Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

How your parents may have increased your stroke risk by 60%

Let’s start with what’s shocking about the fact that there’s a 50% chance your parents inceased your risk of stroke as an adult by 61%: It’s not hereditary. It’s not something they passed from their genes, but it’s just as unintentional…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Eat this food to see why you can’t go #2

Gut problems are often revealed by your transit time — the time it takes for food to pass through. Depending on yours, you may be straining on or running to the toilet. This at home test will help you figure out why…

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin that helps cancer-fighting bacteria thrive

Gut bacteria doesn’t just keep your gut healthy, it helps you avoid sickness and disease. One type in particular is showing great promise in not only shrinking cancerous tumors, but eradicating them. And a simple vitamin can help it thrive in your gut…

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

The drink that helps keep cancer from coming back

There’s just something about the world’s most popular beverage. And this time it’s too good to pass up, especially if you’re a colon cancer survivor or just looking for that special ingredient to live your longest best life…

Joyce Hollman

How hungry fat cells starve cancer

Cancer needs fuel to do its dirty work. That much we’ve known, so starving it has been a goal of researchers. A startling discovery found cells in our bodies can gobble up exactly what cancer needs to grow…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The superfood compound that beats back prediabetes

Prediabetes isn’t just a stepping stone to type 2. Even in this stage, it can cause heart damage. Lifestyle changes may keep the scales from tipping, especially a diet that contains this glucose-lowering superfood…

Carolyn Gretton

Nothing fishy about the supplement that slowed aging

Your body runs on clocks. And one of them is a good indicator of how fast you’re aging. A research team has found that if you’d like to slow that down, even late in life, there’s one nutrient you’ll want to take every day…

Joyce Hollman

Brain aneurysm: A not-so-uncommon risk

More of us than you’d think could be living with the threat of brain aneurysm. It may seem like a roll of the dice, but understanding risk factors and how to decrease them stacks the odds in your favor…

Carolyn Gretton

Palm oil’s toxic trait that fuels MS

Palm oil is a high-yield/low-cost crop, making it ideal for processed foods and a nightmare for health. Research into MS discovered its toxic trait: triggering mitochondrial damage that helps fuel brain inflammation…

Carolyn Gretton

A signal before stroke and dementia

Short telomeres are linked to diseases of aging, including a recently added trio of brain conditions. But researchers now think this biomarker of cellular aging may not be the cause, but part of the remedy if we heed it…

Joyce Hollman

The processed food ingredient found in cancer tumors

Chronic inflammation increases cancer. But in the case of colorectal cancer, something else very disturbing is happening. A common ingredient in processed foods has been found inside tumor cells, fueling their growth…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising kitchen appliance that’s a hotbed of bacteria

You might expect a damp sponge or counters to be teeming with bacteria. But researchers show there’s an appliance that needs our attention, even though it’s suprising how germs could flourish there…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Dare to take a scientifically validated Valentine’s test?

You don’t have to read an issue of Cosmopolitan to gauge your love relationship. A Valentine’s scale validated by two intensive studies helps measure relationship satisfaction and stir up the romance. Dare to take it?

Joyce Hollman

The ancient herb that could reverse brain stroke damage

For thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has praised one herb for supporting circulation and brain health. Now research is stacking up that this ancient herb could be the difference between losing or keeping cognitive abilities after a stroke.

Carolyn Gretton

The common condition aging you before you know you have it

The age of your cells, or your biological age, can be measured by an epigenetic clock that tracks changes in your DNA. Few health issues can speed up this clock, causing you to age faster. But one that leads to cardiovascular problems can, long before the first symptom…

Joyce Hollman

The toxins linked to deep vein blood clots

Unless you live in a bubble, you’re exposed to air pollution. A 17-year study shows that’s a bigger problem than we ever thought, increasing the risk for deep vein blood clots exponentially…

Joyce Hollman

The bedtime activity for better blood flow and heart health

It’s a big job for the heart to keep your circulatory system working. And as we get older it can get harder to support the healthy blood flow every inch of our body needs. But there’s a way to pump that up so to speak, even when you hit the sheets…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Aspirin: A high-risk gamble or perfect prevention?

Innocuous little white tablets, perfect for a headache and a blood thinner anyone can grab at the drugstore. But it turns out an awful lot of us don’t realize the true scope of aspirin’s dangers or benefits and for whom which is which.

