Latest Stories

Latest Stories

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

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

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

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…

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…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The macronutrient that improves cognitive function fast

Glitches in cognition are unsettling, even if doctors say not to worry. It’s hard to know what the future holds. But supporting brain health with a macronutrient that’s validated to improve things fast, is easy.

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

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…

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

Scientists find 109 chemicals never reported in people before

Recently researchers detected 109 chemicals in the bodies of women. Among them were 55 which have never been reported in people before, plus 42 “mystery chemicals” whose sources and uses are a complete unknown. So how do you avoid becoming a walking pool of potentially harmful chemicals?

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.

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?

Carolyn Gretton

Are ultra-processed foods the new smoking?

Ultra-processed foods have been around for decades, but their health effects are finally being called out. Some researchers believe ultra-processed foods may be the new smoking…

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…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

When eating a banana is a bad idea

Americans could really afford to increase our uptake of fruits, especially those containing flavanols that support brain, heart and blood vessel health. But the one fruit that surveys say is our favorite can undo all of that. Here’s when to avoid eating it…

Carolyn Gretton

The symptom that pushes metabolic syndrome over the edge

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of five conditions that can add up to serious health threats. You only have to have three to get a diagnosis. But one surprising factor not previously connected to the syndrome has been found to act on the body to accelerate aging and damage to your health…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why you should take fish oil with your antibiotic

A growing number of germs are becoming harder to treat with antibiotics, like those that cause drug-resistant pneumococcal pneumonia, staph or even MRSA. But scientists may have the answer: next time you’re prescribed antibiotics, you should supplement omega-3s, too…

Margaret Cantwell

What you should know about lead levels and high blood pressure

Exposure to heavy metals comes in many forms. But when it comes to threats we can’t see or put a finger on, it’s easy to put them out of mind. We can’t do that with lead, even at low levels, since researchers have seen how strongly it impacts blood pressure…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Tinnitus: Helping the brain learn to filter sound again

Less is known about what causes tinnitus than about the risk factors associated with it. That’s why people with the condition are often told nothing can be done about it. Luckily, researchers who understand how the brain filters sound haven’t given up…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

How a car ride raises BP as much as a high-sodium diet

Long-term exposure to air pollution, like that caused by traffic, has been linked to dangerous health conditions, from heart disease to lung cancer. But what about in the short-term? You’ll be shocked at what a single car ride can do to your blood pressure…

Carolyn Gretton

The diet that takes diabetes down, except when it doesn’t

It can be tough to separate the good from the bad when choosing a diet plan. That’s why scientists are paying closer attention to the health impacts of certain ones. And when it comes to diabetes, they’ve discovered something interesting about plant-based diets…

Joyce Hollman

The one brain change that matters more than tau and plaque

Not long ago the amyloid hypothesis came into question. One reason: amyloid plaques are found in the brains of people with normal cognition. But did you know there’s an earlier sign of impending Alzheimer’s we may be able to do more about?

Joyce Hollman

The alternative fuel source that powers up your immune system

A metabolic by-product you can trick your body into producing more of appears to supercharge immune cells as they fight infection and disease, research is finding. There are a couple of ways to get them going…

Carolyn Gretton

Omegas-3s may help slow pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that involves lung scarring and low blood oxygen levels. Current treatments can only help its symptoms so much. But researchers have discovered a link between improved lung function and a common nutrient found in fish and flaxseeds…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Obesity’s weird effect on when the body burns energy

Losing weight isn’t easy. That’s why so many of us have just made resolutions to give it another go. But now we have a clue as to why. New research reveals simply being obese actually changes when your body burns caloric energy…

Carolyn Gretton

The cancer 900 chemicals have in common

Chemicals are everywhere and we know they carry health dangers. But if you’re a woman, you may want to pay special attention to more than 900 chemicals in consumer products and our environment that carry cancer-causing traits for one kind in particular…

Joyce Hollman

How incontinence increases your odds of disability

If urine leaks when you sneeze or laugh, it’s embarrassing and inconvenient. But it may also be disabling. Research from major university health centers have linked urinary incontinence in women to an increased risk for disability, and have a clue why…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Decade-long study reveals what slows cognitive decline despite APOE gene

We’re told with age we can expect our memory to fail. But does aging really mean an inevitable journey of cognitive decline? Or can we stave off memory loss, even in the face of a genetic predisposition to it? 10 years of research shows how to do the latter…

Jenny Smiechowski

What centenarians and their children have in common

Researchers found that the offspring of centenarians and centenarians themselves have something in common helping them live longer than the rest of us. But joining their club is not out of your reach…

Joyce Hollman

How cold would you go to burn fat and cut diabetes risk?

