Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Research Update: COVID-19 on Surfaces
There are hundreds of papers published every day on the COVID-19 virus. The range of topics borders on the incredible, so I decided to provide two updates based on a couple questions that I’ve gotten. The first is a simple one. How long does the virus live on surfaces? When does it become unable to […]
COVID on a Plane
We’re never very far from being reminded about the COVID-19 virus; there’s more info every day. This week, I’ll review three recent scientific papers about the virus. Because I’ve recently flown on an airplane, let’s begin there. We would logically think that when you have upwards of 150 people crammed into a box that the […]
The Bottom Line on Cats and Dogs and Supplements
One of my all-time favorite movie lines is by Bill Murray’s character in the original Ghostbusters. He goes on a rant about the coming plague of ghosts and says “…dogs and cats living together…” It’s the delivery more than the words, but it still makes me laugh. I often blurt it out when people talk […]
Do Cats Need Vitamins?
Absolutely no way I could write about dogs without talking about cats as well, and there’s good reason: my daughter-in-law is an ardent cat advocate. She and our son act as foster parents for kittens from their local animal society until they’re ready for adoption so that when they join a family, they’re accustomed to […]
Do Dogs Need Vitamins?
I recently got a question from a long-time listener who asked if it was okay to give the dog a partial serving of their multivitamin-multimineral. I didn’t have a clue—I don’t deal with supplements and animals, with the exception of glucosamine and fish oil. Both are good for dogs, but what about the rest of […]
The Skin Microbiome: Skincare and Cosmetics
While the state of the current pandemic has restricted the ability to socialize to any great degree, it may turn out to be beneficial for the skin microbiome. Be honest. If you don’t have to go to work or out into the public, do you still maintain the same personal grooming practices? Do you put […]
The Skin Microbiome: pH
The water we shower and bathe in may impact our skin microbiome, but we don’t generally just rinse off with water. We use soaps and shampoos as well. How could they impact the microbiome of the skin? Let’s take a look. Normal healthy skin has a pH range of 5.4 to 5.9. At that pH, […]
The Skin Microbiome: Birth and Water
I began last week’s focus on the skin microbiome based on reading an interview with a scientist who hasn’t taken a shower in over five years (Clean by James Hamblin). We’ve established the basics about skin and the microbes that are supposed to reside in the skin microbiome. This week we’ll cover how the skin […]
SkinMicrobiomeThe Skin Microbes: What They Eat
When we talk about the microbiome of the digestive system, it’s well-known what they eat: sugar. That’s also mostly true for the skin’s microbiome, although those microbes eat other substances as well. In today’s Memo, we’ll cover the types of bacteria and where they’re located. Then we’ll look at their diet. The Microbes of the […]
The Skin Microbiome: Anatomy
The skin microbiome is amazingly complex. Not only do we have all the beneficial bacteria and other microbes, we also have microbes that can be beneficial or damaging depending on how we treat the skin. Let’s begin with location: where are all these microbes located? For that, we need to understand a little bit about […]
