Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Joyce Hollman

Medical devices and the deaths we’ll never hear about

It’s no secret that medical device manufacturers aren’t always truthful about the safety or track record of their products. But now, we also know that thousands of deaths that could be related to these devices are being hidden thanks to a loophole in a system designed to protect them, instead of us…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Could just one type of food disease-proof your body?

Decades of research have revealed that, while acute inflammation can help you heal from injuries and fight infection, chronic inflammation is a recognized component of some of our most threatening health problems. But one type of food can combat inflammation and help keep your body from becoming a disease magnet…

Carolyn Gretton

Fighting MS with isoflavone-digesting microbes

Multiple sclerosis can’t be cured, but its symptoms can be managed through both medication and more holistic means. Researchers are continuing to learn about the disease and different ways to fight it — one method that holds real promise involves feeding the gut microbiome the right stuff….

Margaret Cantwell

Are statins the answer to beating cancer?

Research is suggesting that statins may provide an edge over cancer. But are statins wonder drugs? 40 million Americans take them every day, but heart disease is still winning. 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year. Not to mention the other associated disease risks. Will conquering cancer make this drug shine?

Joyce Hollman

How to release proteins in your body that attack cancer

There’s one habit that’s good for your heart, your lungs, your weight and your brainpower. Research has also shown it’s the best way to avoid cancer, especially hormone-driven cancers like breast cancer. Now, it’s been shown to not only lower the risk but also slow the growth of the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US.

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising truth about soy and hot flashes

There’s been a lot of confusion about whether soy is good or bad for our well-being. What researchers are discovering is that whole soy foods can actually support brain and heart health. More good news? They may also relieve a particularly irritating symptom of menopause that’s proven especially difficult to manage…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why blue light contributes to weight gain

You may know about the negative effects of blue light on your health. The light that is emitted from screens like your television, tablet or smartphone has been proven to steal sleep, increase cancer risk and even accelerate aging. Now researchers have found if you seem to be gaining weight or are having a hard time losing it, you can blame blue light from these devices as well…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Worried about the Delta variant? Here are 6 things to know

Just when we thought we had the all-clear, we’re hesitating again. And the biggest reason for that hesitation right now is the new Delta variant our country is dealing with. That’s why we’re breaking down what experts at Yale Medicine are telling us about the variant to try to clear up some of the questions.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What the smell of your sweat means

Have you noticed how some people can sweat buckets and smell like rain… but others? Let’s just say you wouldn’t want to sit next to them in a crowded room for long. Despite playground taunts, some of us aren’t born stinkier. It comes down to what’s causing you to sweat…

Joyce Hollman

Overactive bladder: Causes, risk factors and fixes

Overactive bladder (OAB) is just what it sounds like: A condition that causes the sudden and frequent urge to urinate. OAB isn’t uncommon, affecting 16 percent of men and 33 percent of women. The risk for OAB increases with age, but you shouldn’t consider it to be just an inevitable consequence of aging. If you’re experiencing problems, consider these common causes…

Carolyn Gretton

The evidence stacks up: Omega-3s promote heart health

Omega-3 fatty acids — do they really help your heart? Or do they have no impact — or worse, a negative effect — on heart health? These are questions researchers have been trying to answer for the past few years. What did the latest meta-analysis involving almost 150,000 participants find? The evidence just keeps stacking up…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Long COVID: More common and longer than we thought

More than a year later most of us are breathing a sigh of relief. Yes, we’re still cautious but we’ve turned the corner. But what if you were infected? There’s a good chance you could be dealing with long Covid. Because healthcare workers and researchers are finding it’s much more common and may last even longer than anyone thought.

Joyce Hollman

The over-50 food for better blood sugar, blood pressure and a slim waist

When it comes to keeping all your bodily systems healthy, the fact that refined grains are “out” and whole grains are “in” is no longer new news. But it turns out, there are very specific benefits for older adults on five major risk factors for heart disease, including waist size…

Carolyn Gretton

CBD may be better than opioids for fibromyalgia pain

With more and more people developing chronic pain conditions, efforts are being made to find better pain management tools. This is especially important in managing fibromyalgia pain since many existing pain medications offer little relief. Luckily, this natural supplement is proving quite effective in treating the pain associated with fibromyalgia…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Get sharper vision with less than a teaspoon of cocoa a day

While many of us start out with perfect visual acuity — that 20/20 vision score based on how far down you can read letters on the eye chart — it starts going in the opposite direction (up to where the letters get bigger and bigger) typically with age. But we may have found the best way to impress your optometrist at your next visit…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why red meat causes carcinogenic compounds in the colon

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the US. And lifestyle factors play a major role. We’ve long known that red meat and colon cancer can go hand-in-hand, but there have been many questions as to why. Answers have now been found in the DNA of colon cancer cells.

