Over 200 million Americans use mouthwash. Most of us likely use it to freshen our breath, but it also reduces plaque build up on our teeth, removes food particles that may be trapped in our mouth, and helps prevent cavities. Recent research has pointed to some disconcerting evidence about how mouthwash negatively influences our health. Let’s review the research on the subject and the facts you need to know to make a sound decision for yourself. Claim: Blood pressure increases with regular mouthwash use. A Swedish study recently found that rinsing your mouth twice daily with mouthwash increases... Read More

Since 2016, Meat 2.0 has become the trending food topic. Beyond Meat and Impossible Food are the two major plant-based meat companies now serving consumers at restaurants from A&W to White Castle, as well as in grocery stores. The rise in popularity is based on consumer’s desire to cut down on meat consumption. According to a survey conducted by Johns Hopkins University, nearly 60% of U.S. consumers have expressed interested in eating less meat, driving the market for alternative protein sources that taste like beef.  Why? Studies have shown a link between frequent consumption of red meat... Read More

If you didn’t know the Amazon rainforest is on fire, you may be on a media diet or hiding under a rock. The Amazon rainforest, located in northwestern Brazil and extending into Colombia, Peru, and other South American countries, is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It has been called the planet’s lungs because its vast forests release oxygen and store carbon dioxide. Some scientists say a better way to understand the Amazon’s role is as a sink, draining heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Currently, the world is emitting around 40 billion tons of CO2 into the... Read More

I’m going to talk about a subject may be uncomfortable for some… low testosterone. Testosterone is a sex hormone that belongs to a class of male hormones called androgens.  The National Institutes of Health regards testosterone as the most important male hormone, but women also produce testosterone at lower levels. For men, testosterone is produced mainly in the testes, with a small amount made in the adrenal glands. Women, on the other hand, produce testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands. Low testosterone affects both men and women, although each is affected differently. For men,... Read More

Science has given us so many tools to make our lives better and healthier.  Information about how we address health issues now and how we can address them better in the future is all over the news right now.  Here are three important news stories that are influencing the conversation about major health issues. New treatment for antibiotic resistant bacteria With antibiotic resistant bacteria on the rise, scientists have been searching for new ways to treat bacterial infections.  One promising drug is bithionol. Previously used to treat parasitic infections in horses, bithionol is now being... Read More

It’s almost here again…back to school. Getting your kids back in the school year groove doesn’t have to be stressful as long as you plan ahead for classes, sports, and getting up early. Here are some tips to make your back to school strategy operate smoothly. Get back on your school year sleep schedule. Pediatricians recommend that children age 6 to 12 get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, and that teens get 8 to 10 hours a night. If it’s still light outside when your kids go to bed, consider light blocking shades to help your child’s body send the appropriate signals for sleep.  All devices... Read More

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Many Americans have embraced the myth that vaccines cause a number of conditions, including autism. This fear originated with a 1997 study published by Andrew Wakefield, a British surgeon. Published in The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, the study suggested that the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine was increasing autism in British children. The paper has since been discredited due to serious errors in the way the study was conducted and conflicts of... Read More

Nearly 114 million Americans—roughly half the adult population—take at least one nutritional supplement. Scientific investigations conducted have failed to confirm that supplements, particularly multi-vitamins, work. So, if multi-vitamins are not effective, are there any supplements that are effective? The answer is yes! About 70% of Americans don’t get enough vitamin D. Typically, we get vitamin D by producing it in our skin from sun exposure. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium from the intestines, making it a very important vitamin, but it’s found in very few foods and is hard to obtain... Read More

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health technology as “the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.” We live in an era where technology touches our lives almost everywhere, but in terms of healthcare, we have more access than ever to our healthcare providers and tools to guide our personal health strategy.  For example, mobile apps give us access to price comparisons for prescription medicines. Fitness devices and apps can give us feedback on... Read More

Feeling a little stuffy?  Congestion is a common problem, as anyone who has had a cold or suffers from allergies can attest.  Congestion refers to a feeling of stuffiness in the nasal or breathing passageways. Nasal congestion, stuffiness, or a runny nose is generally caused by increased blood volume to the vessels that line the passages inside the nose. There are a number of causes of congestion that we all know: sinus infection, cold or flu, and allergies.  There are a few other reasons you may be snotty that fall into the category of “none of the above.” You might be able to breathe easier... Read More

