Latest Stories

Numerous studies have confirmed head-to-toe benefits of vitamin D that go far beyond strong bones. But the disease connection to low levels of the vitamin is just the tip of the iceberg of what you should know to avoid the silent epidemic behind the rise in autoimmune disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more…

For the longest time, having long or irregular periods was dismissed as something women just had to put up with. But that’s changing. We now know a menstrual cycle gone awry can be a sign of serious illness — including liver disease. A few ways to rebalance your cycle can also protect your liver…

LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the blood are determined predominantly by two very different biochemical pathways. Depending upon which one is dominant for you, it’s possible to determine how well you’ll respond to medication versus simple diet changes to lower cholesterol.

The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced they are voluntarily recalling several lots of blood pressure medications due to the presence of a cancer-causing impurity known as nitrosamine. Find out if you’re affected and what to do…

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life. But because doctors expect to hear women come to them with complaints of fatigue, sleep problems, headaches and joint pain during this time, women are being left behind when it comes to a dangerous and potentially deadly condition…

What’s the harm in a daily drink? Despite what smaller studies have found, it turns out just one drink followed by just one more can exponentially age your brain by shrinking it. In fact, a shockingly small amount can steal a decade from your brain…

Some viruses that have a history of affecting male sexual health rarely occur in the U.S. But many men have been experiencing erectile dysfunction, testicular pain and prostate problems after a COVID-19 infection. A PET scan that showed how the virus spreads through the male genital tract explains why…

Breathing in ozone pollution is harsh on the lungs. It can also raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. Is that the worst of it? Long-term exposure to ozone has been found to contribute to cognitive decline. You have to breath, but you can still protect your brain….

Endless commercials tell us if we join weight loss programs and eat their pre-packaged meals, the pounds will drop. Maybe you’ve tried them or followed a diet at home, working out on top of all of that, but the scale keeps going up. Let me be the first to tell you to stop beating yourself up. Here’s why…

AMD leads to loss of the sharp vision required for activities like reading, driving, recognizing faces and seeing the world in color. It can also lead to blindness. To keep that from happening, research looks into gene therapy, inflammation and oxidative stress…

If you still think being mindful about your eating habits has something to do with meditation, you’d not only be wrong, you’d be missing out. Here are 8 ways to simplify eating better, losing weight if you want and avoiding disease to live healthier…

Anything you can do to develop stronger muscles will add years to your life — up to 20 percent more! But if you’re like me you’re not a fan of breaking a sweat. I have good news for all of us: When it comes to the benefits of muscle-strengthening exercise, less is more…

They plop. They fizz. And what a relief they bring. But the reason those fizzy pain relievers dissolve so well is the sodium they contain. Surely, it’s not that much, right? It’s enough to raise risks for stroke and heart attack even if you don’t have high blood pressure.

Arthritis, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, back pain — you’ve probably dealt with one or more of these forms of chronic pain in your lifetime. And maybe you’re still trying to rein in your chronic pain… even after you’ve tried everything medicine has to offer…

Having a pet is great for your health, particularly if you’re a senior. Your pet can keep your blood pressure and stress levels down, keep you from getting lonely and make sure you get daily exercise. And now, there’s evidence having a pet may even benefit your brain…

There are a lot of factors believed to contribute to Alzheimer’s. Without a cure, there’s hope that early identification of these factors may give us the chance to intervene. These 10 factors have been identified as those most likely to manifest many years before Alzheimer’s onset…

A review of cardiovascular care in the U.S. found it’s prone to a high frequency of “low-value” tests and procedures. It happens to nearly half of patients and leads to more invasive tests that come with higher risks, costs and questionable benefits. Are you one of them?

You may think your immune system is only activated when you’re sick. Truth is, it remains active in your body even when you’re perfectly healthy. In fact, It has cells stationed all over the body that are busy performing vital functions, such as those related to energy production and burning fat…

The gut influences processes in our body far beyond digestion. In fact, it’s known that disturbances in the microbiome and heart problems can go hand in hand. But there’s been some uncertainty about where the issues actually begin and what could be done to decrease the harm…

Most of us think of body fat as something we need to lose. However, growing research is proving it’s much more than a reservoir for storing calories. Depending on how well it functions, fat may be key to preventing some of the most common age-related ailments.

Caffeine has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. But it’s been unclear exactly how. Turns out, there’s an interesting connection between caffeine and a protein that stimulates cholesterol production.

