Quadriplegic man drinks his first beer thanks to mind-controlled technology
Mind over matter—such is the path followed by scientists seeking to allow people with missing or paralyzed limbs to enjoy some autonomy of movement. Since it was first demonstrated in 2006, the technology that relies on brain implants keeps being refined. Here is the story of a man who was able Read More...
Mind over matter: why cultivating a positive mindset is essential to health and well-being
There is such a thing as beating the odds thanks to a positive attitude, research shows. Here is a list of behaviors that have been found to be typical of healthy individuals in old age, despite poor genetic predisposition or exposure to toxic environments. Consider it a shopping list of healthy Read More...
Meet Charles Arntzen, creator of world’s most promising anti-Ebola drug from tobacco plants
Bioengineered plants meet vaccines. It actually is a lot more promising than it may sound. A pioneer in the field is Arizona State University Professor Charles Arntzen. He has been working on nothing less than the world’s most promising anti-Ebola drug. ZMapp is an injectable synthetic serum made Read More...
Indigenous crops to provide food security in the dry American Southwest
The plight of Native people losing their way of life, including their agricultural know-how, and adopting the cheap diet provided by the food industry, is a well-documented story. The debilitating diabetes epidemic that afflicts these communities compounds poverty and food insecurity. Rebuilding Read More...
Could part-time work be the key to happiness?
Work-related stress is an epidemic linked to degrading public health in America. Not so much in the Netherlands, ranked the third happiest country on earth in this year’s World Happiness Report. Indeed, one of its secrets seems to be the widespread practice of the reduced-hour week. Working Read More...
These 5 impacts of meditation on your brain carry long-term health benefits
Here is an easy, quick and informative read. If meditation is already a regular practice in your life, then you may enjoy grabbing one little extra bit of information, and being generally reminded, about its health benefits. If you’ve been meaning to get started tomorrow and keep procrastinating, Read More...
Organic food diet linked to dramatic drop in level of pesticides in the body
The health benefits of organic foods have been recently put into question in the United States by various studies with scientific credentials. This is a rather interesting development given the steady growth of the American organic foods segment in an otherwise stagnant food market. It turns out Read More...
America’s #1 poultry producer renounces antibiotics
Superbugs have become a major public health hazard in America. Scientific research has conclusively shown that they are caused by the routine sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics by the meat industry. Early March, food giant McDonald’s, one of the largest buyers of chicken in America, announced it Read More...
Sugar pills as good as Tylenol for low back pain
The next time you tweak your back, think twice before heading to the medicine cabinet. Acetaminophen, best known as the active ingredient in Tylenol, is the most popular drug in the world for treating low back pain. But a new study shows that it doesn’t help any more than a placebo, or inert Read More...
Eat almonds for heart health
Men who ate 50 g of almonds a day (about 1 ¾ oz, or around 35-40 whole almonds) had improved blood flow and lower blood pressure after 4 weeks compared to men who stuck to their normal diets. They also had higher levels of the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol in their blood. Alpha-tocopherol is the Read More...