If you have seen headlines suggesting that eating spicy food could help you live longer, there is actually some science behind them. But before you start covering every meal in hot sauce, there is an important distinction to make. Researchers have found an association between frequent spicy-food consumption and lower mortality. What they have not established is that spicy food (or capsaicin specifically) causes people to live longer. What Did the Research Find? One of the most frequently...

For decades, creatine had an image problem. Walk into a supplement store 20 years ago and you were likely to find a giant tub of creatine sitting somewhere between the pre-workout powders and weight-gainer shakes. It was marketed primarily to young men who wanted bigger muscles, heavier bench presses, and better performance in the gym. Today, the conversation looks very different. Creatine is increasingly being discussed not just as a sports supplement, but as a potential tool for healthy...

After my annual lipid panel results came back higher than usual, I asked my physician to order advanced lipid testing. I expected the results to reflect the healthy lifestyle I had maintained for decades. However,, my testing revealed elevated apolipoprotein B and elevated lipoprotein(a). The lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), result was particularly important. Lp(a) is predominantly genetically determined and is considered a cardiovascular risk-enhancing factor. Although my current cardiovascular...