Diabetes
Show 1444: The Food Fight Over Fat: Keto and Car…
For the last several decades, nutrition scientists have been debating the pros and cons of various dietary approaches. The Mediterranean diet has a lot of proponents, and we have interviewed some of t…
Sick of Prescription Drug Ads? FULL WARNINGS Cou…
Based on informal polling, most of our readers hate prescription drug ads! We often discover that many health professionals, including physicians, pharmacists and nurses, also despise drug commercials…
What Are the Health Benefits of Coffee and Choco…
Americans have a puritanical streak. This way of thinking suggests that if something hurts or tastes bad, it must be good for you. Conversely, if it tastes good, you might conclude it's bad for you. T…
Can You Manage Your Blood Sugar Naturally?
Metformin is a first-line medication for people with type 2 diabetes. Although doctors also prescribe it for different disorders, from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to prostate cancer, the majori…
Does Time-Restricted Eating Help With Weight Los…
Intermittent fasting has become a popular approach for weight control. Some people see this as fasting for a few days a week and eating on the others. Another approach, however, is to practice time-re…
The Unexpected Risks of French Fries
French fries may be tempting, but giving in to temptation might be dangerous. New research reinforces previous findings that French fries are associated with undesirable health outcomes, including typ…
Post-Covid Symptoms Are Debilitating
Many people insist that more than 99% of the people who catch COVID-19 recover. They maintain that it’s just not that big a deal, even though more than 100 million people have caught the coronavirus…
Daily Exercise Boosts Lifespan
Everyone agrees that exercise is beneficial for your health, though not everyone actually participates in daily exercise. Muscle-strengthening exercise, in particular, can reduce the risk of premature…
Rising Rate of Diabetes in Kids Is Challenging
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, used to be called adult-onset diabetes. Unfortunately, the condition is becoming increasingly common in children and teens. With increasing number…
How Are Home Tests and Devices Revolutionizing H…
The FDA announced on March 5, 2024 that it approved "...the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM)." Many people with type 2 diabetes already use such devices, but they require …
Mad MD Maintains HCTZ is SAFE! Ignores Low Sodiu…
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is one of the most prescribed drugs in the US. It is a diuretic that helps lower blood pressure. At last count, over 10 million people swallow this pill daily. But HCTZ is a…
Make Sure Your Vegetarian Diet Is High Quality
A vegetarian diet can be beneficial, but the quality of the diet matters. A meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials covering more than 3.5 million participants found that there can be a big d…
Deprescribing: Can You Ever Stop Taking So Many …
How many pills do you swallow every day? There was a time, not that long ago, when people took medicines only when they needed them. That included a week or two of antibiotics to cure an infection, op…
Insulin Resistance Raises the Risk for Alzheimer…
What do you know about your chance of developing dementia as you grow older? When it comes to the risk for Alzheimer disease, many people focus on genetic factors. People who have the e4 variant of th…
Master Your Metabolism by Using a CGM (Continuou…
Have you ever broken the law? Almost everyone has at one time or another. Sometimes it’s a little infraction, like driving 40 mph in a 35 mph zone. Or perhaps you crossed a street outside of the des…
If Statins Cause Diabetes, Why Should ALL Diabet…
The guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology are crystal clear. Middle-aged people with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) should be on a statin-type choles…
Will Nopal Cactus Control Blood Sugar?
We love it when scientific research reveals that a home remedy actually works. One that seems quite improbable is eating nopal cactus pads to help with blood sugar control. A few readers have tried th…
Is Inexpensive Food Undermining Public Health?
Are US government agricultural subsidies undermining public health? A study several years ago suggested that people who eat a lot of processed foods made from subsidized crops such as corn, soybeans, …
Can You Lower Blood Sugar with Cinnamon?
