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September is Sexual Health Month—Is there a diet connection?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
To commemorate Sexual Health Month, let’s tackle the question: Can you eat your way to optimal sexual performance? That was the subject of a chapter that I co-wrote with Intelligent Medicine co-contributor Leyla Muedin in the Dr. Andrew Weil textbook Integrative Sexual Health. Judging…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Sexual Health
Device anxiety
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
There are plenty of reasons to be anxious these days. There’s Covid, politics, the economy, looming environmental catastrophe, crime, the threat of World War III, not to mention the usual personal things—your health, your job or school, relationship dynamics, financial…read more
Categories:Mental and Emotional Health
“EAT-Lancet” is hard to digest
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Recall that back in 2019, the prestigious international medical journal Lancet issued a call for curbing meat consumption. The EAT-Lancet Commission invoked the alleged health benefits of reducing intake of animal protein and claimed plant-based eating could help save the planet. The food…read more
Categories:Nutrition Controversies
“Is there a doctor on board?”: The challenges of in-flight medical emergencies
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Medical emergencies occur with disturbing frequency on planes. One colleague of mine had the extraordinary experience of having to help subdue an out-of-control passenger on her flight to a medical convention; on her return flight, she was called upon to…read more
Categories:General Medicine
Can too much exercise be bad?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
In the field of sports medicine, no question has generated more controversy. While exercise is unquestionably beneficial overall, is there a point where too much becomes detrimental? The U.S. Health and Human Services guidelines for physical activity state that adults should get…read more
Categories:Exercise
7 ways to instill healthier eating habits in your kids—and why it matters
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Poor childhood nutrition is one of the most critical problems that threatens the health, productivity, and even national security of America. Time was, during the mobilization of young men that accompanied World Wars I and II, a high percentage of…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Pediatric Health
What’s up with that vitamin D study?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
You’ve probably seen headlines like these: “Study Finds Another Condition That Vitamin D Pills Do Not Help”—New York Times “Study Finds Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Reduce Risk of Broken Bones” —SciTech Daily “Stop Taking Vitamin D Already!” —Forbes It’s…read more
Categories:Muscle and Bone Health Supplements
When narratives overtake science
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Narrative: “A story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious . . . a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular…read more
Categories:Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Problems Alzheimer’s General Medicine Mental and Emotional Health
Fruit and veggie pills—are they really worth it?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s been a bad few years for veracity. Unfounded claims abound. Product pitches assault us with no tether to reality. Science is misappropriated for commercial and political gain. Don’t get me wrong: I think there’s value in certain plant-derived nutrient…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
“Should I take another booster?”
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“Top Biden administration officials are weighing a plan to let all adults get a second round of coronavirus booster shots”—Politico, July 11 “Currently, many Americans are under-vaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr….read more
Categories:COVID-19
How come Americans are getting fatter—when they’re NOT eating more and exercising less?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
A frequent theme on social media these days is vintage photos from the 60s and 70s—the era when I was growing up—depicting beachgoers with mostly normal bodies. Obesity was uncommon. Then things changed: Since 1980, obesity prevalence among US adults…read more
Categories:Metabolic Syndrome Microbiome Nutrition and Weight Obesity
They say “Multivitamins are a waste of money”—REALLY??
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Multivitamins containing most of the essential vitamins and minerals at doses that provide greater than 100% of the RDA are the most commonly used dietary supplements; approximately 1/3 of US adults takes one or another formulation. But the bloom is…read more
Categories:Supplements
Keep your balance!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Comedian Dave Barry once quipped: “Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects.” The Book of Proverbs says: “Pride cometh before the fall.” And one of the Ten Commandments in The House of God, a…read more
10 natural sun-care supplements you need to know
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Summer is here, and that means warm, lazy days at the beach, in the park, or on the patio. Many of us are facing the onslaught of UV rays without a basecoat of skin pigment, rendering us more susceptible to…read more
Categories:Skin and Hair Supplements
Is melatonin really poisoning Americans?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
We were recently regaled with headlines like these: “Melatonin Poisonings in Kids Jumped 530% in 10 Years” (Medpage Today) “Pediatric Hospitalizations Due to Accidental Melatonin Overdoses Spiked in Last Decade, CDC Says” (People) “Melatonin Supplements Are Poisoning Children” (Gizmodo) This…read more
Categories:Sleep Supplements
June tidings: The latest in health news
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Antibiotics turning us into couch potatoes: Antibiotic prescriptions have soared in recent years, despite concerns over antibiotic resistance, which emerges when ordinary bugs mutate to become impervious to drugs. While North America and Europe lead the world in antibiotic consumption, the…read more
Categories:Antibiotics General Nutrition Mental and Emotional Health Neurological Health Obesity Pediatric Health
A case of muscle cramps
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I would like to share an interesting case with you because it exemplifies the approach we in integrative medicine take to address challenging conditions. Much of what we see falls between the cracks of conventional medicine; “paint-by-numbers” medicine utilizing drugs…read more
Categories:Women’s Health
Repeat after me: “Hunger is my friend!”
