Part 1: Benefits of Cocoa Flavanols

“Study” that’s not even a study spreads panic about dubious melatonin-heart failure link; Should you ignore Dr’s advice to take powerful acid-blocking drugs? Novel implantable electrical pacemakers may bring relief to sufferers of severe constipation; Benefits of cocoa flavanols for heart, brain, athletic performance. 

Part 2: Coffee and Atrial Fibrillation

The FDA belatedly liberates women’s hormone replacement; Beta-blockers now deemed passé for routine heart attack aftercare; After most breast cancer surgery, adjuvant radiation brings no survival benefits; Can you drink caffeinated coffee if you have atrial fibrillation? Ignore frequent falls without attention to balance and stability training at your peril; Is it reasonable to contemplate a knee replacement surgery at 88? 

References & Resources

Melatonin as a novel drug to improve cardiac function and quality of kid in heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Clinical Cardiology. 2025 Mar;48(3):e70107. doi: 10.1002/clc.70107.

A study questions melatonin use and heart health, but lose sleep over it
By Lauren Neergaard, Associated Press  November 7,2025

Burst-patterned stimulation restores colonic motility in preclinical models
Sci Transl Med. 2025 Nov 5;17(823):eadu4615. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adu4615. Epub 2025 Nov 5. PMID: 41191773.

Speaking multiple languages may slow down biological aging
Nat Aging 5, 2340–2354 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-01000-2

Cup of coffee a day may not be harmful for some adults with AFib and could lower episodes
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 Late-Breaking Science Abstract 4377429

RADIATION may be unnecessary for many breast cancer patients
N Engl J Med 2025;393:1771-1783

Beta blockers have no effect on heart attack patients
N Engl J Med 2025 Aug 30 Ibanez B et al. N Engl J Med 2025 Aug 30

Marty Makary: The FDA liberates women’s hormone replacement therapy
By Marty Makary. WSJ  November 10, 2025

Neil Levin, Senior Nutrition Education Manager and product formulator for Now Foods and Protocol for Life Balance, discusses the importance of targeted nutrients for women’s health. They delve into various supplements such as magnesium, myo-inositol, progesterone cream, D-Mannose, and biotin, explaining their benefits for conditions like PCOS, blood sugar regulation, menstrual migraines, urinary tract infections, and overall skin, hair, and nail health. The conversation also touches on the importance of tailoring nutrients to individual needs and the role of personalized nutrition in supporting women’s health amidst modern stresses.

Part 1: 4 Simple Lifestyle Measures Deliver 9 Additional Years of Disease-Free Healthspan

Just 4 simple lifestyle measures deliver 9 additional years of disease-free healthspan; Study underscores protein’s role in staving off cancer, heart disease, and death; CoQ10 scores vs. neurodegeneration; Urolithin A (Mitopure®️) found to support athletic performance, immune function; Why you should ignore some influencers’ advice to avoid fish oil. 

Part 2: New Non-Invasive Option for Men’s Age-Related Urinary Problems

As little as 3000 steps per day can slow progression to Alzheimer’s Disease; Self-reports of memory impairment soaring among young people; New study vindicates unprocessed red meat—and even often-vilified processed red meat—for cancer and overall health. Prostate artery embolization (PAE) offers new non-invasive option for men’s age-related urinary problems; Targeting the mitochondria and the microbiome for Parkinson’s Disease; Popular prostate and hair loss prevention drugs linked to depression and suicide—while Cialis for urinary symptoms may stave off cardiovascular disease; Discovery that a safe, cheap medication may increase survival after breast cancer surgery. 

References & Resources

Coenzyme Q10 attenuates age-associated neurodegeneration via modulation of autophagy and neuroinflammation in aged rats
Metab Brain Dis. 2025 Nov 3;40(8):305. doi: 10.1007/s11011-025-01721-8.

Effect of the mitophagy inducer urolithin A on age-related immune decline: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Nat Aging. 2025 Nov;5(11):2309-2322.

Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
BMJ 2020;370:m2412

Association of healthy lifestyle with years lived without major chronic diseases
JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(5):760–768. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0618

Unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption: dietary guidelines recommendations from the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium
Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 171, Number 10

Long-term effects of phosphodiesterae-5 inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes and death:a systematic review and meta-analysis
Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacothe. 2024 Aug 14;10(5):403-412.

