Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Dangerous drug-resistant pathogen coming to your fruit bowl

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But times have changed. Most apples you’ll sink your teeth into today have been treated with a fungicide that’s turned them into the perfect vehicle for a drug-resistant pathogen to hitch a ride to your fruit bowl…

Margaret Cantwell

Feel like you’re gassier as you get older? Here’s why

When my mom was visiting she kept apologizing for her “old people farts.” After we had a good laugh, I helped her understand why she had these embarrassing episodes. The good news is it’s an easy fix, but ignoring it can steal your health…

Carolyn Gretton

Brisk walking, telomeres and how 60 may be the new 45

Walking is one of the healthiest habits to fall into. But when you pick up the pace, something amazing happens to your telomeres, little DNA caps that work like harbingers of aging: brisk walking walks back your biological age…

Joyce Hollman

5 factors for living more years without Alzheimer’s

The healthier you are, the longer you are likely to live. But, with every year that you’re alive, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s also goes up. That’s the double-edged sword of longevity! But there’s a way to get around it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to protect your heart during prostate hormone therapy

Even though testosterone is a natural male hormone, it can fuel certain prostate cancer cells, accelerating their growth. By starving them of this fuel, hormone therapy can help slow their growth or even cause cancer cell death. While there’s no doubt that this can help save your life, there is a downside…

Joyce Hollman

Is your plant-based diet enough to beat diabetes?

Plant-based diets, where animal products are eaten much less, appear to keep type 2 diabetes at bay, though the exact mechanisms behind “why” has not been fully understood. Harvard researchers took a look, and the bottom line: they work, but the devil’s in the details…

Carolyn Gretton

The leading cause of death from fatty liver isn’t what you’d think

One in four adults worldwide have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and many of them don’t even know it. It’s well-known that NAFLD can raise your risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. So why is the leading cause of death in people with NAFLD heart disease?

Joyce Hollman

4 behaviors that put you in line for heart failure

Heart failure is an often misunderstood diagnosis. It doesn’t mean your heart stops working. But it can be deadly. Here’s a primer on risk factors, symptoms, behaviors you can change to lower your risk, and a few science-backed ways to make improvements if you’ve been diagnosed.

Joyce Hollman

The prostate cancer-fighting potential of licorice

The licorice plant is one of the world’s oldest herbal remedies. Its powerful compounds are linked to fighting diabetes, adrenal fatigue and even the herpes simplex virus. Prostate cancer may be next on that list. But before you run out to stockpile it, there are some things to know…

Joyce Hollman

Surprising ‘anger link’ for men with essential hypertension

For most adults, there’s no identifiable cause for their hypertension, meaning no underlying condition or typical risk factor appears to be to blame. It’s called essential hypertension and all they know for sure is that it develops over years. But, for men, at least, an odd link to anger, with a twist, may be the cause.

Carolyn Gretton

Improve your indoor air and breathe easy with houseplants

Houseplants are a great way to bring a little nature inside. A little greenery goes a along way to ease anxiety, improve mood and sleep, and importantly, your oxygen levels. They can also protect you from a dangerously common household gas…

Carolyn Gretton

Alzheimer’s in your future? Cholesterol and blood sugar at 35 hold clues

You may have heard the expression “that’s a problem for future me.” You may have even said it yourself. But when it comes to health, that can be dangerous. In fact, recent research shows that certain health decisions you make in your younger years can elevate your Alzheimer’s risk later in life…

Jedha Dening

Aloe vera: The fat-burning blood sugar balancer

If you’re looking for something to turn your metabolism around, think aloe vera. The thought may conjure up memories of slathering it on sunburns, and while it’s true it’s great for your skin, it’s also considered a ‘functional food’ — meaning it provides health benefits, particularly for metabolic syndrome.

Jenny Smiechowski

When your skin signals a dangerous heart condition

Your skin can tell you a lot about your health. If something is out of balance, it can show up as rashes, eczema or other rritations rooted in inflammation. So, if your skin is showing signs of a problem, research says chances are it’s wreaking havoc elsewhere increasing risk for stroke, heart attack or worse.

