Even the name sounds ugly. Bluish, purple starbursts of tiny veins tend to creep up on us unnoticed and then surprise us in summer, just as we gear up to show off that new bathing suit. Spider veins, similar to varicose veins, only smaller and closer to the skin’s surface, appear when blood pools in the … Read more
A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston offers important insight into how Alzheimer’s disease begins within the brain. The researchers found a relationship between inflammation, a toxic protein and the onset of the disease. The study also identified a way that doctors can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s by looking … Read more
For people who want to control their weight or reduce their intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat; tap water may be the drink that the doctor ordered. A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water — … Read more
Hunger suddenly strikes. You need food, and you need it now. You rummage for that long-lost candy bar buried somewhere in your desk—anything to get a sugar fix. That rapid rise in blood glucose, along with the attendant release of the “feel-good” hormone serotonin, may make you feel better in the short term, but when your … Read more
People may joke about needing their coffee to function in the morning, but in all seriousness, caffeine is a drug. It’s most often consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks and, in smaller doses, chocolate. While we seem to have a love affair with these foods, there’s been quite a bit of confusion and even controversy … Read more
Extra stress during the holidays—from activities like shopping, social commitments, and traveling—increases cortisol in the body, which can lead to more oil production and, ultimately, a pesky pimple. Try these tips to maintain your health and decrease acne breakouts during this holiday season. Sleep schedule, interrupted. Late parties, staying out with family, or last minute shopping … Read more
If you’ve ever had a vaginal yeast infection, you’re all too familiar with the telltale symptoms that make it so miserable: itching, burning, swelling, painful urination, and an unpleasant white discharge. The majority of yeast infections result from an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a fungal organism that naturally inhabits the vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and skin … Read more
Weight loss supplements have a lousy track record. From the deaths and heart attacks attributed to fen-phen in the early 1990s to the recently banned ephedra, pills hyped to promote weight loss have pretty much proven to be useless at best and dangerous—even deadly—at worst. But new research shows there may be one pill out … Read more
Besides being a good source of calcium, consuming dairy cheese instead of other sodium-laden foods may actually protect against some of sodium’s effects on the cardiovascular system, such as high blood pressure, according to researchers at Penn State. The researchers say the protection comes from antioxidant properties of dairy proteins in cheese. “This is a … Read more
Okay, there may not be 100 benefits of almond milk but it certainly comes close. Almond milk is a lot more nutritious than dairy milk. It does not go through the same processing that dairy goes through, and is the perfect alternative for people who struggle with allergies or are lactose intolerant. It has the most … Read more