ArcaMax

Americans love snacking! According to a study in PLOS Global Public Health, the average U.S. adult downs 400 to 500 calories of nutritionally empty quick bites two to three times a day.

Let's turn those snack attacks into good-for-you moments -- with exercise snacking. That is: short "bites" of activity, like squeezing a grip strengthener, ...Read more

For around 21 million Americans, depression is a chronic condition that persists, in part, because of their microbiome (food choices change brain neurotransmitters' messaging), a genetic predisposition, hormonal changes, a chronic medical condition, chronic pain, social isolation and even medications. And it's associated with more than the blues...Read more

The Do Good Institute, at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, says the percentage of Americans doing formal volunteering has stayed at 20% to 30% of the population for the past 40 years. That adds up to 7.7 billion hours annually spent volunteering, according to the funding support group, Double the Donation, contributing $175 ...Read more

In 2023, 48.5 million people ages 12 or older in the U.S. contended with a substance use disorder or disorders -- for almost 29 million, it was an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and around 27 million abused drugs. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of people who need treatment for AUD get it, and only 2% access Food and Drug Administration-approved ...Read more

Dads have a big influence on the future happiness and accomplishments of their children. But we usually think that comes from their being involved in day-to-day parenting with joy, interest and interaction. Turns out there are also powerful biological influences that are passed from father to child through sperm at conception and play out for ...Read more

Around 10 million adults in the U.S. have osteoporosis (8 million women and 2 million men), putting them at risk for bone fractures caused by everyday motions like bending, coughing and lifting -- and they can even happen spontaneously.

Why is bone health such a challenge for around 17% of folks age 65 and older? Well, a new look at data on ...Read more

It often turns out that nutrients have multiple benefits -- helping you stay healthy in ways you might not imagine. Take the carotenoid called zeaxanthin that's related to vitamin A. This nutrient has long been used, along with another carotenoid called lutein, to help improve vision in folks dealing with age-related macular degeneration. And ...Read more

"Drink to me only with thine eyes" is the first line in a 17th-century poem by Ben Jonson -- and he might have been on to something. A study in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine that looked at data on more than half a million folks ages 56 to 72 reveals that, while light alcohol consumption is associated with a low risk for dementia, there's no ...Read more

If you're one of the 25% to 30% of U.S. adults who are sedentary, not getting even the minimum recommended 30 minutes of daily motion, you're setting yourself up for a roster of chronic conditions, starting with heart disease -- and heading to dementia, cancer, and joint woes.

Well, if you would like to change your ways and improve your heart ...Read more

If you're 45 to 65 years old and love eating ultra-processed foods (UPF) -- even though you know they're damaging your mind and body -- you may be addicted to these seductive products.

A study in the journal Addiction looked at data on 2,000 folks and found that 21% of women and 10% of men ages 45 to 60, who grew up or were young adults when ...Read more

Can't quite remember what you were looking for on the computer? Not sure what that person's name is? A study in Neurology reports that cognitive problems are on the rise, especially among younger folks. Looking at 4.5 million survey responses, researchers found that almost 10 % of folks under age 40 say that physical, mental, or emotional ...Read more

The phrase "You are what you eat" is adapted from an 1826 book by a French foodie titled "The Physiology of Taste." And while it may be true, the author missed another noteworthy truth: You are what you drink.

Two new studies show how important it is to drink plenty of water and skip soft drinks entirely. (You already know you should only drink...Read more

Artificial intelligence (AI) is responsible for producing just under 20% of all corporate and government written content, from job posts to press releases, and one study found that AI was used in about one out of 10 student writing assignments. No wonder a Pew Research Center survey found that around half of you are worried about how AI will be ...Read more

Your gut contains 10 times as many microbial cells as there are in the rest of your body -- for a total of around 100 trillion microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) from up to 5,000 different species. These busy little organisms help you get energy from food; help manufacture neurotransmitters like dopamine (involved with movement, pleasure,...Read more