1. Skin Aging Aloe is an established topical remedy for skin. But a 2009 study found that taking aloe orally reduces facial wrinkles. In the study, 30 healthy women aged 45 or older received aloe vera gel as a supplement. One group took a low dose (1,200 mg/day) and the second group took a high-dose (3,600 mg/day). The researchers measured signs of skin aging at the beginning and end of the study. After just 90 days, the researchers found that facial wrinkles improved significantly in both groups. However, in the lower-dose group, facial elasticity also improved. How does it work? The researchers found that aloe increased collagen production, resulting in improved skin structure and fewer wrinkles. They also found that aloe decreased gene activity that causes collagen damage. 2. Psoriasis Swedish researchers found that a cream containing aloe vera is effective in treating psoriasis. They conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 60 patients with psoriasis. Patients were given either an aloe vera extract (0.5%) cream or a placebo cream to apply three times a day for five consecutive days per week. The study lasted 16 weeks, with only four weeks of active treatment and 12 months of follow-up. By the end of the study, the aloe vera cream cured 25 of 30 psoriasis patients, or 83.3%. Only 2 of 30 patients in the placebo group were cured (6.6%). 3. Cancer Consistent with its other skin benefits, aloe vera may also prevent and treat skin cancer. A study from the University of Belgrade School of Medicine found that aloe vera and its constituents inhibit skin cell proliferation associated with skin cancer. The researchers irradiated human skin cells to simulate sun damage and trigger the process of proliferation that leads to skin tumors. They found that treating cells with aloe-emodin, a constituent of aloe, significantly inhibited proliferation. This confirmed aloe's benefit in halting tumor progression following sun exposure. But its cancer effects aren't limited to skin. Studies also show that aloe vera may help prevent cervical cancer. A study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention found that a cream containing aloe vera, curcumin, reetha, and amla (brand name “Basant”) is an effective and safe therapy for the clearance of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Researchers studied a group of women with HPV that had not yet progressed to high-grade cervical neoplasias (i.e., cervical pre-cancer). Of the women who used the Basant vaginal cream for 30 consecutive days, 87.7% cleared the HPV infection compared to 73.3% of the placebo group.

Most people define processed food as obvious junk like candy, soda, and fast food, but that definition misses a critical category: foods marketed as healthy that are still highly processed. Think strawberry Greek yogurt, protein bars, plant milks, Chipotle bowls, and granola. If a food has a long ingredient list, including seed oils, added sugars or syrups, "natural flavors," or health buzzwords, it's processed, regardless of how it's marketed. The food industry didn't make food healthier; they made marketing better. Here's a useful guideline I share with patients: if it comes in a bag or a box, minimize it. Obviously, there are exceptions, as some real whole foods can be packaged this way, but this simple heuristic helps cut through the confusion created by health claims and wellness marketing. Real food doesn't need a label claiming it's good for you. The best nutrition comes from foods you could theoretically hunt, gather, grow, or raise yourself. This doesn't mean you can never eat anything processed, but understanding that many "health foods" are still processed helps you make more informed choices about where to spend your dietary budget. When most of your diet comes from actual whole foods, the occasional processed item matters less.

Most people overestimate the amount of physical activity they need to benefit their health, especially if they're starting from a completely sedentary lifestyle. This meta-analysis of over 111,000 individuals provides encouraging news: you don't need to walk 10,000 steps daily to see significant health improvements. Researchers found that as few as 2,517 steps per day (~20 minutes of walking) yielded an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality compared with 2,000 steps per day. The benefits continued to accumulate in a nonlinear fashion, with optimal mortality reduction at 8,763 steps per day, corresponding to a 60% lower risk of death. For cardiovascular disease specifically, the minimal effective dose was 2,735 steps daily, with optimal benefits at 7,126 steps. Going from walking about 20 minutes a day just inside your house to roughly an hour and 20 minutes daily can reduce mortality by 60%, an enormous difference with minimal effort. The study also found that step intensity (cadence) matters independently, with faster walking providing additional benefits beyond total volume. Interestingly, increasing from 8,800 to 16,000 steps daily only added another 5% reduction in mortality, clearly indicating a sweet spot. This should be encouraging for anyone who is currently sedentary but wants to improve their longevity without feeling overwhelmed by unrealistic targets.

1. Aids in Weight Loss and Maintenance Several human studies show that vinegar may increase feelings of fullness, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight. In a study, taking vinegar with a high-carbohydrate meal resulted in increased feelings of fullness, leading subjects to eat 200 to 275 fewer calories throughout the day. ACV may also be helpful in suppressing obesity-induced oxidative stress in animal models fed a diet high in unhealthy fats, mainly through facilitating antioxidant defense systems. It can also reduce the risk of obesity-related illnesses by lowering atherogenic risk. Similar benefits have been seen in fruit vinegars like apple, pomegranate and prickly pear vinegars, helping prevent obesity and related cardiac complications due to their potent anti-inflammatory and anti-adiposity properties. 2. Fights Harmful Bacteria Vinegar has demonstrated strong anti-pathogen action, including fighting bacteria. Using organic acids as supplements has, in fact, been deemed safe and effective in eliminating harmful bacteria in the intestines. A study probed the antimicrobial ability of ACV against pathogens including E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. The results showed that the vinegar had multiple antibacterial potential, with the concentration of ACV required to inhibit microbial growth varying for each species. Follow-up research showed that ACV can also successfully eradicate methicillin-resistant bacteria. 3. Assists in Managing Diabetes and Blood Sugar Levels Consuming apple cider vinegar may positively affect glycemic index and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetics. Among healthy subjects who ate a bread meal, supplementing with vinegar lowered glucose and insulin responses, as well as increased fullness. "The results indicate an interesting potential of fermented and pickled products containing acetic acid," the researchers wrote. In a separate small study, subjects with diabetes reported that consuming 2 tablespoons of ACV before bedtime decreased their fasting blood sugar by 4% the next morning.

The connection between gut health and overall health is now firmly established, but this study, published in Cell, takes our understanding to a new level. Researchers analyzed the gut microbiomes of thousands of people. They identified a pattern they call "two competing guilds": one beneficial guild specialized in fiber fermentation and butyrate production, the other characterized by virulence and antibiotic resistance. This core microbiome signature successfully distinguished healthy individuals from those with disease across 15 different conditions and even predicted immunotherapy outcomes in cancer patients. The production of butyrate is a critical factor in the gut-health connection, yet few people consider it. Here's the challenge: many people do not produce sufficient amounts of butyrate, even when they eat fiber, because they lack the beneficial bacteria species that make it, or because they cannot tolerate fiber due to a disrupted gut microbiome.