Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

The scientific reason it really is better to give than receive

Everyone loves giving and getting gifts. But it seems we enjoy gift-giving a bit more. Turns out the old adage “it’s better to give than to receive” is actually true in terms of the response it elicits from your brain…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Key player in kidney disease identified (and a supplement that helps)

37 million Americans live with chronic kidney disease. If you have diabetes or hypertension, you’re at high risk of joining them. Luckily, a new treatment, and better yet, preventative, is on the horizon. Even better, it’s available right now without prescription…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The serious threats that stick around after the virus is long gone

Fever, cough, chills, congestion and body aches… a viral infection can be rough. When the symptoms are gone, it feels like the worst is over. But a surprising symptom sticks around: elevated risks for stroke and heart attack.

Easy Health Options Staff

Read before hanging out under the mistletoe

A kiss under the mistletoe is a longstanding holiday tradition, steeped in ancient lore. Depending on the health of your kissing partner, when you indulge in a 10-second kiss, you exchange much more than good tidings…

Joyce Hollman

Half a dozen ways to avoid weight gain over the holidays

The holiday season isn’t kind to people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a holding pattern. But don’t give up hope. I’ve got some strategies to avoiding tipping the scales to share with you…

Carolyn Gretton

A sweeter way to boost hair growth

Living with androgenic alopecia, a common cause of hormonal hair loss in men and women, is challenging, especially when the suggested treatment isn’t all that effective. That may be changing…

Carolyn Gretton

This could be why your blood pressure medicine isn’t working

About 20 percent of people with high blood pressure are resistant to treatment, leaving them vulnerable to heart attack and stroke. Researchers trying to get to the bottom of why are onto something…

Craig Cooper

10 ways to lower your PSA levels

An elevated PSA can be an early indication of prostatitis, an enlarged prostate or other health concerns. Research suggests that lifestyle changes, targeted nutrients, and inflammation reduction may help support healthy PSA levels.

Joyce Hollman

The diet that could keep gum disease away

The Mediterranean Diet is always at the top of any “best diet” list. It just has so much going for it, promoting healthy aging, better blood pressure and protecting against cognitive decline. The lastest? Gum disease…

Joyce Hollman

How to have the memory of a 50-year-old at 80

Diet, exercise and sleep are important for keeping your brain sharp with age. But what if you can’t do it all, like exercise? SuperAgers do more of one thing that’s not on this list, and it works for them…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The hidden arterial dangers of being ‘skinny-fat’

You can easily zip your jeans and your doctor’s happy with the number on the scale. That means you’re fit and healthy, right? Not necessarily. Being skinny-fat may mask artery damage setting you up for stroke or heart attack…

Carolyn Gretton

What your neck size can reveal about your heart

BMI was considered the gold standard for estimating a person’s body fat, until we learned it overlooked a critical detail that’s a much stronger indication for heart trouble, one your neck size could reveal…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

9 signs of poor circulation you shouldn’t ignore

Good circulation is one of the most critical factors for good health. Your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and everything in between receive life-giving oxygen via a complex network of blood vessels throughout the body. Do you know the signs if yours is failing?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Sugar ruins your gut surprisingly fast — but there’s an antidote

Thanks to all the sweet treats that go hand-in-hand with social gatherings, I have no doubt that I eat more sugar during the holidays than in the previous six months combined. But eating a high-sugar diet for even a short amount of time can result in shockingly fast health problems…

Jenny Smiechowski

Avoid hidden heavy metals this holiday season

Decorative tableware is never more popular than during the holidays. But those festive platters can serve up toxic metals that shorten lifespans and endanger your heart on par with cholesterol. Before you serve guests, how dangerous is your holiday setting?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Simple hack stops ‘viral vitamin’ from plummeting during winter

It’s no secret why cold and flu season go hand-in-hand with the dark days of fall and winter. Luckily, scientists have discovered an easy way to bio-hack the ‘viral vitamin’ we need most this time of year…

Margaret Cantwell

More proof of skin cancer prevention in a vitamin

A few years ago, a small study from Australia, the skin cancer capital of the world, suggested a simple vitamin could help prevent the most common skin cancers. A much larger study just put those findings to the test, and they were right…

Carolyn Gretton

The real cholesterol culprit cracked: It’s not eggs

If you have elevated cholesterol, you’ve probably been avoiding eggs. Turns out, that advice may be as dated as bell-bottom pants. In fact, it’s this Western breakfast staple that may be the real villain in the cholesterol war…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

6 changes that happen when you eat one ounce of walnuts

One of the easiest ways to grab big health and nutritional benefits is by adding nuts to your diet. But the cost of nuts, like everything else these days is going up. Good news: all it takes is one ounce to see these 6 improvements…

Carolyn Gretton

The unusual link between HRT and women’s immune health

Hormone replacement therapy has largely shed its bad reputation, given the heart, bone and brain health benefits revealed in recent years. New evidence shows it could shore up another system critical to keeping women well…