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
We are all familiar with the sensation: You get that empty feeling in your stomach, your appetite revs up, the smell of Cinnabons or pizza or donuts becomes irresistible. It’s hunger, a primal urge to eat, which is relentless. We…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
GERD diet myths debunked
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Shibboleth: noun. A belief or custom that is not now considered as important and correct as it was in the past. I addressed a common nutritional shibboleth recently, which holds that dietary fat intake is responsible for raising triglycerides (actually, it’s carbs). Another shibboleth…read more
Categories:Digestive Health GERD Nutrition Controversies
May Missives: From mental health to misinformation
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) for depression: Carnitine is a well-known energy compound. It’s responsible for transporting long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria to be oxidized for energy production. As a result, it’s a plausible nutrient for supporting the function of the heart and brain,…read more
Tricky triglycerides
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Cholesterol always gets a bad rap, but few medical consumers—and even health professionals—finger triglycerides as a more likely suspect in heart disease causation. Triglycerides are circulating fats in the bloodstream. That fact was memorably brought home to me in medical…read more
Categories:Heart Disease Heart Health
Invasion of Ukraine compounds Russia’s health woes
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Eyes are on Ukraine this week as Russia continues its onslaught. Amidst the conflict, there’s a health story. A country’s military preparedness and its ability to sustain a long-term war campaign are inextricably linked to the health of its populace….read more
Categories:General Medicine
The great fish oil debate (Spoiler alert: It works!)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
When it comes to the debate over fish oil’s heart benefits, medical opinion keeps shifting more than lead changes in a Duke/North Carolina March Madness basketball showdown. But the tide has turned with a couple of recent studies. “Omega-3 fish…read more
Categories:Heart Health Nutrition Controversies Supplements
The myriad benefits of cycling
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This month, tired of the lingering gloomy weather in New York which makes bike riding an ordeal, I signed up for a 5-day Arizona bike tour with Trek Travel. I flew to sunny Phoenix and traveled to the Civana Spa where our group…read more
Categories:Exercise
18 supplements for allergy relief and prevention
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, I offered my top ten tips for beating spring allergies. This week, I’m arming you with the supplements you need to keep the sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes at bay. Most often when seasonal allergies strike, we reach…read more
Categories:Allergy Probiotics Supplements
10 tips for surviving allergy season
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
If you’re like many of us, this time of year can be both beautiful and vexing. Blossoms begin to adorn our trees, and our cars and patios are coated with a dusting of yellowish-green pollen. For spring allergy sufferers, that means…read more
Categories:Allergy
A plea for nutrition in medicine
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
March is National Nutrition Month. I’ll use this occasion to issue a clarion call for making nutrition a linchpin of medical therapy across ALL specialties. Here’s a rundown of how it could advance the health of diverse patients: Gastroenterology: Rates of IBS, GERD,…read more
Diet and colon cancer: It’s complicated!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. There’s a special emphasis on prevention because the incidence of GI cancers, traditionally thought of as an affliction of the aged, is soaring among younger people, as was dramatically highlighted by the untimely death in…read more
Categories:Cancer General Nutrition
The dawning science of age reversal
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Anti-aging science is coming of age. Intuitively, we’ve long surmised that a healthy diet, exercise, stress reduction techniques like meditation, avoidance of environmental toxins, and certain supplements can slow aging, and even rejuvenate us. But until recently we had to…read more
Categories:Aging
COVID’s long shadow
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As the rate of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths plummet across the U.S., we’re breathing a sigh of relief—COVID is finally on the wane. My hometown of New York is starting to come alive, as restaurants and entertainment venues fill up…read more
Categories:COVID-19
97 Times?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
President Biden recently tweeted “Here’s the deal: Unvaccinated individuals are 97 times more likely to die compared to those who are boosted. Protect yourself and those around you by getting vaccinated and boosted today.” The assertion was widely parroted in the…read more
Categories:COVID-19
What do you write about when it’s simultaneously Valentine’s Day and Heart Health Month? Chocolate!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Who knew that chocolate could be a powerful tool for restoring metabolic wellness and immunity? Cocoa is rich in antioxidant flavanols, a subcategory of polyphenols (see last week’s newsletter article). Researchers tell us that regular intake of cocoa powder and/or dark chocolate…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
