Intelligent Medicine

The importance of an "exercise prescription." How exercise will help prolong life and not only prevent, but evade future depression.

Amy Berger, author of "The Alzheimer's Antidote," challenges the current paradigm whereby we search for blockbuster drugs to inhibit amyloid plaque in the brain. To date, promising "magic bullet" cures have been ineffective at reversing dementia. Instead she proposes a comprehensive metabolic and lifestyle approach, which has been validated in early clinical trials. What does insulin have to with the decline of brain function? How can low-carb and ketogenic diets help? Why might a low cholesterol diet be harmful for the brain? What role for medium chain triglycerides? What supplements can slow progression? Why is exercise beneficial for staving off cognitive decline? What role does chronic stress play? Why might certain drugs (statins, acid blockers, etc.) accelerate mental decline? What tests predict risk for dementia? Is there a gluten connection? Does high homocysteine forecast memory problems?

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Amy Berger, author of "The Alzheimer's Antidote."

Lifestyle measures improve blood pressure readings. Coffee and tea—despite their caffeine content—are still beneficial. I’m having an allergic reaction to my thyroid medication, what can I take instead? What is your take on stems cells and their ability to repair organs? Is there any reason you recommend certain supplements for GERD and not others?

A remedy for irritated bladder and burning urination. What supplements would you suggest for gum health? Are N-acetylcarnosine eye drops a safe and effective treatment for cataracts? If Raynaud’s syndrome is mitigated by a vasodilator, why not prescribe Viagra?

Is cholesterol that important? What are some of the adverse side effects of statins? Are they overprescribed? Is red yeast rice an acceptable alternative? What about other popular cholesterol-lowerers like niacin, policosanol, garlic, pantetheine, and guggulipids? Dr. Guilliams describes two “new kids on the block” for cholesterol management: berberine and bergamot. Do they provide additional benefits besides lowering cholesterol? Are there any side effects? Can they be safely taken with statins? What other supplements complement these agents for comprehensive cardiovascular prevention? Is lowering homocysteine still important?

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Thomas Guilliams about natural cholesterol management.

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss. Dr. Jason Fung helps us explore why diets invariably fail. What’s wrong with calorie-counting? How can it be that simply eating too much is NOT the cause of obesity? What is insulin resistance and how does it stymie efforts at weight loss? How did we go astray with low-fat dieting? Why do high-protein, low-carb diets fail to deliver maximum weight loss benefits for some dieters? Why fat consumption doesn’t make you fat; Why saturated fat has been unfairly stigmatized; Why using drugs to treat high blood sugar may be exactly the wrong strategy; Why the old advice to have plenty of snacks to stave off hunger may be a poor strategy for dieters; Why having a big breakfast may NOT be such a good idea; Why exercise, while healthy, may not contribute much to weight loss; the FIVE key principles of Dr. Fung's Intensive Dietary Management Program; the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF).

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Jason Fung, author of "The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss."

"What is killing us and what can we do about it?" Your locus of control; L-carnitine helps lower Lp(a); calcium supplements increase risk of dementia in women with cerebrovascular disease.

When 24-year-old Katlin Smith developed aches and pains, her doctors could provide no answers. After a friend reported benefits with an elimination diet, Katlin decided to try Paleo. So impressed was she with the efficacy of the diet at relieving her symptoms that she quit her job in a Big 8 accounting firm, and started a business making Paleo products--Simple Mills. After much trial and error in her test kitchen, she discovered ways to combine Paleo-compliant ingredients like almond flour that are delicious as well as wholesome. After just a few years, her company has become one of the fastest-growing natural products manufacturers in the country. She makes crackers, cookies, cake and bread mixes, and frostings--all free of preservatives, GMOs, emulsifiers, and 6 of the 8 most common food allergens. Her products have received multiple awards, and Smith was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Katlin Smith, founder of Simple Mills, a maker of Paleo compliant foods.

Worst study ever: The Paleo diet may make you fat and diabetic(?). My blood test shows I have high calcium, is it ok to increase my vitamin D while on Reclast? My 9-year-old daughter has head twitching after contracting scarlet fever last year.

I have tinnitus after a severe head cold, what can I take to remedy it? My 75-year-old mother suffers from GERD, would you recommend d-limonene? After suffering with rheumatoid arthritis for 30 years, my sister has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. I just read "The Gut Flush Plan" by Ann Louise Gittleman. How can I find out if I have parasites?

Dr. Aly Cohen, Integrative Rheumatologist, offers a must-listen discussion on "Integrative Environmental Medicine," the title of her new book. What are the potential insults we face from polluted air and water? What are the health consequences? Who is most vulnerable? How do heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and lead harm the body? How has the introduction of GMO foods increased exposure to toxic pesticides? What are endocrine disrupters? How do certain common medications reduce our threshold for toxin overload? What foods are the worst offenders? Why select organic foods? When is it permissible to substitute conventional produce? Is fish safe to eat? What food ingredients are most harmful? Is it important to filter your tap water? Why are antimicrobial cleansers bad for you? Can taking certain key supplements protect us from environmental insults? What lifestyle practices help us lower our toxic burdens?