I don't mean to pick on statins. There's just so much about them in the news right now. A colleague pointed me to an excellent website that puts findings about prescription drugs into perspective. And I think it's important information to share. Most studies showing...
As baby boomers age, and Alzheimer's and dementia become more common, there's a growing body of research focusing on strategies to maintain memories and cognitive function. Doing regular crossword puzzles helps. Speaking at least two languages makes a difference. And...
How's this for a catch 22: Statin drugs are prescribed to lower cholesterol levels in the body in an effort to reduce risks from heart disease, but end up raising risks for the very condition they're intended to prevent. New research finds the drugs speed up...
Garlic fights cancer, part... what number are we up to now? This summer, I got a note from one of my writer friends. A new study on garlic and lung cancer was out, would I be willing to comment for her article? She was reporting on a Chinese study that found regular...
As you may know, I am slowly — glacially, even — working on a book about gardening with medicinal plants. Looking out at the frost-covered garden this morning for any inspiring hint of green, I decided to start work on my olive (Olea europea) monograph. Before my...
When I got my first smart phone, I also discovered a fun little app called D-Minder, intended to help track your vitamin D exposure. The app looks at your skin tone, size, location, local weather and sun angle to determine how much vitamin D you can get at any given...
We all have times when we don't eat exactly as we should. So supplementing with a multivitamin makes sense, right? Or does it? As doctors and research scientists look into the value of multivitamins, the picture has become increasingly muddled. Many studies find...
Trying to lose weight? A recent raft of studies show that more sleep may be just what you need. Here's how it works. First, well-rested people make better food choices. But when you're sleep deprived, the parts of your brain associated with addiction do more of the...
This TEDx video has been making the rounds in emails and social media. A lot of these things get tossed your way. And you may have been leery about wasting 17 minutes of your busy time on yet another random video. That's certainly how I felt. But after seeing glowing...
What can humans learn from moose? A lot about osteoarthrtitis, as it turns out. Moose and humans develop the degenerative joint disease in much the same ways and with most of the same symptoms. Osteoarthritis is generally considered a disease caused by the wear and...