Joyce Hollman

A late bedtime won’t turn you into a pumpkin but possibly a heart attack statistic

There are numerous ways to lower your risk of becoming a heart disease statistic, from exercise to eating habits to stress reduction. Apparently, picking just the right bedtime is just as crucial. Too early or too late means a 12 to 25 percent increase in your risk. But there was an optimal bedtime to aim for…

Carolyn Gretton

The ancient Chinese practice that helps with stroke recovery

Tai chi, an ancient Chinese mind-body practice, involves a combination of deep breathing and a series of slow, deliberate movements of the hands, arms, neck, legs and core. A tailored version has been found helpful in helping stroke victims get back on their feet…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Is your weight setting you up for cognitive decline?

It’s easy to look in a mirror and gauge if we need to lose weight. But there’s another kind of fat that isn’t so easy to see. It’s called visceral adipose fat and it’s stored inside your body around your organs. Turns out these fats may team up to set you up for cognitive decline…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How much daily activities add up to heart protection

How much time do you devote to exercise? If you’re like most, not as much as you’d like. By the time you’re done with work, housework, kids or grandkids — who feels like a half hour of heart-protective cardio? If you think you’re not getting as much as you need, you might be relieved to know how much your daily activities are helping…

Carolyn Gretton

How a zinc ‘burst’ activates the immune system

Scientists have long known that people whose zinc levels are too low have few to no infection-fighting T-cells. And their thymus, an immune system organ that generates those T-cells, starts to shrink. When corrected, their thymuses grow and start generating T-cells again. But activation needs a burst…

Carolyn Gretton

10 health consequences of not having sex

It can be deceptively easy to slide into an extended period of not having sex. Life gets busy, you get tired, and sometimes we think we’re just too old. But lack of sex isn’t just a relationship issue: not having sex can negatively impact your health, happiness and well-being…

Joyce Hollman

The fiber that offers the most heart protection

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. But if you’re nearing 65, one food source in particular is the best choice for fending off the inflammation that leads to heart problems. Here’s why it’s better than fruits or vegetables at keeping your heart healthy…

Joyce Hollman

Long-term proof: An avocado a day keeps heart disease away

It’s no secret that avocados have lots of health benefits wrapped up in one little package, including phytochemicals that protect eyesight and fight cancer. But the connection between eating avocados and lowering your risk of heart disease just got even stronger…

Joyce Hollman

Nerve pain: The latest symptom of long COVID

Following the pandemic, the effects of long COVID are slowly coming to light. Almost daily, new symptoms and conditions are revealing their strange connection to SARS-CoV-2. Not too surprising, the latest has also been linked to diabetes and the shingles virus…

Carolyn Gretton

The simple vitamin/mineral pairing that can help with vertigo

If you sometimes experience the kind of dizziness that feels like a sudden spinning sensation, you’re probably experiencing benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). And it can range from annoying to downright debilitating. Some people experience a “once and done” episode, but others aren’t so lucky. Fortunately, getting relief could be as simple as the right nutrients…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The pain-relieving power of nostalgia

Opioids are proof that modern medicine has a long way to go in the battle against pain. Thank goodness there are natural ways to decrease pain levels, including the ones you can find down memory lane…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The relationship between loneliness and memory problems

Many people enjoy “alone time.” It helps us reset, be productive and sparks creativity. But loneliness is different. It is a feeling of social isolation fueled by a lack of fulfilling interactions with others. And research has been finding for years that it’s harmful to our health, especially your brain…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The supplement that makes it easier to cut out sugar

There’s good news for all of us who love our sweet and carb-laden treats but would like to tone them down a bit… and it’s all wrapped up in helping your gut help you make better choices, release appetite-suppressing hormones and increase calorie burn…

Easy Health Options Staff

Common erectile dysfunction drugs tied to vision problems

Drugs for ED have become incredibly popular in the last several years, helping many men overcome a problem that impacts their quality of life. But they may come with a serious price: a higher risk of three conditions that could cause vision loss…

Joyce Hollman

Avoiding heart failure is the best reason to stay hydrated

You’ve probably heard that your body is 50 percent water. But did you know some of your most vital organs are up to 80 percent water? Your heart is one of them. And we’re hearing that your future risk of heart failure may hinge on how well-hydrated you keep it…

Carolyn Gretton

The ‘weight optional’ diet that lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

Your doctor says you’ve got to lower your cholesterol and blood sugar. Of course, he also says to do that, you’ve got to lose weight, and you’ve found that hard. No worries. Meet the diet that gives you these benefits and more, with or without the weight loss…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Is your weekly cheat day damaging your blood vessels?

