January 17, 2018

Active Flu Season Continues to Spread Across Continental U.S.

The graphic is called the “Geographic Spread of Influenza as Assessed by State and Territorial Epidemiologists.”
January 15, 2018

Mediterranean Diet Associated With Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

The February 2018 issue of The Journal of Urology® published the finding of a reduced risk of aggressive
January 9, 2018

B-12 and You: How Critical Is It?

Remember when Pac-Man became super powerful after eating power pellets? That’s how vitamin B12 acts with
January 9, 2018

Say Bye Bye To Digestive Problems

Some of the most common complaints I get from patients centers around their digestive issues, especially in
January 9, 2018

Drinking Beetroot Juice Before Exercise Can Boost Heart

A new study has recently revealed that beetroot juice before exercise can boost heart function in COPD patients. A Wake Forest University study to investigate the effects of acute beetroot juice ingestion on the exercise capacity of COPD patients showed some promise, but a larger clinical trial would be needed to verify results. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, makes it difficult for patients to breathe and worsens over time. Patients often complain of shortness of breath with exertion, so tasks like climbing steps can leave them gasping for air. In turn, they tend to limit their activities, become more sedentary, and […]
January 4, 2018

Deadly Fibers of Asbestos Found in Children’s Makeup

The troubling news about the presence of asbestos in children’s makeup is just the latest example of the deadly fiber
January 3, 2018

Unconventional Medicine A Health Cure?

The world is facing the greatest healthcare crisis it has ever seen. Chronic disease is shortening our lifespan, destroying our quality of life, bankrupting governments, and threatening the health of future generations. Sadly, conventional medicine, with its focus on managing symptoms, has failed to address this challenge. The result is burned-out physicians, a sicker population, and a broken healthcare system. In Unconventional Medicine, author Chris Kresser presents a plan to reverse this dangerous trend. He shows how the combination of a genetically aligned diet and lifestyle, functional medicine, and a lean, collaborative practice model can create a system that better […]
January 3, 2018

Garlic Compound Fights Harmful Bacteria

Findings published on August 29, 2017 in the journal Scientific Reports support the ability of garlic to combat undesirable bacteria. Professor Michael Givskov of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues found that ajoene from garlic interferes with communication systems in the bacteria Staphylococcus aureusand Pseudomonas aeruginosa byinhibiting small regulatory RNA molecules. The sulfur-rich compound also inflicted damage on the bacteria’s protective biofilm, rendering it more susceptible to attack. “The two types of bacteria we have studied are very important,” noted first author Tim Holm Jakobsen of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Immunology and Microbiology. “They are called Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They actually belong to two […]
January 3, 2018

Can D-Ribose Help Energy, Heart & Pain?

You may have seen ribose or D-ribose in the supplement section of exercise performance enhancers and for good reason. A building block of DNA and the sugar that begins the metabolic process for production of energy in the form of ATP, the major source of energy used by cells, ribose has some interesting research backing it. It is found in food and in supplements and while research is mixed, there may be a future for ribose in enhancing our lives. Orally, ribose supplements are used for: increased muscle function recovery and to boost muscle tissue energy for athletic performance chronic […]
January 2, 2018

Some “Healthy” Foods May Make Us Fat and Sick

Most of us have heard of gluten—a protein found in wheat that causes widespread inflammation in the body. Americans spend billions of dollars on gluten-free diets in an effort to protect their health. But what if we’ve been missing the root of the problem? In The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain,  renowned cardiologist Dr. Steven R. Gundry reveals that gluten is just one variety of a common, and highly toxic, plant-based protein called lectin. Lectins are found not only in grains like wheat but also in the “gluten-free” foods most of […]
December 29, 2017

The Sugar Industry’s Deceptive Practices

Readers of What’s Hot may recall an article published in 2016 which revealed the inclusion of publications provided by the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) in the composition of a 1967 review that blamed fat for the coronary heart disease epidemic. In an article that appeared on November 21, 2017 in PLOS, Christin E. Kearns and colleagues examined SRF-funded Project 259. As part of Project 259, researchers at the University of Birmingham evaluated the relationship between dietary carbohydrates and blood lipids in bacteria-free rats. The study found that there was a significant decrease in serum triglycerides in germ free rats that received a high sugar diet […]
December 29, 2017

The Medicinal Wonders of Yarrow

The ancient medicinal healing herb yarrow goes by many names including Achilee, Devil’s Nettle, Noble Yarrow, Nosebleed, Old Man’s Pepper, and Soldier’s Wound Wort among others. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has been most famously used as an herbal remedy used for wounds, cuts and abrasions. It’s genus name comes from the Greek character, Achilles, who was reported to carry it with his army to treat battle wounds. It grows naturally in sunny locations on thin, sandy soils. You may even see it growing along roadsides, in fields or on lawns. Yarrow is native to Eurasia but now grows all over the world in North […]
December 17, 2017

Caffeine May Help Kidney Disease Patients Live Longer

Caffeine consumption may prolong the lives in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to a study presented at ASN Kidney Week 2017. Coffee consumption has been linked to a longer life in the general population. To see if this holds true for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), Miguel Bigotte Vieira, MD, of Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, in Portugal, and his colleagues examined the association of caffeine consumption with mortality among 2,328 patients with CKD in a prospective US cohort, using the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999– 2010. The team found a dose-dependent inverse association between caffeine and all-cause mortality. […]