Latest Stories

Whether you have one in your home or not, when it’s hot, most of us certainly wish for one. But air conditioning can be a mixed blessing. In climates that are consistently hot, it can be a lifesaver. But it does have its tradeoffs. Living in a consistently air-conditioned environment can do both good and not-so-good things to your body.

There’s been a lot of conflicting research on the impacts of alcohol on health. But study after study has linked moderate drinking with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. It has to do with a very small part of the brain that has a big job: processing emotions…

To maintain good health, your body must constantly manage the delicate balance that keeps pH levels where they should be. The trouble is that some of our vital functions throw that balance off. And summertime is when they can get really out of whack…

As the summer season hits full swing, many people are planning their long-awaited vacations. If you are escaping to a far-away place, however, it’s important to keep in mind the risks involved with long-distance travel, including deep vein thrombosis…

Diabetics know the right exercise is important for controlling blood sugar. But a newly discovered factor to add to any routine has the highest chance of helping some with type 2 diabetes completely stop their glucose-lowering medications…

I like my rice with a creamy consistency, so I’ve never washed it before cooking. That’s about to change. In the U.S., arsenic levels in rice are sky high (even in instant rice), but it’s not the the only harmful heavy metal you get a serving of when rice is on your plate…

Sunscreen is so important for protecting yourself from skin cancer and skin aging. There’s no denying that. Heck, I wear sunscreen on my face and neck every day (even in the winter when the likelihood of me getting any sun is pretty slim) for those very reasons. But sunscreen is far from perfect…

Metabolic syndrome combines insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity for a high risk of heart trouble and stroke. If you have lupus, you may be shocked to find yourself in the crosshairs of this dangerous condition.

The effectiveness of chemotherapy could be debated all day. But if you weigh surviving cancer against the toxicity of the therapy, you can see why so many go through with it. And why so many look for alternative therapies. But there’s a new consideration for cancer patients who want to be parents…

Between fluctuating hormone levels, falling collagen levels, oxidative stress and the summer sun, your skin could probably use some help repairing itself these days. That’s where these eight skin-saving vitamins come in…

Summer is here and that means fun in the sun. Taking vitamins might not be at the top of your list when it comes to summer must-haves, but there are two big reasons vitamin C should be, and one of them is sunburn protection…

Protecting your kidneys is critical to health. But did you know one of the most dangerous and prevalent side effects of type 2 diabetes is kidney damage? So in addition to properly managing diabetes, it’s vitally important to be sure you’re not deficient in this one very important vitamin…

If you have heart problems, it’s important to understand how heat can compound your risks. When your body tries to cool down, the process stresses the heart in several ways, But you can still enjoy summer, keep your cool and stay safe with these tips…

Excessive thirst can be a sign of dehydration or overheating. But it can also signal a much more serious health problem. If you’re finding yourself more thirsty than usual, it may have absolutely nothing to do with the summer heat, and everything to do with an underlying condition, like one of these…

It’s not uncommon to feel down on occasion. But persistent feelings of sadness that impact daily life could indicate depression. Even with treatment, up to a third feel left out in the cold. With those odds, it’s helpful to know a warm cup of the right tea could help.

Are you a mosquito magnet? Do you wonder why everyone else can enjoy a great summer cookout while you get swarmed by disease-carrying, welt-inducing, blood-sucking insects? Well, it turns out, there are several potential reasons why you could top the mosquitoes’ most desirable list…

Imagine turning up the switch on a natural substance your body produces to avoid the ailments of aging. Wishful thinking? Not with this amino acid’s potential to suppress weight gain, increase bone mass, muscle strength and endurance, reduce depression, insulin resistance, DNA damage and more…

Research published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports took into account decades of data on the health effects of watermelon. What did they find? Eating watermelon could be one of the best things you do for your blood pressure and blood sugar…

While warmer weather makes us want those refreshing-looking cocktails, especially the ones with those adorable little umbrellas, there are some definite hazards to drinking alcohol during the hot summer months. The combination of heat and alcohol in your system has some very dangerous effects on your body.

