Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

The consequences of removing the thymus (and why doctors routinely do)

Experts have long believed the thymus gland, which produces all the immune-boosting T cells the body needs during childhood, was of little use once we got older. Turns out they weren’t just wrong, they were dead wrong — as in “double the risk of death” wrong.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Try this at-home stem cell ‘therapy’ to regenerate aging cells

Stem cells are you’re body’s “master cells” and work as your internal repair system. But, they decline rapidly as you age. Luckily, there’s a way to rejuvenate your own stem cells in just 24 hours to start feeling like your younger self again…

Easy Health Options Staff

8 little-known berries for fierce free radical protection

As we age, we build up free radicals, dangerous little molecules that have been linked to everything from cancer and Alzheimer’s, to premature aging. So, as the amount of free radicals we’re exposed to goes up, so does our need for antioxidants to combat them. Here’s where to find them…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Weekend sleep-ins won’t undo sleep deficit heart damage

In recent years, experts have declared sleep “essential to health” for its significant impact on our health. So, if you’re still skimping by and thinking you can make up for it by sleeping in occassionally, this is your wake-up call coming from your heart…

Joyce Hollman

A clove a day to keep heart attack away

There are several types of drugs that treat hypertension, relax blood vessels, prevent clotting and generally try to head off heart attack or stroke. But there’s one food that’s been healing since Biblical times, and modern-day studies confirm its amazing effects on the heart…

Debra Atkinson

When hormones drain your workout energy

As a trainer, I frequently see women seeking energy from exercise but end up digging themselves into a hole. Or worse, giving up on fitness altogether and missing out on the best way to avoid disease. That’s because when adrenal fatigue hits, you may not realize what’s happening…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The dementia danger in common stomach medications

There’s not much worse than acid indigestion that hurts so bad, you think you’re having a heart attack — or is there? As bad as that can be, getting dementia from the very medications you use to feel better may take the cake, baby back ribs or spicy buffalo wings.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Break the feedback loop that fuels pain

Pain is often poorly understood until you realize that pain, depression and anxiety are frequent fellow travelers, thanks to a bi-directional feedback loop. If you only seek treatment for what’s happening in your muscles, joints and nerves, it could be a painful journey…

Carolyn Gretton

The ‘survival switch’ fructose flips to make us fat

Summer is almost over. And with winter just around the corner, you’ll want to give up the one thing that can make you pack on the pounds like a hibernating bear. And no, it isn’t a stew or casserole that’s the culprit…

Carolyn Gretton

The mind-eye connection to dementia

You may think poor vision simply raises your odds of bumping into things. Unfortunately, there may be more to it than that. A growing body of research indicates a strong link between vision problems and the development of a condition we all dread…

Tracey G. Ingram, AuD

What garlic can do for the common cold

Garlic has been used medicinally for centuries. And modern research has found it can stand up to many strains of bacteria. But what about the common cold? Let’s see how it stacks up…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Coffee shown to decrease your Parkinson’s risk

Parkinson’s disease can progress quickly, stealing bits and pieces of your life as it marches on. There’s no cure — only treatments. News of a study that has found potent Parkinson’s protection in your daily cup of coffee was a must-read for me…

Margaret Cantwell

How to prep to survive flu season

The CDC recommends flu shots by the end of October. But for the last five years of available data, vaccine efficacy hasn’t breached 40 percent, and if you’re over 50, it was even less. Hopes are higher this year, but surviving flu season is best approached from multiple angles…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Nexletol for cholesterol: Blockbuster or just bust

Nexletol® is a fairly new cholesterol-lowering drug. It works through the same enzymatic pathways as statins, but affects a different part of the pathway and doesn’t share the same side effect profile. It’s been touted as a great alternative for patients who can’t tolerate statins. But is it?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How time-restricted eating can change your genes

Time-restricted eating could mean skipping meals for a day. Or just eating every day during an 8 or 9 hour period. I like the latter. But one thing’s for sure: It could be one of the best things for your health, say scientists who saw how it effects 70 percent of genes…

Carolyn Gretton

The sobering truth about alcohol and blood pressure

We’ve all heard the health pros and cons of drinking alcohol, and that the more you drink, the more the cons tend to outweigh the pros. So, as long as you just have one drink a day, you’re okay, right? Not if you want to keep your blood pressure under control…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The ‘no-bloat, no-gas’ prebiotic that reduces liver fat and inflammation

Fatty liver is a stealthy condition with few, if any, signs or symptoms until it progresses. It’s also highly preventable with the right lifestyle choices, including a simple and inexpensive prebiotic that can help a fatty liver slim down…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Is acid reflux medication zapping your energy?

