This past fourth of July our small group spent our dinner at Mary Yoders in Middlefield, Ohio. If you live in Northeast Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, or would like to vacation in Amish country this is the place. Cleveland is only 20 or so miles away.
Nestled in the heart of Northeast Ohio’s Amish Country, Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, Bakery, and Gift Shop is located in Middlefield, Ohio in Geauga County. Middlefield is the center of the fourth largest Amish community in the world!
Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen opened in 1987 and is owned by Dan and Rita Miller. We offer a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner; a bakery; a private banquet room; and a gift shop that features a wide selection of handmade items.
For added convenience, they also have an online store, where you can order baked goods and gifts and have them shipped directly to your doorstep!
The restaurant’s menu centers on home‑cooked classics and family‑style meals that reflect authentic Amish hospitality:
All‑You‑Can‑Eat Amish Dinner Buffet — roast beef, oven‑baked or broasted chicken, ham, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles, macaroni & cheese, creamed corn, green beans, salad bar, and homemade rolls.
Signature Entrées — slow‑roasted pork, roast turkey (all white meat), Amish‑style roast beef, baked or broasted chicken, and meatloaf.
Sandwiches & Soups — made on homemade bread with local Middlefield Swiss cheese; favorites include the corned‑beef Reuben, Yoder’s Ground Steak, and chicken‑salad sandwich.
Desserts & Bakery — house‑made pies, cakes, cookies, and breads available in the adjoining bakery and gift shop.
Family‑Style Dining Tradition — everyone at the table orders the same meal type, echoing Amish home dining customs.
Prices generally range from $10 – $20 per entrée, There’s a different special Monday thru Friday.
Lynn C. Allison, a Newsmax health reporter, is an award-winning medical journalist and author of more than 30 self-help books.
When it comes to heart health, timing when you eat may matter just as much as what you eat.
A new study from researchers at Northwestern University found that eating dinner at least three hours before bedtime may improve cardiovascular health over time.
Scientists reported that “among middle-aged and older adults who are at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease, extending the participants’ overnight fast by about two hours, dimming the lights, and not eating for three hours prior to bedtime improved measures of cardiovascular and metabolic health during sleep, as well as during the daytime,” according to Real Simple.
Researchers say the benefits may be linked to the body’s circadian rhythm — the internal clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles. The digestive system is closely connected to this rhythm. Allowing enough time to digest food before sleep helps the body process nutrients more efficiently and supports healthy metabolic and cardiovascular function.
This sleep-aligned fasting may also improve blood sugar control.
Poor cardiovascular health is associated with a higher risk of chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. Researchers note that only about 6.8% of American adults currently meet the criteria for optimal cardiovascular health.
In the seven-week study, participants who finished eating at least three hours before bedtime experienced measurable improvements. Their blood pressure dropped by about 3.5%, while heart rate decreased by roughly 5%.
Participants also showed better daytime blood sugar control, suggesting that sleep-aligned fasting may help regulate both glucose levels and insulin production.
The takeaway: finishing dinner earlier in the evening may provide meaningful benefits for heart and metabolic health. Allowing the body time to digest before sleep helps prevent late-night spikes in blood sugar and cholesterol, while supporting the body’s natural circadian rhythm and overall cardiovascular function.
Our family will attend one of the Pancake and Sauage breakfasts.
What’s happening now (late Feb–early March 2026)
Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Hale Farm & Village, and stops along the Ohio Maple Madness Driving Trail are already hosting maple demonstrations and pancake breakfasts starting February 28.
These early-season events focus on tapping, sap collection, and boiling — the most educational part of the season.
🍁 Mid‑season events (March 2026)
Most parks and farms across Northeast Ohio run maple weekends throughout March. Common features include:
Tree tapping demos
Sugarhouse tours
Maple candy making
Pancake breakfasts
Historical reenactments (e.g., pioneer and Native American sugaring methods)
The broader Ohio maple season typically lasts mid‑February through early April, depending on freeze–thaw cycles.
