Is fasting healthy? Fasting results in drop in blood sugar during the fast and spike of the glucose level on resumption of food intake. It is best for our blood…

THE current resurgence of measles in the United States is alarming. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that as of April 11, 2019, there were 555 new…

BILLIONS of people around the world use painkillers, and some of them like water, because they are readily available over the counter and mostly inexpensive. There is a survey that…

Nature is full of wonders. Among them are gems in the form of many food items, basically plant-based, have therapeutic effects that can provide safe relief from pains and other…

The rate of throat cancer in the United States has not declined, compared to most head and neck malignancies. I suspect that the statistics could also be true, when extrapolated,…

Most of the food products we eat today have healthier alternative items. If we are serious about staying healthy and maximizing our natural longevity, that option is open to us….

B wise, B safe Vitamin B is one of the most essential vitamins our body needs, but excess of this vitamin is unhealthy. Many food items in the market are…

Can aspirin prevent stroke/heart attack? Daily low-dose of aspirin (81 mg to 100 mg Acetylsalicylic Acid or ASA) is prescribed by physicians for the prevention of heart attack, stroke and…

OUR health and life, believe it or not, depend on the consistency of our blood. Our blood has to be just right — not too thin, not too thick. When…

A 10-year study showed more than 57,000 pedestrians were hit by vehicles in Metro Manila — including those who lost their lives simply crossing the streets. Notwithstanding the designated crossing…

Whenever I take a cab in Manila, I find it most interesting to talk to the driver. Some of them are so eloquent, with a remarkable grasp of our national…

Appetite suppressants, weight loss products, herbal aids for dieters, food supplements for weight watchers, are all potential harmful substances, with side-effects in the long run. Since overweight and obesity are…

The Norovirus outbreak that sickened 277 on board the Oasis of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines forced the 7-day Caribbean cruise to return prematurely to Port Canaveral…

Whenever I hear the notorious excuse or description “Filipino time,” I feel a grave insult is hurled at my people, even if the generalization is usually uttered by fellow Filipinos…

Twenty years ago on August 7, 1999, I wrote about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when this “chemical gold” was first introduced by Pfizer a year before. This…

There is nothing more universal, more powerful, more wholesome, and more sublime than love. Its intensity and gravity could transcend all forces of nature, even disasters and calamities, natural or…

One of the major factors or enhancing conditions in disease formation is tension/stress. This could be emotional or psychologic stress, or stress from an unhealthy lifestyle, exposure to chemicals, radiation,…

What triggers hunger and satiety? The urge to eat (hungry or not) is, to a large extent, controlled and regulated by hormones in our body. And these hormones fluctuate depending…

Holidays are upon us once again and food abound everywhere we go. This is also the season where gastroenteritis from food contamination is more common, especially from unprotected, unrefrigerated food…

Last February 28, 2018, my wife, Farida, and I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Manila, following our two medical missions in the Philippines. While waiting at the…

Depression is a most significant risk factor in suicide. In today’s busy, impatient, materialistic, and fast-paced society, people are subjected to various stressors in life everyday. Encumbered by their personal…

The 6 million Jews killed during the holocaust, genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany (17 million total if the other exterminations are considered as a part of Hitler’s “The Final Solution,”…

Heart, the symbol of love, of Valentine’s Day, even of religious adoration, is always fascinating but still a mystery to most of us. The amazing facts about our most loyal…

What is Lactobacillus acidophilus? L. acidophilus is the most popularly used probiotic or “friendly bacteria.” They live in the intestines and vagina and prevent the entrance and proliferation of disease-causing…

A scary polio-like disease, which peaked every other year since 2014 and has stumped health officials all over the United States, is causing widespread concerns, especially among parents, in this…

Here are some remarkable, educational, and attention-grabbing bits of medical and general factoid that could enrich your cerebral armamentarium: •  Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) starts when a child is…

Losing weight on a diet that is high in fat is dangerous for overall health. The risk of coronary heart disease has been found to increase significantly among those individuals…

When a handful of hair falls out each single day, clogging the drain, it is scary. While it is normal to lose 50-100 strands of hair a day, it is…

In this era of health consciousness, people, in general, are seeking ways to live healthier and maximize longevity through prevention. This was one of the reasons why I wrote the…

While on an Iberian Peninsula Cruise with my wife, Farida, and 21 other medical colleagues and friends last August 30, we met a friendly Filipino coffee server by the name…