Mood

A lot has been written lately about the health benefits of curcumin. Although many people enjoy this spice for its distinctive flavor, it appears to have even more to offer. In fact, it appears to have a variety of positive effects on health. According to several studies on curcumin and the benefits to the brain, it may even help to...

Modern people may not be fighting lions and tigers, but we are under more stress than ever. From job-related stress to long commutes to balancing the demands of family and personal life, many just have too much on their plate. According to many psychologists, this is leading to a disorder known as burn out, which can have dire consequences for...

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. The most typical pattern for SAD is that symptoms start in the late fall or early winter and go away with the arrival of spring. It is also possible for someone to experience seasonal affective disorder in a summer pattern, though this is quite...

A growing body of research suggests that bacteria in the gut influence overall human health. While past research has indicated that trillions of bacteria thriving in the human digestive tract can affect everything from immune system function and nutrition to mood, two new studies have found that gut bacteria influence diet as well as reproductive success in fruit flies. These...

Recommendations for vitamin intake during pregnancy are constantly being modified to reflect new research. Most people are aware of the importance of taking in enough folic acid and other B vitamins during their child-bearing years. A new study on taking vitamin D during pregnancy suggests that this vitamin also may be crucial to developing children, especially in the areas of...

Today, the "Standard American Diet" has become, well, standard -- especially among men. This diet is based on processed foods that are often lacking in nutrients and vitamins. The result is that many men in the United States are deficient in vitamins. In addition, men have slightly different nutritional needs than women and require more of certain vitamins to produce...

If you are like many modern people, you spend much of your life avoiding the sun. We all have heard about the links between ultraviolet light exposure and skin cancer. As a result, even sun worshipers now take precautions to protect their skin from these harmful rays. We wear sunscreen on a daily basis and cover ourselves with hats and...

Recent research on the gut-brain axis suggests that taking probiotics for anxiety and other mood concerns may be an effective choice. Anxiety and stress are ubiquitous in the modern world. While many people rely on coping mechanisms that allow them to deal effectively with this stress, the core problem remains. Stress in daily life is so common and so severe...

Many people all over the world take melatonin to help them sleep. However, new research suggests that some may benefit from taking melatonin for anxiety as well. Around one in five adults suffer from anxiety. While certain types of therapy and medications such as SSRIs can help, many people struggle to manage their symptoms. The loss of daily function and...

Most of us have experienced the feeling of sleepiness and well-being that comes after a large turkey meal (think Thanksgiving dinner). A popular misconception is that this feeling comes from tryptophan, an amino acid that is present in high amounts in turkey. Despite this popular rumor, it's not necessarily the tryptophan in your turkey that makes you groggy or sleepy...