Health

While cannabis has recently come under fire for potential negative health risks, a recent study suggests that its use could increase brain volume and cognitive fitness.Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, brain scans and cognitive test results for more than 26,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 77, using data from the UK biobank.The study found that cannabis users — particularly those who […]

The dry, puckering sensation you get from dark chocolate, red wine, tea or berries could actually be activating your brain in a way similar to exercise, according to a new study.New research from Japan suggests that flavanols — plant compounds found in these foods — may stimulate the brain not by being absorbed into the bloodstream, but by triggering a sensory response tied to their bitter taste."The key finding of […]

Living longer isn’t just about making it to 100 anymore, experts say — it's about feeling your best once you get there.Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a certified menopause specialist and founder of The 'Pause Life, said it's possible to optimize health for a longer life with simple lifestyle changes."Hormone therapy can be a tool in the toolkit, but we can't ignore nutrition, strength training and getting adequate sleep," she told […]

Almost every forest bird species in Hawaii is spreading avian malaria, posing an increasing threat to wildlife in the popular honeymoon destination, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.The research revealed a potential explanation for why the disease shows up almost everywhere mosquitoes are found on the Hawaiian Islands.Scientists from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and the University of California analyzed blood samples from over 4,000 birds […]

An update on a decades-long investigation has suggested that brain training can lower the risk of dementia.The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, which began in the late 1990s with nearly 3,000 older adults, evaluated how brain training impacts thinking and memory.The participants, who ranged in age from 65 to 94 at the start of the trial, were randomly placed in groups for 10 training sessions […]

Researchers in Australia are raising flags about GLP-1 weight-loss medications potentially raising the risk of a rare disease.Scurvy — historically called a "pirate disease" due to long voyages at sea without nutritious food — is caused by a lack of vitamin C. If left untreated, scurvy can cause severe symptoms, according to Cleveland Clinic.Those symptoms include anemia, loosened teeth that may fall out, bleeding under the skin, bruising, swollen legs, […]

Following actor James Van Der Beek's death after a 2½-year battle with colon cancer, experts are warning of the disease's prevalence among younger people.The "Dawson’s Creek" star announced his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in November 2024, although he was officially diagnosed in August 2023 after a colonoscopy.In an August 2025 feature with Healthline, Van Der Beek revealed the first warning sign of colon cancer was a change in bowel […]

Think your sound machine is helping you sleep? It might be doing the opposite.A new study from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine found that listening to pink noise at bedtime could disturb REM sleep (dream sleep) and sleep recovery.The research, published in the journal Sleep, found that earplugs were significantly more effective at blocking out traffic noise during sleep.SIMPLE NIGHTLY HABIT LINKED TO HEALTHIER BLOOD PRESSURE, STUDY […]

Prior to James Van Der Beek's death at age 48, the actor revealed the first warning sign of his colon cancer — and it’s one that did not seem alarming at the time.The "Dawson’s Creek" actor's wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, confirmed his passing in a social media post on Wednesday.Following the announcement of his colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, Van Der Beek told Healthline in August that "there […]