Healthy Talk

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

Is mold really linked to cancer?

More oncologists and research doctors have been looking at the possibility that infectious agents in certain settings can initiate cancer over the past few years. Molds can create toxins. The toxin that gets into the cell damages the DNA. All cancer is defined as mutations in the DNA, regardless of the ultimate cause of that cancer. The process of cell replication is regulated by your DNA. If there’s damage to the DNA, it can lead to the cell mutation that ends in cancer.

The theory is that microbes in mold can produce the toxins that enter the cells. There is good evidence that these toxins can enter the cells and potentially lead to cancer. Science leads us to these conclusions based on testing and results. Alzheimer patients have a lot of spirochetes in their brains, which was recently found in research. Mycotoxins (toxins from mold) could lead to cancer, but it needs to be researched further. The theory that mold can create toxins that cause problems holds weight but needs further study.

Can sugar lead to cancer?

When a cell becomes cancerous, it starts to grow uncontrollably. The cancerous cells then are thrown into your circulation. They tend to use sugar and sugar only to grow. Glycolysis is the process where an unhealthy cell uses sugar for short energy bursts. This is the beginning of normal cell energy production, but cancer cells want the energy quickly. If you starve the cancer cell of sugar, you may make them more susceptible to cancer treatments.

Eliminating sugar may not prevent cancer. So many things can initiate cancer. Genetics can as well. One lifestyle change, like eliminating sugar, may not prevent cancer since cancer has many factors. However, doing so improves your overall health and wellness.

How long will the virus in my chest last? It's been almost two weeks and I still feel really bad.

Viruses can last a long time because of your body’s response to the virus. It's not uncommon for it to hang out in the respiratory system for two to four weeks; longer if you're older or have chronic issues.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at [email protected] or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Knees receive a lot of stress and torque on a daily basis.

The way you stand, walk, and move can greatly impact your knee health.

What habits are harming your knees? How can you change those habits to preserve your knees?

Listen in as Dr. Gregory Martin joins Dr. Mike to discuss how you can stop destroying and start preserving your knees.

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

What are five things I can do right now to look better and feel better?

It’s easy to believe anybody online. We have to be careful when we research. Not everyone knows what they’re talking about, and a lot of people are trying to sell you something.

These five things are well-supported by research:

I had knee surgery because my bones were shattering and my knee was leaning in. I was bow-legged my entire life. The leg that had knee surgery was straightened, and it's now longer than the other leg. I now have new pain in my hips and back. My doctor had me get an orthotic lift, but it's still not adjusted perfectly. The pain is making me crazy.

The lengthening of the leg puts pressure on the other joints. Chiropractic care can help readjust the hip joint and knee joint so your gait matches with the other leg. Natural supplements can also help. Taking 400 mg of a high quality curcumin extract,  250 to 500 mg of glucosamine, and 1000 mg of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) should help.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at [email protected] or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Knee problems are very common, and they happen in people of all ages.

Nearly everyone will have some knee trouble at some point, possibly requiring surgery.

There are treatments and options that can not only reduce and eliminate knee pain, but also postpone or prevent surgery.

Listen in as Dr. Gregory Martin joins Dr. Mike to discuss simple ways to keep your knees strong and healthy, including the following:

Not all dietary recommendations are based on research. Dr. Mike skips past the assumptions about food and makes recommendations based on solid evidence.

What five foods live up to they hype for improved health?

Listen in as Dr. Mike shares the five foods that are great for you and have a variety of health benefits, all supported by research.

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

I’ve been taking 100 mg of CoQ-10 enzyme for cell energy for many years. In the past six weeks, I’ve started taking AMPK activator as well. Lately I’ve had trouble sleeping more than four or five hours a night. I have lots of energy. I’m 72 and have a 70% raw food diet that I alternate with a paleo-ish diet two to four times per day. I've rarely had sugar for the past two years. I avoid most bread and eat grains and nuts. Is the high energy-low sleep because of the CoQ-10 and AMPK supplements?

AMPK activator contains ynostemma pentaphyllum and rose hip extract. Those have been shown to activate an enzyme in your cells called AMPK. When AMPK is activated in your cells, they manage energy better. You tend to make more ATP (coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells), burn more fat,and  burn more sugars. The cell becomes cleaner and functions at a higher level.

