HealthyButSmart is a team of academics and health care professionals who examine popular health claims according to current research, then translate their findings into language that’s easy to understand, and easy to act on.
Whether it’s garlic curing the common cold, or water fasting helping with weight loss, we provide clear answers that help you avoid harm, save money… and settle arguments.
Michele Berman M.D.Dr. Berman served as Staff Pediatrician at DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri, and as Clinical Instructor at Georgetown University and George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Marilia Coutinho Ph.DMarilia Coutinho is a Brazilian researcher, university professor and technical consultant. She has majored in Biology, holds a M.Sc. degree in Chemical Ecology and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Science.
Melissa Waine B.Sc.Melissa Waine holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Hons (I) in Molecular Biology, from UNSW in Sydney, Australia, and a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.).
Nicolas Ferrara PT DPTPhysical therapist specializing in orthopedic, neurological, and prosthetics rehab. Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Hofstra university and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Stony Brook university.
Sonja Ristevski B.Sc.Sonja holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours, 1st class) degree from Melbourne University and a Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion from La Trobe University.
Dr. Ceppie MerryDr. Merry is an practising M.D from Ireland. She holds a Ph.D in pharmacology from Trinity College in Dublin, and a fellowship in infectious disease at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Described as ‘herbal aspirin’, chamomile is one of the leading herbal remedies worldwide. There are a number of factors to consider when deciding on which foods or supplements to take for the purposes of health. Scientific evidence is an important consideration, along...
Rhodiola is a traditional medicine and supplement that is used for a wide range of complaints including amenorrhea, depression, insomnia, fatigue, cancer, headaches, schizophrenia, colds and flu, hypertension, and male sexual dysfunction. There is a specific interest...
The human body is truly amazing. It does have some design flaws though. Chief among them is our need to rest. We need to sleep. We need breaks from our computer. We need to rest after extreme exercise. Why can't I be more like my iPhone? Yes, it needs to be recharged...
Hippocrates described sauerkraut as 'a health food'. I am guessing that if Hippocrates were alive today that he would be tweeting about sauerkraut with the hashtag #superfood. Or would he? I am equally convinced that if Hippocrates were alive today that he would be a...
Have you ever noticed that it becomes harder to choose gifts for friends as they get older? That is if you plan on giving a thoughtful gift and not just a generic pair of socks at Christmas or an impersonal bottle of wine. My good friends know that I am a fan of...
When I first heard the term 'liquid yoga', I was hooked. I had no idea what it actually meant, but I was intrigued. Especially if liquid yoga had anything to do with drinking my way to a double whammy of feeling calm and looking great. It turns out that 'liquid yoga'...
Bones are really quite interesting and underestimated. Most of us walk around each day and take our bones for granted. Bones are not just a chassis for humans. Bones don’t just give us structure. Sure, they allow us to move around. But they are actually essential to...
I spent an unreasonable amount of time dithering over this particular article. Apologies to my dear editor for missing my deadline (more than once). Here is the dilemma. The logical part of my brain told me to follow the advice of Nike and "Just Write It." I am pretty...
Kidney stones are pretty common. Over 2 million people suffer from kidney stones each year in the USA alone. Put another way, up to 3% of the general population develop kidney stones each year. Kidney stones are not just a feature of modern living - physicians like...
Twice a month, we'll update you on the health claims we've found that are backed by science... and those that are not.
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How We Work
To fund our fact checking and research, HealthyButSmart also provides reviews and comparisons of health promoting devices, kitchenware and home gadgets.
Meet the Chefs
If you’re trying to buy the air fryer, or juicer, or blender that’s perfect for you, the ramblings of random reviews just aren’t going to cut it.
Our professional chefs field test the best kitchen gadgets in each category, giving you clear comparisons for simple and speedy decisions.
Paul Kostandin
Paul Kostandin is a Chef and Hospitality Professional from Richmond, Virginia. With over 20 years of professional cooking experience from fine dining to diners and sandwich shops he has amassed a wealth of knowledge on cuisines and culinary traditions from all around the globe.
Margaret Carmen
Margaret Carmen is a chef instructor and freelance writer. She holds a BA in English and a degree in Culinary Arts. She has many years of experience in restaurants and bakeries as a cook and pastry chef. When she isn’t in the classroom or writing food-related articles, she is likely in her home kitchen baking sourdough bread or preparing delicious, locally sourced meals for her family.
If you've been wanting to pick up a new juicer for home, there's no time like the present. Prime day is here and discounts abound! Grabbing a bargain now means less stress as the big sales of the holiday season roll around. And it means you get high-quality juice at...
