Radio Shows
Our award-winning radio show is heard by 200,000 listeners on over 190 public radio stations nationwide. Tune in to find out about everything from home remedies to the latest breakthroughs in medicine. You can find a list of public radio stations that carry The People’s Pharmacy here.
635 Health News Update
An analysis of studies of the popular diabetes drug Avandia suggests that it may be doing more harm than good. Steve Nissen, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic describes his concerns with this drug.Dr. Nisse…
Extended Interview with Dr. Curt Furberg
Listen to our complete audio interview with Dr. Curt Furberg. An edited version of this interview appeared in our June 2 radio program, Health News Update.…
633 The Power of Culinary Herbs and Spices
Everyone has heard about the health benefits of garlic, but how many of us are up to speed on the power of curry powder? We discuss culinary herbs and spices with Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, one of the coun…
632 Health News Update
Breast cancer rates have dropped over the past few years. This change highlights the role of hormone replacement therapy in promoting breast cancer in postmenopausal women, now that many women have de…
631 Tai Chi and Other Movement Therapies
The practice of tai chi, a venerable Chinese martial art, can improve balance and prevent falls in older people. It may even benefit the heart and the immune system. Dancers and athletes use therapies…
612 Stumbling On Happiness (archive)
We all think we know what will make us happy, but we are mistaken surprisingly often. Parents make decisions for their children based on what will give them happiness, but we are no better at predicti…
630 Health News Update
Pregnancy is an exciting time in a couple’s life together, but it can also be stressful. We talk with Dr. Tracy Gaudet about how mindfulness can help.We often go to great lengths to lower a feve…
628 Health News Update
Cocoa compounds have been shown to make blood platelets less sticky and to relax blood vessels. Can they improve blood flow to the brain? Garlic has a time-honored reputation for promoting healt…
626 Pesticides and Health
Dr. Tyrone Hayes has found that a commonly used herbicide has a big impact on how frogs develop. What are the implications for human health? Fawn Pattison of the Pesticide Education Project suggests w…
625 Fighting Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue
Many physicians view fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome with suspicion. Doctors often don't know how to treat these problems and help patients feel better. Instead, they may consider people wit…
624 Health News Update
Popular diet books have dispensed conflicting advice for years—eat less fat, or eat less carbohydrate. The only thing everyone agreed on was that whatever Americans are eating is making them fat…
#577 The Patient from Hell (archive)
Climate scientist Stephen Schneider knows a lot about making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Those skills from his profession were put to use when he came down with a rare kind of lymphoma. Schn…
623 Health News Update
Despite campaigns urging Americans to drink more milk, some researchers suggest heavy milk drinkers may run a higher risk of certain cancers. We discuss the evidence for this concern.Aspirin has a sol…
622 Hypnosis for Health
Hypnosis has a long history, but in many circles it seems to have a questionable reputation. Although Mesmer’s showmanship (remember mesmerism) may have given hypnosis a bad name, modern health …
621 Clearing Up Vitamin Confusion
We’re always told to eat a well-balanced diet. But what, exactly, does that mean? Does it really ensure we will get the vitamins we need to stay healthy? Our guest experts will clear up the conf…
620 What Happens When We Die
When people are revived after a cardiac arrest, they sometimes report leaving their bodies and watching the resuscitation attempts from above. They may describe going through a tunnel, seeing a bright…
619 Health News Update
Statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs are powerful. But new questions are being raised about the evidence behind medical guidelines for their use. Even more disturbing, there is a possible link betwe…
618 Diabetes Update
There is an alarming increase of type-2 diabetes in this country. Although this was once termed “adult-onset” diabetes, it is being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. A new review of r…
617 Saving Your Sinuses
Nasal congestion and headache could be symptoms of a cold, but they also might signal a sinus infection. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases estimates that some 37 million Amer…
616 Health News Update