Are you exhausted, worn out and just plain tired? The problem could be a common medication, available over the counter or prescribed by your doctor, to help relieve stomach pain and indigestion. Problem is, it interrupts how your body turns food into energy…

Tracey G. Ingram, AuD

The amazing effects of stretching for better blood pressure

We’ve all heard about the benefits of exercise for lowering blood pressure. Simply walking on a regular basis promotes pliable blood vessels and arteries which in turn supports blood flow. But would you believe there may be an even easier way?

Carolyn Gretton

How to keep insulin from shrinking your brain

When you don’t have blood sugar problems, most of us don’t give our insulin levels a seond thought. But research has found that as we age, what’s happening in the brain can differ from what’s going on in the body…

Joyce Hollman

VILPA: Your ticket to low cancer risk when you hate exercise

Move over HIT, here comes VILPA, and if you’ve been beating yourself up for not exercising and missing out on benefits like a lower risk of cancer, find out how adding a little gusto to every day activities can lessen your risks of developing certain cancers up to 32 percent!

Carolyn Gretton

More proof olive oil is what your brain needs

If you’ve not embraced olive oil yet, what’s the hold up? It’s packed with taste and health benefits that decades of studies are bringing to our attention. And what it can do to safeguard your brain keeps coming up again and again. Now, we can add reduced risk of death to the list…

Joyce Hollman

High urine levels of cadmium linked to endometriosis

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is of no use to the human body. It’s a carcinogen, affects blood pressure and induces bone damage. And it’s difficult to avoid. But a large study just found another good reason why women especially should try hard to…

Tracey G. Ingram, AuD

Two reasons to have your liver tested

If your liver was in trouble, could you tell? Probably not. By the time you or the doctor might, liver disease has often progressed and caused damage. That doesn’t mean you just have to wait and wonder. In fact, there are two major reasons to get your liver tested…

Joyce Hollman

The significant impact 500 steps has on your heart

Hold onto your wallet, because you won’t need an electronic step counter for this: Sure you already know walking is great for the health of your heart. But I bet you thought you’d need a lot more than 500 steps to make an impact like this…

Joyce Hollman

6 foods for a healthier heart and longer life

It seems that too much advice only warns us off foods that are unhealthy, when all we need is some simple advice, including food swaps, that can help us choose what to put on our plates every day to avoid the number one killer of Americans and add years to our lives. Well, here you go…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising factor that accelerates aging faster than smoking

Most of us think of age as the number of years we’ve been on the planet, but the truth is not so simple. No matter your chronological age, certain things in life can make you older than your biological years. Of those, we used to think smoking was the worst, but not anymore…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The other supplement that helps you get the most from vitamin D

Low levels of vitamin D have been shown to go hand-in-hand with conditions ranging from osteoporosis and heart disease to Alzheimer’s. But there’s a mineral deficiency that could be working against all your best efforts to get enough of the valuable vitamin D your body needs…

Carolyn Gretton

How an early breakfast can help you dodge diabetes

We’re finding out that when it comes to chronic disease, when you eat may be as important as what you eat. Researchers are finding that an early breakfast may be key to reducing the risk of this common condition that sneaks up on far too many of us…

Rick Kaselj

Ageless backs: Maintaining a strong and supple spine after 50

Who says you can’t have good times after 50? With a healthy body and a strong spine, the sky’s the limit. But if yours isn’t as supple and strong as it should be we’ve got age-friendly exercises and supplements to get your vitality back…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The sleep disorders that more than double heart dangers

What if you did something that doubled your risk of high blood pressure, made you 70 percent more likely to get cardiovascular disease and 47 percent more likely to die for any reason? You’d change your ways, right? It’s not so easy, but these are two sleep disorders to get very serious about…

Carolyn Gretton

Estrogen may give women the edge in COVID-19 survival

Is estrogen a woman’s superpower? It may be when it comes to surviving a run-in with COVID-19. Enough so that researchers are wondering if balancing the hormone can help older women who may be particularly vulnerable.