Popular hair-loss pill linked to depression and suicide
J Clin Psychiatry 2025;86(4):25nr15862

Oral bacteria may trigger Parkinson’s Disease
Neuroscience News, September 22, 2025

Scientists just shattered a major exercise myth
Advances, 2025; 4 (10): 102140 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102140

Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease
Nature Medicine Published: 03 November 2025

Alarming surge in memory problems among young adults
Neurology, 2025; 105 (8) DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214226

Part 1: Topical Steroid Withdrawal

TSW—Topical Steroid Withdrawal—when you’re hooked on steroid creams for a skin condition and can’t get off; Can diet, supplements, or Traditional Chinese Medicine help eczema? Strange bedfellows—when your hospital assigns you a homicidal roommate; Every step you take may reduce your risk of dying; Vitamin D and Omega-3 supplements reduce risk of autoimmune conditions; How long to curtail fish oil before a medical procedure or surgery? Supplements for neuropathy.

Part 2: Daylight Savings Time Changeover Health Myths

Daylight Savings Time changeover health myths busted; A doctor breaks her ankle and is billed $64,000 in uncovered expenses; Vitamin D shields life-prolonging telomeres, may help depression; The vaunted DASH Diet for hypertension faces off against low-carb alternative; The critical first 1000 days after conception—early life sugar avoidance yields major later life health dividends; Do you really need hot water to disinfect your hands?

References & Resources

Mechanisms and clinical applications of Palmitoylethanolamide PRA in the treatment of neuropathic pain
Inflammopharmacology. 2025 Jan;33(1):121-133. doi: 10.1007/s10787-024-01623-8. Epub 2024 Dec 23. PMID: 39714723.

It’s not just about hitting daily step counts
By Joedy McCreary, Medpage Today, October 21, 2025

Daylight saving time may not trigger heart attacks after all
JAMA Netw Open Published Online: September 9, 2025;8;(9):e2530442.

Vitamin D and Marin omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trial
BMJ 2022;376:e066452

Omega-3 benefits may vanish quickly after you stop
JCI Insight, 2025; 10 (19) DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.193637

Does early life exposure to antibiotics increase the risk of eczema?
Br J Dermatol. 2013 Nov;169(5):983-91. doi: 10.1111/bjd.12476. PMID: 23782060.

Improvement of skin lesions in corticosteroid withdrawal-associated severe eczema by multi-component traditional Chinese medicine therapy
Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol 17, 68 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-021-00555-0

Bronx woman beaten to death by hospital roommate
By Mira Wassef, Anthony DiLorenza, Pix11, October 8, 2025

Cold water for cleaner hands?
By Andrew WeilMD, April 10, 2014

Exposure to sugar rationing in first 1000 days after conception and long term cardiovascular outcomes:natural experiment study
BMJ 2025;391:e083890

Comparing very low carbohydrate vs DASH diets for overweight or obese adults with hypertension and prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial
The Annals of Family Medicine May 2023, 21 (3) 256-263; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2968

Vitamin D3 and marine ω-3 fatty acids supplementation and leukocyte telomere length: 4-year findings from the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) randomized controlled trial
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 122, Issue 1, July 2025, Pages 39-47

Vitamin D protects against depression: Evidence from an umbrella meta-analysis on interventional and observational meta-analyses direct
Pharmacological Research Volume 187, January 2023, 106605

Doctor tripped up by $64K bill for ankle surgery and hospital stay
By Julie Appleby, KFF Health News  October 29, 2025

Part 1: The Craving for Alcohol

“Food is Medicine” initiative urged—but progress is slow; Thymic peptide for cancer; What is “orthomolecular psychiatry”? Magnesium threonate for tinnitus; How screen time and social media are dumbing down our kids; The craving for alcohol may be programmed from our primate origins. 

Part 2: Conquering Inflammation

New options for knee pain—radiation and embolization; Popeye was right to power-up with spinach; Conquering inflammation; Methane-predominant SIBO; Unnecessary back surgery on seniors is rampant; Medicare Advantage patients often relegated to inferior cancer surgery. 

