Health Check

While brain activity during sleep is still largely a mystery, scientists have discovered that dreaming not only consolidates our memories and helps us learn, it may also soothe stressful reactions to bad experiences.

Veteran dieters know one way to eat less is to use smaller plates to fool the eye into thinking we have more food in front of us. But new research revealed the color of our plates and tables matter just as much.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people can get by on just a few hours of sleep while others need much more, scientists may have found an answer. Research conducted on 4,000 Europeans discovered that those who had two copies of a particular variant of a gene called ABCC9, which influences sleep duration, generally reported sleeping less than those who had two copies of a different version of the g

The average American adult drinks about three cups of coffee a day, and while many can’t imagine a morning without it, people taking certain drugs may want to think twice. Studies show that more than a dozen medications — antidepressants, estrogen, and thyroid and osteoporosis drugs, for example — can be affected by coffee, which can block absorption or enhance the effects of the drugs.

We never used to think of chubby kids as being anything other than adorable, but researchers are now more concerned about children’s eating habits now that more Americans are being considered obese. According to a new study, 40 percent of American children enter kindergarten with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 75 percentile. Anything over the 85th percentile is considered “overweight,” a

Parkinson’s Disease is a frustrating and frightening medical condition, and treatment options are few. However, a group in Canterbury, England may have made a surprising discovery that could benefit not only them, but everyone else in the world – singing seems to make them feel better.

If you’re one of those women people tease because you’re never seen without a Starbucks cup in your hand, you may actually be bettering your health. All that coffee might be warding off cancer. Researchers at Harvard University who followed the medical records of more than 67,000 women over a 26-year period found that those who drank at least four cups of java per day had a 25 percent lower risk o

For many of us, Thanksgiving means gathering with family and enjoying time-tested recipes — Dad’s famous mashed potatoes, your brother’s homemade cranberry sauce, or Grandma’s pumpkin pie. While the food itself may be wonderful, there’s a psychological component to eating the same things every year that benefits the human mind.