#310 – STAYING HEALTHY – LONG TERM PRESCRIPTION – ALLEN TAYLOR

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In recent years there has been increasing acceptance of the idea that the debilitating effects that go along with aging are not inevitable. Various interventions have been found that hold out the promise of a long life that is healthy to the end. Among these interventions are:

  • Eating healthy foods
  • Restricting calories, particularly “empty” calories that provide energy without much nutrition
  • Practicing intermittent fasting, where eating is confined to a prescribed interval of time
  • Taking drugs that seem to slow aging in animals, such as metformin and rapamycin
  • Exercising on a regular basis

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#309 – WE’RE STILL FINDING NEW THINGS ABOUT ASPIRIN – ALLEN TAYLOR

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The use of the primary ingredient of aspirin as a medicine, goes back thousands of years. Clay tablets from ancient Sumer describe the preparation of that primary ingredient, salicylate, from willow bark, and enumerate a laundry list of ailments that it could be used to treat. In the late nineteenth century, the acetylsalicylic acid form of the drug was marketed around the world by the Bayer company of Germany. In the 20th century, aspirin was found to be effective at lowering fever, reducing pain, and treating rheumatic fever. Continue reading

#308 – CAN WHAT YOU EAT AFFECT HOW YOU THINK? – ALLEN TAYLOR

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Last week, I wrote about the fact that, as many, perhaps even most, people age, their ability to recall names and other facts declines. Often the information is still sitting there in their brain, but for some reason, it is far more difficult to recall than it was when they were younger. Now I sometimes must go through a string of associations before I can call up a name that I used to be able to access directly. Continue reading

#306 – SOME COVID PATIENTS LOSE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL. SHOULD WE WORRY ABOUT THAT? – ALLEN TAYLOR

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Yes, we should worry. The aroma of savory food is one of life’s great pleasures. The perception of foul odors can protect us from eating or breathing-in something harmful. However, those are not the main reasons for raising concerns over the loss of the sense of smell, or the sense of taste. They are indicators of a far more serious danger. Continue reading

#305 – GO HARD AND GO EARLY! – ALLEN TAYLOR

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By any measure, the United States has not done well in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of this is due to willful ignorance, the rejection of sound scientific evidence. Some is due to the independence-minded nature of American culture. Some is due to the lack of a coordinated national policy on how to deal with the situation. Each state, and even individual cities and towns are on their own in terms of what actions people should take. Voluntary compliance with policies such as mask-wearing and social distancing has been spotty to put it mildly. Continue reading