Alcohol in moderation can be good for your health. We have written dozens of articles on the topic and an entire section of our website is dedicated to the topic. In short, there are plenty of good reasons to enjoy a drink at the cocktail hour. But is there a […]
Author: W. Gifford-Jones, MD and Diana Gifford-Jones
Common Sense Health: The Seedy Story Beneath Healthy Cranberries
Cranberries are a superfood. They are known to fight urinary tract infections. They have anti-inflammatory properties. Cranberries promote heart health. Researchers are even exploring a potential role in reducing cancer risk. But a myopic view that sees only the nutritional value of cranberries misses the larger not-so-pretty picture. It’s a […]
Common Sense Health: Ignoring Hazards Leaves Little Hope for Longevity
What is the greatest hazard to your longevity? Ask around and you will get a variety of answers: heart disease, cancer, genetics, or humankind’s own folly with warfare and planetary destruction. But it has become taboo to mention obesity. Yet, for decades, this column has stressed that obesity is the […]
Common Sense Health: Tattoos and Piercings Still Come with Risks
Jack London, the American novelist who wrote Call of the Wild in 1903, said, “Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” But in 2022, with tattoos found on more than a third of North Americans and on nearly one in two young […]
Common Sense Health: Know and Love a Woman? Protect Her Heart
How many people realize women’s coronary arteries are understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated? The Cleveland Clinic, a leading cardiology centre, says heart disease is seven times deadlier for women than breast cancer. Build up of plaque in the heart’s arteries contributes to the death of one in every three women, more […]
Common Sense Health: When Is the Right Time to Hang Up the Car Keys?
Helen Keller, the disability rights advocate who lost her sight and hearing at 19 months of age, famously warned of “having sight but no vision.” Hers was a metaphor on living. But what happens to our eyesight as we age? And how common is it to have sight, but poor […]
Common Sense Health: Fainting Frightens, But Is Usually Benign
People have been swooning for joy since at least the 13th Century when the earliest recorded use of the word can be found. By the 20th Century, losing consciousness for love and rapture was a necessary attribute of a Southern belle. Even today, swooning has a positive connotation, defined as, “a few […]
Common Sense Health: Online Grocery Shopping a Cause for Concern
Food products in stores are changing. Shoppers easily find more processed, attractively packaged, and conveniently prepared meals. With online shopping, the way these products are now selected and put in the cart has changed too. For that, consumers may be paying more than just the price of inflation. Online food […]
Common Sense Health: No Guff – Swearing Eases Pain
A taboo forbids a practice that is deemed unacceptable. Swearing, especially in polite company, is an example. But here’s good news for the foul-mouthed. Swearing can have surprising benefits – including a remarkable effect in reducing pain! Dr. Emma Byrne knows a lot about letting the filth fly. She published […]
Common Sense Health: Viruses Love a Weak Immune System
Justin Bieber, the mega-successful pop icon, has had better days. His mental health and addiction issues are common to many superstars. He’s had Lyme disease and infectious mononucleosis. COVID infections interrupted concert dates. Now, he is suffering from a viral disease that has affected his speech and made him cancel […]