For pale faces like me, sunscreen is an absolute necessity. I would not be able to enjoy my outdoor lifestyle without serious protection for my skin. Recent research found that some ingredients from sun protection products are being absorbed into your body. Is this a risk to your health? Researchers say these sunscreen ingredients– avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule – are present in the blood after sunscreen application at levels that would, under current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, trigger a requirement for further safety testing. Unfortunately, sunscreen... Read More

Are you a glass half-full person? In other words, are you hopeful and confident about the future?  If so, you might be healthier than your friends who believe that the worst will happen. Many studies have reported that optimism influences health. Among the findings:   Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension. People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures. The most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic.   It is hard to know if optimism is the result of good health, or if... Read More

Coconut is a unique fruit because it is available year-round rather than during a season. While loosely referred to as a fruit, a coconut is actually a drupe.  A drupe is a fruit that contains a seed. Also called a stone fruit, other drupes include plums, cherries, almonds, and olives. Botanically speaking, a coconut can be a fruit, a nut, and a seed. Coconut has been denoted with many benefits, some controversial.  For example, coconut oil has been touted as a good fat for cooking.  It is high in healthy fats that can boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. They... Read More

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men. Until 2012, the screening for prostate cancer, called the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, was the standard for predicting prostate cancer for men 55 and older. Because PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate, it was determined to be inaccurate in detecting prostate cancer.  Normal PSA is 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood, but a high PSA levels doesn’t always mean cancer and low levels don’t always mean a healthy prostate. In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended... Read More

It’s almost summer, a time for outdoor activities including sleeping in the great outdoors.  Camping helps us refresh our mind and soul. There’s nothing better than seeing the wilderness wake up as the sun lights up the sky! Camping requires some preparation to keep you warm, safe, and healthy. If you are planning a camping trip this year, keep in mind these essential health and safety tips.   Assess your fitness level.  If you are planning a particularly strenuous trip, make sure you are fit enough to withstand the strain of the journey. You may want to consider working with a fitness... Read More

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.  7 out of 10 smokers say they want to quit. Quitting tobacco, including chewing tobacco, is one of the best things you can do for your health. Smoking in particular harms nearly every organ in your body, and nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke. Some smokers have switched to e-cigarettes to ease the transition to a smoke-free life.  E-cigarettes are devices that vaporize a nicotine-based liquid which is then inhaled, much like a cigarette.  Is the e-cigarette a better alternative to smoking tobacco?  Here... Read More

For me, summer is the time when I drink iced tea. I like all kinds of tea on a hot day – iced black tea, half and half (aka Arnold Palmer), and those great shaken teas at coffee shops. Tea is awesome and can be healthy. In fact, I’ve found green tea particularly appealing because it is so good for you. Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process used to make oolong and black teas. For those interested in managing their caffeine intake, eight ounces of green tea contain about 35 mg of caffeine, about half the amount... Read More

On a recent trip to visit my family, I brought home an unwelcome souvenir–chigger bites.  Chiggers are mites, but they have many nicknames like harvest mites, harvest bugs, harvest lice, mower’s mites, or red bugs. Technically chiggers are arachnids, in the same family as spiders and ticks. Since I haven’t experienced chigger bites since I was young, I had forgotten how heinous those bites can be.  I want to share my experience with you, so you can avoid a week-long itch fest if you get chigger bites. Where chiggers reside. Chiggers live in every country. Their favorite spots are... Read More

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 40 million adults—18% of the population—struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is normal; job interviews, public speaking and other everyday occurrences can cause anxiety.  It only becomes a problem when it extends beyond worry in an unreasonable, uncontrollable way. Anxiety can be a symptom of another mental illness, such as panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Anxiety and anxiety disorders are the most common behavioral health issues in the U.S. There are some important health habits... Read More

Thirty percent of Americans only brush their teeth once daily.  That is certainly enough to reduce the level of plaque-causing bacteria–it takes about 24 hours to develop on teeth–but you are more likely to have cavities if you only brush once daily, particularly if you are only brushing in the morning.  If you are going to brush once a day, it should be at night. It is always tempting to take a few shortcuts to simplify our lives.  I’d like to make the case that brushing once daily is not enough. Let’s talk about the health benefits of brushing twice daily. Prevent gum disease.... Read More