With old research under fire and new research turning up previously unknown vitamin D benefits, the “sunshine vitamin,” has been an increasingly hot topic among the research community. As the summer draws to a close and the days begin to once again shorten, it’s a good time to take a look back at some of this year’s vitamin D research highlights and...

As adults grow older, their bones become more brittle and, as a result, they can fracture more easily. While this phenomenon can affect both men and women, women are more at risk for bone loss as they age, suffering more commonly from conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. Women over 80 years of age are at the highest risk for...

Menopause brings with it a whole new set of health concerns for the aging woman. The impacts of menopause on bone and metabolic health can lead to a loss of bone density, reduced physical ability and weight gain, however, new research on soy and bone strength suggests that soy protein may help to curb some of these negative health effects...

According to a new study funded by the British Heart Foundation, the green tea compound EGCG fights atherosclerosis, a condition which can lead to heart attack and stroke. What is Atherosclerosis? Atherosclerosis is a condition that occurs when fatty deposits build up inside the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the heart, brain and other parts of the body. Over time...

Scientists from Japan's RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science and Kyoto University have uncovered how our guts secrete antibodies that promote good bacteria to flourish. According to their research, the immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies secreted in the gut alter gene expression in bacteria, which allows different species of bacteria to work with each other to form a bacterial community that...

Vitamin B12, a part of the essential B-complex, is necessary for our bodies to create and repair DNA, red blood cells and nerves, as well as a whole host of other functions. New research out of Ireland illuminates the worrying magnitude of vitamin B12 deficiency among older populations. Over the Age of 50? You’re More at Risk for B12 Deficiency...

Much previous research has been devoted to the myriad of health benefits provided by the microbes that thrive in our bellies. These microbes form a colony within the body known as a microbiome, which consists of trillions of microbes that flourish in the nose, esophagus, mouth and in the gastrointestinal tract. These microbes actually help us by assisting the body's immune...

A new study has led researchers at the University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy to develop a new treatment for eliminating obesity in mice. The main ingredient in the new treatment is capsaicin, which is the compound that gives chili peppers their spiciness. When ingested, capsaicin has a positive effect on the peripheral nervous system, which is that part of the nervous...

People who give in to their cravings are often seen as lacking willpower, with the inability to easily tame impulses commonly viewed as a character flaw, but this line of thinking assumes we all have the same ability to exercise self-control, and according to new research, that may not be the case. The results of a new study published in The...

A study conducted at Johns Hopkins University looked at 10 decade’s worth of medical records for more than 6,000 patients to determine how vitamin D was related to instances of interstitial lung disease (ILD). While the group of ILD diseases are rare, they can have devastating effects on people who contract one of these conditions. For that reason, researchers wanted to identify...