Tag: Global and Health Briefs | Natural Awakenings Twin Cities Page 7

Watch Out: Rapid Weather Changes Boost Flu Risk

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

Rapid weather swings as a result of climate change raise the risk of flu virus infections and epidemics, reports a study.

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Passing Gas: Seaweed Lowers Cows’ Methane Emissions

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

If Australia can grow enough of the puffy, pink Asparagopsis taxiformis seaweed for every cow in the country, they could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent.

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Charging Ahead: New Batteries From Fruit Waste

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

Biowaste from durian fruit and jackfruit scraps is a possible candidate to create next generation, high-performance, yet low-cost supercapacitors for energy storage devices.

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Buzz Off: Bee Swarms Form Giant Brains

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

New research suggests that individual members of a bee swarm behave like neurons in a human brain.

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Life Perseveres: New Bird Species Found on Remote Island

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

Five new songbird species and five new subspecies have been found on a single small island near Sulawesi, Indonesia.

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Jolly Good: King of Bhutan Requests Selfless Gift

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

For his 40th birthday, the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, asked his people to either plant a tree, adopt a stray animal or clean up their neighborhood in his honor.

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Financial Fix: Great Britain Coal Use Falls With Carbon Tax

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40 percent to 3 percent over six years.

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Wild Things: Wildness a Big Factor in Urban Parks

Apr 30, 2020 08:30AM

A study finds that wildness in urban areas is profoundly important for human well-being, impacting both physical and mental health.

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Take Echinacea to Reduce Anxiety

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Echinacea angustifolia root extract may be helpful for situation-induced anxiety, indicates a new study.

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Consume Grape Seed Extract to Improve Cholesterol and Lower Inflammation

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Grape seed extract significantly improves both total and LDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, and lowers markers of inflammation.

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Breathe Cleaner Air to Help Bone Health

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy

Air pollution has long been linked to lung cancer, stroke and respiratory disease, and now research has found that it can lead to osteoporosis, as well.

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Try Pine Bark to Improve Erectile Function and Cholesterol

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Erectile dysfunction, an early diabetic indicator, responds to treatment with pine bark extract, researchers report.

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Eat Better to Cut Healthcare Costs

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Poor diets and eating habits account for almost 20 percent of heart disease, stroke and diabetes costs in the U.S.

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Coal Costs: Closing Plants Saves Lives and Crops

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Between 2005 and 2016, the shutdown of coal-fired plants in the U.S. saved an estimated 26,610 lives and the equivalent of around 570 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat.

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Plastics Adios: Mexicans Return to Old Ways After Ban

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

A new law bans popular plastic bags in the Mexican capital, as well as handing out plastic straws, spoons, coffee capsules and other single-use items by 2021.

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Cool Solution: Biodegradable Cooler Keeps Food Cold and Dry

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Igloo has introduced a new, biodegradable cooler made out of paraffin wax and recycled tree pulp called Recool.

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Hot Spots: Climate Change City Index for 2050

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

Temperature changes, water shortages and rising sea levels will impact some of the world’s most populous cities during the next 30 years.

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Roundup Redux: Organic Standards Clarified for Hydroponics

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

The USDA has closed a loophole that allowed farmers to spray soil with Monsanto’s glysophate to clear weeds prior to building a “certified organics” hydroponics greenhouse.

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Nutty News: Eco-Sunscreen Made from Cashew Shells

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

A “green” sunscreen has been synthesized from discarded cashew-nut shells, providing good UVA and UVB absorbance, which can protect from harmful rays from the sun.

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Unsafe Sipping: Widespread Drinking Water Contamination Found

Mar 31, 2020 08:30AM

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found contamination of U.S. drinking water with manmade “forever chemicals” to be much worse than estimated.

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Take Folic Acid to Reduce Stroke Risk

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers found that patients with cardiovascular disease who supplemented with folic acid (vitamin B9) reduced their risk of stroke by 15 percent.

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Balance Water Consumption for Cognitive Health

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Drinking either not enough or too much water can decrease cognitive performance in older women, Penn State University researchers have reported.

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Practice Yoga to Help the Brain

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Research shows that practicing gentle hatha yoga can strengthen the brain and help grow new neurons, similar to the effects aerobic exercise can have on the brain.

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Catch Some Rays to Boost Gut Health

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Evidence is emerging of a skin-gut axis that links UVB exposure to the microbiome, a finding that has implications for those suffering from autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

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Cut Back on Sugar and Carbs to Improve Sleep

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers find women who consume a diet high in refined carbohydrates—particularly added sugars and processed grains—are more likely to develop insomnia.

