Topic: Preventative Care
Calcium and Prostate Cancer in Black Men: Why More Isn’t Better
Calcium and prostate cancer Black men should be cautious with calcium supplements and large amounts of dairy. Several studies have found that higher calcium intake is linked to a higher risk of advanced and aggressive prostate cancer, and the link…
Scoliosis and African Americans
Lack of Vitamin D Linked to Scoliosis Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk for prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a host of other health problems that are very common in the…
Benefits of Zinc for African Americans: What It Does and How Much You Need
Zinc and infections Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system and for wound healing. African Americans face higher rates of many infections, including sexually transmitted diseases, bacterial vaginosis, HIV, and diabetes-related wound infections that can lead to amputations. Zinc…
Processed Meats and African American Health: Why the Hot Dog Is Hurting Us
What is a processed meat? In the health world, people are frequently told to cut back on “processed meats.” But what are processed meats? They are meats that have been salted, cured, smoked, or fermented, or had preservatives such as…
Stronger, Healthier Nails for Black Women: What Really Helps
Black women take pride in their appearance, right down to the smallest details. Fingernails and toenails are part of that look. Many of my patients want nails that are strong and attractive, and also distinctly their own. Yet many Black…
Lung Cancer in African Americans: Who Should Get Screened and Why It Matters
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it hits Black men especially hard. Black men are more likely than White men to develop and die from lung cancer, even though they smoke fewer…
Breast Cancer in Black Women: Prevention & Precision Care
Getting breast cancer less, but dying from it more Black women get breast cancer slightly less often than white women, yet they die from it at a much higher rate. How is that? This is a “classic” health disparity: less…
Increased Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in African Americans Linked to Poorer Nutrition
STD Infections? Do you have trouble with recurrent sexually transmitted disease (STD) infections? Is bacterial vaginitis a recurrent problem? African Americans have the highest rate of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and bacterial vaginitis in the country while not having much…
Bacterial Vaginosis in Black Women: Causes, Vitamin D and Precision Care
Bacterial vaginosis is not a classic STD, but sex plays a role Bacterial vaginosis (BV), often called bacterial vaginitis, is an imbalance of the bacteria that normally live in the vagina. In a national survey of women ages 14 to…
The Unique Vitamin Needs of African Americans over 50
Because of the increased number of diseases in African Americans over age 50, there are a number of critical vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may be contributing to the increased disease and the premature deaths that we see. As we…
