Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

5 micronutrients Alzheimer’s brains are missing

With Alzheimer’s on the rise, experts are exploring every angle to slow the disease’s progression. Drugs have been disappointing, but nutrition is another story. Researchers just identified five key nutrients found in normal brains, but missing in brains affected by Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

It’s official: Cranberries keep urinary tract infections away

Centuries ago, Native Americans valued cranberries for bladder health. And like me, you probably grew up with a mom who suggested cranberry juice to avoid UTIs. But science scoffed at this anecdotal evidence, chalking it up to an old wives’ tale. That is, until now…

Margaret Cantwell

Does setting the clock back make you blue?

Setting the clocks back means fewer hours of sunlight for the coming months. That’s not a big deal for everyone. But if your mood plummets as the days grow shorter and darker, you might need help lifting the winter blues…

Joyce Hollman

The real reason fiber keeps disease away

The fact that fiber is essential to gut health is no surprise. But the role our gut plays in many other aspects of our health is coming to light in tons of research. Now we have a big clue as to why: hidden compounds that keep disease at bay…

William Davis

Nitric oxide: The pathway to better blood vessels, blood pressure and blood flow

Have you heard of nitric oxide? It’s a key biological signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system so important, its discovery earned a Nobel Prize. It helped make a little blue pill famous, but what it can do for blood pressure, blood flow and blood vessels is where NO truly shines…

Joyce Hollman

5 ways cinnamon can keep you slim and healthy

There are so many ways to enjoy the taste of cinnamon: tea, coffee, baking, casseroles. In fact, almost any food group can be enhanced by this stimulating flavor. Consider adding it into your cooking and baking, but to reap its amazing health benefits, all cinnamon is not created equally…

Jenny Smiechowski

This common virus more than doubles Alzheimer’s risk

Some viruses don’t go away when your symptoms do. They stick around silently for years and can put you at risk for serious diseases in the future. And now research shows a group of common viruses may double your risk of Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

Recipe for recovery: The science in chicken soup

Is chicken soup the best recovery for a cold? A lot of cultures worldwide swear by it and have for thousands of years. Here’s the science behind how chicken soup, done right, can speed up your recovery from colds and flu this winter…

Carolyn Gretton

Is your ‘true age’ increasing your stroke and dementia risk?

Most of us don’t worry about health problems till we’re older, when disease risks can skyrocket. But If your body’s biological age is older than your birth certificate shows, you can face higher stroke and dementia risks much sooner…

Joyce Hollman

Early-onset cancers jump 80 percent: Lower your odds

Cancer has been considered a disease of aging. But the fastest-growing group of cancer victims doesn’t fit that stereotype. Fortunately, identifying the culprits is the first step to lowering odds that have jumped significantly in the last 30 years…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 ways diabetes shortens lifespan up to 14 years

Diabetes can strike at anytime. And whether you’re diagnosed at 30 or 50, a countdown begins that can steal up to 14 years of your life. Researchers identified the three most common ways diabetes leads to an early grave…

Jenny Smiechowski

Cottage cheese: 3 big benefits of this old-school superfood

I love cottage cheese, even though it’s fallen out of fashion. I eat it often, and you should too, because the benefits of this retro superfood still hold strong several decades later. Here’s what eating a hefty bowl of cottage cheese every day can do for you…

Carolyn Gretton

The Wegovy plateau you should know about

Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists, hailed as miracle drugs, have helped people drop pounds like nobody’s business. But a new consequence no one’s talking about is how these drugs work until they just don’t anymore, and the weight isn’t the only thing that comes back…

Joyce Hollman

Menopause: Why some women have it worse

Menopause is hard enough. The hot flashes and night sweats can make life miserable, not to mention the unmentionables…UTIs, dryness and a vanishing libido. But some women have it a lot worse, and now we know why…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The seed that offers protection against Parkinson’s disease

With no definitive causes and or gold-standard treatments, living with Parkinson’s encompasses medications that help manage symptoms but hold little hope for disease progression. As far as Parkinson’s prevention, we’ve been left out in the cold. Until now…

