The People's Pharmacy

The diet wars have been raging for years. Each side has ardent proponents–those who insist that a low-fat diet is the best way to control weight and those who are convinced that a low-carb diet is better have had a hard time finding common ground. Even those who endorse a more moderate approach can be […]

What causes heart disease? There are a number of risk factors, including cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, diabetes and others. One well-known risk is high cholesterol. Has your doctor told you that you need to control your cholesterol? New Guidelines for Cholesterol Control: The principal cardiologists’ organizations in the US recently updated their […]

Life is never completely smooth and easy. Along with bruised shins and skinned knees, we all experience hurt feelings from time to time. Perhaps we got left out of the game, or our best friend decided to hang out with somebody else. What do you do in a situation like this? How can you learn to […]

Millions of people take medicines like Prevacid, Prilosec or Nexium every day. But while such proton pump inhibitors may ease symptoms of heartburn, they can also lead to serious side effects. Dr. Philip Gorelick, spokesperson for the American Heart Association, describes the research linking these heartburn drugs to an increased risk of stroke. Alternatives to PPIs? What […]

Facts are essential for scientific understanding. Stories are critical for wisdom, understanding the arc and meaning of our lives. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, author of two wonderful books about stories, describes how some stories can diminish us and our view of ourselves. Others give us strength and hope. Stories can reveal deep meaning in our […]

Heartburn is a common problem. Many people take powerful acid-suppressing drugs like Nexium or Prilosec every day to treat gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD. If untreated, chronic irritation of the swallowing tube can lead to Barrett’s esophagus. Do you have to take medications forever to treat this condition? Are there better ways to heal your […]

In a cruel world, compassion might seem like a frivolous pursuit. But our guest expert argues convincingly that we need this emotion now more than ever, if only to keep from falling into despair. What is compassion, and what does science have to do with it? The Science of Compassion: Compassion is a response to […]

Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in the US and around the world. Although endocrinologists consider it a chronic, progressive disorder, some experts have seen that it is potentially reversible and may be preventable. What approaches are helpful? What role could fasting play? Nephrologist Jason Fung, MD, says that you can’t manage a dietary […]

Over the years, we have heard about scores upon scores of home remedies for everything from arthritis to warts. Some make sense intuitively, while others seem silly. Most have never been subjected to scientific scrutiny. Is there any science behind home remedies? We may never know the full answer to that question, but occasionally we […]

Do you enjoy a glass of wine from time to time? If so, were you alarmed to read headlines last fall announcing that ANY amount of alcohol is problematic? Here’s how those headlines came about. The researchers wrote in The Lancet (Sept. 22, 2018), in their interpretation of their meta-analysis of the health risks, world-wide, […]