🍁 Major festival: Geauga County Maple Festival (Chardon)
This is the region’s anchor event — and in 2026, it’s the 100th anniversary.
Tappin’ Sunday: March 1, 2026 (Chardon Square)
Festival dates:April 23–26, 2026
Location: Chardon Square, Geauga County
Notes: Oldest maple festival in the U.S.; rides, contests, syrup judging, parades.
Nora Kurtz is a writer and contributor associated with the Geauga Amish Historical Library (also called the Geauga Amish History Center). She writes articles about Amish life, culture, and traditions in Northeast Ohio, including Geauga County’s large Amish community. She also writes for Southeast Geauga Quarterly published by Shetler Business Solutions.
Please show respect. If after you read the article and have questions, I’ll send them to Nora.
By Nora Kurtz.
Anyone who lives in or around a large Amish
community is probably going to be at least somewhat
familiar with ‘Amish food’.
Fried chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed
vegetables, pies and puddings are classic wedding fare
for the community and can be found in any Amish-
owned or Amish-themed restaurant.
Some dishes are more prominent in one Amish
community than another. You would be hard-pressed to
find snitz pie (made with dried apples) in Geauga
County, but it is widespread among the Lancaster, PA
Amish families.
Pickled goods such as beets and eggs, cornmeal mush
and tomato gravy, whoopee pies, sauerkraut, soft
pretzels and homemade root beer and other foodstuffs
can be found in varying degrees across all
communities.
There is, however, a dish much lesser known outside
the Amish. This is a group of milk-based soups that can
be served hot or cold.
The Amish trace their roots to the mountains of
Switzerland during the Reformation and later to the
Rhine River Valley of southern Germany. Among the
lower class of that later region, one dish dominated the
foodscape called ‘Mus’, the ancestor of the unique dairy
soups and stews the Amish enjoy today. The base for
creating this dish was milk, lard, salt and eggs. Upper
class people could afford to add sugar and flour.
The consistency of this soup would range from
porridge-like owing to the addition of various grains to a
thin broth. Typically, in the broth form, beans, meat and
seasonal vegetables were added.
When eaten cold, fruit and honey replaced the savories
along with the addition of crumbled bread.
Three main soups still eaten among the Geauga County
Amish reflect this culinary heritage.
Growing up, in the strawberry season, my mother would
bake a dense, sweetened biscuit-like cake that very
much resembles shortbread. This was crumbled into a
bowl with heaps of fresh strawberries, a dash of sugar
and milk poured over the whole of it. This was a treat,
since strawberries were seasonal and was eaten as a
main dish, not dessert.
The 2 nd dish is a popular church meal, especially during
the winter months.
You first need homemade bread, cut or torn into large
chunks and left out for a day or so to become crusty.
Butter is browned in the bottom of large stockpots, milk
is added, seasoned with salt, and heated until barely
simmering. When hot enough, the bread is added along
with navy beans. This is called bean soup or bread
soup and ideally served with lots of black pepper.
My grandfather used to eat this with apple pie and I
don’t mean as separate dishes. The slice of pie would
go in a large soup bowl and this mixture was ladled
directly over the top. The contrast of flavors and
textures are surprising and not at all unpleasant.
The third soup is not unique to the Amish but was
adopted during colonial America, likely because it so
closely resembled ‘Mus’ and that is the oyster soup or
stew made simply with butter, salt, milk and fresh
oysters. A Christmas staple for many of our families, it
is always served alongside ham.
I was made aware that my love for these dishes may be
somewhat of an acquired taste when a friend from
another Amish community was in for a visit and tried the
bean soup for the first time. In her careful words, “I
would probably eat it again, but not right away.”
We also have several extended family members who
did not grow up eating oyster stew for the holidays, so
we serve ham and potato soup as well for Christmas.
