Latest Stories

Everyone has trouble sleeping occasionally, with the most common causes being stress, anxiety and depression, neurological problems and pain. But there’s another group of middlemen that can make sleep tough, and they reside in a surprising part of your body…

Nuts are givers of great health. Almonds have been called the world’s most nutritious nut. Walnuts have been known to crackdown on chronic disease. And pistachios have been hailed as natural weight loss helpers. But what is the best nut for lowering cholesterol? The one that dropped numbers significantly lower than exercise intervention…

There are a few differences between Americans and Europeans. But one of the biggest differences is the food we consume. Take dangerous food additives. Here is a handful that have been banned in Europe, but are still fed to us, starting with your morning toast…

Did you know habitual tea drinkers have lower BMI and waist-to-hip ratios, and less body fat than non-tea drinkers? In addition, teas offer protection against many of the health risks associated with being overweight. Here are six that top the list…

Cognitive decline can lead to dementia, and dementia is irreversible. But if you keep your intake of sodium low and your potassium intake high enough to support blood flow through the brain you might just avoid it…

You may have heard the phrase “Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This holds for many health conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. But few of us realize this wise adage applies to protecting the skin from UV damage too…

What if you could hold a simple device to your eyes each morning, look into it for several minutes and improve your vision? This isn’t science fiction, but the next possible step in turning back the clock, so at 70 years old you might see as well as you did at 40…

I have a medicine cabinet packed with different vitamins and supplements. But, of all of them, there is one that is by far the most important. Without it, your risk of metabolic syndrome and heart attack, stroke and diabetes goes up considerably, not to mention cancer…

Your cells accumulate toxic, damaged material as you age. A cell cleaning process called autophagy removes this toxic junk, but it happens less frequently with age. The more junk your cells accumulate, the faster you age. In comes a compound found in certain foods that helps make cells new again…

There’s no denying how unpleasant food poisoning caused by salmonella can be. The good news is that the symptoms are usually gone after a few days. But for some, the infection can cause long-term gut problems of the worst kind…

After a long stretch of sleepless nights, it can be very tempting to reach for a prescription or over-the-counter sleep aid. But research keeps stacking up indicating that could be the worst move you could make for the health of your brain…

Like a lot of people in their 50s, I’ve had my fair share of “senior moments.” But I couldn’t help but wonder if I was experiencing something more concerning. Here’s how you can tell the difference and experience those senior moments less and less…

One of the symptoms of long COVID is crushing fatigue, the kind that, even though the virus has cleared the body, makes it feel almost impossible to get back to normal activities. But two nutrients were found to turn that around in a short period of time…

When inflammation becomes an unwanted guest, chronic conditions, including autoimmune disorders, could join the party. Luckily, sending inflammation packing may be as easy as taking your coffee with milk to double down on one powerful ingredient…

Gallstones are tiny, hard “pebbles” made of cholesterol. They’re usually very small but can grow to several centimeters, causing pain and sometimes, medical emergencies. Here are some tips to make it less likely you’ll get them…

If you’re over 40, you’re fighting an uphill battle to keep sarcopenia from stealing your muscle mass. But what most people don’t realize is the gradual deterioration of muscle increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack and dementia…

A toilet plume brings to mind a world of nasty carrying all sorts of germs. But are we getting paranoid about these kinds of things? A video made by engineers shows how far those germ-filled droplets can reach, and it’s shocking…

You may be familiar with tremors as a symptom of Parkinson’s. But in working to identify the earliest symptoms, researchers are finding that some signs appearing years before a diagnosis is made are, surprisingly, not neurological in nature.

In the years from 2000 to 2019, Alzheimer’s deaths increased by 145 percent. A missing piece of this puzzle may be a once-vilified source of an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in memory and brain support…

Studies into vitamin D have produced mixed results. Take the VITAL trial that saw reductions in cancer deaths and autoimmune diseases with vitamin D up to 40% in some people, and minimal results in others. Now we know why: it’s not a one-size-fits-all vitamin.

