I recently started taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement with hopes of preserving cognitive function as I age. Cold-water fatty fish are a natural source of omega-3s and I haven’t been eating much lately. My supplement contains 1040 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s a large pill that is sometimes difficult to swallow.
Alaskan Omega-3 Fish Oil by Sports Research
Now I’m starting to wonder if I should continue. From Daily Mail:
The [single observational study] researchers compared 273 people who take omega-3 supplements daily, with 546 similar non-users – and found that those taking fish-oil pills appeared to decline faster on several cognitive scores.
However…
…when it comes to omega 3s and cognitive function, in a major [meta-analysis] review published recently in Scientific Reports, analysis of 58 randomised controlled trials from multiple countries suggested that omega-3 supplements may be associated with slightly better cognitive outcomes – or slower decline in some areas, particularly memory.
You can read about this (or watch the video) at various places. One is TheFocalPoints.com.
“84.4% of Cancer Patients Taking Ivermectin + Mebendazole Reported No Evidence of Disease, Tumor Regression, or Cancer Stabilization After 6 Months”
It just sounds too good to be true. And you know want that usually means. I’ve not done a deep dive into this report but I’m very skeptical. The study lumped a bunch of different cancer types together: breast, pancreas, colon, lung, etc. The uneducated among us may think all cancers are alike. They are not. They behave differently and, traditionally, require different therapeutic approaches for the best outcome. If (and that’s a big IF) there is a unifying underlying chemical or cellular phenomenon that causes all cancers, then a panacea like ivermectin/mebendazole may be an effective treatment. (In case you’re wondering, I was prepared to take ivermectin during the pandemic but never did.)
Just a reminder, I am not a cancer specialist. If I had cancer, I would consult a cancer specialist, typically an oncologist.
Authors of the study at hand do note that “…these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Urgent prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials are warranted to validate these observations and further define optimal dosing strategies.” You may recognize one of the authors, TV celebrity Dr. Drew Pinsky. What a Renaissance man! Other familiar author names are Peter McCullough and Harvey Risch.
This is a shoddy research study presented as a quality improvement project. This dubious classification functioned as an excuse for lack of interface with relevant regulatory bodies.
There is validity to the assertion that ivermectin and mebendazole show anticancer activity in preclinical studies. This study provides no meaningful evidence for or against the efficacy of such treatments in humans with cancer.
Researchers analysed health data for more than 100,000 people between 2004 and 2018, covering several generations of people aged 50 and above across England, the US and Europe.
They found increasing rates of chronic disease, especially when comparing people born between 1936 and 1945 and those born from 1955 to 1959.
Rates of chronic disease rose across successive generations in all regions, with more recently born adults more likely to have cancer, lung disease, heart issues, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol than their predecessors at the same age.
Although prevalence of type 2 diabetes rose at the same rate across all regions, diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol increased the most in England and Europe, with baby boomers and people in their 50s being 1.5 times more likely to have these issues than their predecessors at the same age.
Levels of grip strength, a good measure of overall muscle strength and healthy ageing, decreased across generations in England and the US, but either increased or remained constant in Europe.
Why is health worse?
Pollution? Poor food quality? Increasing rates of obesity? Increasing social isolation? Over-crowding? Loss of religion?
It’s also been said that “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its boots.” (Often attributed to Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Jonathan Swift, and others.)
I consider infectious disease specialists to be, in general, the smartest non-procedural medical specialists. They are often called in to consult on a hospitalized patient who’s already been evaluated by three or four other doctors, but just isn’t responding to treatment and may have an underlying atypical infection.
Dr. Mark Crislip is a retired infections disease doc who is highly intelligent and a good writer. I don’t know him personally but have had the pleasure of working with a few like him throughout my career (shout out to Dr. Kara Asbury). Here’s what he thinks of the intrusion of AI – artificial intelligence – into medical practice.
I really think we are heading into a world where doctors are going to be mediocre at best. There are many articles about how kids today (remember, I am an old geezer) are unable to read books or even sit through a whole movie. You wonder how they are going to master, yes, master, the immense amount of information, all in dense, dry, complicated, technical textbooks, required just to get through medical school, much less become proficient in whatever medical specialty field they choose.
Now? All the cognitive processing will be offloaded into AI. And people will take the path of least resistance, in the process acquiring only the facade of understanding. And if the AI hallucinates? They are not going to know enough to recognize it.
So there will be three kinds of doctors slowing evolving into one.
A few old geezers like me who will mostly avoid AI. I say mostly. I wouldn’t mind if AI generated my billing codes. But that is it. But their medical mind will remain sharp and be wielded like a samurai blade.
Most current MDs will take the path of least resistance, use AI and their mind will be increasingly rusty and dull and at some point be useless.
And those brought up on AI? Their minds will be plastic sporks. Enshittified from the start.
I recommend you read the whole thing, especially if you’re a physician. Plus he takes a few jabs at EMRs (electronic medical records).
