When a doctor prescribes medicine, he gives a precise dose calculated to maximize the health benefits while minimizing any side effects. Similar to medicine, we know that exercise is good for our health; it reduces the risk of developing chronic disease and prolongs our life. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 8 percent of people in the U.S. over age 40 die as a result of too little exercise. [Read more…]
What You Thought About Your Metabolism May Be Wrong
Talk to people who are middle-aged or older about body weight, and you’ll likely hear them complain about how their metabolism has slowed down. But our commonly held beliefs about metabolism – primarily, that it slows for older people and women – are likely completely wrong, according to a new groundbreaking study published in the journal Science this month. [Read more…]
How the Most Exceptional 100-Year-Olds Keep Their Minds Sharp
Nearly 15 percent of people age 70 and older experience some form of dementia; that number jumps to nearly 35 percent for people over age 90. And yet other people live more than 100 years with sharp minds.
What helps some people protect their brain health well into the later years of life? That’s the question researchers from the Netherlands asked in a new, longitudinal study published in JAMA Network Open that examines mentally sharp 100-year-olds. [Read more…]
Drinking Coffee Is Actually Good for You
Sixty-four percent of Americans drink coffee, adding up to 400 million cups daily. That’s a lot of coffee!
Researchers have long debated the health effects of one of America’s favorite drinks. In 1991, coffee was listed as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Research has demonstrated that coffee increases blood pressure and heart rate, but less is known about its impact on cardiovascular health. Coffee is not recommended for pregnant women because it’s unknown how it affects unborn babies. [Read more…]
Working A Lot? It’s Probably Affecting Your Health
Work is a major component of most people’s lives. On average, Americans spend 41 hours working outside the home each week, according to the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. [Read more…]
How the Pandemic Has Affected Our Mental and Physical Health
We’re more than one year into the global pandemic that has kept many Americans sequestered in their homes and taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when they go out. Not surprisingly, these changes in how and when we interact with others has led to changes in our mental and physical health. Among those changes, emerging data show that many Americans have gained weight, are drinking more alcohol and are not sleeping well. [Read more…]
The Evidence on Detox Diets
Most people associate spring with the cleaning and scouring of their house, garage, basement, or car. Some people extend the ritual to an internal cleansing of their bodies through detox diets.
There are dozens of available plans for detox diets. One of the earliest, the Master Cleanse, was first introduced in the 1940s and gained popularity in 1976. It involves consuming a concoction of lemon juice, purified water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup—and nothing else—for 10 days. Today, one of the most popular is the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, in which participants drink green smoothies and eat raw fruit and vegetables, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs. Actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, through her wellness company Goop, promotes detox diets that prohibit alcohol, caffeine, added sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and nightshade plants, including potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. [Read more…]
Why Are the Incarcerated More Likely to Commit Suicide?
There are approximately 655 people incarcerated for every 100,000 Americans – the highest rate by far out of all developed countries. In total, that adds up to more than 2 million Americans currently in U.S. prisons and jails. About one quarter of these imprisoned people have not be convicted or sentenced; they are incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay bail. [Read more…]
A Pet Could Boost Your Mental Health
If you don’t have a pet, you may think about what caring for an animal entails: feeding, training, cleaning up after and paying veterinary bills. But most pet owners understand that pets provide them with benefits as well.
[Read more…]