DrCarney.com Blog

Daily aspirin therapy is often recommended by physicians to reduce inflammation and the risk of heart attack and stroke. Recently though, researchers found that people who don't take aspirin have low levels of aspirin in their bloodstream. How did it get there? Where is it coming from? and Why?

Researchers discovered that "aspirin is widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom". When aspirin blood levels were measured in those who eat a plant-based diet, surprisingly, some of their aspirin levels were found to be as high as other people who were taking aspirin as a drug. Therefore, researchers concluded that eating a plant-based diet offers the benefits of aspirin therapy, yet without the associated risks such as the risk of bleeding like hemorrahagic strokes.

Research indicates that eating red meat increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This is consistent with the results from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up study, that involved 120,000 people. It was estimated that "each serving (100 grams) of red meat raises the risk of cardiovascular death by 18 percent." The...

Many years ago, it was once thought that vegetarians had to combine certain foods in order to make a "complete protein." This is just a dietary myth that has been disproved. It originally surfaced in 1971 in the book Diet for a Small Planet, written by Frances Moore Lappe. By the 10th edition in 1981, Lappe renounced the myth as follows: "In 1971 I stressed protein complementarity because I assumed that the only way to get enough protein ... was to create a protein as usable by the body as animal protein. In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high-quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually, it is much easier than I thought."

Why do highly processed foods give us so much pleasure, while at the same time being so harmful? Dr. Doug Lisle says that the "answer is related to a system called the motivational triad." "This is a trio of biological mechanisms that nature has designed into every creature on planet earth so that they can...

Environmental estrogens (Xenoestrogens) appear to play a role in the reduction of male fertility. These estronens are man-made and primarily enter our food supply though the consumption of fish. Man-made chemicals such as PCBs and pesticides have the ability to disrupt endocrine hormones, which affets male fertility. Dr. Michael Greger explains in this short video...

Scrambled, fried, hard boiled, or poached - there seems to be a way to prepare eggs to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. I'm sure many of you have fond memories of eating bacon and eggs for breakfast with your families on weekend mornings. Eggs are a comfort food. When asked what is wrong with eggs I sometimes flippantly reply "besides the yolk, the whites and the shell?" But, seriously, let's delve a little deeper...

If you enjoyed my blog posts regarding food addictions and how dieting doesn't work, you'll also enjoy the below ten minute video clip featuring Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr. Fuhrman discusses in detail why eating less and exercising more doesn't work. Most people try dieting, only to fail after a few weeks. After several attempts and numerous weight loss strategies, many people feel hopeless and give up.

Despite new advances in medical technology, and U.S. healthcare costs exceeding that of other countries, Americans are sicker than ever before. It's estimated that 80% of adults are overweight, and more than 70% of office visits involve prescription drug therapy.

Tens of thousands of patients die every year due to unintentional drug overdose, drug interactions, or from the side effects from these drugs. The majority of today's office visits reflect lifestyle driven diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Tragically, these degenerative diseases are the leading cause of death, yet can largely be prevented through dietary excellence. 

We hope our recent blog on the Forks Over Knives documentary will encourage you and your family to watch the documentary together. The above five minute video gives a brief overview of why the film was made and the background of the scientists and doctors that were featured in the film.  It's never too late...

According to a study published recently in JAMA Neurology, those who have trouble sleeping may have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Seventy participants between the ages of 53 and 91 were studied  as part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The  participants that slept the fewest hours and who had difficulty falling asleep...

What do holidays, birthdays, and family celebrations all have in common? If you answered food, you are correct! In today's culture, celebrating a special occasion without the typical American fare of gooey, weight-promoting desserts would almost be considered un-American. 

Meet Frances Greger, Dr. Michael Greger's grandmother (in the above two videos). Dr. Greger says that his grandmother "was given a medical death sentence at the age of 65."  Seeing his grandmother's health improve is what inspired Dr. Greger to pursue a career in plant-based medicine.