Health & Fitness Tips From Women’s HealthFirst
With attention deficit hyperactivity attention disorder (ADHD) on the rise in the United States, researchers are searching for possible explanations for the uptick, including fetal exposure to certain toxins such as lead, tobacco, pesticides, and chemicals like PCBs. The latest suspect is mercury, a metal that affects the central nervous system, which investigators believe may ... read more
Study Finds Vitamin D May Do Nothing To Prevent Common Colds
Contrary to conventional wisdom, a new study finds a dose of Vitamin D--long considered a surefire way to prevent a common cold--does nothing to stave off colds or other forms of upper respiratory tract infections. The study, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, included 322 healthy adults in New Zealand ... read more
U.S. Medical Advisors Say Ovarian Cancer Screening For Healthy Women May Cause More Harm Than Good
Healthy women should not be routinely screened for ovarian cancer because it won't reduce their risk of dying from the disease, and may even put them at increased risk for unnecessary harm, such as major surgery, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Monday. The findings, published on Sept. 11 in Annals of Internal Medicine, ... read more
Although it may not always feel that way, becoming a parent can actually be good for your health. According to a new study published in the July edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, parents were half as likely to catch a cold than non-parents regardless of any pre-existing immunity and even after exposing them to cold viruses. ... read more
A new study published in the journal of Women's Health finds that older women who don't get enough vitamin D might be slightly heavier than those who do. The study, which examined about 4,600 aged 65 and older for 4½ years, found that women with low levels of vitamin D in their blood gained about ... read more
Feeling tired, run-down, and overworked? Active all day but up all night tossing and turning? Turns out that getting a good night's sleep isn't just for beauty anymore. A new study finds that getting less than six hours of sleep quadruples the risk of stroke among healthy men and women aged 45 and older. The ... read more
A new study published in the May 18 issue of the British Medical Journal finds that it is not only safe for a pregnant woman to go on a diet, but it can even be benficial and reduce the risk of dangerous complications. The study, which analyzed 44 relevant studies comprised of more than 7,200 women, ... read more
It is no secret that negative mental states, such as chronic depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, are detrimental to cardiovascular health. Less is known about how positive psychological traits affect heart health, until now. In the first and largest study on the topic to date, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found ... read more
In today's hectic, nonstop world, fatigue has become an almost routine part of life. For women juggling career and family responsibilities, this can be especially true. "We live in a culture in which people accept lagging energy as a fact of life," explains integrative medicine specialist and author Frank Lipman, M.D. This hurried lifestyle is ... read more
With temperatures slowly rising and many parts of the country just emerging from that deep winter freeze, your body is likely longing for some warm summer sun. While there's nothing fun about blizzards, chapped lips, frozen fingers and shoveling snow, there are some powerful superfoods that can help keep your energy high, your immune system ... read more