man beating Alzheimer’s

This is the true story of a 55-year-old man whose fate seemed to be sealed, When it came to genetics and dementia, he’d drawn the short straw: two copies of the APOE4 gene. But he didn’t take it sitting down. Today, his brain tells a different story, one that can belong to any of us…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why high fat adds up to high Alzheimer’s risk

Studies have connected a diet high in saturated fats with Alzheimer’s. But how these fats harm the brain hasn’t been clear. Now researchers reveal three distinct ways a high-fat diet can damage the brain in a short amount of time. But we wouldn’t tell you this if there wasn’t a way around it…

Carolyn Gretton

Microplastics are building up in blood clots

Research into the impact of microplastics on our health is still in its early days. But so far, the evidence is alarming, including the presence of microplastics in arterial plaques. Now researchers are finding microplastic blood clots deep inside the body…

Joyce Hollman

Genetic study dives into restless leg syndrome

For years, restless leg syndrome has puzzled the medical community. It’s not an autoimmune condition, but is a symptom of many. It disrupts sleep and carries a higher risk of death, heart problems and diabetes. For answers, international researchers have turned to genetics…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

4 factors that weigh heavy on breast cancer risk and death

Fat cells release hormones that, especially in postmenopausal women, can fuel breast cancer. But additional factors have been found to significantly stack the odds, whether weight is a factor or not. The good news is you can do simple diagnostics at home to identify these risks and turn them around…

Joyce Hollman

A vicious cycle: diabetes, heart and kidney disease

Diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease overlap so much that the American Heart Association has coined a new syndrome to describe people with two or more of these diseases. Here’s how to know if you’re at risk, and what to do about it…

Carolyn Gretton

6 ways to make your fresh produce last longer

It’s important to eat fresh fruits and veggies as part of a healthy diet. And right now, it abounds. But keeping that produce from quickly going bad once you get it home is a challenge. Here are some tips to make it a whole lot easier…

Joyce Hollman

How to clean your feet to avoid infection, fungus and warts

When you shower do you wash your feet? I mean seriously and intently. Or do you hope the soap trickles down to do the job? I’m guilty, too, but not properly washing our feet can lead to problems from ugly feet to warts and infection and the threat of fungus that’s rampant in summer…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What happens in your mouth could damage your lungs

When living with COPD, what happens in your mouth could not only worsen your symptoms but also speed progression of the disease. Here’s why you should talk to your dentist to keep mouth problems from fueling the fires of inflammation in your lungs…

Margaret Cantwell

Friend or Foe: Casting doubt on fish oil’s heart health role

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids the body can’t make but are vital for heart, brain, blood vessel and endocrine health. But you may be confused by headlines casting doubt on fish oil’s important role in supplementing this important nutrient. Don’t throw your bottle out yet…

Joyce Hollman

Over 60? 15 minutes can make or break your senior years

If you’re over 60 and hoping your quality of life doesn’t diminish with the years, pay attention: A long-term study has shown what you do with as little as 15 minutes of your day can cut your quality of life in half, increase hospitalizations and even lead to an early grave…

Joyce Hollman

Blood proteins signal cancer 7 years before diagnosis

Despite years of research, the best medicine has to offer is the potential to put some cancers into remission. But if we’ve learned anything about cancer, it’s that the earlier you know, the better. Could seven years be enough to change things for the better?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why a fracture can be more deadly than cancer

It’s no secret that with age, the risk of an accidental fall increases. Most of us don’t give it a second thought, or the potential for injury — like a fracture. But considering that stats show we have a better chance of surviving cancer, it’s something we can’t afford to ignore..

Joyce Hollman

The medicine cabinet ointment that fights respiratory viruses

Researchers have sought an easier way to reduce the number of viral respiratory infections, from the common cold to flu, that hit us year after year. They say the nose is the best place to start, and that an ointment in your medicine cabinet could do the trick…

Joyce Hollman

What catching up on exercise before 60 can do for your 70s

Women who reach midlife without being physically active may think they’ve missed the boat on avoiding frailty and the diseases of aging that can make senior life miserable. But research says you can turn back the clock on years of inactivity if you hurry up and get busy now…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Melanoma carries higher genetic risk than previously thought

Under threat of skin cancer, we’ve been warned to avoid the sun or slather up in sunscreen. And unlike other cancers. the idea of genetic risk has been far removed from the likes of melanoma, the most dangerous of the skin cancers. New findings indicate just how wrong medical experts have been.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The link between mitochondria, Alzheimer’s and pomegranates

If you’ve heard anything about Alzheimer’s, you’ve heard plenty about the amyloid and tau protein signatures that harm the brain. But these aren’t the only proteins that clump, and research says that secret links mitochondria and the potential to reverse a variety of age-related ailments.

Carolyn Gretton

The heart attack that happens when coronary arteries are clear

For women, heart attack symptoms differ from men. But the differences don’t end there. A heart attack is usually caused by a blockage in one of the main coronary arteries. But a type of heart attack can occur when those arteries are crystal clear, and it’s becoming more common in women…

Margaret Cantwell

The best nutrients to fight the #1 source of premature aging

The sun is responsible for about 90 percent of skin aging by damaging key proteins responsible for keeping it firm and smooth: collagen and elastin. You can fight back from the inside out with nutrients research says add a second layer of protection against photoaging.

Joyce Hollman

Keto: From metabolic disorders to mental health

The keto diet is very restrictive. But for people with serious metabolic disorders, it can turn health around. The key is changing the fuel your body uses to energize itself. And research is showing that fuel may have special benefits for the body’s most energy-hungry organ, the brain.

Carolyn Gretton

The urine test that could save more men from a prostate biopsy

Cancer screenings can help catch disease in its earliest stages. For men though, it’s a process fraught with anxiety. PSA screenings are often inaccurate and lead to unnecessary biopsies that can cause harm. With metastatic cases on the rise, men can finally breath a sigh of relief…

Carolyn Gretton

3 factors that age your brain’s weak spot the fastest

Our brains have a “weak spot.” It begins to show degeneration earlier than other areas of the brain. In other words, it ages faster. The good news is research narrowed a long list of factors that affect this weak spot down to three that age it the fastest so you can avoid them…

Joyce Hollman

Centuries-old ginger extract suppressed cancer cell growth

Ginger’s soothing digestive effects are well known. But a centuries-old ginger extract, popular in Indonesia as a medicininal drink, may actually hold a valuable secret: The key to stopping the spread of cancer cells…

Joyce Hollman

Don’t let ‘fear of flying’ anxiety ruin your summer

Fear of flying can ruin a vacation you’ve planned for ages, or make you a wreck if you fly for business. It doesn’t have to be that way — not if you try these tried-and-true techniques, tips, apps and supplements that can help you fly away from your feelings of anxiety…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising risk from reusable water bottles

Reusable water bottles are much more than a fad. They help us keep up with hydration efforts and that convenience promotes a healthy lifestyle. But if we’re not careful about how we use them, they can lead to sickness instead of wellness real fast…

Carolyn Gretton

The diet that crosses the blood-brain barrier

One diet keeps coming to the top of every list. It’s loaded with nutrients so powerful they’re studied for their potential to fight disease. Now there’s undeniable proof they cross the blood-brain barrier to feed your brain exactly what it needs to guard against decline…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The dangerous side of Low T: Serious heart health risks

While low T is often thought of as a bedroom problem, the truth is men who live with low levels of the male hormone, testosterone, face much more serious risks. In fact, a review of 11 studies indicates Low T is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease that can end a man’s life…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

What is borderline cholesterol, and what should I do about it?

If you’ve been told your total cholesterol is “borderline high,” you’re not alone. That’s a common scenario for about 85 million Americans. But what does that mean exactly? And should you be worried? The doctor says that depends on several factors…

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