Carolyn Gretton

What your inflammation clock reveals about your immune health and aging

Aging is due in part to varying rates of immune system decline that trigger chronic inflammation. People with healthy immune systems are able to fight off this inflammation to some extent, but those whose aren’t as strong will age faster and be more prone to frailty and disease. Since inflammation is treatable, all we’ve needed was a way to measure it.

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Fats, carbs, fiber and lowering your cholesterol

Diet has the greatest potential for the biggest improvement in cholesterol. But that doesn’t mean low-fat or low-carb diets are the answer. Dr. Klodas explains what fats help lower cholesterol, the carbohydrate connection, as well as how the natural cholesterol circulation system you have in your body works…

Joyce Hollman

Drugs that make antibiotics less effective when you might need them most

Antibiotic resistance is leaving us more and more vulnerable to serious disease. But overuse of antibiotics isn’t the only thing that’s causing this health crisis. Other common medications you may be using could make antibiotics less effective when you might need them most.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to eat sushi and avoid the big mercury danger

Sushi has become increasingly popular and it’s easy to see why. The combination of fresh fish, rice, seaweed and yummy sauces and add-ons like wasabi make eating healthy fun. Or does it? Depending on your sushi choices you could face serious heavy metal contamination. Here’s advice from experts on safer sushi choices and how to avoid the big mercury danger.

Carolyn Gretton

When diabetes leads to the worst heart trouble

People with diabetes who have no other risk factors for heart disease are five times more likely to die of heart disease than those without. Researchers now know a critical factor that if caught early enough can help dial the heart health risks down…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What prunes can do for your heart

After menopause a woman’s risk for serious heart trouble only increases. But keeping your heart healthy post menopause could be as simple as eating prunes. Yes, prunes! Just a few a day improved several markers that matter. And there’s no reason men can’t benefit, too…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

How vegetable oil could trigger your migraine pain

Migraine is one of the most common causes of chronic pain. If you live with these extreme headaches, you know there’s no easy answer to finding relief. If you’ve tried the medications and they don’t work for you, take a close look at the oils in your diet. One type has been found to trigger them, and another may help reduce them…

Margaret Cantwell

Clot-dissolving Japanese food has potential as COVID treatment

Natto, made from fermented soybeans, is believed to one of the reasons that the Japanese population is healthy and long-lived. The island country is home to more than a quarter of the world’s population over the age of 65 — and boasts the longest life expectancy on Earth. Now research is targeting the traditional dish for help against COVID-19.

Joyce Hollman

The real reason fibromyalgia increases pain sensitivity

Imagine being in pain all over your body, feeling crushingly tired and weak, and being so foggy-brained that you can hardly accomplish simple, everyday tasks. Now imagine years of being misdiagnosed or told “it’s all in your head.” That’s been life for people with fibromyalgia, until now…

Carolyn Gretton

NEAT: How capsaicin can help you burn fat

You may think your body only burns energy when you’re doing vigorous, aerobic exercise. But that’s not entirely true. NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) refers to burning energy through simple daily movement. And you can boost NEAT to improve how your body converts energy to burn stored fat and improve endurance with just a little heat…

Joyce Hollman

Why you can’t depend on your doctor to know if prescriptions are safe

You trust your doctor to keep you safe. They’d never prescribe a drug that could cause you harm, right? Not so fast. Special alerts were set up to help doctors stop prescribing a group of common brain-stealing medications. But did they heed the warnings to give their patients safer alternatives?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What should you eat to avoid heart disease?

In the past, dietary advice for a healthy heart has been all about what not to eat. But broad research says there is no indication that any food is poison in terms of cardiovascular risk. It’s a matter of quantity and frequency of consumption. Here’s a simpler way to eat best for your heart…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How the common cold could protect against COVID-19 this fall

Health experts have warned that relaxed social distancing during the summer months may lead to new cases of COVID-19. But it also may lead to more common cold infections. Believe it or not, this year that couldd be a good thing, because researchers say it could halt replication of SARS-CoV-2.

