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.
What’s Herd Immunity?
Herd immunity is a way to protect a population against the transmission of an infectious disease from one person to another by increasing the number of people who are immune to the disease. This results in lower transmission of the disease and thus protects more people or “the herd”; herd immunity is the only way […]
What’s Viral Shedding?
Based on the response to my email about the flu vaccination, people raised a few questions and I had one of my own. The first question is about viral shedding. Your first thought is probably “What’s that?” Viral shedding is the period of time when you’re infected and can transmit the flu virus to someone […]
A New Commitment
The numbers are in and the U.S. is fatter than ever: 39.6% of all adults over 20 years old are obese based on the Body Mass Index. That’s a rise of close to 2% since 2015, the last time the statistics were released. This isn’t affecting only adults; children 2–19 are also fatter than ever […]
Flu Shot: Yes or No?
Every year I get asked the same question: Should I get a flu shot? Most of the time, I tell people that it’s really up to their health. Do they have a compromised immune system? Are they older? Are they pregnant? Do they have small children? Most people decide that they probably won’t. I would […]
Update: Tattoos and Cancer
This week it’s time to update prior memos given. The first is a case study on tattoos. It seems people, especially young people, are wearing a lot more ink then they used to. I’ve written about the relationship between tattoos and cancer, but didn’t find enough data to make a recommendation. This memo is about […]
CO2 and Plant Nutrients: Proceed with Caution
The Memos this week have examined a potential problem with the nutrient content of the plants we eat due to increasing CO2 levels. What does the research show? Part of the problem that Dr. Loladze had was that no one was doing much research on the issue of CO2 and nutrient content. That’s going to […]
Does More CO2 Create More Carbohydrates?
Why do you eat broccoli? Why do you eat blueberries? How about sweet potatoes? While you might simply like them, an important reason we eat them in modern countries is for the nutrients they have, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and of course those phytonutrients. They’re a source of calories, for sure, but also minerals. […]
Does Rising CO2 Harm Plants?
What do algae, a mathematician, and carbon dioxide have in common? A 20-year quest to see if CO2 changes are affecting the nutrient content of our plants. The Memos for the past two weeks were about eating more vegetables and fruit because they have the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients we can’t get from animal products. […]
The Bottom Line on “What the Health”
“What the hell is going on around here?” That’s one of my favorite sideline videos of Vince Lombardi as he’s talking to his players, and that’s the way I felt after watching this movie. As I said, I’m going to cover one of the studies that was cited several times, but there’s a whole lot […]
“What the Health”: False Sugar Claims
“Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes!” So says just about every expert in the film “What the Health.” Of all the misstatements in the film, this one is the worst and most dangerous. It isn’t because the statement is false; it’s because of the way it’s presented. Expert after expert looks into the camera and says that […]