Foods that bring back memories of the past can satisfy
the soul as much as the palate. We all have memories
associated with eating a special dish, especially around
the holidays and it can be bittersweet. May we all be so
fortunate to occasionally indulge in the good memories
brought back by the simple act of eating a beloved food with loved ones.
It started around 1990. It was added onto my Cleveland sales territory. Considering how country and the small towns, I wasn’t expecting much. But after a year I had added about five new customers. Nice dollar volume customers.
When I left the company, I was working for, I had over 20 accounts. I had schools, hotels, restaurants, clinics, butchers, etc. The people, food, unbelievable. To this day I still have contacts and friends.
If you wish to know more about the Amish?
Geauga Amish History Center (formerly Geauga Amish Historical Library)
The center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 with a mission focused on collecting, preserving, and presenting Amish, Mennonite, and Anabaptist history. It houses one of the region’s most significant collections related to the Geauga Amish settlement.
Key features
Extensive archives of books, documents, and artifacts dating back to the 16th century
Clothing, tools, journals, magazines, and genealogy materials documenting Amish life
A gift shop featuring authentic Amish handcrafts made by artisans from teens to elders
Open to individuals, tour groups, and schools
Located at 15848 Nauvoo Road, Middlefield, OH 44062
Major Amish‑Country Businesses in the Middlefield Area
🍽️ 1. Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen.
The best‑known Amish‑style restaurant in Middlefield, with a bakery, gift shop, and banquet room. Owned by Dan & Rita Miller.
🧺 2. The Amish Country Market
A major retail stop for Amish‑made foods, bulk goods, baked items, and local crafts. It’s one of the most visible non‑restaurant Amish businesses in town and a common visitor anchor.
🧀 Additional Core Amish‑Country Businesses.
These are the other major establishments that define Middlefield’s Amish‑country identity. They don’t appear in the structured search because they’re smaller or not categorized as “major attractions,” but they are well‑known pillars of the local Amish economy.
Middlefield Original Cheese Co‑op — Amish‑run cheese factory producing curds, Swiss, and local specialties.
Heritage Marketplace — Multi‑vendor Amish market with baked goods, bulk foods, and handcrafted items.
Nauvoo Family Market — Large Amish grocery and bulk‑foods store with a deli, bakery, and produce.
Ridgeview Farm & Country Market — Amish farm market offering produce, baked goods, and seasonal events.
Middlefield Bakery — One of the most established Amish bakeries in the region.
End of the Commons General Store (Mesopotamia, but part of the same tourism loop) — Oldest general store in Ohio, heavily Amish‑connected.
Amish furniture shops — Numerous small woodworking shops producing custom furniture; these are economically significant even if individually small.
Met Amish in Holmes County, Lancaster, and New Wilmington. Geauga County with the Amish and Maple Festivals wins hands down.
Ever since I was in the third grade I went to a DO. My appendix burst and the doctor saved my life. Since then, my doctors of choice have been DO’s. Below is my main reason.
Comparable Medical Training + Extra Skills
DOs take the same core medical sciences, complete the same residencies, and practice in all specialties. The difference is that they add OMT and a holistic framework on top of the standard medical curriculum.
Cooking is often considered an art form, a science, and sometimes a vital survival skill. From the humble home kitchen to the bustling world of restaurants, the role of a cook is multifaceted and demanding. But what does it truly take to be a cook? This article delves deep into the essential skills, attributes, and the journey one must undertake to master the culinary world.
The Essence of Cooking
At its core, cooking is about creating sustenance that not only nourishes the body but also delights the palate. The journey to becoming a skilled cook isn’t just about following recipes; it’s about understanding flavors, textures, and techniques that bring dishes to life.
The Importance of Passion
Every aspiring cook should start with a fundamental ingredient: passion. This drive towards culinary arts often fuels the long hours and strenuous demands of the profession. Without a genuine love for food and cooking, it can be challenging to withstand the pressures of a busy kitchen.
