Diabetes is not reversible and controlling your blood sugar with drugs or insulin will protect you from organ damage and death.

That is what the medical profession would have you believe, but medication and insulin can actually increase your risk getting a heart attack or dying.

The diabetes epidemic is accelerating along with the obesity epidemic, and what you are not hearing about is another way to treat it.

Dear Dr. Mirkin,

Does high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) cause obesity?

Nearly everyone‘s heard of the grapefruit diet. It‘s a short-term approach to weight loss (low carb, healthy proteins) with one unique feature. For 12 days you‘re supposed to eat a serving of grapefruit with every meal. It appears that by adding grapefruit to a protein-based meal, your metabolism gets kicked into overdrive.

This diet‘s a quick fix and it‘s really for those folks looking to drop a few pounds quickly. But I‘ve always had a hunch that there‘s something worthwhile about this diet just waiting to be discovered. Sure -- grapefruit is healthy. It‘s packed with vitamins. But why does adding it to your diet seem to spur on weight loss?

I know many of you reading this may suffer from depression. And you may take an antidepressant to help control your symptoms.

But antidepressants aren‘t without their own pitfalls. A common side effect is weight gain. Some would say it‘s a small price to pay for regaining your mental stability. But gaining weight can also put you at risk for developing a whole host of other health problems.

Do you or your partner snore at night? If so, please read closely. A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago has uncovered a critical link between how well you sleep and how well you metabolize sugar.

Dear Dr. Mirkin,

Are artificial sweeteners a good alternative for weight loss?

First of all, please recognize that this document is NOT intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive analysis of apple cider vinegar. However you can help add to the current understanding of this topic by adding your own comments at the bottom of this page.

The safety of BPA has been questioned for decades. In fact its toxicity was first discovered in 1930 when it was initially found to mimic estrogen, leading to various cancers. But nonetheless, a decade later its use was ubiquitous in plastics, cans and tins used for foods. Although manufactures knew of its health impacts, they were not required to prove its safety. Until more recently, BPA’s toxicity has been ignored by governmental regulatory organizations, despite mounting evidence for the contrary.

Don’t let the name fool you. Even though it is called a vitamin, vitamin D actually functions more as a hormone in the body. I have become more intrigued with this “nutrient” lately after observing an obvious increase in the number of prescriptions we receive for the prescription strength version at my pharmacy.

Dear Pharmacist,

I’ve had diabetes for 12 years and now I have kidney disease.  My doctor just prescribed lisinopril. I’m concerned that there is more I should be doing. What else should I consider? 

--L.V. Los Angeles