Latest Stories

Not to sound paranoid, but my biggest concern about being outdoors isn’t snakes, it’s ticks. More than 475,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year in the U.S. Though early antibiotic therapy can help, a few plant extracts found to kill the bacteria may hold more promise…

Most of us expect we’ll slow down at least a little as we age. But it doesn’t mean we need to sit back and wait to see what happens. In recent years, the connection between a healthy body and sound mind have been made clear: lose your get-up-and-go and your mind will follow…

Green tea boasts the most disease-fighting power in each and every sip. From improving weight loss and blood pressure to protecting DNA, it’s often considered the holy grail of teas. So, wouldn’t leveling up with high-dose green tea extract be even better?

It seems unfair that when we hit a certain age, our metabolism slows down, the weight starts to hang on and the risks of dangerous health conditions ramp up. But thanks to a better understanding of the type of fats we carry, your age-related metabolism change could be reversed…

Rheumatoid arthritis means living with painful joints. It also carries a much higher risk for heart and blood vessel disease and death. Why? It comes down to a simple vitamin deficiency caused by medicines that treat it.

Dealing with chronic urinary tract infections is a real pain in the bladder and potentially the kidneys if you don’t get it under control. Right now, the only solution your doctor can offer is antibiotics. But antibiotic-resistant UTIs are on the rise. Thank goodness for natural options…

A new drug has been shown particularly effective at reducing the risk of fracture in women with severe osteoporosis. Great news, but there’s a catch: a 30 percent increased risk of heart attack, not to mention elevated risks for hypertension, diabetes and stroke…

If you eat the right foods, you might assume you’re getting the nutrition you need for optimal health. But nutrient absorption can range from 10 to 90 percent. If you make this common smoothie mistake you’re missing out on a bio-active compound science is studying for prevention of cancer, heart disease and more…

Sciatica is a painful condition caused by the compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. Treatment sometimes involves surgery, but thankfully, numerous natural remedies can effectively provide relief for this incapacitating condition…

Oxidation in the body is the start of a chain reaction that ends in hardened arteries, stroke, heart disease or worse. Just as it turns an apple brown or causes metal to rust, oxidation causes harm in our bodies. The good news is that oxidative stress is largely preventable…

The ancient samurai credited this Japanese food secret with giving them exceptional endurance and high energy levels. Modern science reveals it may have even bigger benefits when it comes to circulation…

Traditional healers, naturopaths and even old-school physicians can get clues as to the state and quality of your health by looking at you. Your body offers many “secret signs” that are “hidden in plain sight,” if you know where to look, what you are looking for and what the signs you see mean…

People have been turning to massage for healing and relaxation for more than 3,000 years. Now we have proof how the mechansims behind massage really makes muscles heal not only faster but stronger, by engaging your immune system…

It’s not new news that every time we drink water or eat almost anything we’re consuming plastic particles. What is new is the shocking finding that one of the most common may be particularly toxic and can cross the blood-brain barrier…

When it comes to cholesterol, we need to keep the following balance: high levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, low levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. A great way to do that is through a healthy diet, including healthy fats. If your LDL is making that difficult, reach for these seed oils…

If you don’t want to go through the agony of surgery or even the inconvenience of attending physical therapy sessions for your knee pain, there are some simple exercises you can do at home to help alleviate the pain and get back to the life you love.

Are you among the 1 in 5 that suffers from hay fever and the accompanying chorus of sneezing and nose-blowing? Sure, you could pop an antihistamine or inhale a nasal spray. Or you could look to an unlikely body part to tame your immune system’s overreaction…

Dozens of pesticides are used on our food, many of which have been linked to hormone disruption, neurological problems, immune system issues and more. Luckily, recent research shows that you can clear as much as 60 percent of them from your system in under a week with the right foods…

It’s hard to understand how a nutrient required for a healthy body can sometimes go awry. You may have read about what happens when calcium collects in arteries, the heart and kidneys, and even joints. But you may not have heard of the cancer connection…

Most of us think loneliness is just a feeling. But that’s not all. In recent years, it’s been found as harmful as 15 cigarettes a day. Worse, even short bouts of loneliness do things to your body that make this a health issue no one should ignore…

Research has established a definite link between poor sleep and cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s. Sleep medication seems the easy answer, but some of those can also raise dementia risks. But there’s a new pill on the block, and researchers think it has potential to lower amyloid and tau…

Sugar and fat. These ingredients are the fuel behind diabetes, fatty liver disease and heart disease. Yet we crave them, so much so that you might even think that sugar hijacks your brain, causing you to eat more and more of it. According to the research, you’d be correct.

