Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that destroys brain cells and affects a person’s memory, thoughts, and behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer’s diseaseaffected nearly 5.7 million adults living in the United States in 2016. Many people who have Alzheimer’s receive daily assistance and care from their family…

Omega-3 fatty acids are a healthful and essential type of fat, and they offer many health benefits. Fatty fish is an excellent dietary source of omega-3. People can also meet the recommended omega-3 intake by eating plant-based foods, including omega-3-rich vegetables, nuts, and seeds. There are three main types of omega-3…

New research finds that closely following a whole Mediterranean dietary pattern — that is, incorporating a high intake of not only vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, but also of legumes, fish, and olive oil — is tied to a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer. In a report on their findings that…

The Mediterranean diet is not a single diet but rather an eating pattern that takes inspiration from the diet of southern European countries. There is an emphasis on plant foods, olive oil, fish, poultry, beans, and grains. The diet draws together the common food types and healthful habits from the…

It is not unusual for children to be picky eaters, and many grow out of this behavior. However, some children demonstrate more severe picky eating habits, such as limiting their diet to only certain textures or showing deep concern for the possible harmful effects of eating. When these individuals stop…

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are both eating disorders in which a person tries to lose weight in unhealthful ways. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 0.6% of adults in the United States experienced anorexia between 2001 and 2003, compared to 0.3% who experienced bulimia. There are essential differences between anorexia and bulimia,…

Dealing with the unforeseen challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people all across the world. Medical News Today has spoken with people from different countries, asking how the pandemic has impacted their lives. At the time of writing this Special Feature, there are over 2,700,000…

New research suggests that the loss of forest habitat increases contact between humans and nonhuman primates — and therefore the transmission of diseases from animals to humans, as with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). A new study published in the journal Landscape Ecology has identified some factors that bring humans and nonhuman primates…

Dehydration occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Even low levels of dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy, and constipation. The human body is roughly 75 percent water. Without this water, it cannot survive. Water is found inside cells, within blood vessels, and between cells. A…

Papogophagia is the medical term for compulsively consuming ice or iced drinks. Children and pregnant women often experience this, but it can occur in anyone. Many people who want to cool down or feel refreshed chew on ice or add it to a drink. Sucking on ice cubes can also…

The primary symptoms of pagophagia are the compulsive consumption and constant craving of ice. It is unclear what causes pagophagia, but it could relate to underlying nutrient deficiencies. Treating these nutrient deficiencies may reduce the symptoms of pagophagia.  Pagophagia is a form of pica. Pica is an eating disorder in…

There are many different ways of intermittent fasting. The methods vary in the number of fast days and the calorie allowances. Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again. Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer…

16:8 intermittent fasting, which people sometimes call the 16:8 diet or 16:8 plan, is a popular type of fasting. People who follow this eating plan will fast for 16 hours a day and consume all of their calories during the remaining 8 hours. Suggested benefits of the 16:8 plan include…

A new study has recently revealed the extent of insomnia and associated symptoms of anxiety, depression, and traumatic response among medical practitioners in China during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment. A…

Scientists have discovered six previously unknown coronaviruses in bats. The animals were in regions of Myanmar where humans come into close contact with wildlife as a result of agriculture, deforestation, and other ecological disruption. Wild bats are generally beneficial for people living in many areas around the world. They pollinate…

Eating breakfast and avoiding late night snacking is best for burning fat and losing weight, new research shows. With almost half of adults in the United States trying to lose weight, many have turned to daily intermittent fasting as a simple way to shift the pounds. This diet involves fasting for a fixed period…

Tests have confirmed that two hand sanitizer formulations recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) inactivate the virus that causes coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The tests also provide reassurance that store-bought sanitizers combat the virus.  The results of the new tests have been published as a preprint in the journal Emerging…

The more contained you want the novel coronavirus to be, the more you will need to lock down your country – and the more fiscal space you will require to mitigate the deeper recession that will result. The problem for most of the Global South is that policymakers lack fiscal…

Italy’s civil protection service says 108,237 people are either being treated in hospital or are recovering at home.  Coronavirus-related deaths in the US exceed 41,000 with nearly half of all casualties in New York state, as protests against “stay at home” orders flared in a number of states. Italy reports…

With utmost caution, slowly, carefully and nervously watched, the process of relieving lockdown restrictions has started country by country in Europe, each at its own pace and according to its own approach as the continent marks a turning point in its coronavirus crisis. As countries across the continent report further declines in new Covid-19…

While some European countries are easing restrictions, others remain under lockdown. The World Economic Forum created a tool tracking the distinct path of COVID-19 within European countries. Europe is starting down an uneven road to recovery.  Denmark is reopening society more quickly than anticipated, and Switzerland is eyeing the easing of emergency measures. At the…

ADVERTISE WITH ME Kids and the elderly don’t have much in common when it comes to allergies. If we were to sum up allergies with an emoji, it’d be a shrug. We know so little about them, and yet tens of millions of Americans experience allergies of some kind or…

ADVERTISE WITH ME Some ingredients have traveled far to become part of a national cuisine. Peach cobbler and ballpark peanuts have something in common: They’re classic American dishes built on decidedly un-American crops. The state fruit of Georgia originated in China, while peanuts (just like “Irish” potatoes) hail from South…

ADVERTISE WITH ME Owning your personal health data can come at a cost. Last winter, when I started having problems with my knee, I made an appointment to go see an orthopedist at NYU Langone. I was in and out with a referral to see a physical therapist, and the…

A person with dyspraxia has problems with movement, coordination, judgment, processing, memory, and some other cognitive skills. Dyspraxia also affects the body’s immune and nervous systems.  Dyspraxia is also known as motor learning difficulties, perceptuo-motor dysfunction, and developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The terms “minimal brain damage” and “clumsy child syndrome”…

Concussion is an injury to the brain caused by either a blow to the head or body. A child’s developing brain is more at risk than an adult’s, so parents and caregivers may want to know the signs of concussion in children. A survey published in 2017, looking at more than…

The digital health “revolution” appears to be well under way. According to a recent survey by the American Medical Association, the vast majority of physicians believe that adopting digital health tools will improve their ability to care for their patients.  The American Medical Association (AMA) reported that physicians want new technology to…

Researchers from the University of California, Davis, recommend that parents delay introducing their preschool children to mobile screens, such as smartphones and tablets. Screens are everywhere in our daily lives. As adults, we are constantly switching between working on a computer, checking our phones, watching TV in the evening —…

Danielle Askew, who created the Facebook group Bin Isolation Outing, is pictured here taking her trash out all dressed up. In Australia, previously mundane chores are being turned into a fun public outing in the midst of self-isolation.Originally begun as a joke between friends, the page now has half a million…

COVID-19 research is advancing at an unprecedented speed, but one strategy doctors are leaning on to treat COVID-19 patients looks more antiquated than innovative. In hospitals around the United States, caregivers are resorting to using century-old convalescent plasma therapy — siphoning blood from survivors and reinfusing it into the sick.  That’s…