Архив рубрики: Здоровье Америка

Is Seltzer Water Good or Bad for You?

On the hierarchy of healthy beverages, seltzer bubbles up to the top.

Research has found that sparkling water (another name for seltzer) is just as hydrating as still water, and the human body absorbs it the same way. After all, seltzer is little more than plain water infused with carbon dioxide gas to make it fizzy.

“Seltzer or carbonated water is generally beneficial because we are all underhydrated, and most people do not hydrate sufficiently during the day,” says Dr. David Poppers, a professor of medicine and director of GI quality and strategy initiatives at NYU Langone Health. “It’s hydrating, and it doesn’t have the calories that are associated with other drinks.”

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So for those who prefer seltzer over still, it’s fine for most people to drink it regularly. But there are some caveats. Here’s what you need to know before you start subsisting off of seltzer.

It may irritate your bladder

For most people, it won’t have this effect. But if you ha..

How Well Will You Age? Check Your Grip Strength

During a Zoom interview, Maury Purnell, 85, hangs in the air, firmly grasping a trapeze bar, answering questions and smiling, no less. He manages it all in a plaid button-up shirt instead of gym clothes.

“Several of my peers are having health issues,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate with all of that in recent years.” Purnell is enjoying unique health for his age, and research shows a clear relationship between what he’s exhibiting right now—impressive grip strength—and longevity. “It’s a strong marker of risk for future clinical outcomes, most notably premature death,” says Dr. Darryl Leong, a cardiologist at McMaster University in Canada.

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But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should become obsessed with pumping a squeeze ball daily. Despite Purnell’s display of hand strength on the trapeze, he’s never focused specifically on improving his grip. It’s always been a byproduct.

Here’s why grip is a key indicator of health—and how to keep it strong.

Wh..

What Happens If You Don’t Wash Your Face?

Have you ever been so exhausted you’ve skipped your skin-care routine and went straight to bed? Now imagine doing that every night. For most people, the idea might trigger fears of buildup, bacteria, oily skin, and breakouts.

But a backlash is brewing to 10-step skin-care rituals: doing absolutely nothing. No cleansers, no exfoliants, no moisturizers—no water, even. Known as the “caveman method,” the counterintuitive way of “taking care” of your skin by ignoring it is gaining traction on social media. One woman on TikTok recently went viral after saying she gave up washing her face in order to repair her skin barrier, even though the process has caused her skin to become flaky with dead skin cells.

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What actually happens when you stop washing your face? Is it even safe? We asked dermatologists.

Is the “caveman method” good for your skin?

The theory behind the method is that many skin-care products can strip the skin of its natural oils, disrupt it..

What Trump Has Done on Reproductive Health Care In His First 100 Days

This week marks 100 days since President Donald Trump took office for a second term. In that time, Trump has made several moves that affect abortion and reproductive health care access across the country.

Within his first month in office, Trump acted quickly on a number of issues related to reproductive health. He pardoned several anti-abortion protesters convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a law intended to protect abortion clinics and patients by barring people from physically blocking or threatening patients. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said it would be curtailing prosecutions against people accused of violating the FACE Act. The Department of Defense rescinded a Biden-era policy that helped facilitate travel for active service members and their families to obtain certain reproductive health care services, including abortion. Internationally, the Trump Administration’s freeze on foreign aid halted reproductive health care services f..

How to Say ‘I Told You So’ in a More Effective Way

It’s hard to think of four words more smug—and infuriating—than “I told you so.”

“It feels like you’re delighting in the other person’s misfortune,” says Jordan Conrad, founder and clinical director at Madison Park Psychotherapy in New York. “It feels equivalent to saying ‘I would never be in your position because I’m smarter than you,’ or ‘If you only just let me run your life for you, you would be better off.’ Those are pretty unpleasant messages to send.”

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Yet sometimes, it’s helpful to drive home the idea that a little foresight could have predicted the outcome—albeit in a kinder, more effective way. First, though, consider your relationship with the person and what you’re trying to get out of the interaction, Conrad advises: Is it just to boost your own ego and knock them down a notch? Or do you genuinely believe it’s a learning opportunity that could make them happier and more successful in the future? If you work alongside someone who could ben..