What the heck are polyphenols?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
You’ve probably heard a lot about polyphenols. They’re touted as the magical ingredients in “Superfoods” that confer all kinds of health benefits. There are over 8000 polyphenols, and they’re only present in plant foods and spices. Berries, coffee, tea, and…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
Misunderstood magnesium
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It was 40 years ago that I first learned of the power of magnesium. That was during my medical training when a pulmonary specialist told us fledgling doctors that it was vital to check magnesium levels in critically ill intubated…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Heart Health Immunity Supplements
Maybe it’s time to talk LESS about COVID
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This New Year, I’ve made a resolution to talk less about Covid. It’s taken center stage for nearly two years. In the early months of the pandemic, I broke precedent and issued breathless pandemic dispatches via my podcasts seven days…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Feed Your Head
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Repairing Myelin: Recently, on our Q&A with Leyla podcast, we had a question from a listener who was suffering from CIDP (Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy). It’s an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves, targeting the myelin protein that acts as an “insulator” around…read more
Categories:Alzheimer’s Neurological Health
Osteoporosis: New tests and new concerns about drugs
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As you can see by this article that I wrote in 2013, I’ve long been concerned over side effects of commonly prescribed osteoporosis drugs. Among other worries, I raised a red flag over then newly-published reports of unusual fractures among women taking…read more
Categories:Osteoporosis
14 things YOU know better than your doctor
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Your doctors know a lot. They are among the most highly-trained professionals, often undergoing 8-15 years of intense post-graduate education. They endure rigorous testing and certification, and have to continually keep up with reams of new information as advances proceed…read more
Categories:General Medicine General Nutrition Medications Supplements
2021: A COVID retrospective
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As I write this, President Biden has just declared that it will be “a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated . . . but there’s good news: if you’re vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you’re…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Book review: Three perspectives on the COVID response
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This month, I’m poring over three books with the common theme that we’ve seriously missed the boat on handling the pandemic. Each author offers a distinct perspective on what went wrong. Here’s a brief rundown on each: The Real Anthony…read more
Categories:COVID-19
December dispatches: Over-eating and cancer; the AMA goes woke; Einstein vs. Fauci
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“Disordered eating” and gastrointestinal cancers: If it’s not obvious to you by now that what you eat impacts your risk for cancer, you haven’t been paying attention to the latest research. There’s a link to obesity for most cancers, and consequent…read more
Categories:Cancer COVID-19 General Nutrition
Biden’s physical: What it reveals—and what it doesn’t
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
A presidential physical is always a big deal. Particularly when the current occupant of the White House is, at 79, the oldest president in US history. The purpose of this analysis is neither to cast doubt on the POTUS’s competency,…read more
Categories:General Medicine
The latest in COVID health news
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As the holiday season approaches and colder temperatures drive people indoors, concerns are arising over a potential COVID “5th wave” (I’m losing count already!). The news from Europe is not good, where numbers are surging in countries with vaccine coverage…read more
Categories:COVID-19
November health news updates
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Vitamin D for autoimmunity: Recently, I did a podcast on natural therapies for autoimmunity. There we discussed supplements that help turn down the volume on runaway immune reactions. Vitamin D was among the key nutrients we enumerated. Now comes confirmation from a 5-year…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Sleep Supplements
The metaverse: Boon or bane for mankind?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last month, Facebook, already under fire for its harmful content, announced a rebranding: The parent company will henceforth be known as “Meta”. Facebook will continue in its present incarnation for diehard adherents, but may soon seem as superannuated as the horse and buggy….read more
Categories:General Medicine
Iron—the Goldilocks mineral (part two of two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
How to detect iron deficiency? The simplest test is the CBC (complete blood count), which can determine whether you have adequate red blood cells, which are dependent on iron. The test also includes information on the size of the red…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Supplements
Iron—the Goldilocks mineral (part one of two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Iron is one of the most crucial nutrients for human health. Deficiencies of iron are extremely common, especially in women and children, and those with medical conditions associated with blood loss or malabsorption. Iron deficiency is the most prevalent micronutrient…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Supplements