Carolyn Gretton

The artery assault that happens when you go to bed late

Sleep is just as important as diet and fitness to your health and well-being. Still, a few nights a week, most of us burn the candle a little past bedtime. The harm? A shocking attack on your blood vessels linked to inflammation, dysfunction and serious heart trouble…

Margaret Cantwell

Molecule ‘switch’ programs cancer cells to self-destruct

As long as research into treating cancer has gone on, there are still just a handful of therapies oncologists rely on. Even when used together, cells can become resistant and the treatment can cause significant harm. But switching on cancer’s self-destruct switch is closer than you think…

Carolyn Gretton

Blood work differences reveal why some live to 100

There’s been much speculation as to why some people live to 100 and beyond. But why wonder when you can compare the blood work of centenarians against their shorter-lived counterparts and see the specific biomarkers linked to exceptional longevity…

Carolyn Gretton

Neighborhoods that decrease cancer risk have a common thread

Obesity carries some dangerous health risks, including obesity-related cancers. While stats show a small decrease in most cancers, those associated with weight are on the rise. Weight loss could help, but there’s another common thread among the cancer-free: their neighborhoods.

Margaret Cantwell

Why going meatless isn’t always a good idea

What happens when you exclude all meat and animal products from your diet? For starters, that makes you a vegan. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if it’s about health, you should know that much of the research warning us off meat is being called into question…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Breakthrough: Scientists cause aging cells to self-destruct

Anyone over the age of 50 can agree: getting older isn’t for the faint of heart. Thankfully research into slowing the effects of aging is at a fever pitch. The latest? Breakthrough research that shows aging cells can be made to self destruct before causing age-associated ailments…

Carolyn Gretton

3+ ways pumpkin can boost your wellness

Fall is the time of year that pumpkin spice abounds. But if you can get past the pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream topping, the pies and pastries, pumpkin can be a remarkably healthy and versatile vegetable. Here are three reasons you should be adding pumpkin to your menu…

Carolyn Gretton

Beware of this lesser-known cause of cancer deaths

There are a lot of secondary conditions that can come with cancer. And the most dangerous is a result of surgeries, chemotherapy and dead cancer cells. It’s important to be aware of the increased risk of blood clots and know the signs. Even better, avoid it in the first place…

Joyce Hollman

An extra coffee a day helps keep the weight away

On average, women over 50 gain a pound and a half a year. If you’re not paying attention, that can creep up on you fast, literally. Could coffee help? It already has many researched benefits, so it’s no wonder we’re taking a close look at how it affects weight…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Nitric oxide successfully treats viral lung injury

Respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia can lead to critically low oxygen levels, ventilator tubes and poor prognosis, both short and long term. But heading into cold, flu and COVID season this year, researchers found an effective treatment that battles these lung injuries…

Joyce Hollman

Why women who struggle to sleep risk high blood pressure

Are you a woman who struggles to sleep enough hours a night? Do you have trouble staying asleep? Diabetes and Alzheimer’s could be in your future. But the increased risk of high blood pressure caused by poor sleep may be a more immediate problem…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The products releasing hundreds of chemicals into your home

A clean home doesn’t just make you feel good. It can help you stay healthy. But the cleaning products most of us use are proven to emit hundreds of hazardous chemicals, even known carcinogens. Does “green” cleaning help? With one exception…

Joyce Hollman

Parkinson’s: The gut-brain link grows stronger

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease. Or is it? Research is showing that it may all begin with an immune system attack that likely starts in an organ far from the brain. That means a cure might be in our near future…

Carolyn Gretton

Stressed or depressed? Your Alzheimer’s risk may be 4 times higher

Stress can do a number on our bodies — including our brains. It can even affect our ability to form memories. But does that mean stress can cause dementia? Researchers set out to answer that question, and it’s concerning…

Joyce Hollman

Zinc link to diabetes may lead to new therapies

Increasing zinc intake improves blood glucose control in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. And now that research has clarified this link, a potential new therapy target may do that and more, including reducing the fatty liver disease that tags along with blood sugar trouble…

