Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, like thinking, remembering, and reasoning, at levels that interfere with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia affects the health and well-being of millions of older adults; with baby boomers reaching their senior years, that number is expected to grow substantially. [Read more…]
You Can Help Delay Dementia With Your Diet
December 20, 2024 By
Does Drinking Alcohol Increase Your Cancer Risk?
November 21, 2024 By
A sweeping new report by the American Association for Cancer Research highlights a steady decline in deaths due to cancer and improvements in the quality of life after a cancer diagnosis over the past three decades. The report found the overall cancer death rate in the United States has fallen by 33% between 1991 and 2021. [Read more…]
What We Know About Coffee and Parkinson’s Disease
August 19, 2024 By
Across the globe, more than 10 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that leads to unintended and uncontrollable movements such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
Scientists are working to better understand the mechanisms involved in Parkinson’s disease. At a basic level, they know that the disease occurs when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement, become impaired or die. Most researchers believe a mix of genetic and environmental factors trigger the disease. [Read more…]
Could the Keto Diet Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
April 27, 2024 By
If you pay attention to diet trends, you’ve likely heard of—or maybe even tried—the keto diet.
The ketogenic diet involves eating a high percentage of fat and few carbohydrates. This forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, which involves burning fat for energy instead of glucose. The diet also leads to lower blood sugar and insulin levels. [Read more…]
Is Coffee a Superfood?
December 7, 2023 By
It’s not an exaggeration to say that America runs on coffee—some 400 million cups a day, according to the most recent data from the National Coffee Association. That works out to about 9 pounds of coffee per person per year. [Read more…]
Why Doctors Are Moving Away from BMI
July 6, 2023 By
If you’ve been to a doctor’s office or fitness center in recent years, you’ve likely had your Body Mass Index calculated. The BMI formula uses a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. The resulting number is classified into one of four categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. These labels are prolific in the U.S. medical system. At one point, BMI classification was even used to establish eligibility for COVID vaccines. [Read more…]
The Link Between Food Insecurity and Binge Eating
June 28, 2023 By
Food insecurity—or not having access to enough quality food—is a significant risk factor for binge eating disorder, according to a new systematic review published earlier this year. [Read more…]
New Research: Moderate Drinking Provides No Health Benefits
May 1, 2023 By
Alcohol consumption is an often-celebrated part of our culture. Millions of Americans enjoy beers at the ball game, wine with dinner, or a cocktail with friends after work on Friday. [Read more…]
New Guidance Promotes Treating Childhood Obesity
February 9, 2023 By
The American Academy of Pediatricians is recommending a new approach to childhood obesity that addresses the condition as a complex disease and recommends intense behavioral treatment.
Twenty-one of the nation’s top experts in childhood health developed new guidelines after reviewing the body of evidence on childhood obesity; this is the first time in 15 years the group has addressed the topic. [Read more…]
It Turns Out You May Not Need That Vitamin D Supplement
August 29, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Vitamin D is one of the most commonly taken supplements in the U.S., consumed by an estimated one-third of people age 60 and older. For decades, doctors have touted the vitamin’s ability to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, which help bone growth, reduce cancer cell growth, and control infections. [Read more…]
Which Diet Works Better, Low-Fat or Low-Carb?
March 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ve noticed the myriad of diet options out there: keto, paleo, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), the Mediterranean diet, and many more.
Is there a way to tell which one works the best? Public health officials have been asking this question for decades. The answer emerging from the most recent data is unexpected: They all work, and what works best for you depends on a variety of biological and lifestyle factors. [Read more…]
A Drink a Day May Not Be So Good for You, After All
March 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment
After a holiday season full of good cheer—and extra cocktails for many—more Americans than ever participated this year in “Dry January,” a month-long sobriety challenge that began as a public-health campaign in England. Surveys found that between 13 and 15 percent of Americans decided to forgo alcohol that month, an increase from last year.
That’s likely a good thing for their health. [Read more…]
