Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The coffee brew method that raises cholesterol most for men

Coffee. Few of us can or want to start the day without it. And why not? The health benefits keep coming, or do they? That all depends on the brew method and your sex, especially if you’re watching your cholesterol…

Carolyn Gretton

The berry that decreases dementia risk even in middle age

It helps reduce the inflammation that can lead to heart disease and metabolic dysfunction. It can even help support stronger bones and muscles. Now researchers have found further evidence of this little powerhouse’s brain benefits — even in middle age…

Joyce Hollman

Monkeypox: What you need to know

As if COVID-19 wasn’t enough of a jolt for us to deal with, now there’s monkeypox. It may feel like we’re under attack from new viruses, but monkeypox has been around. It’s a cousin to smallpox, but don’t get worried, get in the know…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Recurrent UTIs start in your gut — not your bladder

It can seem that there’s nothing more painful than a urinary tract infection. So you head off to your doctor who prescribes an antibiotic. But you should know, the way doctors have been treating UTIs only perpetuates the dreaded recurrent UTI cycle. Here’s why…

Carolyn Gretton

The cellular ‘switch’ that triggers arteries to thicken

When arteries get thick and stiff, it opens up a world of trouble starting with heart and circulatory problems. It makes it easier for plaque to build up. But there may be more to it and researchers hope that leads them to strategies other than surgery…

Joyce Hollman

4 ways your body warns you it’s aging too fast

As we age, changes start to occur in our bodies. Not all of them are pleasant. And some can be warning signs that you’re actually aging faster than you probably want to. The good news is that you can do something about quite a few of them…

Joyce Hollman

If you thought melatonin was just for sleep, think again

It turns out that a hormone we naturally produce, and a supplement many of us take in order to improve sleep, is also a surprising immune system booster. Discover all the ways melatonin can help now and always…

Joyce Hollman

Breast cancer: Why Black and Hispanic women need more vitamin D

Vitamin D has shown positive effects on autoimmune disease, diabetes, heart disease and even COVID-19. Now research shows that Black and Hispanic women, who are normally more susceptible to breast cancer, are safer from the disease if they have adequate levels of vitamin D in their blood.

Joyce Hollman

Genetic cancer risk? Your metabolic risk may weigh heavier

For a long time, cancer research has emphasized the genetic aspect of the disease, that is, the risk we inherit from our parents. Now, though, science is becoming more aware of the environmental and metabolic factors behind cancer that are under our control…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why is heart attack mortality higher in the U.S.?

From imaging equipment to procedures like bypass or angioplasty to open a blocked artery as a heart attack happens, it would seem U.S. hospitals have all they need to provide the best care available to prevent the worst from happening. The truth may surprise you…

Jenny Smiechowski

The best nutrient to stress-proof against leaky gut

Your gut goes through some big changes when you’re under stress. In fact, stress impacts the bacteria in your microbiome, and it may even cause a serious gut issue called leaky gut syndrome. But don’t worry too much (it’ll only make your gut worse!). There’s a way to shield your gut from stress…

Carolyn Gretton

These are the reasons you should be drinking tea

There’s matcha tea, various herbal teas and flowery botanical teas, but none of them are as systematically studied as Camellia sinensis — true tea — with thousands of years of traditional use behind its growing global reputation as a beverage that promotes good health.

Joyce Hollman

Early signs of functional decline that lead to male ‘frailty’

Maybe it’s because some still hold strong to the adage that men are the stronger sex. Or maybe it’s because men themselves aren’t open about health problems they experience with age. That’s a problem because male frailty is real and two signs can indicate if you’re headed there early…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Repel dementia with this triple antioxidant combo

Someone develops dementia every three seconds. That means in the time it took you to read that sentence, another person became a victim. You’re not doomed, though, if you can increase levels of three powerful antioxidants you should be taking anyway…

Camille Johnson

6 simple principles to crack the wellness code

Living well is an art, not a science. It begins with your health and making choices that lower stress and create satisfaction. From the space you call home to the food you eat, these 6 prinicples can help you make a masterpiece of the art of living…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Don’t combine ibuprofen with these common hypertension drugs

If you take prescription blood pressure medication, you may know these drugs don’t come without risks, this time from a surprising source: If you’re used to popping ibuprofen for pain you need to know it’s a dangerous mix with certain classes of blood pressure drugs.

Joyce Hollman

When it comes to pros and cons, not all alcohol is equal

Alcohol has a reputation as a double-edged sword. But when it comes to health, not all alcoholic drinks are created equal. Research is teasing out some of those differences and one, in particular, may be why, depending on your poison, alcohol has both benefits and risks…

Carolyn Gretton

How a strange little mushroom fills the deep well of depression

Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound derived from mushrooms. Several studies indicate it significantly reduces depression and even puts some patients into remission. Now research shows how it literally can pull our brains from a deep well of depression…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising truth about when your brain really slows down

Does your brain really start to slow down once you reach adulthood? For years it’s been the belief that we start to lose mental processing speed once we pass the age of 20. But we may actually have more decades of fast thinking ahead of us than previously thought…

Joyce Hollman

Is this the ‘longevity’ diet you can stick to?