Titanium dioxide as an ingredient in sunscreen. But it’s a food additive as well. A food grade version is found in everything from chewing gum to cheese to chocolate to condiments. In fact, it is in so many everyday foods, you should know how it’s fueling poor health and chronic disease…

Since specific foods offer brain protection, you could say defeating Alzheimer’s starts in the kitchen. But there’s another room where you’re likely doing something that increases your sensitivity to oxidative stress and invites damaging plaques and tangles to take up in your brain…

The list of possible causes of erectile dysfunction is long, yet one option is often overlooked, and it’s a simple fix. The results of numerous studies have indicated that a common vitamin deficiency can have a significant impact on a man’s sex life…

If you live with daily, crushing fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix, you could have chronic fatigue syndrome. There’s a good chance the cause is food related. That’s because research has revealed a link between two hard-to-diagnose conditions, so you can begin to get to the bottom of things.

Being told you have cancer can be an overwhelming experience. It can be easy to let others lead, however, it is important to advocate for yourself and be an active participant in decisions that involve your care and treatment. These tips can help you take control…

When I was in medical school, a heart attack in a 40-year-old man was rare. Not anymore. We used to think heart disease happened primarily to older adults. But two risk factors hitting all-time high rates among men between the ages of 35 and 64 means it’s time to double down…

Some people have plenty of energy. They’re out at Fleetwood Mac concerts. Cooking boeuf bourguignon for the family. Keeping a house so clean and well-decorated it would make Martha Stewart jealous. But if you’re not one of them, these six supplements can help you get your energy and your life back!

The common wisdom has been that, other than avoiding the sun and monitoring changes in your skin, there wasn’t much you could do to prevent melanoma, especially if you were at high risk. A vitamin study just changed everything about that…

Cancer is difficult enough for humans. But when it comes to our dogs, it can be heartbreaking for us. Lymphoma in dogs is similar in many ways to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in humans, including concerns linking exposure to the herbicide glyphosate to the development of cancer.

We all know the drill: get more exercise, have better health. But one thing many of us don’t know is how deep the impact of exercise goes. There’s evidence it may not only influence cellular behavior but whether or not genes define your health destiny..

Digestive troubles are so common, we pay them little mind. But the condition that allows bacterial toxins to leak into the bloodstream causes bigger problems: A cycle of weight gain and the inability to lose weight, by changing how the body metabolizes fat.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when fat builds up in the liver. Yet, despite its serious dangers, there’s very little your doctor can do for you if you develop NAFLD. That’s why prevention focuses on lifestyle interventions, including the best exercise…

Meditation is almost magical when it comes to improving your well-being. And researchers have taken notice. In fact, one team recently measured the impact of meditation on the body’s genes and found it could be a powerful ally in boosting your immune defenses…

Many things conspire against us when it comes to sleeping well: a snoring partner, medications we’re taking or various medical conditions. But there are four pillars of a good bedtime routine that work whether you’re three or 43…

The reality is that we talk to ourselves all the time, and the messages we give ourselves have a profound impact on our health and well-being. Here’s how you can improve your “inner dialogue” and make it work for you.

Evidence continues to stack up that adding more plant-based foods to your diet is powerfully beneficial to your health. Skeptical? Check out these 7 steps to more plants and fewer blood clots…

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 60. No known therapy has yet been shown to impact early stages of AMD. That’s why when it comes to keeping your vision, prevention is key — and this fruit is a must…

Few pregnancy symptoms are as challenging as morning sickness. No one really knows what causes it, which makes it tough to find an effective treatment. But researchers have zeroed in on some clues that could make the first trimester much more pleasant…

While your dermatologist will tell you to avoid spending too much time in the sun in order to decrease your risk of skin cancer, research is stacking up that sunlight offers big benefits to your health — especially for women. In fact, the more, the better…

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide. And one risk factor we feel we can do little about is pollution. So-called “safe” levels have been linked to everything from Afib to heart failure, but waiting on experts to fix this problem could be too late. Here’s what you need to know to lower your risks…

Researchers trying to unravel the many long-term symptoms of COVID-19 keep finding new ones to add to the list. Now, they’ve discovered the illness can cause the dangerous depletion of the body’s “master antioxidant,” leading to a host of unwanted health effects…

Listening to music you’ve loved all your life can do more than make you feel good. People experiencing mild cognitive impairment or even early-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms can listen to music and re-shape their brains to prevent a progression. But not just any music will do…

Trehalose is used to sweeten and extend the shelf life of products, It’s in in everything from gum to nutrition bars. But when you eat foods with trehalose, it’s like scattering birdseed to attract birds to your yard. Except in this case, you’re feeding deadly bacteria and inviting it to thrive in your gut.