Heavy-duty drugs for reflux are widely prescribed. Doctors usually think of medicines like Aciphex, Prilosec, Protonix or Nexium as having few if any side effects. But a new study suggests there may b…
#570 Changing Habits
As another year draws to a close, and we prepare to welcome the new year, one thing is guaranteed to help all of us! As Bernie Siegel says in his introduction to Debbie Mandel's book, Changing Habits,…
307 My Grandfather’s Blessings
In our busy lives we rarely take time to reflect on the many blessings that we are given. Even adversity can have unexpected benefits if we will let it. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen shares the old Testament…
615 Heart Health Update
According to a recent study, special drug-coated stents put in arteries to help hold them open may not prevent heart attacks as they were expected to do. What is going on? Lowering bad cholesterol is …
613 Health News Update
Sunshine is in short supply in the wintertime, and so is vitamin D. Could lack of this nutrient be partially responsible for our susceptibility to infections such as colds and flu? Folic acid is anoth…
611 Big Pharma and Drug Safety
A recent report from the prestigious Institute of Medicine indicates that the Food and Drug Administration is not doing enough to protect Americans from medication dangers. In some cases, the agency s…
610 Health News Update
Flu season is just beginning, but some schools in North Carolina are reporting a lot of children out with flu-like illnesses. The best prevention for flu, we are told, is the vaccination. How strong i…
572 No More Headaches (archive)
Headaches affect almost everyone at some point. 45 million Americans get chronic, recurrent headaches. Even children can suffer. Find out why over-reliance on over-the-counter medications can be count…
609 Overcoming Osteoporosis
There are 44 million Americans with thinning bones. Although osteoporosis is usually considered a "women's condition,��? 20 percent of those diagnosed with dangerously weakened bones are men. What…
608 Health News Update
A nap can be refreshing, or it can leave you feeling foggy. For some older people, long daytime naps might be a red flag that something is wrong. When should you worry? Reiki is a healing technique in…
607 Managing Chronic Symptoms
Nearly 30 % of Americans are bothered by chronic symptoms that don’t respond completely to medical treatment. Concern about such symptoms may alter the way people live. But changing the way they vie…
606 Natural Alternatives for Women’s Healt…
Women used to be prescribed hormone therapy to prevent heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer's disease as well as osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms. But once the Women's Health Initiative demonstrate…
605 Thyroid Update
Thyroid problems are surprisingly common. Last year, more than 80 million prescriptions for thyroid hormone (Synthroid, levothyroxine, Levoxyl and Levothroid) were dispensed. That means it is one of t…
604 Health News Update
Drug companies have traditionally been reluctant to test their products on children. An initiative to encourage more research is working—but are the results getting to the doctors who need them? Gre…
603 Allergies
Pollen, peanuts, dust mites and animal dander are just a few of the many possible triggers for sneezing, wheezing or hives. During the fall, millions of people suffer from “seasonal rhinitis,��?…
602 Fish Oil for Health
Fish oil has become extremely popular. There's even a prescription version available. Is it as helpful as its proponents claim, or is it just a fad? Guests: Joseph Maroon, MD, Vice Chairman and Profes…
601 Saving Your Hearing
More people than ever before are dealing with hearing loss. More than 9 million senior citizens and 30 million baby boomers don’t hear well. And the popularity of personal mp3 players may mean that …
600 The Music Effect
Music plays an important role in the healing rituals of many cultures. But does it have any place in modern medical care? Music has an impact on human physiology, which may be why it is so powerful at…
576 Coping with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain affects millions of Americans. Migraine sufferers, arthritis victims, people with bad backs and those with cancer pain all have to cope with pain over the course of many months or years. …
599 Health News Update
DEA (diethanolamine) is an ingredient found in many shampoos, sunscreens and other cosmetics. When it is applied to the skin of pregnant mice it affects the brains of developing embryos. What should h…
598 Female Sexuality
Testosterone has made headlines lately in the sports news, with Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and sprinter Justin Gatlin accused of boosting their performance with this male hormone. But doctors …