Posts:
By Hallie Levine Like other parts of your body, your muscles change over the years. “As you age, your muscle fibers become less dense, which makes them less flexible and more prone to injury,” says Elizabeth Gardner, an orthopedic specialist at the Yale School of...
By Lance Martínez Like other Latin American countries, Ecuador faces a public health dilemma. While everyone agrees that spending on public health is woefully inadequate, the proportion of the population over the age of 70 is expected to triple within 25 years. The...
By Melinda Wenner Moyer Q: I’ve heard two conflicting things about sun exposure — that you should avoid it and that it’s good for you. What should I believe? For decades, many doctors have said that less is more when it comes to sun exposure. Ultraviolet light from...
By Sara M Moniuszko If your fitness routine includes a pre-workout stretch, you may be spinning your wheels — or worse, hurting yourself. Many of us were taught that it's important to stretch before running or exercising. That often included the classic forward bend...
By Emily Rekstis “I’ve decided to get tested for Huntington’s disease,” my sister Lindsey said one gray January afternoon in New York while we were getting our nails done. She asked to spend some one-on-one time together while she and her boyfriend were in town, which...
By Gretchen Reynolds A simple test of your balance, strength and flexibility, known as the sitting-rising test, could be an early indicator of how long you’ll live, according to a large-scale new study of mobility and mortality. The study, published Wednesday in the...
By Lucy Brewer A recent survey found 42% of Americans prefer to cook meals traditionally, like their elders. Unfortunately, while we all love Grandma, bless her heart, much of her advice around food was based on folklore and not testing, facts and data. It may have...
By Kristen Miglore You keep mustard in the fridge, but your partner (or roommate or dad) balks at the idea. Who’s right? The fine print on the bottle, on nearly all of the bottles — “refrigerate after opening” — isn’t much help. Turns out, that urging is rarely about...
By Hallie Levine Most of us have experienced the burning sensation of heartburn at least occasionally, perhaps after eating a lot, eating too quickly or indulging in a spicy meal. Heartburn, which is caused by acid reflux — when stomach contents back up into your...
By Christina Heiser Gluten-free eating has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade, fueled by claims that cutting gluten leads to better health. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, with the global market for gluten-free foods projected to be valued at...
By Rachel Fairbank Many of us regularly wear an activity tracker, which counts the number of steps we take in a day. Based on these numbers, it can be hard to make sense of what they might mean for our overall health. Is it just the overall number of steps in a day...
By Jennifer Sweenie Obesity is a burden on the body—it also reshapes the brain. While its physical toll is well-known, mounting research shows that excess body fat changes the brain, affecting how we think, feel, and understand. The connection is made worse because...
By Julia Flynn Siler What really makes for a fulfilling life? This question has been on Tyler J. VanderWeele’s mind for decades. In his first faculty job as a biostatistician at the University of Chicago, he was dissatisfied with how scientists defined and measured...
By Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD You probably know some of the most common causes of cancer, thanks to the efforts of public health campaigns. In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first report on smoking and health, which concluded that smoking caused lung...
By Theron Mohamed Warren Buffett defended his junk-food diet and distaste for exercise during Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. Seated with two cans of Coca-Cola and a box of See's Candies on the table in front of him, the billionaire...
By Byron Johnson, Tyler J. Vander Weele and Brendan Case According to the 2025 World Happiness Report, which was released last month, the happiest country in the world is Finland, trailed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. This news came as no surprise. The...
By Diana Raab During my doctoral research, I read a great deal about the powerful effect of writing on healing, especially following trauma. It’s obvious that the conscious mind remembers the details of events, but what is more subtle and less talked about is what the...
By Amanda Erickson As a social worker for older adults, Robyn Golden, 67, preached the importance of staying active as you age. In her early career, Golden was often inspired by the way her clients tackled new challenges. “I found it very enriching,” she said, to see...
By Alice Callahan We’re in a protein craze, and it’s hard to ignore. Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find rows of protein-fortified energy bars, breakfast cereals, baked goods, snacks, even sports drinks. And on social media, influencers — many with medical or...
By Tobi Amidor Although bread gets shunned by many, choosing the right type of bread can have positive effects on your gut. Of course, the opposite can possibly be true as well. Here is a rundown of five surprising side effects bread has on your gut. It can improve...
