You’ve heard for decades now how eating more fruit and vegetables can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity. And for readers of this newsletter, you also know a diet like this can dramatically reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. But what plant chemicals found in these foods are responsible for powerful [...]
To stave off memory decline we need to keep the brain stimulated. That's why neurologists recommend playing number games and other brain games, learning a new language, learning how to dance, or learning how to play a musical instrument. But "use it or lose it" doesn't only include mental stimulation, as two new studies make [...]
There's no game to match this one for combining both mental and physical stimulation. It's also fun to play and a great social activity that almost anyone can undertake. Not to mention, this sport is affordable (unlike golf), so it’s no wonder that it's growing more popular. I’m talking about ping pong, or table tennis. [...]
Many people see hearing loss as a normal part of aging. There’s a good reason for this. Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is one of the most common health conditions affecting older adults. Tens of millions of people worldwide are affected. In the United States, as many as one person out of every three over [...]
For quite a while, researchers have been searching for ways to accurately predict your chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or one of the other forms of memory-robbing dementia. The idea is that the sooner you know your brain is in danger, the more motivated you might be to make lifestyle changes to shore up your [...]
Nearly every adult has one occasionally, but one person in twenty suffers from one almost daily. In fact, headache is one of the most common complaints medical professionals report seeing in their offices and hospital rooms. The vast majority of patients have no known underlying cause, so doctors generally say not to worry as they [...]
Are you looking forward to the time when you can putter around in the garden, amble across the golf links, take long-awaited vacations – or just sleep late? Retirement can certainly bring great rewards, but if you don’t watch out, it can come at a heavy price. The lack of regular stimulation that employment can [...]
Health and wellness experts have long espoused the virtues of yoga, and for good reason. The most obvious benefits include better flexibility and mobility, as well as stress reduction. Plus, a review of studies published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that practicing yoga could help reduce the risk of heart disease just [...]
The pursuit of happiness has become a cultural obsession. Of course, people have always wanted to be happy. That’s not new. But now it’s been turned into a science. Numerous TED talks advise us on how to be happier. Books constantly come out claiming to offer daily programs that increase happiness. You can even go [...]
Linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's and certain cancers, it's easy to see why olive oil - especially extra virgin - is popular with health-conscious people. But what’s in olive oil that makes it a healthy choice, and how in particular can it maintain good brain function? Credit [...]
