Monday, April 25th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I am, except for the fact that the NY Rangers just got eliminated from the playoffs (sigh). The Knicks are playing this afternoon...not looking good. Watching the game yesterday almost gave me a heart attack...which brings us to the first topic on Monday's show.

Aspirin. Its a headache cure. It is heart protective. It also causes bleeding, sometimes in the brain. Should you take it? Alfred A. Bartolucci, Ph.D. may have some of the answers. He just completed an analysis of 9 clinical trials looking at whether aspirin prevents heart attacks and death. Find out about the study, and find out if taking aspirin is right for you!

Call us with your aspirin questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I've been told by my wife that men do not think with their brains. Now it turns out that the brains of men and women may be guided by what lives in your digestive tract! Dr. Sven Pettersson, Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institute will be joining us to talk about his new research showing that brain development is guided by the bacteria in your gut! Yes!

Questions about the mind gut interaction? I know I have them! Ask your at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We are going to continue our gut conversation at the top of our second hour! Bert Agus, MD, rheumatologist at NYU Langone and Doctor Radio Regular, will be joining us to talk about the relationship between diseases of the gut, such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. I wonder if bacteria has been implicated in those diseases as well? Find out and call us with your questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical questions at all and I will be glad to answer...anything you forgot to ask your doctor ask me! Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

image source:

Monday, April 18th on The Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119

On Monday, we will be hearing about people who never get sick, people who live with allergies, and of course, people who battle constipation during the Passover Holiday and year round!

Gene Stone followed the advice that every doctor gave him...and still found himself getting sick 3 to 4 times a year. So he started following the advice of people he knew who never got sick...from "prayer to exercise, from hot soup to a cold shower." He will talk with me about his new book, "The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick" and answer your questions.

If you have any questions about avoiding getting sick, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Our next segment is for people who are, unfortunately, sick with allergies. Gwen Smith is the Editor and Co-Founder of "Allergic Living Magazine," which is based in Toronto. Now, like curling and fries with gravy, "Allergic Living" is coming south to the United States! From Recipes to health tips, find out about how this magazine can help you and your loved ones thrive!

Allergy questions: Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

This is the time of year that the Jewish People celebrate Passover...The Seder, The Matzoh, The Constipation. Yes, eating a food that is effectively library paste can have some negative effects on your colon. But you don't have to be Jewish to have constipation, it is an equal opportunity problem. Join me and Dr. Wes Jones, the author of "Cure Constipation Now: A Doctor's Fiber Therapy to Cleanse and Heal" as we talk about constipation from food and other problems: and what you can do about it!

Constipation problems? Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show with "Ask Doctor Ira," where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all. Call me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Want to hear about a topic? Tweet me! @doctorira.

Monday, April 11th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!

I am writing this on Sunday morning while drinking coffee. I really like coffee. Even after I had surgery, the first thing I wanted in the haze of post op was a cup of coffee (which they gave me, although it was watered down so I wouldn't burn myself). So I am extremely excited that Dr. Jack James, the editor of the new Journal of Caffeine Research will be joining us on the phone from the National University of Ireland in Galway.

If there is anything you wanted to know about caffeine give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

For many people, even the thought of caffeine leads to thoughts of reflux: so after our segment on caffeine Dr. Jamie Koufman, the author of "Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure," will be joining us in the studio to talk to us about the growing problems of esophageal reflux in the United States. We'll talk about her extensive research on the subject, as well as going over some new, and odd facts. Such as "freeze dried strawberries may help reduce the risk of esophageal cancer." Really.

Call us with your questions about GERD, NERD, LPR, and anything else heartburn related at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Hepatitis C is a common problem, and, because of its association with drug use, a problem people don't like to talk about. Treatment exists, but it is difficult and not completely effective. But hope is on the way. Join me and hepatologist Dr. Melissa Palmer as we talk about what's going on in the world of hep C.

Call us with your hepatitis C questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We're going to finish the show with "Ask Doctor Ira," where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all...anything you forgot to ask your doctor, ask me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS! You can also tweet me any show ideas or questions you may have!

The use of activated charcoal for gas and bloating.

A listener called today and asked if there was a cancer risk to the use of activated charcoal. I wasn't sure, but thought not. When we grill, the risk (if any!) is in the complicated organic compounds that occur when high heat and meat are exposed to each other. Having said that, I looked it up. In general: Charcoal may or may not be helpful for gas and bloat, such as that caused by IBS. Studies are all conflicting and old

No where did I see anything about a long term cancer risk from the use of activated charcoal. Having said that, there appears to be no studes.

There are enough scary side effects, such as black stools...that I would and do not routinely recommend charcoal use for gas and bloat.

Monday, April 4th, 2011 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!

If you had celiac disease or were living gluten free, how would you feel if somebody dismissed your dietary and health issues outright? That's what one New York City chef recently did. Join me and registered dietitian Rachel Begun, MS, as we talk about the dangers of eating gluten if you do have celiac disease. We will also talk about how to avoid gluten in stores and restaurants, and what you can do if someone with gluten sensitivity is coming to your house!

Call us with you celiac questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Although we may wonder what is in our food, its also a good idea to wonder where our food comes from. The journalist David Kirby has written a new book called "Animal Factory," which documents the medical problems of living near a farm producing meat. Meat is cheap in the United States, but is there a price beyond that which we pay in the supermarket?

Call us with your questions on this fascinating topic at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Next, a topic near and dear to my cranky middle aged male heart: Jed Diamond, PhD, the author of the new book "Mr. Mean," will be coming on the show to discuss male menopause, irritable male syndrome and male type depression. Men, find out whats happening to you. Ladies, find out how to make that man do what he should do?

Cranky middle aged man? Married to one? Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show with ask doctor ira, where you can ask me any questions that you forgot to ask your own doctor...give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

image source: