Health & Wellness

Details: Written by: Henry Ou, University of Washington

benefits of earwax 6 4

Imagine you’re watching TV. Suddenly, your ear feels a little itchy. You stick your pinky finger in there and dig around a bit. You pull it out and stare at the little brownish blob on the tip of your finger.

Details: Written by: Fred Mamoun, Yale University

care care expensive in us 6 3

The US is spending over $200 billion per year on cancer care—roughly $600 per person, in comparison to the average of $300 per person across other high-income countries.

Details: Written by: Yue Leng, University of California, San Francisco

dementia and sleep2 4 12

Research on how napping affects cognition in adults has had mixed results. Doctors often recommend “power naps” as a way to compensate for a poor night’s sleep and help keep alert until bedtime.

Details: Written by: Carrie MacMillan, Yale University

baby formula shortage 4 24

An expert has tips to help you navigate the national shortage of baby formula, which has many parents worried they won’t be able to feed their babies.

Details: Written by: Jillian McKoy, Boston University

walk in woods healthy 4 18

Living in an area bursting with green space is associated with higher overall cognitive function in middle-aged women, as well as better mental processing speed and attention, according to a new study.

Details: Written by: Christopher Filley, University of Colorado

branins gray and white matter 4 7

The human brain is a three-pound organ that remains largely an enigma. But most people have heard of the brain’s gray matter, which is needed for cognitive functions such as learning, remembering and reasoning.

Details: Written by: Laura Aversano

a young couple, wearing protective masks, standing on a bridge

The Coronavirus pandemic represented a current in our psychic and physical spheres of reality that challenged our internal definitions of both the light and the darkness. It compelled us into stillness as much as it compelled us into chaos.

Details: Written by: Daniel Merino, The Conversation

advantage of mask wearing 4 21

A lot of the reason for wearing a mask is to protect others. But early on in the pandemic, Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, explained how masks can protect the wearer, too.

Details: Written by: Fred Mamoun, Yale University

how much sleep you need 4 16

There should be renewed efforts to eliminate the socioeconomic and health conditions that prevent minoritized racial and ethnic individuals from achieving adequate sleep—including racism

Details: Written by: Robbie Holz

a bright path in a dark forest

It can seem like a cruel joke when we find ourselves spending years, or in some cases even a lifetime, recovering from a single painful moment...

Details: Written by: InnerSelf Staff

eating fish dinner 3 10

Canned tuna is an excellent, affordable source of protein, polyunsaturated fats and other nutrients. Sounds good, but how much can you eat before you need to worry about mercury?

Details: Written by: Yen Ying Lim and Emily Rosenich, Monash University

risk factors dementia 4 2

There has been a concerted effort to understand and identify risk factors for dementia. These include risk factors we can’t change (such as age or genetics), and others that are more modifiable (such as diet or physical activity).

Details: Written by: Liz Goodfellow, University of Pennsylvania

dr oz on health beliveable 4 1

Can exposure to media about natural treatments like supplements and detoxes affect beliefs about key health care issues like vaccination?

Details: Written by: Timothy Schnettler, Texas A&M University

you are what you eat 3 31

New research backs up the old adage, you are what you eat. The new study suggests there are distinct bacteria and metabolomes associated with each personality trait.

Details: Written by: Johns Hopkins University

broccoli benefits 3 30

A chemical in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables could help prevent and treat COVID19 and some cases of the common cold.

Details: Written by: Carol Clark, Emory University

ticks spreading heartland virus 3 25

Heartland virus is circulating in lone star ticks in Georgia, scientists find, confirming active transmission of the virus within the state.

Details: Written by: Noelle Toumey Reetz, Georgia State University

photo of an older woman with white hair behind a bouquet of flowers

For many people, middle age arrives with some minor mental slip-ups. These “senior moments” are universal experiences that come with aging—and typically harmless. The Centers for Disease Control says one in nine adults ages 45 or older report at least occasional confusion or memory loss.

Details: Written by: Caslon Hatch, Johns Hopkins University

taller people health 3 23

Taller adults may be more likely than shorter ones to develop colorectal cancer or colon polyps that can later become malignant, a new meta-analysis shows.

Details: Written by: Lourdes M. DelRosso, University of Portsmouth

taking melitonan 3 22

The day-night regulation properties of melatonin and light make them the two key factors in the establishment of the internal sleep-wake clock, or what is called the “circadian cycle”.

Details: Written by: Jessica Bernard, Texas A&M University

brain imaging

Researchers have been steadily gathering important insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the body and brain. Two years into the pandemic, these findings are raising concerns about the long-term impacts the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as aging.