The People's Pharmacy

In this episode, four guests share their diverse perspectives on LASIK eye surgery. This procedure surgically changes the shape of the cornea with the goal of helping people see better, ideally without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Experts estimate that ophthalmologists perform about 700,000 of these in the US each year. We are told that most […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the power of cocoa compounds to help heart health. Our first guest is Harvard’s Dr. JoAnn Manson, lead investigator of the COSMOS trial. That stands for Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study. This very large, randomized placebo-controlled study looked at the effects of a multivitamin […]

This week our guest is gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan. She explains how keeping our digestive microbiota in good health can help our immune systems fight off pathogens from the inside out. This show will air Saturday morning April 1, 2023 at 7:00 am. You can stream the live show by going to our host station, WUNC […]

This week, we talk with renowned author Temple Grandin. She reveals why she thinks visual thinking is underappreciated. Most importantly, she describes how we could change our educational system to better utilize a wide range of mental skills. Practical Applications of Visual Thinking: Most of us are not aware of how our brains work. Often, […]

In this week’s episode, learn about healthy eating for two. Most people realize that diet is especially important during pregnancy, but they may not know which foods are most nutritious. Researchers report that following a Mediterranean diet and practicing mindfulness around meals can both have health benefits during pregnancy. Mediterranean Diet for Those Eating for […]

Whether we call it indigestion, reflux, sour stomach or heartburn, this condition is painful. When acid from the stomach splashes up into the lower esophagus, it burns. Even though heartburn doesn’t actually have anything to do with the heart, the name makes sense. The pain is generally behind the sternum, in the center of the […]

In this week’s episode, sleep expert Dr. Jade Wu will join us in the studio to answer your questions about overcoming insomnia without medication. Email us [radio@PeoplesPharmacy.com] or call 888-472-3366 between 7:10 and 8:00 am EST on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Why Does Sleep Matter? Adequate sleep is a critical pillar of good health. During […]

In this week’s episode, we explore a range of practical approaches to staying healthy even in the midst of an epidemic or pandemic like COVID. Our guest offers evidence-based advice on what lifestyle changes can make a difference. Practical Strategies for Staying Healthy: Dr. Roger Seheult was already scouring the medical literature even before COVID-19. […]

In this week’s episode, food allergy expert Dr. Edwin Kim will join us in the studio to answer your questions about dangerous food allergies in real time. Email us [radio@PeoplesPharmacy.com] or call 888-472-3366 between 7:10 and 8:00 am EST on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Dealing with Dangerous Food Allergies: Dangerous food allergies have been increasing […]

Our interview this week is all about repurposing medications. Hundreds of rare diseases don’t have effective treatments. Even some common conditions lack approved therapies. The research to develop new medications to manage or cure them is costly and time-consuming. Is there a way to teach old drugs new tricks? That could allow us to repurpose […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it seemed there were only two outcomes from an infection. Either you died (as far too many people did) or you survived and moved on. Now, physicians, researchers and a growing number of patients are coming to grips with symptoms that persist months or possibly years after the initial infection. […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we consider the causes of Alzheimer disease. For decades, one theory has dominated. It suggests that the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques found in the brains of people with dementia cause the problem. Is it time to think different about Alzheimer disease? Beta Amyloid and Alzheimer Disease: What, […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, our guest describes the causes and consequences of silent inflammation. Usually, inflammation (redness, swelling, heat, pain) is a tool the immune system uses to fight infection. But what happens when it gets out of control? The Dangers of Silent Inflammation: A number of factors might help explain […]

More than two years of living through a pandemic has really increased anxiety for a lot of people. If we define anxiety as worry or unease about an imminent event with an uncertain outcome, it’s easy to see why. However, it really isn’t healthy to feel anxious all the time, even when outcomes are uncertain. […]

Jane Goodall is an eminent naturalist who spent years studying chimpanzees in their natural habitat. It was she who first reported that we humans are not the only primates to make and use tools. She transformed our understanding of these animals. Now she is an elder stateswoman speaking out for action to help reverse climate […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we consider how to maintain a healthy balance in our gut microbiome. Each of us carries a vast collection of microbes in our digestive tracts. Although we usually think first of bacteria, there’s also an enormous number of viruses that feed on the bacteria. Could these bacteriophages, […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week we’ll be taking your questions live. We have invited two distinguished dermatologists to discuss problems affecting the hair and nails and tell you how to have healthy hair and nails. Green Nail Syndrome: For years, listeners have been calling in questions about nail fungus that makes toenails […]

Examining the Basis of Neuroscience Dogma: This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, our guests discuss the evidence supporting widely accepted ideas about Alzheimer disease and depression. Neuroscience dogma holds that Alzheimer disease results from the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain. Moreover, nearly any psychiatrist, when asked, will tell you that SSRI […]

This week, an exciting interview from our archive airs on Oct. 8, 2022. A healthy young medical student, David Fajgenbaum, had been a student athlete in college and maintained his extraordinary level of fitness through much of medical school. Because of his enthusiasm and athleticism, his friends called him The Beast. When he suddenly found […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we speak with scientists studying the potential of psychedelic compounds to help heal mental illness. Recreational use of drugs like LSD during the 1960s gave these compounds a bad reputation. As a result, funding disappeared, and research withered. Over the last decade or so, however, investigators have […]