Alternative perspectives on breast cancer
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Lifestyle matters! Around one in nine women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. A recent study found that roughly 30 percent of breast cancers could be prevented with simple lifestyle modifications: Avoiding obesity, alcohol intake, smoking and hormonal therapies….read more
Will COVID kill integrative medicine?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
In the early twentieth century, the Flexner Report sought to assert the preeminence of the “biomedical model” over traditional folk medicines that were still widely embraced by Americans. Medical research was advancing in the wake of Louis Pasteur (the…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Pregnenolone for brain and pain
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I’ve long been a fan of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), available as an over-the-counter supplement. It’s a weak androgen, like testosterone, but more unisex; unlike testosterone, of which men have around twenty times as much as women, DHEA is normally only two…read more
Categories:Endocrinology Supplements
We’ve been missing the boat on weight loss
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, top obesity researchers challenged the calories-in/calories-out hypothesis that has dominated our approach to weight loss for decades. Study Finds heralded: “Overeating doesn’t cause obesity” And Science Daily proclaimed: “Scientists claim that overeating is not the primary cause of obesity” It all sounds…read more
September Snippets
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Suffering from office or classroom brain-fog? You’ve heard of “sick building syndrome”. It’s a recognized threat to health, affecting as many as 30% of indoor environments. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Building occupants complain of symptoms such as cough; chest tightness;…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Environmental Health General Nutrition
Should doctors be role models for their patients?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Many years ago, when I was just a medical student, a relative of mine came down with an intractable skin problem. She had been to numerous dermatologists, had tried many creams and potions, and had undertaken detox diets. Her skin…read more
Categories:General Medicine
Defending Beef: A review
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I recently had the opportunity to interview Nicolette Hahn Niman about the newly-revised and expanded edition of her 2014 book Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat. The LA Times review says “Nicolette Hahn Niman sets out to debunk just about everything you…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Nutrition Controversies
Research Roundup: The impact of diet and supplements on four key areas of health
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Does dairy increase the risk of breast cancer? The role of dairy products in the promotion of breast cancer has been controversial. When I was a macrobiotic vegan 40 years ago, it was taken a given: How could the unnatural…read more
Categories:Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Problems Alzheimer’s Cancer General Nutrition Inflammation Microbiome Muscle and Bone Health
August Auguries 2021: COVID news roundup
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Protecting our children: “More kids are getting COVID!” (USA Today); “Children’s hospitals fill up as virus cases soar” (The Hill) shout the headlines. The NY Times recently ran a story on a 15-year-old honor student with “long COVID” who now can barely think straight…read more
Categories:COVID-19
You’re only as good as your recovery
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I just completed the Smith Point Triathlon, which consisted of a 1/3 mile open water swim (around 20 laps in a standard 25-yard pool), a ten-mile bike sprint, followed by a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) run. I was happy with my…read more
Categories:Exercise
How to improve your child’s longterm health—while they’re in utero!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It makes common sense that diet can affect pregnancy outcomes and impact the health of offspring. Paradoxically, starvation and under-nutrition during pregnancy can lead to childhood and adult obesity; it’s as if the baby, anxious to play “catch-up”, becomes more…read more
Categories:Pediatric Health Women’s Health
My performance-enhancing “drugs”
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
With the Olympics underway, PEDs (performing-enhancing drugs) are once again in the spotlight. In an unprecedented move, Russian athletes have been banned from the Tokyo Olympics due to widespread, systemic and state-condoned doping. (They may compete individually, but not as…read more
Categories:Exercise Supplements
Government urges crackdown on “health misinformation”—who decides?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
The pandemic is subsiding, due to a combination of vaccination, the high percentage of Americans who have acquired natural immunity after exposure to COVID, as well as better therapies. But there’s a worrisome uptick in cases, and the dreaded Delta…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Functional Medicine—the new orthodoxy?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Time was, when I was an aspiring medical student in the 70s, that “holistic” practitioners were few and far between. I had a few role models in Dr. Robert Atkins, Dr. Michael Schachter, and Dr. Rudolph Ballentine, but there weren’t…read more
