102: 3 Surprising Health Risks You Might Be Ignoring

Three ordinary habits—puzzling, pouring, and brushing—carry extraordinary power over long-term health. We unpack new and notable research on cognitive health, colorectal cancer risk, and cardiovascular disease, then turn it into simple actions you can actually keep.

First, we explore why puzzles and other structured brain challenges may strengthen executive function, attention, and visuospatial skills. Large-scale studies of board games and crosswords point to lower dementia risk, and the mindfulness angle is compelling: focused, tactile tasks can quiet stress cycles and improve mood. We’re honest about the evidence gaps too—puzzles haven’t been trialed as formal stress therapies—but the low-friction habit still earns a spot in your daily routine, especially if you crave small wins or navigate ADHD.

Next, we challenge the comfort of “moderate” drinking by looking at lifetime alcohol intake and colorectal cancer. The dose-response signal is clear: more drinks over more years raise risk, with rectal cancer showing the steepest climb. There’s practical hope as well—former drinkers see fewer precancerous adenomas—so dialing back weekly totals, adding alcohol-free days, and keeping up with screening can move the needle. The takeaway isn’t alarm; it’s agency.

We close with two underappreciated drivers of heart disease: ultra-processed foods and gum health. Evidence now ties higher UPF intake to more cardiovascular events, while updated scientific statements map how periodontal bacteria and chronic inflammation stress blood vessels, elevate clotting risk, and push up heart attack and stroke rates. The fix is refreshingly doable: shift groceries toward minimally processed staples, build batch-cook routines, brush and clean between teeth daily, and keep regular dental visits. We also name the inequities—insurance gaps, limited access, time off work—and why better oral care access belongs in any heart health strategy.

If this helped you rethink one small daily choice, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your next healthy habit might start right here.

Transcript

Welcome And Tasty Tips Format

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hi, welcome to your checkup. We are the patient education podcast where we bring conversations from the doctor's office to your ears. On this podcast, we try to bring medicine closer to its patients. I'm Matt Delesky, a family medicine doctor in the Philadelphia area. And I'm Paul Rufo, I'm a nurse. And we are so excited you were able to join us here again today. So we're going to keep this going for a little while here. We are going to do another tasty tip episode. This will be the second installment in the series, and for however long we like it, we're going to keep doing it. So the name of the game on this episode is you get three stories that are evidence-based and kind of updates in health. And we're I'm going to read them to you, and then we're going to give a little bit of a reaction. So the first story we have here today is that puzzles as a tool for cognitive health and stress reduction. Emerging evidence links puzzles to improve cognition, lower dementia risk, and mindfulness benefits.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

I was fully embracing or bracing for impact for you to tell me that puzzles like do something harmful.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

No, here we go. So a 2023 meta-analysis, that's like the sort of the best scientific study you can do these days in the Journal of Alzheimer's disease found that traditional board games which share cognitive demands with puzzles, improved mental function, as measured by standard cognitive assessments. Similarly, a large study in JAMA Network Open, examining over 10,000 older adults, found that activities involving crosswords and puzzles were associated with lower dementia risk, likely because they engage cognitive domains, including visuospatial skills, executive function, and attention. It's been said that puzzles offer a low effort to practice mindfulness, providing calm and relaxation by grounding people in the present moment and interrupting stress cycles. While mindfulness-based interventions have robust evidence for stress reduction, with studies showing significant decreases in perceived stress and cortisol levels, puzzles as a mindfulness tool haven't been rigorously tested in clinical trials. This woman, Jodi Jill, is a professional puzzle maker who founded both Puzzle Day on January 29th, sorry, baby, you missed it, and Puzzle Month, January, often travels with two puzzles and shares them with others after completion. Whether this hobby translates to measurable health benefits awaits certain further study, but the preliminary evidence suggests that people might find more benefit and more entertainment in those scattered pieces.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

What do you think? I love that because I do love a puzzle. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

I think this makes sense to me. What I also didn't share here is that this research aligns also showing that structured cognitive activities can enhance executive function and working memory through direct evidence for puzzles specifically in ADHD populations. One of the concepts is that including those with ADHD, shifting gears into a productive rhythm provides a sense of accomplishment. This aligns with research showing that structured cognitive activities can enhance executive function and working memory, though direct evidence for puzzles, specifically in ADHD populations, remains limited. Alright, so what do you think about all that?

