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Stones aren't a normal part of the BCG treatment picture
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm not able to get any straight answers from the doctors about a serious issue my husband is having. He was diagnosed in August 2019 with bladder cancer. In early September 2019, the tumor, part of the lining and end of the ureter were removed and tested, and we were told they got it all. They recommended BCG immunotherapy to ...Read more
Eat your chocolate -- but don't inhale it!
Americans eat 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate a year, enticed by catchy slogans like "Do you dream in chocolate?" And folks are encouraged to indulge by the numerous scientific reports that chocolate is good for you -- well, at least 70% dark chocolate is, in 1-ounce-a-day doses. But that, we worry, makes folks who vape think chocolate-
...Read more
An expert is best when it comes to hormone therapy needs
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman who has been suffering from four to five bouts of hot flashes with night sweats (about every two hours from bedtime until morning) since I stopped taking HRT at age 62. I haven't had an uninterrupted night's sleep since then, and I rarely wake up feeling rested. My GP has had me try over-the-counter ...Read more
Strong Bones
No matter what age, we need strong bones. And building strong bones starts early in life. We continue to build bone until the age of 30, and then we strive to maintain that strong foundation. That's why calcium -- and other nutrients -- are so important to kids and teens.
Calcium is a key component to healthy bones, but it can't act alone. It ...Read more

Quinn on Nutrition: National Nutrition Month quiz
For many reasons, I’m always glad when I can bid February goodbye and welcome the march toward spring. March is also National Nutrition Month️ when the experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics walk us toward a diet that can help put spring in our steps.
This year’s theme is “Personalize Your Plate.” I like that. It means that...Read more
Elevated ANA sparks search for associated conditions
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 58-year-old healthy female. I am 6 feet tall, and weigh 130 pounds. My last blood pressure reading was 100/58. I have Raynaud's phenomenon. I exercise every day (walk, bike, snowshoe).
All of my medical laboratory results are within the normal range with the exception of my antinuclear antibody. In 2012, it was at 1:640 ...Read more
Teach -- and feed -- your children well
When Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young sang "Teach Your Children Well" in 1969, they were imploring parents to raise children with "a code to live by." More than 50 years later, we still need to be reminded of how important that is -- especially when it comes to kids' nutritional code of conduct.
Two new studies reveal that the food choices kids ...Read more
The hidden risks of adult peanut allergies
Charles Schulz launched the "Peanuts" cartoon on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers. Eventually it appeared daily in 2,600 papers in 75 countries. The funny and often poignant responses of Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts characters resonated with adults, not just kids.
According to a Northwestern University survey published in the Journal...Read more
Immunity after COVID does not appear to be long-lasting
DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column about the COVID-19 vaccine, you review the Pfizer vaccine results along with your suggested approach. You say: "People with a history of COVID-19 infection benefitted from the vaccine just as much as those without, suggesting no natural immunity was present." I'm curious what specific results from the study ...Read more
Make a Clean Getaway
The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to avoid hand sanitizers from Mexico, which may contain a toxic form of alcohol. Some of these products use methanol or wood alcohol, which can be toxic when absorbed through the skin.
Methanol-contaminated hand sanitizers have been implicated in blindness, cardiac and central nervous ...Read more
More on the amazing benefits of drinking coffee -- and green tea
In the late 1960s, American Airlines public relations specialist Donald Bain ghostwrote a supposed expose on the wild times of three stewardesses titled "Coffee, Tea or Me?" The book's publisher hired two stewardesses as the "authors" for book tours and television appearances -- even though their escapades were pure fiction. That would never fly...Read more
Crohn's disease caused narrowing of colon but no symptoms
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old man in good health. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease about 15 years ago, but had no symptoms. Recently I had a colonoscopy after blood was found in my stool. A biopsy confirmed Crohn's disease, and a follow-up CT scan showed a stricture in the terminal ileum. My doctor prescribed Humira, but I am concerned ...Read more
You think reality is tough to take? VR can be a real hazard
Exergaming can be exergasmic -- distracting you from the discomforts of exercise and motivating you to repeat the workout day after day, because you're engaged in a virtual reality video game that thrills you. There are programs for strength-building and aerobics that get you into a jump-rope challenge, a spacey dance routine, sword-fighting, ...Read more
Ivermectin for COVID is still in trial phase
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have seen a couple videos and read a little about ivermectin use with COVID-19 and wondered what your thoughts were. -- S.R.
ANSWER: Ivermectin is a prescription drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain parasitic worms in humans. It is also used in veterinary medicine.
A ...Read more

Diabetes Quick Fix: Almond-Maple Chicken with Hot Pepper Succotash
A maple syrup glaze and sliced almonds give extra flavor and crunch to chicken breasts. Hot pepper jelly adds zing to sautéed corn and lima beans. It’s made in minutes in the microwave.
Helpful Hints:
— Walnuts, pistachios or pecans can be substituted for sliced almonds.
— Any type of hot pepper jelly can be used.
Countdown:
— ...Read more
Refined grains lead to unmistakably coarse results
"The more refined one is, the more unhappy" -- that was the Russian author Anton Chekhov's view of the world. And more than 100 years after he penned that observation, nutritional scientists are shouting it from the rooftops: Eating refined carbohydrates not only fuels depression and some cancers (prostate and breast, for example), it lowers the...Read more
The COVID vaccine and pregnancy
DEAR DR. ROACH: What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy? I have read that it is safe. Could you explain how? I have a minimal understanding of the mRNA vaccine, and no understanding on how the vaccine could affect pregnancy. -- H.B.
ANSWER: Pregnant women do not seem to be more likely to get COVID-19, but they are more ...Read more

Quinn on Nutrition: The great saturated fat debate
I just love the science of nutrition. It constantly changes as we learn more about how food and nutrients work in the body. And as we gather more information, experts tweak the recommendations for how we should eat.
Take the egg, for example. In 1968, the American Heart Association looked at the evidence that seemed to show that a high intake ...Read more
The Reason for Exercise
If what you eat matters more than how much you exercise when it comes to weight loss, do you still need to exercise?
Absolutely. Even if the scale doesn't budge, you'll feel better, live longer and be happier.
A new study, published in the Journal of Nutrition reminds us that, for children and adults, the foods we choose daily determine our ...Read more
COVID vaccine safe even after previous chemotherapy
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am over 60 and a teacher in California. I have some concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. I was treated with Taxotere, Cytoxan and Herceptin back in 2006-07 for breast cancer. Is there anything about COVID or any of the potential vaccines that could impact me differently because of my health history, even after so much time has ...Read more
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