Latest Stories

When you suffer from anxiety, that feeling of dread can take over. Unfortunately, the medications most doctors will prescribe carry a boatload of side effects. Some can even worsen your anxiety symptoms. But a plant compound found in some of our favorite foods was shown to wrangle anxiety… and cholesterol, too.

Dyes used in food are supposed to be safe for you to eat, but we’ve already seen evidence that’s not the case. Artificial food colorants have been linked with everything from hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions and worse — and now, there’s evidence they may impact your gastrointestinal health as well…

For years, research has dug into the benefits of coffee. And, now, there’s more credibility pointing to our favorite elixir’s stimulating brain benefits. Coffee certainly lives up to its reputation to help us stay sharp, alert and focused, but should we drink more… or less for the best big brain benefits?

Over the past twenty years, the emerging field of neurotheology has explored the relationship between spiritual practices and meditation and a person’s overall physical and mental health. But the idea that meditation is good for the brain, and may even prevent Alzheimer’s, isn’t new at all…

As we age, diet plays an important role in maintaining health and independence. But it’s a little more complex than you’d think. Research has revealed some recommendations, and some precautions, that can help you live life with vim and vigor no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake…

In the past twenty years, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer has skyrocketed, as long as the disease is caught at stage 1, from around four percent to almost forty percent. This makes greater awareness of the risk factors for the disease and the early warning signs of pancreatic cancer an important part of survival.

A good night’s sleep can do wonders for your mental and cognitive health. It helps keep us focused, alert and simply happier. But more than that, getting just the right amount of sleep can bring down your risk for stroke and heart attack.

Sardines. You either love them or you hate them. But if you were at a high-risk level for type 2 diabetes — meaning you’re prediabetic — and eating just a few a day could turn all that around for you, why not give it a try? Still need convincing? Check out these impressive results…

When you were growing up, your mom never forgot to remind you to eat your vegetables. And while that’s still great advice, there might have been one recommendation she missed. Always eat your fish… your oily, fatty fish, that is! Because people with higher omega-3 blood levels live longer than those with lower levels.

All of us have those nights when physical discomfort or a racing mind can make it difficult to sleep well. But when it happens night after night, it can be a real nightmare — one that affects up to 70 percent of older adults. Pop a pill? That’s dangerous the older you get. But new research says the right kind of music is the stuff dreams are made of…

Between the chaos of the pandemic and the information overload that comes from being constantly online, stress is pretty much a constant presence in our lives. Luckily, evidence continues to mount that following a healthy diet with plenty of plant-based foods can help you manage your stress…

Psoriasis is a difficult autoimmune disease to manage. Not only can it result in thick, red, itchy skin plaques that feel uncomfortable — but it can make someone suffering from the condition uncomfortable about showing their skin. It can also cause misery below the skin including inflamed joints and tendons. A type of diet shows promise in improving symptoms…

Diabetes is well-known as a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But prediabetes? No big deal, right? Wrong. The notion that prediabetes is “blood sugar that’s high but not high enough to be diabetes” has lulled us into a false sense of security. It can lead to heart damage without ever progressing…

You already know that there’s “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol and that the “good” type helps eliminate bad forms of cholesterol out of your system. But researchers have discovered another benefit to “good” cholesterol that could help predict your likelihood of developing a serious heart problem…

Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that can sneak up on you if you get overheated and don’t take the time to cool off. Now, we’re finding that being overheated for too long can lead to specific danger for seniors… it can actually lower your body’s ability to clean out damaged cells that could lead to diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

People with high blood pressure are usually taking some action to bring it under control, including diet, exercise and medication. But what they don’t know is that they could be sabotaging their efforts simply by taking care of other health issues, especially with medication…

Exercise plays a vital role in heart health and is often recommended by experts as one of the best ways to avoid heart problems. But what if you’ve actually had to undergo heart surgery? Can you get the cardivascular and muscular benefits you need to reduce frailty without danger? You bet, especially if you take the stairs…

I can’t think of much that’s more relaxing than strolling through a park and listening to a bird song. It clears the mind, rejuvenates the spirit and inspires me more than almost any other experience. And I’m sure I’m not alone in appreciating these gifts that come from spending time outdoors, including how they impact our health…

Sleep is soothing. But it’s also invigorating. You know what else is invigorating? Sex. If you’re a woman of a certain age feeling left out in that department, sleep may be the way to get it back, according to experts who understand what you’re going through.

