Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Joyce Hollman

How incontinence increases your odds of disability

If urine leaks when you sneeze or laugh, it’s embarrassing and inconvenient. But it may also be disabling. Research from major university health centers have linked urinary incontinence in women to an increased risk for disability, and have a clue why…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Decade-long study reveals what slows cognitive decline despite APOE gene

We’re told with age we can expect our memory to fail. But does aging really mean an inevitable journey of cognitive decline? Or can we stave off memory loss, even in the face of a genetic predisposition to it? 10 years of research shows how to do the latter…

Jenny Smiechowski

What centenarians and their children have in common

Researchers found that the offspring of centenarians and centenarians themselves have something in common helping them live longer than the rest of us. But joining their club is not out of your reach…

Joyce Hollman

How cold would you go to burn fat and cut diabetes risk?

There’s a large body of literature claiming that cold water immersion can do all sorts of things: end chronic pain, reduce symptoms of depression, boost the immune system, prevent diabetes and help you lose weight. Some of those have recently been shown to be true…

Joyce Hollman

The safe, effective quit-smoking pill Americans can’t get

It’s the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing close to half a million people each year. The good news is a safe and highly effective quit-smoking pill is available. But Big Pharma greed is keeping Americans from ever using it.…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Understanding who gets long COVID and why

It’s been a few years since Covid-19 became well-known. Nowadays, it’s making the rounds with the common cold and flu and infections seem milder but frequent. And it is those frequent infections that health experts are now most worried about…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Exercising for lower blood pressure: How much is enough

Let’s face it, exercise comes easily in our teen years but seems much harder as we get older. Most of us slack way off after our 40s. But when it comes to maintaining healthy blood pressure, you can’t skimp, but you can get some extra help…

Joyce Hollman

The secret to staying out of the hospital

No one enjoys being hospitalized, even if the reason isn’t life-threatening. The food is bad, the gowns drafty, tests demeaning and the longer you stay, the more muscle mass you lose. Luckily, there’s a not-so-shocking way to cut down on your chance of a hospital stay, even if you’ve already had a few…

Carolyn Gretton

Why diabetics have higher risk of severe lung infections

People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing serious lung infections following a respiratory infection. Diabetes can weaken the immune system, but its specific effects on the lungs have been unclear, until now. What research has found may signal a way to dial it back…

Joyce Hollman

The prebiotic hack that curbs your appetite

We’ve long known about the gut-brain connection and how the gut’s influence extends far beyond, well, the gut. But can the gut be optimized so it influences the brain to help us make better food choices? Recent research points to a solid yes…

Carolyn Gretton

Keto: The diet that combats polycystic kidney disease

The ketogenic diet has proven great for weight loss and blood sugar control, but not so great for the kidneys. Or so investigators thought, until they took a closer look at the impact of keto on a specific type of kidney disease….

Carolyn Gretton

Brushing twice daily may keep respiratory illness away

Dentists advise toothbrushing twice a day to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Those are good enough reasons for practicing good oral hygiene. But it turns out toothbrushing may cut down on at least one serious respiratory disease…

Carolyn Gretton

How nutmeg could lead to a longer lifespan

We’ve all heard the saying “the spice of life.” And nutrition research has proven several spices are exactly that. Spices have been found to improve specific conditions and improve health in general. Now one such spice has given up its secret for healthy aging…

Carolyn Gretton

Why only some of us get a brain boost from cocoa

Flavanols have a great reputation for heart and brain health. Cocoa is a source that’s been shown to be a real brain booster in some studies, but not so much in others. Researchers dug to the bottom of these mixed results, and found something interesting about cocoa and who benefits the most…

Carolyn Gretton

Mitochondria may hold secret to Parkinson’s diagnosis and treatment

Parkinson’s disease affects millions. Yet there is no single test to diagnose it, so years may pass before the standard treatment starts. But a revelation about mitochondrial involvement could lead not only to a definitive blood test but new treatment as well…

Joyce Hollman

When heart disease can spell dementia later in life

Most of us think that heart disease is a condition of old age. It happens to people in their 60s and 70s. But this is a fallacy. It can strike much earlier than most of us realize. And the earlier it does, the higher the risk of dementia down the road…

Carolyn Gretton

The seed that could help prevent breast cancer

Seeds, arguably the smallest part of any plant, often contain potent nutrition. Some exert particular influence on the gut, where their benefits are elevated even more. In fact, one seed and its action in the gut could play a key role in preventing a disease women dread…

Margaret Cantwell

10 best ways to blast inflammation from your body

Autoimmune problems that arise when your immune system attacks your own organs may afflict as many as 50 million Americans. However, making certain dietary changes may bring a measure of relief and offer protection against this widespread health issue…

Carolyn Gretton

Dropping one teaspoon of salt lowers blood pressure like medication

Fewer than 1 in 5 of the more than 1 billion people worldwide with high blood pressure has it under adequate control. Doctors usually recommend a combination of medication and lifestyle tweaks to bring it down. But it turns out one teaspoon of salt could have an impact as powerful as medication…

Joyce Hollman

How calorie restriction changes your body to slow aging

In early 2023, a first-of-its-kind study proved calorie restriction can indeed slow the pace of aging, not just in mice, but in humans. A second look showed how: It led to genetic changes that prevented a common aging condition that normally develops in older people…

Joyce Hollman

Kidney disease and cluster conditions lead to dangerous heart syndrome

You’ve likely heard of metabolic syndrome by now, even if you don’t have the condition. But if you do and start to have kidney problems, you’re at high risk for a major new heart syndrome affecting one-third of adults across the country…

Joyce Hollman

Probiotics: The new prevention strategy for colorectal cancer

Over the years, the benefits of probiotics have begun to stack up. And after significant advances in probiotic research, experts have a message for us: the gut microbiome cannot be neglected when treating or preventing colorectal cancer.

Joyce Hollman

Scans revealed how to slow immune system aging

A tiny organ that’s often ignored is the key to helping keep colds and flu away and your immune system balanced to avoid autoimmune disease. But it’s also connected to immune system aging. Here’s how to keep yours youthful…

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…

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…

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.

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

‘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….

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?

Joyce Hollman

Amplify broccoli’s superpowers without having to eat it raw

Broccoli has established itself as a “superfood.” It contains a compound called sulforaphane with an amazing reputation. But you’ll need to eat your broccoli in a particular way so sulforaphane can do all the great things it has the potential to do for you — and believe me, it’s worth the extra trouble…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Boosting testosterone could help men ward off type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is considered the most preventable disease of all, yet blood sugar problems are at epidemic proportions. The question is, with rates skyrocketing, how do you avoid becoming another statistic? The key could lie in your hormones…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

One more reason to give up bottled water: Your gut

Microplastics have now invaded every corner of our planet, compromising our food supply and flooding our once pristine oceans. You may be concerned about their effects on the environment, but it’s your gut you really need to worry about…

Jonathan Sharp

Benzene: What to know and how to avoid tainted sunscreen

Benzene is an industrial chemical and a known human carcinogen. It would be natural to think it has no place in consumer products such as sunscreen. So you might be asking yourself how it made its way into these affected products and what you can do to protect yourself…

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