Articles

The Influence of the Dairy Industry For years, messages that dairy products like milk benefit health and bones have flooded government guidelines, marketing campaigns, and even doctors’ offices. However, many of the claims around dairy come straight from the $47 billion dairy industry itself, one of the most influential lobbyists and among the biggest spenders…

The Growing Epidemic of Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease and dementia are rapidly becoming a global health crisis. The number of adults over 40 living with dementia worldwide is expected to triple from an estimated 57 million in 2019 to a staggering 153 million by 2050. This alarming increase is largely due to population growth and…

The Mental Discomfort of Contradiction Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort caused by holding two contradictory ideas or values. When our behaviors don't align with our beliefs, it creates an unpleasant internal tension. To resolve this, we unconsciously justify our actions through selective thinking and denial of contradictory evidence. The theory originated in the…

Autophagy Promotes Cancer Cell Survival Autophagy is the process by which cells degrade and recycle their own damaged components to survive stress. Cancer researchers unexpectedly stumbled upon autophagy years ago while studying apoptosis in cancer cells. They found that blocking apoptosis led cells to activate autophagy as an alternate survival mechanism. Further work showed many…

Decoding Genetics Behind Short Sleepers Most people need 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and performance. But rare genetic mutations like DEC2 allow some to function on less. These “short sleepers” only require around 6-6.5 hours of shut-eye without negative effects. Initially, DEC2 short sleep may seem enviously efficient. But current data…

Clarifying Appropriateness of Testosterone Replacement Testosterone levels naturally decline with aging, contributing to symptoms like low energy, reduced muscle mass and decreased libido in some men. But determining who requires testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to mitigate such declines proves complex. TRT does carry potential side effects, especially on prostate health. So guidelines emphasize that treatment…

A Brief History of Cannabis as Medicine Cannabis is far from a new medicine. In fact, humans have utilized cannabis therapeutically for over 5,000 years across ancient cultures like Asia, Greece and India. Historical records show cannabis was used to treat conditions ranging from gout to memory loss. However, in the 20th century its use…

Understanding the Physiology Behind the Latest Research A groundbreaking 2021 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated remarkable weight loss in participants taking semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic. But what exactly is semaglutide and how does it lead to weight reduction? To answer that, we must first explore some intricate…

The Limitations of Standard Blood Glucose Metrics For decades, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose have been the primary metrics used to assess blood sugar control and diagnose conditions like diabetes. However, according to some experts, relying solely on these laboratory blood tests provides an incomplete picture of one's true glucose metabolism. HbA1c measures…

Rethinking "Normal" Blood Sugar For decades, medicine viewed glucose homeostasis in binary terms – diagnosed diabetes, or nothing to see here. But the accelerating diabetes epidemic and new continuous monitoring technology reveal a much more nuanced picture with profound implications. Even below diabetes thresholds, evidence now indicates glucose levels correlate strongly with multi-system health and…

Demystifying the Concept of "Fat Flux" For many people struggling with excess body fat, the most common desire is to "lose weight." But what does this really mean biologically? Fundamentally, losing fat mass requires shrinking the size of fat cells in the body. To understand how fat cell size is regulated, we need to dive…

Tooth Anatomy: More Complex Than You Think At first glance, teeth may seem like simple, hard structures designed solely for chewing. However, a tooth's anatomy is remarkably intricate. Teeth consist of three main layers – the outer enamel made of minerals, the softer dentin beneath it, and the pulp at the center containing nerves and…