Categories:General Medicine
Medical Nihilism—an idea whose time has come?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“Nihilism” is defined as “a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded”. When applied to modern medicine, it means imposing extreme skepticism on the medical practices that have come to comprise our disease-fighting armamentarium. After having read Medical Nihilism over the…read more
Categories:General Medicine
Pomegranate power
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Pomegranates have long figured in mythology, sacred texts, and in ancient materia medica. (See this entertaining historical cavalcade from PomWonderful) Modern research has documented the substantial health benefits of pomegranates: “ . . . human-based studies have shown promising results and have indicated…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
An ode (or two) to swimming
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
With the pandemic came pool closures. I’m an inveterate year-round swimmer, blessed with easy access to the beach at my Long Island home, but my Y pools in New York City, and those in New Jersey where I sometimes weekend,…read more
Categories:Exercise
Has natural medicine lost the race against BigPharma?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
The vaccines have worked (mostly). They’ve helped to stem the tide of COVID in the US even though not every adult has taken them. And, while the word is not yet out on long-term side effects, most people have tolerated…read more
COVID’s bitter legacy: Finicky tasters may be at higher risk
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
The pandemic has dealt us many curveballs, among which are the peculiar “comorbidities” that render people susceptible to bad outcomes. Count advanced age, overweight, insulin resistance or diabetes, and hypertension among the more obvious ones. Then there’s vitamin D status, and…read more
Categories:COVID-19 General Nutrition
The Gene-Splicing Revolution
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I recently read The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson’s new book on the discovery of CRISPR, the new gene-editing technique that promises to revolutionize medicine. Isaacson is the erudite chronicler of…read more
Categories:General Medicine
12 ways we were wrong about COVID
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As death rates and hospitalizations plummet in the U.S. and as we commemorate a year from the early days of peak COVID, it’s useful to reflect on what we got wrong about the pandemic. Here’s my offering: No, it didn’t…read more
Categories:COVID-19
The many faces of fatigue
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Nearly 30 years ago (1993) I wrote a book about fatigue—Tired All the Time: How to Regain Your Lost Energy. In it, I advanced the theory that every tired individual has their own distinct “fatigue wheel”—a pie-chart of sorts with…read more
Categories:Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Depression/Anxiety General Medicine Metabolic Syndrome Salmon & Salad Diet
20 ways exercise benefits your health (part two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, I offered you ten ways that regular exercise can benefit your overall health. We covered everything from mood, to blood sugar, to sexual performance—but we still left a lot unexplored! This week, I’m rounding out the list with ten more ways…read more
Categories:Exercise
20 ways exercise benefits your health (part one)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
As the weather warms up and gyms reopen, more Americans are shaking off lockdown and re-engaging with exercise. As you huff and puff your way back to optimal condition, here’s a little inspiration to keep you motivated: 1) Cardiovascular: It’s axiomatic…read more
Categories:Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Problems Alzheimer’s Cancer Depression/Anxiety Exercise Heart Disease Heart Health Inflammation Lung Health Mental and Emotional Health Muscle and Bone Health
Trillions for COVID recovery—what role for nutrition?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
The US has allocated trillions of dollars for COVID recovery; an additional bill of uncertain multi-trillion-dollar dimensions is shaping up to address “infrastructure needs”—broadly construed as addressing material as well as human exigencies. Amidst this, in addition to the illness…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Nutrition and Weight
COVID conundrums
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
We’re at a crossroads. More people are receiving vaccines as availability improves and hesitancy abates. There’s a slight uptick in cases, but that’s to be expected as restrictions loosen and spring fever overtakes restless young people who haven’t yet been…read more
Categories:COVID-19
What supplements should I take (or avoid) prior to my COVID vaccine?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s acknowledged that “results may vary” when it comes to vaccine responses. Notwithstanding that preliminary trials showed that COVID shots were 90%, 95%, or 76% “effective” (take your pick), there’s lots of inter-individual variation. Research protocols for new drugs or…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Supplements
The surprising link between anxiety and inflammation
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
There’s plenty to be anxious about these days: When will the lockdowns end? Will my kids/grandkids be irreparably set back by school interruptions? Will dire predictions about lapsed immunity and viral variants portend a fourth wave later this year? Will…read more
