Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Got 5 minutes? Lower your blood pressure

Managing blood pressure has its ups and downs. But when research tested this option on 14,700 volunteers, they had great news. If you’ve got 5 minutes a day you could have an easier time keeping those numbers down…

Carolyn Gretton

The fruity swap that beats back insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a slow but steady road to chronic illness, starting with type 2 diabetes. You can sit back and do nothing or reach for the tasty fruit that beats back blood sugar trouble…

Joyce Hollman

The best processed foods for weight loss

If you find it hard to follow a whole foods diet, abhor frequent trips to the market for fresh produce and enjoy the convenience of processed food, I’ve found a deal for you: Processed foods that make the weight fall off…

Carolyn Gretton

Medications that can increase your skin cancer risk

I learned at a young age that my pale skin burns fast. So I have an arsenal of all the “right ways” to protect it. Imagine my dismay at discovering all the medications that could sabotage my efforts…

Carolyn Gretton

The answer to reversing Alzheimer’s may already be on the pharmacy shelf

One reason Alzheimer’s disease is such a dreaded diagnosis is there’s no effective treatment to halt its progression. But one research team has found potential in medications that have been used for years to treat other conditions that appear to reverse it. But is the answer in the medications or the conditions themselves?

Carolyn Gretton

An over-the-counter medication activates cancer-protective genes

There are upsides and downsides to daily medication. Take aspirin. It may help prevent a heart attack, but for some, the risk of bleeding or stroke goes up. But, with care, there’s one disease where daily aspirin’s possible side effects may pale compared to its prevention potential…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

This one thing reduces Alzheimer’s plaques by 76%

Research shows it can beat back heart disease, stroke and cancer, and even slow brain aging and reverse age-related brain shrinkage. So, should we even be surprised it significantly reduces amyloid plaques?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Wearable devices help predict IBD flare-ups

Unpredictability might be the worst thing about an inflammatory bowel condition. There are times when pain and diarrhea are more than inconvenient. What if you could predict your next flare-up weeks in advance?

Joyce Hollman

Art by the numbers boosts seniors’ mental health

Older adults are at higher risk for depression. They can also fall victim to anxiety. You may have heard of paint by the numbers, but it’s art by the numbers that can give them the mental health boost they need…

Carolyn Gretton

What women should know about pelvic organ prolapse and UTI

Pelvic organ prolapse affects roughly half of all women to some degree. Surgery can relieve its impact on quality of life, but surgery alone may not be the answer to the frequent UTIs…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The heavy metal making your allergies worse

Living with allergies, you might think your miserable symptoms are something you’re stuck with. Hold on to your socks. If you’ve noticed they’re worse, it’s not your typical trigger…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Common medications that increase migraine risk by 70%

Migraines are like headaches on steroids. Bigger and badder, and typically require serious medication. But ironically, some medications for another very common condition can give anyone up to a 70 percent greater chance of suffering migraine.

Carolyn Gretton

The night and day difference light makes on your lifespan

Before electricity, people went to bed at dark and rose with the sun. Today, light bombards every part of our lives, but little of it is natural. Depending on your exposure, it could increase or decrease you lifespan by 34%.

Carolyn Gretton

A closer look at the gut’s connection to Alzheimer’s

A new wrinkle in Alzheimer’s research: Discovering that the gut and the brain communicate through neurons in both organs. What does that mean for early detection, treatment and prevention?

Joyce Hollman

What’s increasing stroke in women under 50?

Stroke is more common in people over 65. But younger people are not without risk. In fact, women under 50 are falling victim to stroke in increasing numbers. The reason may surprise you…

Joyce Hollman

What eating yogurt does to your colon cancer risks

Health benefits are linked to fermented foods, the most popular of which may be yogurt. If you eat it regularly, you’re risk may be lower for a type of colon cancer tumor known for poor survival rates.

Carolyn Gretton

Getting effective pain relief from cannabis

Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years, including to treat pain. Thanks to the failure of opioids, renewed interest in cannabis may result in new and improved pain relief…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Spring into heart health: A cardiologist’s list of the season’s best

Spring is the season of renewal and the perfect time to renew your commitment to heart health starting with food. With so much to choose from, how do you pick the most heart-healthy? Here’s my list…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Type 1 diabetes: weight loss and kidney disease risk

Type 1 diabetes was considered a “lean” disease, but like the general population, more people with the condition are facing obesity. They also face a serious danger from the weight loss pitfall known as yo-yo dieting…

Joyce Hollman

The fitness combo for cancer survival & longevity

“Getting fit” is a generic term that leaves you wondering where to start. This makes it easy: A combo of two types of exercise won’t just get you fit, but has clout for cancer prevention, survival and longevity…

Carolyn Gretton

Got 4 minutes? Cut heart disease risk in half

Exercse can reduce your risk of heart disease. But committing to a daily routine can be daunting. If that’s what’s holding you back, VILPA is for you. All it requires is 4 minutes a day.

