Dr Oz reveals 3 free ways to boost your health — no medication required

Being healthy doesn’t have to require a hefty price tag. Some of the most beneficial habits are actually completely free, according to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital during the Great American State Fair in the nation's capital, Oz shared three "super simple" health tips that Americans can apply now without spending a dime.

"The best health advice I can give is super simple," he said. "There's nothing healthier than having a good time with the people that you care about."

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Spending time with loved ones can bring tangible health benefits, especially when paired with activities like eating a meal together or doing something active, according to the doctor.

"Do the things that bring you an inner sense of calm so you can sleep at night," he said. "That all comes along with being social."

Oz said that 50% of the human brain is designed to read the face of the person next to you.

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"We wouldn't waste that brain power if it wasn’t important," he said. "We're supposed to be social. We're supposed to interact with others, so spend time doing that."

Some traditionally "healthy" habits such as dieting may help to promote certain health benefits, but Oz cautioned that dieting can also "make you feel lonely."

"We celebrate around food," he said, adding that people can stay socially connected while also maintaining healthy habits.

Adequate sleep is one of the most powerful ways to improve your health — and it doesn't cost a thing.

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"Reducing the stress in your life so you can sleep is probably the single best way, especially as you get older, [to stay] youthful," Oz advised.

"You can try to spend money on medication, but I’m not aware of any that work as well as the natural sleep hygiene tools," he added.

These tools include making the room you’re sleeping in as dark as possible, keeping the temperature cool and avoiding screens before bed. The comfort of a loved one — or even a pet — can also contribute to better sleep, Oz added.

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"Do the things that we know allow us to sleep with more comfort," he said.

When it comes to eating healthier, Oz said the approach is "pretty straightforward."

"Eat real food that comes out of the ground," he recommended.

"These wholesome, real foods are what your brain is looking for," he said. "It's looking for nutrients, not calories."

Oz used nuts as an example of a nutrient-rich, natural food, which he described as "so valuable as a health tool."

"Nuts, which are baby trees, basically, have tons of nutrients," he said. "Yeah, they’ve got calories, but they’ve got so many nutrients in them that it's without question one of the wise things you can do to make your brain healthy."

He added, "If your brain's healthy, it'll stop feeding your mouth."

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Your resting heart rate could reveal more about your health than you think, doctors say

The simple act of noting how fast your heart is beating while you're at rest may be the key to measuring your overall health.

Resting heart rate is defined by Mayo Clinic as the number of times your heart beats each minute while you’re awake, calm and not moving. 

A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults. A slower resting heart rate means the heart does not have the work as heard to pump blood through the body — something typical of someone who is more fit.

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Athletes who are very fit may have a resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute, according to Mayo Clinic.

Your resting heart rate can vary due to a variety of factors, including age, physical activity levels, sleep health, smoking, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, stress, anxiety, hormones, body type and certain medications.

But a resting heart rate that’s often too high or too low may signal a health issue.

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A high resting heart rate, even if it’s slight, is usually a sign that something else may be going on in the body, such as anemia, an infection or a thyroid problem, according to Cleveland Clinic.

If your heart rate is regularly above 100 beats per minute, this is a sign to talk with your heart care provider. 

The same advice applies if you are not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is frequently below 60 beats per minute.

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Talk to your doctor if other symptoms such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath occur.

You can check your own heart rate by tracking your pulse on your wrist or neck. The best time of day to measure resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, says Mayo Clinic. 

Place your index and middle fingers inside the wrist below the thumb, to feel the radial artery; or, do so on the side of the neck, to feel the carotid artery.

Count the number of times your pulse beats in 15 seconds, then multiply this number by four to calculate beats per minute.

Wearable devices can also detect and track resting heart rate, although this may not always be accurate.

If your resting heart rate is higher than normal, there are a few ways to work toward lowering it.

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Vigorous exercise is "the best way" to lower your resting heart rate and increase the heart’s aerobic capacity and max heart rate, according to Harvard.

For those who don’t exercise regularly, it’s important to work your way up in difficulty when following a new workout routine.

Some medications, such as beta blockers, can also lower heart rate. In the same way, managing stress through holistic methods such as meditation or yoga can also help. 

Cleveland Clinic also recommends cutting back on harmful substances such as drugs and alcohol, which can dehydrate you and raise your heart rate.

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Adequate sleep can also help bring your heart rate down, in addition to maintaining a healthy weight.

Cardiologist Tamanna Singh, M.D., shared with Cleveland Clinic that lowering your heart rate takes time as various lifestyle changes kick in.

"Just like building your biceps and triceps, it takes time for your heart to become stronger," the doctor said.

Singh recommended focusing on heart rate patterns rather than dialing in on just the number. 

Take note of how your heart rate changes after eating certain foods, when you’re dehydrated or after you’ve began a new exercise or stress management routine.