You've no doubt heard that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in this country and many others. That means that millions more people have pre-diabetes. That means their blood sugar is headed i…
Psyllium Fiber Is Versatile Remedy
Psyllium fiber has become a household name, especially in the brand name formulations where it is found: Konsyl, Metamucil, Nature's Way Psyllium, and dozens more. From the 1930s to the 1960s a produc…
Are Hair Loss or Colitis Side Effects of Wegovy …
The hottest drugs in weight control these days continue to be semaglutide (Wegovy and Ozempic). Ozempic does not have FDA approval for weight loss, but this injectable diabetes drug contains the exact…
Show 1427: Dr. Mark Hyman’s Secrets for Li…
In this week’s episode, a functional medicine expert will describe how to adjust your lifestyle to achieve the longest healthiest life possible. Is your biological age greater or less than your chro…
Why You Should Eat the Mediterranean Way
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a number of health benefits. We have written previously about studies showing that a Mediterranean-style eating plan can protect the brain, reduce arthr…
Can GLP-1 Agonists Fix What Ails You — and War…
Popular drugs approved for diabetes control and weight loss produce many other effects in the body as well. Drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) have helped some people cut back on alcohol consump…
Should You Consider Intermittent Fasting for Goo…
Americans love to snack. Stop to fill up your gas tank and you can purchase all sorts of treats—ice cream, popcorn, candy, crackers, cookies and nuts, just to name a few of the many enticements. Go …
Are Non-Sugar Sweeteners a Healthy Choice?
When people hear that sugar-sweetened beverages pose health hazards, some respond by switching to diet soft drinks. That certainly seems reasonable, but evidence now suggests it might not be the best …
Prostate Drugs Finasteride and Dutasteride May S…
The FDA approved finasteride (Proscar) to treat BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) in 1992. Then it gave dutasteride (Avodart) the green light for enlarged prostates in 2001. The history of these medi…
Are Pecans Good for Your Heart?
Have you ever wondered whether your favorite food is good for your heart? If your favorite foods include ice cream and cookies, you don't have to wonder. The answer is a clear no. If you love oatmeal …
Helping Your Heart Means Boosting Your Brain
We have long suspected that taking care of your heart health with exercise, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, stress management and social interaction could also benefit your brain. …
How to Stay Healthy with a Mediterranean Diet
Would you like to be able to improve your health by what you put on your plate? Health professionals and patients alike may doubt that diet can be as powerful as pills. When it comes to important bene…
Chelation Therapy: Breakthrough or Bust for Hear…
Please prepare yourself for medical whiplash. Brace for a trip down a rabbit's hole into a Wonderland of contradictions. Mainstream medicine believed for many years that chelation therapy was worthles…
When Should You Drink Coffee for Maximum Health …
Full disclosure. I am not an impartial observer when it comes to coffee. I love a cup or two of Joe (pun intended) each morning to get my day started. And I have been known to have another mug late mo…
What Is the Difference Between Healthspan and Li…
Healthspan and lifespan are such similar words that it is only reasonable to wonder about their differences. In short, lifespan refers to how long you live, regardless of your state of health. Healths…
What Is Blackseed Oil Good For?
As Americans grow disenchanted with pharmaceuticals, they have become interested in botanical medicines. Many of these come from different medical traditions. Scientists may not have devoted much time…
Cooking Oil Confusion: What’s Best, Olive …
Health professionals have been misleading Americans about food for decades. We were told that cholesterol and fat were our enemies. Eggs, shrimp, nuts and olive oil were bad. That led the food industr…
Will a Mediterranean Diet Benefit Your Brain?
The Mediterranean diet has earned a reputation for promoting heart health, as we discuss below. A Harvard study suggested it might also be good for the brain, especially for people with type 2 diabete…
The Perils of Cold Weather Shipping of Medicines…
Baby, it’s cold out there! Many parts of the United States are either experiencing freezing temperatures or soon will be. As I write this, it's very cold in all the usual places: Colorado, Idaho, Mo…
If You Need Surgery While on Ozempic or Wegovy B…
Semaglutide is one of the hottest drugs in the pharmacy. You may recognize the brand names Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss. Anesthesiologists in Canada and the US are raising the alarm…
Is There a Dark Side to the Diabetes Drug Jardia…
If you watch television, there is a decent chance you have seen a Jardiance commercial. The manufacturer is promoting “Big News” about this diabetes drug. Towards the end of the TV spot, the inter…
Show 1368: Why Overcoming Loneliness Is Crucial …
In this week’s interview, Dr. Robert Waldinger of Harvard University explains why overcoming loneliness is essential for our health. His research, summarized in The Good Life, shows that close relat…