Show 1086: Why Dogs Are Good for Babies' Health

Dogs and Babies' Health:

Most young kids love their dogs. New research shows that even babies too young to play with the pet benefit from a dog in the house. What is the story on pets as probiotics? How do dogs affect the microbiome of a household, and how does that help babies' health?

What Are the Pros and Cons of Red Yeast Rice?

Many people have turned to the popular supplement red yeast rice as an alternative to statin drugs for lowering cholesterol. Where does red yeast rice come from and how well does it work? (The article on red yeast rice causing less muscle fatigue than simvastatin was published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, May 18, 2017). What should you know about potential downsides, such as contamination with citrinin?

A recent analysis showed that over-the-counter red yeast rice supplements are not labeled with the amount of active ingredient. This research, funded by Consumer Reports, was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (June 23, 2017).

We discuss the difficulties of purchasing a reliable brand of red yeast rice with Dr. Tod Cooperman of ConsumerLab.com. (There's no connection between Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com.)

We talked about a study showing that melatonin twice a day can counteract elevated liver enzymes during statin treatment. That was published in BioMed Research International, May 29, 2017).

This Week's Guests:

Tod Cooperman, MD, is the founder and President of ConsumerLab.com and PharmacyChecker.com.

Jordan Peccia, PhD, is Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University School of Engineering & Applied Science. He is also the director of Yale Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Studies. His research group applies classical and molecular biology techniques to solve environmental problems.