Margaret Cantwell

Vitamin D2 or D3: Proof one’s a dud and the other fights infection

Vitamin D is mired in controversy. Preventive medicine has always sung its praises, while scientists have been skeptical. But not anymore: Researchers have finally proven one form does next to nothing, while the right form fortifies the immune system and keeps infections away. What’s in your bottle?

Jenny Smiechowski

How to squeeze the most cataract-fighting lutein from spinach

Lutein is a super healthy carotenoid. It reduces the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, as well as coronary heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome. It may even improve your cognitive health. Here’s how to get the most of it from a great source…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Fatigue: How to keep it from shortening your lifespan

Do you feel good about your energy levels or do you struggle to make it through daily activities, even ones you used to enjoy, ending up exhausted? Your answer could predict whether or not you’re going to live a long, healthy life or die within the next three years.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Death during sex: Not just a danger for older men

Sex isn’t just enjoyable. It relieves stress and boosts your immune system. But it’s not all rosy when it comes to what happens between the sheets. Sometimes people die during or shortly after sex due to sudden cardiac death. And it doesn’t just happen to older men…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

One thing diabetics should eat to bring BP, cholesterol, and fasting glucose down

If you have diabetes, you’d think that it would be enough that you have to deal with the disease itself and all of the symptoms it causes… But you’re wide open for hypertension and heart disease. Luckily, just one nutrient can help you fight three of your worst enemies and hold onto your health…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The Amazonian fruit offering hope against cancer

If there’s one thing most doctors would agree on it’s that the most difficult disease to treat has to be cancer. And while the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors has provided hope, there’s still room for improvement — and an Amazonia berry may be a key player.

Carolyn Gretton

How to get the most out of your N95 masks

As we’re coming out of the omicron wave, many places are beginning to lift mask mandates, but there are still areas where you may still need to wear a mask — like on public transit and airplanes, as well as in airports. That begs the question: How often can you reuse an N95 mask?

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin deficiencies making older adults depressed

Fatigue, memory problems, even walking difficulties all sound like problems to do with aging. So, when depression sets in, well, no wonder. But what if all of these are just symptoms of a simple vitamin deficiency?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Frailty: The new #1 one risk factor for dementia

Too many believe dementia is a normal part of getting old, when in truth, losing your cognitive abilities is anything but. Even more shocking is that frailty can more than double your risk. That should make preventing old-age frailty a priority by following these steps…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

COVID’s Alzheimer’s-like damage on the brain

Brain fog, fatigue and other neurological and psychiatric symptoms of long COVID syndrome plague many survivors. But there may be more to deal with, including markers of brain damage normally seen with Alzheimer’s…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

‘Retinal age gap’: A window to how well you’re aging

Your eyes are the window to your soul. Now, research shows your eyes can tell even more. Comparing the age of your retina to your chronological age may present a powerful screening tool to see if you’re at a heightened risk for death.

Jenny Smiechowski

The chemicals seeping into your most sensitive areas

You may not know this, but a woman’s sensitive “private areas” are highly absorbent when it comes to chemicals. In fact, the rate of chemical absorption in your genitals is 300 times higher than in your feet. And a recent study shows that products like sanitary pads and diapers are seeping chemicals with consequences…

Joyce Hollman

Bitter is better when it comes to blood sugar

Including more vegetables in your diet is good for your health in innumerable ways. But not all vegetables are created equal. In fact, their taste can give people with type 2 diabetes a big clue as to which they should choose to better control metabolism and blood sugar levels.

