If you’ve just shed a lot of pounds, you might want to hold off on buying a new wardrobe full of “thin” clothes. That’s because new research finds that lost weight starts creeping back almost immediately after a diet stops. “We noticed that individuals transitioned from a weight loss intervention immediately to weight gain,” said…  read on >

Probiotics are live microorganisms (such as bacteria) that are sold as supplements, included in topically-applied skin creams and added to food products such as yogurt. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any health claims for probiotics. But the some people take probiotics for potential health benefits. The U.S. National Library of Medicine…  read on >

Millions of American families struggle to find and keep stable housing — and the fight to do so may end up harming kids’ health. Researchers found that when families faced various types of “housing instability,” moms had a higher risk of depression and kids were more likely to be in “fair” to “poor” health. It…  read on >

Increasing the number of trees in extremely large cities can lead to significant health and financial benefits, a new study claims. The researchers focused on 10 so-called mega-cities — those with at least 10 million people — on five continents. They included New York City, London and Mexico City. Nearly 10 percent of the world’s…  read on >

Up to 75 percent of women experience PMS (premenstrual syndrome) with symptoms like anxiety, irritability and fatigue, health experts say. PMS is thought to be the result of a chain reaction that starts with the drop of the hormone progesterone near the end of every monthly cycle. In lab studies, an international team of researchers…  read on >

A simple, cheap blood test to detect colon cancer — even in its early stages — appears highly effective and accurate, new research indicates. The test detects so-called “circulating tumor cells” (CTCs). Researchers tested it on 620 people in Taiwan who were scheduled for a routine colonoscopy at a local hospital. By comparing the blood…  read on >

Scientists may have discovered what makes a creative mind tick: stronger connections among brain regions that usually work in opposition to each other. For eons, researchers have wondered what sets the da Vincis, Shakespeares and Einsteins apart. Results from this new study offer more evidence to debunk the popular notion that creativity is a “right…  read on >

Sleeplessness could cost you when it’s time to stand on your bathroom scale, a new British study suggests. People plagued by insomnia who began sleeping more cut the amount of sugary foods they tended to eat, an experiment at King’s College London revealed. U.S. experts said the findings show that sleep can help foster healthier…  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The small changes you’ve made have added up to big weight loss results. Now, take a few minutes to write down and review all the positive steps you’ve made in the past and pick a few new ones to adopt during the year. In one column, list all…  read on >

Women whose periods started before age 12 may face an increased risk for heart disease and stroke, a new British study suggests. Early menopause, pregnancy complications and hysterectomy are also associated with a higher risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the research. “More frequent cardiovascular screening would seem to be sensible among women…  read on >