Latest Stories

Everyone loves giving and getting gifts. But it seems we enjoy gift-giving a bit more. Turns out the old adage “it’s better to give than to receive” is actually true in terms of the response it elicits from your brain…

37 million Americans live with chronic kidney disease. If you have diabetes or hypertension, you’re at high risk of joining them. Luckily, a new treatment, and better yet, preventative, is on the horizon. Even better, it’s available right now without prescription…

Fever, cough, chills, congestion and body aches… a viral infection can be rough. When the symptoms are gone, it feels like the worst is over. But a surprising symptom sticks around: elevated risks for stroke and heart attack.

A kiss under the mistletoe is a longstanding holiday tradition, steeped in ancient lore. Depending on the health of your kissing partner, when you indulge in a 10-second kiss, you exchange much more than good tidings…

The holiday season isn’t kind to people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a holding pattern. But don’t give up hope. I’ve got some strategies to avoiding tipping the scales to share with you…

Inflammation seems like such a benign and common symptom. But as the saying goes, “give it an inch and it’ll take a mile.” Once it takes hold — which is easy because it’s fueled by stress, sleep loss, sugar, pollution and countless other modern-day threats — it can completely wreck your health.

Living with androgenic alopecia, a common cause of hormonal hair loss in men and women, is challenging, especially when the suggested treatment isn’t all that effective. That may be changing…

An elevated PSA can be an early indication of prostatitis, an enlarged prostate or other health concerns. Research suggests that lifestyle changes, targeted nutrients, and inflammation reduction may help support healthy PSA levels.

The Mediterranean Diet is always at the top of any “best diet” list. It just has so much going for it, promoting healthy aging, better blood pressure and protecting against cognitive decline. The lastest? Gum disease…

Diet, exercise and sleep are important for keeping your brain sharp with age. But what if you can’t do it all, like exercise? SuperAgers do more of one thing that’s not on this list, and it works for them…

You can easily zip your jeans and your doctor’s happy with the number on the scale. That means you’re fit and healthy, right? Not necessarily. Being skinny-fat may mask artery damage setting you up for stroke or heart attack…

BMI was considered the gold standard for estimating a person’s body fat, until we learned it overlooked a critical detail that’s a much stronger indication for heart trouble, one your neck size could reveal…

Good circulation is one of the most critical factors for good health. Your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and everything in between receive life-giving oxygen via a complex network of blood vessels throughout the body. Do you know the signs if yours is failing?

Thanks to all the sweet treats that go hand-in-hand with social gatherings, I have no doubt that I eat more sugar during the holidays than in the previous six months combined. But eating a high-sugar diet for even a short amount of time can result in shockingly fast health problems…

Decorative tableware is never more popular than during the holidays. But those festive platters can serve up toxic metals that shorten lifespans and endanger your heart on par with cholesterol. Before you serve guests, how dangerous is your holiday setting?

It’s no secret why cold and flu season go hand-in-hand with the dark days of fall and winter. Luckily, scientists have discovered an easy way to bio-hack the ‘viral vitamin’ we need most this time of year…

A few years ago, a small study from Australia, the skin cancer capital of the world, suggested a simple vitamin could help prevent the most common skin cancers. A much larger study just put those findings to the test, and they were right…

If you have elevated cholesterol, you’ve probably been avoiding eggs. Turns out, that advice may be as dated as bell-bottom pants. In fact, it’s this Western breakfast staple that may be the real villain in the cholesterol war…

Hormone replacement therapy has largely shed its bad reputation, given the heart, bone and brain health benefits revealed in recent years. New evidence shows it could shore up another system critical to keeping women well…

There are lots of supplements that support gut health and fight disease-causing inflammation. But a perfect pair that produces a crucial short-chain fatty acid essential to healthy aging may be the most potent anti-inflammatory to do the job…

When you do everything right and still gain weight, it can be frustrating. It’s probably not even your fault. Many health conditions, some you’d never suspect, can make it hard to maintain healthy weight or even cause sudden weight gain…

Take into account just how important a factor food can be when it comes to aging. Stuffing yourself full of foods with added sugars and bad fats can be almost as destructive as hours sedentary on the couch. If you want good health to feel and look better, try these…

Some preventative medical tests are a piece of cake, while we dread others. And it seems new ones gets tacked on with each passing birthday. Here’s what to expect at 60 and beyond, including when you can start saying ‘no’ to some of the poking and prodding…

‘Ghost poop’ is making the rounds on social media. Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters. We’ve got all the answers about what this spooky-sounding term means, who experiences ghost poop, and what it signals…

Most people with atherosclerosis don’t know they have it until artery-clogging problems show up, like stroke or heart attack. So, what can you do to steer clear? Eat the one vegetable that reduces vascular calcification.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is on the fast track to becoming the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Why? A common denominator in two common conditions turns cells cancerous, but there’s a way to throw a kink into the equation…

A layer of fat around the heart offers protection. Unless there’s a little too much and it’s composed of damaging substances that can leak directly into your heart. Here’s how that happens and how to gauge your risk…

We’ve got all kinds of reasons for not exercising. But if you’re not walking because it takes hours a day to get in 10,000 steps, I’ve got the shortcut to better benefits in a fraction of the time…

Right now, diagnosing Parkinson’s is costly, subjective and slow, taking an average of three years. When the only hope is to slow progression, every second counts. Here’s why ear wax could lead to faster diagnoses, but don’t break out the swabs…

You may be done with that antibiotic, but is it done with you? Not by a long shot. But research has found it’s not the only common medication that continues doing damage to your gut long after you’ve finished it…

People with MS typically struggle with health problems for years before finally being diagnosed. Taking a closer look into why that is, three common complaints have been revealed as the earliest signs of MS in disguise…

Aging is a natural process. But what if it’s more like an infection, moving at a rapid pace from one part of the body to another? It makes sense when you consider that some of us age faster than others. That’s aging’s dirty little secret…

Flu isn’t just inconvenient. Complications can arise, like pneumonia, that can land you in the hospital. If you’ve got 10 minutes a day, you can start doing something now that could keep it from turning fatal.

