If you’re among the nearly half of Americans who sometimes have trouble with sleep, you may be interested in how to slide into slumber without drugs. Herbal teas, tinctures, and other supplements may help. But talk to your doctor first. Even natural sleep aids can cause side effects or interfere with how your medicines work. And the FDA doesn’t check supplements for safety or quality. So know exactly what you’re taking.
Seductive foods seem to lurk at every turn, especially when you're trying to lose weight. But many foods that have gotten a bad rap aren't so terrible after all. Learn which tempting treats can actually help you lose weight and keep it off.
Because many people who have COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms, antibody tests may be the best way to find out how far the new coronavirus has spread. These blood tests can show who's been exposed to the virus and who hasn't. The hope is that people who've been exposed to the new coronavirus will have immunity to it. When you have immunity, your body can recognize and fight off the virus that causes COVID-19. But it's possible that people who've had COVID-19 can get sick again -- and maybe infect other people. We don't have enough information yet to know which is the case. But national health organizations are doing research to try to find some answers.
Older adults have different needs when it comes to vitamins and minerals. For example, the right amount of calcium can help fend off osteoporosis in women. Vitamin D, which helps your body take in and use calcium, also helps prevent bone loss and broken bones in older adults.
It’s sometimes hard to know exactly what you need. But if you have a balanced diet, you’re probably doing OK. If you’re still concerned, Robin Foroutan, a nutritionist from New York, suggests you ask your doctor if supplements might help.
Before you head to the store, though, it’s important to know the term “supplements” includes not only vitamins and minerals, but also herbs and other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and other things. Some are so-called specialty products like probiotics or fish oils.
Wearing a facial covering not only curbs the spread of the coronavirus but reduces a mask wearer's risk of catching the virus by 65%, said Dean Blumberg, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children's Hospital.
When it's time to schedule a vacation, most people will do it right away. But when it comes to booking a root canal, some people will procrastinate while others will put it at the top of their to-do list.
A study including almost 150,000 participants has found that a higher intake of dairy products, particularly whole fat varieties, is linked with a lower risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Rates of type 2 diabetes and hypertension, or high blood pressure, are rising in the United States.
Herbal and nutritional supplementation, along with behavior and lifestyle modification, can provide the holistic health support needed to quit smoking and begin to repair the damage it causes.
While the ginger tea steeps, my long-time friend Elizabeth and I get caught up on each other’s lives. By the time I pour our second cup of tea, we’re deep into the personal stuff. She’s telling me about her husband Charlie and his unsuccessful attempts at trying to quit smoking.
Food with lots of fiber can help your liver work at its best. Want one that's a great way to start your day? Try oatmeal. Research shows it can help you shed some extra pounds and belly fat, which is a good way to keep away liver disease.
Like a scene out of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," a virus infects a host and converts it into a factory for making more copies of itself. Now researchers have shown that a large group of viruses, including the influenza viruses and other serious pathogens, steal genetic signals from their hosts to expand their own genomes.
This finding is presented in a study published online and in print June 25 in Cell. The cross-disciplinary collaborative study was led by researchers at the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the UK.
