The People's Pharmacy

More children than ever suffer with allergies, asthma, ADHD or eczema. Sometimes these allergies can affect their ability to focus in school or get along with friends. It might be hard to see what is causing these problems. Could it be something they are eating? Do they need the dirt cure? A pediatric neurologist who […]

An increasing proportion of Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. In 2012, 86 million adults had prediabetes, which is elevated blood sugar that doesn’t quite reach the cut-off for a diabetes diagnosis. Frequently, people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes, but they don’t have to. You can reverse prediabetes by […]

People who have had difficulty getting an accurate diagnosis of their ailments may feel that their doctors are not taking them seriously. Perhaps if they had MD degrees themselves, they imagine, the diagnostic process would be more productive. A Medical Mystery This is not always the case, however. Our guest, Neil Spector, MD, is a […]

Why do couples who love each other often experience diminished desire? Relationship expert Esther Perel says that achieving intimacy sometimes removes the mystery that makes sex so exciting. Keep the Spark: Drawing upon her decades of experience as a couples and family therapist, the author of Mating in Captivity tells how to keep the spark […]

Why can’t the medical experts make up their minds? That’s a question we hear often when the guidelines for eating a healthy diet, treating high blood pressure or lowering the risk of heart attacks suddenly change. Many people complain about medical flip-flops. How Medical Flip-Flops Affect Medical Practice: It isn’t only patients who become frustrated about […]

Americans take a lot of pills with the goal of staying healthy-pills to lower cholesterol, pills to control blood pressure, even pills to keep bones strong. How can we use fewer pills but still maximize our health? What Is Exercise Good For? It shouldn’t be surprising to learn that both diet and exercise are important […]

You may not think of bees as domestic animals, but any beekeeper would set you straight. Bees range far and wide when they forage for nectar and pollen, but they return home to the bee hive. Products of the hive have long been used for healing. Healing with Products of the Bee Hive: We get […]

How Helpful Is Lowering Cholesterol? This week, the American College of Cardiology met and revealed surprising data on some new studies. What is the best way to lower cholesterol? Do healthy people get any benefit from taking cholesterol-lowering drugs? How did doctors determine that some patients really do suffer from muscle problems when they take […]

Our immune systems are supposed to protect us from attack. Viruses, bacteria and fungi that try to invade can all trip alarm signals that awaken the body’s natural defenses. Cancer is not an invader, however. A tumor is made of our own cells, although they are growing out of control. Sparking the Immune System into Action […]

How can animals break through the barriers created by traumatic events and help people heal? We’ll learn about horses that interact with people with dementia, and dogs who visit patients in hospitals. Therapy Animals and Service Dogs: We’ll also find out how service dogs can improve life for people with disabilities. If you have a story […]

Alzheimer’s disease is a prospect as frightening to many of us as cancer, and the treatment options are not promising. Most of the costly medications used in treating this type of dementia do little more than delay its progression by a few weeks or months. The idea that anything might be done to turn back […]

Heart disease is still the number one killer of women in the US, though the words “heart attack” usually conjure up an image of a gray-haired man. The symptom of chest pain or tightness is the most common signal of a heart attack in either males or females, but the American Heart Association says women […]

When computer game expert Jane McGonigal suffered a concussion, she had a hard time recovering from the constant headaches, fatigue, confusion and depression. To give herself achievable goals and make her recovery more attainable, she invented a game she calls SuperBetter. The Benefits of a Gameful Mindset: You can use the gameful approach she describes […]

America’s most popular heartburn drugs might be harming our kidneys. Research published in the February issue of JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that regular use of drugs like Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec is associated with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease. While the research shows an association and doesn’t establish that the drugs are causing kidney […]

What do you know about your digestive tract bacteria? Normally, a wide range of bacteria helps us digest our food and works together to keep us healthy. But when infections or antibiotics intervene, the variety of beneficial bacteria drops and undesirable strains like Clostridium difficile can gain the upper hand. What About Probiotics? Could probiotics […]

Are you getting all the nutrients you need from the food you eat? We are often advised to eat a well-balanced diet, but many people find that difficult. In today’s fast-paced world, it can be hard even to know what it means. Should You Take Dietary Supplements? Dr. Tieraona Low Dog suggests that many of […]

Chronic pain is often invisible, but it undermines the quality of life of a hundred million Americans. Many of these people face a terrible dilemma: without medication, they suffer dreadfully. But if they use narcotics to control chronic pain, they may be treated with suspicion or disdain. Measures designed to reduce drug abuse put many […]