Carolyn Gretton

How potent antioxidants protect your hormones against microplastics

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that pervade our environment. Worse, they pervade our bodies, wreaking havoc on hormones, breaching the blood-brain barrier, lodging in blood clots and residing in our organs. Here’s how to fight back…

Joyce Hollman

The discovery that could make root canals obsolete

Your mouth is the gateway to either health or disease in your body. So, when I learned a nutrient with tons of health benefits may also save me from a root canal, I knew I had to share it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

A strange connection: The immune system’s impact on blood sugar

Most of us only think of our immune systems when we’re worried about getting sick. But it’s tied to many processes in the body and may be a missing link in controlling blood sugar.

Carolyn Gretton

Harnessing the anti-aging potential of hormones

Beyond retinol and collagen, research knows hormones can slow the effects of aging. Take estrogen. But new research is about harnessing the body’s lesser-known hormones for their anti-aging potential. Discover how…

Joyce Hollman

‘Normal’ B12 levels linked to cognitive decline and stroke

Most people don’t worry much about their vitamin status. We let the experts set those levels. But are they getting it right? A high volume of brain lesions linked to stroke, cognitive decline and normal B12 levels casts doubt…

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…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why flossing could prevent stroke and atrial fibrillation

While we used to believe what happened in our mouths stayed in our mouths (like Las Vegas), the implications of poor oral health are far-reaching and alarming. Consider stroke and Afib…

Carolyn Gretton

Metabolic syndrome’s link to enlarged prostate

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increases risks for heart problems, stroke and diabetes. But research into the cause of enlarged prostate reveals that may not be all the damage it does…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Toxic metals linked to coronary artery calcium buildup

While it’s important to focus on traditional risk factors for heart disease, it’s crucial to recognize there are factors beyond diet, genetics and lack of exercise causing our arteries to slowly harden…

Jenny Smiechowski

Tis the season for high risk heart trouble on Christmas Eve

You’re just about to tackle the last of the of unwrapped presents when you feel tightness in your chest. A heart attack? On Christmas Eve? It’s more common than you think. So if you experience pent-up emotions this time of year, or plain old stress, time to manage them…

Joyce Hollman

Mistletoe: From Christmas tradition to cancer treatment

Hanging mistletoe is a popular holiday tradition. But mistletoe extract has gotten the attention of researchers as a potent anticancer agent. It’s already shown promise in treatment resistance cancer, so what’s next?

Carolyn Gretton

Blood pressure: The one thing you should take lying down

You may think your high blood pressure is managed well. Better yet, your readings may indicate you’re in the clear. But did you try measuring your blood pressure lying down? It’s taken 25 years to get the data, but this is going to change the way we monitor our blood pressure, for good reason.

Joyce Hollman

What giving up fats and carbs does to your life expectancy

Which is more important: a perfect body or a long and healthy life? That’s the kind of question that can make you go hmmm, because we think they’re one and the same. Healthy weight, healthy body, healthy life, right? Not if you’re going to extremes to get there.

Joyce Hollman

Why glaucoma may be the sneakiest sight stealer

You probably get a yearly checkup. But when was the last time you had your eyes examined? As we age, several conditions can degrade our eyesight. Glaucoma is one of them. And new research has found you could be suffering that damage right now — without any obvious telltale signs.

Carolyn Gretton

The natural ingredient that resists fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be a setup for severe liver disease, diabetes and heart disease. There’s no treatment, so exercise and diet changes are recommended. But it just got a lot easier to resist a fatty liver and improve metabolism…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Women and the long-term effects of chronic fatigue syndrome

Certain diseases affect women disproportionately, like chronic fatigue syndrome. Though the medical establishment recognizes the condition, they can offer little help. But the world’s largest study of the disease reveals why it’s important to try to manage your symptoms better now than later…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

6 odd signs of heart disease

We’re conditioned to think of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and even shortness of breath when it comes to heart disease. But, there are outward signs, too. Here are the six signs you should look for…

Carolyn Gretton

How your smartwatch or fitness tracker can make you sick

These days, a lot of folks are wearing smartwatches and fitness trackers to get healthy. These electronics monitor heart rate and blood pressure or help us meet step goals. But, surprisingly, there’s a dark side about them that can actually make you sick…

Joyce Hollman

7 habits proven to reduce breast cancer recurrence

For a breast cancer survivor, the emotional repercussions are twofold: on the one hand, there’s relief. On the other hand, there’s the fear it can reappear at any time and without warning. These 7 habits can put your mind at ease…

Joyce Hollman

Blue legs syndrome: The latest long COVID symptom

Long-haulers are people previously infected with COVID-19 who continue to live with symptoms like fatigue, headaches, brain fog and shortness of breath. But COVID isn’t the only virus that can affect the body in strange ways, and blue legs don’t get much stranger…

