Latest Stories

Skeletal muscle constitutes 40 percent of your body and a world of metabolic activity. Research shows just how important it is to maintain those muscle cells, and igniting a process that leads to energy, endurance and longevity could help make that happen…

Orthostatic hypotension literally means “low blood pressure caused by an upright posture.” For some people, it can be an unpleasant experience, even without any underlying causes. It can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. Here’s how to cut down on episodes…

Bacteriotherapy is a cutting-edge approach to fighing MRSP, or methicillin-resistant staph. And a strain of bacteria has been identified that’s especially good at inhibiting it. You could say it’s a cat’s superpower…

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and they’re not doing you any favors, except making it easy to develop insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, high blood pressure, heart disease — oh and did we mention the strong link to dementia?

Exercise has been established as a clear path to a longer life. But there’s been some debate about whether more is better or worse. Now we finally know just how much we need to avoid dying early, especially from a heart condition…

Close to one in three men will experience depression in their lifetime. That not only affects mental health but also increases chronic disease risk. And men are less likely to seek help. But what’s that saying about the way to a man’s heart? It may be key to happiness too…

Switching to a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy, from weight loss to avoiding diabetes. They’ve even been found to guard against cancer. But when it comes to breast cancer, not all plant-based diets are equal…

People with gout tend to be at a higher risk of cardiovascular issues. That’s a connection research made a while ago. What’s more alarming is that a gout flare-up can actually begin the countdown to heart attack or stroke within months…

Plenty of studies confirm cocoa’s benefits. But results from controlled studies don’t always translate to real daily life. That’s where cocoa’s effects on blood pressure and arteries differ. Not only does it work, it laid to rest a concern doctors have about traditional BP treatments…

Just about anyone who tries sourdough bread becomes a fan. But there’s more to the light, chewy distinctively-flavored bread. Not only is it loaded with nutrition but it has unique properties that offer big heart, blood sugar and digestive benefits…

Your thyroid regulates many functions, including metabolism. That requires a steady flow of thyroid hormones circulating in your bloodstream. Too much, too little and you have problems, like weight gain and fatigue. But it looks like your thyroid has a broader impact than we ever thought…

Palmitic acid, found in palm oil, has been linked with heart disease and cancer. Scientists have been working to unravel the reasons behind the latter, and they may have uncovered how palmitic acid turns regular tumor cells into aggressive spreaders of disease…

Is there anything more enjoyable than a nap on a rainy afternoon? You wouldn’t think there’d be any risk in that. Yet over the past twenty years, scientists have discovered frequent naps carry health implications that may be serious…

Whether you want sustained strength in the gym, more brainpower in the boardroom, better performance in the bedroom, or other overall health benefits, you need to keep this vitamin at optimal levels, especially if you’re concerned about low T…

You may not realize just how quickly some painkillers can take a toll on your heart. You don’t have to take these drugs for years and years to experience an elevated heart attack risk. Damage can be done by taking them for just one week.

Imagine getting sick and the one antibiotic shown to fight your infection no longer works. In COVID’s wake years of caution took a backslide, and some antibiotic-resistant infections have jumped as much as 78 percent. Here’s what to know going forward…

You may already know that cinnamon can improve your memory, balance your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol… but that’s not all this super spice has up its sleeve…

Millions of people turn to antidepressants to help them weather their darkest days. But despite their popularity, what if the mechanism by which the most popularly prescribed were designed to work — correcting a serotonin “imbalance” — turned out to be a myth?

Even if you do everything right for your heart in terms of diet and exercise, there’s a vulnerability almost impossible to avoid. The air we breathe and the soil we grow our food in have been found to contain contaminants directly linked to heart problems on a major scale. Give up? There’s always an answer…

Most cases of liver cancer are traceable to clear risk factors such as diabetes, cirrhosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, among others. But for 40 percent the cause isn’t so clear. Until research came across the ‘one a day’ that raises liver cancer risk by 73 percent…

While science is finding we’re capable of living much longer, many of us succumb to habits that cheat us of even an average lifespan. In fact, four in one hundred of us die early, when ditching one simple habit can bring those numbers down significantly…

