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Scientist | Longevity Specialist
🔬 Making longevity science easy to understand
đź’ˇ Tips and insights for living a longer, healthier life
🌿 Web: www.longevity-madesimple.com
09/26/2026
Dr. Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
Read our blogs.
You'll receive more detailed, science-based longevity education & tips.
And as always "made simple".
We provide education, not medical advice.
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
A key diet rule that matters?
Eat fewer ultra-processed foods. There are other foundational diet habits but if you had to choose where to start, do it with this one:
Not because every packaged food is automatically bad.
Not because you need to become obsessed with “clean eating.”
And not because one ingredient will magically fix your health.
The bigger idea is much simpler:
Build most of your diet around foods that still look reasonably close to what they started as.
Fruit.
Vegetables.
Eggs.
Fish.
Meat.
Beans.
Potatoes.
Rice.
Oats.
Nuts.
Yogurt.
Whole grains.
Simple meals made from recognizable ingredients.
Because when most of your food comes from minimally processed sources, a lot of other things tend to improve automatically.
You usually get more protein.
More fiber.
More vitamins and minerals.
More filling meals.
Ultra-processed foods are often designed around combinations of refined carbohydrates, fats, salt, flavorings, and textures that make them extremely convenient and addictive.
You know what I mean by addictive: dig into that bag of chips, and the bottom quickly becomes visible.
And often not very filling relative to the calories they contain.
That doesn’t mean you can never eat chips, cookies, cereal, frozen meals, or dessert again.
Try to eat 80% well; and 20% indulge a bit. Start here.
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s proportion of wholesome foods v. ultra-processed.
Check out our 7-day healthy longevity meal plan that provides 21 wholesome recipes, explaining the WHYs of each meal, and a complete, convenient grocery list for you!
https://longevity-madesimple.com/shop/nutrition/meal-plans/7-day-longevity-meal-plan-and-grocery-guide/
We provide education, not medical advice.
Speaker: Gary Brecka
Credits: The Megyn Kelly Show
09/26/2026
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
A study examining frequent eyelash extension users found something most people would never expect to see under a microscope.
Researchers detected Demodex folliculorum mites in 24 out of 25 women who regularly wore eyelash extensions, meaning 96% of the tested participants in that group had the microscopic organisms around their eyelashes.
Demodex mites are tiny organisms that can naturally live inside or near human hair follicles, including around the eyelashes. Their presence alone does not automatically mean someone has an infection or a serious eye problem, but unusually high numbers can be associated with irritation and inflammation.
The researchers also looked at broader eye-health concerns linked with frequent eyelash extension use. Among women who had undergone more than 10 extension procedures, 85% showed signs of meibomian gland dysfunction.
These glands sit along the edges of the eyelids and produce oils that help prevent tears from evaporating too quickly. When they become blocked or dysfunctional, people can experience symptoms such as dryness, burning, irritation, redness and general eye discomfort.
The findings do not prove that eyelash extensions directly cause Demodex mites, especially because these organisms can already exist naturally on human skin. Researchers have said larger controlled studies are still needed to understand exactly how repeated extensions, adhesives, cleaning habits and long-term wear may affect the eyelids.
Still, the study highlights an often-overlooked side of beauty routines: what looks completely normal from the outside can be very different when examined under a microscope.
For anyone who regularly wears eyelash extensions, proper eyelid hygiene, careful cleaning and paying attention to persistent irritation may matter more than most people realize.
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
One of the simplest things you can do after eating may also be surprisingly useful for metabolic health.
Take a WALK.
Dr Casey Means explains how even a brief walk after a meal can help reduce the rise in blood glucose that normally follows eating.
And the mechanism is quite simple.
When our muscles contract during movement, they increase their uptake of glucose from the bloodstream to help meet their energy demands.
Instead of sitting immediately after a meal, getting the muscles working gives some of that circulating glucose somewhere to go.
Research has found that walking after eating can reduce post-meal glucose spikes, and doing it relatively soon after the meal appears particularly helpful.
No intense workout required.
Even light movement can make a difference.
This is one of those longevity habits that is remarkably simple but easy to overlook.
We often think improving metabolic health requires major changes in diet, supplements, or exercise routines.
