If you’ve been taking calcium supplements as prevention against osteoporosis and then quit because of the concerning findings of previous studies – you may not have needed to, says a new Harvard study. In an earlier HealthyAnswers newsletter article [Why You May Want to Stop taking Calcium Supplements, September 2012], I alerted my readers to … Read more
For years, doctors (including me!) had been telling their patients (especially postmenopausal women over 60 and older men) to take calcium supplements to prevent risks of osteoporosis. Now, with recent research findings, many doctors are holding off on telling our patients to take calcium supplements. Perhaps you routinely take calcium supplements as well. If so, … Read more
You’ve heard stories about the guy (or gal!) who seemed to be in good health. He or she exercised frequently, seemed to eat right, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink to excess. Yet, one day, to everyone’s surprise, that person had a serious, perhaps fatal, heart attack. You wondered how could that happen to someone who appeared … Read more
Summer is right around the corner and if you’re like many of my patients, you may be planning to take a road, plane or train trip to travel somewhere. Since many of my patients and my readers are over age 50, I’d like to talk to you about a special concern of traveling that involves … Read more
Lately, several of my patients have asked me what I think about adding marine phytoplankton – tiny sea plants – to their diets for their reported health benefits. I tell them that I think it’s a great idea and thought you’d also like to know what marine plants can do for just about every system … Read more
I frequently discuss the latest vitamin research with my patients to ensure that they are getting the maximum daily allowance. One of the big “superstar” vitamins that I tell them about is Vitamin D, specifically D3, a powerful, workhorse variant of D. Many patients were surprised to find that their lab tests showed a deficiency … Read more
Like many of my patients, you likely have heard of resveratrol – the incredible antioxidant contained in purple grapes and red wine that has shown promise in preventing disease as well as longevity studies. However, as great as resveratrol is, I’ve recently started telling my patients about a chemically similar, yet even more powerful antioxidant … Read more
When I ask my patients how many ORACs they take in a day, they give me a kind of lost look. One patient humorously asked me once, “Is that some kind of fruit?” Well, yes and no. ORACs are in fruit – but they’re not a food per se. Let me share with you what … Read more
My patients like to tell me about ‘home remedies’ passed down from parents and grandparents – many of them that contain kitchen spices – 2 in particular, cinnamon and cloves. I have my own memories of holding boiled clove water on a recently extracted tooth that developed a dry socket. The mixture took away the … Read more
For many years doctors and nutritionists have told their patients to stay away from tropical oils because they are saturated fats that were thought to raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and not be heart-healthy. However, some of my patients have recently read or heard about the health benefits of coconut oil and are confused as … Read more
One out of every three patients of mine has high blood pressure. That’s also the national statistics for this condition. Shocking, isn’t it? Although high blood pressure, or hypertension as its referred to medically, can occur quickly as a result from medications, injury/pain or illness, it’s usually a chronic condition that may have several contributing … Read more
Many of my patients tell me that in an effort to eat a healthier diet they’ve given up their favorite Italian foods like pizza, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana and spaghetti marinara. Imagine their delight when I tell them that they don’t have to give up these foods to be healthier. In fact, these very foods may … Read more