The Medical Advisor

In the U.S., 66% of adults are estimated to have at least one prescription, and the average person has nine filled annually (1). As an awake physician (2), one of the most depressing aspects of my work is seeing patients, especially the elderly, weighed down by numerous prescriptions that frequently do more harm than good. For example, as I showed here , statins provide a negligible benefit (e.g., at best, taking them for five years extends one’s lifespan by 3 to 4 days) but create significant side effects such as severe muscle pain and cognitive impairment for 20% of users. This tragic situation is best demonstrated by a 2007 study which showed that simply discontinuing the least necessary prescriptions resulted in a 23% reduction in the death rate and an 18.2% decrease in hospital referrals (3). Sadly, since the trend in medicine is always to have people on more drugs, data like this has had no effect on the practice of the overprescription of medications. Over the years,...

The common denominator for overall health—including longevity, brain health, gut health, liver health, immune health, and kidney health—is mitochondrial health. Many chronic diseases can be traced to mitochondrial dysfunction. Seemingly diverse conditions—including  diabetes ,  hypertension ,  heart disease ,  cancer , allergies, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and even various mental illnesses—can be understood through a “unified theory” of mitochondrial imbalance. Mitochondria are involved in many vital processes in human cells, including energy production, fatty-acid oxidation, and the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) cycle, calcium signaling, apoptosis (cellular death), and heat production. However to simplify things let’s talk about energy and longevity which is what their function translates to for practical purposes. And to help this occur, we can review the health practices, along with the best supplements to improve mitocho...