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…

Carolyn Gretton

NiMe: The good gut diet that improves health fast

The simple act of eating healthy can be overwhelming, so you might roll your eyes at another diet. But the more research digs into diets that can make us healthier, they are finding ones that do it faster, like NiMe…

Joyce Hollman

Why muscle loss sets off a cascade of unhealthy aging

The loss of muscle mass with age leads to functional decline if it isn’t reversed. But many don’t know that it kicks off metabolic decline and can predict your survival of a critical illness. Here’s why and how best to stop it…

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

An invisible connection between psoriasis and Crohn’s disease

Psoriasis manifests as scaly, red and itchy skin, but is far more than just skin-deep. It can cause unseen damage, affecting the joints, blood pressure and heart health. Now there’s an answer for the stomach problems…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The threat increasing your body’s resistance to antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance has been a cause for concern for years, continuing to escalate without a clear solution in sight. Now we know why. A sinister threat from within disrupts how the antibiotics we take should work…

Carolyn Gretton

Alzheimer’s protection as simple as breathing

Inflammation is believed to contribute to the growth of amyloid plaques, hallmarks of Alzheimer’s in the brain. Breathing an inert gas has been found to clear them right up. Could an inhaler-like treatment be the answer?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

3 health conditions that steal your testosterone

Studies show that testosterone levels in men have been declining for decades. If you’re a man between 45 and 65, odds are your T levels don’t measure up to your dad’s. But why? Well, as three specific health conditions rose, T levels tanked, and there’s a definite connection…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The ‘superhealthy’ diet that can halt hair growth

A diet linked to healthy aging, longer lifespan and reduced risk of disease (and backed by research) almost sounds too good to be true. And if you want a headful of hair, it just might be…

Carolyn Gretton

More omega-3, less omega-6 could slow prostate cancer

Omega fatty acids are essential, but for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer, there’s been some controversy. However, the right balance looks very promising for men who’ve been put on the watch and waitlist.

Joyce Hollman

Kidney stones: The sweet tooth connection

Sugar. We have a love-hate relationship with the sweet stuff that’s as hard to give up as any vice. But the reasons to do so have been stacking up for years. If kidney stones are your bane, then here’s one more reason to tame your sweet tooth…

Joyce Hollman

How your blood vessels can accelerate your brain’s age

As we age, our brains age along with all of our other parts. But some people’s brains experience accelerated aging, and research has zeroed in on how their blood vessels could be responsible…

Carolyn Gretton

Coffee and tea’s connection to head and neck cancer

Many studies have been conducted to assess whether coffee or tea is linked with head and neck cancer, but results have been inconsistent — until now…

Carolyn Gretton

Barrett’s esophagus: The GERD and cancer connection

Barrett’s esophagus may seem like a benign condition. After all, it has few symptoms. But in actuality, signs of other conditions can mean it’s not far behind, nor is the risk for a type of cancer on the rise among people over 65. Here’s what to change now…

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…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Here’s what we know about the first U.S. bird flu death

Bird flu has been on the perimeter of our minds. But the first severe case of human infection in a patient who has died as a result, has people asking “Is it time to worry?” It’s time to understand this flu and how to stay safe…

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.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

How your poop schedule impacts your liver and kidneys

Once we’re out of elementary school, the poop jokes typically end. The childish humor is just that, plus the older we get we learn a fact: There’s nothing funny about not being able to go. And now we know our kidneys and liver can pay the price…

Dr. Mark Wiley

Norovirus: What to know and how to avoid it

It’s nasty. It’s miserable. And, it’s highly contagious. You might call it the stomach flu or the stomach bug, but the real name behind those unspeakable symptoms is norovirus. Here’s what to know and how to lessen risk of infection…

Joyce Hollman

Your diet and the inflammatory risk of GI cancer

The number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with bowel and other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers has risen alarmingly in recent decades. Do you share this common factor found to fuel these types of cancers?

Joyce Hollman

Ozempic and Wegovy associated with vision loss risk

Side effects associated with semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, keep piling up. Yet some experts say the benefits outweigh the risks. Even the potential for permanent vision loss?