Joyce Hollman

The perfect pair to beat disease-causing inflammation

There are lots of supplements that support gut health and fight disease-causing inflammation. But a perfect pair that produces a crucial short-chain fatty acid essential to healthy aging may be the most potent anti-inflammatory to do the job…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

10 sneaky conditions that lead to weight gain

When you do everything right and still gain weight, it can be frustrating. It’s probably not even your fault. Many health conditions, some you’d never suspect, can make it hard to maintain healthy weight or even cause sudden weight gain…

Amanda Wilks

6 Anti-aging superfoods that will make you feel younger

Take into account just how important a factor food can be when it comes to aging. Stuffing yourself full of foods with added sugars and bad fats can be almost as destructive as hours sedentary on the couch. If you want good health to feel and look better, try these…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

16 medical tests to expect in your 60s and beyond

Some preventative medical tests are a piece of cake, while we dread others. And it seems new ones gets tacked on with each passing birthday. Here’s what to expect at 60 and beyond, including when you can start saying ‘no’ to some of the poking and prodding…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What is ‘Ghost Poop’ and what it signals about your health

‘Ghost poop’ is making the rounds on social media. Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters. We’ve got all the answers about what this spooky-sounding term means, who experiences ghost poop, and what it signals…

Jenny Smiechowski

Eat this ONE veggie for clearer arteries

Most people with atherosclerosis don’t know they have it until artery-clogging problems show up, like stroke or heart attack. So, what can you do to steer clear? Eat the one vegetable that reduces vascular calcification.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The unseen fat that’s your heart’s biggest threat

A layer of fat around the heart offers protection. Unless there’s a little too much and it’s composed of damaging substances that can leak directly into your heart. Here’s how that happens and how to gauge your risk…

Joyce Hollman

The Parkinson’s clues found in ear wax

Right now, diagnosing Parkinson’s is costly, subjective and slow, taking an average of three years. When the only hope is to slow progression, every second counts. Here’s why ear wax could lead to faster diagnoses, but don’t break out the swabs…

Joyce Hollman

Common drugs that disrupt your gut years after taking them

You may be done with that antibiotic, but is it done with you? Not by a long shot. But research has found it’s not the only common medication that continues doing damage to your gut long after you’ve finished it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

This ‘living drug’ could be the real fountain of youth

No need to travel to Florida. New findings reveal the real fountain of youth is much closer to home. Tweaking our own T cells, immune system cells, is the start of what scientists are calling a “living drug” to halt the ravages of time…

Joyce Hollman

Heart-protecting drugs that backfire when it’s hot out

It’s common for people with coronary heart disease to take medications that protect the heart and reduce risk of a heart attack or stroke. But these very same protective medications may actually elevate these risks during summer heat. Take these precautions…

Joyce Hollman

Embrace your cravings and still lose weight

Are pesky cravings your downfall when it comes to losing weight? It’s natural to desire what we perceive as off-limits. Would you believe there’s a way to have it all that can actually boost your weight loss efforts? Read on…

Carolyn Gretton

A hidden cause of Alzheimer’s that starts 20 years early

Alzheimer’s is a disease you often don’t know you have until damage is done. But now a marker has been identified that can predict it up to 20 years before symptoms appear, and the best part? It’s something we can actively work on.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The seed that takes down bad cholesterol and raises good

None of us want to add one more medication to a list that may already be long. So when a natural remedy, especially one with history, has the clout to improve cholesterol, that’s just too good to keep quiet about.

Joyce Hollman

Why women face a higer risk of death from heat-related illnesses

Older adults are vulnerable to heat exhaustion and stroke. But the threat is more often deadly for women and starts in middle age. In other words, women need more help cooling down. Here’s one way to get it.

Carolyn Gretton

7 reasons to wear sunglasses this summer and beyond

When I was in high school, all the cool kids wore Ray-Ban sunglasses. Now that we’re older, there are more important reasons to break out the sunglasses, and not just during the summer months, if you want to maintain healthy vision…

Joyce Hollman

Energy drinks, taurine and cancer? About that research

You may have seen some alarming headlines such as, “Urgent warning issued about cancer-causing energy drinks.” There are a lot of concerning things about energy drinks. But does new research linking them to leukemia affect you? Here’s what to know…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘bone density’ berry that beats back bone loss

Bone loss can cause fractures that can be life-altering. But researchers found supplementing a powdered form of a certain tart berry can reduce post-menopausal bone loss and prevent osteoporosis…

Carolyn Gretton

Slow biological aging 3 years with a vitamin

People have sought the Fountain of Youth for nearly as long as recorded history. But it’s time to ditch the legend and reach for the vitamin that not only slows biological aging but also reduces your risk of the diseases that come with it…

Joyce Hollman

Insulin resistance: Early signs and ditching the diabetes danger

Insulin resistance isn’t a disease state. It is an early warning, though, that if things don’t change, that’s exactly where you body’s headed. But if you’re only focusing on food and weight loss, you missing some very important pieces of the puzzle…

Carolyn Gretton

It’s time to rename it ‘the anti-cancer diet’

Research has uncovered multiple ways that obesity spurs cancer in the body. But we know weight loss is not only difficult, losing weight takes time. Is there an answer to fighting this cancer fuel? One diet answers the call.