Posted onApril 8, 2026|Comments Off on Metformin Reduces Risk of Macular Degeneration
Photo of the retina at the back of the eyeball, where macular degeneration occurs
Age-related macular degeneration is the #1 cause of blindness high-income societies. A recent study found that metformin use by type 2 diabetics at least 50 years old reduced the incidence of macular degeneration by ~35% over the course of five years. The authors consider their results preliminary and, as usual, recommend further study.
Macular degeneration can be difficult to reverse or treat once it takes hold. As with many illnesses, prevention is better. One of the treatments involves injecting the eyeball. Can you imagine that?
Metformin is among the top drug therapies for type 2 diabetes, but it has many competitors on the rise. If macular degeneration runs in your family, this study suggests it may be a good idea to stick with metformin.
Posted onMarch 15, 2026|Comments Off on Over 65? Take These Supplements
…..according to Dr. Rhonda Patrick. She’s not a physician. Her Ph. D. is in biomedical science. I’ve listened to several of her podcasts and think that she does a good job of keeping her recommendations science-based. Her supplementation recommendations assume you’re generally healthy, eating a healthy diet (e.g., Mediterranean!), and exercising regularly, including some vigorous exercise like HIIT (high intensity interval training.
Here’s the list:
Vitamin D
Omega-3 fatty acid (1.5-3 g/day)
Standard multivitamin (ideally containing lutein and zeaxanthin) (she mentions Centrum Silver)
Lutein (if not in your multivitamin)
Zeaxanthin (if not in your multivitamin)
Magnesium
Melatonin 1.5-3 mg/day, 2-3 hours before bedtime
Creatine monohydrate, at least 5 g/day, 10 g is better
Ubiquinol
Sulforaphane
I’m not very familiar with sulforaphane. Two commenters at YouTube wrote that she likes the Avmacol brand. PreserVision AREDS 2 formula of multivitamins contains zeaxanthin and lutein. You might want to compare that that product to Centrum Silver. I’m sure Dr Patrick goes into details of these items at her YouTube channel (FoundMyFitness) and podcasts (FoundMyFitness and The Aliquot). In another video Dr. Patrick said the dose of vitamin D is 4,000 IU. I say the dose may depend on your latitude and amount of sun exposure. I’ve heard for years that magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride are very poorly absorbed; magnesium glycinate, citrate, taurate, and malate are better absorbed. So the latter are the preferred magnesium forms. Dr. Patrick also says magnesium is better absorbed if your total daily dose is divided; e.g., take half your daily dose in the AM, half in the PM.
Many times in my career I have sat across from a patient who expressed that they are getting serious about their health, and then rattle off a list of things that they are doing to improve their health – all mostly worthless. I do not blame them – they are victims of a self-help, supplement, and wellness industry that has completely mislead them. A typical list might include: eating only organic, avoiding GMOs, taking daily vitamins, eating low-carb, and using a sauna (or perhaps cryochambers). Sometimes they throw in fully magical interventions, like feng shui or reiki. In short, they invest a lot of time and money into interventions that will not make them more healthy, and distract them from the things we know will.
If you want to improve your health and longevity the data suggests there are five things that are of primary importance (in terms of lifestyle) – eat a well-rounded balanced diet, get sufficient quality sleep, don’t smoke, limit alcohol intake, and exercise regularly. Obviously, getting good medical care is also very important. Get regular checkups (including for dental health), and address any specific health issues you have, including mental health.
The good news is – there is not mystery to good health. The lifestyle factors I list above are the 99 percenter, meaning that together that have the overwhelming largest effect on your health. So stop worrying about the 1%, there is no magical “superfood” our there, no hack, and no secret.
So, who ya gonna believe. An M.D. neurologist or a Ph.D. in biomedical science?
Is this real or is she AI-generated? How can she be so articulate? I saw little evidence of editing. Was she reading a teleprompter?
I wonder how I would have reacted to this if I were 40, 50, or 60 years old. I’m 71 now, and it made me tear up at the end, and thereafter for many minutes, thinking about my wife, my life, my children, and the time I have left before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
It may be impossible for folks under 40 or 50 to think seriously about these issues.
—–Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: I can help you maximize your lifespan and “healthspan.”
Posted onFebruary 16, 2026|Comments Off on Fauci Knew in 2021 That Natural Immunity to COVID-19 Was Stronger Than the Vaccine
From Daily Caller:
Artist’s rendition of the the virus
Anthony Fauci privately acknowledged “impressive data” showed stronger immunity from a COVID-19 infection than vaccination while publicly pushing mandated shots, newly released documents show.
Former President Joe Biden’s top pandemic response officials discussed a thorough study from Israel showing the superiority of natural infection in August 2021, simultaneous with the initiation of federal vaccine mandates via an Aug. 24 Pentagon memo, according to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Protect the Public’s Trust, indicating officials who helped compel COVID shots had contemporaneous scientific evidence they were unjustifiable for millions of Americans.The officials distorted the evidence in public statements, repeatedly saying vaccination is necessary for immunity.
The authors of the Great Barrington Declaration suggested that letting the infection spread through the population would lead to a speedier resolution of the pandemic. Maybe they were right.
Paleo Diabetic 