Women put 515 chemicals on their face and body every day by using beauty products that contain dozens of ingredients, some of them potentially harmful.
A survey found women typically use up to 13 products, most of which contain more than 20 ingredients, including additives.
Middle-aged women have more heart attacks than in past, but are more likely to survive, studies show
Hearts attacks have increased among middle-aged American women in the past two decades, but their chance of survival has improved, two new studies show.
"We found that men still have a higher prevalence than women, but what has happened is that the gap has narrowed," said Dr. Amytis Towfighi, assistant professor of clinical neurology at the University of Southern California, lead author of one of two reports in the Oct. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. "For women it has increased, for men it has decreased."
Is there a correlation between strength and smarts? A new study reveals that the fitness of your muscles may have a lot to do with maintaining the fitness of your brain, adding a new dimension to the mind-body connection.
Minority children are hit hardest, nationwide study finds
While the optimal amount of vitamin D is still subject to debate, a new study finds one thing is sure: over 6 million American children are getting too little of this essential nutrient.
"There are a lot of studies demonstrating associations between low levels of vitamin D and a laundry list of poor health outcomes," noted lead researcher Dr. Jonathan Mansbach, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a pediatrician at Children's Hospital Boston.
This story is part of a special series that explores the global water crisis. For more clean water news, photos, and information, visit National Geographic's Freshwater Web site.
How's this for a sweet surprise? A team of researchers in Washington State has found traces of cooking spices and flavorings in the waters of Puget Sound.
University of Washington associate professor Richard Keil heads the Sound Citizen program, which investigates how what we do on land affects our waters.
Keil and his team have tracked "pulses" of food ingredients that enter the sound during certain holidays.
Study shows it reduces inflammation associated with heart disease
If you're tempted to raid your child's Halloween candy stash at the end of this month, here's one reason you might not have to restrain yourself.
Spanish researchers put 42 men and women on a diet that included 40 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder (about 1.4 ounces) mixed with skim milk daily, or plain skim milk. After one month, those who drank the cocoa-flavored milk had lower levels of inflammatory markers associated with heart disease than those drinking the milk alone.
Individuals who consume a diet high in artificially sweetened drinks are more likely to experience a decline in kidney function, according to a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology's annual meeting in San Diego, California.
Part-time or temporary work can stave off disease and decline, study finds
The secret to a healthier retirement may be surprising: work.
Retirees who continue to work in some capacity, even part-time, are less likely to experience physical decline and disease, new U.S. research suggests.
Study finds sharp hikes in blood pressure when overweight, air pollution combine
Air pollution appears to hit the obese hardest, causing significant increases in blood pressure, a new study finds.
Air pollution has been linked to a variety of health problems including asthma, heart disease and diabetes, but this is the first time obesity has been taken into account, researchers say.
New research confirms what consumers have long known -- most breakfast cereals advertised to children are full of sugar.
Cereals marketed to kids have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than those aimed at adults. In fact, the least nutritious cereals are often the most heavily marketed to children, such as Reese's Puffs, Corn Pops, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cap' n Crunch.
Did you know that while you're satisfying your sweet tooth with sugar-laden soft drinks, cereals and snacks, you may be putting the rest of your body at risk of developing serious health issues? Consuming too much of a particular form of sugar can lead to unhealthy weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and possibly even poor cardiovascular function. The question is, are all those "goodies" worth it?
Being unemployed or underemployed puts mental health at risk, survey finds
Unemployed Americans are four times more likely than those with jobs to report symptoms of severe mental illness, such as major depression, according to a new national survey that reveals the mental health toll of the recession.
The poll of 1,002 adults aged 18 and older also found that people with jobs who were forced to accept work changes, such as reduced hours or pay cuts, were twice as likely to have symptoms.
The majority of people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified, and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to a new study that appears to topple some strongly held beliefs about depression.
One is that stressful life events are a major cause of depression. The other is that an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain triggers depressive symptoms. These beliefs were the basis for the drugs currently used to treat depression, and it appears they may both be incorrect.
But researcher downplays importance of effect
Although new research links mercury in seafood with high blood pressure, this isn't reason enough for most people to stop eating fish, the study leader says.
"The small increase of blood pressure due to methylmercury will never outweigh the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids," said Dr. Eric Dewailly, a professor in the department of social and preventive medicine at Laval University in Quebec and lead author of a report in the Oct. 5 issue of Hypertension.
Married white guys are especially at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, research finds
New research suggests that men -- especially married white men -- are much more likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss than women. But there's some good news: Another study finds that older men who take high doses of folate can decrease their risk of hearing loss by 20 percent.