Author Archives : Bel Marra Health

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, now you’ll know exactly which part of your brain is to blame. British researchers discovered a molecular switch in the brain of fruit flies tells them when it’s time for some shut-eye – and they believe that humans have a similar brain function. Considering how essential good sleep ...click here to read more

You’ve most likely heard the phrase, “Don’t crack your knuckles or you’ll get arthritis.” This may have stopped you for the time being, but once no one was around, you probably went right back at it. (It feels so good!) But does the saying hold any truth? Or is it just an old wive’s tale? ...click here to read more

Golden arches. A white-haired colonel. A girl with red pigtails wrapped in blue ribbons. Though seemingly harmless enough, such fast food branding may be affecting your ability to experience happiness, according to new research. In the study, recently published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal, the University of Toronto looked at how people ...click here to read more

Steak may have great flavor and mouth-feel (we have to agree), but it’s not doing your health any favors. Over the next 10 years, the number of Americans aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease will reach an estimated 7.1 million. The number of deaths from diabetes is expected to rise more than 50 percent. ...click here to read more

Getting a routine checkup at your doctor’s office may increase your risk of infection, especially if your doctor doesn’t use proper hygiene techniques to disinfect her hands and her diagnostic tools. Patient-to-patient transfer of germs is a serious threat and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients.  That said, stethoscopes are used ...click here to read more

Well, the United States obesity rates may be down in preschoolers, but they’re up for older women, according to new statistics. A recent survey, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), revealed that obesity rates among children – aged 2 to ...click here to read more

There’s some good news for smokers – sort of: Your lungs are now considered worthy of donation. Surprising, right? Not that we advocate continuing to light up, given the proven health risks of cancer and increased risk for heart disease and obesity. A new study, conducted by the Harefield Hospital in the U.K.  and published in ...click here to read more

The average age of marriage in the United States is now 29 for men, and that’s good news – for their bones. Less stress? More time to sew their oats? A new study published in Osteoporosis International found that getting married after the age of 25 gives men stronger bone density in their spines compared to ...click here to read more