Joyce Hollman

The occasional sweet treat may be healthier than none

American adults consume about 60 pounds of added sugars a year. That’s almost 3 times too much. But one sugar source is worse for leading to heart problems. The good news is, there’s a sweet spot…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Biomarkers prove wine’s heart-supporting benefits

Conflicting reports about the benefits or harms of drinking wine came from studies relying on self-reported data that’s often flawed. But when researchers got serious about the science, it resulted in great news for wine lovers and their hearts…

Carolyn Gretton

The omega-3 fatty acid that essentially blocks pain

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids your body can’t make. Without them, you could be in a world of hurt if you don’t consume enough, not just because they’re essential for life, but because research is zeroing in on how one in particular blocks pain signals…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The bone-weakening effects of a common thyroid medicine

Low thyroid among Americans ranges from 5% to 20% due to variables constituting what’s normal. But for those diagnosed and receiving treatment, there’s a warning about the most commonly prescribed medication for the condition…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to get more from your vitamins

Are you among the 80 percent of Americans supplementing? Most of us realize that to feel better, have more energy, fight the ravages of time and avoid chronic conditions, nutrition matters. But are you making these 13 mistakes that can sabotage this healthy habit?

Carolyn Gretton

The one thing men lose with age that could shorten their lifespan

Have you ever wondered why women live several years longer than men do? Scientists have, and they’ve been exploring possible causes. And they’ve found a connection between shorter lifespan and loss of this uniquely male characteristic….

Carolyn Gretton

The little gland that’s key to a lifetime of good health

You probably know more about your thyroid and adrenals than an odd little gland nestled in the chest called the thymus. Considering research believes it could be key to a lifetime of good health, here’s a much-needed introduction to what it does and why it needs your attention…

Margaret Cantwell

The vitamin that fights a common contributor of unhealthy aging

Longer lifespans have researchers scrambling to keep an aging population healthier. One vitamin has emerged that experts agree may be helpful for several chronic conditions featuring a common denominator afflicting aging Americans…

Carolyn Gretton

How your doctor’s sex impacts the care you receive

It may be the 21st century, but gender bias remains a huge problem in healthcare. It means some of us aren’t getting the care we deserve and the number of deaths in certain populations is much higher. It may be time to switch doctors…

Carolyn Gretton

When wonder drugs lead to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction

The GLP-1 agonist class of drugs appears to be a godsend for people looking to lose weight quickly and effortlessly. But there is a decidedly dark side to these medications, including several risky digestive side effects that could make life miserable…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Beer’s weird connection to rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. What exactly triggers it is a mystery, though experts suggest it’s a combination of factors including lifestyle and diet, which makes one item on the prevention list stand out…

Carolyn Gretton

The sweet truth about dark chocolate, diabetes and weight

If you have a sweet tooth, there are worse things you can indulge in than a bar of dark chocolate. Especially if you want to avoid blood sugar trouble and weight gain…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Coffee: The healthy aging secret under our noses

While everyone has been looking for a way to live healthier longer, it appears the simplest answer has been under our noses. A review of dozens of studies shows our favorite drink challenges 7 pillars of aging…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

What happens to your body and heart during sleep

Sleep is more than just downtime for your body. When you sleep, the workload on your cardiovascular system catches a break. That’s why the doctor says you should never ignore sleepless nights…

Joyce Hollman

How omega-3s and omega-6s impact cancer risk

A study that spanned a little over a decade indicates that higher levels of two essential fatty acids reduced the risks for several cancers. However, the benefits and potential harms vary. Here’s what you need to know…

Carolyn Gretton

The one health hack you should do every morning

You’re going to start seeing a lot of New Year’s resolutions. But we already know most of them won’t last. If you want to avoid setting yourself up for failure but want to be healthier and happier, try this one simple thing…

Carolyn Gretton

The scientific reason it really is better to give than receive

Everyone loves giving and getting gifts. But it seems we enjoy gift-giving a bit more. Turns out the old adage “it’s better to give than to receive” is actually true in terms of the response it elicits from your brain…

Joyce Hollman

8 steps to slow aging as much as six years

The American Heart Association has a running list on how to achieve optimal heart health. As a nation, we’ve got a lousy score. But an unexpected finding of adhering to this list doesn’t just mean a higher score… it can help you turn your age back as much as 6 years.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

4 heart health reasons to ditch sugar for maple syrup

Sugar has serious drawbacks, but do you have to go sugar-free to stay healthy? Not if you switch to this truly natural sweetener that not only satisfies your sweet tooth, but also reduces four significant risk factors for cardiometabolic disease…

Carolyn Gretton

The diabetes warning that comes from your arteries

Have you heard of “vascular compliance?” It’s a term for how stiff or flexible your arteries are. And it’s key to maintaining healthy blood pressure and avoiding stroke and heart attack. Now, researchers are finding it may also be the strongest indicator you’re developing blood sugar problems…

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