Published May 6, 2011

Can probiotics lower your blood pressure?

I’ve been a strong believer in probiotics for years. These are “friendly bacteria,” which have lots of health benefits. They help restore a poor digestive system and improve your immune system. Now a breakthrough study tells us that these friends might do far more for us than simply push out the bad guys.

Researchers found that three strains of friendly bacteria caused positive changes in “hundreds of genes.” The changes resembled the effects of certain medicines in the human body. These medicines include those that positively influence the immune system and medicines that lower your blood pressure.

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Published May 5, 2011

Does your melatonin peak at the wrong time?

One of the most common problems I see in patients over the age of 60 is a nasty combination of feeling tired during the day, and awake and restless during the night. It seems that as people age, they tend to get upside down in this way. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. It’s a very common problem, but what is causing it? And how can you fix it?

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Published May 4, 2011

Is your diabetes really hypothyroidism?

If you have hard-to-treat adult diabetes, this is important information. Your problem might not be insulin and your pancreas. It could be your thyroid!

A research team knew that both humans and animals exposed to cold temperatures get high blood pressure. They wondered if diabetic mice would get the problem faster in the cold than normal mice.

So the researchers placed diabetic and control mice in a box and kept them at a constant 41 degrees F. The normal mice survived, while the diabetic mice died in just two hours. The team figured that the diabetic animals couldn’t maintain their body heat.

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