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We all know that one person who eats just one bite of cake at a birthday party and can open an entire bag of potato chips and really eat just one — while the rest of us struggle to put down the bag. What’s the difference between us and them?

There’s big money to be made in shiny new drugs. And the pharmaceutical giants are banking on your help, especially since the majority of advertised drugs have been found not to measure up to older, cheaper existing ones…

However you do it, exercise is on top of any experts advice for keeping a body healthy and fit. But what if you’re having a hard time giving it your all? No worries. This veggie can help you eat your way to more muscle power…

Is your gum health a priority? If not, listen up: a disease of the gums that can lead to bleeding and bad breath, can also leave your heart scarred and struggling to maintain a healthy rhythm…

Evidence keeps stacking up that the gut microbiome plays a strong role in MS. And recent findings reveal systems that may be manipulated for new treatments, perhaps with supplements that promote protective bacteria — without the side effects of medications.

As part of the brain’s reward system, the hormone dopamine contributes to feelings of pleasure, happiness and motivation. Low levels do just the opposite and may indicate serious neurological conditions. Here’s your mind and body on dopamine…

Mitochondria are tiny organelles that power our cells. Convention says they begin to slow down and kick off aging. But some ramp up, then burn out, taking your energy with them. Scientists have an answer that seems counterintuitive, but they say works…

You go to the doctor for your yearly check-up and say to him, “Doc, I want a pill that will make me stronger, smarter, healthier, disease proof, age-proof, thinner and with great skin and strong bones. Got anything like that?” In a perfect world, the doctor would say, “Yes, I do. It’s called vitamin D.” Here’s why…

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be operating under a false belief about your situation… You may believe that once you’ve crossed the line into type 2 diabetes territory, there’s no going back. You’re stuck with this disease for the rest of your life. But that’s far from the truth.

As someone who sits at her desk all day long, I’m a prime candidate for diabetes, heart disease and dementia. Obviously, my work day leaves only minutes to spare. But to lower blood pressure and blood sugar, that’s literally all I need…

There are many different types of dementia, but no cures. One type though, known for severe behavioral changes, has been found to be rooted in a cause that could be repaired, reversing the disease..

Each time I bring up the potato’s less than stellar qualities, it upsets some folks. I know you love your potatoes. I did too. But the science says that eating too much of this vegetable is just not good. Think Leaky gut, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome…

Hearing loss is often lumped in with a long list of age-related changes many of us have a high chance of experiencing. Unfortunately, it’s not always a benign condition. Trouble hearing could be an indication of a condition that leads to stroke…

Doctors prescribe statins to lower “bad” cholesterol and to lower risks for heart attack or stroke. But do we really need to take a drug that can elevate risks for diabetes, liver damage, and neurological and cognitive problems — especially if there is any doubt it’s not at all what it’s cracked up to be?

You probably already know there are two types of cholesterol: HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). HDL supports heart health and fights inflammation. But, when it comes to HDL, too much of a “good” thing may hurt your bones…

Mushrooms are powerful botanicals. Some are more popular or well-known than others, but at the moment, almost everyone is hearing about one fungus in particular: Cordyceps. Here’s what you should know about cordyceps’ history with (hopefully not the last of) us…

In the supermarket aisle that holds diet foods, you’ll find bars, shakes and an array of other processed foods that are supposed to help you lose weight. But there’s a superfood great for aiding your healthy weight efforts you’ll never find in that part of the store…

You can’t pick up a product these days without finding not only instructions on how to use it, but warnings on how not to, usually because one person did something most people with common sense wouldn’t dream of. Let’s talk about vitamin D and that guy…

Some dark chocolate brands, even organic ones, have been found to contain dangerous amounts of cadmium and lead, heavy metals linked to hypertension, kidney failure, nerve damage and more. Take precautions if your favorite is on the list.

Mountains of research and our doctors tell us a meat-heavy diet is a fast track to early death. But if you’ve embraced meatless burgers and other mock meat substitutes, you’re cheating your body of vital nutrition. It starts with ‘deception’ on the ingredient label…

Being kind to others feels good. But the benefits extend even further than that. Science shows acts of kindness have real effects that impact physical health, from depression to heart health. Check out these 5 you can get more of…

Fast food, offering tasty and effective transport of unhealthy fat, is horrible on the liver. And the heart. We’d be kidding ourselves to think we could give it all up completely and forever. But knowing where the point of no return is would be really helpful.