References & Resources

Wild chimps consume the equivalent of two glasses of wine a day
By Margherita Bassi, Science Advances  September 29, 2025

Thymic peptides for prostate cancer
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003993. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003993.pub3. Accessed 20 October 2025.

Experts push to expand role of nutrition in medicine
By Joyce Frieden, Medpage Today  October 2, 2025

Why medical schools need to focus more on nutrition
By Lloyd Minor, WSJ October 10, 2019

Social media use trajectories and cognitive performance in adolescents
JAMA. Published online October 13, 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.16613

Screen Time and Standardized Academic Achievement Tests in Elementary School
JAMA Netw Open Published Online:2025;8;(10):e2537092. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.37092

Magnesium for tinnitus: Everything to know
By Carolyn Farnswort, Medical News Today  August 22, 2025

Improved effect of spinach extract on physical performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Cureus. 2025 Jan 22;17(1):e77840. doi: 10.7759/cureus.77840

Study dings Medicare advantage for cancer surgery quality
By Mike Bassett, Medpage Today  October 15, 2025

Genicular artery embolization procedure (GAE)
uchicagomedicine.org

This European treatment for joint pain just passed a major scientific test
American Society for Radiation Oncology 

Part 1: Are migraines predictive of heart attacks?

A cautionary tale about a life-threatening reaction to the double flu/Covid booster; Are migraines predictive of heart attacks? Where does all our recycling go? (The answer will shock you!); Ultra-processed foods damage male reproductive health.

Part 2: Stress Hormone Testing

Why vaccines have become so polarizing; Florida to remove all vaccine mandates; A modest proposal for revised Covid vaccine guidelines has the CDC in an uproar; Gastroparesis—what causes it and how to alleviate it; options for treatment of tricuspid regurgitation; New tech enables continuous home testing of levels of stress hormone; The mystery of a dog’s sudden death.

References & Resouorces

Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health
Cell Metab. 2025 Aug 22:S1550-4131(25)00360-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.08.004. Online ahead of print.

Migraine headache: An under-appreciated risk factor for Cardiovascular disease in women.
Journal of the American Heart Association  Volume 8, Number 22, https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.014546

Hemangiosarcoma accounts for 5% of canine malignancies
Canine Health Foundation, August 16, 2007

Florida seeks to end the state’s vaccine mandates
By Joseph De Avila and Alyssa Lukpat, WSJ  September 3, 2025

An evidence-based approach to COVID-19 vaccination
N Engl J Med 2025;392:2484-2486

Gastroparesis is a chronic stomach disorder where the stomach muscles don’t move food into the small intestine properly, causing a delay in gastric emptying
Cleveland Clinic

Open-label pilot study: non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation improves symptoms and gastric emptying in patients with idiopathic gastroparesis
Neurogastroenterol Motility Volume 32, Issue 4

Meet Hormometer, the first continuous monitoring system
Eli Health

In this episode of the Intelligent Medicine podcast, Dr. Ronald Hoffman discusses men’s health, a field that often receives less attention compared to women’s health. He is joined by Neil Levin, Senior Nutrition Education Manager at Protocol for Life Balance (PFLB) and Now Foods. They explore the reluctance of men to visit doctors and how genetic and behavioral factors might contribute to men’s health issues. The conversation delves into the specific challenges men face as they age, including declining testosterone levels, cardiovascular diseases, and prostate problems. Neil Levin introduces several PFLB products designed to support men’s health, such as ‘Virility for Men,’ ‘Prostate B,’ and ‘Raw Maca,’ explaining their ingredients and benefits. They also highlight the importance of rigorous product quality control and the fight against counterfeit supplements in the industry.

Part 1: Her new doctor said, “Vitamins are hogwash”—so she fired him.

Those injection-free sublingual GLP-1 drops for individualized microdosing—do they actually work? Options for treating stubborn neuropathy; Her new doctor said, “Vitamins are hogwash”—so she fired him; There is hope for tinnitus—via diet and lifestyle; I’m taking German classes, and a new study suggests it’ll help me ward off cognitive decline. 