"If you notice that your heart rate is consistently over 100, mention it to your doctor, especially if you’ve tried making lifestyle changes and they don’t seem to be working," she said. 

"Your resting heart rate isn’t the be-all, end-all of your health, but it’s definitely a marker that you should pay attention to."

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Coffee may have powerful effect on liver health, major study suggests

The health benefits of morning coffee may go beyond a wake-up call, according to a massive new study linking the beverage to a significantly lower risk of severe liver disease, liver cancer and liver-related death.

Published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the research used data from 354,957 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank.

Researchers tracked individuals who had no history of cirrhosis or liver cancer at the start of the study for an average of 13 years, according to a press release.

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Participants who drank one to two cups of coffee daily showed a 20% lower risk of developing cirrhosis and a 31% lower risk of liver-related mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers.

The protective effects became even more noticeable at higher levels of consumption.

Individuals who drank five or more cups of coffee per day experienced a 32% reduction in cirrhosis risk, a 42% lower risk of liver-related death and a 47% lower risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer.

While previous studies have hinted at coffee's positive relationship with liver health, this study provides biological evidence to support the statistical trends, the researchers said.

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To better understand why coffee may protect the liver, the researchers conducted additional analyses using imaging data from a subgroup of nearly 29,000 participants and blood samples from approximately 50,000 individuals.

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That data showed that heavy coffee drinkers had significantly lower levels of liver fat and liver iron, as well as lower odds of developing fibroinflammation, which is the scarring and inflammation that often precedes permanent liver damage.

The blood analysis linked coffee consumption with lower levels of some proteins known to trigger inflammation and tissue scarring, along with higher levels of proteins essential for healthy liver function.

Notably, the study found that the liver-protective benefits were similar for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that these benefits are driven by naturally occurring compounds not related to caffeine.

While the benefits persisted regardless of whether the coffee was consumed black or with sweeteners, the researchers observed that adding sugar or artificial sweeteners slightly weakened the beneficial effects, particularly concerning markers of liver inflammation.

While these findings suggest that coffee consumption is an accessible dietary habit for supporting liver health, the authors noted that it should serve as a complement rather than a replacement for standard preventative health practices.

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Because the research relied on self-reported dietary questionnaires from the UK Biobank, the findings could be susceptible to changes in participants' coffee-drinking habits over the 13-year follow-up period.

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Additionally, as an observational study, it can only establish a strong correlation and cannot prove cause and effect, as other factors may influence the outcomes.

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Parasitic infection causing ‘explosive’ stomach illness exceeds 1,000 cases in northern state

Cases of cyclosporiasis infections are rising across America, with more than 1,000 people diagnosed in Michigan and more than 500 in Ohio.

This is the largest outbreak of its kind in Michigan's history and one of the country’s largest in years, according to the Associated Press.

The parasitic infection can cause weeks of watery diarrhea. The source of the infections has not been identified and no deaths have been reported.

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Michigan officials announced the outbreak last week following the identification of more than 170 cases since June 22 in the southeastern part of the state. Typically, only about 50 cases are identified in Michigan each year, according to AP.

Similar illnesses have been reported in 28 other states, including neighboring Ohio, where diagnoses have popped up across the Michigan border.

Cases have been climbing since the CDC identified an uptick in infections in mid-June, with illnesses now reported in dozens of states.

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Michigan has now reported more than 1,200 cases and at least 40 hospitalizations. In Ohio, northwest counties have identified more than 500 cases, including at least 306 in Lucas County, according to the latest available local figures.

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Texas has reported at least 48 cases, and illnesses have been identified in numerous other states as health officials investigate the source.

The hallmark symptom of a cyclospora infection is watery, often "explosive" diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says.

Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.

The official outbreak season for the parasite runs from May 1 through Aug. 31, a window where warmer temperatures historically coincide with a spike in infections, according to the CDC.

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While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. The CDC advises anyone experiencing symptoms of cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider for testing and treatment.

The CDC, alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials, is actively investigating several multistate clusters, but they have yet to find a cause behind the spread.

Past infections have reportedly been linked to consuming contamined fruits or vegetables, or being exposed to contaminated irrigation water.

Fresh produce should be washed thoroughly before being eaten, although this may not eliminate the risk of infection, the AP noted.

Michigan officials recommend purchasing salad mixes or whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce. Remove two to three leaves from the outer layer of the lettuce head before washing and cook vegetables when possible.

Fox News Digital's Khloe Quill contributed to this report.

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Eating common dairy food every day may slow biological aging, study suggests

A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body's biological aging process, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Aging, investigated how a diet change and easy exercise regimen affected men between the ages of 50 and 74 over a three-month period.

