Ask Doc My background is unique...
And it has allowed me to see the best and worst of two of the world's largest industries – finance and health care.
I spent more than a decade on Wall Street working for banks like Goldman Sachs and Chase Manhattan. After I left Wall Street, I earned my MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and eventually became a board-eligible eye surgeon.
And for more than 15 years, I've been writing about health while also sharing investment ideas. My goal of sharing my knowledge and experience to help folks maximize their health and their wealth (hence our newsletter name) has surpassed even my wildest dreams...
In the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, we launched my flagship newsletter Retirement Millionaire. The idea was that folks would hear not only from a medical doctor, but also from the same guy with an MBA and years of experience on Wall Street.
Since then, we've launched Retirement Trader, which uses a simple options strategy that earns generous returns even when the market isn't in crisis. Then we created Income Intelligence, an income-focused advisory where we share many different ways to collect safe and large income payments... We also created Advanced Options just a few years ago, where we trade something called "spreads" – trying to earn triple-digit gains in just a matter of weeks by trading options.
My whole life has been preparing to show you how to become richer than you ever imagined possible – in health and wealth – in this new world.
This research is where my team and I are going to show you how to profit from every aspect of the future of health.
I mean not just how to beat sickness but how to stay really well.
And I explain how to both use and profit from everything from breakthrough drugs... to remote health... to personalized medicine... to technologies like wearables.
During my presentation on this new research service, I explained the major risk to folks' retirements... how it could lead to 1,000% gains for folks who act now... and why, if you're over 40, the stakes could literally be life or death.
If you missed it, catch up on all the details here.
Now, here are some of the things on your minds this week... Keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected]. We read every e-mail.
Q: I never miss reading your Health & Wealth publication. All your publications are excellent. You frequently recommend exercise, usually walking or yoga. You never mention golf. Since most of my golf mates are +70 years of age, could you do an expose on the benefits or lack thereof, of golf both walking the course (as I do) or riding a cart. – C.P.
A: We asked the avid golfer on our team, and you'll like what he replied... "Absolutely it's exercise!"
We agree. Anything that gets you up and moving around is good. If you're playing 18 holes, that means several hours of moving around, even if you're using a cart. You're picking up your clubs, walking to the putting green, bending down, and swinging a club several times per hole. That means dozens of repetitions working your arms, legs, and core.
One 2016 review published in BMJ found that golfing improves cardiovascular and respiratory health, in addition to overall physical wellness.
And in a 2020 presentation at the International Stroke Conference, researchers discussed tracking around 5,900 folks aged 65 years and older for 10 years. Just 15% of the golfers died during that time compared with a quarter of those who didn't play.
Even better, golf has the added benefit of socialization... We've said before that socialization is an important step to staying healthy. It keeps our minds sharp and helps combat loneliness and depression. So when you're golfing, you're keeping your body and your mind healthy.
Just make sure you're protecting your skin from sunburn while you're out on the course.
Q: What do you think about cod liver oil? – J.S.
A: Readers bombarded our inbox with this question...
We've written about cod liver oil a few times (but it has been a while)...
For decades, cod liver oil was advertised as a "cure all." We found an advertisement from 1890 selling Robinson's Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil. The ad claims it's a "reliable remedy for pulmonary disease, coughs, colds, and general debility." The ad also claimed it could help with "throat and lung diseases, consumption," and overall strength for the young and old.
But current research shows that cod liver oil is packed with toxins like mercury and dioxin and damages your bones, much like you'd find in fish oil supplements. You can read more about the dangers of cod liver oil here.
I can't comment on each person's specific situation, and I don't know why anyone would be taking cod liver oil. But in general, I don't recommend supplements until after you've tried improving your lifestyle through diet and exercise. That's a healthier way to achieve many of the same benefits.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? We're in the platinum age of health care.
- Something different: Sharing your Netflix password? That'll cost you.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 22, 2022