Health — Page 3

Gingerbread is a delicious yet ancient staple of the holiday season — and its spices may have some surprising health benefits

Gingerbread is a delicious yet ancient staple of the holiday season — and its spices may have some surprising health benefits: The gingerbread house traces its origins to 18th-century Germany. Tatiana Gordievskaia/ Shutterstock No confectionery symbolises the holidays quite like gingerbread. While most of us associate gingerbread with edible houses and spiced loaves of cake-like …

Exercise benefits physical and brain health in people with Down’s syndrome – new research

Exercise benefits physical and brain health in people with Down’s syndrome – new research: An exercise as simple and accessible as walking can have significant health benefits for people with Down's syndrome. Halfpoint/ Shutterstock Exercise is known to have many benefits when it comes to cognitive function – such as improving memory and concentration skills. …

Collagen supplements may help improve the health of your tendons and bones

Collagen supplements may help improve the health of your tendons and bones: Collagen is an important protein when it comes to the health of our connective tissues. Milan Ilic Photographer/ Shutterstock Collagen has become a popular ingredient in the skincare industry, with high-profile advocates such as Jennifer Aniston and the Kardashians taking it for its …

Tackling climate change can improve public health in Africa – new report highlights how

Tackling climate change can improve public health in Africa – new report highlights how: African countries can simultaneously address climate change and improve public health by reducing air pollution. In many cases these actions also have other societal, economic, environment or health benefits. Addressing these together is challenging because they are often the responsibility of …

Umaru Shehu: Nigerian public health giant who played a major role in polio eradication

Umaru Shehu: Nigerian public health giant who played a major role in polio eradication: Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu, who died on 2 October 2023, was born in Yerwa (Maiduguri), Nigeria, in 1930. Widely regarded as one of the country’s early leaders in public health policy and practice, he was the first public health physician in …

Financial crises damage people’s mental health – our global review shows who is worst affected

Financial crises damage people’s mental health – our global review shows who is worst affected: pathdoc/Shutterstock Financial crises are periods characterised for some by devastating losses of income, work, a certain future, and a stable family life. The effect on mental health can be catastrophic. But what does the evidence tell us about who is …

There are too few toilets in Africa and it’s a public health hazard – how to fix the problem

There are too few toilets in Africa and it’s a public health hazard – how to fix the problem: Imagine you are miles from the nearest restroom, and nature’s call is urgent – a situation that might raise a mild panic during a hike or at a music festival. Now, picture that same scenario, not …

Stranger in My Own Skin: Pete Doherty documentary reviewed by a mental health and addiction expert

Stranger in My Own Skin: Pete Doherty documentary reviewed by a mental health and addiction expert: Stranger in My Own Skin is a documentary about the life of musician Pete Doherty, who is as well known for his drug use and spells in prison as he is for forming The Libertines and later Babyshambles. From …

Health risks at home: a study in six African countries shows how healthy housing saves children’s lives

Health risks at home: a study in six African countries shows how healthy housing saves children’s lives: Housing is a critical social determinant of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy housing as a shelter that supports physical, mental and social wellbeing. The WHO has developed guidelines outlining the attributes of healthy housing. These …

Flame retardant chemicals can cause serious health risks – and they only slow fire by a few seconds

Flame retardant chemicals can cause serious health risks – and they only slow fire by a few seconds: Many flame retardant additives have been banned. Aleksandar Malivuk/Shutterstock House fires are many people’s worst nightmare. But chemicals created decades ago to protect people’s homes from out of control flames opened our front doors to a new …

Health professionals need to collaborate. Changing how they’re taught helps build that skill

Health professionals need to collaborate. Changing how they’re taught helps build that skill: It's crucial that medical professionals learn to collaborate. Katleho Seisa When health professionals collaborate rather than operating in silos, everyone benefits – patients, families and the health system at large. This is a fact supported by ample research evidence. The professionals reap …

Proposed smoking ban would improve UK public health – but tobacco industry opposition could be a major roadblock

Proposed smoking ban would improve UK public health – but tobacco industry opposition could be a major roadblock: In his speech on Tuesday, King Charles III outlined what measures the government plans to introduce to cut smoking rates and create a smoke-free generation in England. Among the measures the government hopes to introduce as part …

Self-control isn’t always a good thing – having too much can be bad for your mental health

Self-control isn’t always a good thing – having too much can be bad for your mental health: Characteristics of 'overcontrolled' personalities may make a person more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness. silverkblackstock/ Shutterstock Having high self-control is often seen as a good thing. It’s believed to be key to success in many aspects …

How to solve our mental health crisis

How to solve our mental health crisis: Advert for a universal basic income (UBI) scheme in New York, May 2016. Such schemes could offer significant benefits for recipients' mental health. Generation Grundeinkommen via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA When BBC journalist Rory Carson sought online consultations for a potential mental health issue, three private clinics diagnosed him …

Social prescribing could help support young people’s mental health – but calls for a national strategy in England may be premature

Social prescribing could help support young people’s mental health – but calls for a national strategy in England may be premature: GPs could "prescribe" activities to a child or teen with the aim of improving health and wellbeing. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/ Shutterstock A growing number of children and adolescents in England are seeking access to …

Watching movies could be good for your mental health

Watching movies could be good for your mental health: Film therapy may help people process difficult emotions. Zoran Zeremski/ Shutterstock Many of us enjoy sitting down to watch a good film because of the way movies can make us feel. A sad film might help us release our emotions or a comedy might lift our …

Jerry Coovadia remembered – a champion of science, children and compassionate public health

Jerry Coovadia remembered – a champion of science, children and compassionate public health: Deeply saddened as we in the South African health community were by the loss of Professor Jerry Hoosen Coovadia on 4 October 2023, I reflected on what he had come to mean in my medical career and in my life. “Prof Jerry”, …

Deaths and abuse in UK immigration detention – my research shows extent of mental health problem

Deaths and abuse in UK immigration detention – my research shows extent of mental health problem: The death of 39-year-old Frank Ospina, a Colombian man in immigration detention in the UK, shocked his family. Ospina was awaiting deportation, and his mental health appeared to deteriorate rapidly. He is thought to have taken his own life …