As we start the new year, many of us use the opportunity to try to change the habits that affect our health. Last week we heard from Gretchen Rubin, author of the book Better Than Before. How to Change Our Bad Habits: This week, we touch base with Dr. Wendy Wood, whose research focuses on […]

Chocolate has long been considered a sinful indulgence, definitely not a food that belongs in any “healthy” diet. But over the past few decades, evidence has been building that consuming chocolate actually offers specific health benefits. What are they, and what is the best way to get your dose of beneficial cocoa compounds? What Are […]

We are accustomed to hearing, “Eat this, don’t eat that.” Nearly everyone who makes such a pronouncement is convinced that he or she has discovered the one and only diet that will solve the problem of obesity in America and help all of us avoid weight gain. If only it were that simple! The US […]

The tropical rainforest of Belize is full of medicinal plants. The knowledge of these plants and their uses has been considered secret, closely guarded by the traditional Mayan practitioners of shamanism. Rosita Arvigo and Remedies from the Rainforest: But several decades ago, an inquisitive, well-prepared and persistent American woman showed up and became a shaman’s […]

The thyroid medicine levothyroxine (Synthroid) is among the top ten drugs dispensed in the US. The inevitable conclusion is that thyroid malfunction is extremely common. Even after diagnosis and treatment, however, many people continue to feel bad. Research has found a genetic basis that explains some people’s problems with levothyroxine. Would a new approach to […]

Does your mood affect how much you eat? While serious depression or anxiety are known to change appetite, even milder changes in mood can have surprising effects. You might be surprised to learn that food rituals, such as saying grace, can also alter our eating behavior. Expressing gratitude before starting a meal helps people moderate […]

Bacon and Cancer: Not long ago, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research stirred up a lot of controversy by announcing that processed meats such as bacon or hot dogs should be classified as human carcinogens. What does this pronouncement actually mean? Has it changed the way you cook or eat, and should […]

Head injuries are all too common, affecting millions of Americans every year. They can result in brain injury if the brain gets jostled inside the skull. This can be a problem even if the incident did not result in a loss of consciousness (a “blackout”). Around 5,000 people daily experience a concussion as a result […]

Sports are a great way for kids to get physical activity and learn teamwork. But how vulnerable are kids’ brains when they play sports? In many popular sports such as football, soccer or lacrosse, players may collide with each other or with the ball. How could a bump on the head affect the brain? What […]

We air this show in memory of Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, who died last month. He was a frequent guest on The People’s Pharmacy and we are sorry to learn of his unexpected death. Genetic Destiny: We are all born with certain genes that help determine our height and the color of our eyes as well […]

It may sound far-fetched to propose that someone has an addiction to candy or soft drinks. But brain scans show that some of the reward pathways associated with a sweet taste are very similar to those linked to addictive substances. Might you be addicted to sugar? People at Risk for Sugar Addiction: Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum […]

The proportion of children with autism has increased dramatically over the last several decades. The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 68 American youngsters could be diagnosed as belonging on the autism spectrum. While most parents assume that this disorder is irreversible, there are some children who no longer fit the diagnostic criteria after early, intensive […]

The Institute of Medicine released an important report on diagnostic error this week, Improving Diagnosis in Medicine. The issue of medical mistakes is a serious problem that has not disappeared. Admitting Medical Mistakes: If a doctor or a hospital makes a mistake, will it be admitted? Research shows that many health care providers are not […]

Once fall begins, lots of Americans start to suffer. Up to a third of us struggle with sneezing, sniffling, congestion, itchy eyes and post-nasal drip as a result of hay fever (really ragweed pollen reaction) or other allergies. Avoiding Allergy Triggers: The best chance for managing allergies is to identify and avoid the triggers. But […]

Millions of Americans rely on popular pain relievers such as celecoxib, diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam, naproxen and other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The fact that some of these medications are available without prescription in products such as Advil, Aleve or Motrin IB gives many of us the impression that they must be safe. Balancing Benefit & […]

Dr. Oliver Sacks was much more than a neurologist. In his books, he invited us to imagine the world from wildly different perspectives than our own. When he described individuals with neurological differences (that would be termed “deficits” by most doctors and other people), he helped his readers recognize the special gifts these people were […]

