Clearing your mind can clear up your blood pressure problems. That’s the verdict of a recent study by researchers at Harvard University, who monitored the blood pressure of people who were asked to meditate for 20 minutes a day for eight weeks. WBUR reports that the study was small, involving […]
Health
Losing Money Can Cost You Your Life
Before you check the progress of your 401K, a few words from researchers at the University of Michigan: people over the age of 50 who suffer a catastrophic loss of wealth have a 50-percent higher risk of dying than those who do not have such loss. Wait, it gets worse. […]
For Most, Testosterone Supplements Do Nothing
Yes, we’ve read about how testosterone can increase strength, sex drive and confidence, but a 2015 study from researchers at Harvard Medical School suggests that for most men, that is, those whose testosterone is within the normal range, testosterone does almost nothing. The New York Times reports on the research, […]
Exercise Slows Aging
Want to get older slower? Run faster, or at least more often. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, U.K. are convinced that people who exercise regularly maintain more muscle mass and have immune systems that appears to have aged slower than the immune systems of people who do not exercise. […]
Consumer Product Chemical Linked to Obesity
A class of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have long been linked with cancer, hormone disruption, immune dysfunction, and high cholesterol. Now comes a new study from Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health, linking them to obesity. A Chan School news release reports that the chemicals have been used for more than 60 […]
A Little Alcohol Is Good For Your Brain
Sure, serious drinking is a seriously bad idea. But while excessive alcohol consumption is a well-documented health hazard, a little bit of alcohol could be a good thing. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center report that low levels of alcohol consumption, generously defined as less than two and […]
Pats vs Eagles and the Dangers of Double Dipping
It’s old news, but it’s still depressing. In 2008, yet another year that the Patriots played in the Superbowl, the New York Times reported that researchers at Clemson University had looked into the likelihood that bacteria would be transferred by double dipping chips or crackers in a bowl of party dip. The […]
To Lose Weight, Stand, Don’t Sit
The difference in calorie burn is small, but researchers are convinced that standing rather than sitting could help keep the weight off. Science Daily reports on research conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, which analyzed results from 46 studies with 1,184 participants, average age 33. Ready? The envelope please… […]
Pros and Cons of Cow Milk Alternatives
In a contest that pits all plant-based milks against each other and judges them for nutrition, soy milk comes in first. This news comes from researchers at McGill University, who looked at the four most-commonly consumed types of milk beverages from plant sources around the world – almond milk, soy […]
Exercise Changes Gut Bacteria For Better
Researchers have known for a while that the microbiomes of endurance athletes are different from the microbiomes of the rest of us, but they haven’t known if exercise if responsible for that. Now they do. The New York Times reports on a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at […]