Monthly Archives: January 2014

According to a study published in the journal PLoS One, consuming a moderate amount of coffee will not lead to dehydration. ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis explained that the study found that “four small mugs a day shouldn’t dehydrate” people.

The Los Angeles Times reports that according to the results of a 60-participant study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, “the same amount of caffeine you’d find in a grande latte can enhance long-term memory in adults.”

A listener writes, “My son’s friends love energy drinks, but I don’t want him drinking them. Am I overreacting?”

The Boston Globe reports on a “first-of-its kind study” that finds positive effects to “brain training drills” lasting up to ten years.

Washing your hands is a waste of money. Does this sound crazy? Of course it does – but the soap you use may be soaking you in unnecessary costs.

US News & World Report reports that it has released its fourth annual Best Diets – “a collection of 32 in-depth diet analyses, reviewed and rated by a panel of nutrition and health experts.”

I’ve written throughout this month about how to make your New Year’s resolution stick. But let’s step away from you and look at your family.

Here’s another study documenting why I recommend to my patients, particularly children and teens, to turn off all electronics (TV, computer, cell/smart phones) at least 30 minutes before bedtime — and don’t have these electronic intruders even in the bedrooms … Continue reading →

Have you looked in the mirror, wishing you were in better shape, and just felt hopeless? Well, you may be surprised how quickly you can improve your health.

USA Today reports that data from the CDC indicate that just “one in four adolescents ages 12-15 are physically active for at least 60 minutes” each day.

Sawing wood when you sleep—we laugh when we watch snoring in cartoons and sit-coms, but more studies are indicating it may not be a laughing matter.

The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on companies making “deceptive” claims about weight-loss products. The companies have been making claims that consumers could shed their weight just by taking food supplements or by using skin creams.

A listener asked, “Is a pedometer a good investment or just another gadget that wastes money?”

Reuters reports that research published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that a Mediterranean diet may help protect against diabetes. In fact, the new study shows that the Mediterranean diet alone may be enough to reduce the risk of diabetes, … Continue reading →

Have you decided to get your flu shot yet? If you haven’t, you might want to sleep on it—not to help with your decision, but to give your vaccine a better shot.

Reuters reported that a study of 459 eighth graders from diverse backgrounds found that those students were less likely to smoke if their parents actively set limits.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, a little extra physical and mental preparation can mean the difference between success and failure.

In an editorial, USA Today urges greater oversight over the dietary supplement industry, pointing out the FDA has found at least 123 companies “that have sold products spiked with drugs or harmful additives.”

You’ve probably filed the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” right next to “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” However, you may want to take humor more seriously.

Research published in New England Journal of Medicine is questioning the benefits of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (cartilage surgery on the knee via an arthroscope). Wow, will this be a potential practice changer in the sports medicine world.

Parents aren’t always on top, of what their children experience on line—and that could lead them surfing into dangerous waters.

The Los Angeles Times “Jacket Copy” blog reported that researchers at Emory University have determined that reading a novel “causes measurable physical changes in the brain that can be detected up to five days after the reader closes the book.”

Researchers said it is okay for pregnant women to eat peanuts and other tree nuts. On NBC Nightly News, NBC’s Katy Tur said that “despite old recommendations,” the “new study,” published in “the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that eating peanuts … Continue reading →

In a front page article, the New York Times reported that an analysis by the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, which was established by the National Institutes of Health, indicated that “dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that … Continue reading →

Forbes contributor Larry Husten writes that two new studies suggest that “walking more and eating more fiber are probably good for your heart.”

A patient asked me to solve a debate with a friend, who claimed there are two types of fat in our bodies. I told her I’d be happy to weigh in.

On its website, CBS News reports that research published in BMJ suggests that “an apple a day may keep the doctor away by preventing thousands of heart attacks and strokes in British adults over 50 years old.”

Ever come home from a hard day at work and complain, “My job is killing me!”? You may be closer to the truth than you think.

The New York Times reports that “new guidelines suggest that people over 60 can have a higher blood pressure than previously recommended before starting treatment to lower it.”

Many of us are forging ahead with our list of New Year’s resolutions. So where will you be a year from now—celebrating a victory or struggling with regret?