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Green Flying: First Commercial E-Plane Makes History

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Canada-based Harbour Air has launched the first successful test flight of an all-electric aircraft.

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Waste-to-Energy ‘Matterhorn’: Sustainable Power With a Recreational Bonus

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Copenhagen has dramatically refashioned the look and function of a power station with Copenhill, a waste-to-power plant that powers homes and includes a ski slope, a climbing wall and more.

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Viva Agave: Tequila Waste Turned into Bio-Straws

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Tequila maker Jose Cuervo has initiated an eco-friendly process of salvaging the leftover agave fibers from its distilling process and upcycling them into biodegradable drinking straws.

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Sunscreen Sanction: Palau Bans Chemicals to Save Reefs

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Palau is the first country in the world to ban ecologically harmful sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.

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Instant Home: 3D-Printed Buildings on the Rise

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

3D-printing techniques are being used for building houses with the benefits of lower costs, less waste and reduced construction time.

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Soothing Scents: Smells of Nature Lower Physiological Stress

Feb 28, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers find that natural scents can help to reduce stress.

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Differences in Collagen Types

Feb 01, 2020 12:00AM ● By Alina Hornfeldt

Collagen is the building blocks of skin. It helps us heal, boosts skin elasticity, and forms cartilage. But which of these five collagen types reduces wrinkles or relieves joint pain?

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Practice Qigong Massage to Improve Autism Symptoms in Children

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Qigong, a traditional Chinese massage technique and movement practice, may offer hope for children with autism spectrum disorder.

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Use Probiotics to Reduce Bone Loss and Newborn Infections

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Studies show that probiotics can help with bone loss in postmenopausal women as well as gut infections in newborns.

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Use Pumpkin Seed Oil to Dodge Hypertension

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Postmenopausal women are more likely to develop hypertension than men their age, but taking pumpkin seed oil daily may head off that condition.

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Get Nutritional and Antifungal Benefits from Celery

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Celery has some of the highest levels of antifungal properties, as well as high levels of nutritional lipids, protein, vitamin C, copper, zinc and phosphorous.

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Try Mind-Body Options to Reduce Opioid-Treated Pain

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Research finds that certain mind-body therapies significantly reduce pain and the use of opioids in people suffering from acute pain.

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Consider Vitamins to Reduce Eczema Severity

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Study concludes that supplementing with vitamin D3, vitamin E or vitamin B12 cream can reduce symptoms for patients with moderate to severe eczema.

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Clear Thinking: UNESCO Adopts Resolution on Earth Charter

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reaffirms the importance of the Earth Charter as an ethical framework for sustainable development.

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Seal Deal: Fishermen Protect Endangered Sea Mammals

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

In 1969, there were only 100 South American fur seals and sea lions along the coastline of Lima, but that has increased to more than 8,000 today, thanks to local fishermen.

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Thump Thump: Trees Exhibit ‘Heartbeat’

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Scientists have detected a previously unknown periodic movement in trees raising and lowering their branches, similar to the pumping action of a heartbeat.

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Soot Cities: Alaska Battles Air Pollution

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Alaska, which has some of the most pristine environments in the U.S., also has some of the worst air quality in its cities.

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Green Horizons: A Billion Trees in Eight Years

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

Toronto startup Flash Forest is using aerial drones to plant trees 10 times faster than human planters with a goal of 1 billion trees by 2028.

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Climate Check: New Label Verifies Carbon Neutral Products

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

A new Climate Neutral product label is helping consumers identify brands that practice sustainable processes.

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Water Win: Fresh H20 Comes to Kenya Town

Jan 31, 2020 08:30AM

A drought-plagued Kenyan region is using a new, solar-powered, desalination plant from the international nonprofit GivePower to obtain clean water.

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Calorie Counting Does Not Work

Jan 01, 2020 12:00AM ● By Erin Thole

Achieving a healthy body is not as simple as calories in and out. There are many factors to consider, such as food sensitivities, thyroid function, hormonal imbalances, and gut health. Read More >>

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Protecting Your Vision Long-Term: The Joy of Seeing Life

Jan 01, 2020 12:00AM ● By Cassandra Rose

Exercise, nutrition, and hydration are key to good eye health, but there are other choices you can make regarding blue light filters, herbs, and acupressure that should not be overlooked. Read More >>

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Positive Psychology: A Proven Way to Increase Confidence and Self-Esteem

Jan 01, 2020 12:00AM ● By Valerie Marsh

This “science of happiness” is a type of psychology that puts emphasis on positive thinking patterns and forward-thinking behaviors by exploring and utilizing a person’s strengths. Read More >>

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Eat Fermented Dairy to Lower Heart Risk

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Eating and drinking fermented probiotic dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, cheese and sour cream reduces the risk of heart disease for women, report researchers.