Joyce Hollman

Low omega-3 levels? You might as well be smoking

Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart. Smoking is bad for your heart. Those are two well-known truths, right? Well, here’s a new and shocking one: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that low levels of omega-3s are just as powerful in predicting early death as smoking.

Joyce Hollman

What do Parkinson’s, diabetes and heart disease have in common?

Here’s a surprise for you: At least three studies have shown very clearly that there’s an intimate link between the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and a disease we’ve always thought to be neurologically based. What does it have to do with heart disease and diabetes? A lot…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The happiness secret to living longer

We would probably all like to live to a healthy ripe old age. Yet, even though most of us are taking more control of our health than ever before, there’s one thing that we’ve been missing… and it has a huge impact on how long you live. Here are 5 ways to get it…

Jenny Smiechowski

The surprising benefit that makes alcohol healthier than you thought

I’m sure you’ve heard the bad news: Drinking alcohol is terrible for your health. But before you commit to life as a teetotaler, there’s a hidden benefit to drinking that plenty of people don’t think of… Alcohol makes you social, and that comes with some serious health perks…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Lose just this much weight to lose your disease risk (seriously, that’s all!)

We all know that being overweight can cause major health problems and has been linked to everything from heart disease and diabetes, to Alzheimer’s and even cancer. But how much weight loss is enough to lower these risk? Surprisingly, much lower than you think…

Joyce Hollman

Watch out for this kind of ‘invisible’ heart attack

The symptoms of a silent heart attack can be similar to those you’re familiar with. But blood tests will show no signs of heart damage. There will be no signs of arterial blockage, and an EKG will look nothing like it does in a traditional heart attack. Until…

Jenny Smiechowski

The antioxidant-packed tea that kills cancer stem cells

At some point in your life, you’ve probably been told to “treat your body like a temple.” And that’s good advice. You only have one body, after all. And it has to last you for a while. But, if you’ve been a little rough on it, no worries. One special drink could turn things around for you…

Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby

Two proven (and free) ‘antibiotics’ to put to use today

There are two powerful antibiotics that can’t be patented. They’re free, plentiful, and you can access them anywhere, except perhaps the darkest polar nights. But for their introduction into early modern medicine, we owe a forward-thinking nurse a debt of gratitude…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to get coffee’s secret fat-burning compound

I’m thrilled to have valid, healthy reasons to drink a few cups of coffee every day — guilt-free! But the really great thing about coffee is this: The less we do to it, the more it gives up its gold. That’s because it contains a special fat-burning compound you don’t want to roast away…

Jenny Smiechowski

What cannabis can do for Crohn’s and colitis

I know someone who has Crohn’s, and once he got a medical marijuana card, it changed his life. He was able to manage his pain without dangerous opioids. He stopped taking the steroids that were giving him osteoporosis. And his symptoms improved. But here’s the thing…

Joyce Hollman

The superspice that could save us from superbugs

More and more disease-causing bacteria are immune to the drugs used to treat them. That’s why research into one healing spice is so exciting. It could be the answer that saves us from succumbing to “superbug” infections that are killing thousands of people each year…

Dr. Michael Cutler

Why that Harvard professor is wrong about coconut oil

You may have heard about the recent YouTube video in which a Harvard Professor called coconut oil “pure poison” and “one of the worst foods you can eat.” Like I did with the American Heart Association, let me set the record straight about this highly nutritious food…

Joyce Hollman

4 powerful reasons to pop some pistachios now (slideshow)

The Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when healthy adults with high LDL levels ate one serving of pistachios daily, their LDL cholesterol levels dropped by nine percent. Those who ate two servings per day saw a 12 percent drop in LDL. That’s just for starters…

Joyce Hollman

4+ reasons diabetics should be eating mushrooms

If the mushroom’s only “gold star” was that it benefited your immunity, or helped lower blood pressure or inflammation, it would still be a superior natural remedy. But mushrooms can do much more, like helping you process glucose and possibly preventing diabetes altogether…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The best supplements to crank up your husband’s sex drive

Sometimes, as you get older, it can seem like all the fun you used to have in the bedroom is replaced by more sleep and lots of TV time in bed. But, it doesn’t have to be. Despite the fact that 52 percent of men will experience erectile dysfunction, you can crank things up…