Categories:Inflammation Mental and Emotional Health
Which vaccine should I take?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s been a year since the pandemic started. No one could’ve predicted it, but suddenly we have an embarrassment of riches: an array of vaccine choices. There’s the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot version just…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Honoring Women’s Contributions to the Field of Nutrition
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This month marks the confluence of Women’s History Month and National Nutrition Month. Women have historically been ideally suited to advance the practice of nutrition via their traditional roles implementing healthy diet in the home, but they have also made…read more
Categories:General Nutrition Women’s Health
March Musings: Skepticism in the news
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Why don’t health authorities believe in natural selection? One of the arguments that’s being mustered in a push to overcome vaccine hesitancy is that new variants of the Coronavirus are rapidly emerging; that trend necessitates widespread acceptance of the jab…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Heart Health Medications
Study claims to shut the coffin lid on supplements for COVID-19
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“From A to Z, Supplements Fail for COVID-19” (MedPage Today, February 12, 2021) Kind of reminiscent of this headline from a year ago from the New York Times: “Supplements for COVID Probably Won’t Help, and May Harm” (March 31, 2020). The narrative won’t die….read more
Categories:COVID-19 Supplements
The weak case against saturated fats—updated!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s Heart Month, so be forewarned: You’re going to be subjected to the usual wrong information. Saturated fats continue to be demonized by health “authorities.” The American Heart Association persists in recommending: “Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes:…read more
Categories:Heart Disease Heart Health Nutrition Controversies
February is Heart Month: Heart disease prevention starts earlier than you might think!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This month marks the 57th annual American Heart Month. President Lyndon Johnson (who died of heart disease) issued the first proclamation in 1964. Despite over a half-century of exhortation to diet and exercise, and drug and surgical advances, heart disease remains…read more
11 natural solutions for winter skin dryness—UPDATED
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Winter is the time of year when people most often complain of dry skin. It’s a matter of simple physics. Skin naturally holds moisture, and cold winter air doesn’t hold as much moisture as warm, humid summer air. The problem…read more
Ultra-processed foods—what are they and why are they so bad?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s a verity that we should avoid “junk foods” and “fast foods”. Your mom could have told you as much. But until recently, there was a lack of scientific consensus on what exactly they were, why they’re so bad for…read more
Categories:General Nutrition
The Mediterranean Diet—what’s not to like?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
The Mediterranean Diet scores high in rankings by nutrition scientists. It’s the perennial #1 choice in the US News and World Reports annual rating of popular diets. But as with the Paleo Diet, which has many variations and interpreters, the question is:…read more
What you need to know about glaucoma
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. In light of that, I wanted to draw your attention again to this article: Did you know that glaucoma is the second most common form of progressive blindness in the U.S., after macular degeneration?…read more
Categories:Eye Health
They warned us about the dangers of sugar 70 years ago (Why didn’t we listen?)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Faced with some downtime for the holidays, I undertook the task of excavating my basement. Having moved my office to more compact quarters a couple of years ago, I had shipped my legacy book collection to New Jersey. Boxes sat…read more
Top Ten Intelligent Medicine podcast episodes of 2020 (part two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
For many, this is a week off from the usual bustle of work (or work-from-home, or overseeing our children’s Zoom classrooms, or…), and a moment to finally take a breather after the stress of the holidays. I hope you’re able…read more
Categories:General Medicine
Top Ten Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2020 (part one)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s a holiday tradition: My year-end compendium of Top Ten Intelligent Medicine podcasts. Last year we wrote: “‘Tis the season. As the pace of work and school slows, and the freneticism of shopping and parties abates, people are hopping into cars, buses,…read more
Categories:General Medicine
The remarkable new COVID-19 vaccines: What we still need to know