What to Eat When You’re Sick 

Whether you’re struggling to swallow with a sore throat or can’t keep anything down with a stomach bug, eating isn’t always your top priority when you’re under the weather.

But “our bodies actually need nourishment when we’re sick, so don’t avoid eating,” says family physician Dr. Shannon Dowler, a board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

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In many cases, simply eating whatever appeals to you in the moment is enough to make sure you’re getting at least some nutrients and plenty of fluids. But if you can handle it, there are some specific foods that might actually ease your symptoms.

Here’s a guide to what to eat when you’re sick, tailored to whatever is ailing you.

Stomach bug

With an upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, or a combination of all three, you probably don’t feel very hungry or thirsty when you’ve got gastroenteritis. The problem is it’s easy to get dehydrated, says registered dietitian and certified specialist in oncol..

Climate Anxiety Is Taking Its Toll on Young People

More and more, climate change is taking a toll not only on communities, the environment, and the economy, but also on human minds. In recent years, researchers have been describing what they variously label eco-distress, exo-anxiety, or even eco-grief—a suite of symptoms including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder—linked to experiencing severe weather events or simply living in a world in which climate change is becoming a growing crisis.

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Whatever name the phenomenon goes by, it spares no one; simply by dint of being exposed to a warming world, you have cause to feel distress about it. Last year was the warmest one on record, edging out 2023, which had briefly held the number one spot. The top 10 warmest years have all occurred since 2014. Extreme weather and other disasters linked to climate change—including wildfires, droughts, floods, and hurricanes—are all on the rise.

Experts are finding, however, that one demographic may ..

A New Immune Treatment May Work Against Several Cancer Types

In a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, researchers report encouraging early results from research investigating a potential way to help some cancer patients avoid surgery.

According to the results of the early study, published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine, 92% of patients who received only an immune-based treatment to help their own immune systems shrink their tumors—and no surgery, which is generally the standard treatment for them—showed no detectable signs of disease after two years.

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Maureen Sideris, 71, was one of those patients. The New York resident was diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction cancer in 2022 after she noticed it was difficult for her to swallow and digest food. When she saw a cancer surgeon, he told her that surgery to remove the tumor they had detected would be her best treatment option. He also informed her that she would need chemotherapy and radiation ..

7 Things to Do When Your Memory Starts Slipping

Changes in memory as you get older—frustrating as they might be—are completely normal.

“It might become more difficult to access things as quickly, but you get into that state of, ‘If you give me a couple minutes, or you give me a cue or a clue, then yes, it’ll come back,’” says Dr. Daniel Lesley, a neurologist at Remo Health, a virtual dementia care company. “You aren’t quite as sharp as you were, but as long as you can set up strategies for yourself—like learning to write things down—you can make information much more accessible and know what’s important.”

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We asked Lesley to share what to do the moment you start to feel your memory slipping, and little things you can do every day to keep your brain sharp.

Figure out if something reversible is going on

If you’ve noticed you’re having more frequent memory lapses, mention it to your primary care doctor—and be prepared to share specific examples. You could be experiencing something reversible. “Anybo..

7 Signs It’s Time to Take Your Memory Issues Seriously

If the neurologist Dr. Daniel Lesley sees 10 patients a day, at least half ask him the same question: Are the brain lapses they’re experiencing a normal part of aging? Or should they be worried?

“People have an absolute terror of losing their memory and thinking they’re losing themselves,” says Lesley, who works at Remo Health, a virtual dementia care company. “They don’t know what’s normal, what’s potentially a sign of something bad, and what’s reversible.”

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Just like every other organ in the body, the brain changes as you get older. Occasional, subtle memory problems—like not remembering where you parked at Costco—are usually no big deal. “Part of normal aging is paying less attention to details, and more attention to patterns and dynamics,” Lesley says. “It may also become more difficult to access things quickly,” like names and certain words.

When sporadic trouble becomes a regular occurrence, however, and other memory issues pop up—like repeatin..