When people first start taking CoQ-10, they may feel energized and have some sleepless nights because their blood level of CoQ-10 was so low and it's being recharged. Your body will reach a steady state with a supplement and there will not be peaks and valleys. The energy you might get early from CoQ-10 is gone, but the supplement is still good for you. You should be at a steady state with it if you take it on a consistent basis.

The addition of the AMPK activator could be the culprit. It creates cell energy, which the CoQ-10 was already doing. You may reach a steady state with the AMPK activator in another week. If nothing changes after a week, try dosing every other day or every third day. If that doesn’t help, stop the AMPK activator and just use the CoQ-10.

My question is about plaque in the blood. As we try to eat healthy and supplement to clean our blood, is there a chance that a dissolved or dislodged piece of plaque might float around and cause blockage down the line?

Eating better, getting more exercise, taking supplements targeted to the cardiovascular system and supplements targeted to the plaque itself (pycnogenol made from pine bark extract, pomegranate, vitamin K2, gotu kola, EDTA, resveratrol) can help with plaque burden. Nothing totally gets rid of plaque. It's more about stabilizing the plaque.

You can decrease plaque burden by doing the right things. The body puts a fibrous cap on the plaque, shrinking the plaque and decreasing the plaque burden. You’ve stabilized the plaque and it is less prone to rupture. Your body knows how to take care of the plaque. The contents of the plaque (fat, cholesterol, immune cells) can be absorbed by the arterial wall itself or just leave as you stabilize the plaque. Vitamin K2 can help the cap become stronger and keeps calcium out of the way. Focus on stabilizing the plaque to prevent cardio events in the future.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at [email protected] or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

I eat more whole foods than processed foods and I try to remain very healthy. I've been drinking a few ounces of kefir every day on an empty stomach. I've been reading great things about it-- including healing, preventative, and wellness benefits. I purchase it from a local store and he uses organic whole milk to make it. How much is recommended daily? Is it actually "liquid gold" as some say?

Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food. The main reason people use it is for the probiotics made from cultured whole milk. Yogurt isn't bad, but it's overly processed in this country and doesn't have a lot of healthy, viable, living, good bacteria. Kefir is basically a fermented probiotic product for replenishing healthy gut bacteria.

Kefir has a high number of good bacteria and a high number of strains. With any probiotic, you want to be sure it has at least six or seven common bacteria strains (phytobacteria, lactobacilli, and others). It's a strong drink so most healthcare practitioners will tell you to start with two to three ounces a day and work up to a cup a day. It's good for you, but it's not liquid gold. Skin, immune, brain, mood, heart -- they all benefit from healthy probiotics.

But, it has to be done in the context of a healthier lifestyle. One probiotic product is not liquid gold.

What are your thoughts on telemedicine?

Doctors love telemedicine because they don't have to do a physical exam and can be connected to the patient from any computer. It's great for many common conditions like cold and flu that general doctors address. There is risk, however, because nothing is better than talking to a person face to face and doing a good physical exam.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at [email protected] or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

An estimated 44 million American adults are suffering from mental illness.

Omega-3s and vitamin D have been previously suggested to help treat mental illnesses. New research has determined the role each plays in increasing serotonin.

Listen in as Kathy Gruver, PhD, joins Dr. Mike to discuss what each supplement can do to boost serotonin levels.

Hypnosis is a natural state for human beings.

We've all had the experience of driving and suddenly realize we passed our exit and have no idea where we are. Or, you're reading a book and realize you've turned three or four pages but haven't actually read anything.

Those are both examples of moments of hypnosis.

How can this natural state be employed to help people? Who can be hypnotized? How does it work? What conditions can it help treat?

Dr. Kathy Gruver, alternative medicine practitioner, joins Dr. Mike to discuss hypnosis, some common misconceptions and fears, and how to find a skilled hypnotist near you.

Fenugreek extract has been used to treat many ailments, including female reproductive issues and digestive issues.

Recent studies show that it may assist in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek extract has also supported the male libido, and clinical trials have shown success in boosting female sexual desire as well.

How can this supplement boost your desire?

Listen in as Dr. Mike discusses all the benefits of fenugreek extract on female sex drive.