All 4 Natural Health News

Our exposure to mass media today is immense, almost to a frightening level. And, without realizing it, we are being brainwashed every single day by these sources. After all, it’s very naive to think that the media presents objective views of information; the media is heavily influenced, even governed, by strong political and corporate interests.

The situation is worse for children and teenagers, because they are still at an impressionable age and are even more easily influenced by what they see and hear. With kids today spending so much time on the internet and in front of the television, we find that even their health is taking a hit. And why wouldn’t it? Such media not only promote sedentary lifestyles, they also inculcate poor values and undesirable living and eating habits. Read more in the following article. (more…)

The role of stress and one’s working environment in the disease process cannot be understated or underestimated. Yet, little attention is often given to such factors in preventing as well as reversing health conditions.

Recent research has drawn an interesting link between one’s risk of heart disease (and death) and working for a poor boss. This connection is discussed in more detail in the following article. (more…)

Conventional medical wisdom says it’s fine to move your bowels only once in a couple of days, as long as your pattern is regular. Natural healers and alternative practitioners, however, know better - a minimum of once per day is necessary for good health and vitality.

Constipation may seem like a trivial and harmless problem, but the fact is that this seemingly little ailment can have far reaching and detrimental effects on various aspects of a person’s health. The following article discusses more. (more…)

Although it is termed a “vitamin”, vitamin D is actually more of a hormone, one which regulates literally hundreds of different functions in the human body. It is no wonder, then, that this nutrient affects health and disease outcomes in so many ways.

The piece of research discussed in the following article gives us a broad idea of the usefulness and importance of vitamin D - it improves overall longevity. (more…)

Two to three centuries ago, the American population was quite healthy overall.

Fast forward two to three hundred years, and, despite being one of the technological leaders of the world and being the top national spenders on medical care (spending a very large proportion of its GDP on medical bills), th US today is very heavily diseased and chronically ill. What’s gone wrong? (more…)

Exercise and physical activity boost health and increase longevity. For many of us, though, in particular those who have reached a certain age, there might be a bit of the “too little, too late” mentality.

Well, there needn’t be, because a recent study has found that beginning a good exercise program in one’s latter years can raise one’s level of longevity to that of counterparts who had been exercising all along. Read more in the article below. (more…)

Smoking has already emerged has one of the major killers in the world today. Evidence, though, is growing that excess body weight is very harmful to health, too.

And research highlighted in the following article suggests that just being overweight can shorten one’s life significantly, with the effects perhaps being as bad as smoking. So, it’s not just obesity which kills, but even excess weight of a smaller degree. (more…)

When we make lifestyle changes to try and improve our health, we often focus a lot on what we eat and what we drink. Indeed, the quality and purity of our food and water play a great role in our state of health.

But there’s one thing we often overlook - and that’s the air we breathe. Without oxygen, we die within minutes, if not seconds. As the following article suggests, cleaner air can translate to longer lives. (more…)

The connection between one’s mind, emotions and body is one which is still not very well understood by humans, but yet is definitely a very important one. Emotional trauma, stress, unhappiness, grief and other unresolved mental and emotional issues all have a great part to play in the disease process.

On the flip side, a positive attitude and bright outlook are, in essence, great tonics for health. Indeed, staying positive and being optimistic is arguably the most important thing you can ever do for your health, perhaps even better than all the healthiest foods in the world. (more…)

Wondering about the health benefits of turmeric?

When a food or herb has been used for its healthful properties for centuries in both the ancient cultures of China and India, then it must surely be something quite special. The following article discusses some of the amazing health benefits of turmeric. (more…)

Do you or someone you know hold rather negative views of old age? Do you fear aging? Do you think that old folks are destined to be weak, sick and helpless?

Such viewpoints could actually have an adverse impact on one’s health later in life, as discussed in the following article. Probably something like a self-fulfilling prophecy, perhaps. (more…)

Do you do volunteer work? If you do, then good for you! Many of us, perhaps even most of us, have thought about volunteering our time for needy people or needy causes. But, somehow, excuses and reasons always crop up. ‘Next time’, or ‘one day’, are typical thought processes.

Besides helping others who are in need, volunteerism also gives ourselves a big boost. And we’re not just talking emotionally or mentally, but in terms of physical health, too. The wise men are correct - when we give, we receive, too. (more…)

No man is an island, and humans are social, emotional creatures. Here, an interesting study describes how caring for a sick spouse helps to boost one’s longevity.