Essential Skills for Cooks
To succeed in the diverse world of cooking, one needs to cultivate various skills. Here are a few essential skills that every cook should develop:
Knife Skills: Proficiency in using kitchen knives is crucial. This includes chopping, dicing, and julienning, which greatly affect not only preparation time but also dish presentation.
Time Management: The ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage cooking times efficiently is vital, especially in high-pressure environments like restaurant kitchens.
Education and Training
While passion and skills are important, formal education and training also play a pivotal role in a cook’s journey. Many cooks opt for culinary school, but it’s not the only path.
Culinary Schools vs. Apprenticeships
Culinary schools offer structured programs that cover a variety of cooking techniques, safety and sanitation practices, and menu planning. Here’s a comparison of both educational paths:
Aspect
Culinary Schools
Apprenticeships
Duration
Typically 6 months to 2 years
1 to 4 years
Cost
Can be expensive
Often paid opportunities
Experience
Hands-on in-class experience
Real-world kitchen experience
Continuous Learning
The culinary field is dynamic and ever-evolving. Great cooks are not only skilled but are also lifelong learners. From attending workshops and seminars to experimenting with new ingredients and techniques at home, staying current is essential to maintaining your edge in the industry.
Understanding Ingredients
One of the hallmarks of a skilled cook is a deep understanding of ingredients. It’s not just about knowing how to cook, but also knowing how to choose and handle food items effectively.
Fresh vs. Processed Ingredients
Choosing between fresh and processed ingredients can significantly influence the quality and healthiness of the dishes. Fresh ingredients often have better flavor and nutritional value, but processed foods can save time and effort without sacrificing too much in terms of flavor when used correctly.
Seasonality and Sourcing
Understanding what ingredients are in season allows cooks to create dishes that are not only fresher but also more cost-effective. Moreover, knowing local suppliers can enhance dish quality and support community businesses.
Culinary Techniques and Methods
Becoming a proficient cook requires mastering a variety of cooking techniques and methods.
Fundamental Cooking Techniques
Here are some fundamental techniques every cook should know:
Sautéing: Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat.
Baking: Using dry heat to cook food evenly, typically in an oven.
Garnishing and Plating
Presentation is key in the culinary world. The way a dish is garnished and plated often impacts diners’ perceptions and experiences. Here are some aspects to consider:
Color and Texture
Utilizing contrasting colors and textures not only makes dishes visually appealing but also enhances the overall eating experience.
Portion Control
Understanding proper portion sizes is essential to maintain balance on the plate and ensure that guests can enjoy their meals without waste.
The Importance of Soft Skills
Beyond technical skills, soft skills are also crucial in a cook’s career.
Teamwork and Communication
Cooks often work as part of a larger team within a kitchen. Effective communication can make a significant difference in a smooth-running kitchen. Teamwork fosters collaboration and efficiency during service periods.
Stress Management
The culinary world can be stressful, especially during peak hours. Developing strategies to manage stress will not only improve performance but also contribute to a positive workplace atmosphere.
If you need another reason to brush and floss, here it is: Research suggests keeping your mouth healthy might also protect your brain and heart.
Two new studies published Oct. 22 in Neurology Open Access linked gum disease and cavities to a higher risk of stroke and brain damage.
In the first study, adults with gum disease were more likely to have white matter changes in their brains.
“Gum disease is associated with a higher chance of inflammation, and inflammation has been tied to atherosclerosis as well as hardening of the small blood vessels, as we saw in this study,” study author Dr. Souvik Sen, a professor of neurology at the University of South Carolina, told CBS News.
In the second study, Sen’s team found that people with both gum disease and cavities had an 86% higher risk of stroke compared to those with healthy teeth and gums.
“If you have cavities on top of gum disease, it is double trouble. It means your risk of stroke or adverse heart event doubles,” Sen explained.
The good news: Regular oral care can make a big difference.
Brushing and flossing daily, along with routine dental visits, were linked to an 81% lower risk of stroke among participants who maintained those healthy oral habits, Sen said.