Jenny Smiechowski

Why being “skinny fat” may be worse than being obese

Are you skinny fat? It’s not hard to tell if you are… Being skinny fat means you have too much fat and too little muscle mass. Either one of these conditions on their own has a negative impact on your health. But together? They’re a recipe for disaster…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why alcohol and a disease-free life just won’t mix

A night out with friends, dinner or just a few relaxing minutes at the end of the day. Nothing caps off the moment like a glass of wine, beer or a shot of your favorite liquor. Responsibly, of course. But is any amount of alcohol safe? Exhaustive research has the answer most of us won’t like…

Joyce Hollman

An insulin pill may be closer than we think

The number one priority of anyone living with diabetes is having the right amount of insulin at the right time. That usually means injections or insulin pumps. For most diabetics, a lifetime sentence of needle sticks. But what if you could get the insulin you need from a pill?

Jenny Smiechowski

How to use the placebo effect for IBS, back pain, migraines and more

What if you could knowingly take a sugar pill and still experience real healing power? It sounds far fetched but there’s proof it works. In fact, chronic low back pain sufferers knowingly taking a placebo pill had far less pain than people taking painkillers. We think we know why…

Jenny Smiechowski

6 food rules proven to slow cellular aging

These tips were shown to impact a key component that could turn off premature aging much quicker than creams. But it’s about more than how you look. You can protect yourself from age-related diseases, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers…

Dr. Michael Cutler

An M.D.’s suggestions for difficult to treat conditions

Even though people don’t always respond predictably to every kind of treatment, there are clear patterns of how your body works. Sometimes standard treatments and prescriptions work, and sometimes they don’t. You’ll be lucky to know those avenues are not your only choices…

Joyce Hollman

3 dried fruits that fight cancer, constipation and old age

Terrific snacks on their own, these dried fruits can be added to salads, baked goods, yogurt and any number of cooked dishes. And after you see how much they can impact your health, you won’t have an excuse not to incorporate them into your daily diet!

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why your own immune system could be stealing your eyesight

You’ve probably heard the term autoimmune disease before. Up to this point though, glaucoma has never been included in that list despite the fact that it affects nearly 70 million people worldwide. That could be changing, as well as advice on avoiding it…

Jenny Smiechowski

Loneliness is a symptom that makes heart disease worse

Do you live alone? Without a husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, brother, sister, son, daughter or roommate? Now, let me ask you another one… Do you feel lonely? Some people are perfectly content to spend time alone. But if you’re not one of them, it can lead to…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

3 surprising health problems caused by constipation

Constipation. It happens to everybody on occasion, unless you’re unfortunate enough to suffer from “chronic” constipation. Let’s hope not, because that kind of prolonged constipation is known to significantly boost colorectal cancer risk — and more…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The food that could make colon cancer obsolete

It’s long been thought that increasing the amount of vegetables you eat could help lower risk for colorectal cancer, and that the reason was, well, fiber. But it’s been discovered that the key to stopping colon cancer is a compound produced when your body digests…

Joyce Hollman

Why you should stop drastically cutting carbs NOW

For years, we’ve assumed a low-carb diet is best for weight loss… Too much starch packs on the pounds, after all. So, with that nugget of wisdom, taking the bun off the hamburger seemed the right thing to do. If you want to live longer, put it back on…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to keep menopause from destroying your sleep

There are a lot of changes that come with menopause but giving up sleep doesn’t have to be one of them. Use these tips to help overcome the hot flashes that keep you awake, balance your hormones and reset your body’s internal clock for a better night’s rest.

Joyce Hollman

Why antibiotic treatment may set you up for diabetes

Antibiotics destroy the healthy bacteria we need to balance our gut health and prevent disease. Now, we’re learning that there’s an intimate connection among antibiotic use, gut bacteria and the growing number of people diagnosed with diabetes each year…

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin that’s key to preventing diabetes

Accepted medical wisdom tells us that diabetes is caused by a perfect storm of obesity and over-consumption of refined sugar, causing insulin resistance. But recent studies show that a simple vitamin deficiency may be equally responsible…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Simple exercises to reduce migraine frequency and pain

If you’ve never had a migraine, you’re one of the lucky ones. But, if you or a loved one suffers from these severe headaches that can come on without warning, last until you don’t know if you can take another second and even land you in the emergency room, there is hope…

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