Have you ever wondered about the big words your doctor uses? Physicians have a language all their own. Not only do they have specialized technical terminology, but they also have their own slang. What Should Patients Know About Doctors’ Secret Language? Find out about the argot, jargon and slang that abounds in hospital settings. What […]

If you have ever wondered whether there is a good way to take fewer prescription medicines and treat more of your everyday ailments with natural approaches, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog has good news for you. She reviews the evidence on herbal and botanical remedies and reassures us that many common health complaints are best treated […]

Tick-borne diseases are extremely widespread, but they seem to be difficult to diagnose and hard to treat. Science has now recognized many more conditions that result from tick bites than were known even a decade ago. Lyme Disease: The diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by a deer tick […]

Until fairly recently, no one was really interested in the denizens of the digestive tract except for a few gastroenterologists and a few more microbiologists. But now research has shown that the bacteria in our bowels form complex ecological systems, and interest in the microbiome has gone mainstream. Bowel Bacteria as a Source of Inflammation: […]

People have been using plants to take care of skin problems for hundreds or thousands of years. Which natural products really work? Our expert guests discuss the power of a fresh aloe vera leaf to help soothe a burn, including a sunburn. You’ll also find out how to prevent sunburn naturally. Some plants (tomatoes, chocolate, […]

This is the thousandth episode of The People’s Pharmacy, and we are celebrating. We invited local listeners who support our host station, North Carolina Public Radio, WUNC, to join us for a live performance of the show. BJ Leiderman Played our Theme: Adding to the celebratory mood, we were joined by noted NPR composer BJ […]

At one time, most Americans were mystified by meditation and wary of yoga. There is now increasing recognition that both meditation and yoga can have profound health effects. Meditation and the Brain How does meditation alter the brain? Our expert guests explain the significant physiological changes that happen at the level of the neurons, genes […]

Inflammation is a primary cause of many chronic conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis to asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. But what causes the inflammation? Could infectious agents be the root of most of our chronic disease–including cancer? The New Germ Theory: Find out about the new germ theory linking infections and mental illness. Is […]

Diagnosis is the very foundation of medical care. Without an accurate diagnosis, doctors have no way of determining the appropriate treatment. Decades ago, doctors used to rely heavily on the patient’s account of her problem (called the “history”) and the doctor’s direct physical examination of the patient. Medical students still learn these skills, but in […]

We don’t always pay attention to our sense of touch, though it is critical to survival. Sensations of pain, heat or cold protect us from injury. But the importance of touch goes far beyond that. Pain and Pleasure: Our sense of touch also provides us with great pleasure. Caress is an essential element of bonding […]

Dr. Peter Gøtzsche worked for the pharmaceutical industry years ago supervising clinical trials and working in regulatory affairs. But this industry insider has become the toughest of critics. Dr. Gøtzsche is concerned about the impact that big pharma exerts on health care. Pharmaceutical firms are among the most profitable in the world. In the US […]

Most of us know what we should do to clean up our lifestyles–eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, and so on ad nauseum. You’ve heard it all before. But we don’t necessarily do the things we know that we ought to. Perhaps we think it doesn’t really matter for us, at least not right now. […]

Americans frequently boast that we have the best health care in the world. While that may be debated in some quarters, no one doubts that our health care system is the most expensive. What makes American health care so pricey, and is there anything that could be done about it? Evaluating Obamacare One approach that […]

Dizziness is a common problem, but not easily diagnosed. A little lightheadedness could be a reaction to dehydration or blood pressure medication. But when the room is spinning, walking can become difficult or even dangerous. A fall, especially for an older person, can have very serious consequences. When Is Dizziness Dangerous? When does vertigo signal […]

Every five years, the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services collaborate on producing Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These are supposed to tell us what we should be eating. They are also used to shape institutional food choices, such as those in schools or prisons. Changes Expected Will there be any changes in […]

Turmeric, the yellow spice in curry and yellow mustard, has an active component called curcumin. This compound is the subject of more than 7,500 studies that show it has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. How Does Curcumin Work? Recently scientists discovered exactly how it boosts the activity of a treatment for colorectal cancer. We talk with […]

An ever-increasing appreciation of the complexity of ecosystems has begun to change farming practices so that they become more sustainable. Science is demonstrating that our human bodies are also complex ecosystems, made up of more microbes than human cells. Could some of the principles of sustainable farming help us stay healthy too? Dr. Daphne Miller […]