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.

JonerAt700

How to Live to Your 90s

Today’s message is based on my father-in-law, Don Jones, or Joner as most of us knew him. As I said Wednesday, he passed away last Sunday. He lived to 94 years and six months; Peggy, the sister he was closest to, died at the exact same age. How was he able to live that long? […]

Joner-and-Ruth

I’m Alive V2.48

When I opened my eyes this morning, I said the same thing I’ve said for the past 24 years: I’m alive! I’ve come to believe that if I wake up this morning, it means I have at least one more year. It makes no sense, but I can’t change the way I think about this […]

Cooked

Why You Should Get “Cooked”

While Paula and I were visiting our son and his wife last week, I suggested that all of us watch a series on Netflix called “Cooked”; it’s a series written by Michael Pollan from the book of the same name. I talked about him early last year and his movie “In Defense of Food.” I […]

FruitVegRainbow

Classic: Type III Error

You know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you, right? I tell you that all the time because that’s what the research indicates. But according to an editorial piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), maybe we’ve been wrong all this time (1)—at least as it relates to reducing our […]

Vitamin D

Classic: Vitamin Dumb

As Paula and I visit our son and his wife this week, I’m choosing what I call Dr. Chet’s Classics. This one from 2010 illustrates two points. First, mega-dosing vitamins and minerals can have consequences that someone might not expect, and “if some is good, more has to be better” is not a good idea […]

Sperm

Men, Their Microbiome, and Infertility

What role does a man’s microbiome play in infertility? Maybe a lot more than we thought. There are many more factors that affect fertility, with more studies published every day, but this week’s posts have focused on the microbiome. We’ll finish with a study on men. Researchers examined the sperm of men who contributed semen […]

DentalExam

Your Oral Microbiome and Infertility

Is there a relationship between the health of your teeth and your ability to conceive? Yes, and in today’s message, I’ll give you the latest research to come to that conclusion. This week’s messages provide insight into some of the health issues surrounding infertility. It’s also a kick-off of the second edition of my Healthy […]

Infertility

How Your Microbiome Affects Infertility

Many couples struggle with infertility; they want to start a family but time passes with no results. This week, I’ll cover three recent studies that examine some factors that may affect fertility. Researchers tested the fluids from the cervical-vaginal area in 96 subjects to examine the microbiome: were there any differences in the microbes in […]

Quiz

Pop Quiz on Fake Health News

In last week’s posts, I gave you six questions to evaluate fake health news. Did I forget to say there’d be a quiz? Below are three stories that you’ve sent me to check out. If you click on the link, it will take you to the story. As I take the rest of the week […]

NewsHacker

The Bottom Line on Fake Health News

The final questions about checking fake health news completely depend on you—what you know and what your gut tells you. Let’s take a look: 5. Does it match your prior knowledge? We all come to the table with a certain amount of knowledge. When it comes to health, it may be from a high school […]