What to do if you HAVE heart disease
Peter most of the discussion on CVD is focused on prevention. What are some strategies to help prevent an event after plaques have been discovered. My path to health was too late for prevention and while I now (mid 50s) exercise regularly, eat healthy and limit alcohol, I want to maximize my healthspan. What (else) can I do?
How to optimize our microbiome
We frequently hear about the importance of a healthy and diverse microbiome. Taking probiotics on a regular basis is sometimes recommended. I have several questions about this: 1) Can the microbes in commercial probiotic formulations actually survive the acidic environment of our stomachs? 2) If we already have at least some of the particular microbes included in a probiotic, why would we ingest more of them? If we are eating a consistently good, varied diet rich in fiber, won't the various species in our microbiome reach an equilibrium over time, and return to that equilibrium regardless of how many probiotics we consume? 3) Is it possible that our gut may be totally devoid of certain beneficial species and therefore, we should consume a probiotic that includes them to "seed" our gut with them. But once we have "seeded" them, won't they multiply until they fill a particular niche in our gut, and then be part of an equilibrium, again with the assumption that we are consistently consuming a nutritious, fiber-rich diet? So why take a probiotic on a regular basis?