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, three million seniors are treated in emergency rooms every year for fall-related injuries, and one in five of those falls causes serious injury, usually hip fracture or head injury. But you don’t have to become a statistic…

We are what we eat, but how seriously do we take that adage? Considering insulin resistance, anxiety and depression are part of a journey that leads to Alzheimer’s, we’re not taking it seriously enough…

Natural light just feels good. There’s a good reason for that: it goes hand in hand with our good health, regulating processes in the body. But less exposure to natural light and more to blue light is proving detrimental to how we age…

Many of us suffer from an unseen condition that can make every day difficult. Sometimes it even feels like a heart attack. But it’s not. It’s anxiety. And in a rush to take anything to feel better, we eagerly accept medication. But the long-term damage may be worse than any anxiety attack…

We know eczema can be a frustrating, uncomfortable, and, for some, distressing condition to deal with. But what you might not know, however, is that the peak prevalence of the disease occurs in early childhood. Early intervention with a vitamin that helps adults with the condition might stop it.

Feeling stressed? You’re not alone. The pandemic set off changes that we still feel the stress of today. But it also set off a flurry of research into how we can relieve it. If you’ve got less than 5 minutes, take a literal look at how fast you can improve your well-being.

Did you hear about the baby sea turtle that pooped plastic for six days? You can’t see it, but microplastics are coursing through your bloostream too, depositing hormone-disrupting toxins, causing heart disease and binding to your gut. Here’s how to purge it…

Women may be less likely to get a Parkinson’s diagnosis than men, but over 400,000 women live with the condition. But are their numbers lower due to the fact it affects the genders differently or a mistaken perception that’s endangering women?

It’s pretty astonishing that medical professionals still treat the mouth as separate from the rest of the body. Research has already shown how strongly connected it is to other organs, particularly the heart. Now, an underlying factor in gum disease can skyrocket risk for heart failure.

Every day, more proof arises that what we put in our mouths can have a profound effect on our health, now and in the long run. Despite all the news and research about the importance of eating whole foods with names you can spell, Americans are reaching for foods that make them fat and sick — one in particular…

There’s probably been a point in your life where you took a Z-pack from your doctor without second guessing it. Maybe your throat was ablaze with strep bacteria or any other number of nasty infections. At those times, a Z-pack feels like a life-saver. But this common antibiotic can also be a life-ender…

Most of us have heard of the shingles virus, especially if you’re past middle age when your risk of being diagnosed goes up. Basically, if you’ve ever had chickenpox, you’re at risk for shingles. And, there’s something else you should know… It’s putting more and more baby boomers at serious risk for blindness…

Women have a much steeper heart disease risk once menopause strikes. But your estrogen levels start dipping long before you enter full-blown menopause which means your heart attack risk skyrockets a lot sooner than you realized.

Sitting is the new smoking. That’s because while the rates of smoking have fallen to their lowest point in recorded history, we spend more time than ever sitting… at our computers, in our cars, on our couches to watch TV and at the kitchen table eating. And it’s making us sick.

Investigators found that even among individuals who would be deemed low risk based upon LDL cholesterol levels, those with elevated inflammation levels had double the risk of a subsequent cardiac event. This supports what we already know about coronary and vascular disease… and a missed opportunity to save lives.

Most of us think of liver problems in relation to how much alcohol we drink. But, while alcohol can damage your liver, there is a much sneakier cause of liver damage that you could be living with right now and not even know it. It’s called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD for short.

You may never have even considered the fact that men can get breast cancer. But breast cancer is breast cancer, folks, regardless of gender. It operates pretty much the same way and can kill anyone. But men can also be survivors, provided they know the signs, take action, and don’t let stigma stop them…

Genes. It’s easy to curse fate for giving you less than perfect ones… Unfortunately, some are more serious than a painful pair of fallen arches or skin that doesn’t make for stunning selfies. Hidden somewhere in your genetic code may be a tendency toward cancer. That doesn’t mean you can’t beat those odds…

Had I known that high fiber foods heal intestinal diseases, like ulcerative colitis, I might have been spared a complete proctocolectomy, the complete removal of my large intestine. My experience served as a catalyst to investigate healing through fiber… something I didn’t learn in med school and am glad to share…

Caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s is unlike any other stressor. It has multiple layers, and it’s not like you can wait to deal with the physical strain while you’re taking care of the way it affects every other aspect of your life, including depression. But there’s help in these eight skills…

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and the way to your heart is through the bedroom, then the way to satisfy both is also through his stomach. Your husband can achieve a stronger sex drive and better sexual performance by eating these five foods…

As we age, cognitive problems can start to creep in… and no one wants to see that happen. But one of the areas that can become especially challenging is decision making. Yet, the decisions we make in later life can substantially affect our finances, our health, and our independence. This can help…

It seems that the relationship between exercise and well-being, both physical and emotional, travels in both directions. Those who exercise are happier, healthier and more emotionally stable. But there are three well-being factors that fuel that drive from the start — and they make all the difference…

Let’s say you start feeling a little itchy in your lady parts. You figure you have a yeast infection, buy an antifungal like Monistat and call it a day. But when the itching doesn’t stop you take a closer look. And you notice strange white patches taking over your nether regions. What the heck is happening?

Without enough estrogen, cells known as osteoblasts aren’t able to make new bone tissue at the level necessary to keep your bones strong. But what you may not know though is that after menopause there’s something that can raise your chances of ending up with weak bones even more — diabetes.

You’ve probably heard about the dangers of metabolic syndrome. Low levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol), fat around the waistline, insulin resistance, hypertension and chronic inflammation are its hallmarks. But there’s a curious relationship between this stroke syndrome and migraines, too…

Protein powders aren’t always as healthy as they seem. In fact, new research shows that one popular protein powder ingredient could make you heavier, crankier and shorten your lifespan if you use it too much.

When I ask my patients what goal they have for their health, most say they want to feel — and look — better. People who feel better naturally look better. But are there foods you should be consuming to directly improve the appearance of your skin? The answer is… yes!

In the U.S. it’s not uncommon to find a medication you’ve been prescribed costs as much as a decent car payment. What’s crazy is that people in other areas of the world don’t pay even close to what we’re charged. So why are Americans charged more and how do our costs compare to the rest of the world?

About 41,400 women will die of breast cancer in the coming year. As the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women, it’s no wonder research efforts are ongoing and intense. The possibility that dietary choices influence whether a woman will get breast cancer has been a large part of that research…

Consuming too many calories without enough nutrients is exactly why so many people end up with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other health issues. But what about high-sugar beverages that do contain beneficial nutrients? Are they just as bad? Let’s see what the research found…

Perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs, are quickly becoming notoriously dangerous. One big reason is that unlike other chemicals, including PCBs, they don’t degrade. Another is they’re showing up in bloodwork, causing thyroid and fertility problems, liver disease, high cholesterol, cancer and more…

Fiber is one nutrient no one can afford to go without. Let’s look at the powerful health benefits of high fiber food and which ones you’ll want to be wary of, the difference in soluble and insoluble fiber, how much you need for disease-prevention and the best high-fiber foods to get the job done…

You’ve probably heard that corn causes inflammation, is hard to digest and is chock-full of GMOs. And there’s no denying that there are some downsides to corn. But here’s the thing… a new study shows that this colorful corn is an antioxidant powerhouse that fights disease…

The longer you live with diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar, the higher your risk of heart problems. But researchers have found another way you can protect your heart from the damage caused by blood sugar problems, without any necessary changes in your medication or diet…

I don’t know about you, but I find it comforting to know that for pretty much any disease, I can reduce my risks using food instead of dangerous drugs. But there’s one vegetable that stands out as a potent weapon against disease. And new research confirms the power of this “little green tree” to fight cancer…

Seaweed is a staple “superfood” of Japanese cuisine. So, let’s take the mystery and confusion out of how to eat seaweed, and help you start getting these nutritional benefits. Here are four varieties that every Japanese cook keeps in their pantry.

There are a lot of factors that go into determining how long you might live, including genetics. But two large studies have found that the speed at which you put one foot in front of the other could either cut your life short — or boost it by about 15 years…

Managing type 2 diabetes isn’t easy. Lifestyle changes may not work for everyone, but neither do medications, like metformin. That’s where secondary meds come in. But a recent study shows that a new class of drugs has a disturbing (albeit rare) side effect… A higher risk of flesh-eating genital infections.