A leading longevity expert has pulled together old and new research to offer us the perfect “longevity diet.” He hopes to meld the best of what has been shown to help stave off disease and promote longer lifespans while accepting the fact that research also shows we don’t like to change our eating habits.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Capsaicin capsules may be the next big cancer thing

Capsaicin gives peppers their spicy kick. And that heat’s been one of the hurdles keeping it from clinical use despite research that show its promise for pain relief, inflammation, heart health, stroke reduction, fat burning and now, cancer. But what if you could down it as an encapsulated time-release capsule?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The link between poor sleep, deep belly fat and your heart

Not sleeping well makes you feel bad, but probably a lot worse when you realize the domino effect it starts that’s been found to lead to dangerous visceral fat and cardiovascular disease. Here’s the research and what may work to help you avoid that dangerous trajectory…

Carolyn Gretton

Can’t get no satisfaction? Release more oxytocin

People whose brains release more oxytocin tend to be kinder and more satisfied with their lives. And unlike most beneficial chemcials in the body, oxytocin release increases with age. But if you’re not getting enough satisfaction, here’s how to get more…

Joyce Hollman

Increasing your HDL cholesterol may keep Alzheimer’s away

Understanding your cholesterol numbers can get confusing. LDL, you want low. HDL you want high. Then there are triglycerides. It all adds up to your total blood cholesterol level. But a first-ever study counted small HDL particles in your brain, and Alzheimer’s is the big reason why…

Carolyn Gretton

Famed heart health booster blasts fat and diabetes

Nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator your body produces with the right nutrition, supports normal blood pressure. But this clever little compound does so much more, Now researchers have discovered nitric oxide could be the next big thing to fight diabetes and obesity…

Easy Health Options Staff

6 Simple weight loss hacks you’ve never heard of (slideshow)

Instead of giving up on a fit, healthy body (or trying to starve yourself to lose weight,) these six simple weight loss hacks may be just what the doctor ordered to drop those unwanted pounds.

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

The diet that can cause your heart to fail after a heart attack

After my dad’s heart attack, his doctor told him, “What you did in the past got you here, but it’s what you do now that counts.” That’s because if you’re eating a certain type of diet following a heart attack, you’re also significantly increasing your risk of heart failure…

Jenny Smiechowski

Does THC pack better health benefits than CBD?

As interest in CBD reaches its pinnacle, another cannabis compound with heaps of health potential is being left in the shadows — THC. Stigma surrounds THC because it’s the stuff that makes you “high.” But let’s put things in perspective for a moment… starting with symptom relief.

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Stents don’t work

There is no question that stents can be lifesaving when they’re part of the treatment protocol for a heart attack. But most stents are not put in during heart attacks. Does this mean the effectiveness of our standard therapies just might be completely wrong? Here’s where things get fuzzy…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘alphabet soup’ of poison popping up in your blood pressure meds

There was a time when taking medication was pretty straightforward. Your doctor wrote a prescription, you filled it and began taking your meds. It would never have crossed your mind that there was poison in your pills. Sadly, those days are gone. Here’s more to know about the recalls…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Rock your way to better sleep and improved memory

You don’t have to be a small child to get the benefits that come from being rocked to sleep. Turns out a continuous rocking motion can help synchronize the neural activity in the thalamo-cortical networks of your brain, and the benefits — more than just great sleep — are the stuff of dreams…

Jenny Smiechowski

How tomatoes could tame liver diseases — even cancer

American livers are under a lot of stress. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, and both conditions lead to one of the most common liver diseases — nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. But there’s something simple that can save your liver health and reduce your risk of liver cancer.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The promising prescription for colon cancer

With the ever-increasing rates of colorectal cancer we keep hearing about, researchers are spending more of their time trying to find ways to increase survival — and a team of researchers just made a breakthrough that may inhibit the growth of those dreaded colon cancer cells…

Jenny Smiechowski

The scary connection between gluten, schizophrenia and depression

Whether you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a rogue breadcrumb in your dinner could give you a long list of physically uncomfortable symptoms: joint pain, headaches, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain. But the negative effects of gluten go beyond the body….

Joyce Hollman

Here’s how you could pay for your vitamins tax-free

Could you imagine if natural supplements and other forms of natural healthcare were more financially accessible, just like medications are? How could this happen? By making it legal for us to use our own hard-earned dollars to seek the treatment of our choice without penalty…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The sleep disorder that steals memories

Likely, you already know that sleep apnea is linked to some extreme health risks, including stroke. But, if you’re living with sleep apnea, bits of your past could be going missing each and every night, leaving you struggling to remember the most precious moments of your life…

Jenny Smiechowski

Understanding expiration dates so you can toss less and save money

If you’re like me, as the date on your food creeps closer, your faith in its safety takes a dive. You sniff it. You examine it for funky moldy growths. And then, ultimately, you throw it away. But here’s the thing… the dates on your food aren’t always what they seem…

Joyce Hollman

7 nutrition-packed veggies for powerful winter soups

Why is it so hard to “eat your vegetables,” at least for most of us? Sure, I do have friends who would rather eat a giant salad or a plate of sautéed spinach than anything else in the world. But that’s just not me, or most people I know. So, what can we do to get the essential nutrition that can only come from veggies?