While the research does not prove that poor oral health directly causes stroke, it adds to growing evidence that inflammation in the mouth may play a role in heart and brain health.
Globally, 3.5 billion people suffer from gum disease or cavities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Further, more than 795,000 Americans have a stroke each year, according to the American Heart Association. Experts say maintaining healthy teeth and gums could be one simple way to reduce that risk.
Never Eat These 8 Foods Past Their Expiration Date.
Even if food is stored properly, experts caution against eating certain items after their expiration date. While “sell by” dates posted on supermarket products often indicate peak freshness — and some foods can still be safe shortly after those dates — expiration or “use by” dates are different. Once a product passes that point, it may harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause illness.
According to Real Simple, consuming certain foods after their expiration date can increase the risk of exposure to harmful pathogens. Here are some of the biggest offenders to watch out for:
• Deli meats. Processed meats such as ham, turkey, and roast beef are highly perishable and can quickly develop harmful bacteria like Listeria after their expiration date. These should always be eaten by the “use by” date.
• Raw meat. Dr. Cynthia Odogwu warns that raw meats—including chicken, beef, and pork—are likely to spoil after their expiration date and can grow dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli, both of which can cause serious foodborne illness.
• Dairy products. Milk, soft cheeses, and yogurt can spoil quickly and harbor harmful bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, especially when past their expiration date. Unpasteurized cheeses, such as some versions of Brie and Camembert, should be discarded once they expire because they can become contaminated with Listeria.
• Baby formula. “This is the most important one on the list,” says Don Schaffner, a food microbiologist and distinguished professor at Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. “It’s the sole source of nutrition for babies being fed formula. We know it contains the listed nutrients until the date on the label. But feeding your baby this after that date could be contributing to a nutrient deficiency.” According to Prevention, baby formula should always be thrown out after the “use by” date.
• Eggs. While eggs can sometimes last a little past their sell-by date if properly refrigerated, it’s safest to consume them by the expiration date to avoid the risk of Salmonella.
• Fresh seafood. Fish and shellfish spoil very quickly and can cause serious foodborne illnesses if eaten after their expiration date. It’s best to enjoy seafood the day it’s purchased.
• Prepared salads. Store-bought salads made with mayonnaise or dairy (such as potato or chicken salad) should be consumed by their expiration date to avoid bacterial contamination. “Throw out pre-package, ready-to-eat salads once they expire,” advises Odogwu.
• Mushrooms. Spoiled mushrooms can harbor botulism or other dangerous toxins. If they appear slimy or discolored, they should be discarded immediately. To help mushrooms stay fresh longer, store them in a paper bag lined with a paper towel in the refrigerator to prevent excess moisture buildup.
A new study has revealed that verbal fluency may play a surprising role in longevity. By improving your verbal skills, you may also improve your lifespan.
Verbal fluency refers to the ability to quickly and efficiently produce words in response to a specific prompt or category. It draws on vocabulary knowledge as well as key cognitive processes, including memory, attention, and executive functioning. Doctors often use verbal fluency tests to assess brain health and cognitive performance.
Lead author of the study, Paolo Ghisletto, said that the physical body is closely connected to mental, emotional, and cognitive processes, so when one area begins to decline with age, the others often follow, according to Real Simple.
The study, published in Psychological Science, concluded that because verbal fluency relies on multiple cognitive processes — including long-term memory, vocabulary, processing efficiency, and visual memory — it can serve as a strong indicator of overall well-being.
Here are some simple ways to build and maintain verbal fluency throughout life:
• Name tasks. Set a timer for 90 seconds and choose a category, such as animals found in a zoo or words that start with the letter “S.” Name as many as you can before the timer runs out. This can be a fun family game in the car on a road trip, according to Real Simple.
• Engage socially. “People who stay verbally active through conversation, reading, or teaching tend to live longer and maintain better cognitive function,” says neurologist Dr. Kimberly Idoko. Talking regularly with others is an excellent way to stay socially engaged and keep language skills sharp.