Nutrition guides can be helpful. But in the real world, most of us eat foods that have been processed at various levels, and not so much whole food. Luckily, all processing isn’t all bad. One option can help you lose twice the weight…

Hearing loss makes it difficult to communicate and engage with others, leading to isolation and loneliness. It’s something more than a third of seniors have reported experiencing, and a combo that can open the door to bigger trouble…

The Women’s Health Initiative was a series of clinical studies by the National Institutes of Health in 1991 to address health issues in postmenopausal women. It changed how we approach menopause, for all the wrong reasons…

Tossing and turning at night and dragging through the day half asleep? Research is revealing a natural way to boost your sleep that rivals pills in effectiveness — yet comes without the troublesome side effects…

Even the best of intentions around exercise can fall by the wayside. Don’t fret. Switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adulthood may extend lifespan. It’s never too late to start, and you control the dial on the benefits…

Nothing jolts you awake like a leg cramp. Sometimes they’re associated with a serious condition. Other times, they strike from too much or too little exercise. Say hello to this vitamin and goodbye to the pain…

If you eat a typical Western diet, chances are good you aren’t getting all the nutrients you need, even from fortified foods, like cereal. In fact, there are five nutrients critical to disease prevention we’re falling short on…

Dementia dangers with every breath — that’s the warning of a 29-million person study. Here’s what you need to know about the triple-threat hidden in air pollution and how to fight back and win the battle for your brain health…

Want firmer, younger-looking skin (with the bonus of a healthy heart)? A breakthrough in skin aging, discovered in one of my favorite plant compounds, is poised to change the way we approach anti-aging skincare formulations…

The dark side of artificial sweeteners has been coming to light for years. But the newest generation carries especially concerning risks, like trading calories for higher stroke risk by interfering with how your blood vessels function…

For decades, obese Americans have been made to feel lazy and at fault for eating too much and not moving enough to avoid weight gain. Energy in, energy out, right? That was wrong on so many levels, and we know why…

It’s time for hot tubs to go from luxury to wellness tool. If you can’t or won’t exercise, time in a hot tub may be just what you need to lower blood pressure and improve your immune system, even after you dry off.

While vitamin D deficiency is mainly the result of not getting enough vitamin D from sun and diet, in some cases, it can be traced to a gene mutation. Researchers uncovered something shocking about this mutation that could be a huge step forward in the fight against cancer…

Harvard researchers say the life expectancy gap between men and women has grown to six years. That’s unsettling enough, but the underlying reason behind increasingly shorter lifespans among men is even more so…

Research is learning more about the cellular hallmarks of aging — those that happen at a level we don’t see, but can sneak up and pull the rug out from under your feet. One of those is sarcopenia which can leave you frail and dependant, unless you drink a daily dose of trigonelline…

Loads of research has stacked evidence of coffee’s health benefits. But it gets better. Beyond the heart, it slays a cluster of conditions, even in early stages, to crush what’s now known as cardiometabolic disease, and it just takes this much…

Your skin is a shield between you and the pollutants, UV radiation, pathogens and toxins you encounter daily. A lot can go wrong, and not just skin cancer. From skin tags to spots, skin changes warn of conditions that are more than skin deep…

There’s no escaping “forever chemicals.” They’re everywhere and, as the name implies, they stick around. They’re also linked to numerous disease conditions. But have we been overthinking the solution?

Adults with ADHD face some unique challenges. Struggling to focus takes a toll that results in reduced well-being and higher risk for depression. But research uncovered a significant factor that fuels that cycle…

Genes have come to the forefront of research into obesity, adding a layer of complexity. A study into one gene sheds light on the thyroid, a small organ with big influence on the repression and enhancement of gene activity…

Women are fortunate that, for most of their lives, heart problems are of little concern. That changes in menopause, when it becomes a significant threat. Four factors can increase the danger, but one in particular needs addressing sooner than later.

Summertime is here and that means markets across the country are once again selling that sweet, juicy fruit kids and adults alike wait all year for. And we’ve got good news: If you eat watermelon, you’re getting much more than a tasty treat…

Diverticulitis is a painful inflammation of the colon that becomes more common after 50. But diet, lifestyle and some conditions can increase your odds. If not treated, complications can be life-threatening. Here’s what to know…

Low testosterone and aging are often blamed when men have trouble in the bedroom. But a six-year study shows an unrelated health problem, easily remedied, may actually be the impetus for a man’s sexual health decline…

Given that it’s a normal physiologic process and not a disease, women are expected to just endure menopause and get on with it. But misery is not “normal,” and neither is accepting the harm it does to your health…

Superfoods get their reputation because they’re nutrient dense and do for your body what it normally takes a variety of other foods (in copious amounts) to do. Or because they contain that “one amazing” ingredient, like the natural answer for your sinus problems…

In the last two decades, there’s been a significant increase in deaths from obesity-related ischemic heart disease. Let’s talk about why obesity drives heart problems, the type of fat that does the most harm, who’s most affected and what to do about it…