CBD products are growing in popularity. You can find tinctures, gummies and even topicals made from phytocannabinoids (pCBs). Topicals are non-intoxicating and include creams, balms and oils. One more thing you may want to know: they may be the next thing in anti-aging skincare…

Obesity can steal your heart health. Now, research shows it could steal your vision, too. Obesity appears to be a trigger that uses inflammation like fire on DNA and may be the reason some people get age-related macular degeneration and some don’t…

The neurons in the hippocampus, the brain area responsible for memory and learning, depend on brain-derived neurotrophic factor for their production and survival. But BDNF’s potential to halt cognitive decline and how to boost it is what should really interest you…

Stroke is a growing threat with age. In fact, after age 55 that risk doubles every 10 years. But people under 60 do have strokes. How can you know if that’s a probability so you can do your best to avoid it? See where your blood type stroke risk falls…

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: it’s important to keep your body hydrated for reasons like termperature regulation, waste elimination and much more. But its effects on sodium may be the best kept secret yet…

You’ve probably heard weight loss is 80 percent diet/20 percent exercise. So, if you want to lose weight, focus on cutting calories and complement that with a modest calorie burn in realistic daily workouts. But for maintaining the loss, the same rules may not work…

Blood tests are part of annual health physicals for most of us. Sometimes, though, tests may be needed beyond the basics, including more advanced and in-depth tests for disease risk profiling. Here’s your insider’s guide to blood tests…

There’s just no denying the power of a healthy diet to reduce disease risk. But the payout gets bigger when you stick with it, as in reducing your risk of early death, period. But there is still the stroke conundrum…

Blueberries definitely pack a health punch. But it can be tough for our bodies to absorb all the antioxidants present in the fruit. Now, researchers may have found a way around that problem by combining blueberries with this common food…

No one wants to live with chronic pain. In fact, if given a choice, no one wants to live with pain even for a short time. But standard methods of pain relief can be risky, including acetaminophen, ibuprofen and opioids. Here are 10 alternatives that all fight the root cause of most pain…

The list of diets you can choose and trends you can follow is virtually endless. But when it comes to one that consistently scores high for both brain and body health, it’s the Mediterranean diet. And it may be hands down the most protection against Alzheimer’s plaques you can eat.

The pandemic made online grocery shopping necessary, but there’s good reason to stick to it that has nothing to do with a nasty virus and everything to do with better food choices, and making fewer of those kinds of purchases we regret later. In fact, the science shows the outcome could mean a better diet and better health.

Catching a cold is a drag and little is worse than a sore throat. Every swallow reminds us of the misery, which is why we turn to over-the-counter cold remedies to ease the discomfort. But not only have they been shown to do little good, they harm upper respiratory cells…

You might want to ask your dotor about your prescriptions. If they’re treating your cholesterol, you could end up with double the dementia risk. If it’s your blood pressure, they may have you on the medication found to thicken blood vessels and makes things worse. Maybe it’s time to walk away with a brand new and surprising prescription.

One of the most difficult forms of breast cancer you could be up against is known as triple-negative breast cancer. It doesn’t respond to traditional treatments and it’s especially aggressive in African American women. A simple plant compound may lead to more effective treatments…

Between the glut of highly processed foods in the average Western diet and the popularity of meat-heavy diets like keto and carnivore, too many of us are not getting enough of a simple but powerful health-boosting nutrient that wards off heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and more…

Superfoods have a valuable impact on our health because they’re nutrient-dense or possess special compounds. Three new studies have taken a closer look at the science behind these superfoods. And they’ve discovered benefits that go far beyond what we previously knew…

Prostate cancer is only second to skin cancer among men. When diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent. Except, that is, if you’re obese. It’s important to understand weight’s connection to agressive prostate cancer, the worst fat and how to lose it…

Having a first-degree relative such as a parent or sibling with dementia can increase your dementia risk by a staggering 75 percent compared with someone who doesn’t have this familial history. While this statistic is sobering, there’s more and more evidence that it’s by no means set in stone…

It’s no secret that obesity can put you at risk of a number of chronic illnesses. It can also increase your risk for osteoarthritis and make you a tough candidate to find relief from osteoarthritis knee pain. You may have heard that garlic can help. But how effective is it really?

There’s more proof that food choices matter, and it comes from the front lines: Data from doctors and nurses with extensive exposure to SARS-CO-v2, found that depending on whether you choose high protein, low carbs, more plant foods or fish — risks from COVID-19 could be lowered as much as 73 percent.

If you were paying attention to the news this summer, you probably heard about Wegovy™, a “new” drug just approved for weight loss. It’s an injection that you self-administer once a week under the skin. And it works! Sounds great, but before you give it a try, here are all the details…

It’s no secret that COVID-19 can do major damage to the lungs. But the virus can hurt other organs as well. In fact, a recent study appears to show that after the lungs, the kidneys are the next organ to bear the brunt of COVID-19 damage…

The idea of fortified foods was to reduce nutritional deficiencies. But you can’t cut corners, use cheap ingredients, remove natural nutrition and expect that throwing in a few synthetic vitamins will make up for a product that does more damage than any vitamin deficiency…

High levels of circulating insulin can damage blood vessels leading to high blood pressure and heart disease. That’s why improving insulin sensitivity is paramount. Here’s a sweet way to lower your risk of blood sugar problems by a whopping 36 percent, by doing just that…

The number one modifiable risk factor for heart disease and premature death is high blood pressure. That means if you can control it, you can greatly lower that risk. Maybe you’ve cut back on salt, started exercising and eating right. But what about your zinc levels?

This sneaky vision-stealer gives virtually no warning signs, not until peripheral vision starts to disappear. Even with treatment, many with the disease will lose vision in one eye. But even in those with a genetic predisposition, you can lower your risk… starting with caffeine.

Milk has been given a bad rap for a long time. I’m referring to good old-fashioned cow’s milk, blamed for weight gain and heart disease. But a huge study’s found a connection between drinking milk, better cholesterol and keeping your heart strong.

You’ve probably read a lot about your gut microbiome. But you may not be as aware that other parts of the body have their own microbiomes that are just as important to your health, like the connections between diet, breast microbiome, some supplements and breast cancer risk.

If there is a lack of blood flow to the brain, the brain is going to starve. That’s why there is ittle time to spare when stroke symptoms arise. Here are the differences between the two main types of stroke as well as TIA or mini-stroke…

The gentle, flowing movements of tai chi aren’t usually the types of exercise you’d associate with losing weight or inches around your middle (where that dangerous fat collects). But a recent study suggests this seemingly sedate practice actually packs a fat-loss punch…

What’s defined as high blood pressure varies depending upon who you listen to… the American Heart Association or the International Society of Hypertension. In my own practice, I typically favor the more lenient definition. But regardless of which scale you follow, getting correct readings is what really matters…

It’s no secret that underlying health problems increase the risk of a severe COVID-19 infection. Luckily, most of us are at lower risk than we were a year ago. Still, we’re not home-free, especially if weight is an issue. Now’s the time to get serious about it to avoid both the threat of infection and becoming a COVID long-hauler…

About 30 minutes of daily exercise is ideal. But, in addition to what kind of exercise is best, what sorts of activities count as “exercise” and what else you do with the other 23 and half hours in the day, there’s one thing that can negate all the benefits of even the most intensive and sweatiest workout….

Parkinson’s is a disease that causes tremors, stiffness and rigidity, cognitive decline and more. And though there is currently no cure, there are drugs and alternative health methods that can help slow the disease progression. That’s why seeing the early signs matters so much…

Testosterone is a key hormone for regulating men’s health. Low levels have been linked with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It can also affect bone, muscle and energy levels. And in the age of COVID, men with low-T face another serious threat…

Exercise. Either you love it, or you hate it. But it’s proven good preventive medicine. It’s been shown that regular exercise can prevent heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. The good news? There’s an indulgent activity that carries a lot of the same benefits.

There’s probably been no time in recent history that more people have been focused on vaccines. But, of course, vaccines are nothing new… the seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccines have been around for a while. What is new is finding that the key to how well they work is in your gut.