Healthy Mind

Maybe its the French fries and bear claws that are making you angry

Thats the possibility posed by a large new National Institutes of Health study that reports older adults who drink four or more sweetened soft drinks daily were 30% more likely to develop depression.

If youre already worried about your weight and diet

To reduce risk of cognitive decline, consume more omega-3s and unsaturated oils, fewer foods high in saturated fat.

Getting a good nights sleep is good for more than just feeling perkier the next morning. Studies have shown that adequate sleep contributes to healthier blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. On the other hand, people who fall short in sleep hours are more likely to be overweight or obese and to be diagnosed with hypertension.

New results from the largest-ever clinical trial of ginkgo biloba add to the mounting evidence that Americans who spend $250 million annually on the herbal supplement are probably wasting their money: Researchers conducting the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study report that twice-daily doses of 120 milligrams of ginkgo extract did no better than a placebo in slowing older adults rate of cognitive decline. Earlier GEM findings had debunked ginkgos purported protective benefit against Alzheimers and overall dementia, as well as most cardiovascular benefits (see the February 2010 Healthletter).

Sitting in front of the tube munching salty snacks may be bad for your brain-and not just because of the dubious quality

If youre not getting enough vitamin B12, your brain might actually be smaller

Getting older doesnt have to mean sleeping poorly. Researchers who analyzed a survey of 155,877 Americans report that people

Pumping iron might be good for your aging brain as well as your muscles, according to a new study of older