• Stepping up activity if winter slowed you down

    Stepping up activity if winter slowed you down

    If you've been cocooning due to winter’s cold, who can blame you? But a lack of activity isn't good for body or mind during any season. And whether you're deep in the grip of winter or fortunate to be basking in signs of spring, today is a good day to start exercising. If you’re not… read more

  • Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

    Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

    Chocolates and flowers are great gifts for Valentine’s Day. But what if the gifts we give then or throughout the year could be truly life-changing? A gift that could save a life or free someone from dialysis? You can do this. For people in need of an organ, tissue, or blood donation, a donor can… read more

  • Less butter, more plant oils, longer life?

    Less butter, more plant oils, longer life?

    Not such good news for butter lovers like myself: seesawing research on how healthy or unhealthy butter might be received a firm push from a recent Harvard study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Drawing on decades of data gathered through long-term observational studies, the researchers investigated whether butter and plant oils affect mortality. One basic… read more

  • Healthier planet, healthier people

    Healthier planet, healthier people

    Everything is connected. You’ve probably heard that before, but it bears repeating. Below are five ways to boost both your individual health and the health of our planet — a combination that environmentalists call co-benefits. How your health and planetary health intersect Back in 1970, Earth Day was founded as a day of awareness about… read more

  • Think your child has ADHD? What your pediatrician can do

    Think your child has ADHD? What your pediatrician can do

    ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. It affects approximately 7% to 8% of all children and youth in the US. As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) points out in their clinical practice guideline for ADHD, that’s more than the mental health system can handle, which means… read more

  • Can saw palmetto treat an enlarged prostate?

    Can saw palmetto treat an enlarged prostate?

    Marketed as a natural remedy for an enlarged prostate, saw palmetto is a top-selling dietary supplement. It’s extracted from berries that grow on saw palmetto palm trees, which are native to the southeastern United States. By one estimate, more than a third of all US adults who take supplements use saw palmetto specifically. Some evidence… read more

  • What is prostatitis and how is it treated?

    What is prostatitis and how is it treated?

    Prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate, is more common than you might think — it accounts for roughly two million doctor visits every year. The troubling symptoms include burning or painful urination, an urgent need to go (especially at night), painful ejaculations, and also pain in the lower back and perineum (the space between the… read more

  • Celiac disease: Exploring four myths

    Celiac disease: Exploring four myths

    Celiac disease is a digestive and immune disorder that can keep the body from absorbing necessary nutrients. “Our conception and awareness of celiac disease has evolved over the past few decades, but there are still aspects that remain poorly understood,” says Dr. Ciaran Kelly, medical director of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical… read more