Studies show that yoga can help improve mental health, increase feelings of relaxation, and reduce irritability among people who practice it. The mind-body practice helps regulate the stress response, which triggers physiological changes in the body, like lowering blood pressure, decreasing heart rate, and increasing airflow to the lungs — all of which help us calm down, according to Harvard Medical School. RELATED: 9 Ways Practicing Yoga Benefits Your Health and Well-Being Practicing yoga can help you build resilience to better deal with the challenges that pop up when you’re not practicing — and it can be used in the moment to help dial down stress, says Amber Wallin, founder of Hot Mess Yoga in Chicago and a yoga instructor certified by the Yoga Alliance, the world’s largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools....

For starters, “there is very little scientific evidence that they work,” says Maureen George, PhD, RN, a medical adviser of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and a certified asthma educator whose research specialties include alternative and complementary medicine. And even though small studies have shown some clinical benefits of vitamins and minerals on asthma management, says Clifford Bassett, MD, founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York and a clinical assistant professor in the department of medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center, the evidence is limited and, in some cases, even contradictory....

“Music is a great way to naturally stimulate movement, and the addition of an engaging, motivating workout leader can keep you going long after you might have stopped walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike,” says Caroline Grainger, a Dallas-based International Sports Sciences Association–certified personal trainer at Fitness Online Personal Trainers. The type of workout you get may depend on the style of dance. However, dance workouts typically boost your cardiovascular fitness, “and many will also be good for strength and mobility, especially if they involve lots of jumping and side-to-side movement,” Grainger notes....

For people trying to lower their cholesterol, the AHA recommends reducing saturated fat intake to 5 to 6 percent of your daily calories, which, in a 2,000-calorie diet, would be 11 to 13 grams (g). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of butter contains more than 7 g of saturated fat. That means that 2 tbsp is enough to put most people over the daily limit....

In her book, Alderton describes her personal experiences with MS and her decision to try dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and complementary therapies to treat her condition. She attributes her current good health to the changes she made. David Lyons: When were you diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and what were your symptoms? Kellie Alderton: I was diagnosed in 1988 at the age of 17. I’m now 48. My first symptom was chronic fatigue....

The recently released 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, jointly published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recommend including dairy sources such as milk, yogurt, and cheese regularly in the diet, though they stress that these sources should be fat-free or low-fat. But are these recommendations best for those with diabetes? We decided to ask some of the nation’s top diabetes experts to find out....

“It’s fairly common,” says Dr. Davis. “I’ve even had 85-year-olds walk into my office with allergic rhinitis or hay fever. It’s unusual, but I’ve seen it.” Most people who develop adult-onset allergies usually do so in their twenties and thirties, though it’s possible to develop them at any age, Davis says. Allergic reactions happen when the body comes into contact with a specific substance, such as a food or an airborne particle, that it mistakenly identifies as harmful....

For younger Black Americans in their twenties through forties who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are living with and dying from conditions that typically affect white Americans at older ages — including heart disease and high blood pressure — more regular physical activity to help prevent these conditions was already important. In addition to limited options for movement imposed by the pandemic, roadblocks such as socioeconomic factors and racial bias in healthcare had already been keeping many in the community from pursuing a healthier lifestyle....

ConstipationGasStrep throatSwallowing lots of airAnxietyA mild food allergyA stomach or intestinal infection (gastroenteritis) If your child’s stomachache intensifies or lasts for more than a day, it could be a sign of a serious condition. But again, there’s a long list of diseases that could cause this abdominal pain, including: Appendicitis most often affects teens and those in their twenties, but it can occur in children as well. According to the Cleveland Clinic, approximately 70,000 children in the United States are affected each year....

With all the variety of products on the market for RA and other joint conditions, it can take some trial and error to find what works best for you. Luckily, we have a cheat sheet: These tried-and-true gadgets come highly recommended from people in our RA community — and many of them are everyday items you probably have at home. By the way, these are just a handful of our favorites tips....