There’s a large body of literature claiming that cold water immersion can do all sorts of things: end chronic pain, reduce symptoms of depression, boost the immune system, prevent diabetes and help you lose weight. Some of those have recently been shown to be true…

Joyce Hollman

The safe, effective quit-smoking pill Americans can’t get

It’s the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing close to half a million people each year. The good news is a safe and highly effective quit-smoking pill is available. But Big Pharma greed is keeping Americans from ever using it.…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Understanding who gets long COVID and why

It’s been a few years since Covid-19 became well-known. Nowadays, it’s making the rounds with the common cold and flu and infections seem milder but frequent. And it is those frequent infections that health experts are now most worried about…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Exercising for lower blood pressure: How much is enough

Let’s face it, exercise comes easily in our teen years but seems much harder as we get older. Most of us slack way off after our 40s. But when it comes to maintaining healthy blood pressure, you can’t skimp, but you can get some extra help…

Joyce Hollman

The secret to staying out of the hospital

No one enjoys being hospitalized, even if the reason isn’t life-threatening. The food is bad, the gowns drafty, tests demeaning and the longer you stay, the more muscle mass you lose. Luckily, there’s a not-so-shocking way to cut down on your chance of a hospital stay, even if you’ve already had a few…

Carolyn Gretton

Why diabetics have higher risk of severe lung infections

People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing serious lung infections following a respiratory infection. Diabetes can weaken the immune system, but its specific effects on the lungs have been unclear, until now. What research has found may signal a way to dial it back…

Joyce Hollman

The prebiotic hack that curbs your appetite

We’ve long known about the gut-brain connection and how the gut’s influence extends far beyond, well, the gut. But can the gut be optimized so it influences the brain to help us make better food choices? Recent research points to a solid yes…

Carolyn Gretton

Keto: The diet that combats polycystic kidney disease

The ketogenic diet has proven great for weight loss and blood sugar control, but not so great for the kidneys. Or so investigators thought, until they took a closer look at the impact of keto on a specific type of kidney disease….

Carolyn Gretton

Brushing twice daily may keep respiratory illness away

Dentists advise toothbrushing twice a day to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Those are good enough reasons for practicing good oral hygiene. But it turns out toothbrushing may cut down on at least one serious respiratory disease…

Carolyn Gretton

How nutmeg could lead to a longer lifespan

We’ve all heard the saying “the spice of life.” And nutrition research has proven several spices are exactly that. Spices have been found to improve specific conditions and improve health in general. Now one such spice has given up its secret for healthy aging…

Carolyn Gretton

Why only some of us get a brain boost from cocoa

Flavanols have a great reputation for heart and brain health. Cocoa is a source that’s been shown to be a real brain booster in some studies, but not so much in others. Researchers dug to the bottom of these mixed results, and found something interesting about cocoa and who benefits the most…

Carolyn Gretton

Mitochondria may hold secret to Parkinson’s diagnosis and treatment

Parkinson’s disease affects millions. Yet there is no single test to diagnose it, so years may pass before the standard treatment starts. But a revelation about mitochondrial involvement could lead not only to a definitive blood test but new treatment as well…

Joyce Hollman

When heart disease can spell dementia later in life

Most of us think that heart disease is a condition of old age. It happens to people in their 60s and 70s. But this is a fallacy. It can strike much earlier than most of us realize. And the earlier it does, the higher the risk of dementia down the road…

Carolyn Gretton

The seed that could help prevent breast cancer

Seeds, arguably the smallest part of any plant, often contain potent nutrition. Some exert particular influence on the gut, where their benefits are elevated even more. In fact, one seed and its action in the gut could play a key role in preventing a disease women dread…

Margaret Cantwell

10 best ways to blast inflammation from your body

Autoimmune problems that arise when your immune system attacks your own organs may afflict as many as 50 million Americans. However, making certain dietary changes may bring a measure of relief and offer protection against this widespread health issue…

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