Author name: Dr. Barry Dinner

European Union Consortium researchers report two studies that suggest that consuming cocoa flavanols – plant-derived bioactives from the cacao bean – may help to improve cardiovascular function and lessen the burden on the heart that comes with the aging and stiffening of arteries.  In the first study, Christian Heiss, from the University Duesseldorf  (Germany), and […]

The decline of memory skills in most people is reluctantly viewed as a natural part of aging, but some people age much more slowly than others. Under normal aging, shrinkage of key parts of the brain brings a steady downward decline in a person’s cognitive abilities. However, recent research on slower aging adults is showing that parts of

New research has found that people who don’t get enough sleep, get too much sleep, or who have poor quality sleep have increased levels of calcium in their coronary arteries – an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. Dr Chan-Won Kim of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul (South Korea), and

The design is sleek; the technology impressive; the camera stunning; the sound awesome. And this digital device is even more high-powered – if only it were safe. And big news, there is no headphone jack. Apple™ states “The new AirPods offer a game-changing listening experience. Designed with a huge amount of forward-thinking technology inside a

Researchers from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (New York, USA) and the University of Washington (Washington, USA) reveal how climate change impacts human health – with particular impact to the US Gulf Coast, northeast, and west coast regions.  Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to impacts of climate change due to hazards such as

Nitrate supplements have ignited a new conversation about nitrate-rich foods like spinach, arugula, and other vegetables, as being important for muscle endurance during exercising. A previous study has suggested that beetroot juice, an abundant dietary source of nitrate, increases blood flow to the skeletal muscles during exercise by 38%. In a recent sports performance study,

Flavorful additions that accent vegetables, fish, and meats, herbs and spices may also help improve blood biomarkers related to heart health.  Sheila G. West, PhD, from The Pennsylvania State University (Pennsylvania, USA), and colleagues prepared meals for six men, ages 30 to 65 years, who were overweight but otherwise healthy. The meals, consumed on two

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered that sex hormones have an effect that extends far beyond the reproductive system; progesterone may eventually be a possible flu treatment for women. Progesterone, a female hormone contained in the majority of hormone-based birth control, appears to fend off the worst effects of

A 45-year-long study of nearly 7,000 people has found that psychological distress in childhood is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes in adulthood. Ashley Winning, ScD, MPH, of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, and colleagues examined data collected about participants in

Researchers from Rome’s Sapienza University and the San Diego School of Medicine spent six months studying the residents of Acciaroli in order to determine why there is such a large number of residents over the age of 100 years old, living in the small village in Italy. The area, best known for its natural beauty