• Storytelling. Experts say that storytelling develops listening skills, enhances verbal expression, increases comprehension, creates mental images, and improves verbal reasoning. You can begin by journaling or taking a creative writing course to build these skills.
• Learning a new language. Learning another language is associated with growth in the hippocampus, the brain region tied to memory, learning, and emotional processing. Since the hippocampus is one of the first areas affected by memory decline, strengthening it through language learning can help preserve cognitive function.
A dump & bake dessert is the ultimate sweet treat for anyone who loves delicious results without the fuss. Imagine this: you grab a handful of pantry staples, dump them into a baking dish—no mixing bowls, no fancy techniques—and then bake until golden, gooey, and glorious. That’s it!
It’s dessert magic in one pan.
Whether it’s a fruity cobbler, a chocolatey cake, or a creamy pudding, dump & bake desserts are all about simplicity meets indulgence. You layer, sprinkle, pour, and let the oven do the heavy lifting. The result? A warm, comforting dessert that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen (but you didn’t).
Dump & Bake Pumpkin Crisp
INGREDIENTS (Serves 12-15)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix
1 C. chopped pecans
½ C. toffee bits, optional
1 C. butter, melted
Cream cheese frosting or whipped cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350° and grease 1 9×13″ baking pan.
Dump the pumpkin puree into the prepped pan. Add the evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well blended, scraping down the sides of the pan.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the pecans and toffee bits over the cake mix. Drizzle the butter evenly over the top.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until set and golden brown. Cool before cutting.
Serve at room temperature or chilled with frosting or whipped cream.
Cover songs—modern music is practically built off of them. Artists interpreting other artists’ work has been around since the dawn of compositions, and they’ve been particularly popular here in the United States since World War II. A common practice among traditional pop spheres, folks like Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong built much of their legacies off of taking someone else’s song and turning it into their own unique wonder. Years ago, the Paste staff compiled a “50 covers better than the original” list and updated it in 2022, but the music section has opted to take it all one step further and chart over 70 years of modern music and decide which translations are the best of the best.
Jane Goodall's 10 Healthy Habits to Boost Longevity. (Dreamstime)
Views: 20
Jane Goodall’s 10 Healthy Habits to Boost Longevity.
Jane passed at the age of 91.Here are 10 habits that contributed to Goodall’s long, healthy life:
1. A Strong Sense of Purpose
Goodall’s mission never wavered. Research shows that having a sense of purpose is linked to lower rates of depression, greater resilience, and longer life. According to The Healthy, she actually worked harder in her later years, traveling 300 days a year, to spread her message of hope.
2. Optimism
In her 2021 book, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, Goodall shared reasons for optimism — even when facing climate change and other daunting global challenges.
3. Time in Nature
Spending countless hours in forests observing chimpanzees, Goodall benefited from what science now confirms: exposure to green spaces improves sleep, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic disease risk, and even lengthens life expectancy, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
4. Walking Daily
Goodall’s fieldwork meant hours of trekking through rugged terrain, giving her a natural full-body workout. She kept active throughout her life — even during her speaking tours. “I think the most important thing is to keep active, and to hope that your mind stays active,” she said in 2010.
5. Plant-Based Diet
Goodall championed a mostly plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, while minimizing animal products. She credited her diet with maintaining her vitality. Studies confirm that plant-based eating lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
6. Cultivating Calm
“I’ve cultivated a way that I don’t get stressed very often,” she said in a 2017 interview. Her calm demeanor came from meditation, mindfulness, and years of quietly waiting, notebook in hand, for chimpanzees in the forest.
7. Love of Animals
Though best known for her groundbreaking work with primates, Goodall adored dogs. She said they gave her unconditional love — joy and comfort that nurtured her emotional well-being.
8. Practicing Self-Care
Despite a hectic schedule, Goodall recognized the importance of maintaining balance in life. She made time to care for herself physically and mentally. “It’s not selfish,” she wrote in her Good for All newsletter, stressing the importance of balance.
