A baby’s nutritional balance during the first 1,000 days of life is critical to lifelong mental health and development, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Sufficient amounts of key minerals, vitamins, proteins and certain fats during the infant and toddler years is key to avoiding permanent loss of brain function, the academy said. The AAP… read on >
Antidepressant drugs actually do help ease depression, countering debate over whether the medications do what they’re supposed to, a large research review has found. Some antidepressants, though, are more effective and better tolerated than others, the findings showed. The researchers analyzed data from 522 trials — published and unpublished — that included more than 116,000… read on >
Many of us make choices about whether to eat healthy or not-so-healthy foods based on whether we’re in a good or not-so-good mood. When a bad mood strikes, we often tend to reach for junk food. And that can be a recipe for disaster when you’re trying to lose weight. Here’s how to keep your… read on >
Shredded meat and poultry are a great start to a wide range of meals, from chili to Mexican dishes. But it’s important to prepare the meat safely to avoid foodborne illness. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions for preparing shredded meat in a slow cooker: Refer to your product’s manual… read on >
If you’ve been on a diet more than once, you know that it can be harder to maintain weight than to lose weight in the first place. In fact, many people feel that dieting is easier and that not regaining the weight is the real challenge. Here’s help to keep off the pounds you worked… read on >
American parents are less likely to seek early dental care for their children if they don’t receive guidance from a doctor or dentist, a new national survey finds. The poll of 790 parents with at least one child aged 5 or younger found that one in six of those who did not receive dental advice… read on >
Less than a fifth of U.S. children with sickle cell anemia are getting the antibiotics that could save their lives, a new study finds. “Longstanding recommendations say children with sickle cell anemia should take antibiotics daily for their first five years of life,” the study’s lead author, Sarah Reeves, said in a news release from… read on >
Obese men with advanced melanoma skin cancer seem to have a survival benefit over their slimmer peers, a new study suggests. Among men who received treatment for the potentially deadly cancer, obese patients lived an average of 47 percent longer than those with a healthy body weight, researchers found. For women, however, weight did not… read on >
Take good prenatal care of yourself and not only will you have a healthier baby, you’ll also lower his or her risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease later in life. First, you’ll want to monitor your weight while pregnant. A baby’s future diabetes risk, for example, is higher if mom is under-… read on >
If you worry about ever getting cancer, you might want to pass on the processed foods at your supermarket. Every 10 percent dietary increase in packaged snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals and other highly processed foods boosts the risk for cancer by 12 percent, new research suggests. Breast cancer, in particular, was associated with greater… read on >