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s a remarkable achievement. It’s on a par with the Manhattan Project, when the exigency of defeating the Axis powers compelled us to beat them in the race to harness the devastating power of the atom. Later, when polio was…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Continuing COVID controversies (part two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, in the first installment of this series, I tackled some of the most contentious issues surrounding the virus. What strikes me is that, over nine months into the pandemic, and amid record new cases, some of the most fundamental questions…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Continuing COVID controversies (part one)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I long to write about things other than the current pandemic, but fast-breaking developments on the COVID-19 front impel me to examine some of the latest news. We’re seeing an upsurge in cases across the country, and indeed, around the…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Diabetes Care in the US is an epic fail—here’s why!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s National Diabetes Awareness Month.The National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease informs us that 34.2 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Disconcertingly, a high percentage—21.4%—are not yet aware of it. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. An…read more
Natural thyroid vindicated!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
After over three decades of “breaking with the pack” and recommending natural thyroid to my patients, this fall ushers in a stunning vindication of this often-shunned practice. In a study published in the September edition of Annals of Family Medicine, researchers…read more
Autumn health news roundup
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s a “Syndemic”: I love this term! It’s the formulation of Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales. In a new paper they assert: “COVID-19 is creating a profound impact on all parts of the community, including the physical and…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Depression/Anxiety General Nutrition Heart Disease Heart Health Inflammation Mental and Emotional Health Obesity
UPDATED: 16 Reasons Why Most Studies Are Wrong
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
In a previous article, I highlighted Americans’ lamentable lack of health literacy and challenged readers to take a quiz to assess their Health IQ. But one of the reasons for confusion over fundamental health issues (Is moderate drinking healthy? Is coffee…read more
Categories:General Medicine
What the candidates are missing on health policy
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Amid the frenzy of the current election, both sides are sidestepping the big issues that impact American’s health. It’s a missed opportunity. COVID-19 provided a shocking wake-up call about our vulnerabilities. Of all the world’s countries, the U.S. bore the…read more
Categories:Healthcare
Let’s talk about vitamin D . . .
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
President Trump took it as part of his innovative antiviral cocktail recently. And Dr. Fauci says he takes vitamin D and C supplements and that they can lessen “your susceptibility to infection” according to Business Insider. So why is vitamin D suddenly…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Supplements
COVID-19: The short long road, or the long short road?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, amid the October Surprise of President Trump’s bout of coronavirus illness, it was dramatically underscored that COVID-19 isn’t going away. If even the White House was transformed into a “Red Zone”, with multiple staffers testing positive, our vulnerability…read more
Categories:COVID-19
10 ways to cultivate your internal “terrain”
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
By now you’ve probably viewed my short video explaining the Terrain Theory (if not, you can view it here). In it, I describe the 19th-century origins of the debate between proponents of the germ theory—which posits disease is merely a function of the…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Gall bladder disease Immunity Infections
Should you get the flu shot this fall?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, and temperatures plummeting, public health officials are urging everyone to get a flu shot. For example, a recent article from the University of California at San Francisco exhorts “Why COVID-19 Means You Need a Flu…read more
Categories:Flu
“Long-Haulers”—The forgotten casualties of the pandemic
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
In some ways, we seem to have turned the corner on COVID-19. Notwithstanding dire predictions of a “second wave”, hospitalizations are declining, and deaths in some of the former kill zones like New York, New Jersey and Texas are markedly…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Brainrobbers: Medicines that steal your brain power (Revisited!)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Paging through the archives of Intelligent Medicine, I came across the following article which I first published in 2018. It foretells a problem which is highlighted in a brand new research paper published in the September 2 edition of Neurology. It found that use…read more
Your resiliency report card
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Resiliency has taken on profound relevance these days as COVID-19 continues to loom. “Co-morbidities” have become a buzzword for the immune system Achilles’ heels that render people exposed to the virus more likely to have stormy courses or die. It’s…read more
Categories:COVID-19 General Medicine
The profound health toll of environmental pollution
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Amid the debate over man-made climate change, we’re missing an important point: environmental devastation is taking a toll on mankind whether or not we’re doomed to swelter in fossil-fuel induced heat waves by mid-century. The battle lines are formed between…read more
Categories:Environmental Health
Keep taking your multivitamins!
