Blood levels of proteins reflect the starting, stopping, and changing of biological processes linked to aging. We make significant changes at three ages. — “The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind.” This is the insightful observation of William Wordsworth (1770–1850), the English romantic who (along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge) helped initiate the Romantic Age in English literature. Together, they published Lyrical Ballads in 1798.

BRIGHT LIGHT CAN BE THERAPEUTIC for those with seasonal affective disorder and major depression. Here in Seattle, we have entered the dark season. Our transition from autumn to winter is marked by the skies turning gray and the days reaching absurdly short durations. Have you heard of SAD? This appropriate…

WHILE OUR GENES ARE NOT EASILY ALTERED, there are some risk factors for dementia that you may be able to avoid. Today we look at dementia and five medicines that may raise your risk. Memory loss seems to be a natural part of aging, but what we are addressing today…

AS MANY AS 40 PERCENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH CANCER will suffer from hiccups. That is the finding of a survey published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. While at first glance, hiccups may not seem a significant problem, some of my patients have persistent hiccups associated with…

THE EVIDENCE THAT VITAMIN C PREVENTS THE COMMON COLD is not particularly strong. The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. This upper respiratory tract infection is typically relatively harmless, although not particularly pleasant. More than 200 virus types can trigger a common cold, but rhinoviruses…

CAN YOU BE ADDICTED TO HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS? Scientists have debated this question for years. To try to answer the question, researchers at the University of Michigan and Virginia Tech (USA) took the criteria used in a 1988 U.S. Surgeon General’s report that established that tobacco was addictive and applied…

DIETARY SUGAR ALTERS THE GUT MICROBIOME, triggering events that can lead to metabolic disease, pre-diabetes, and weight gain. These findings of a new mouse study remind us of our microbiome’s important role in health. Today we explore the relationship between dietary sugar and fat, the gut, and obesity. Recognizing the…

DESPITE GREAT RESEARCH EFFORTS, there is no consensus on whether vitamin D has an anti-cancer effect. That is the conclusion of a 2018 review. Today we explore the clinical literature on vitamin D and cancer risk. Vitamin D and cancer — A randomized study A 2018 clinical trial randomized participants to a control (marine omega-3 fatty acids, one…