9. Building Strong Relationships
Although her early work was solitary, she later surrounded herself with trusted colleagues and the young people in her Roots & Shoots program. Decades of research, including the Harvard Longevity Study, show that close relationships are one of the strongest predictors of a long life.
10. Living Simply
Goodall valued simplicity. She carried her own tea kettle so she could make tea anywhere, avoided hotel housekeeping, and minimized possessions. Gratitude for life’s small comforts, along with reduced clutter, is linked to better physical and mental health.
Lynn C. Allison, a Newsmax health reporter, is an award-winning medical journalist and author of more than 30 self-help books.
A person’s risk of pancreatic cancer might be tied to the microbes living in their mouths, a new study says.
People have a more than tripled risk of pancreatic cancer if their mouths contain 27 types of bacteria and fungi, including some directly linked to gum disease, researchers reported Sept. 18 in JAMA Oncology.
“It is clearer than ever that brushing and flossing your teeth may not only help prevent periodontal disease but may also protect against cancer,” co-senior author Dr. Richard Hayes, a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.
Pancreatic cancer is considered a “silent killer,” because there are few effective screening methods for catching it early. That makes it a highly lethal cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 13%, researchers said in background notes.
Previous studies have shown that bacteria can travel through swallowed saliva into the pancreas, increasing cancer risk for those with poor oral health.
However, it’s not been clear which microbes specifically contribute to pancreatic cancer, researchers said.
For the study, researchers analyzed saliva samples taken from more than 122,000 Americans participating in two large-scale studies of cancer screening and prevention.
The team identified 445 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and compared their saliva samples to those taken from a random 445 people who remained cancer-free.
Researchers identified 20 different types of bacteria and four types of fungi that affect pancreatic cancer risk.
They also linked pancreatic cancer to three bacteria already known to contribute to gum disease — Porphyromonas gingivalis, Eubacterium nodatum and Parvimonas micra.
Altogether, the entire group of microbes increased pancreatic cancer risk by nearly 3.5 times, results show.
“By profiling bacterial and fungal populations in the mouth, oncologists may be able to flag those most in need of pancreatic cancer screening,” co-senior author Jiyoung Ahn, a professor of population health and medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.
However, researchers noted that because the study is observational, it can’t draw a direct cause-and-effect link between oral health and pancreatic cancer.
The team next plans to explore whether oral viruses might contribute to cancer and how the mouth’s microbiome might affect patients’ chances of survival.
New study suggests exercise can reduce dementia risk
Board-certified rheumatologist Dr. Mahsa Tehrani discusses how weight training could reduce the risk of dementia on ‘America Reports.’
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Dementia risk nearly doubles among those with common sleep disorder, study finds.
In the latest evidence of the direct relationship between sleep and health, researchers have found that chronic insomnia can significantly increase dementia risk.
That equates to a three-year acceleration of brain aging, according to the study, which was published in Neurology, the journal from the American Academy of Neurology.
The study followed 2,750 cognitively healthy older adults averaging 70 years of age over a period of more than 5-½ years. Roughly 16% of them suffered from chronic insomnia, according to a press release for the study.
“Chronic insomnia” is defined as a struggle to fall and/or stay asleep — which is different than people trying to pursue the “perfect sleep,” according to study author Diego Z. Carvalho, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“Chronic insomnia was associated with a 40% increased risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia,” Carvalho, who is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology, told Fox News Digital.
Researchers have found that chronic insomnia can significantly increase dementia risk. (iStock)
Over the course of the study, 14% of the people with chronic insomnia developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, compared to 10% of those who did not have the sleep disorder.
The researchers were surprised to find that participants with chronic insomnia who reported sleeping more than usual had fewer white matter spots in the brain — areas where small vessel disease may have damaged brain tissue, which have been linked to cerebrovascular disease.