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“Vitamins are a waste of time; they’ll only give you expensive urine.” By that logic, we shouldn’t bother to drink water. We eventually just pee it out. But for years, skeptics have been publishing strident headlines, like these gems: “Most…read more
Categories:Supplements
Cholesterol guidelines: Epic fail
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I’ve weighed in on this subject before: “You should get a second opinion on statin use—and here’s why”. I argue: “When it comes to cholesterol, it’s not how low you go—it’s how you get there! Natural ways always outperform drugs.” Although cholesterol-lowering…read more
Categories:Atherosclerosis Heart Disease Heart Health Stroke and TIAs
August Auguries: COVID-19 news roundup
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
“America Is a Coalition of the Worried: Everyone is anxious this summer—not over regular things, but over big and essential things.” That’s the title of an op-ed by Peggy Noonan in last week’s Wall Street Journal. It really captures the current mood. There’s lots…read more
Categories:COVID-19
How does it end?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
COVID-19 pessimists feel vindicated this month as cases surge in parts of the US that thought they’d dodged the coronavirus bullet; the baseball season is in doubt with entire teams quarantining and out of action; Dr. Fauci announced it’s “impossible…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Why did the U.S. get hit so hard with COVID-19?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
When news of a novel respiratory virus broke in March, who could have predicted that the U.S. would eventually lead the world in deaths? It was anticipated that China, with its packed cities and 1.4 billion inhabitants, would experience the…read more
Categories:COVID-19
The New York Times has a bias problem (No, it’s not what you think)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
When I was in junior high school and was assigned a report for civics class, I remember going to the New York Times for an authoritative account of whatever important news story was breaking. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I distinctly…read more
Categories:Supplements
Midsummer musings
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Twin Epidemics: During the last few months, I’ve often made the point that COVID-19 is a public health crisis superimposed on another epidemic—that of chronic degenerative diseases that are tied to our Western lifestyles. Junk food, sedentary lifestyle, debilitating addictions, and…read more
The path to a COVID-19 vaccine
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Let me begin by saying this is not an anti-vaccination screed. I know full well that passions run high on this issue, but remember Will Smith’s portrayal of a lone pandemic survivor in the 2007 movie I Am Legend? With savage,…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Physician, heal thyself—or not?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Self-care is one of my fundamental tenets. We over-rely on our health care system to deliver us health outcomes—many of which lie within the locus of our personal responsibility. Conversely, it’s been said that “A physician who treats himself has…read more
Categories:General Medicine
We’re all germaphobes and agoraphobes now: The way back
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
I got a call from my hairdresser today. Because New York City officially enters “phase 2” this week, haircuts can resume—with social distancing, masks and disinfectant precautions. I felt like I’d just won the lottery! And that’s as it should be….read more
Categories:COVID-19 Mental and Emotional Health Stress
What’s your “Aging Type”?
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Amid the consternation over the coronavirus pandemic, news of an important health research breakthrough was eclipsed. It came in the form of an article entitled “Personal aging markers and ageotypes revealed by deep longitudinal profiling” in Nature Medicine. We all age, and yes,…read more
Categories:Aging
Lessons of the pandemic
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Now that the imminent threat of hundreds of thousands of deaths and, for much of the country, the specter of hospitals overwhelmed with patients clinging to life on ventilators have receded, it’s time to reflect on the lessons this pandemic…read more
Categories:COVID-19
15 coronavirus myths debunked (part two)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Last week, I offered a closer look at some of the myths circulating about COVID-19. This week, I’m continuing the list with the rest of the 15 myths that need debunking. Without further ado, let’s dive in: 9) Vaccine optimism: The stock market…read more
Categories:COVID-19
15 coronavirus myths debunked (part one)
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It’s been a fast-moving couple of months. Amid contradictory and maladroit messaging—some unduly alarmist—we’re learning more about the true facts surrounding the pandemic. This week, I’m taking a closer look at the some of the myths you may have come…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Proactive Protection: The changes you need to make to bolster your body’s defenses against COVID-19
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
At this point, the inevitable unraveling of the lockdown is underway. In many parts of the country, restrictions are being lifted, and people are emerging from self-imposed house arrest. Even here in New York City, where I reside, the natives…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Metabolic Syndrome Obesity
The latest on COVID-19: From antibodies to zinc, and everything in between
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Is it a “Plandemic”? Spreading more rapidly than the virus itself, and threatening to inflame your limbic system and deprive you all your critical faculties, is a slick video featuring researcher Dr. Judy Mikovits. She outlines a wide-ranging conspiracy to infect…read more
Categories:COVID-19 Immunity Supplements
A closer look at two COVID-19 controversies
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
FBI Raids Alternative Coronavirus Clinic: Some of you may have been outraged, as I was, at the spectacle of armed FBI agents raiding a medical practice in Michigan that was offering patients vitamin C IV drips for prevention and/or treatment…read more
Categories:COVID-19
Everyday ways to combat COVID-19
By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
It appears that, for better or worse, we’re emerging from lockdown. We’ve “flattened the curve” and hospital admissions and deaths are declining. Americans are champing at the bit to normalize their routines and undertake damage control over a badly wounded…read more