The short answer is probably not, according to Steve Vasilev, MD, a gynecologic oncologist and the medical director of Integrative Gynecologic Oncology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. ACV simply doesn’t have enough research behind it to support any cancer-fighting claims, Dr. Vasilev says, addressing the connection between apple cider vinegar and ovarian cancer. Even when studies found benefits from the vinegar in other areas, as in weight loss research, results were modest rather than significant....

The study, published November 6, 2019, in the journal Psychological Medicine, found that smokers had nearly double the risk of developing depression or schizophrenia compared with people who didn’t. “It is a very commonly held belief that individuals with mental illness smoke in order to ‘self-medicate,’ but most previous studies have not actually looked at causal effects," says Robyn E. Wootton, PhD, a senior research associate in the school of experimental psychology at University of Bristol in England and senior author of the study....

Like me, she was a writer. Unlike me, she found her voice far earlier than I did. In the short time between diagnosis and demise, she wrote — a lot. A metaphor from a long piece she wrote for Glamour magazine sticks with me all this time. She described having cancer as (I’m paraphrasing) being on a raft in a rushing river, while everyone you love is shouting at you to paddle back to shore....

If You Carry the XPC Mutation, What Are You at Risk For? A mutation, or error, in the XPC gene is associated with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is a rare inherited skin disorder characterized by extreme sun sensitivity. People with XP have a higher risk of developing skin cancer, often at a very early age. People who carry an XP mutation are also at risk for other cancers, including brain tumors and lung cancer....

As fans await Magic Mike 3, the third film of the stripper series (now in preproduction), lead actor Channing Tatum (“Mike”) has spoken up about what it takes to get his body to look like it does in the movie series. On the Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this month, he said he hesitated to do a third movie because of the role’s taxing physical demands. “You have to starve yourself,” he said....

Larry, California It is confusing, but I’ll try to clarify. The problem is that what’s considered “normal” or average cholesterol in our society is not biologically normal for our arteries. So when I hear people say heart attacks occur when cholesterol is normal (e.g., 180 to 200 mg/dL), I cringe. Total cholesterol is made up of good and bad cholesterol. You can have a total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL but that may be because your good (HDL) cholesterol is low, which may put you at risk of heart disease....

What’s more, just anticipating an IBS flare can trigger stress, causing symptom-related anxiety to exacerbate bowel sensitivity, which can then worsen GI symptoms, creating a vicious cycle. One way to manage is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that focuses on symptom-related worry. “CBT targets brain-gut pathways which are thought to be a key contributor to IBS,” says Sarah Kinsinger, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and director of behavioral medicine for the digestive health program at Loyola University Health System in Chicago....

With more accurate, up-to-date knowledge of MS, people who live with it can have a higher quality of life. Here are some of the most common MS myths — and the truth about each one. Myth 1: People With Multiple Sclerosis Can’t or Shouldn’t Be Physically Active Fact: At one time, experts believed that physical activity would worsen multiple sclerosis, so they advised against an active lifestyle. Doctors now know that staying active is one of the best ways to stay healthy with MS and delay disability....

Because certain cooking methods can lead to an overproduction of gastrin, the hormone that stimulates the production of stomach acid, changing the way you prepare and cook meals can dramatically reduce the severity and frequency of heartburn. Here are some ideas and cooking techniques to keep that burning sensation at bay, and to keep you and the rest of your family healthy too. Cut the Fat Trim any visible fat and skin off meat, and try to avoid meats that are generally higher in overall fat, such as beef and duck....

For the study, researchers looked at data from more than 500,000 adults ages 40 to 60 from the U.K. Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource of anonymized genetic, lifestyle, and health information. Study participants regularly provided blood, urine, and saliva samples, and detailed information about their lifestyle, including how often they partook in daytime napping. The study took place from 2006 to 2019. Participants were divided into groups based on self-reported napping frequency: never/rarely, sometimes, or usually....