Carolyn Gretton

How naked mole rats may help us live longer and cancer-free

Nake mole rats live nearly 10 times longer than other rodents of similar size and have shown resistance to age-related diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. And their secret may help us do the same…

Joyce Hollman

Flavanols: Heart health support that’s ‘official’

Guidelines have long been established for vitamins to help us avoid deficiencies. But bioactive compounds, nutrients that go beyond basic nutrition and are studied for their potential to prevent disease, are different. And flavanols have just become official…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The diabetes drug that blocks prostate cancer progression

Prostate cancer is ofen considered manageable and slow growing. But that’s not always the case. When it metastasizes, a deadly battle can ensue. But a common denominator between cancer growth and glucose metabolism means a common drug may stop it…

Joyce Hollman

In the dark: The scary truth about drug approvals

When a major university looked into the FDA’s challenge of balancing speed and safety for drug approvals, they discovered the scary truth about how little your doctor or you may ever know about the safety and efficacy of the medicine you take.

Carolyn Gretton

The link between your mouth, strep and coronary artery disease

No one likes the idea of gum disease. Unfortunately, half the world suffers from this affliction and it poses a serious threat to heart health. Unraveling this mysterious connection may have a lot to do with specific bacteria strains in the mouth…

Carolyn Gretton

How vitamin D powers up a cancer-fighting gene

Does vitamin D supplementation help protect against or fight cancer? So far, the connection has been promising enough that scientists continue to explore and strive to understand it. The latest? Its effect on a gene that can keep cells from becoming malignant…

Joyce Hollman

The weird way weight affects women’s longevity after 60

Are you a woman in her 60s? Want to live to be 90, 100, or more? It’s more under your control than you think. Here’s a hint: Throw out all you’ve been told about weight loss. You’ll be surprised to hear what research says…

Joyce Hollman

Long-term use of popular fake sugar increases belly fat

Do you know someone who diets, thinks they’re doing all the right things, but just can’t get rid of the belly fat? Most of us have been there. But what’s maddening is one of the strategies you may have used is the very reason that spare tire won’t go away…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3+ signs you’re headed for an early heart attack

You wouldn’t knowingly store up health problems that will come back to bite you later in life, right? But that’s what we do when, just because we “feel” well, we ignore a handful of signs that could mean heart attack or stroke at an earlier age than others.

Jenny Smiechowski

4 common drugs that help bad bacteria thrive in your gut

Do you know what your medications are doing to your body? You may know the reason you take it, but you probably don’t know that plenty of drugs, including these commonly used medications, increase the amount of dangerous bacteria in your gut…

Carolyn Gretton

The pros and cons of water fasting

With reported benefits like weight loss and better blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, a water fast is something to think about. But is it all hype? See what these researchers found when they reviewed eight studies on water fasting and spelled out the pros and cons…

Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby

What you should know about parasitic infections

A parasite is an organism that gets nourishment at the expense of the host. When a person begins to wonder about their declining health or energy, they’re often misdiagnosed. That’s what happened before an Australian woman had one removed from her brain…

Carolyn Gretton

4 red flags that signal colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is a growing threat that’s hitting younger. Because doctors don’t pursue symptoms in people under 55 diligently, identifying these 4 red flags may be all that stands between you and a late stage diagnosis.

Joyce Hollman

The surprising condition causing premature muscle loss in men

Who would have thought a handshake could send a clear signal that something is wrong with your health? But research has found for men, it’s a clear sign your muscles aren’t getting enough oxygen, and muscle loss and premature aging are setting in…

Jenny Smiechowski

The best feel-good foods by age group

Have you ever woken up feeling irritable or down for no apparent reason? Scientists are learning that some foods can set you up for a happy, positive mood, while others leave you feeling depressed, anxious and irritable. And these foods and feelings change with age…

Joyce Hollman

Genetic cancer testing: The reason anyone should do it

If you’re male and ovarian cancer runs in your family, you wouldn’t feel you were a target. The same might go for a woman whose father had prostate cancer and brother had colon cancer. But hereditary cancer isn’t that predictable, and testing is cheap…

Carolyn Gretton

A single molecule may drive cognitive decline and aging

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that there’s no one magic bullet when it comes to health. But there are a few things that come close. One of those is a Nobel Prize-winning molecule we produce less of with age. Scientists believe that’s a big problem for our brains…

Joyce Hollman

How the right foods protect against lung infection

Broccoli is good for a lot of things. For one it supports your gut’s lining, keeping bacteria from escaping and causing harm. Turns out, your lungs have a similar barrier, designed to let oxygen in and keep viruses out. Eat the right foods and you’re all set!

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Brain rejuvenation secret discovered circulating in our blood

Researchers had one goal: Discover exactly why three interventions have been found to turn back the clock on an aging brain. They didn’t expect to find a common denominator. And they certainly didn’t expect to find it already circulating in our blood…

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