Protect Yourself Against Colon Cancer
Colon cancer usually begins with polyps, small benign growths in the inner wall of the colon or rectum. Some polyps (especially those known as adenomas) become malignant for reasons that are largely unknown. Age is a risk factor: most people who get colon cancer are over 50. Environmental factors—particularly smoking—also play a role, as does family history of colon cancer. The good news: It is possible to detect polyps before they become cancerous, or at an early stage before the cancer has spread. By far the most important way to prevent colon cancer is to get screened. As for other things that may reduce the risk of colon cancer, here’s the latest thinking. Full Story

Aromatherapy: Does It Work Even If It Doesn’t?
Many essential oils are used in aromatherapy, and to each is attributed a wide variety of psychological and physical effects. Believers may sprinkle household linens with them, apply them to light bulbs, and add them to bath water. Nurses and massage therapists sometimes use essential oils for massages. If you like one aroma or another and believe that it soothes you, who is to say it doesn’t work? Still, there’s nothing to back up the more extravagant claims: that the right smells can put you to sleep, wake you up, make your hair grow, boost immunity, alleviate chronic pain, or cure herpes infections. You can find ardent testimonials for all this, but they have not been confirmed by research. And this is not for lack of scientific study.

Nailing Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus (onychomycosis) is rarely more than a minor source of discomfort, but it can be unsightly. The nail, often on the big toe, thickens and discolors. It may become so thick and brittle that you can’t cut it. In severe cases, it may detach from the nail bed and fall off. Unfortunately, there’s no easy cure—or perhaps no cure at all in some cases. You may spend a lot of money on prescription medicines and not see much improvement. Home remedies are unproven or ineffective. And even if the fungus seems to go away, it often comes back. So when podiatrists recently started promoting a new laser treatment, many readers asked us if it really works. Here’s the real deal on it—and an update on conventional treatments.

The Missing Enzyme
Lactose intolerance—the reduced ability to digest milk sugar (lactose)—is common, but maybe not as common or as hard to cope with as many people think. If dairy products seem to give you gas, should you give them up? Not necessarily. Dairy products are good sources of calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients important for health, especially bone health and blood pressure. A real downside to lactose intolerance is that if you quit eating all dairy, you will need to make up for shortfalls of these nutrients.

Agave: The News Is Not All Sweet
Derived from the same cactus-like Mexican plant as tequila, agave (uh-GAH-vay) syrup is being added to an increasing number of foods and beverages as a “natural” sugar alternative. You can also buy it as a tabletop sweetener in different grades, from light (neutral in taste) to dark (vanilla or caramel-like in flavor). And it’s the latest craze in trendy cocktails. But is agave “nectar,” as marketers call it, really healthier than regular refined sugar?

The Calorie Race
Do you burn more calories if you run a mile or if you briskly walk it? Many people claim you’d use the same number of calories, since you’re transporting the same amount of weight over the same distance. It’s a law of physics, they say, and if you run, you just burn the calories faster. This belief is widespread, according to our search on the Internet. But it is not true.

Goji, the Go-To Berry?
Goji berries are finding their way into juices, energy bars, snack mixes, and teas, with marketers claiming them to be the greatest of all “superfoods,” even better for you than other widely promoted exotic fruits like açaí, noni, and mangosteen. Goji is actually a generic term given to various berries in the Lycium family that grow in Asia, where they’ve been consumed for centuries to supposedly promote good eyesight, agility, and longevity, among other benefits. Nearly as inflated as the health claims is the price of goji juice, which is often sold through multi-level marketing programs.

What to Do About Dry Mouth
You can have dry mouth without realizing it. You will surely be aware of it if it causes trouble swallowing or wakes you at night. It’s normal for saliva production to decline (by as much as 40%) as you grow older. The troubles caused by a lack of saliva are many: difficulty speaking, having to sip liquids to swallow dry foods, persistent bad breath, pain from cracked tongue or lips, hoarseness, and perhaps worst of all, cavities, gingivitis, and other dental problems. A plentiful supply of saliva is required for healthy teeth and gums. Here are tips for dealing with dry mouth.

ASK THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Should I wipe my kitchen counters and bathroom surfaces with bleach? What do you know about Amberen, a supplement that claims to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms? If someone swallows poison, should I induce vomiting? What is trichomoniasis, and can it be spread by a toilet seat? Full Story

WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
A new way to quit smoking using the nicotine patch . . . chopstick tidbits.

WELLNESS TIPS

• Another reason to get the flu shot this year: By preventing the flu, it may help prevent a heart attack, especially if you already have cardiovascular disease. Heart attack rates rise during flu season, and the flu shot appears to reduce the risk, concluded a recent British review of 39 studies.

• Get emergency help if you have symptoms of a stroke, even if they last only a few minutes. Symptoms lasting less than 24 hours usually indicate that a person has had a mini-stroke, also called a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. About one in eight strokes is preceded by a TIA, according to a recent Canadian study.

• Ignore claims about diets based on your blood type, body type, or personality type: They have no scientific evidence to back them up. Like most diets, these may help you lose weight in the short term because they tell you to eliminate groups of foods from your diet and thus trick you into eating fewer calories—for a while.

• Before having a PSA test for prostate cancer, discuss the pros and cons of testing with your doctor. A recent survey in found that only 70% of men who had been tested said their doctors had actually talked to them about the test, and of those only one-third said they had been told about the downsides.

• If you perspire heavily, try a “clinical strength” antiperspirant, and apply it at night. Using it at night, when you perspire less, allows more of the active ingredient to be absorbed into sweat glands, and the effect persists after bathing. Regular-strength antiperspirants may also work better when applied at bedtime.

• Avoid smoke from incense. It contains potent pollutants, notably benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde—known carcinogens also found in tobacco smoke. A study last year linked long-term incense use with a significant increase in cancers of the upper respiratory tract (nose, tongue, mouth, and larynx, for instance).

• Don’t count spinach pasta in your 9-servings-a-day quota for fruits and vegetables. It contains little spinach—the equivalent of less than a tablespoon per cup of cooked pasta.