Health - Health Digest

Molly Hurford

What Leg Lifts Really Do For Your Body

Side leg lifts provide a focus on glute, hip, and thigh muscles, while a leg lift done lying on your back will focus more on your core.

Zrinka Peters

What It Really Means When Someone Dies Of 'Old Age'

"Old age" is not a medically approved cause of death — health problems including genetic damage, heart disease, and cancer are more likely at play.

Catherine Caruso

Are Oats Gluten Free?

Oats are a popular and nutritious grain that can be enjoyed raw, cooked, or even as a topping, but are they gluten-free? Technically, yes —with exceptions.

Person sitting on toilet holding a roll of toilet paper with pink plaid pants around their ankles

Emily Rhode

Symptoms Of UTIs You Shouldn't Ignore

Pay attention to symptoms including frequent and/or strong urges to urinate, pain or burning while urinating, and bloody or cloudy urine.

Jenna Demmer

This Is Why So Many More People Are Nearsighted These Days

Time spent reading, studying, and writing, rather than being outdoors, seems to be a contributing factor to the development of myopia.

Jenna Demmer

The Connection Between Diet And Hormones Explained

Consuming nutrients like healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids is one way to help manage hormones without pharmaceuticals.

Catherine Caruso

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Hot Sauce

How much hot sauce you can handle is a personal preference, but watch out for too much sodium, or negative side effects of thermogenesis.

Robin Rothstein

Why You Should Think About Getting A Calcium Test

A calcium score screening heart scan can detect calcium deposits in your coronary arteries, and thus your risk for heart attack.

Dasia Taylor in her school's chemistry lab

A. Sooter

A 17-Year-Old Scientist Creates Infection-Detecting Stitches

Dasia Taylor, 17, is developing infection-detecting sutures that address a very pressing real-world need.

Nicole LaMarco

This Is How To Get Rid Of Your Double Chin

There are many causes behind having a double chin, but the good news is there are exercises to minimize the effect and improve your posture.

Agnes Erickson

What Really Causes You To Get 'Hangry'

The irrational anger or bad mood you get in when you're hungry actually had a basis in science. This is what really causes you to get hangry.

Man preparing to take sleep medication pills

Michelle Washmuth

The Real Reason Melatonin Can Make You Have Strange Dreams

Melatonin can affect your REM cycle, which is when you are most likely to have vivid dreams. Because of this, you might want to experiment with dosage.

Woman trying to wear pants that are too small

Nicole LaMarco

Medications You Didn't Know Could Make You Gain Weight

Many medications can contribute to weight gain, but a switch to a similar drug, and/or changes in your daily habits, can help manage the problem.

woman staring cautiously at slices of bread

Lauren DeMello

How Gluten Intolerance May Be Linked To Genetics

Genetics may provide clues as to why some carry a pathogenic intolerance to gluten or develop celiac disease.

Agnes Erickson

The Health Benefits Of Oranges Explained

This in-demand fruit is packed with nutrition and contains 100 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.

a large saute pan of tomato sauce and raw tomatoes surrounding it

Lauren DeMello

Raw Versus Cooked Tomatoes: Which One Is Better For You?

Cooked tomatoes have more of beneficial nutrients like lycopene and naringenin, but don't tend to have as much vitamin C as the raw ones.

Kimberly Smith

The Real Reason Margarine Might Be Making You Look Older

Trans fats in margarine cause the skin to look older because they make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light radiation, which can cause long-term damage.

Molly Hurford

Surprising Side Effects Of Taking Iron Supplements

Iron supplements can cause stomach troubles and more-serious symptoms. Getting iron via whole foods is one way to avoid these negative effects.

Michelle Washmuth

Why Eating Cashews Could Be More Risky Than You Think

Cashews have grown exponentially in popularity, as a dairy-free cream replacement and nut butter, but can be risky if not consumed in the correct form.

Maria Faller

What Eating Too Many Leafy Greens Does To Your Body

Consuming too many leafy greens can result in an excess of fat-soluble vitamin K, which can be dangerous, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms.

Meredith Cooper

Foods You Never Knew Could Help Your Sleep

How did you sleep last night? Did you drift off right away or toss and turn for a while? If you picked the latter, here are some foods that'll help you get z's.

Neti pot for cleaning nose with water and salt

Nicole LaMarco

Surprising Side Effects Of Using A Neti Pot

Neti pots can help manage sinus congestion, as well as allergy and cold symptoms, if used correctly.

Tiffany Nicole

Vitamins You Should Be Taking If You're Diabetic

Thiamin, alpha-lipoic acid, and vitamin D are among the nutrients that can help manage diabetes.

Zrinka Peters

Hand Washing Vs Hand Sanitizer: Which One Is Better?

Is hand washing or using hand sanitizer more effective? Both have pros and cons, but this is which you should choose between hand washing and hand sanitizer.

Allaya Cooks-Campbell

Here's Why You Should Start Drinking More Bone Broth

People credit bone broth with all sorts of benefits. It's said to be good for your bones, skin, immune system, and gut health. But how much of that is true?

Molly Hurford

The Real Reason Working Out Makes You Hungry

Post-workout hunger seems reasonable. After all, you just burned some calories. As it turns out though, there's more to the story.

A woman with one arm up inspecting an under arm sweat stain

A. Sooter

Science Says Eating This Can Make You Smell Better

Researchers found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables makes sweat smell better.