We all know that one person who eats just one bite of cake at a birthday party and can open an entire bag of potato chips and really eat just one — while the rest of us struggle to put down the bag. What’s the difference between us and them?

There’s big money to be made in shiny new drugs. And the pharmaceutical giants are banking on your help, especially since the majority of advertised drugs have been found not to measure up to older, cheaper existing ones…

However you do it, exercise is on top of any experts advice for keeping a body healthy and fit. But what if you’re having a hard time giving it your all? No worries. This veggie can help you eat your way to more muscle power…

Is your gum health a priority? If not, listen up: a disease of the gums that can lead to bleeding and bad breath, can also leave your heart scarred and struggling to maintain a healthy rhythm…

Evidence keeps stacking up that the gut microbiome plays a strong role in MS. And recent findings reveal systems that may be manipulated for new treatments, perhaps with supplements that promote protective bacteria — without the side effects of medications.

As part of the brain’s reward system, the hormone dopamine contributes to feelings of pleasure, happiness and motivation. Low levels do just the opposite and may indicate serious neurological conditions. Here’s your mind and body on dopamine…

Mitochondria are tiny organelles that power our cells. Convention says they begin to slow down and kick off aging. But some ramp up, then burn out, taking your energy with them. Scientists have an answer that seems counterintuitive, but they say works…

You go to the doctor for your yearly check-up and say to him, “Doc, I want a pill that will make me stronger, smarter, healthier, disease proof, age-proof, thinner and with great skin and strong bones. Got anything like that?” In a perfect world, the doctor would say, “Yes, I do. It’s called vitamin D.” Here’s why…

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be operating under a false belief about your situation… You may believe that once you’ve crossed the line into type 2 diabetes territory, there’s no going back. You’re stuck with this disease for the rest of your life. But that’s far from the truth.

As someone who sits at her desk all day long, I’m a prime candidate for diabetes, heart disease and dementia. Obviously, my work day leaves only minutes to spare. But to lower blood pressure and blood sugar, that’s literally all I need…

If you have metabolic syndrome, you’re officially at a much higher risk for heart disease (diabetes and cancer too). Scary thought, I know. But protecting yourself from the dangers of metabolic syndrome might be easier than you’d think…

More than one million people suffer from MS in the U.S. But ground-breaking research may be able to help them slow, even reverse the damage it inflicts on the nervous system. Best of all, it’s a natural compound found in some of our favorite fruits.

Even though coffee has transformed its bad-for-you image over the past couple of decades, there are still lingering questions about coffee’s impact on your health. Why is coffee OK for your heart in some studies and not OK in other studies? Research shows it all may come down to this one thing…

In the weeks after a heart attack, you need to do things differently so you don’t have another one. What should you do to turn your heart health around? Healthy eating and exercise are great starters. But there’s another component to restoring heart health that people often forget about…

For decades, scientists have questioned the link between sleep and Alzheimer’s. Does poor sleep increase risk? It seems people with sleep problems are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s. Or, does the brain biology of people at risk cause them to have poor sleep? Regardless, what’s at the root of this is what deep sleep does to your brain.

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen aspirin’s anti-cancer clout rise significantly. But the salicin that inspired aspirin may not even be the best anti-cancer compound the amazing willow has to offer. Recent research shows there’s another willow compound with even more cancer-fighting potential…

Making deliberate choices about the foods you eat and what kinds of meals you prepare for yourself can truly make the difference between good or poor health or between a minor illness or a life-threatening one. Foods that boost your immune health are especially important…

I like a glass a wine now and then, but I’m finding my body doesn’t tolerate it as well as it did in my younger days. Luckily, a study has found an herbal remedy may work like a natural hangover drug to not only significantly reduce acute alcohol-related symptoms but protect the liver.

If you’ve been feeling out of balance or even taken a tumble, it may be time to get your ears checked — but not for the reasons you might think. It turns out your hearing plays a bigger role in your balance than ever realized and a hearing test could help you avoid a fall…

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, more than 25 million Americans now suffer from asthma. That’s 25 million people that have to take more extensive precautions with their health in these unprecedented times. So, what should you be doing now to protect yourself if you have asthma?

