DrCarney.com Blog

If you are familiar with the work of Dr. Michael Greger, you know how passionate he is about digging through complicated scientific research linking diet and disease. My blogs and articles feature many videos from his website, NutritionFacts.org. Dr. Greger's most recent endeavor has been his book, entitled "How Not to Die." Inside, he demonstrates...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a painful, chronic digestive disorder affecting millions of Americans every year. GERD occurs when the muscular valve between the esophagus and stomach is weakened or fails to close properly, which causes the contents in the stomach (including stomach acid) to travel up the esophagus. Constant irritation of the delicate lining...

Heart attack, stroke, and sudden death — side effect warnings you don't see on the back of a calcium bottle. If you did, you might not purchase the product. Indeed, if this warning was listed, supplement manufacturers would certainly suffer a great loss. At the same time, many health-conscious individuals don't hesitate to take supplements...

In my previous blog, How do the Majority of Heart Attacks Occur? Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. demonstrates how the greatest percentage of heart attacks (87.5%) occur when newly formed plaques on the inside of our arteries rupture, causing a clot to form, and thus blocking the flow of blood. This little-known fact comes as a...

Aphthous stomatitis, or better known as mouth ulcers or canker sores, affect approximately 20% of the general population to varying degrees; many are plagued by recurring ulcers. These non-contagious, non-infectious sores usually last between 7-10 days, interfering with eating and drinking. Hitting these inflamed areas accidentally while chewing or brushing the teeth exacerbates the condition,...

Many health-conscious Americans take a daily vitamin or herbal supplement in an attempt to improve their general health and wellbeing. After all, what harm can they do -- right? While health benefits from taking supplements are many times over-exaggerated, some supplements don't even contain what they list on the label and others contain ingredients that...

Controversy sells. The media is always happy to report when the conclusions of a new study fly in the face of established beliefs. But the controversy and the short-lived news stories are too fleeting to include the voices of the medical and scientific community as they meticulously review the data, the methods, the math, and...

Eating a whole-food, nutrient-rich, oil-free, plant-based diet focuses on consuming foods that aren't sold in a package or have a label. As Dr. Michael Klaper likes to say "Eat food as grown!" In other words, choose food items that are as close as possible to how they are found growing in nature. For instance, corn...

Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is an important risk factor associated with both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and is the most common medical diagnosis in the United States. Although most people believe that hypertension is a natural consequence of aging, hypertension is actually a symptom of diseased arteries caused by years of consuming a diet rich in saturated...

If you have Type II diabetes or prediabetes and wish to no longer be dependent on daily medications, there is hope. It will however, require effort on your part in the form of making lifestyle changes. Some of these lifestyle changes may appear, to some, be extreme--like no longer eating a typical "MODERN" diet. In...

Let’s start with the conclusion: we should all eat beans. Every day. Beans help prevent chronic disease, and they provide us with necessary complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Most every ancient culture of the world has depended on some form of legume as a staple in their diet. But how should we prepare beans in...

The New Year brings with it an opportunity to think about ways in which to improve our lives. Eating healthier and losing those unwanted pounds is the most common New Year's resolution. In an attempt to start fresh, and "cleanse" the body, many turn to different methods of "detoxing." Each method promises successful weight loss...