Saturday, April 26

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Coffee Or A Nap? — Why There’s No Substitute For Shut-Eye
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, IMPACT

Coffee Or A Nap? — Why There’s No Substitute For Shut-Eye

Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye. There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep? Put another way, how can you get less sleep and still perform at your peak? As a psychologist who studies the ways in which sleep benefits memory, I’m also interested in how sleep deprivation harms memory and cognition. After some initial research on sleep deprivation and false confessions, my students at Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab and I wanted to see what interventions could reverse the negative effects of sleep depri...
Read More
A Nutritionist Explains The Science Behind An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, SOCIETY, TOP FOUR

A Nutritionist Explains The Science Behind An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A nutritionist explains the science behind ‘functional’ foods. We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that? Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots. They are not a great source of vitamin C and therefore don’t fight off colds as oranges do. However, apples contain various bio-active substances – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body. These chemicals are not classified as nutrients like vitamins. Because apples contain many health-promoting bio-active substances, the fruit is considered a “functional” food. For years, I have taught university classes on nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbs, prot...
Read More
Heat-Related Illnesses Are Now Being Tracked Nationwide After The Hottest Summer On Record
No Comments
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & WELLNESS

Heat-Related Illnesses Are Now Being Tracked Nationwide After The Hottest Summer On Record

A new dashboard launched by the Biden administration to track heat-related illnesses will help municipalities and medical professionals with prevention efforts and assist families as they make housing decisions, particularly for older adults, experts say. The EMS HeatTracker launched last week monitors the number of heat-related illness calls emergency services receive on a county-by-county basis, as well as the gender, race, age and more of those who become ill due to high temperatures across the United States. The tracker, the first of its kind, will be updated weekly. This summer has been the hottest on record due to climate change. “Each year heat kills more people than any other type of extreme weather event, and the heat is getting worse,” said John Balbus, acting director of the ...
Read More
‘Calories In, Calories Out’ It’s Time To Bust The Weight-Loss Myth
No Comments
BEAUTY, HEALTH & WELLNESS

‘Calories In, Calories Out’ It’s Time To Bust The Weight-Loss Myth

It’s time to bust the ‘calories in, calories out’ weight-loss myth. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, there’s a good chance you’ve been told it all comes down to a simple “calories in, calories out” formula: burn more calories than you consume, and the kilos will disappear. And it’s easy to see the appeal of breaking weight loss down into simple maths – just follow the formula, and you’ll achieve success. It’s also believable because many people do lose weight when they first adopt this approach. Indeed, the diet industry’s reliance on the “calories in, calories out” concept is why society blames people for being overweight. Anyone who can’t follow this simple energy formula is only overweight because they lack the willpower to eat less and exercise more. But the only simple truth he...
Read More
New Research Shows That Virtual Reality Has Negative Side Effects And Can Be A Problem In The Workplace
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, IN OTHER NEWS, SCIENCE

New Research Shows That Virtual Reality Has Negative Side Effects And Can Be A Problem In The Workplace

Virtual reality has negative side effects – new research shows that can be a problem in the workplace. Some employers are excited about swapping out computer monitors for virtual reality headsets, but the side effects of using VR are not completely understood. In a recent study, my colleagues and I propose 90 factors that could influence VR side effects in the workplace. In another study, we suggest guidelines to reduce these negative symptoms. Our analysis considers over 350 studies to identify a range of VR side effects. Some negative symptoms of VR use – like headaches, tiredness, eyestrain and neck and shoulder pain –are familiar to those workers who sit at a computer all day. But the nature of VR introduces new avenues for discomfort, such as disorientation, dizziness, nausea and in...
Read More
The 988 Hotline Offers Hope As Suicides Rise In The US – But Most Americans Aren’t Aware Of It
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS

The 988 Hotline Offers Hope As Suicides Rise In The US – But Most Americans Aren’t Aware Of It

