Prevention September 2021

MAYBE YOU’VE BEEN out of school a few years (three, 10, 29…who’s counting?), but I know we all still love learning. So in honor of back-to-school season, I present to you a pop quiz on this issue. You could find the answers throughout the magazine, but don’t worry: I’m an easy grader, so I’m going to help you out. 1. What do crinkling paper and a hairdresser’s touch have in common? It sounds like the setup of a joke, but the answer is ASMR, a type of stimulus that might relieve your stress. Read about it on page 32, but don’t blame me if you end up down a YouTube rabbit hole after you do! 2. True or false: A polar bear plunge (jumping into icy water in winter) is good for you.…

Whether your 40s are just around the corner or you are enjoying the relaxation of retirement, there are simple steps to help you live a healthier and happier life at any age! 1 PRACTICE SELF CARE It’s important to take a step back from the stress of daily life to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Put down your phone and take 20 minutes to head outside for some fresh air, meditate, journal, or just enjoy a few minutes to breathe and recharge. 2 STAY ACTIVE Daily activity is an important part of healthy aging. Take the steps instead of an elevator, go for a brisk morning walk, or schedule an hour to enjoy an activity or sport that you love. Regular exercise helps with balance, weight control, and…

It’s National Honey Month—let’s hear it for the bees! And hey, do you know why the sticky liquid gold is so good for you? All honey varieties contain antioxidants, minerals, and enzymes, and manuka honey (named for the manuka bush, found in New Zealand) boasts antibacterial and antifungal properties, which is why it’s often used topically to treat burns and wounds. Sample honey in various hues (the shade depends on the flowers the bees took nectar from), and try to reach for raw over pasteurized whenever possible—it’s less processed, so its nutrients are better preserved, and it won’t contain added sweeteners as pasteurized honey products sometimes do. Need a recommendation? We love Nature Nate’s and Madhava for their regular honey varieties and PRI and Wedderspoon for manuka honey.…

They say it’s the most important meal of the day, and new research reveals one reason why. People who skip breakfast are less likely to get their recommended daily amounts of important nutrients like calcium, vitamins C and D, and iron than are break-fast eaters, according to an analysis of health data from 30,000 people published in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Common breakfast foods contain many of those nutrients, so try to start building a morning meal into your day. But if you’re really not an a.m. eater, don’t stress—incorporate mainstays like fortified cereal, milk, and eggs into other meals, or enjoy them as nutritious snacks. 68 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS (BOTH MALE AND FEMALE) SAID THEY SHARED THEIR BED WITH A SNORER, according to a recent American Academy of…

Scientists from Keck School of Medicine of USC have discovered how to make mini kidney structures, or organoids; these resemble the duct system in the kidney that helps the body maintain fluid and pH balance. Why is this important? These organoids can be useful in helping improve the understanding of kidney-related diseases and also inform new treatments. Researchers think being able to create these organoids is a major step toward development of a functional synthetic organ that could potentially help keep people off dialysis or even be an alternative to transplanting real kidneys.…

After aducanumab was approved by the FDA this summer, concerns arose about the approval process (three members of the FDA advisory committee quit in protest), and evidence for a clinical benefit from it is slim. Still, during You & Your Brain, a webinar series Prevention hosted with HealthyWomen and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, experts said the drug’s approval indicates progress. “This is the first drug that changes Alzheimer’s pathology,” says Jessica Caldwell, M.D., director of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic. “At the same time, this drug is not a cure for the disease. To attack Alzheimer’s, we are going to need both medicine and a focus on lifestyle and prevention behaviors.”…