Sitting with our legs crossed at the knee is something we do out of habit. When sitting for long periods, it just seems more comfortable, and that’s probably why men are as inclined as women to do it. But aside from circulation issues, you’d be surprised how many problems this bad habit can lead to.

While autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid and Hashimoto’s are on the rise, treatments that work have been few and far between, especially ones where the side effects aren’t worse than the condition itself. But help could be on the way from a medicinal plant aptly named the Thunder God Vine…

Heart problems have long been associated with men, and research may be to blame. A decade’s worth of cardiovascular studies found only about 38 percent of subjects were women. But one group dug deep and found advice that could lower a woman’s unique risk by almost 25 percent.

The health of your overall brain can protect you from the functional consequences of stroke. That means, the healthier your brain is, the less likely you are to have a stroke, and the less likely you are to have poor outcomes if you do. The key? Keeping your brain young…

Many studies on exercise to improve heart health focus on young adults and high-intensity workouts. But for older adults, exercise choices can be limited. If you had to choose between walking, Nordic walking or golfing, which do you think would improve the numbers your doctor looks at?

You can manage a lot of lifestyle-related risk factors for heart problems. That can be true even if you have a family history or genetic predisposition. But there are just some risk factors that are tougher to deal with, like the shape of your heart…

Caffeine is known to boost metabolism, increase fat burning,and reduce appetite. Just 100 mg (one cup of java a day) has been estimated to increase energy expenditure by around 100 calories a day. Is it any wonder researchers think a few caffeinated beverages a day coud lower risks for obesity and type 2 diabetes?

The mind-body connection is usually meant as a figurative link between our thoughts and emotions and how that impacts our physical well-being, even specific health conditions. But scientists are suggesting the mind-body connection is more literal than previously thought…

When you read about supporting a healthy gut microbiome, bacteria may be stealing too much of the spotlight. That’s because your gut contains a lot of fungi too. And the type and amount of fungi in your gut could have just as big an influence on disease risk as bacteria do. In fact, fungi could even play a big role in your Alzheimer’s risk…

We’ve all heard about the many benefits of drinking green tea. But did you know that the polyphenolic compounds present in green tea have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties that promote healthy skin? Not to mention catechins that have potent therapeutic effects on various skin conditions. Grab your tea bags and start the bathwater…

Millions of Americans wake up every day to pain that won’t go away. From low back pain to arthritis, chronic pain engrains itself into the life of the sufferer. Now research has found that if you’re living with chronic pain, you might be facing something even worse, a dramatically higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Time to stop the pain…

LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol that’s parking in your arteries and causing blockages to build up. It is also the cholesterol that’s toxic to the lining of your arteries (the endothelium), increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Obviously it’s nasty stuff, so let’s talk about how to get less of it, and dispel some myths while we’re at it…

Prunes have been associated with constipation for so long that they’ve almost become a joke. But if you’re concerned about osteoporosis, you can stop laughing right now. Even in the worst of circumstances, like the bone loss that happens with spinal cord injury, prunes have shown incredible bone-saving power…

Obesity is associated with a long list of adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But research is showing that extra weight, especially around the middle, can not only shrink the brain but make recovery harder if you suffer a stroke or other brain injury.

Saying that exercise is good for your health is nothing new. But saying and doing are totally different things… Considering that the stakes are pretty high — including a longer life span — a comparison of different forms of physical activity has discovered which one best holds up its end of the bargain…

When you think about the fountain of youth, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t poop. But what if I told you, researchers now think it’s the key to halt age-related decline and preserve cognitive function? Ponce de León would roll over in his grave! Here’s how scientists are using it, why, and what you can do to get the benefits without the ick factor.

Do you often buy fresh veggies and fruits only to have them rot before you can eat them? The problem may be with some common mistakes most of us make when washing or storing them. Here are ten pointers on how to keep your produce fresh until you’re ready to eat it.

Did you ever paint by the numbers? When you have a guide to follow, anyone can be a Picasso, right? Did you ever wish eating better could be that simple? It can. You can put more nutritional value on your plate and fewer calories. Best part, no complicated diet plan to follow…

Endocrine disruptors are everywhere. In the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on and the products we slather on our skin. They lurk, waiting to tip our hormones from a healthy balance and cause disease. Luckily, a brand-new study found a simple way to lower the levels of these disruptors in your body. ..