Do you want to get into juicing but feel that all of the juicers are way outside your budget? Trust me, I get it. Kitchen appliances can get pretty expensive, and it's daunting to blow money on a product when you're not sure you'll get your use out of it, especially...
If you've ever fed a stick of celery into a juicer and watched a pathetic dribble of liquid come out the other side... this is the article for you. If you love your celery juice and you want to make it at home, frustration awaits. Most juicers don't handle celery...
Juice is all the rage these days, and coffee shops aren't just coffee shops anymore. You can't go into a Starbucks or local cafe without seeing fresh juice on the menu, and I've even seen sit down restaurants offer fresh juice as a drink or a dessert. If you're...
If you've started looking at new juicers to buy for your kitchen, you might have seen how expensive some of them get. This can be very overwhelming because, even when you see cheap options, you get concerned that they're not worth buying or that they'll break down on...
At HBS we're not into "superfoods" as such, but there are scientific facts about wheatgrass that can't be denied. It has iron, calcium, magnesium, and other essential vitamins and minerals, and taking a shot of the stuff in juice form has a weird energy lifting...
If you're here, it's because you give a damn about your juice, and you won't settle for second best. Twin gear juicers (which are technically a type of masticating juicer, more on which below) are the absolute best juicers available in terms of yield, and nutrient...
Even if you can get that delicious cold-pressed juice at a store, it's likely to be filled with added sugars and artificial ingredients, and besides, you can save quite a bit of money in the long run if you're making your juice at home. On top of that, it's also...
If you like to have fresh juice in the morning and you don't want all the added sugar that comes with store-bought products, it's worth it for you to invest in a juicer for your kitchen. Breville has become one of the leading brands in kitchen appliances like juicers,...
In the past, I have owned several toaster ovens. But when I first laid eyes on the Instant Pot Omni Plus, I was more than excited to test it out. This machine is an absolute beast in terms of size, quality, and overall performance. Not only did the toaster oven exceed...
Recently I had the pleasure of testing out the with a 4-quart capacity. Not only did this product surprise me with how well it worked, but it also worked better than the...
Finding the perfect air fryer is a lot like looking for an apartment. There are a ton of options out there, and what works for one person or situation, might not work for you. Just like apartment hunting, when choosing any kitchen appliance, by doing a little research...
My journey into the world of air fryers has been an eye-opening experience. Before getting my hands on one of these appliances I admit that I initially thought they were mostly for cooking chicken wings and frozen french fries. While it is certainly true that the air...
Over the past months, I have had the privilege to take a look at a number of different air fryers. From products branded by Celebrity Chefs to appliances made by some of the most well-known brands in the kitchen appliance industry, I've been incredibly impressed with...
Over the past few years, I have seen the air fryer appliance segment grow from "gimmick" gadgets, primarily found on daytime infomercials, to high-end, must-have kitchen appliances. Now even the Celebrity Chefs are branding their own products and entering the...
A good blender is worth its weight in gold, or so the old saying goes. Ok, no one has ever said that, but it is absolutely the truth that a quality blender is one of the most important appliances you can have in your home kitchen. Whether you're making soup,...
You are on a quest for the perfect commercial food processor. Your goal is to find the tool that will best suit your needs in order to make lighter work of your professional kitchen tasks. My goal is to demystify some of the confusion that you may be facing with this...
Good food processors aren't cheap, so waiting until sale season to buy one makes sense. Only problem is the other people who do the same. Good deals often disappear quickly at this time of year and on our comprehensive search, we only came upon a handful of worthwhile...
Choosing a mini food processor can be a daunting task. With so many options, from size and materials to cordless options and a whole galaxy of attachment choices, finding the perfect machine can be quite an undertaking. But luckily for you, we've done the heavy...
If you or your partner is expecting, there's a lot on your plate and a long list of things you're going to need to buy to make sure your transition into parenthood is as seamless as possible. A baby food maker should definitely be somewhere on that list. A baby food...
There are surprisingly few blender food processor combo machines available for home kitchens. Which we don't understand, because they're amazing. You reduce clutter by having one machine handle the job of two, and you can get this without sacrificing the functionality...
If having clean water is important to you then making sure you buy one of the best refrigerator water filters on the market is a crucial first step. Having a water filtration system in your refrigerator is one of the most convenient and simple methods of making sure...