Additional tests also found that this group scored lower in thinking skills. This was after adjusting for other factors like age, high blood pressure, sleep medications and sleep apnea diagnoses.
“Participants with chronic insomnia with perceived reduced sleep duration had poorer brain health, according to brain imaging findings linked to Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease,” Carvalho said.
“The study emphasizes that even a short period of chronic insomnia can lead to potential detrimental cognitive effects later in life.”
People who had the APOE ε4 gene, which is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s, were more likely to show bigger declines in memory and thinking skills, the study found.
Based on these findings, chronic insomnia could be a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia, according to Carvalho.
“Chronic insomnia” is defined as a struggle to fall and/or stay asleep — which is different than people trying to pursue the “perfect sleep,” the lead researcher said. (iStock)
“This reinforces the importance of treating chronic insomnia — not just to improve sleep quality, but potentially to protect brain health as we age,” he said. “Our results also add to a growing body of evidence that sleep isn’t just about rest — it’s also about brain resilience.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News in New York, was not involved in the study, but said that it shows an “important association” between sleep deprivation and dementia or cognitive impairment.
waste products during sleep, and that sleep is restorative to brain cells — but we still don’t know whether the effect observed here is directly due to inattention from sleeplessness (on testing) and memory effects that could be short term,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The issue of actual neurodegeneration due to insomnia is probable, but not proven by this study.”
Participants with chronic insomnia who reported sleeping more than usual had fewer white matter spots in the brain — areas where small vessel disease may have damaged brain tissue, which have been linked to cerebrovascular disease. (iStock)
The cognitive decline could be directly due to the insomnia itself or to the breakdown of brain function that occurs as a result, Siegel added.
Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, confirmed that chronic insomnia has long been known to lead to health concerns, both neurologically and non-neurologically.
“The study emphasizes that even a short period of chronic insomnia can lead to potential detrimental cognitive effects later in life,” Murray, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
“The study also showed chronic insomnia seems to alter the structure of the brain by increasing white matter changes commonly seen in patients with vascular pathology, such as hypertension and diabetes.”
Potential limitations
The study did have some limitations, the researcher noted.
“We did not have instruments to assess the severity of insomnia at baseline or over time,” Carvalho told Fox News Digital. “We lack longitudinal objective sleep data to look at sleep duration estimates over the years.”
“Tracking does not help with your sleep — good sleep practices do.”
The researchers were also unable to adjust for which patients received treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, such as CPAP therapy.
“We also did not have full information on the duration of usage or doses of sleep medication,” Carvalho added.
He also reiterated that the study does not prove that insomnia directly causes brain aging, only that there is an association between the two.
Tips to improve sleep
Anyone suffering from insomnia on a frequent basis should talk with their physician about ruling out potential medical reasons, Lee advised.
“Treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy, or pharmaceutical therapy may be an option,” he said.
The researchers recommended adopting better sleep practices, including cutting out caffeinated beverages in the afternoon, cutting down on alcohol consumption, avoiding large meals or exercise before going to bed, and reducing exposure to electronics prior to bedtime.
The researcher did warn that pursuit of the “perfect sleep” can sometimes lead to an obsession with excessive tracking of sleep data, leading to “performance anxiety,” which can end up having the opposite effect.
Carvalho also urged caution when it comes to taking a pill for better sleep.
The researchers recommended adopting better sleep practices, including cutting out caffeinated beverages in the afternoon, cutting down on alcohol consumption, avoiding large meals or exercise before going to bed, and reducing exposure to electronics prior to bedtime. (iStock)
“Although sleep medications can help and are available for patients with chronic insomnia, they do not work very well in the long run if good sleep practices are not adopted,” he said. “There is no solution for poor sleep issues that does not start with the patient doing the right things.”
Murray echoed the importance of good sleep hygiene, including not using electronic devices in bed and limiting the amount of light exposure in the room to enhance the quality of sleep.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, GHR Foundation, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and a grant from Sleep Number Corporation to the Mayo Clinic.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
