With all the scientific evidence coming out in the past several years, meditation is becoming something that can't be overlooked. As anyone who's ever played a sport knows, the biggest opponent is always inside. Meditation gives you ways to come to terms with this opponent. It doesn't matter what sport you play, any athlete can benefit from the positive benefits of meditation. Meditation research on athleti ...

Some men who take the drug finasteride (Propecia) to slow a receding hair line may also find it reduces their interest in drinking alcohol, new research reveals. Almost two-thirds of the men in the study noticed they were drinking less alcohol than before taking Propecia, said study researcher Dr. Michael Irwig, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University School of ...

Some doctors balk at the idea of trying to change a patient's personality, but a new study suggests that they're doing it already. The results show that talk therapy or psychiatric medications can change personality in healthy people and those with psychological disorders. What's more, changes can be relativity rapid, occurring over a four- to seven-month period, and long-lasting, continuing years after the ...

There are many reasons to avoid soda and other soft drinks: High refined sugar levels, extreme acidity, unnatural and often toxic ingredients, and much more. According to a new study by U.S. researchers for the National Institute of Health, however, we can add another reason to the list - the regular consumption of soda, especially those that contained artificial sweeteners, can lead to depression. The stud ...

An outbreak of diarrhoea has claimed five lives in Upington town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the epidemic which started two weeks ago has killed five children so far. NAN also reports that the number of patients that have been treated at Gordinia hospital has risen to 450. Medical authorities in the province said that the epidemic is the worse ...

The Cross River Government has won $1 million (N158 million) prize instituted by Bill Gates Foundation for polio immunisation in Africa, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Peter Ojie, has said. Mr. Ojie said on Monday in Calabar that the state emerged the best in polio immunisation in the South South geo-political zone. “We have the most robust primary healthcare system in Nigeria,” he said. He ...

The researchers found that obese children were significantly more likely than normal weight children to suffer from poorer health, more disability, ADHD, allergies, asthma; bone, joint and muscle problems, conduct disorders, depression, developmental delays, ear infections, emotional and behavioral problems, headaches, learning disabilities, and missed school days, grade repetition and other school problems ...

Are you planning to live to 100? It turns out you should be. As an adult in the year 2013, there’s a very good chance you’ll make it to the century mark. That’s according to the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Census Bureau, which have announced that those over the age of 80 now make up the world’s fastest growing age group. In 2012 the number of Americans living to and past 100 rose to 100,000. ...

Too much coffee can lead to weight gain and other health problems, even if drinkers stick to decaffeinated, according to research. Experts warned that drinking five or more cups a day increased the amount of fat stored in the abdomen. It was revealed that even a “moderate intake” of coffee in the average day could also lead to problems such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Repeated studies i ...

1. Maintain a healthy body weight (BMI less than 25) throughout your life. Weight gain in midlife, independent of BMI, has been shown to significantly increase breast cancer risk. Additionally, and elevated BMI has been conclusively shown to increase the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. 2. Minimize or avoid alcohol. Alcohol use is the most well established dietary risk factor for breast cancer. The Ha ...

Some years ago, air conditioning was a luxury vouchsafed only to the privileged few. Now, though, it is the norm in many offices and public transport systems, it has become a part of our lives. In many developed and developing nations, the people are looking for more comfortable life styles. Purchasing a car or vehicle remains one of the highest priorities. Next to this is the purchase of an air conditioner ...

Too little sleep increases the risk of car crashes for young drivers, a new study confirms. In the study, drivers ages 17 to 24 who reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night were about 20 percent more likely to be involved in a car crash over a two-year period, compared with those who slept more than six hours a night. Car crashes among the sleep-deprived were more likely to occur between 8 p.m. and 6 ...

Dr Joseph Natsah of General Hospital Kachia in Kaduna State, has advised youths against tobacco smoking, saying it leads to impotence. Natsah said in an interview on Tuesday in Kaduna that tobacco smoking results in low sperm count, weak erection and impotence. He warned girls involved in smoking to desist from the habit as it would also prevent them from either conceiving or having still birth. Natsah said ...

1. Passionflower While passionflower has long been considered a “folk remedy” for anxiety and insomnia, a few studies have shown that the herb may actually be comparable in effectiveness to benzodiazepine drugs, which are used to treat stress. Though not proven, it is believed that passionflower works by increasing levels of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This lowers the acti ...

Take your vitamins To make sure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients, look for a prenatal vitamin with 1 milligram of folic acid, iron and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A good prenatal should also have 1200 milligrams of calcium and 600 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin D. Eat a balanced diet It’s important to eat regular meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar steady and your energy levels up. ...

A Los Angeles doctor was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison for bilking patients out of more than $1 million by promising them that an herbal supplement she hawked could cure late-stage cancer and other diseases. U.S. District Judge Robert Timilin also ordered Dr. Christine Daniel to forfeit $1,277,083. Daniel, 58, was found guilty of 11 counts, including wire fraud, tax evasion and witness tamp ...

Doing computer puzzles may improve thinking skills in women who've undergone chemotherapy, according to a Stanford study. In the study, breast cancer survivors who suffered from cognitive impairments due to chemotherapy, sometimes called chemo brain, showed enhanced cognitive functions after three months of playing online games, according to the researchers. The games targeted various cognitive skills such ...

You can like to get yourself a dog as research suggests that dog owners have healthier hearts than people who don’t have pets. And those who already have cardiac problems may be more likely to survive if they have the companionship of a pet. The American Heart Association reviewed studies from around the world and concluded pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, ‘is probably associated with a decreased ...

Babies who are above average in size when they are born are at a greater risk of autism, as well as those who are born below average in size, according to the biggest study of fetal growth and autism to date. The findings, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, show the first clear link between large babies at birth and the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The study was led by researchers from th ...

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—a chemical found in things like nonstick cookware, food wrappers, furniture, and even raincoats has been linked to cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. The kicker? A full 98 percent of us have PFOA in our bloodstreams. Researchers from West Virginia University (WVU) School of Public Health, Morgantown, looked at the health data of 1,200 Americans and compared their ...