Happy one millionth podcast! Let's review the best of 2015 so far

Intelligent Medicine reached a major milestone this summer when we tallied our ONE-MILLIONTH download of the Intelligent Medicine podcast series.

We are grateful to all of you who have made this achievement possible. Thanks for your vote of confidence!

Intelligent Medicine podcasts comprise rebroadcasts of the full two hours of our weekend radio program as well as interviews with luminaries in the field of integrative medicine, our popular weekly episode of "Q&A with Leyla" wherein we answer listener questions, as well as special Clinical Focus programs that take an in-depth look at topics related to nutrition and natural medicine.

There's a handy index to our podcasts on our website.

I'm proud to report that our ratings on iTunes are uniformly positive, with many lovely comments like this: "Long time listener-Dr. Hoffman has such a balanced approach to health and nutrition, giving us the most sound info possible. I could go on and on about how great he is. Instead, just listen and learn."

We love to get your feedback, so post your comments on iTunes, Sticher, Facebook, or Twitter, and help spread the word to friends and family.

Meanwhile, here's a small sampling of some of our top Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2015:

1) "Clinical Focus: Natural Treatment of Prostate Cancer": Strong evidence is accumulating for the benefits of healthy diet, stress reduction, and exercise for boosting prostate cancer prevention and influencing survival once it's diagnosed. Discover how lifestyle and diet can affect cancer risk and progression in this illuminating podcast - plus, I give you the top 20 supplements for those concerned about prostate cancer.

"2) Why is Lyme Disease So Hard to Diagnose?" with Dr. Leo Galland: Cases of Lyme Disease tend to explode during the summer. Join us with Dr. Leo Galland as we discuss how to tell whether patients still have Lyme Disease, or, as conventional Infectious Disease doctors suggest, are just suffering from "Post-Lyme Syndrome?" Could they be suffering the deleterious effects of all the antibiotics they received? Is there a role for natural therapies in the treatment of Lyme Disease? And other such questions.

"3) "Are Statins Really Safe?" with Dr. Peter Langsjoen: A scientist and a cardiologist, Dr. Peter Langsjoen inherited the legacy of his father, who was one of the first to recognize the benefits of CoEnzyme Q10. In this podcast, Dr. Langsjoen weighs in on the statin drug debate, arguing that statistical deception has created the illusion that statins are safe and effective in preventing cardiovascular disease. We discuss both the history of CoQ10's use in treatment of heart conditions, and the more recent discoveries about this potent weapon against heart failure. We review new studies which suggest that statins may neutralize the artery-protecting benefits of vitamin K2; how CoQ10 may reverse some of the adverse effects of statins but also offer partial protection; the importance of the introduction of ubiquinol in treatment; and how testing blood levels of CoQ10 (a technique that Dr. Langsjoen pioneered) can help inform clinicians whether patients are taking enough to enjoy its therapeutic benefits.

"4) "The Gut Balance Revolution" with Dr. Gerard Mullin: Have you ever wondered if there's a "magic bullet" probiotic for melting pounds off your body? Or wondered how you can take charge of your metabolism by altering your microbiome? Dr. Gerard Mullin, the go-to-guy when it comes to integrative gastroenterology, joins us to discuss just that, as well as the damaging effects of antibiotics, acid-blockers, and poor diet on our intestinal integrity, The Calorie Myth, what can be done to restore overall body balance, and much more. It all starts with how disruption of GI flora can thwart the simple laws of thermodynamics - but will gastroenterologists embrace this new paradigm?

"5) "Changing Americans' Eating Habits" with Dorothy Mullen: The Standard American Diet (SAD!) is a major driver of the current epidemic of degenerative disease. Top-down efforts by government to stem the tide of illness are unwieldy, costly failures. The Suppers Programs is a community-based, volunteer organization that helps individuals escape the addictive eating patterns that are undermining their health. Join us as we sit down with Founder Dorothy Mullen, author of "Logical Miracles: 100 Stories of Hope and Healing," to talk about how commercial foods subvert our normal appetite cues and how there's no "one-size-fits-all" eating prescription.

"6) "Integrative Urology," with Dr. Aaron Katz: The best of high-tech and natural therapies are combined by today's guest, Dr. Aaron Katz, Chairman of Urology at Winthrop University Hospital, and host of Katz's Corner on WABC radio. Dr. Katz is a pioneer in introducing Active Holistic Surveillance that enables certain men diagnosed with early prostate cancer to undertake natural therapies while avoiding the harms associated with surgery or radiation. He discusses how new, innovative tests will help better identify those men who can safely eschew conventional treatments vs. those with aggressive cancers that call for more drastic intervention, along with suggesting basic lifestyle steps men can take to avoid prostate problems.

" 7) "Clinical Focus: Supplements for Surgery": In another of our in-depth Clinical Focus podcasts, we delve into recommendations on supplements for surgery. You've heard of surgical rehab-why not do "pre-hab" i.e. build yourself up prior to surgery? I explain why Surgical Departments' "hit lists" of supplements to stop may be overly-cautious and reflect inherent bias against natural products, and what supplements you should avoid before going under the knife. I also give my recommendations for what supplements should be taken to boost immunity, protect the heart and brain, and facilitate wound-healing, and discuss the benefits of a "pre-op IV." Plus: How I almost became a surgeon!

"8) "The Dorito Effect" with Mark Schatzker: In his new book, "The Dorito Effect: The Surprising Truth About Food and Flavor," Mark Schatzker declares, "everything wrong with food comes down to the way it tastes." We talk with Mark about how food scientists have hijacked our taste buds to promote addictive, high-calorie, non-nutritious foods, while modern methods of food production have led to less flavorful, less nutritious "whole foods" - from vegetables to meat. In light of this "obesogenic" food environment, can we really blame obesity on simple gluttony? Schatzker reveals how a food Renaissance is taking place, wherein consumers are demanding more flavorful, nutritious, unadulterated food; and, food producers are responding, with more tasty, natural alternatives to industrially-processed, factory-farmed foods. We also tackle the question of what the average consumer can do to "live long and eat flavorfully."

"9) "Toxin-Related Illness" with Suzanne Somers: Suzanne discusses her latest book "Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not-Sick". Dishing on her own personal daily routine of diet, exercise, supplements, hormones, and guided visualization, she reveals how devastating environmental exposures and mold sensitivity had undermined her health and that of family members, and how they have achieved recovery through integrative approaches. She interviewed top physicians in the field of environmental medicine and detoxification who share their expertise on how to reverse toxin-related illnesses. Join us as we listen to her passionate plea for change in how doctors treat chronic illnesses now insufficiently addressed with drug therapy.

"10) "Brain Maker," with Dr. David Perlmutter: America's foremost integrative neurologist, author of the best-seller "Grain Brain," joins us to discuss his new book "Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life." What's our new understanding of the relationship between the gut and the brain? What do experiments with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) suggest as a novel means of curing neurological disorders-from MS to autism to Alzheimer's. Does "leaky gut syndrome" play a role in brain inflammation? Is a gluten-free, ultra low-carb diet the solution for everyone? Listen to this informative podcast for all this, and more!

Once again, thanks for your listenership, and I renew my pledge to provide you with more great Intelligent Medicine content as we set our sights on our next milestone: TWO million downloads!