Carolyn Gretton

How to combat the pollutants harming your heart

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide. And one risk factor we feel we can do little about is pollution. So-called “safe” levels have been linked to everything from Afib to heart failure, but waiting on experts to fix this problem could be too late. Here’s what you need to know to lower your risks…

Joyce Hollman

The music that can keep your brain young

Listening to music you’ve loved all your life can do more than make you feel good. People experiencing mild cognitive impairment or even early-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms can listen to music and re-shape their brains to prevent a progression. But not just any music will do…

Joyce Hollman

Superbugs: The not-so-sweet side effect of a food additive

Trehalose is used to sweeten and extend the shelf life of products, It’s in in everything from gum to nutrition bars. But when you eat foods with trehalose, it’s like scattering birdseed to attract birds to your yard. Except in this case, you’re feeding deadly bacteria and inviting it to thrive in your gut.

Joyce Hollman

Mental or physical stress: Which is worse for the heart

High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Diabetes. These are all major risk factors for heart disease. But more and more research is pointing to another candidate that may be a bigger trigger for heart attack than any of these well-known factors.

Carolyn Gretton

The link between oral health and viral defense

The mouth can be a gateway for all kinds of viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19. And now, researchers have discovered how keeping your mouth healthy can help defend against these viruses — and how letting your oral health lapse can reduce that protection…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising mask danger no one’s talking about

Wearing face masks hasn’t gotten easier. Some of us experience skin rashes. They make our noses itch. And it feels like it’s harder to breathe. But if you wear glasses you have to deal with another problem: foggy glasses. And people are reaching for a solution that can lead to impaired thyroid and immune function down the road…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Olive oil tied to reduced mortality from 4 major health threats

It’s no secret that olive oil is a heart-healthy alternative. But the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says it can do even more. How do they know? They followed 92,000 people for 28 years and the results are too good to pass up…

Joyce Hollman

Chronic inflammation: Your brain’s single biggest threat

Until about a decade ago, scientists believed we had a finite number of brain cells that could not be replaced, and that, over time, we continue to lose those brain cells. We now understand they can, in fact, regenerate themselves — and have identified the most significant source of their destruction…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Common prescriptions can amplify a flu infection

It never hurts to take extra precaution, especially when it comes to the flu. And we have an new reason too, that surprisingly isn’t due to COVID-19. It has to do with common medications found to amplify or dampen how your body reacts to a flu infection.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The simplest step to grow your brain’s white matter

With the global incidence of dementia expected to double every 20 years, combatting cognitive decline has become serious business for researchers. If you’re ready to get just as serious, they’ve found a simple step to grow your white matter day by day.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 reasons to be wary of cannabis

Cannabis has been making big news for its health potential over the last few years. So much so, it’s practically mainstream. However, despite all the interest, there may be a catch… or two or three to know before you decide if it’s for you or not.

Carolyn Gretton

The grapes-gut connection that lowers cholesterol

It’s always a good thing to include fruit in your diet. Most of us don’t eat enough of it, but now we’ve certainly got more reason to — especially when it comes to grapes and the special effect they have on gut bacteria.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Two popular herbs reveal recipe for anti-cancer compounds

We often forget that Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet often holds the answer to so many of the illnesses that we suffer from. The latest: two popular Italian herbs that could go from farm to table to cancer treatment…

Carolyn Gretton

Phytic acid: The antinutrient found in healthy foods

We tend to see phytic acid as something to avoid because of its reputation as an antinutrient. But this plant-based substance isn’t all bad. In fact, it has some health benefits that could offset its potential for causing mineral deficiencies. So let’s dig into the conundrum…

Carolyn Gretton

The ancient spice that tackles a modern-day plague: Chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation is linked to a host of problems, from obesity to autoimmune conditions to depression. So researchers are exploring ways to directly target inflammation in people at risk. It turns out a long-used ancient anti-inflammatory spice could help with these modern-day problems…

Joyce Hollman

Health risks that could decrease if dentists talked to doctors

The connection between gum disease and more serious health problems is no secret. But recent large-scale research has painted a more comprehensive picture, and it’s not pretty. It’s time to stop thinking of the mouth as an independent system of its own…

