Health & Fitness

A new research study has discovered how we get sick from the novel coronavirus. Why this matters: The discovery of how we get sick has come about two years after the pandemic first began, showing how infection can still happen. Driving the news: The new research — which was published in the journal Nature Medicine — found that it takes one virus droplet, which is about the size of a human blood cell, to make us sick from COVID-19. What they found: Out of 36 volunteers, 18 were infected by one single viral droplet, according to the study. Two of these volunteers never developed COVID-19 symptoms. About 10 microns of the virus can make someone sick. People shed the virus a lot before they experience COVID symptoms. Method: The researche...

Share on PinterestNew research finds that a higher intake of artificial sweeteners is linked to an increased risk of cancer. blowbackphoto/Getty Images Nearly half of United States adults consume artificial sweeteners. Human-population studies have found artificial sweeteners to be safe, but results from in vitro studies and studies on animals pose some concerns. A large new study of artificial-sweetener consumers finds that the products are associated with an increased risk of cancer. A large new observational study has found an association between the consumption of artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame and acesulfame-K, and cancer. The study found a 13% higher risk of cancer in general, with the highest likelihood of developing breast cancer and cancers related to obesity, ...

Want to know which probiotic foods to eat to improve your health and wellbeing? As well as breaking down foods and absorbing nutrients, the gut has a massive impact on how well the body and mind works. Probiotics are live bacteria in either food or supplement form that can help the digestive system to function more efficiently by improving or restoring balance in the gut microbiome. Research by King’s College London in the UK revealed that what we eat impacts our gut flora even more than genetics. The study pinpointed a group of 15 ‘good’ and 15 ‘bad’ gut microbes that are linked to better or worse health outcomes, including inflammation, blood sugar control and weight. Gut health is clearly important, but how does it work and where do probiotic foods come in? The enteric nervous sy...

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — For the millions of Americans that have gotten COVID-19, the health care journey isn’t over. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed in a new report that the risk of cardiac complications persists following infection and recovery. The report released April 1 paints the picture of ongoing risks and negative health outcomes that could spring up after a patient has gotten COVID-19. The report also touches on the potential risk of heart issues after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the coronavirus. The two mRNA vaccines available are from Pfizer and Moderna. New mutant omicron variant XE could be most transmissible yet, WHO says The report said cardiac complications, “particularly myocarditis and pericarditis,” have been ti...

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Clinical psychologist Geri-Lynn Utter grew up in Kensington, Pennsylvania — one of Philadelphia's grittiest corners — where her family ran a bar that opened at 7am and closed at 2am every day. ...

Prioritizing your immune system has never been more important, especially with the highly contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2, that is helping to drive another surge of Covid cases around the world. As an immunologist and functional medicine doctor, patients often ask me how they can measure their immune system health. I tell them that our immune system is a moving target and has no real specified organs where it can be completely isolated. You can't scan it with an X-ray, biopsy it, or determine it's exact strength or weakness with a single test. However, there are four major warning signs that can indicate whether you have a weakened immune system and should put extra effort into giving it a boost: Signs you have a weak immune system 1. You get sick frequently an...

(NEXSTAR) – Just days after the BA.2 strain of coronavirus achieved world dominance, international health officials are already turning their attention to a new, mutant variant believed to be even more transmissible – XE. XE is a combination of the first form of omicron to spread across the globe, BA.1, and so-called “stealth omicron,” the subvariant BA.2, that is now dominant. The highly transmissible XE strain was first detected in the United Kingdom on January 19, according to the WHO document, and there have been more than 600 documented cases in the UK since. Ohio, other states sue to end mask mandates on planes and other transit Preliminary findings suggest that XE may be about 10% more transmissible than BA.2, which is considered 50-60% more trans...

Clinical psychologist Geri-Lynn Utter grew up in Kensington, Pennsylvania — one of Philadelphia's grittiest corners — where her family ran a bar that opened at 7am and closed at 2am every day. ...

Photo: Brian A Jackson (Shutterstock) After making it through another long winter, warmer spring weather gave us a reason to get excited. But now that allergy season is in full swing, those who live with seasonal allergies—sometimes referred to as “hay fever”—may be wishing that they lived somewhere else. Specifically, somewhere where allergy season isn’t so severe. But where, exactly, is that? And where are the places that people with seasonal allergies should avoid? Those are a few of the questions the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) sought to answer in their annual Allergy Capitals report. Here are their 2022 findings. What the Allergy Capitals report took into consideration In order to rank how challenging it is to live with spring or fall allergies in various U.S....