Does running cause arthritis?
When I took up running in college, a friend of mine scoffed at the idea. He hated running and was convinced runners were “wearing out” their joints. He liked to say he was saving his knees for his old age. So, was he onto something? Does running really ruin your joints, as many people believe? […]
When replenishing fluids, does milk beat water?
Driving along the freeway recently, a billboard caught my eye. In bold letters it proclaimed: Milk hydrates better than water. Wait, could this be true? And if so, should I be rehydrating with milk after a workout? And should we all have milk, rather than water, in our water bottles? What’s behind the claim? Unsurprisingly, […]
Healthier planet, healthier people
Everything is connected. You’ve probably heard that before, but it bears repeating. Below are five ways to boost both your individual health and the health of our planet — a combination that environmentalists call co-benefits. How your health and planetary health intersect Back in 1970, Earth Day was founded as a day of awareness about […]
Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights
A simple word we all hear often — exercise — makes many people cringe. Unhappy childhood memories of school sports or gym classes, flat-out physical discomfort, guilty reluctance, or trouble finding time or pleasurable activities may help explain this. Additionally, for some people with obesity, fear of falling or injury is a high barrier to […]
Is snuff really safer than smoking?
Snuff is a smokeless tobacco similar to chewing tobacco. It rarely makes headlines. But it certainly did when the FDA authorized a brand of snuff to market its products as having a major health advantage over cigarettes. Could this be true? Is it safe to use snuff? What did the FDA authorize as a health […]
Save the trees, prevent the sneeze
When I worked at Greenpeace for five years before I attended medical school, a popular slogan was, “Think globally, act locally.” As I write this blog about climate change and hay fever, I wonder if wiping off my computer that I’ve just sneezed all over due to my seasonal allergies counts as abiding by this […]
Does less TV time lower your risk for dementia?
Be honest: just how much television are you watching? One study has estimated that half of American adults spend two to three hours each day watching television, with some watching as much as eight hours per day. Is time spent on TV a good thing or a bad thing? Let's look at some of the […]
Drug recalls are common
Scientific advances have brought us scores of new drugs in recent years. In the US, one major agency — the FDA — is responsible for making sure that the drugs they approve are safe and effective. Yet there were more than 14,000 drug recalls in the last 10 years, according to FDA statistics. That averages […]
3 ways to create community and counter loneliness
Loneliness is complicated. You can feel lonely when you lack friends and miss companionship, or when you’re surrounded by people — even friends and family. Either way, loneliness can have devastating health effects. It boosts risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, declining thinking skills, inability to perform daily living tasks, and […]
Can electrical brain stimulation boost attention, memory, and more?
Imagine this as a morning routine that replaces your first cup of coffee: You wake up feeling a bit foggy, so you slip on a wearable device that looks like an extra-thick headband. You turn on the power source and settle in while electrical current flows into your brain. Twenty minutes later, feeling more focused […]