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August 13, 2026

Joan Davis

The human microbiome – those bacteria we depend on

In the latest issue of My Sunday News, T.R. Kerth’s column “All roads lead to bugtown,” cited recent research on the importance of our “friendly microscopic buddies.” Mr. Kerth accurately and rather imaginatively described bacteria that reside in our body’s cells as “taking over,” making you more “bugs than body.”

While that thought might make some readers squeamish, looking at these microscopic bacteria from a medical perspective might prove reassuring. As Cleveland Clinic has reported, “The gut microbiome is a hot topic these days in medical and wellness communities, and it’s easy to see why. These critters seem to have so many tentacles in so many different body systems that it’s possible to imagine they might hold the key to understanding and treating a wide range of intractable diseases.”

Circadian Rhythm II

Last month’s Health News Report summarized recent research on how the human body responds to the daily cycle of light and dark through a master clock nestled near the optic nerve. This clock responds to that circadian rhythm sending hormonal signals to all regions in the body throughout the day. Without your awareness the master clock sends out melatonin to promote sleep and decreases that hormone to wake you up each morning. But that circadian rhythm does not stop with just awake/sleep influence. 

You’ve got rhythm

You’ve got rhythm…and it’s based on light, not music! Since the 70s, scientists have been discovering how human bodies are designed to follow the rhythm of the sun, rising and setting every day. This is the body’s natural 24-hour clock, keeping you operating on a healthy wake-sleep cycle.

Walking to prevent tangled thinking?

Perhaps you’ve seen headlines about a promising new study in national and local newspapers: “Walking may reduce Alzheimer’s risk” and wondered about the science of this claim. While the link between exercise and dementia is well-established, the recent headlines referred to a new study in the journal Nature Medicine.

The new research focused on walking and cognition and has been heralded as groundbreaking. As Kirk Erickson, chair of neuroscience at the Adventist Health Research Institute, explained, this new study “is really quite important and quite unique,” identifying how walking might be influencing some of the proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s.

New food guidelines upend food pyramid, part 2

Last month the February Health Report focused on the new 2025-2030 Food Guidelines. Both positives and negatives were reviewed, with the biggest concern voiced by nutritional experts that the new Dietary Food Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were being shaped by agricultural and food industry ties. Potential bias, resulting in overemphasis on meat and animal protein and new recommendations for increased meat, protein, and saturated fat intake.

New food pyramid fuels debate

On January 7, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) with its revised visual model. This visual model upends the Food Pyramid in favor of meat and dairy. This has drawn strong criticism from experts and physician groups, saying the guidelines reflect agricultural and food industry lobbies rather than science. (Source: The 17,000 physician members of the Physician’ Committee for Responsible Medicine.)

Wearable healthtrackers: Are they in your future?

A recent issue of AARP magazine included an article asking if you can improve your wellbeing by wearing “Your Heart on Your Sleeve.” Noting that the digital revolution has “now reached our bodies,” this article and many others in the news recently, focused on wearable health and fitness devices.

Wellness is the word

This is the time of year when headlines, whether online or in print, appear recommending “Best Holiday Gifts for 2025” (Amazon) or “The 44 Most Popular Gifts of 2025 Right Now” (Good Housekeeping). Besides these commercial sites, many health-related sites, such as Prevention magazine or Prevention.com publish holiday gift recommendations featuring popular products with a wellness focus. Even stores and websites, from Barnes and Noble to Best Buy, offer gift lists featuring products to inspire healthy habits.

COVID vaccine update part II

As last month’s Health News report revealed, on Sept 18 the new Sec of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (APIC) issued new rules on COVID vaccination. The APIC left stand, at least for this year, the previous Federal Department of Food and Drug’s (FDA)’s approval for COVID vaccine for those 65 and over and those with at least one health condition making them more at risk for COVID complications. These will be covered by Medicare.

COVID Vaccine update

A once-straightforward seasonal vaccine process has become puzzling this year because of changes in new federal guidance. Understanding what has changed with this year’s COVID vaccine recommendations requires a brief review of the usual way vaccines are adopted each year in the US. Two federal agencies are involved. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)oversees review of the safety and efficacy of candidate vaccines and is authorized to determine whether or not to approve vaccines for use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)is responsible for providing recommendations on how to use approved vaccines. This includes issuing annual U.S. adult and childhood immunization recommendations (referred to as “immunization schedules.”)

More risky foods and how you can protect yourself

Last month’s health new report focused on the recently published Consumer Report (CR) article “10 Really Risky Foods Right Now,” focusing on the top five foods that can cause food poisoning. This month the remaining five offenders will be reviewed with tips on how you can protect yourself and what to expect should you eat one of these ten risky foods and become sick.

Is the food you’re eating making you sick?

In the US confirmed cases of foodborne illness increased 20 percent in 2024 with 476 related hospitalizations and 16 deaths, double from 2023. Food recalls were up 41 percent due to unsafe foods contaminated with bacteria like salmonella, e coli, and listeria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in every 6 Americans becomes ill every year from contaminated food or beverages.

Measle-ing back in

The mystery of why measles (and other childhood illnesses) is making an aggressive comeback is well-documented: lack of adequate immunization. As Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained: “We had eliminated measles, by far and away the most contagious infectious disease from this country by the year 2000, but it’s come back because people have chosen not to vaccinate their children.”