Sometimes it can be as straightforward as getting up after dinner and WALKING.
Small habits repeated consistently over YEARS are often where the real benefits accumulate.
Speaker: Dr Casey Means
Credits: hubermanlab
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
You may have seen claims that Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines leave mRNA or spike protein lingering in the body—and that this makes the vaccines unsafe.
Here’s what the evidence actually shows:
🧬 mRNA can persist longer than initially thought. Sensitive studies have detected vaccine-derived mRNA in lymph nodes for several weeks—not simply a few days.
🔬 Spike antigen can also persist. Researchers have detected vaccine-related spike material in lymphatic tissue for weeks, where antigen persistence can be part of the normal process of developing immune memory.
đź’‰ The vaccine does not stay exclusively in the arm. Small amounts of lipid nanoparticles can distribute beyond the injection site, particularly to lymphatic tissues.
⚠️ But detection does not equal toxicity. Finding tiny amounts of mRNA or spike does not demonstrate that people continuously produce harmful spike protein or that it causes chronic inflammation, cancer, infertility, or other diseases. Those broader claims have not been established by the evidence.
❤️ There are real, recognized risks. mRNA vaccines are associated with a rare risk of myocarditis/pericarditis, particularly in adolescent and young adult males.
Bottom line: Research has changed our understanding of how long vaccine components may remain detectable. That deserves continued study—but evidence of persistence should not be confused with evidence of harm.
Follow us for evidence-based longevity & health science. 🧬🔬
References:
Röltgen K, et al. Cell. 2022;185:1025–1040.e14. This study reported that vaccine spike antigen and vaccine mRNA could be detected for weeks in draining lymph-node germinal centers after mRNA vaccination.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.01.018. ScienceDirect
Turner JS, et al. Nature. 2021;596:109–113. Demonstrated persistent spike-specific immune responses in draining lymph nodes for at least 12 wks.
We provide education, not medical advice.
Speaker: Dr. Peter McCullough
Credits: The Economic Times (youtube)
09/25/2026
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
Honeybee venom is attracting serious attention in cancer research after laboratory experiments found that it could rapidly destroy certain aggressive breast cancer cells.
Researchers studying triple-negative and HER2-enriched breast cancer found that honeybee venom showed particularly strong activity against these cancer cells. At a specific concentration, the venom caused complete cancer cell death in the laboratory while having far less impact on normal cells.
A major reason appears to be melittin, one of the main active compounds in honeybee venom. Researchers found that melittin can disrupt the membranes of cancer cells extremely quickly, with complete membrane destruction observed within about 60 minutes in the experiment.
The research also suggested that melittin may interfere with important signaling pathways that cancer cells use to grow and reproduce, making it especially interesting for scientists searching for new ways to target aggressive forms of breast cancer.
But there is an important distinction: these results came from laboratory and preclinical research, not from human cancer patients. Honeybee venom is not currently an approved treatment for breast cancer, and the findings do not mean people should attempt to use bee venom themselves.
Researchers are now exploring synthetic versions of melittin and ways to deliver it more precisely, with the long-term goal of determining whether the approach can eventually be tested safely in human clinical trials.
It is still early-stage research, but the findings show how compounds found in nature can sometimes reveal unexpected possibilities for future cancer treatments.
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
Plastic is incredibly convenient.
But when it comes to food and drinks, heating plastic is something worth paying attention to.
Dr. Shanna Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist, explains how certain chemicals found in plastics and food packaging can interfere with the body’s hormone systems. These are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs.
BPA and some phthalates are among the best-studied examples. Exposure can come from food packaging, plastics, pesticides, household products, and other everyday sources.
The important point isn’t that all plastics are automatically dangerous. Heating certain plastics can increase the release of chemicals into food or liquids. Research on BPA, for example, suggests temperature can influence how much is released from some containers.
So, microwaving food in unsuitable plastic containers or leaving plastic water bottles in very hot environments may be unnecessary exposures that are relatively easy to reduce.
Another source many people overlook is thermal paper receipts. Some receipts have historically contained BPA or related compounds, which can transfer onto the skin under certain conditions.
Can we completely eliminate endocrine disruptors?
No.
They are widespread, and avoiding every possible exposure is unrealistic. A better approach is to reduce the exposures we can control.