The best thing about dieting is cheat day, right? Besides a little indulgence, cheat days were believed to keep the body from “adapting” to the diet and preventing weight loss plateaus. But that theory has been called into question. It turns out this six days on, seventh day off philosophy could actually be harming your health.

Jenny Smiechowski

The strange nocturnal sign you have high blood pressure

How many times do you go to the bathroom at night? I’ll admit, there are nights when I go to the bathroom a few times. And sure, it’s annoying. But I never thought it was anything to worry about. Unfortunately, if you get up to go several times at night (like I do sometimes), your nightly bathroom habits could be a harbinger of bad news.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The 12-minute trick to a happier life

How do you lift your spirits when you’re feeling a little down? Researchers found that the way your thoughts revolve around the people around you can go a long way toward making you a happier person and it only takes 12 minutes. And the technique worked across the board on people of all different personality types.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to safely clean your ears without losing your hearing or infecting your brain

I grew up cleaning my ears with cotton swabs. Unfortunately, those swabs are still big business and the chosen ear-cleaning method for many — even though they can result in a ruptured ear drum, ear infection, impacted ear wax or much, much worse… like a life-threatening infection of the lining of your brain…

Joyce Hollman

Mushrooms can help you conquer cognitive decline even if you don’t like them

Mushrooms can lower blood pressure, protect the liver, and improve digestion. Some even have anti-cancer properties. And a very recent study gives us strong evidence that eating a handful of mushrooms each day can help you maintain your mental faculties well into old age. Don’t like them? Not a problem…

Jenny Smiechowski

The surest way to make cancer treatment resistant and help it spread

There’s nothing more stressful than getting diagnosed with a serious disease… especially if that disease comes with as much baggage as cancer. The second your doctor delivers your test results (or even mentions cancer as a possibility), you switch into fight-or-flight mode. That can really hurt your chances…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Have drugs and therapies helped make heart disease the #1 killer?

It wasn’t long ago that The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released its health statistic brief… And, yet again, heart disease was at the top — as the leading cause of death in the United States. It’s been like this for years, and years and years. Not surprising, right… but, you know what was?

Jenny Smiechowski

The best way to finally relax, melt stress and fight disease at the same time

Here’s a simple truth we take for granted: Relaxation is powerful medicine. It can prevent mental health issues, counteract the physical damage caused by stress and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Those are facts. But for it to work, you have to actually feel relaxed, and that’s not so easy unless…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The burning truth about hot tea (and maybe coffee) and esophageal cancer

When we think about cancer, most of us worry about breast, lung, or colon cancer. After all, those are the ones you hear the most about. But, there’s another type of cancer that shouldn’t be forgotten in your quest for prevention, considering an innocent daily habit could fuel it…

Joyce Hollman

Shingles: It’s not just grown-up chickenpox

If you’ve reached adulthood without having had the chickenpox, you may consider yourself lucky. And in a sense, you are. Unless you’ve never had chickenpox, a case of shingles is always a possibility. Along with the long-term nerve damage and serious complications shingles can bring, if you’re not careful…

Joyce Hollman

Common drugs that make you sicker by stealing nutrients

Even if you eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, you could be losing much of the benefit if you’re taking a medication that sucks that nutrition out of you as fast as you can put it in. You may not notice it at first… until you gradually feel the symptoms of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Jenny Smiechowski

How this nut changes breast cancer genes to help women survive

Let’s say you’re diagnosed with breast cancer. Research shows that eating just two ounces of a certain nut daily alters your genes in a way that could help you survive…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

A great way to shake down your weight, BMI and blood pressure if you’re diabetic (or not)

Weight loss can be a challenge for anyone. But if you have a health condition, it can be even harder — especially if you have type 2 diabetes. That’s because insulin doesn’t just help move glucose from blood to your cells. It promotes the storage of fat. But researchers may have found the best way…

Joyce Hollman

Did the FDA really just approve a ‘party drug’ to treat depression?

Ketamine has long been abused as a “street drug,” with side effects like convulsions, irregular heartbeat, hives, shortness of breath and blurry vision. So, why would the FDA approve a drug from this dangerous source for people who are already emotionally at risk, and put off a “natural drug” that’s safer?

Jenny Smiechowski

Why is this strange sight-stealing hormonal condition 150 times more common than it used to be?

Chronic hormonal imbalances are common nowadays because our hormones are under constant assault. But these imbalances cause more than moodiness, insomnia, and anxiety (which are bad enough). They cause scary hormone-related health conditions… like idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Dr. Michael Cutler

8 strange stroke risks explained

Some of the strongest risk factors for stroke deaths are elevated systolic blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. But there are some less obvious risk factors, and some you might find strange. But the more you know, the better you can protect yourself from ever experiencing a life-changing, and often deadly, stroke.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Tears hold clue to Alzheimer’s test and the potential for earliest treatment

In a perfect world, you might do everything known to lessen the odds for Alzheimer’s. But, truth be told, you may take the gamble and put off healthy lifestyle changes until a diagnosis is staring you in the face. But what if a simple test could reveal if plaque were already invading your brain so you could get serious about stopping it?

Jenny Smiechowski

Don’t ignore these 4 food cravings

Do you ever find yourself overcome by food cravings so strong your willpower goes out the window? But if you find yourself craving certain foods over and over again, it’s actually more than just inconvenient. It’s a sign of what’s really going on with your health…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 ways poor sleep is killing your heart

Being in debt to the Sandman can do much more than just leave you tired. It’s long been known that poor sleep increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, here are three ways researchers have found a lack of sleep can elevate risks that are detrimental to your heart…

Joyce Hollman

Why Alzheimer’s may be late-stage type 2 diabetes

Research is piling up that points the finger at insulin as an instigator to the buildup of plaque that leads to Alzheimer’s. In fact, Alzheimer’s has been referred to as type 3 diabetes. But as startling as this revelation is, it’s also promising as far as avoiding it…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The missing nutrient that could prevent peripheral artery disease

PAD happens when a buildup of fatty plaque in your arteries narrows the vessels so that your blood has a hard time going where your body needs it. The disease can be serious, but many people are able to stop or even reverse their symptoms with a few changes, and this one is too easy not to try…

Joyce Hollman

How sitting makes you diabetic

It’s a good thing that research into the benefits of walking is ongoing. It serves to remind us that if we’ve “fallen off the wagon,” spring is a great time to get moving again. Especially if you’re already at risk for diabetes. Because it’s almost shocking how inactivity brews a perfect storm for this disease…

Jenny Smiechowski

Why a CPAP machine could save your brain

Sleep apnea sufferers hate CPAP machines. And for good reason… CPAP machines are loud, uncomfortable and can cause dry eyes and skin problems. But if you have sleep apnea, you better learn to love it, because sleep apnea may cause tau proteins to accumulate in your brain…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Can we prevent osteoporosis after menopause?

It’s long been recognized that post-menopausal women are also at higher risk of osteoporosis. And although doctors have thought that the loss of estrogen during menopause might be the cause of this osteoporosis link, they really didn’t know why until a recent study.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

A secret for ‘controlling’ how young you can feel

Recent research is proving that the secret to feeling young is something most of us wouldn’t expect… It turns out that while how much stress they’re under and how healthy they are plays a significant role in how old younger adults feel, for the over 60 crowd, one big factor that took center stage…

Joyce Hollman

The medical device ‘coverup’ that could threaten your life

Medical devices are everywhere, from tongue depressors to knee replacements to pacemakers. We’re talking about any non-drug product used in medical treatment. While it’s mandatory that companies report deaths associated with their devices, reporting any other negative outcomes is strictly voluntary.

Jenny Smiechowski

How to know if fibromyalgia is behind your fatigue and pain

Fibromyalgia has been one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose. Doctors could only guess based on symptoms and by ruling out other possible causes. But that may soon be coming to an end. Luckily, researchers just uncovered a simple way to diagnose fibromyalgia with more certainty…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

5 reasons almonds are the world’s most nutritious (and helpful) food

The key to losing weight and keeping it off, for good, is to make small sustainable changes, like incorporating more foods that promote health (and fewer foods that promote disease) into your day. One food that can promote both health and weight loss, happens to have recently been named the world’s most nutritious food.

Joyce Hollman

8 rules for preventing a first heart attack

The American College of Cardiology, along with the American Heart Association, issued a new set of guidelines for preventing a first heart attack or stroke. Much of the advice will not be at all surprising to you. But there has been a definite shift, you should know about…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why ‘fast food’ oil increases your risk for metastatic breast cancer

There’s probably not a woman out there that doesn’t fear a breast cancer diagnosis. And, those that survive the disease live with the constant worry of recurrence since the majority of survivors have dormant tumor cells circulating in their blood, like a time bomb, waiting to go off.

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