SPEAKER_00 3:36

I love that. I love a puzzle. I'm doing one right now, actually. You are? I think I want to try one of those um puzzle books. I forget what they're called. It's like a Merkle or something.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Mmm. A puzzle book?

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

What could that be?

SPEAKER_00 3:55

I don't know. I like saw it online.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

We um I this makes sense to me.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

I feel as though because like I'm so smart and I love puzzles and puzzle type games.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Exactly. So that's one element of this that makes a ton of sense to me. And this falls in line with the like, if you don't use it, you'll lose it type deal. So I feel like this isn't too surprising, but it's a positive thing if you're out there thinking about your memory or thinking about memory for a loved one. Maybe you pick up a puzzle. It's an easy thing to do. And they were suggesting even like a 24-piece puzzle can be okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Yeah. Not like you over here with your gargantuan thousand-piece puzzles that gobble up in no time. They're fun. Any other last thoughts about puzzles and memory before we move on to the next one?

SPEAKER_00 4:51

I don't think so.

Mindfulness And ADHD Notes

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Alrighty. Well, let me give you the next one. Lifetime alcohol intake linked to increased colorectal cancer risk.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

A study highlights.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

We talked about a different type of association with colorectal cancer, but since we're thematically keeping it together, let's talk about it again. So there was a recent study that highlights a dose response relationship and potential benefits of quitting for adenoma prevention. The glass of wine with dinner may carry more risk than Americans realize. A major new study published in the Journal of Cancer on January 26th, 2026, has found that long-term alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer, with heavy lifetime drinkers facing up to 91% higher risk compared to those who drank very little. There's a lifetime effect associated with this, and the research, which followed more than 88,000 adults with no prior cancer history for nearly a decade revealed a clear dose response relationship. Participants who consumed over 14 drinks per week had a 25% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those who averaged one drink or less per week over their lifetime. The risk was particularly pronounced for rectal cancer, where consistent heavy drinkers faced 95% increased risk. What makes this study particularly notable is its focus on lifetime drinking patterns rather than just current consumption. The findings align with established evidence that alcohol is the fourth largest modifiable risk factor for cancer in men and third largest for women, accounting for an estimated 5.4% of new cancer cases in the United States. The study did offer some encouraging news for those who stopped drinking. Former drinkers had significantly lower odds of developing non-advanced adenomas compared to light drinkers, as reported in cancer. This suggests that quitting may help reduce the risk of those early precursor lesions, though the evidence for reducing actual cancer risk remains limited. The findings underscore an uncomfortable truth. Even moderate drinking carries measurable cancer risk. And with colorectal cancer rates rising among younger adults, as we discussed last week, these results add urgency to conversations about alcohol consumption as a modifiable risk factor that we can address with everyone. This is 14 drinks a week. Let me tell you, the no, 14 a week is like the old guidelines used to be like That's a lot, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Two drinks every day.

Alcohol And Colorectal Cancer Risk

SPEAKER_01 8:06

There were certain recommendations in the United States that said that was okay. Actually, for a long time, that was the recommendation. I think, and don't quote me if I'm wrong, it the old recommendation was up to two drinks a day in men and one drink a day in women is considered totally fine. And I think we're seeing a lot of stuff come up recently that suggests that maybe that's not the case anymore.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Seems like it's not.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Yeah. The juice is not the s worth the squeeze, as it were. Alright. Any other thoughts about alcohol and colorectal cancer that you'd like to? Or you feel good about learning more about the next one?

SPEAKER_00 8:52

No, I feel good about learning about the next one.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Okay, so this is one that you made me feel silly about because you were like, duh, you didn't already know this? Ultra processed foods and poor dental health linked to heart disease risk. There's new evidence that highlights lifestyle changes to reduce cardiovascular disease burden in the United States. Buckle in, folks.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

