Read
Transform your life
Explore the latest articles by Dr. Sara Szal, where she blends science and holistic wisdom to address the most pressing issues in women’s health, longevity, and personal transformation.
Mitochondrial Health: Lifestyle First, Smart Adjuncts Second, and What We Know in Women
If you want better energy, metabolic flexibility, and healthy aging, improving mitochondrial function is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make. Based on my medical practice for the past 30 years combined with a review of the scientific literature, there are two broad levers: Below is a practical sequence, with the core molecular players decoded…
Demystifying Total Plasma Exchange: What You Need to Know
Total plasma exchange (TPE)—also known as therapeutic plasma exchange or plasmapheresis—is an advanced medical procedure that replaces a person’s plasma to remove harmful substances from their blood. Once largely confined to critical care units and autoimmune disease treatment, TPE is gaining renewed attention in areas like neurology, transplant medicine, and more recently, aging and longevity…
I’m Not Just Neurodivergent—I’m Pandivergent
If you’ve ever felt like medicine didn’t quite have a box for you, you’re not alone. I was trained at Harvard. I’ve seen the algorithms, the protocols, the so-called “norms.” But here’s the truth: those norms weren’t built for people like me—or for most women. Yes, I’m neurodivergent. But that’s just the tip of the…
Microplastics as Bioaccumulation Without Borders (Part 2): Diagnostics, Reducing Burden, and Environmental Impacts of Wildfires
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles—less than 5 millimeters in diameter—that contaminate virtually every ecosystem on Earth, from ocean streams to human bloodstreams. These synthetic fragments, shed from consumer products, packaging, clothing, and industrial processes, are small enough to be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. Their ability to bioaccumulate, cross biological barriers, and carry…
Microplastics as Bioaccumulation Without Borders (Part 1): Emerging Science, Who Is Most at Risk, and Health Consequences
In recent years, microplastics have evolved from an environmental concern to a direct human health issue, with mounting evidence suggesting systemic exposure and biological harm. A recent publication on microplastics sparked concerns when researchers found widespread microplastic contamination across a range of commercially sold beverages in France, including bottled water (even in glass containers), soft…
Perimenopause as Initiation: From “Make Baby” to “Make Wisdom”
If you believe in cultural conditioning, you may think of major hormonal transitions in a woman’s life – perimenopause and menopause – as an inconvenience to get through, burdensome, a problem to solve. You might be in the thick of perimenopause and wonder why you sometimes feel moody, bitchy, overwhelmed, irritable, fatigued, anxious, or one…
Women and Constipation: Why Is It More Common? (Part 1)
Many of my female patients suffer from constipation, but it is rarely the reason a woman visits her doctor. Yet research indicates constipation is approximately twice more common in women than in men. Constipation is like that one friend who takes forever to text back—frustrating, unpredictable, and way more common in women than men. In…
Microdosing Psychedelics: Placebo, Performance Enhancer, or Precision Tool?
Introduction: Why Microdosing Is Worth Your Time The idea of taking a psychedelic every three days might sound like something out of a Silicon Valley self-help blog or a mom meme from Boulder. But beneath the cultural buzz lies a serious scientific and clinical question: Can microdosing psychedelics be a precision intervention for mental health, creativity,…
The Scientific Evidence of Peptide Therapy: MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a 16-amino acid peptide encoded by a mitochondrial gene, playing a role in regulating metabolism and promoting physical performance. It’s considered an “exercise-mimetic” because it can improve glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and enhance insulin sensitivity without requiring insulin. While research suggests potential benefits for metabolic health and physical performance, it’s not yet widely used clinically…