Researchers designed a clinical trial involving 48 overweight men in Japan. Over a 12-week period, half of the participants followed a strictly structured wellness routine, while the other half maintained their usual habits.

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For the intervention group, the routine required consuming 100 grams of plain yogurt every day.

This group also received individualized dietary counseling that advised them to curb overeating, avoid excessive snacking and cut out sugary drinks.

They were also instructed to walk or use a stepper machine for roughly 30 minutes a day, at least three days each week.

To measure the impact of these changes, the scientists collected blood samples from all participants before and after the study, and also analyzed DNA for chemical changes that act as indicators of cellular age.

Specifically, they used a measurement tool called DunedinPACE. Rather than assessing a person's chronological age in years, this tool calculates the precise rate at which an individual’s body is currently aging.

The men who consumed the probiotic yogurt, adjusted their diets and exercised showed a statistically significant reduction in their pace of aging compared to the control group, the researchers said.

On average, the speed of their biological aging slowed by approximately 2.2%. This reduction is roughly comparable to the slowing of biological aging observed in a previous two-year U.S. study, in which participants reduced their daily calorie intake by 25%.

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This reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss , meaning it did not directly correlate with changes in the participants' body mass index or the exact number of exercise sessions they logged.

The researchers also recorded a noticeable improvement in a specific DNA marker that is linked to kidney function.

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Because this study combined three distinct factors — probiotics, diet and exercise — the authors concluded that the anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component. Instead, the slowed aging rate appears to be the result of a combined effect.

The researchers also acknowledged clear limitations of the study, including its small sample size and short duration. Also, the participant pool was restricted to overweight men of a single nationality.

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More research is needed to determine whether these short-term biological shifts can translate into permanent, long-term health benefits, the study stated.

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Dr Oz links obesity to chronic disease surge, says GLP-1s can 'jumpstart' better health

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have become a prevalent part of American healthcare, and the current administration is getting behind the movement.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in Washington D.C. on July 6, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz voiced his support for the use of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications, like Ozempic, for appropriate uses.

"I'm a fan of GLP-1 drugs when used correctly," he said. "They do help people who are overweight lose weight quite effectively. They're not a replacement for diet and exercise, but they might jumpstart the system so it’s easier for you to use healthier tactics."

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This is especially helpful for those who may have trouble moving due to joint pain or are experiencing internal dysfunction, the doctor said.

Certain GLP-1 drugs are covered by Medicare for overweight candidates with certain conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes, and Oz projected the benefits will continue to benefit taxpayers.

"We believe these are so effective in reducing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that they'll actually save money for the federal taxpayer, because [they're] going to make you healthy enough that you don't have to consume health services," the doctor said.

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"We think about 70% of all the money we spend on healthcare is caused by chronic conditions, and obesity is the No. 1 driver of all that, so it’s a smart decision."

Oz recently announced the launch of the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which will allow more seniors to access GLP-1 drugs for only $50 a month if they meet qualifying health criteria and receive prior authorization from a doctor.

"There are a lot of overweight people who don't have high blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions, so they don't get access to the drug normally," he said. "We want them to have the ability to use it as well."

Although these access shifts could boost Americans' overall health — and in some cases could be lifesaving — Oz noted that there is "no silver bullet" when it comes to these medications.

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"I love the fact that the innovation that's coming out of pharmaceutical companies is allowing us to save lives and make lives better," he said. "But the real secret to longevity is eating right, exercising, sleeping, dealing with the stress of your life, finding some purpose in your existence [and] realizing you have agency over the future."

"These are things that your mom would have told you [and that] you don't need a doctor to be emphasizing."

While GLP-1s may not be a fix-all, combining these medications with foundational health practices "makes a lot of sense," Oz said.

"I don't want people being fat-shamed ... I don't want you feeling guilty that you're gaining weight even though everyone else around you seems to have figured it out," he said. "It's not that simple — our set points for hunger are different. We have different things going on in our lives."

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"But if you realize how precious you are — the temple of the soul is so valuable. It's the greatest gift your parents ever gave you, and you take advantage of every tool out there to make it work … which includes using medications when appropriate. That, to me, is MAHA."

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Katie Couric couldn't remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode

Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.

In a post on Substack titled "The Day I’ll Never Remember," she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.

"I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president," she wrote.

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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.

"I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended," she said.

John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.

After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. "I could tell something was off," he wrote. "It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there."

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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.

An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but "Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent," Molner wrote.

"She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’"

Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.

It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.

"[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience," Molner said.

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Couric said she finally began feeling "like herself" again around 9 p.m., and went to sleep at 2 a.m.

As TGA leaves a "permanent gap in memory" for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a "big, black hole."

Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.

The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a "temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories," Couric shared.

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"Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels."

Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.

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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.

"Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself," Couric wrote.

"All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’"

"While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me."

Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.

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