Dr. Deb

I love salt. I grew up with salt on watermelon, salt on cottage cheese, salt on cucumbers and extra salt on everything! Ironically, my dad has been on a salt substitute since I was young for hypertension. It always tasted bitter to me and since my blood pressure has always been low, I never worried about it.

A new study has has me thinking otherwise. I often track fat, calories, fiber and protein but by ignoring the sodium, I have made some food choices that were not as healthy as I thought.

We are a salt overloaded society. Shockingly, 75%-80% of our salt does not come from the shaker but from what is packaged in our food. A new study released from the New England Journal of Medicine highlights how cutting just a ½ teaspoon a day may dramatically saves lives and billions of dollars.

How much salt is too much?

(more…)

Laviza says, “Hi you mentioned baby aspirin on Dr. Oz’s feedback to his video; do you take this and why?”.

Hi Laviza!

There are many cardiovascular benefits to baby aspirin. It is unclear when to start taking it but many doctors advocate men start at age 40, especially if there is a family history of heart disease.

I am curious to know Dr. Oz’s thoughts as he is a cardiovascular surgeon and recommends discussing it with your Doctor even for women in their 40s. Click for Dr. Oz’s Supplement Advice

Recent data showed that it is beneficial for younger women (before they thought only around age 65) but the risk of GI bleeding is real so we really don’t know when to start. I thought it would be a good topic for Dr. Oz to discuss.

Click here for a pretty good overview of aspirin therapy.

Thanks for asking!
Dr. Deb
www.drdebraines.com

Last week a study reported that Probiotics Cut Belly Fat After Pregnancy. Is this a dream come true or wishful thinking?  Well, the evidence is not overwhelming ..but there is little downside to possbily less of the  fat-side.

What is a probiotic?
Probiotics are often referred to  “good bacteria” that are tiny living organisms that reside in many places in the body but most often we think of in the gut or vaginal flora. This good bacteria protects or benefits our body.

(more…)