Have you ever wondered why pet fish always die? Growing up I always assumed that it was the fault of little kids with their grabby hands, terrifying the fish into early-onset heart attacks. Now, while I'm still pretty sure they're not entirely blameless, when delving...
The phrase "we are what we eat" is in this case turned on its head, as human beings are 70% percent water. In this instance, we drink what we are. All jokes aside, anyone who's spent anytime in a kitchen knows how central the sink is to any activity taking place...
I know that when I hear about whole-house water filtration systems, it always seems a bit of a waste for carefully treated water to be used all over the house like in my dishwasher and toilet. In showering, however, it makes complete sense that filtering my water is...
In the who's who community of water filtration, faucet filters seem to be shunted to the side. After all, what could be better than shelling out several thousands of dollars to buy a filtration and softening system, ensuring that even your toilet water is soft...
If you already knew you wanted an under sink water filter and you were only waiting for a great deal to pop up? This article is for you. We've written a whole lot about quality water filters here at HBS, and this is our up to the minute research on the biggest...
Ok, so it's Amazon Prime Day again. Well, not today. October 13th and 14th officially. It's that beautiful time of the year where, before the insanity of Black Friday and everything that follows, some killer deals come available for the most astute shoppers. Having...
For weeks now I've been scanning the big online retailers to see which air purifiers are coming on sale this season. Fortunately, it's all good news. Take a look at some of the discounts you can get on highly rated air purifiers right now... #1 Best Cyber Monday Air...
GermGuardian has created an air purifier especially for homes with pets, packing it with four filters and anti-microbial treatment for killing nasty microscopic living things. What kind of filters does the GermGuardian AC5250PT use? How does it improve homes with...
Choosing an air purifier can be a confusing business. Once you realize how many makes and models there are out there, all with different features, aesthetics, intended uses and costs it can be a bit of a chore. That's why we've narrowed down on the best air purifiers...
If you're suffering from an increase in allergy symptoms, or your asthma is going haywire, an air purifier in your home is crucial. It's not going to magically treat your allergies or asthma, but it will help to eliminate any irritating factors in your home...
There are so many wonderful things about having pets, they're a treasured part of the family. But unfortunately, they come with fur... sometimes lots of it, and dander. Dander is the dry skin that sheds along with hair, and it can be a major trigger for allergy...
I don't eat nearly enough fish at home and this has been something I've been working to correct throughout 2021. One of the biggest reasons I think I don't eat enough fish at home is availability. In restaurants, it's easy to keep great, fresh fish on hand because...
I love grilling and smoking meats. Some of my favorite cooking memories come from barbecuing on my offset smoker or roasting kebabs over an open fire. Sadly, sometimes lighting the barbecue just isn't the most efficient way to get dinner on the table especially during...
Mozzarella sticks are one of the best go-to appetizers especially for an impromptu get-together or a lazy fall afternoon spent watching football with friends. Though I love eating mozzarella sticks at restaurants and have fond memories of devouring mozzarella sticks...
One skill I think all adults should have is the ability to properly cook a whole chicken. Whole roasted chicken is an awesome dish for a small gathering, it is incredibly economical and absolutely delicious. I love roasting a whole chicken. After years of professional...
I love frozen french fries. Seriously, they are one of my absolute favorite, go-to snacks or an easy side dish for any weekday dinner, especially now that I have an air fryer handy. As a professional chef, it's a little embarrassing to say, but I really can't do a lot...
Cooking fresh brats over a charcoal grill is one of my favorite summer past times. There's something about a delicious, crispy bratwurst on a warm summer evening with the fireflies out and a cool glass of iced tea in my hand that makes everything seem right with the...
Michele Berman M.D.Dr. Berman served as Staff Pediatrician at DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri, and as Clinical Instructor at Georgetown University and George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Marilia Coutinho Ph.DMarilia Coutinho is a Brazilian researcher, university professor and technical consultant. She has majored in Biology, holds a M.Sc. degree in Chemical Ecology and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Science.
Melissa Waine B.Sc.Melissa Waine holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Hons (I) in Molecular Biology, from UNSW in Sydney, Australia, and a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.).
Nicolas Ferrara PT DPTPhysical therapist specializing in orthopedic, neurological, and prosthetics rehab. Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Hofstra university and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Stony Brook university.
Sonja Ristevski B.Sc.Sonja holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours, 1st class) degree from Melbourne University and a Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion from La Trobe University.
Dr. Ceppie MerryDr. Merry is an practising M.D from Ireland. She holds a Ph.D in pharmacology from Trinity College in Dublin, and a fellowship in infectious disease at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