Joyce Hollman

When women practice self-compassion, their hearts benefit

If you’ve cracked open a magazine or gotten online, you’ve seen lots of terms you might chalk up to New Age fads or practices, like “self-care” and “mindfulness.” News flash: beyond helping with stress, one specific practice made improvements to women’s hearts that could be seen in their arteries…

Joyce Hollman

Black beans: Potent ingredient for insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is when a body’s response to the hormone insulin is impaired and glucose in the blood cannot be used for energy. The next step is usually diabetes. Beans and legumes are great for people with insulin resistance, but black beans just may take the cake…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 rules to overcome chronic pain from a Survivor champion

Chronic pain is a fact of life for over 20 percent of adults. And if you’re part of that one in five, you know just how much of an impact that pain can have on your ability to work, play and simply enjoy your life. But what if you could learn to “reframe your pain” to better manage it? Pain science says it works.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Stroke warning: The significant impact of anger and exertion

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Many health conditions can increase risk for stroke including high blood pressure and diabetes, but when researchers looked closer, they found two common things happening in the hour before a stroke that pushed those risks over the edge.

Easy Health Options Staff

Why poor sleep causes heartburn (and vice versa)

We all need a good night’s sleep. That’s a gut feeling for most people. But sometimes discomfort within the gut is what hurts our ability to get deep, restful sleep. To make matters worse, it tuns out the process can occur in reverse: Sleep disorders are believed to trigger the stomach, too…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Stress: What it does to your DNA to speed aging

Science has discovered how to go beyond chronological age (the number of years you’ve lived) to measure biological age (the rate at which your cells age) using epigenetic clocks. They track chemical changes in DNA that not only helps predict health but also lifespan. And they’re finding too many of us aging faster thanks to the same culprit…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

The only 4 cholesterol foods you should avoid

Which is worse for your heart: an egg or a hot dog? Think about it. Since the amount of cholesterol in a food doesn’t always correlate with raising your cholesterol, which high cholesterol foods are the worst culprits for elevating bad cholesterol levels? The doctor says it’s these four…

Carolyn Gretton

3 dietary molecules linked to aggressive prostate cancer

While most men with prostate cancer recover completely, the outlook is grim for the handful diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease. But research has identified three molecules — and the foods they come from — showing that the place to start to change your fate is your gut…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The good deed that shows up in your blood work

There’s growing evidence that many of the worst and most chronic diseases, including coronary artery disease, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s may be riding the same steed: inflammation. But there’s a simple, non-medicated fix that works so well at dousing it, you can see the proof in your blood work…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Study finds a handful of heavy metals clogging major arteries

Some experts have said that at least 31 percent of the cardiovascular disease burden in the world could be avoided if environmental pollutants were eliminated. So when researchers looked at the association between toxic heavy metals and the body’s major arteries, they were shocked, but not surprised…

Joyce Hollman

Discovery shows how omega-3s help prevent stroke

Hardening of the arteries is a dangerous factor that can increase a person’s risk for stroke. It’s associated with chronic inflammation that damages blood vessels and hinders self-repair from mechanisms called resolvins. That’s where omega-3s come into the picture…

Joyce Hollman

An urgent reason to pamper your liver: Air pollution

Fatty liver disease isn’t new. What is new is learning its impact on metabolic health is so strong it’s now called Metabolic-associated liver disease, and that with every breath you take, you’re increasing your odds of the most common indication for liver transplantation. Start here to reduce your risks…

Joyce Hollman

Why giving up saturated fats can lead to heart trouble

Are you a label reader? Do you review the fat content of almost every product before adding it to your grocery cart? We’re not judging but we do want to share some new evidence that will blow all your concerns about saturated fats and heart trouble out of the water — and make life easier…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

One more risk of too little exercise: Pneumonia

Winter is here, and you know what that means: Your chances of getting sick and ending up with pneumonia are higher than at any other time of the year. And if you still haven’t gotten the message about the harms of a couch potato lifestyle, you’re missing out on the easiest intervention that works across all age groups.

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