We’re always hearing we should eat more fiber. It helps maintain a healthy digestive system, reduces cholesterol and improves heart health. Now, research is finding that eating more of a particular type of fiber may also keep dementia away…

Who in their right mind would sit down and eat a bunch of plastic particles with their meal? But we have been for a long time. To the point that it’s poisoning us in an entirely different and alarming way…

More and more, research is proving that being a meat lover can put you at higher risk for cancer. But is it really an all-or-nothing deal? Maybe not. You may only need to follow a few simple rules to enjoy meat and keep the “big C” at bay…

If you’re at an age where heart and brain health are top of mind, you might be missing a threat that’s 50 percent higher in older adults than it was 25 years ago. The good news is that the nutrients that support your heart and brain can also decrease your autoimmune risk by 30 percent.

With age, the size of the human brain shrinks. Age-related brain atrophy occurs due to a loss of brain cells. With fewer brain cells, connections are lost and cognitive decline begins. What if you could pump up the volume with a simple diet adjustment?

It’s no accident that the small, sweet cherry has found its way into idioms that express how good life is. To “put the cherry on top” means to make a good thing even better. That’s because there are few downsides to eating cherries, and a lot of benefits to be had…

Late-night eating can lead to weight gain or high blood sugar levels. That’s a recipe for diabetes. But new findings show many of us carry a gene that can make that habit worse by turning a hormone naturally produced in the body against us.

When your sleep cycle gets screwed up, so does your health. Disruption to your circadian clock has been found to interfere with the brain’s ability to clear a protein closely linked to stealing your brain functions and memories. But getting it back on schedule isn’t so hard…

While none of us doubt that heavy drinking is a danger to health, the jury has been out for decades as to whether light to moderate alcohol use can be helpful or harmful. But one consistent debate has centered on alcohol’s connection to cancer. Well, now, the jury may have made a final decision.

Diseases are like dominoes. You get one disease, and it triggers a chain reaction that causes others. Just think about it for a second… If you have an autoimmune disease, you’re more likely to get cancer. If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to get heart disease. If you have heart disease, you’re more likely to get dementia. The list goes on and on. Why are chronic diseases connected?

In 2010, the CDC estimated that 23,000 people were dying annually from infections caused by MRSA and other “unkillable” bacteria that have learned to resist our best antibiotics. Then we stopped hearing much about superbugs. Now we’re finding that fungal infections are following suit, and it’s downright scary…

To keep all of the organs in your body working, your heart muscle must work tirelessly. Unfortunately, as you age, your chance of heart failure goes up significantly. Aside from genetic factors, what you eat makes a big impact. And out of these 5 popular styles of eating, one could slash your risk by 41 percent…

What should you do when you’re so desperate you’d trade anything (your car, your left arm, your firstborn, your beloved cockapoo) for one decent night’s sleep? Well, the bad news is, there’s no silver bullet solution to insomnia. But research says more of this fish on your dinner plate comes pretty close…

Have you ever wondered how to get rid of those tiny bumps on the back of your upper arms? The ones that feel like “chicken skin,” even when you’re not cold, and can actually show up on your cheeks, thighs or buttocks, too. Those bumps amount to a common skin condition and there are several ways to tackle it…

Why is it some people can eat potatoes, bread, chocolate cake and other tasty treats from time to time and still look like Elle McPherson? Yet, some of us can’t even look at a chocolate chip cookie in the Panera bakery display without gaining five pounds. Could something be working against you?

Arthritis is a leading cause of disability. If the joints of your fingers, hips, and knees become painful, stiff and inflamed, it can be hard just to get out of bed in the morning. And without a concerted effort to fight back against the pain, a person’s quality of life can go quickly downhill. But there are ways to fight back…

When you eat in-season, the food’s fresher. It tastes better. And packs more nutrition. If seasonal eating strikes a chord with you, look for the stalky, green vegetable that sprouts every spring — asparagus. This scrumptious veggie can provide major health benefits that you’ll want to take advantage of…

What’s going on with drug prices these days? To say some increases (like the Epi pen and insulin) are unreasonable really understates things. We need to look at the system that’s in place for setting prices, the middleman you don’t really need, and a handful of ways you can beat that system and pay less for meds you need…

Hormones can cause a lot of problems. If your testosterone goes down, so does your libido and energy levels. Your muscles and bones can become weaker, your body fat can go up and you can end up with more rolls around your belly. If you’re a thrill-seeker, there’s a fun way to boost it…

We would probably all like to live a longer, healthier life. Past studies have shown that the key could be stronger muscles. But there’s another option that’s been proven to be more important than muscle strength to determining how long you live — muscle power. Here’s the difference and how to boost it…

