by Monica Jimenez, Tufts University Most of us know that people require water, protein, carbohydrates, and fats to stay alive. But when it comes to essential vitamins and minerals, needed in smaller amounts but just as key in human functioning, things get hazy. Which ones do we have to be particularly careful about getting enough...
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4 ways to check for skin cancer with your smartphone
Your phone can help you recognize suspicious moles and marks, but you should still see a dermatologist about concerns. Early detection of skin cancer could be the difference between a simple mole removal or several rounds of chemotherapy. SkinVision While skin care advice most commonly comes about at the brink of summer, your skin can...
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How to remove dead skin from the face
The skin naturally renews itself every 30 days or so. This process happens when the outer layer of the skin, or epidermis, sheds dead cells and replaces them with new ones. Dead skin cells shed through normal daily activities, such as pulling clothes on and off. A person is unaware when old skin cells fall...
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Pain in the lower abdomen and bloating: What to know
Lower abdominal pain is pain that occurs below a person’s belly button. Bloating refers to a feeling of pressure or fullness in the abdomen, or a visibly distended abdomen. Sometimes, these symptoms occur together. Though occasional lower abdominal pain and bloating are common, a person should speak to their doctor if it becomes a regular...
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How to treat or get rid of a stye
A stye, which a doctor might call a hordeolum, is a bump that develops on the eyelid or at the base of the eyelashes. A bacterial infection is the cause of most styes. The majority of styes will disappear on their own, with or without treatment, within 1 or 2 weeks. However, there are a...
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What to know about urinary retention
Urinary retention is difficulty completely emptying the bladder. People with urinary retention may need to urinate very frequently, feel the urge to urinate again immediately after using the bathroom, or experience incontinence. Sometimes a chronic issue, such as a pelvic floor or prostate problem, causes urinary retention. Acute issues, such as infections, may also cause...
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Diet soda may be hurting your diet
by Eunice Zhang, The Conversation Artificial sweeteners are everywhere, but the jury is still out on whether these chemicals are harmless. Also called non-nutritive sweeteners, these can be synthetic—such as saccharin and aspartame—or naturally derived, such as steviol, which comes from the Stevia plant. To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved six...
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Zinc, folic acid supplement does not improve male fertility, NIH study suggests
Dietary supplements containing zinc and folic acid — marketed as a treatment for male infertility — do not appear to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts or sperm function, according to a study conducted by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health. The...
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Research defines meaningful activity for people with Alzheimer’s disease
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease prefer taking part in familiar activities that are emotionally meaningful over strictly task-oriented activities, new research shows. University of Alberta researchers conducted a study published in Aging and Mental Health in which, for the first time, people with Alzheimer’s disease were directly asked what they preferred to do. The researchers found...
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Mindfulness could help us unlearn fear
Throughout evolutionary history, fear has helped humans stay safe and thrive. But in the modern world, many fear responses — such as phobias — are, at best, unhelpful and, at worst, debilitating. Yet, accumulating evidence shows that mindfulness practice could help us unlearn these responses. More evidence suggests that mindfulness may help us stay free...