Generalized anxiety disorder is common, and in these difficult times, more of us are getting a taste of what it’s like. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the best treatments, but it can be difficult to access. And medication isn’t ideal for long-term use because of side effects. Luckily, there’s an easy way to relieve anxiety symptoms in the privacy and safety of your own home…

One out of every nine American men will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer is survivable, but once it spreads, survival rates plummet. That’s why avoiding prostate cancer in the first place is your best chance. And the best place to start is with what you eat and don’t eat…

HDL, high-density lipoprotein, is the good cholesterol. This is the particle that’s moving cholesterol out of your body, so you want to keep it high. But it turns out there’s not much good news about it… Low baseline HDL numbers are a potent risk factor for developing early or more aggressive heart disease. So let’s talk about getting them up…

Everyone knows that eating fish is good for you. There’s the brain- and heart-healthy omega-3s, good fats and protein, not to mention the vitamins and nutrients many of us don’t get enough of, like iodine and vitamin D. But before you put fish on the table, there’s a growing risk you need to consider — and help from a surprising source…

If you’re someone who looks forward to that first cup of coffee in the morning, especially if you haven’t slept well, there’s good news. And there’s bad news. Plenty of research shows the potential of coffee to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, but the caveat is “when” you drink it…

Heart failure is notoriously difficult to treat, which is why so many doctors focus on preventing it from developing in the first place. But if you suffer from a specific type of heart failure, there may be good news on the treatment front — and it may be as close as your kitchen pantry…

Hormone replacement therapy can be helpful to many women for relieving the symptoms of menopause. However, it’s not without risk. But considering that the number one killer of women is heart disease, more women need to understand what the loss of estrogen does to their blood vessels and that they have natural options to both ease menopause and avoid heart disease.

To put it bluntly, eating junk food makes it harder to stop eating junk food. It sends you into a downward spiral of bad food and poor health that takes a will of steel to break free from. And research has proven just how it happens. It goes straight for the part of your brain that manages appetite control and wrestles it away from you. Here’s how to get it back…

For years, cancer survivors have been told one thing – eat less fiber. That’s because doctors believed that added fiber went hand in hand with the bloating and diarrhea that is so common after radiation. But guess what… According to a new study, they were dead wrong! Here’s why fiber and the humble oat could be the answer to radiation-induced gut inflammation.

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that obesity and diabetes go hand-in-hand. And the process all begins two types of fat in the human body. Now, a brand new study has found a way to turn the bad fat good and in the process burn more calories, curb obesity-related inflammation and even put a halt to blood sugar problems.

As someone who’s suffered from insomnia, I know how difficult finding safe, satisfying sleep solutions is. That’s why research from Sweden recently caught my eye. It was about a natural insomnia remedy that can make a serious dent in insomnia in just a short time — maybe even send it into remission.

When you hear the words “immune system,” you probably think immediately of your body’s defense against seasonal maladies like cold and flu. A strong immune system is definitely an asset in protecting you from these and other invaders. But it turns out the immune system does a lot more than protect against microbes and infection.

We all know stress can ruin health and bring on disease. But who has the downtime to combat it? With a never-ending list of tasks to accomplish, scheduling time to relax seems like a distant dream. Lucky for us, researchers found it only takes 10 minutes to boost your body’s physiological engine of relaxation — and they’ve identified the most effective way to do it…

Humans are omnivores who can survive on a long list of foods… plants, meat, fish, dairy, fruit, grains, nuts and even whatever the heck is in those processed, packaged foods we eat. But which of these foods will help you not only survive — but thrive… especially when it comes to heart health? Loads of research points to this diet as the ideal for omnivores who want to keep their hearts ticking…

A “runner’s high” is a reference to a feeling of euphoria brought on following a strenuous run or even after engaging in other intense forms of exercise. It’s triggered when the brain releases endocannabinoids — fantastic molecules that research shows could be key to giving your memory a boost and even preventing Alzheimer’s.

When you get a cholesterol test back, you’re typically given four numbers: The total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Your doctor is probably great about going over your results with you, but it can be confusing to remember all the details once you leave their office. Here’s what you need to know to interpret the results like a pro…

Your bone health isn’t something to be taken lightly. A hip break can land you in the hospital, even shorten your life span. But it’s not a heart attack, right? Not so fast. The development of mineral deposits in your arteries, which can lead to arterial stiffness, and bone mineralization share many overlapping processes. That’s why weak bones may be a sign of serious heart trouble…

There’s no denying that diabetes is hard on the kidneys. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. About one in four people with diabetes has it. And as a result, they often go on to develop kidney failure. Why exactly is diabetes so damaging to the kidneys? It turns out that diabetes prevents them from performing one of their most critical functions…

Your microwave can be your best friend. Use it to make life easier, more flavorful, and more aromatic. Here are seven things your microwave can do that you may not have thought of, and here’s one good reason why: Mounting evidence shows that microwaving may help foods and beverages retain nutrients and beneficial compounds better than other heating methods.