Carolyn Gretton

Calcium, retinal blood flow and the connection to glaucoma

Glaucoma is a dreaded diagnosis that can lead to incurable blindness. That’s why researchers are continuing to study the mechanisms behind this disease to develop more effective treatments. And they may have found an intresting connection between calcium and retinal blood flow…

Joyce Hollman

Neuroplasticity: Shaping your brain for your best life

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and develop in response to our thoughts and feelings. One neuroscientist shows us how we can fight depression, reduce stress and anxiety and improve the quality of our lives by using a method that rewires the brain to better handle these challenges.

Joyce Hollman

How many years can a better diet add to your life?

Studies have shown that your diet can help change the genetic pathways that regulate metabolism and aging. But just how many years could you add to your life by eating differently? We’ve got the answer and more good news: You don’t have to make major changes….

Joyce Hollman

The ‘blue zone’ that defied COVID-19

If you ever needed an argument to believe that food is medicine, then this should get your attention: In a tale of two Japanese cities, one seems to have defied the worst of COVID-19, and doctors believe it comes down to their blue zone diet…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 ways to improve your carbon footprint and your health

Most of us would like to think that the food we eat isn’t just good for our health, but also our wallets and the environment. That’s not always the case. Here are 3 simple ways to hit all those bases without making drastic changes to your diet.

Carolyn Gretton

How you can tell your dog’s true age?

It’s an equation we’ve cited for decades: 1 dog year equals 7 human years. But the canine aging process isn’t quite that simple. Read on to discover how old your dog really is — and how you can make their life a long, healthy and happy one, since they bring so much to yours….

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to lessen the damage cancer treatment does to the heart

A cancer diagnosis is about the worst thing anyone could face, until the treatment starts. And the side effects from treatment don’t always end when the drugs do. In fact, one common side effect of cancer therapy that can be both long-term and extremely serious is heart damage.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Evidence long COVID zaps your cellular power generators

Long COVID can keep people from returning to living their normal lives. Researchers have struggled to find a commonality between the young and old, and mild and severe infections that result in it. Until they dug into the single source that supplies energy to every cell in the human body…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Even in brains riddled by Alzheimer’s, exercise helps memory

You’ll find that physical activity does everything from offering you a mood and energy boost to improving your sleep. Now, there’s one more reason to get active. Staying active as you age could be the key to saving your mind, even if Alzheimer’s is already there…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Got a muscle injury that needs healing fast? Avoid this

As we get older, it seems like the number of aches and pains we suffer, or muscles we pull, goes up, along with the time it takes to heal. And according to a study from a team of scientists at Tokyo Metropolitan University, something in your food could be making the situation worse…

Joyce Hollman

Do negative calorie foods exist?

A lot of diet “hacks” are touting the value of “negative-calorie” foods as an easy way to boost weight loss. But can eating more of them really help on the scales or are you punishing yourself? Here’s the skinny on negative calories…

Carolyn Gretton

Three seconds to stronger muscles? It’s not as crazy as it sounds

Fitness experts have focused in recent years on exercise programs that pack a lot of benefit into a short amount of time. They may have beaten an all-time record: a technique that improves strength in just a few seconds a day and may be the easiest way to avoid the ravages of aging.

Joyce Hollman

Chew slow and savor to burn calories

Diet-induced thermogenesis refers to the increase in metabolic rate that follows the ingestion of food. Turns out you can kick it up to enhance the energy expenditure associated with the metabolism of the food you eat. In other words, you can burn energy while you eat. Does it get any better?

Carolyn Gretton

How heart disease can set you up for Alzheimer’s

If you have heart disease, your risks for other conditions are higher, including Alzheimer’s. That’s because circulation problems lead to brain dysfunction. The surprise is how early it harms the brain and how it can triple those telltale plaques directly associated with Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

Myopia epidemic: Why nearsightedness is on the rise

Experts are warning of an emerging ‘epidemic’ of myopia after observing sharp increases in the number of adult-onset cases of nearsightedness among late baby boomers. What gives and is there anything you can do about it?

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