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Showing posts from November, 2025

Who should avoid hormone therapy?

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  Some women have medical conditions that can make hormone therapy more risky. Women who have estrogen-sensitive breast or uterine cancer, as well as women who are at high risk for, or have had, a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or pulmonary embolism, are included in this category. "It's really important that women have a discussion with an informed health care provider because you want to know what are the benefits and risks for you," Pinkerton says Are there alternatives for women who don't want to take hormone therapy ? Two non-hormonal treatments for severe menopausal hot flashes have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. About 80% of menopausal women, according to the Food and Drug Administration, experience hot flashes, which can cause sweating, flushing, and chills that last for several minutes. Oral medications Lynkuet, which was approved last month, and Veozah, which was approved in 2023, both target the neural activity that causes hot flashes...

Common sleep aid under the microscope

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 is a hormone made by the pineal gland that helps keep the sleep-wake cycle in check. It rises when it gets dark and goes down when it gets light. In the United States, synthetic versions, which are chemically identical to the natural hormone, are widely available over-the-counter for insomnia and jet lag. However, because supplements are not regulated like prescription drugs, their strength and purity can vary. The researchers looked at adults with chronic insomnia and asked a simple question: Does long-term, documented melatonin use correlate with higher rates of heart failure and other serious consequences? Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, the study's lead author, is a chief internal medicine resident at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York. Supplements containing melanin may not be as harmless as is commonly believed. Nnadi stated, "This could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids if our study is confirmed."

Which Is Better for Lean Protein?

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mmm Given these similarities and differences, which type of lean protein, chicken breast or turkey breast, is superior? These choices are nearly identical in calorie count, and while there are some differences in their micronutrient profiles, the two are pretty comparable overall.  These minor differences do not really speak to how "lean" either protein is—where one is lacking in a particular micronutrient, the other tends to make up for it. Saturated fat is very low in both sources—4% DV in turkey breast and 3% in chicken breast—making them both lean options. However, the dietary cholesterol content of these poultry options differs slightly more. Three ounces of chicken breast contains 88 mg of dietary cholesterol—29% of one’s daily value—whereas the same amount of turkey contains 68 mg, 23% DV.  One could say that turkey breast is the leaner of the two proteins because it has less dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. However, it's hard to go wrong with either of these...

Kefir and Prebiotic Fiber Combo May Reduce Inflammation More than Omega-3 Supplements

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 Kefir and prebiotic fiber may lessen inflammation. The study compared three supplements: an omega-3 supplement, a synbiotic supplement (a mix of prebiotics and probiotics), and a prebiotic plant fiber. The kefir and gut health company Chucking Goat Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, provided the synbiotic supplements and contributed to the study's funding. The synbiotic based on kefir had the greatest effect of the three supplements on reducing inflammation. According to Amrita Vijay, PhD, the lead author of the study and a senior researcher at the University of Nottingham, this is probably because the supplement delivers both the fibers that feed good microbes and the good microbes themselves. According to Vijay, this combination increases the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that boosts gut immunity and reduces inflammation.34 What Are the Advantages of Taking Synbiotics? Previous research has linked synbiotics to improved gut health, immunity, and weight loss56,...