Finally, a blood test to reveal mild concussion

In 2015, Will Smith starred in “Concussion,” which told the true story of Dr. Ben net Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who, during a 2002 autopsy, discovered that former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Years later, one study showed that 99 percent of symptomatic NFL players autopsied brains revealed CTE, and anot her found that 43 percent of retired players had signs of brain injuries.

Then in 2017 Dr. Omalu warned: “I’ve always said that every child who plays football has a 100 percent risk of exposure to brain damage. And ... at a professional level, 100 percent would have brain damage of some kind to some degree ... whether or not their brains are found to have CTE.”

So it’s good news that a breakthrough blood test, called the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator, can quickly (currently in four hours, soon to be two) identify two blood proteins that determine if a person has a concussion. The Food and Drug Administrati on says that the test can correctly predict a CT scan’s findings of intracranial lesions 97.5 percent of the time and should significantly reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from scans while saving millions of dollars annually. Although approved only for adults,

one day soon it may help parents be ever more vigilant about protecting their children from the accumulated damage caused by sports-related brain injuries — which skyrocketed 200 percent from 2001 to 2012.

In the meantime, make sure your kids’ coaches enforce brain-health guidelines.

To Lose Weight, Eat More Slowly

When Luke (Paul Newman) downed 50 hard-boiled eggs in 60 minutes in the 1967 movie “Cool Hand Luke,” he set the bar for cinematic lessons on the evils of eating too much too fast. While that scene may be surpassed in grossness by the blueberry-pie-eating contest in the 1986 movie “Stand by Me” or Daryl Hannah munching down a whole lobster (shell and all) in 1984’s “Splash,” to us Luke still is the best example of a bad example. By egg 32, a fellow prisoner says Luke’s stomach is bloated, “Just like a ripe watermelon that’s about to bust itself open.” And there’s science to back up that bloated claim.

A study published in the BMJ reveals that cramming food in your mouth at a fast clip is associated with obesity and a larger waist circumference. Over six years, out of more than 59,000 people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that only 22 percent of slow eat

ers were obese, while 45 percent of fast eaters were. And slow eaters had a lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference. Are you a speedy eater? Try tak

ing 30 or more minutes to get through every meal. Eat with a friend or family member, and take time to make conversation. Skip drive-thru breakfasts; eat at home. Step away from your desk at lunch. Drink water between

bites. You’ll give your “I’m full” hormone (leptin) time to signal that you’ve had enough, reducing your intake. You’ll

notice that you’re enjo ying the flavors of food more, too. Eat To Beat Elevated LDL Cholesterol The hardworking poor in ancient

Egypt dined mostly on vegetables such as onions, garlic, leek, lentils, cabbage, radish, turnip, lupines, tomatoes and cucumber; fruits like figs, grapes and

pomegranates; and proteins, including whole grains and some poultry. Too bad the upper classes didn’t stick with

the same heart-loving diet. A study of mum mies’cardiosyst ems revealed that wealthy-Egy ptians ate a lot of fatty meats from cattle, geese and ducks, used plenty of salt for food preservation — and had loads of atherosclerosis.

So if you want to be smarter than King Tut, try these five foods to keep your lousy LDL cholesterol in check:

1. Aim for two to three servings per day of high-fiber whole grains such as steel-cut oats, barley and wheat. They

help clear out LDL fats. 2. Other high-fiber foods are important: Legumes, like beans and peas, and vegetables such as okra and eggplant

that are loaded with soluble fiber, do the job, too. 3. Pectin-containing fruits, like apples

and citrus, help lower LDL with their soluble fiber.

4. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sea trout) help lower circulating triglycerides and help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels by substitut

ing healthy oils for sat fats in red and processed meats.

5. Replace butter and hydrogenated oils (trans fats) with mono- and polyunsaturated oils such as EVOO, grapeseed

and peanut oil.

Replace Household Cleansers With Homemade Alternatives

The average American household spends around $160 a year on bleachbased and antibacterial products, aerosol sprays and powdered cleaners filled with noxious fumes and toxic chemicals that linger in your air longer than you can imagine. A new 20-year study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that frequent housecleaners -- whether they do it for a living or for themselves -experience lung damage equivalent to a 20-year, pack-a-day cigarette habit! Fortunately, alternatives do exist.

1. Vinegar: eradicates scum, grease, grime. Spray on shower tiles; let sit for 30 minutes; rinse. 2. Salt: a natural abrasive. 3. Baking soda: a proven virus-killer, it deodorizes and cuts through grime.

4. Straight lemon juice: KOs mold and mildew.

5. Grapefruit extract: Combine 20 drops with two cups of water in a spray bottle to clean all your surfaces. Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of“The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.