Measles – what’s happening and why should we care

A recent case of measles reported in Cook County has officially made Illinois the 30th state to join the alarming new measles epidemic which began in late 2024 in California, followed by the outbreak in Texas early this year.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), in 2025 there have been 4 confirmed cases of measles to date in Illinois. Measles, declared eliminated due to effectiveness of the measles vaccine, in 2000, is now making an aggressive comeback nationally.

Supplements: How to wisely decide what’s right for you

As April’s health report concluded, while the benefits of supplements are often not proven or exaggerated, there are times when individuals may have medical conditions that increase their individual need for supplementation of specific vitamins.

Supplements: Don’t be fooled by common claims

April Fools’ Day may be over for this year, but there are still several opportunities to be fooled throughout the coming year. One common way Americans are being deceived lately is by the increasing fraudulent claims from the supplement world. Considering how common supplement use is, some experts are ringing alarm bells.

Luck of the Irish diet

Since this is indeed the month of St Patrick’s Day, it is perhaps fitting to consider some recent research about the health of Irish people, focusing on lifestyle, especially diet. Many Americans envision the Irish diet as unhealthy with an emphasis on fried, fatty snacks (think fish and chips), followed by meat-centric heavy meals, and washed down with a Guinness. The most recent survey of the state of Irish health seems to reflect that (Source: State of Health in the EU-Ireland). Ireland has the highest rate of obesity among European countries, with high rates of alcohol-related deaths, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The biggest public health events of 2024, what’s next?

This month’s health report continues with the remaining seven Public Health Headlines of 2024 and concludes with some questions about future public health events in this country.

New awareness of deteriorating public health associated with public health policy; Gun Violence, Abortion Ban Consequences, and Lower U.S. Life Expectancy.

U.S. public health: A look back at 2024

An end-of-year comprehensive report by the John Hopkins School of Public Health reviewed 10 major public health news events of 2024 and concluded with this headline describing the past year: “A rollercoaster for public health, with historic firsts, unwelcome comebacks, and rays of hope.”

Don’t sleep on it

With the holidays here, many Americans experience escalating stress, crowded calendars, and increased demands–leading to decreased hours of sleep and less opportunity to get that coveted “long winter’s nap” mentioned in The Night Before Christmas. Is that a problem?

Sit tight

Really? Any activity is better for your heart than sitting — even sleeping.

The headline above was the title of a Nov. 2023 research study on the relationship between health and exercise which has since been collaborated by other studies this year. The study provided some surprising, but reassuring, news about heart health and exercise. It turns out that indeed replacing sitting with as little as a few minutes of moderate exercise can definitely improve heart health — and it doesn’t take much!

What’s New on the KNEE front?

Knee deep in treatments. But which ones work?

Nearly half of adults over the age of 50 report knee pain in a one-year period with osteoarthritis (OA) being the most common cause. OA happens when the cushioning (cartilage-lining of joints) breaks down faster than your body can build it back up. Outside of knee replacement, medical treatment has focused on methods to relieve pain and stimulate the cushioning that the body’s cartilage naturally provides.

Microgreens for macro benefits: A tiny new superfood

One of the foods in the news lately is microgreens, as this February headline notes: “Microgreens: Superfoods for the future, packed with nutrients and easy to grow.” Since 2023, research studies on microgreens have risen sharply with more than 103 articles on microgreens published in PubMed, the national medical database. You may have heard of them, but wondered what they are and why you might want to add them to your diet.

How mistaken thoughts on obesity are helping fuel the US obesity epidemic

The growing epidemic of obesity is hardly news, but the increasing rates of this growing problem are alarming. According to The US World News Report (March 2024), the US obesity rate increased to 44 percent for women and 42 percent for men. Even business-focused publications like Forbes are taking note, reporting that obesity rates have grown 10 times in the last decade. The magazine cited that “…medical costs for people with obesity in the US tend to be 30-40% higher than those without obesity” and noting that “obesity is often considered a cause of multiple comorbid and chronic health conditions, including type 2 disease, some forms of cancer and heart disease.”

Increasing connectiveness in an increasingly disconnected world

Last month’s My Sunday News health report focused on the 2023 Surgeon General Advisory that “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation.” The Advisory cited several studies confirming that loneliness, isolation and alienation are on the rise. One especially telling study revealed that 25% of Americans claim that they have no one to share a personal problem with.

Is social isolation as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?

Everybody knows that smoking is bad for one’s health. It’s also generally recognized that being lonely and socially isolated can be harmful to both our emotional and physical health. But can feeling lonely and isolated really be as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Or drinking six alcoholic drinks a day?

Consumer Reports finds concerning levels of lead and sodium in Lunchables

On April 11th Consumer Reports issued a statement about the popular lunch kits, Lunchables (prepackaged boxes of deli meat, cheese, and crackers marketed mostly for children.) Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, stated “The Lunchables and similar lunch kits we tested contain concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals that can lead to serious health problems over time. The USDA should remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program and ensure that kids in schools have healthier options.”

Questionable health headlines

There is no lack health claims in the news. And while many are legitimate, backed by years of study, some remain in question. And if found to be untrue, they may come at tragic costs.

Here are just some of those headlines you may have seen or heard recently, that some doctors are saying are part of “the medical epidemic of health misinformation.”

Diving into Blue Zones

The Blue Zones — they’ve been in the news lately, especially with the recent 4-part Netflix airing of “Live To Be 100 – Secrets of the Blue Zones.” Magazine articles, podcasts, and videos have been popping up discussing virtues of the Blue Zone diet and healthy habits from PBS to Forbes and Newsweek.

So what are the Blue Zones?