With a fierce commitment to truth and a profound literary sensibility, science writer and author Abby Norman weaves together medical research and her own health trials in a gripping medical mystery and an inspiring story of perseverance and empowerment. Ask Me About My Uterus is Norman’s journey to understand her own pain and a quest to make doctors believe in other women’s pain. In the fall of 2010, during her sophomore year of college, then 19-year-old Abby Norman was repeatedly hospitalized in excruciating pain. Over the next several months her strong dancer’s body dropped 40 pounds and grey hair sprouted […]
Want to live a longer, healthier life? Of course! People in every culture seek the fountain of youth but in fact it very well may be sitting in your kitchen cabinet. Healthy eating plays a role in living longer and supporting your cells as you age. Healthy aging relies on foods that support many systems including brain and heart health. These foods often contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, supporting optimal health on a cellular level. Here is the ultimate Foodtrients list of the top 50 foods for longevity with a 360-degree view of the many factors that contribute to aging […]
Heart attack rates peaked in the United States in 1968. In this era, it was not unusual for a man under age
Antioxidants are one of the 8 age-defying benefits we look for in the foods we highlight in my cookbooks and on FoodTrients. My goal is to create delicious dishes packed with the nutrients that help us look and feel younger, and antioxidants are an important part of many of my recipes. So what exactly are antioxidants? Virtually every fruit and vegetable contains antioxidants, and antioxidants are powerful phytonutrients that help our bodies fight free radicals. Free radicals damage the body’s cells and are a major contributor to loss of cognitive function and the diseases of aging. When we eat antioxidant-rich […]
Your favorite pizza topping could you help fight aging! A team of Penn State researchers found mushrooms are rich in antioxidants that scientists say could be used fight aging and boost general health. The study suggests that mushrooms have high amounts of the ergothioneine and glutathione, both important antioxidants, said Professor Robert Beelman. He added that the researchers also found that the amounts the two compounds varied greatly between mushroom species. “What we found is that, without a doubt, mushrooms are highest dietary source of these two antioxidants taken together, and that some types are really packed with both of them,” […]
There is nothing like red fruits and vegetables to warm our hearts — and protect them, too. Here’s an in depth look at some of the season’s reddest, healthiest choices. Pomegranates. Pomegranates are a good source of blood-clotting vitamin K, tissue-repairing antioxidant vitamin C, and filling fiber, but they really stand out for their phytochemicals. The rich, red color of this fruit comes from flavonoids called anthocyanins, which have been linked to numerous health benefits including lower risk of coronary artery disease. Pomegranates also contain ellagic acid, which has been investigated for its cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory effects. Submerge cut sections […]
Soft, fuzzy sage leaves have a rich history and use culinary as well as medicinally. Sage has been used in Europe for centuries as a spice and a medicine. There are many different species of sage, perhaps as many as 900, but Salvia officinalis is most commonly used medicinally, horticulturally, and commercially. Used commonly as a savory culinary spice in everything from sauces to poultry seasoning to modern cocktails, sage also has a rich history of medicinal use. The essential oil in sage contains monoterpenes and tannins which may contribute to the way it can benefit health and the human body, exerting […]
Neither fish nor foul, not animal nor even technically a plant, mushrooms occupy a nether-region of life, with tantalizing health benefits such as better athletic performance and even, perhaps, an answer to cancer. Mushrooms are much more than just stir-fry fodder. Mushroom compounds called polysaccharides have been studied for decades for improving immunity. Beta-glucans in mushrooms have been proposed to act as “biological response modifiers,” based on their effects on the immune system. This means that they don’t so much stimulate the immune system as they simply make it work better. Want more mushroom magic? A few years ago a […]
Fiona Hunter, one of the UK’s leading nutritionists, takes a look at the possible correlation between the emerging mental health crisis in teenagers and how this could be linked to the lack of vital vitamins and minerals in teenagers. This week, research found that young people aged 16 to 25 are the unhappiest generation in a decade, with one in four feeling ‘hopeless’ on a regular basis, and nearly half having experienced a mental health problem. Eating a healthy balanced diet is not usually high up on the ‘to-do’ list for most teenagers and young adults – one reason is […]
WASHINGTON – Two decades after pollution from highly toxic fluorinated chemicals was first reported in American communities and drinking water, the number of known contamination sites is growing rapidly, with no end in sight. The latest update of an interactive map by EWG and the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University documents publicly known pollution from so-called PFAS chemicals at 94 industrial or military sites in 22 states. When the map was first published 10 months ago, there were 52 known contamination sites in 19 states. The map and accompanying report are the most comprehensive resources tracking PFAS pollution in the U.S. “With […]