Whether it is because it makes us feel useful, or it makes us happy, or it gives us a purpose in life, or some other reason, this gives us evidence of a very tangible health benefit of loving, sharing, caring and giving. (more…)

Do you have the habit of speaking to older folks, especially those who may be ill, in a simplistic and child-like manner, in much the same way you speak to a baby or little children?

If you do, you may want to reconsider having such a habit, as doing so may have a negative impact on the health of elderly folks, as revealed in research. (more…)

Happiness and health are closely tied. This is something which traditional wisdom has always told us. Now, we have scientific evidence to prove it, too.

On the flip side, unhappiness and other negative emotions, such as excessive worry and anxiety, depress the immune system and create a lot of toxins in the human body.

(more…)

An American study has shown a positive link between running and health of elderly persons.

This study dispels myths about how running may be damaging for older persons by potentially causing injuries. (more…)

Want to increase your life expectancy?

Exercise certainly helps a great deal. And a Swedish study has found that golf is one specific activity which could help you achieve this goal. (more…)

We all know that smoking increases one’s likelihood of getting a host of serious diseases, and that it shortens lives. What a recent study has further revealed is that its negative effects impact people of all social classes.

In addition, it found that the adverse effects of smoking do not spare either females or rich people. (more…)

Don’t you just love the feeling of being in amongst nature, enjoying the serenity and fresh air? I most certainly do, and, compared to the polluted and noisy cities, it really feels like a different world altogether.

And it’s not just about feelings, too. There are clear, quantifiable health benefits, as the following studies outline. (more…)

Numerous studies have linked obesity or extra weight with a list of various diseases. Now, a recent study has found that, during a car crash, obese or overweight children have double the risk of suffering injuries to their arms, legs and feet, as compared to children in the normal weight range.

The study had looked at a group of boys and girls aged between 9 and 15 years and was published in the December issue of Injury Prevention. (more…)

Religion – there is possibly no other topic which can evoke as much discussion and debate as it. And a recent study, termed the “The relationship between religion and cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in the women’s health initiative observational study”, has found that people who attend religious services regularly for a sustained period were one-fifth less likely to die from any reason, as compared to those who did not.

The study, published in Psychology and Health, looked at the health status of over 90,000 women for a mean period of over 7 years. Data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term study which followed women aged 50 to 79 years from 40 different locations in the United States, was used. (more…)

Getting sufficient sleep is important for optimal immune function and good health in general. Having at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night has been linked to lower risks of certain serious diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Risk of death is lowered, too.

Now, a study has found that sleeping less than 7 hours each night increases one’s risk of getting a cold by almost 3 times. On top of insufficient sleep, poor quality sleep raises risk about 5 times, too. (more…)

When a friend is ill, we sometimes bring plants or flowers while visiting. People also report feeling better after going for a walk in the park. Indeed, nature gives us an array of health benefits, including fresh air, stress reduction and peace of mind.

A recent study at Kansas State University has strongly suggested that contact with plants directly benefits the health of hospital patients. (more…)

I recently came across this article by a medical doctor (MD) on some tips for better health for the year 2009.

I have to say I disagree with a number of his recommendations. (more…)

A study in Edmonton, Canada has found that those in the lower income group are of generally poorer health.

The study, released by Capital Health found that the low income group smoked more, drank more alcohol, are physically less active and, overall, are of poor health as compared to their richer counterparts. (more…)

Did your parents live past 100 years of age? If so, then you have better odds of being healthy and living longer too, a recent study has revealed.

The study, conducted at Boston University and Boston Medical Center, looked at over 600 older adults in the United States and found that children of those who lived past 100, or “centenarians”, were also likely to live longer and had greatly lower likelihoods of getting diabetes, a heart attack or stroke over a period of 4 years. (more…)

A study conducted at the University of Glasgow has found that living near parks and forests improves people’s health. And this is regardless of their social class.

According to Dr Richard Mitchell, the use of parks and fields for walks as well as other activities helps to lower blood pressure and also to combat the harmful effects caused by stress. (more…)

A study published in the October issue of Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences has revealed a certain “formula” for older folks to “thrive”, or enjoy excellent health, in their latter years.

The study, conduced by the Portland State University, the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Oregon Health & Science University, and Statistics Canada, had followed 2,432 Canadians for a period of ten years. “Thrivers” were those who enjoyed great health throughout the entire decade. (more…)