Want to improve your memory? Try a cup of blueberries

It’s blueberry season! And if the taste alone wasn’t incentive enough to go get yourself a carton, new research shows that blueberries may be quite the superfood for your brain and memory. Two new studies show that eating blueberries may improve thinking and memory skills in older adults with memory issues.

Iron – why it is necessary and what foods have it

Iron helps make red blood cells. Red blood cells transport oxygen to your body’s cells. Without enough iron, your organs may not get the oxygen they need to function properly. Not having enough iron is called iron-deficiency anemia, which is the most common form of anemia.

5 reasons we heart walnuts

Move over, peanuts! Walnuts are not only tasty, but incredibly healthy. Whether baked into brownies or sprinkled over a salad, these omega-3-rich nuts have earned their time in the spotlight. Research studies show there are many health benefits to be reaped from snacking on walnuts, including some significant gains for heart health.

More fiber may help you curb exhaustion and unhealthy snacking

Most people know that you’re not supposed to eat a heavy meal before bed. That can cause heartburn and poor sleep quality. But some researchers wanted to find out what the effects of a short-term diet change could be on sleep. At the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, investigators had a small group of adults (no heavy caffeine users, shift workers or people with sleep issues) spend six days staying in the hospital. For the first four days, they ate a controlled diet prescribed by the researchers. For the last two days, they could eat whatever they wanted.

A sour truth about sweets and obesity

It’s no secret that obesity has been rising in America, and there are millions of people who want to get to the root cause of their weight gain so they can enjoy a healthy life. According to the CDC, the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 33.9 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 and older were overweight, 35.1 percent were obese, and 6.4 percent were extremely obese. Comparatively, in 1988, the number of overweight people was about the same, but the number of obese people was significantly lower at 22 percent. In the 1960s, obesity rates were just 13 percent. Times have changed, and it makes you wonder …

Black raspberry: A tasty little cancer fighter

Did you know that black raspberries are having a moment in medical research? Multiple studies have shown that black raspberries have unique aspects that make them good little cancer-fighters. Here’s some of what we’re finding in the research.

Are your supplements a health benefit or health risk?

If you’re interested in vitamins and supplements, by now, you’ve probably seen the shocking headlines that thousands of people end up in emergency rooms each year due to dietary supplements. Many news media organizations seized this study as a reason to declare that supplements were dangerous.

Why mercury is sinister

What is mercury? Other than being a silver liquid in dangerous old thermometers, mercury is a toxic metal occurring naturally in the earth. You may have heard phrases like “mercury toxicity,” making you wonder how mercury can hurt us. So, let’s find out what mercury does in our bodies.

Be proactive and know the signs of a bile duct blockage

When we talk, read or think about our health, how often do “bile ducts” come up? Probably not often, if ever. We're so used to seeing PSAs, pretty posters, tote bags and keychains for heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer, but we don't hear that much about the bile ducts. However, a bile duct blockage can be painful and life-threatening!

The Kale Controversy!

No less a magazine than Mother Jones recently published an account of an alternative medicine researcher claiming the truly horrifying: kale might be bad for you. His patients, otherwise healthy, started presenting with digestive problems, fatigue, and skin and hair problems. He found that a lot of them had elevated thallium levels — and that a lot of them ate significant amounts of brassicas, the plant family that includes kale and cabbage. When he had some patients remove these foods from their diet, their thallium levels dropped and their symptoms improved.

What is oleic acid and how much do you need?

Most people are familiar with the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but what is oleic acid, and why is it important? Oleic acid is a naturally occurring, odorless, colorless oil. Oleic acid is found in flaxseed oil, borage (a Mediterranean herb) oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil (less in virgin olive oil), pecan oil, canola oil, peanut oil, macadamia oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil, sea buckthorn oil and sesame oil. You can also find it in animal fat. Oleic acid at appropriate levels has been implicated in cancer prevention in some (but not all studies), and reduces cholesterol levels.

3, 6, 9: What are the different omega fatty acids?

Essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) are indeed essential for your health, but they cannot be produced in the body, so you need to get them from foods or supplements. Ideally, your diet would have a healthy balance of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but the modern American diet tends to be richer in omega-6. Unless you are following a Mediterranean diet, you could probably use some more omega-3! Let’s take a look at what the different “omegas” do.