If you have celiac disease you have to strip every trace of gluten from your life. But even when you try your best, a dose of gluten gets past and ends up triggering diarrhea, fatigue, pain, nausea, vomiting, and other terrible symptoms. Here’s good news for you, even if you’re just gluten sensitive…

If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it’s that prevention is worth its weight in gold. But you should know, just like there are foods that can boost your health when you need it most, there are some foods that, no matter what bug you’re fighting, you should avoid like, well… the plague.

There’s no way to put this that it doesn’t sound scary: Inflammation causes your body to produce cells that stop your immune system from fighting off cancer — basically putting the brakes on your defenses and allowing the cancer to grow unchecked. But’s that information you can use to turn your risk around…

As you know, brain volume tends to shrink with age. And as a result, you start to experience some level of cognitive decline, even if you don’t end up with dementia or Alzheimer’s. But one man’s brain scans show a near lifetime practice can slow down the rate at which the brain ages…

Are you confused about the difference between probiotics and prebiotics, and how each can benefit your health? You’re not alone. We’re going to clear all that up in a moment. But, for now, just know that prebiotics are the focus of recent research, and not for the usual reasons.

Diabetes is an epidemic in our country, spurred on by sedentary lifestyles and skyrocketing rates of obesity. And, once you have it, the rest of your health can quickly deteriorate, raising your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.

A new study takes a closer look at whether eating more olive oil, one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease here in the United States. But what about other plant-based oils?

75 is the average age for a first stroke in women. But could making midlife lifestyle changes significantly reduce the number and severity of strokes in women who are of middle age and beyond? The results of a 25-year study shed some pretty compelling evidence on that question…

Spring is my favorite season. Where I live, it means birds chirping, flowers sprouting, trees budding and rain — lots of it. But a recent study found that heavy spring rainfall in one American city caused cases of acute gastrointestinal illness to double! What’s that about? And could it happen where you live?

If you’re like most people, you’re not a planner when it comes to protein… Some meals you eat lots of protein. Other meals you don’t eat much. But you figure it all evens out in end. Unfortunately, that assumption could cost you something very important — your muscles.

There’s not much that’s more miserable than a migraine… The pain that comes with one alone is bad enough, but the nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and the fact that one can steal days and days of your life is like adding insult to injury, something I know all too well.

If you’re suffering with clinically diagnosed, long-term depression, every single aspect of your life is altered. Depression can rule your days. And you may or may not be aware of the dangers associated with SSRIs. Good news is Stanford is seeing great results with a drug-free treatment…

There’s no denying that vitamin D plays an important role in your immune system. Vitamin D helps regulate immune response and, specifically, helps your body determine when it needs to send out its immune defenders… Can vitamin D reduce the risk and/or severity of COVID-19?

You’ve heard you should avoid too much salt in your diet because it could lead to blood pressure problems. The tasty condiment can be a double-edged sword, delivering great taste with real danger. And now there’s one more reason to watch your salt intake closer than ever before…

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., predominately striking older adults and reducing mobility in half of those survivors. Despite these bleak statistics, researchers have found a way to improve recovery that could improve life after a stroke…

Antibiotic alternatives have been around for millennia before penicillin was discovered. These 9 antibiotic alternative foods and herbs haven’t lost their ability to fight bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi.

The truth is, laughing is healthy. A good laugh offers a healthy distraction from anger, guilt, stress and other negative emotions, something we all could use right about now. But you may be shocked at what it can do for the backbone of your immune system…

Plenty of studies show that “mind exercises” can improve memory, reasoning and processing speed to some degree or another. But one of the more recent studies shows we shouldn’t put too much stock in mental exercise, especially if we want to live longer…

More than 15 million people in the U.S. take proton pump inhibitors to control digestives symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux or GERD. But these medications can bypass the blood-brain barrier, and that’s a problem…

They’re all around us… in yard and garden insecticides, in flea and tick treatments you put on your pets and even in bug spray you use on yourself. They’re in lice shampoo. Unfortunately, these common chemicals aren’t just killing mosquitos… they’re increasing disease and death rates among humans…