While kidney disease is not reversible, there’s a lot you can do to slow its progression and prevent serious disease or kidney failure. Here are some of the danger signs to watch for, and half a dozen things you can do now to protect your kidneys.

Have you noticed your gums bleeding after brushing your teeth? It could be an early sign of gum disease. But what if you take excellent care of your teeth and your gums still bleed? Then it may be time to explore other factors connected to this warning sign, like a shortage of this particular vitamin…

With age, the risk of falling rises dramatically, and with it the risk of suffering a hip fracture. In fact, in the U.S. alone, over 300,000 seniors are hospitalized for hip fracture each year, three-quarters of them women. Here’s how to avoid that trauma and boost your chances of walking away from it following hip surgery.

Atrial fibrillation symptoms can appear differently in women. And because these symptoms are less familiar, women often ignore them and doctors often misdiagnose or minimize them. That can be deadly since AFib carries higher stroke risk for women. Here’s what to know to protect yourself from this serious stroke threat.

If you have dark skin and tend to spend a lot of unprotected time in the sun, you may think you’re safe from vitamin D deficiency. But research shows the opposite may be true. This is why researchers are recommending that African Americans add vitamin D to their diet to help protect their heart health…

The mitochondria found in our cells generate about 95 percent of the body’s energy. As we age, that energy declines. Research has found a connection between the brain’s ability to pull in glucose and the level of energy produced by mitochondria — one that could hold the link to living longer and healthier.

A fatty liver increases risk for liver damage, liver cancer, liver failure and even death. But there may be a surprisingly pleasant way to halt the progression of fatty liver and improve the health of this vital organ.

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that develop from the muscle in the uterus, typically in women of child-bearing age. The condition usually stabilizes, and symptoms lessen or go away on their own once a woman goes through menopause when her hormones decline. But till then?

Past research has shown the brain’s cellular cleaning mechanism can help take out the trash that leads to Alzheimer’s, and there are ways to naturally encourage the process. But what happens when, despite everything, this cleaning system breaks down? An experimental drug may have the answer to reversing it…

Aging is directly connected to the shrinking of your telomeres, compounds that protect your chromosomes from damage. But there are several other factors that could shorten your telomeres and potentially accelerate the aging process — for instance, finding yourself constantly in need of an afternoon nap…

Diabetic nephropathy can strike one out of four people with diabetes, leading to loss of kidney function and the need for dialysis. While there is no cure yet for this condition, researchers are exploring options — and may have found one in a certain group of vegetables…

Recent research has shown alcohol can damage your DNA, shorten telomeres and increase your risk for atrial fibrillation… not to mention seven different kinds of cancer. So there’s no question that drinking a lot is bad. But a little just might work like a beneficial brain tonic…

Everyone’s nerve pain is unique but what everyone who’s ever lived with nerve pain has in common is that it can’t go away fast enough. I had the unfortunate experience to learn that the hard way this past year. You see, I tore my shoulder and had to have surgery…

Numerous studies have shown that a freshwater blue-green algae called spirulina boosts men’s immune health. This superfood, and its cousin chlorella, can be enjoyed both in food and as a supplement.

Chronic inflammation amplifies your cancer risk. Fortunately, researchers confirmed that omega-3s are an effective way to fight the chronic inflammation that fuels breast cancer. But they also found one source of omega-3s is substantially more effective…

Yoga can produce lasting changes to your nervous system that help regulate your stress response. And control it you must: Stress is a killer that increases your chances of heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Under chronic stress, your chromosomes show the effects of accelerated aging.

Remember going to the fair and encountering the carnies who want to guess your weight? To this day, I’m not sure how they do it… but I don’t have to guess to know most Americans have a weight problem. And one reason is how fast — or how slow — we eat…

Does it seem like you’re out of luck and doomed to carry that spare tire around your middle ‘til the day you die? Don’t give up yet. A new study is providing the key to turning off your hunger so that you can actually drop those pounds and keep them off…

You’ve heard how important it is to keep your gut healthy by populating it with beneficial bacteria. And, the most popular way to do that? Probiotics. Those little capsules filled with acidophilus, bifidus and lactobacillus. But, what if I told you they might be cheating you…

It’s no secret air pollution affects your lungs. Breathing the toxic chemicals that spew from factories and vehicle exhaust causes chronic respiratory disease, emphysema, not to mention lung cancer. What you may not know is how it can give you Alzheimer’s…

Throughout your life, your heart sees its fair share of damage… Eating an unhealthy diet, drinking alcohol, staying sedentary, being overweight and smoking cigarettes all take a toll on your ticker. (And let’s face it…none of us are saints. We’ve all done at least one of these things in our lives.)

