Building brawn may also boost brain power

It has long been a cliche that muscle bulk doesn't equate with intelligence. Most of the science about activity and brain health has focused on the role of endurance exercise in improving brain functioning.Aerobic exercise causes a steep spike in blood movement to the brain, an action some researchers speculated might be necessary to create new brain cells, or neurogenesis.Running and other forms

Walking, Nutrition for a Healthy Mind

Women can take simple steps to bolster their brain power now and keep mentally agile as they age, according to an article in The Sun by fitness expert Nicki Waterman and nutritionist Amanda Ursell.First up is the importance of nutrition, which starts during pregnancy, as the fetus is hungry for solid nutrients to improve brain development. Ursell encouraged pregnant women to consume good sources

More Kids Have Health Coverage

If you are a parent, you know that your children’s health and wellbeing is your number one concern. According to a new report, an increasing number of parents in America are resting easy, knowing that their kids have health coverage.The report shows that last year, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provided health coverage to two million additional children. All

Moderate physical exercises cut cancer risk

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that moderate physical exercises can help reduce the risk of cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer.On the World Cancer Day Friday, WHO recommended moderate intensity aerobic physical activities of at least 150 minutes a week, for all people aged 18 and over, which has proven effective in bring down risks to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).For

Health care debate remains confusing for most Americans

Most people have an opinion about 2009's health care act, if even a confused one. I knew a columnist who was pushing for this reform years before it happened. I also knew a woman who thought that the act authorized killing newborn babies. You could say I hang out with a mixed crowd, but we definitely have confusion over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in common.Congress is back in

Being plump is good for health

The researchers said the idea that weight is harmful has been "exaggerated" and people who are little heavier may actually live longer.The California University (CU) study that looked at about 350,000 people in the US also suggested that the obese put their health in greater danger when they obsessively try to slim down.It recommended that people should eat a varied and balanced diet, and take "

Plan would charge state retirees more for health care

State lawmakers, fresh off of passing a major income tax increase, are turning toward a trio of other ideas as they try to capitalize on a newfound mood at the Capitol of dealing with long-festering budget problems.The new push is a crackdown on the rising cost of health care for retired state workers. The program costs the state nearly $500 million a year, and more than 90 percent of the

Health Bill: facts and fiction, by Carol Propper

I have to admit to being stunned by the level of misinformation that is currently accompanying the Health and Social Care Bill as it is introduced into Parliament.Yesterday, the shadow health secretary John Healey stated that ‘the changes would make the health service profit centred rather than patient centred, health secretary Andrew Lansley said ‘competition would be on quality and not cost’

Spice And Dye Point Toward Better Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injuries

An old Indian spice and a dye whose cousin makes sports drinks blue are pointing scientists toward better treatment of traumatic brain injuries.TBIs, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, occur on football fields and roadways as well when an injured brain swells inside the closed confines of the skull, causing cell damage and symptoms ranging from headaches and confusion to

GOP lacks clear health-care plan

With the House preparing to vote this week on whether to repeal the health-care law, the chamber's new Republican majority is confronting a far more delicate task: forging its own path to expand medical coverage and curb costs. The House's GOP leaders have made clear that they regard the repeal vote, scheduled to begin Tuesday, as the prelude to a two-prong strategy that is likely to