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…

Joyce Hollman

If walking is good for you, is running better?

Running and walking each have their advantages in terms of fitness and impact on conditions that can impact long-term health. But is one better than the other? It really depends on your individual goals and one especially important factor…

Carolyn Gretton

The connection between deep belly fat and Alzheimer’s

Belly fat signals much more than weight gain. It can hide a ticking time bomb deep in your abdomen known as visceral fat. This type of fat has already been linked to diabetes, heart disease and stroke — and now the most feared condition of aging…

Joyce Hollman

Deep sleep holds clues to cause of tinnitus

A person with tinnitus constantly hears phantom sounds like ringing and humming. While not life-threatening, tinnitus makes life difficult, and often leads to anxiety and depression. Scientists have begun to connect what happens in the brain during sleep with this condition…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

If malfunctioning mitochondria kick off aging, what’s the ‘fix’?

Mitochondria are bean-shaped structures that provide the energy our cells need to function. When they malfunction and age, so do we. Is there a fix? The Buck Institute for Research on Aging made a discovery that puts them hot on the trail…

Joyce Hollman

How cell phones assault male health and manhood

Mobile phones, cell phones, smartphones. What we call them has changed but the fact that they emit electromagnetic radiation hasn’t. Neither has scientific curiosity about how these devices we hold so near impact our hormonal health…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising reason behind red wine headaches

Why is it that red wine causes headaches in some people but not in others? Scientists investigating this phenomenon traced the culprit to a normally friendly flavanol that becomes the body’s foe when mixed with alcohol…

Carolyn Gretton

How formaldehyde reprograms our cells for cancer

Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence. That’s how lifestyle habits can turn bad genes around, and now how we know that formaldehyde can give you cancer…

Joyce Hollman

What triglycerides have to do with dementia

Your body needs fat, but your brain actually craves it. The quality of the fats you eat determines how well your brain’s cell membranes work. That’s our introduction to the complex relationship between triglycerides and dementia…

Joyce Hollman

The missing amino acid linked to depression

New research indicates that a deficiency in an amino acid could be part of what causes depression. But previous research has validated its importance in metabolism, heart health, immune function and even longevity. Are you getting enough?

Dr. Geo Espinosa

5 natural ways to shrink the prostate

If you are one of the 14 million men who suffer from an enlarged prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), it is understandable that you would like to find a way to shrink your prostate or at least reduce its symptoms.

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

The cardiologist says: Eat without guilt over the holidays

The holiday season is all about excess: Whirlwind shopping, celebrations, abundant food… And just so you know, I hope to enjoy it all! About that abundant food… My plan is to keep it in perspective. After all there is some guilt-free good news…

Joyce Hollman

Iron, chemicals behind red meat’s link to diabetes

Over a decade ago we were warned about red meat and diabetes. Maybe we’ve been sidetracked by sugar, but understanding how meat can elevate diabetes risk by more than 50 percent is a message a new study hopes to drive home…

Joyce Hollman

Rewind the clock on your brain’s age

Time marches on, but you don’t have to join the parade. Research is stacking up, in one area in particular, that it’s more than possible to slow down how old your body feels and acts. And the organ that runs the show is where to start…

Joyce Hollman

‘Loneliness’ prescriptions are putting older adults in jeopardy

Whether it’s empty nest syndrome or other life changes, it’s not uncommon for people to assume loneliness goes hand-in-hand with getting older. But that’s a misconception that’s leading to a problem: seeing bouts of loneliness as an excuse for doctors to prescribe drugs that are putting seniors in danger.

Joyce Hollman

Exercise’s immune response trigger reveals how it fights disease

Decades of research confirm that exercise promotes head to toe health. But did you ever wonder exactly what it is about exercise that helps prevent disease? Find out what really goes on inside of your cells when you exercise…

Carolyn Gretton

Get a literal grip to slow your biological age

Diminished grip strength has proven to be a surprisingly reliable indicator of health issues like cardiovascular events, declining brain function and metabolic disease. And that’s not all a weak grip can point to. Turns out grip strength may be related to how fast or slow our bodies are aging…

Jenny Smiechowski

Do you know the sweet potato weight loss secret?