I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Well, science keeps showing there’s some truth to it, especially when it comes to your health. What you believe about aging and disease can either keep you healthy or set you up for sickness…

It’s easy to understand why boron has so many important functions when you consider it’s essential for plants to grow. That means it’s life-promoting. But — can you believe — there are even more reasons that boron is necessary to keep you healthy? And fighting cancer is one of them…

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

While your doctor might tell you it’s normal to experience changes in your sexual function as you age, you don’t have to write off your sex life. There are three supplements that have been shown to not only make you healthier, but your sex life as well…

Ever have difficulty opening a jar of pickles or tomato sauce? Do your hands hurt when you hold things and perform repetitive motions, like washing dishes or gardening? Well, the issue could be lack of grip strength. And it’s more than just a problem that makes daily chores or tasks difficult for you…

In a world where prescription antibiotics are becoming less effective, natural antibiotics are finally getting the attention they deserve. And there’s one natural antibiotic that’s been stealing the spotlight lately because of its impressive powers against resistant TB…

The human body is a wondrous thing. Yet there’s this one thing that men and women alike have been conditioned to be uncomfortable talking about. Let’s end that today: It’s a normal part of our bodily functions and, it turns out, it can improve health and fight off disease…

An acid naturally produced in your body can hydrate and tighten your skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and make your lips and cheeks appear younger and fuller. So why all these visible signs of aging? Production is 1/20th what it was in your younger days. Here’s how to boost and supercharge it…

Inflammation is a sign your body is trying to heal itself from something harmful, like an infection or injury. But sometimes your body’s inflammation response is triggered even when you haven’t contracted a nasty bug or taken a bad fall. That’s when it goes from helping to harming…

The rate of Alzheimer’s disease in our country is skyrocketing. Luckily, researchers have discovered a diet that not only helps prevent Alzheimer’s but can even help ward off dementia in stroke survivors, who are twice as likely as the general population to develop dementia…

The results of a new weight loss study are rather promising. It’s based on acceptance of behaviors in relation to food, feelings of hunger and daily activity: Components of the most effective wellness strategy for success. Just trade willpower in for ‘values’…

A lot of doctors believe Lyme disease is a fairly straight-forward condition… You get a tick bite. You get a bullseye rash and some flu-like symptoms. As long as you take a course of antibiotics soon enough — you shouldn’t have any lingering effects. But that’s not the case…

Why do so many people with normal, healthy levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, who have never smoked, don’t have diabetes, and are without a family history of heart attack, fall victim to heart failure? A new discovery answers this question that’s plagued medicine for so long…

Gas. Stomach pain. Bloating. Diarrhea. Constipation. You get the picture. Even though IBS isn’t as serious as some of the other diseases tied to vitamin deficiencies, it makes you miserable and interferes with optimum health. So you want it to stop ASAP. Here’s what you need…

We can count the passing of the years not just in our memories but in the wrinkles on our faces. And, while it’s nice to call those wrinkles a sign of wisdom or a life well-lived, most of us would still rather turn back the clock, at least when it comes to our skin.

We all know the “YoYo” approach to losing weight… You spend a few weeks cutting out this or substituting that, counting every calorie. And quite often, the weight comes off and you revert back to “normal.” And then it all comes back. So let’s try something smarter…

Recently I wrote about the missing link for arthritis… boron — and why supplementing with it is an effective natural treatment for both arthritis and osteoporosis. But that’s not all this miracle mineral can do for you. So let’s see how you can put it to work improving what ails you…

People with depression are often stigmatized. Slowly, light is being shed on the fact that depression is, in fact, an illness, just like any other. It can also be a signal that other things are wrong with the body: vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances… even cancer. Here’s one woman’s story…

Arthritis pain have you dreading getting out of bed and taking that first step? Do you wonder how much worse it’s going to be ten or even fifteen years down the road? If you know moving helps, but can’t handle the 150 minutes your doctor says is recommended, here’s good news…

Are you in debt to the Sandman? Only getting five or six hours of sleep, because that’s the only way you can find enough time in the day? Sure, you feel a little tired. But, you figure you’ll catch up this weekend, right? No so fast. That may not be the fix you’re looking for…