health news today

Adjusting to later school start times is good for overall adolescent health: Opinion

sarah28/02/2023 20 Views

As a pediatrician and a child and adolescent psychologist, we are seeing, like so many of our colleagues, teenagers suffering from the impact of not getting enough sleep daily. We treat children who have to wake up at 5:30 am, get ready for school and get to a bus stop by 6:15 am. We hear from concerned parents and teachers about teens sleeping at school – if not missing school altogether – getting poorer grades, seeing diminished athletic performance and struggling with social interactions, mood disturbances and other mental health concerns. We notice they are not getting enough exercise and

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4 min read

Health News

12 Probiotic Foods for Better Gut Health

sarah27/02/2023 39 Views

You know that probiotics are essential for a healthy gut. But what exactly are probiotics, and are they worth the hype? Probiotics are living microorganisms that can help promote the growth of good bacteria in us gut. As such, they help improve gut health.

Probiotics have been found to help with even more than just a healthy gut: probiotics have been associated with reducing depression, promoting heart health, boosting the immune system and gettingbetter skin. One theory behind why probiotic foods improve our whole health is that it’s because good gut bacteria can help promote healthy metabolism, which can

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6 min read

Health News

Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women need help in earthquake-torn Turkey, Syria

sarah24/02/2023 59 Views

As It Happens6:54356,000 pregnant women in earthquake-torn Turkey and Syria need urgent help: UN

Zeynep Atılgan Özgenç has trouble wrapping her mind around the harrowing stories she’s heard from new and expectant mothers in Turkey and Syria.

As a communications analyst for the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, Özgenç has spent the last nine days on the ground in some of the regions most affected by the powerful earthquake two weeks ago.

“I saw them in person. I heard their stories,” Özgenç, spokesperson for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Turkey, told As It Happens

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5 min read

Health News

3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Lower Blood Pressure

sarah19/02/2023 19 Views

Two men sitting on steps drinking beverages in mugs. — A new study finds that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee daily is linked to having significantly lower blood pressure. MoMo Productions/Getty Images

A new study has found that drinking three or more cups of coffee is linked to lower blood pressure.
People are generally advised not to drink too much coffee because caffeine can raise blood pressure.
However, coffee also contains certain compounds which can lower blood pressure.
This study provides evidence that moderate coffee consumption could be safe for those with hypertension.

A new study published in the journal Nutrients reports that drinking three

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4 min read

Health News

Province hopes to bring more international nurses to Alberta

sarah15/02/2023 64 Views

The Alberta government revealed more details Monday of its plan to deal with a shortage of nurses in its health-care system.

The province is to invest more than $15 million to train and support more internationally educated nurses, like Uche Nechi, who was trained in Nigeria and had to wait nearly five years before she was able to resume her career in Alberta.

“At some point you have to think about ‘OK, I really wanted this but it’s about a balance of life and family,’” Nechi, who graduated last month and is working in Calgary, told a news conference.

The

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3 min read

Health News

Euthanasia Soon to Be A Leading Cause of Death in Canada?

sarah08/02/2023 13 Views

February 7, 2023 · 7:00 AM

From DailyMail:

Last year, more than 10,000 people in Canada – surprisingly that’s over three percent of all deaths there – ended their lives via euthanasia, an increase of a third in the previous year. And it’s likely to keep rising: next year, Canada is set to allow people to die exclusively for mental health reasons.

Only last week, a jaw-dropping story emerged of how, five years into an infuriating battle to obtain a stairlift for her home, Canadian army veteran and Paralympian Christine Gauthier was offered an extraordinary alternative.

A Canadian official told

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1 min read

Health News

7 Potential Health Benefits of Almonds

sarah08/02/2023 19 Views

Toss them in your salads, churn them into nut butter, or incorporate them into homemade granola bars. Almonds are a staple during meal or snack time, and they’re more than just a tasty source of satisfying crunch. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), almonds are an excellent source of many nutrients, including fiber, protein, healthy fats, magnesium, and vitamin E.

While they’re often put into the healthy-fat category, almonds are a surprising source of protein and fiber. This is good news for vegans and vegetarians looking for plant-based protein sources, and the 95 percent of Americans, per an

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9 min read

Health News

What is Valley Fever? Cases increasing on the Central Coast

sarah08/02/2023 57 Views

Valley Fever is a fungal infection that attacks the lungs. People can become infected when they breathe in fungal spores. The fungus is in the soil in places like the Southwest and the Central Valley. Dr. Martha Blum, medical director of infectious prevention at Montage Health, said the Central Coast soil has the right chemistry and balance of minerals for the fungus. The fungus that creates the spores is found in dry soil and people can get sick when they inhale the dust carrying the dust. “We see the largest exposures are people who work outside in dry, dusty conditions. …

3 min read