How to Cope With the Winter Blues and COVID-19

In the northern hemisphere, darkness now falls before dinnertime. Most northern latitudes have less than ten hours of daylight in November – meaning most people spend the majority of their day light hours at work.

Evidence clearly establishes that darkness impacts the moods and mental health of millions of people. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a well-founded medical condition that affects about 5 percent of Americans; and another 15 percent experience a milder form of SAD, often referred to as the “winter blues.” [Read more…]

How Not to Get COVID-19: What We Know and What We Don’t

Fabian/Adobe StockAs states across America begin to reopen after months of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, people must make individual decisions about how much exposure they have to other people. Meanwhile, scientists across the globe are racing to learn as much as they can about how COVID-19 spreads and the best ways to keep people from contracting the disease. [Read more…]

How Do Smartphones Impact Youth Mental Health?

Brian/Adobe StockMore than 80 percent of teenagers now have smartphones in the U.S. In fact, half of all U.S. youth get their own personal phone by age 11 – up nearly 20 percentage points from four years ago, according to a national survey.

[Read more…]

Is Vitamin D A Worthwhile Supplement?

There are three main ways that people obtain vitamin D—by eating foods rich in vitamin D, by ultraviolet rays from the sun reaching the skin, and by taking a supplement. Over the past 10 years, doctors have worried that people living in northern latitudes don’t absorb enough sunlight to prompt their bodies to manufacture their own vitamin D. [Read more…]

Is Kombucha Really Good For You?

If you haven’t tried it, you’ve at least heard of it. Kombucha – a beverage made of sweet tea fermented with yeast and bacteria – is the latest drink touted to improve your health. [Read more…]

Can Vitamins Help to Prevent Dementia?

One in three senior citizens dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. So it’s no surprise that medical researchers have spent decades looking for a way to prevent or treat cognitive decline. [Read more…]

A Low-Salt Diet May Not Be Essential After All

If you or anyone you know has heart disease, you’ve probably heard the ubiquitous recommendation that people with heart problems should follow a low-sodium diet. [Read more…]

Are Carbs the Culprit?

New evidence from a sweeping study of diet choices reinforces the old adage, “Everything in moderation.” [Read more…]

What We Know About Fasting For Weight Loss

Fad diets come and go as often as trains in a busy station and many suggest completely different approaches to weight loss. Protein-based diets encourage participants to forgo processed foods and carbohydrates. Programs like Weight Watchers prescribe a healthy diet with a variety of foods but restrict calories for weight loss. And plant-based diets eliminate animal products including meats and dairy foods. [Read more…]

What’s the Best Way to Treat Mental Health Problems in Kids?

No one knows for sure, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 13 and 20 percent of youth ages 3 to 17 experience a mental health problem each year. This includes diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorders and Tourette syndrome. [Read more…]

The Evidence on Melatonin for Insomnia

If you have ever experienced insomnia, you know the agony of trying to fall asleep when your body simply will not cooperate. It is a common problem; an estimated 10 percent of people living in Western society are diagnosed with a significant sleep disorder and another 25 percent experience problems most days with sleeping or feeling tired during the day. [Read more…]

New Evidence Finds Dementia Treatments Fall Short

Source: Footage Firm, Inc.More than 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and that number is expected to grow significantly as the U.S. population ages. For decades, doctors across the globe have been looking for ways to strengthen aging brains and prevent dementia later in life. Researchers have tested a wide variety of treatments including exercise, “brain games” and medicine. [Read more…]

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