Use glass, porcelain, or stainless steel for hot foods and beverages when practical. Avoid unnecessarily heating food in plastic, and minimize repeated contact with thermal receipts when you don’t need them.
This may be particularly relevant during pregnancy and childhood, when hormone signaling plays an important role.
The longevity lesson isn’t to fear everyday objects.
It’s to recognize that health is shaped partly by the small exposures we repeat over years.
Be mindful, not alarmed.
Speaker: Dr. Shanna Swan
Credits: Huberman Lab
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
Why do some Japanese women historically report fewer hot flashes during menopause?
The answer is probably much more interesting than one “miracle” food.
Studies comparing populations have found differences in how menopausal symptoms are reported across cultures. Japanese women, for example, have historically reported hot flashes less frequently than women in some Western populations, although menopause experiences vary enormously from person to person.
Diet may be one piece of that puzzle.
Traditional Japanese eating patterns tend to include more soy foods, fish, seaweed, vegetables, and fermented foods than many Western diets.
Soy is especially interesting because it contains isoflavones, naturally occurring compounds that can weakly interact with estrogen receptors in the body. Research suggests soy isoflavones may modestly reduce hot flashes for some women, although the effect is not dramatic and not everyone responds the same way.
Fish also contributes omega-3 fats and other nutrients, while seaweed can be an extremely rich source of iodine.
Iodine matters because the thyroid needs it to produce thyroid hormones, and thyroid problems can sometimes cause symptoms that overlap with menopause, including fatigue, changes in temperature tolerance, sleep problems, and changes in mood.
But this is where wellness claims often get oversimplified.
More iodine is not automatically better.
Speaker: Clive de Carle
Credits:
09/24/2026
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
There’s an ingredient still legally permitted in some American bread that has been prohibited or removed from food use in several other major markets: potassium bromate.
Potassium bromate is a flour treatment agent used to strengthen dough, improve elasticity, and help bread rise more consistently during commercial baking. Under current U.S. federal regulations, it can still be used in certain bread products within specified limits.
The concern comes largely from animal research. Long-term studies in rats found increased rates of kidney and thyroid tumors after exposure to potassium bromate, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” That classification does not mean normal dietary exposure has been proven to cause cancer in people, but it has contributed to much stricter rules elsewhere.
The European Union does not authorize potassium bromate as a food additive, while the United Kingdom, Canada, and China have also removed or prohibited its use in food or flour. That creates a striking regulatory divide: an additive considered unacceptable for food production in several major markets can still legally appear in some U.S. products.
The situation is beginning to change inside the United States too. California has passed legislation prohibiting foods containing potassium bromate starting January 1, 2027, making it one of the clearest state-level moves against the additive.
The easiest way to know whether a product contains it is to check the ingredient list for “potassium bromate.” Many bread manufacturers already produce bromate-free products, so its legal status does not mean it is present in every loaf of bread.
For consumers, it needs to be asked why different countries can examine the same additive, the same animal evidence, and the same food-safety concerns — then arrive at very different rules about whether it belongs in the food supply.
References:
doi: 10.1177/019262339802600501
doi: 10.1289/ehp.9087309
We provide education, not medical advice.
09/23/2026
Dr Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh
Longevity Scientist
A stage 4 cancer survivor spent decades studying what nutrition actually does inside the body.
And the lesson goes far beyond individual “superfoods.”
Fiber supports the gut.
Cruciferous vegetables support the body’s natural detoxification pathways.
Whole plant foods provide nutrients and compounds involved in inflammation, repair, and overall metabolic health.
But the bigger story is happening at the CELLULAR level.
Most people focus on the food itself.
What matters just as much is what those foods help the body do once they are absorbed.
Inside our cells is where energy is produced, where repair takes place, and where many of the processes associated with aging gradually unfold.
That is why nutrition is not simply about eating one particular food because it is “healthy.”
It is about consistently giving the body the nutrients and raw materials it needs to maintain the systems that keep us functioning well.
And this is where longevity comes in.
Most people try to improve energy, inflammation, recovery, and aging as separate problems.
But many of these processes are connected through cellular health.
Support the cells, and you support the systems built from them.
Healthy aging starts much deeper than what we see on the outside.
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