I feel like it's not new evidence.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Maybe it's not new, but I think there was um we're gonna talk about it. Okay. We'll talk about it. More than 130 million US adults are living with some form of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. And that was reported on February 19th, 2026. That is roughly one in three adults carrying a cardiovascular time bomb. Yet two surprisingly simple lifestyle practices, often overlooked in the standard litany of dietary and exercise advice, may offer a powerful protection, avoiding ultra-processed foods and maintaining good dental health. We talked about ultra-processed foods on the show before, but to review a 2024 umbrella review of meta-analyses found convincing evidence linking greater ultra-processed food exposure to a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Each additional daily serving of these foods increases the risk of hard cardiovascular disease by 7%, according to data from the Framingham Offspring Study. It's a very large population of people that they are able to scientifically study. Ultraprocessed foods are industrial formulations made from cheap ingredients extracted from whole foods combined with additives and containing little to no whole food. The American Heart Association's 2021 dietary guidance specifically recommends choosing minimally processed foods instead, noting that ultra-processed food consumption is associated with overweight, obesity, cardiometabolic disorders, and all-cause mortality. The next one's actually really cool. I learned something today. You seemed to have made this feel like it was old news. So the reason that there was an update is because in December of 2025, the American Heart Association made a scientific statement detailing how periodontal disease independently associates with cardiovascular disease through both direct mechanisms that they describe as bacteremia, which is literal blood in your bacteria in your blood, and vascular infection, and indirect pathways, citing chronic systemic inflammation, easier blood clotting, and dysregulation of the biome in the mouth, the microbiome in the mouth. There are meta-analyses that show that periodontal disease elevates the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 24%, and coronary heart disease by 20%, and stroke by 26%. Like we cited earlier, the mechanisms are surprisingly direct. Periodontal bacteria can enter systemic circulation through bleeding gums, triggering inflammatory responses and endothelial dysfunction, that's the inside of the blood vessel. Patients with periodontal disease showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, both of which are associated with coronary heart disease. So, right here in this little episode, we've discussed two practices, avoiding ultra-processed foods and maintaining oral health that are very accessible interventions that don't require prescriptions or expensive equipment. And in an era when cardiovascular disease affects one-third of US Americans, one third of US adults, such a straightforward preventive measure deserves much more attention in clinical practice. All right, big shot, you already knew about this.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

When did you find this out?

SPEAKER_00 13:09

I don't know. I just like I genuinely thought it was like common knowledge.

Rethinking “Moderate” Drinking

SPEAKER_01 13:17

I knew that like people can get heart valve inf infections called endocarditis from like bleeding gums, and that connection definitely was in my head. But you you knew about the like risk of heart attack and stroke being increased in people with like gum disease and teeth problems. Yeah. Wow. They did say that this was a subtle hint in 2012, but there was a new, you know, they do this because science moves so quickly. They did say this that now it's an update in 2025, like we discussed. I mean, this is this is huge. I guess I was asleep.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Maybe you were sick on that day in med school.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Maybe. Well, there's like 20 and 25% risk. And when you look at it, the like those are huge risk reductions. And that's also in the neighborhood of what the GLP1 semaglide got in the trial when they took people who like had cardiovascular disease, gave them the medicine, and saw the reduction. So, look, there are so many people in this country who have cardiovascular disease, any little bit helps. Go to the dentist, people.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

I'm due to go to the dentist. And when I say due, I mean probably overdue.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Yeah. Well, what we also want to recognize, because I was reading into this a little bit further on the American Heart Association's website, that there are huge socioeconomic inequities that go into this too. Like people of a lower socioeconomic status not being able to access dentists in general, and that this plays into it in a very significant way. Also, I definitely see a healthy amount of people in the course of a week who come in with like mouth pain and aren't able to see a dentist for X amount of time. So, yeah, that's what we got for you today. Three little stories, news updates about recent happenings and health. And hopefully you learned something today. And hopefully you come back to another episode of your checkup. Please share this with a loved one or a neighbor. But most importantly, stay healthy, my friends. Until next time, I'm Ed Doleski. I'm Nicole Rufo. Thank you and goodbye. Bye. This information may provide a brief overview of diagnosis, treatment, and medications. It's not exhaustive and is a tool to help you understand potential options about your health. It doesn't cover all details about conditions, treatments, or medications for a specific person. This is not medical advice or an attempt to substitute medical advice. You should contact a healthcare provider for personalized guidance based on your unique circumstances. We explicitly disclaim any liability relating to the information given or its use. This content doesn't endorse any treatments or medications for a specific patient. Always talk to your healthcare provider for a complete information tailored to you. In short, I'm not your doctor. I am not your nurse. And make sure you go get your own checkup with your own personal doctor.