High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Diabetes. These are all major risk factors for heart disease. But more and more research is pointing to another candidate that may be a bigger trigger for heart attack than any of these well-known factors.

The mouth can be a gateway for all kinds of viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19. And now, researchers have discovered how keeping your mouth healthy can help defend against these viruses — and how letting your oral health lapse can reduce that protection…

Wearing face masks hasn’t gotten easier. Some of us experience skin rashes. They make our noses itch. And it feels like it’s harder to breathe. But if you wear glasses you have to deal with another problem: foggy glasses. And people are reaching for a solution that can lead to impaired thyroid and immune function down the road…

It’s no secret that olive oil is a heart-healthy alternative. But the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says it can do even more. How do they know? They followed 92,000 people for 28 years and the results are too good to pass up…

Until about a decade ago, scientists believed we had a finite number of brain cells that could not be replaced, and that, over time, we continue to lose those brain cells. We now understand they can, in fact, regenerate themselves — and have identified the most significant source of their destruction…

It never hurts to take extra precaution, especially when it comes to the flu. And we have an new reason too, that surprisingly isn’t due to COVID-19. It has to do with common medications found to amplify or dampen how your body reacts to a flu infection.

With the global incidence of dementia expected to double every 20 years, combatting cognitive decline has become serious business for researchers. If you’re ready to get just as serious, they’ve found a simple step to grow your white matter day by day.

Cannabis has been making big news for its health potential over the last few years. So much so, it’s practically mainstream. However, despite all the interest, there may be a catch… or two or three to know before you decide if it’s for you or not.

The “long COVID” phenomenon has been somewhat poorly understood. But researchers are starting to unravel the mysteries surrounding long-haul symptoms that persist months after infection, as well as finding you could be in for a long haul even if your bout with COVID-19 wasn’t that severe…

It’s always a good thing to include fruit in your diet. Most of us don’t eat enough of it, but now we’ve certainly got more reason to — especially when it comes to grapes and the special effect they have on gut bacteria.

We often forget that Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet often holds the answer to so many of the illnesses that we suffer from. The latest: two popular Italian herbs that could go from farm to table to cancer treatment…

We tend to see phytic acid as something to avoid because of its reputation as an antinutrient. But this plant-based substance isn’t all bad. In fact, it has some health benefits that could offset its potential for causing mineral deficiencies. So let’s dig into the conundrum…

Chronic inflammation is linked to a host of problems, from obesity to autoimmune conditions to depression. So researchers are exploring ways to directly target inflammation in people at risk. It turns out a long-used ancient anti-inflammatory spice could help with these modern-day problems…

The connection between gum disease and more serious health problems is no secret. But recent large-scale research has painted a more comprehensive picture, and it’s not pretty. It’s time to stop thinking of the mouth as an independent system of its own…

If you’ve cracked open a magazine or gotten online, you’ve seen lots of terms you might chalk up to New Age fads or practices, like “self-care” and “mindfulness.” News flash: beyond helping with stress, one specific practice made improvements to women’s hearts that could be seen in their arteries…

Insulin resistance is when a body’s response to the hormone insulin is impaired and glucose in the blood cannot be used for energy. The next step is usually diabetes. Beans and legumes are great for people with insulin resistance, but black beans just may take the cake…

Chronic pain is a fact of life for over 20 percent of adults. And if you’re part of that one in five, you know just how much of an impact that pain can have on your ability to work, play and simply enjoy your life. But what if you could learn to “reframe your pain” to better manage it? Pain science says it works.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Many health conditions can increase risk for stroke including high blood pressure and diabetes, but when researchers looked closer, they found two common things happening in the hour before a stroke that pushed those risks over the edge.