Craig Cooper

5 Super foods for men over 40 (slideshow)

If you can include these five super foods for men over 40 into your weekly diet, your little changes will add up to big health benefits in fighting disease and problems associated with aging.

Jenny Smiechowski

12 essential oils that attack Lyme disease bacteria

There’s a scientific reason why some people infected with the Lyme disease bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) get saddled with long-term symptoms… Persister cells. How can you prevent them from persisting and making you sick? There are several common herbs that put persisters in their place…

Joyce Hollman

The arthritis drug that makes your heart old and tired

It’s one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for arthritis. It belongs to a class of drugs known as NSAIDs, and as early as 2005, the FDA knew that taking NSAIDs significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Now they know it increases odds of another dangerous condition…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The nutrient cocktail that kicks migraines to the curb

To get relief from a migraine, you may have tried everything. What if I told you that simply correcting a nutrient deficiency could give you everlasting relief? In fact, scientists have shown that there are three nutrients that migraine sufferers are deficient in…

Jenny Smiechowski

How your home contributes to your kids and grandkids toxic load

Even when you try your darnedest, you’re likely exposed to dangerous chemicals daily at your most vulnerable times… Like when you’re snuggled up on the couch reading a book. Or crouched on the floor playing with toy trucks with your grandson. Here’s why…

Joyce Hollman

2 more ways gum disease can kill you

At this moment, there’s a 50/50 chance that your mouth is killing you. No, I don’t mean it’s hurting. If you’re in the half of the adult population with some degree of gum disease, you should know research has linked gum disease to cancer and at least four other chronic and potentially fatal diseases.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Does pain relief exist without risk of addiction, overdose or death?

Approximately 20 percent of US adults live with chronic pain. That’s over 49 million Americans. You’d think with so many people suffering, the medical community would have a good way to reliably treat it. Nothing is further from the truth. That doesn’t mean you’re powerless, though…

Jenny Smiechowski

‘Holy herb’ halts inflammation in cells linked to Alzheimer’s

Used by Native Americans and Spanish settlers, the “Holy Herb” is best known for its ability to relieve respiratory issues like asthma, bronchitis, or seasonal allergies. It’s also used for headaches, fever, and sore muscles. But a new study shows it could be the answer to a bigger problem…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

How you can stop a stroke

Here’s a little bit of information that may help scare you straight: Nearly 800,000 people have a stroke every year putting it at the number 5 cause of death in the United States. What most of us don’t know is that it is also the leading cause of long-term disability. But 9 out of 10 are preventable…

Joyce Hollman

The toxin in beer and wine that could make teetotaling popular again

The nightmare called glyphosate is one we can’t seem to wake up from. That’s because the weed-killing toxin is capable of worming its way into every corner of your life… Even a recent test of 20 beer and wine samples shows it could be lurking in your favorite brand…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Slash liver cancer nearly 40 percent with the ‘right’ fiber

Liver cancer rates and deaths are on the rise. In fact, it’s the only cancer with rates expected to go up year after year in both women and men. But just by making a simple change, you can bring your risk of the most common form of liver cancer down by almost 40 percent.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

This proven weight loss habit takes less time than you think

Do you have a reason you want to lose weight? For me it’s just six extra pounds that will help me feel more comfortable when I hit the beach with my family this summer. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit health wasn’t a bigger and more important reason than feeling comfortable in my swimsuit…

Jenny Smiechowski

The breathing exercise that lowers blood pressure

What if you could improve your blood pressure just by working out for five minutes per day? What if this workout didn’t involve any running, jogging, jumping, weight-lifting or traditional exercise whatsoever? What if all it involved was breathing?

Joyce Hollman

When yoga can be bad for your bones

Meditation makes your heart healthier. So does yoga. But recent research has caught me up short. It warns that people with osteoporosis need to be careful. So do people like me — who have “pre-osteoporosis,” known as osteopenia. For us, there are certain yoga poses that will do more harm than good.

Dr. Michael Cutler

Progesterone benefits and management

In my previous article I explained some important details of estrogen dosing and monitoring. Let’s look now at how naturally-derived progesterone is safe and effective for short and long term, and how it is dosed and monitored.

Joyce Hollman

9 vaccines older adults should consider

Everyone has an opinion on vaccinations. But a sore arm might be better than some of the diseases these vaccinations prevent. Based on your health history, the work you do and even the year you were born, here are 10 you should probably check on and consider…

Jenny Smiechowski

The creepy reason food poisoning may become a bigger threat

Campylobacter bacteria are one of the leading causes of food poisoning. The most common sources of this unpleasant bug are raw and undercooked poultry and unpasteurized milk. But researchers say there’s another way to get this bad bacteria…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

One more way to ward off one of the deadliest cancers in the U.S.

When we talk about death from cancers, there’s probably one big one that comes to mind — lung cancer. That’s not surprising, since it kills more people than any other form of cancer. But, there’s one that runs a close second that many of us try to ignore, and that’s colon cancer.

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