Dr. Ann

The advice to eat “an apple a day” got a huge boost thanks to a study whose healthy results even shocked the lead investigator.  For this study, 160 middle age to older women were randomly assigned to eat either 75 grams of dried apples a day or 75 grams of prunes a day for a […]

The huge ecosystem of microorganisms that reside in your gastrointestinal tract (your microbiome) largely define your health destiny.  Think of them as your most valuable partner in health and healing. What defines a “healthy microbiome” is having a broad array and an abundance of “good” bacteria in your gut – diversity and high numbers. The […]

In a review of 11 published studies including 247,510 adults, researchers concluded that consuming potassium rich foods was associated with significant stroke prevention.  People who consumed 1.64 grams or more of potassium a day (equivalent to 5 servings of fruits and veggies) were 21 percent less likely to have a stroke than those getting the […]

As even small amounts of excess body fat (especially if deposited in the belly) can boost your risk of a laundry list of deadly diseases – awareness of simple strategies to power up your metabolism can be very healthful.  Simply stated – your metabolism is how many calories you burn for the production of energy […]

Avocado lovers rejoice! Replacing fresh avocado for refined carbs appears to be a delicious way to reduce hunger, boost fullness and improve blood glucose and insulin levels. For this study researchers had 31 overweight study subjects consume one of three test meals on three separate occasions. All of the test meals contained the same number […]

Loss of muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, is a common and potentially deadly accompaniment to aging and good nutrition proves to be a powerful ally to help counter this debilitating state. Maintaining muscle mass is fundamental to ensuring a healthy metabolism and plays a defining role in maintaining functionality in old age. In fact, muscular […]

Thankfully great news on exercise is always forthcoming and here are three notable headlines: An analysis involving a total of 218,000 study subjects found that regular physical activity can stifle the effects of the powerful FTO gene. The FTO gene is one of the most common and well-documented genetic markers for obesity risk. (Another remarkable […]

An eye-popping report adds to growing evidence that diet drinks may be working against us in our efforts to lose weight. Researchers who followed 474 people over a 10-year period found those who used diet sodas experienced a 70% increase in their belly circumference vs. those who did not drink diet sodas. For frequent diet […]

In a report that constitutes one of the most thorough review of alcohol and cancer-related deaths in the U.S. over the past 30 years – scientists made some eye-popping conclusions that everyone needs to be aware of. Here are the highlights: Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of preventable cancer deaths. Alcohol is […]

In an attempt to evaluate the scientific efficacy of various interventions to boost intelligence in young children, researchers recently identified three effective strategies. For this evaluation intelligence experts did a comprehensive review of the best published studies. They noted the following IQ boosters: Supplementing the diets of pregnant women and newborns with omega 3 supplements […]

In a landmark report, Johns Hopkins researchers have taken the scientific validity of the power of healthy living to a whole new level. For this evaluation, the researchers carefully followed how four key lifestyle factors affected the risk of heart disease and overall death risk in over 6,200 racially diverse study subjects. All of the […]

Dutch scientists have given us yet another reason to enjoy an apple (or a pear) a day. In a study that followed over 20,000 adults for a 10-year period, those who consumed the most “white-fleshed” fruits and veggies were 52 percent less likely to have a stroke vs. those consuming the least. The specific fruits […]