Part 2: Alleviate Knee Pain

The “China Study” is cited as evidence vegetarian diet is best—but big new study shows vegetarians age less well than omnivores; Can a popular men’s health supplement ward off prostate cancer? MAHA officials hit pause on looming natural thyroid ban; Can diet alleviate symptoms of lipedema? Precision-engineering your gait can alleviate knee pain better than NSAIDs; After a lifetime of profound depression, novel brain implant enables man to experience joy for the first time.

References & Resources

Why a weight-loss pill is still a big deal
By David Wainer, The Wall Street Journal  August 8, 2025

Oral semaglutide for weight loss: does it work?
By Jihan Myers, joinmidi.com  April 14  2025

Does microdosing weight-loss drugs boost your health?
By Susan McBratney, PhD, Medical News Today, February 20, 2025

Flanking age: Multilingualism and its role in shaping cognitive decline and neural dynamics
Neuroimage. 2025 Aug 15;317:121312. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121312. Epub 2025 Jun 14.

The role of diet and lifestyle in tinnitus management: a comprehensive review
Cureus. 2024 Apr 30;16(4):e59344. doi: 10.7759/cureus 59344.

Can a daily supplement help you live a healthier, longer life?
By Carissa Wong, New Scientist, February 3, 2025

FDA approved novel non-opioid treatment for moderate to severe acute pain
http://www.fda.gov  Jan 30, 2025

Brain implant lets man ‘experience joy’ for the first time in decades
By Carissa Wong, New Scientist  August 19, 2025

One small walking adjustment could delay knee surgery for years
The Lancet Rheumatology, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(25)00151-1

Can a diet ease lipoedema?
ScienceDaily  August 10, 2025

Vegetarian diet and healthy aging among Chinese older adults: a prospective study
npj Aging 11, 25 (2025)

Part 1: Comparing Protein Sources

Sweet poison? New doubts cast over safety of erythritol; Is Greek yogurt a good way to enhance protein intake? Comparing whey, soy, and pea protein isolates; When taking supplements, is it advisable to take periodic breaks to enhance their effectiveness? Tommy John surgery pioneer and longtime Mets medical director dies at 68; Ivermectin, once branded useless “horse paste,” may prove a new weapon against malaria; New findings challenge notion that humans and apes share 99% of their DNA.

Part 2: Keto Diet Scores vs. Parkinson’s

In first-ever study, keto diet scores vs. Parkinson’s; Walk away from dementia; Loneliness can kill, but negative social ties can hasten biological aging; Researchers isolate potent memory compound from sage, rosemary; Sketchy knockoff weight loss drugs are flooding the marketplace; The popular vitamin you shouldn’t take for sarcoidosis; When osteoporosis is so severe that even minor trauma causes rib fractures.

References & Resources

Smithsonian exhibit overstates genetic similarity between humans and apes and should be fixed
By Discovery Institute, Intelligent Design  May 29, 2025 

Ivermectin: The mosquito-killing pill that dropped malaria by 26%
New England Journal of Medicine, 2025; 393 (4): 362 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2411262

Knockoff weight loss drugs from illegal foreign sources
George Karavetsos and the Partnership for Safe Medicines

Compound found in common herbs inspires potential anti-inflammatory for Alzheimer’s disease
Antioxidants, 2025; 14 (3): 293 DOI: 10.3390/antiox14030293

Negative social ties, like frenemies, could be aging you
By David Robson, NewScientist  July 25, 2025

Walk this number of steps each day to cut your risk of dementia
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN  September 6, 2022

NUNM research study explores impact of ketogenic diet on Parkinson’s
Front. Nutr., 22 July 2025, Sec. Clinical Nutrition  Volume 12 – 2025

Enhancing Joint, Muscle, and Bone Health Through Nutrition: Expert Insights with Neil Levin, Senior Nutrition Education Manager for Protocol for Life Balance (PFLB) and Now Foods. They delve into why people over 40 experience aches and pains and offer strategies to mitigate these issues through nutrition. The conversation covers the importance of teaching nutrition to medical students, the role of various nutrients in pain relief and inflammation, and the benefits of specific supplements such as Omega-3s, curcumin, and collagen. Neil shares his personal experiences with supplements and provides insights on choosing the right curcumin formulations for different health concerns. The episode emphasizes the necessity of a balanced approach to nutrition for maintaining joint, muscle, and bone health, especially as we age.