As suicides rise in the US, the 988 hotline offers hope – but most Americans aren’t aware of it. July 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the national launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Currently, more than 200 call centers throughout the U.S. are responding to 988 calls. But few people know it exists. SciLine interviewed Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado, who discussed the critical need to raise awareness about 988, the increasing numbers of suicide deaths in the U.S. and the signs that someone is thinking about suicide. Emmy Betz discusses 988 and suicide prevention. Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. Can you share some statistics about suicide in the U.S.? Emmy B...
Read More
Medicaid Coverage Leaves Out Many Older Americans Who May Need Help Paying For Medical And Long-Term Care Bills Where The Government Draws The Line
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, IMPACT

Medicaid Coverage Leaves Out Many Older Americans Who May Need Help Paying For Medical And Long-Term Care Bills Where The Government Draws The Line

Where the government draws the line for Medicaid coverage leaves out many older Americans who may need help paying for medical and long-term care bills – new research. The big idea Medicaid, which provides low-income Americans with health insurance coverage, currently excludes large numbers of adults over 65 with social, health and financial profiles similar to those of people the program does cover. Based on a study we conducted, we determined that if strict eligibility rules for Medicaid were changed to help cover such people, from 700,000 to 11.5 million people over 65 would be newly eligible for the program. We analyzed data from the 2018 Health and Retirement Study, a large national survey of older adults conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan e...
Read More
The Death Of Olympian Sprinter Tori Bowie Illustrates The Lack Of Support For Black Maternal Health
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Death Of Olympian Sprinter Tori Bowie Illustrates The Lack Of Support For Black Maternal Health

Olympian sprinter Tori Bowie’s surprising death illustrates the lack of support for Black maternal health, advocates say. What do you want to know about maternal health? We want to hear from you, our readers, about what we should be reporting and how we can serve you. Get in touch here. Olympic medalist Tori Bowie was eight months pregnant when something went wrong, and she died alone, in the middle of giving birth. Though her obituary estimates that she died around April 23, Bowie’s body was not found until May 2, when local authorities in Orange County, Florida, performed a welfare check on her. Whereas often the stories and names of those impacted by the maternal mortality crisis go unheard of, Bowie was a three-time Olympic medalist who at one point was deemed the “world’s fastest ...
Read More
Reductions In SNAP Benefits Won’t Help Food Insecurity That Already Affects 12 Million US Homes
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, VIDEO REELS

Reductions In SNAP Benefits Won’t Help Food Insecurity That Already Affects 12 Million US Homes

Food insecurity already affects 12 million US homes – and reductions in SNAP benefits won’t help. Millions of Americans struggle to afford healthy meals and nutritious food. Known as “food insecurity,” this problem was already rising when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits – previously called food stamps – were cut in 35 states this spring. SciLine interviewed Hilary Seligman, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, on rising grocery prices, the misconceptions about hunger in the U.S., and how food insecurity diminishes school and work performance. Hilary Seligman discussed food insecurity in the U.S. Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited. What is food insecurity? Hilary Seligman: Food insecurity i...
Read More
Money Can’t Buy Everything, Specially Not Fitness, You Gotta Earn It
No Comments
HEALTH & WELLNESS, Journalism, TOP FOUR

Money Can’t Buy Everything, Specially Not Fitness, You Gotta Earn It

It's long been said that money can't buy everything and most will agree if they are truly being honest throwing silliness aside. Money can't buy you true love. Money can't buy back your youth or bring back loved ones that have passed on. And additionally, money can't buy fitness no matter how much you shell out of your pocket. To make that point clear, all the money in the world cannot automatically create that perfect physique regardless of how much you are willing to pay. Sure money can pay for a private gym membership or even allow you to build your own gym in your backyard. Money will also allow you to hire a 24 hour a day personal trainer along with a chef to be at your beckoning call whenever you need a healthy meal prepared. Money can also pay for weight reduction surgeries or "...
Read More