If you’re planning on preparing sweet potatoes for the holidays or any time after, there’s something you should know: Not only are they tasty and nutrient-rich, but when prepared a certain way, they’ll give up a goldmine of super slimming peptides…

Carolyn Gretton

Immune system underactive? T cell burnout may be why

If you seem to catch whatever bug is going around, your T cells may be exhausted. This type of exhaustion isn’t something a quick nap can fix, but researchers are exploring exactly why it occurs, revealing big clues about what to do about it.

Joyce Hollman

Move over, blueberries: Strawberries are the new superfruit for your brain

You can’t open an app these days without reading about the superfood status of blueberries. But what if you’re not a fan of that tiny bitter berry? Good news! Here’s why the strawberry is fast rising to the status of superfruit…

Carolyn Gretton

The fungus that causes Alzheimer’s-like brain changes

We all have this fungus in our bodies. But for the most part, it isn’t a problem until it starts to grow out of control. When that happens, we’re in for a world of hurt in various parts of the body — especially when it crosses the blood-brain barrier…

Carolyn Gretton

How smoking stops your body from fighting off cancer

We’ve all been warned that smoking causes cancer. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what this habit does to our bodies, starting with hijacking our natural tumor suppressor genes making cancer more complex and even harder to treat…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What happens at work that doubles men’s heart disease risk

There are a lot of health problems that men and women share, even heart disease. But what differs are the causes and risk factors. One cause of heart disease for men is not so much of a surprise. But the fact that it puts our dads, brothers and husbands at twice the risk is…

Joyce Hollman

The sneaky way salt can lead to diabetes

If you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes, hopefully, you already know the ground rules, like avoiding high glycemic foods. But what most of us don’t know is that salting our food can be as quick a path to diabetes as sugar…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Anti-cancer key found in anthocyanin-rich foods

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. And survivors are left reeling from the chemotherapy, radiation and surgery used to fight it. That’s why our focus must be on prevention, starting with the unbelieavable power of purple food…

Joyce Hollman

4 tips for protecting your heart from menopause

Menopause is a time of life that many women dread. It is fraught not only with major changes but also health challenges. For women who have completed this journey, heart disease is the #1 killer. That needs to change…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How beer can beat back a common stroke syndrome

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never thought of drinking beer as a healthy habit. But there’s no denying it contains a powerful compound that just might be the answer to a dangerous metabolic condition affecting one-third of Americans…

Joyce Hollman

4 symptoms of a blood clot you should never ignore

Clotting of the blood is a normal bodily function. When things go as planned, blood clots any time there is an injury to a blood vessel. Sometimes, though, the process goes off the rails and dangerous complications can occur. Here’s how to know the signs, and how to minimize your chances of a deadly blood clot…

Jenny Smiechowski

What dark chocolate does to your eyesight in just 2 hours

Carrots are full of antioxidants that support healthy vision. So are citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables and plenty of other plant-based foods. But what if you’re in the mood for something a bit more decadent, delicious and fast-acting? Well, this should be a pleasant surprise…

Carolyn Gretton

5 micronutrients Alzheimer’s brains are missing

With Alzheimer’s on the rise, experts are exploring every angle to slow the disease’s progression. Drugs have been disappointing, but nutrition is another story. Researchers just identified five key nutrients found in normal brains, but missing in brains affected by Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

It’s official: Cranberries keep urinary tract infections away

Centuries ago, Native Americans valued cranberries for bladder health. And like me, you probably grew up with a mom who suggested cranberry juice to avoid UTIs. But science scoffed at this anecdotal evidence, chalking it up to an old wives’ tale. That is, until now…

«SPONSORED»