Capsaicin is a natural compound found in spicy peppers. It has no nutritional value on its own but is well known for its pain-killing power — and at least a handful of other proven benefits including reduced stroke and heart attack risk, lower cholesterol, and dousing chronic inflammation. Here’s how to put it to work…

The flu’s breaking records this year. Not because it’s more severe. Or because it’s causing more deaths. It’s just lasting super long. That means, if you haven’t gotten it yet, the threat is still very real. If I were you I’d stock up on the berry with phytochemicals that effectively stopped the flu virus from infecting cells…

A couple of years ago the British Journal of Medicine (BMJ) published the story of a woman who overcame blood cancer by taking curcumin supplements. Past studies also show it’s helpful against colon, skin and pancreatic cancer. Now it appears curcumin packs anti-cancer clout against stomach cancer too…

Research shows that smokers who try to give up cigarettes without participating in a smoking cessation program will fail a whopping 95 percent of the time, making it the number one thing you must do if you want to quit. But new research has uncovered a strategy that can increase your chances of quitting by almost six times…

People who live long well do so through small, daily acts of healthy behavior. And it’s the cumulative effect of those small acts over time that rewards them with better health. So, every time you practice just these 4 pillars, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re building your own personal fountain of youth…

Mercury amalgam fillings have been used for more than 150 years. They’re affordable and durable. But now that we know how hazardous they are, many folks are considering having those old fillings replaced. Finding the right replacement isn’t so easy, though. If you’re considering it, here’s what you should know…

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a serious wake-up call. You’re plagued with diarrhea, cramping, bloating, constipation, indigestion, fatigue. And no one knows for sure why IBS strikes some and spares others. It’s a mysterious disease. But despite its mysteriousness, there is one thing we do know about IBS for sure…

No one knows exactly why men end up with enlarged prostates as they age but the fact is that benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH affects approximately over 27 million men over the age of 50 per year, making it one of the most common diseases faced by aging men. But the meds used to help cause another problem…

Plenty of research tells us that a diet centered around fruits, vegetables and whole grains can prevent a long list of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. But wait… can’t you indulge in the occasional burger or steak without worrying? Here’s what researchers found when people ate as little as two ounces a day…

Your barista at Starbucks. Your yoga teacher. Your bank teller. They all have tattoos. Heck, even your boss has a tribal design peaking out from his shirtsleeves. Now, most people who get tattoos will never have a problem. But when you inject a foreign substance into your body, there’s always the possibility…

A face-lift may not be something you would consider. The thought of going under the knife and weeks of downtime and pain is not appealing. But there are many new procedures shown to be safe and effective these days, with little to no downtime. If you’ve thought about lifting your laugh lines, let me tell you about…

Left unchecked, chronic stress can skyrocket your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. But few of us take the steps necessary to manage stress since it can seem difficult to overcome or too time-consuming to put in the effort. But a new study says you can do it in just 20 minutes a day…

If you asked a handful of people whether they’d like to live to be 100, you’d probably get mixed answers. Some might say, “Sure, the longer the better.” But just as many would be afraid to live that long, concerned about frailty and poor health. Yet in Japan, centenarians are thriving thanks to these longevity hacks…

Your breakfast can send you on the blood sugar equivalent of Magic Mountain, where you spend your day experiencing spikes and dips that leave you feeling weak, irritable and downright bad. Or it can send you on a smooth ride down the lazy river. The choice is up to you. But if the second option sounds better, eat this…

If you have any of the following 10 cancer symptoms or signs, be sure to consult a physician. It may prove to be nothing at all or something other than cancer. But at least you and your family will know what you are up against and you can take the steps to manage it.

While some groups recommend that all women, no matter their age, get a yearly mammogram, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that once you hit 74, screening can stop for good. But, is that true? And, if you should continue to be screened, is traditional mammography your best choice?

Blood pressure, especially systolic (the top number) naturally creeps up as arteries stiffen with age, raising the risk for heart attack, kidney damage, and even cognitive problems. But what if there was something easy that only took 5 minutes a day to bring it way down, without breaking a sweat?

Headlines report that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. What’s equally concerning is people with prediabetes who don’t know their risk. But even worse than that (and yes, it gets far worse), there are human timebombs among us who think they are just fine because their diabetes test was WRONG…

Your body runs on hormones. They are the “chemical messengers” that make things happen, like controlling your body temperature, your moods, your sex drive, your sleep patterns, and your immunity against disease. Most people think of insulin as the hormone associated with diabetes. But that’s cutting it short…