Joyce Hollman

The oral health-mental health connection for happy aging

There’s a lot of focus on living longer and living healthier. But depression and anxiety can often sneak in with age, surprisingly through your mouth. Here are four ways to keep that from happening…

Carolyn Gretton

How stress becomes a post-menopausal Alzheimer’s trigger

Women carry a higher burden for Alzheimer’s, two-thirds of it, actually. Loss of protective hormones during menopause are a prime contributor. But it’s a stress hormone that may push women’s risks much higher…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Electrolyte drinks: Good, bad or Fad?

Are Americans chronically dehydrated? The idea of that is making electrolyte drinks and powders hugely popular. Is there any truth to it or is it just a good marketing gimmick with questionable results? Here’s what the doctor says…

Joyce Hollman

Choline: Breaking barriers in Alzheimer’s prevention

The blood-brain barrier is a layer of cells that keeps harmful elements from the brain while letting nutrients in. If treatments can be developed to cross the barrier, a cure for Alzheimer’s could come soon. Choline is helping in the process in more ways than one…

Joyce Hollman

Don’t give up these carbs, for healthiest aging

Too many people still subscribe to the myth that carbs are bad. But not all carbs are created equal. And if you’re a woman, eating the right carbs can be like an insurance policy that will all but guarantee your health in old age…

Joyce Hollman

Daily aspirin could keep cancer cells from spreading

It’s not unusual for doctors to suggest aspirin to avoid blood clots, though it’s not without risk. What is unusual is that the very mechanism that helps aspirin prevent blood from clotting can also stop cancer from spreading…

Carolyn Gretton

Why are more men dying from ‘broken heart syndrome’

Dying from a broken heart is not just something you’d read in a romance novel. Broken heart syndrome is a bona fide condition more likely to develop in women after the loss of a loved one. But why are more men dying from it?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Are anti-inflammatories the secret to dementia prevention?

Several studies have found links between dementia and high levels of inflammation in the body. So researchers are begging the question, “Are NSAIDs the simple answer we’ve been looking for — to decrease brain inflammation and decrease dementia?”

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What’s the chemical burden of your personal care routine?

If your personal care routine is like most, with each swipe of deodorant, spritz of perfume or glop of hair product, you’ve layered your body with chemicals deemed hazardous in over 17 categories. Reducing the risks they pose can be easier than your think…

Joyce Hollman

Brain worms: Sorting cringeworthy fact from fiction

In National Geographic’s award-winning documentary, Body Snatchers, they reported, “Parasites have killed more humans than all the wars in history.” But how much do you know about them? From worms that cause cancer to brain worms, here are the facts…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Exercise reduces ‘insulin resistant’ dementia risk

Exercise keeps your brain from shrinking, slows its aging process and stimulates the growth of cells in your hippocampus. But when insulin resistance is part of the story, you’ve got to work harder to dementia-proof your brain. Here’s why exercise works…

Joyce Hollman

The drink to save your heart from high-fat stress eating

When life gets stressful, stress eating on high-fat food is a common reaction. But that bag of chips compounds the dangerous impact of stress on your heart. The right drink, though, contains nutrients powerful enough to dial it back…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

10 warning signs you’re mentally exhausted

While the signs of physical exhaustion are easy to spot, mental exhaustion is harder to recognize. But its harm can be just as serious. Here are 10 signs you need to assess things before you reach the point of no return — and how to recover…

Joyce Hollman

This Japanese spice turns up the heat on brain power

There are many foods that are good for your brain. But a new study adds one to the list that can improve your memory within weeks. Not many people can handle its heat though… but no worries, it comes in supplement form, too.

Carolyn Gretton

Microplastics in your artery plaque may be the final straw

Plastic waste can take from 20 to 500 years to decompose. As it does, it breaks down into tiny bits, showing up in brain matter and blood clots. But how it builds up in artery plaque may be the final straw. Do these two things to get ahead of it…

Joyce Hollman

Trouble sleeping? It could lead to liver disease

Fatty liver has a new name that recognizes its ties to metabolic dysfunction. That means high cholesterol, blood sugar and belly fat can foreshadow liver trouble. But poor sleep could be a common factor that brings it all together…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Focus on protein? The fiber gap matters most

As a cardiologist focused on preventive health, I’ve noticed a preoccupation with protein, while a key regulator of metabolism, inflammation, appetite and immune function is being neglected. If you have concerns about health and weight, the fiber gap is where it’s at…

Joyce Hollman

Preventable metabolic disorder raises dementia risk 70%

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that increase risks for diabetes, heart disease and stroke, but it’s also a turning point. New findings reveal it can drastically increase dementia risks as early as 40. Time to turn it around…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The macronutrient that improves cognitive function fast

Glitches in cognition are unsettling, even if doctors say not to worry. It’s hard to know what the future holds. But supporting brain health with a macronutrient that’s validated to improve things fast, is easy.

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