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Munch More Nuts to Stave Off Weight Gain

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Research finds that increasing nut intake by a half serving a day—about 12 almonds or seven walnut halves—is linked to lower instances of weight gain and obesity.

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Drink Pomegranate Juice to Protect Fetal Brain Growth

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Babies whose mothers drank pomegranate juice while pregnant have evidence of both better brain connectivity and development of white matter.

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Live Near Green Spaces to Stave Off Metabolic Syndrome

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Middle-aged and older adults that live in greener neighborhoods have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome.

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Eat Garlic and Onion for Breast Health

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

According to a study, women eating more onions and garlic reduced their risk of breast cancer by 59 percent compared to those that ate less of these.

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Trays Up: Air Meals May Get an Eco-Makeover

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Each airline passenger produces about three pounds of trash per flight. British design firm PriestmanGoode has refashioned the economy meal tray, replacing plastic with renewable materials.

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Money Talks: Climate Change Increases Banks’ Financial Risks

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Climate risks may cause home values to fall significantly; banks to stop lending to flood-prone communities; and towns to lose tax money needed to build seawalls and other protections.

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Uncowed by a Hurricane: Cattle Survive Churning Sea

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Three cows turned up at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina months after being swept out to sea by Hurricane Dorian.

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Gender Gap: Sea Turtles Skew Female

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Scientists warn that as the Earth gets hotter, sea turtle hatchlings worldwide are expected to trend dangerously female, potentially ending reproduction of the species.

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Rethinking Rice: Farmers Respond to Climate Change

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

Nfamara Badjie is planning to bring the rice-growing practices of his West African ethnic group to East Coast climates through his Ever-Growing Family Farm operation.

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Time’s Up: Renewable Energy Should Speed Progress

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

The International Energy Agency predicts that renewable energy will surpass coal as the world’s leading source of electricity by 2030.

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Beach Junk: Microplastics Found in Brand-New Sand

Dec 30, 2019 08:30AM

A Hawaiian beach that was formed by lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano in 2018 is already littered with invisible pieces of tiny plastic.

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Eat Mushrooms to Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Research finds that consuming culinary mushrooms three times a week can lower the chance of developing prostate cancer by 17 percent.

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Maintain a Healthy Diet and Weight to Lower Cataract Risk

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, combined with a healthy diet, can reduce the risk of developing cataracts.

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Train Students in Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Improve Grades

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Middle school students who receive mindfulness training experience lower stress levels, less depression and improved academic performance.

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Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks With Better Gut Bacteria

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Gut bacteria may affect how hypertensive patients respond to medications and whether cardiac patients are more likely to have heart attacks.

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Eat a Better Diet to Improve Gut Bacteria

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Those with higher quality diets have significantly better gut bacteria diversity, a factor linked to reduced risk for a variety of diseases.

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Marry to Halve the Risk of Dementia

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Researchers find unmarried individuals—cohabiting, divorced, separated, widowed and never married—have significantly higher odds of developing dementia than their married counterparts.

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Extreme Weather Events Affect Mental Well-Being

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

People that experience storm and flood damage to their homes are about 50 percent more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

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Eat Nuts to Reduce Odds of Death From Heart Disease

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Eating nuts, a good source of unsaturated fat, two or more times per week have a 17 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke.

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Lab Steak: Making Meat Without Animals

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

The Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation is seeking to create real meat from animal cells without the need to slaughter animals.

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Nature Cure: Forests and Shrubs Lower Medical Costs

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Higher levels of forest and shrub cover throughout the country correspond to lower levels of Medicare health care spending.

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Charge It: Electric Vehicles Get Their Own ‘Gas’ Station

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

A Maryland gas station owner has replaced his pumps with electric vehicle chargers, making it the first such exclusive charging station in the country.

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Animal Rescue: Government Order Reduces Animal Testing

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to reduce the animal testing it has long required to gauge the toxicity of chemicals before they can be bought, sold or used in the environment.

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Heave Ho: Cruise Line Abandons Plastic Bottles

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

As a result of its partnership with Just Goods, Inc., the Norwegian Cruise Line will replace single-use plastic bottles across its fleet by January 1, 2020.

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Lung Relief: Biosolar Leaf Purifies Air in London

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Large, solar panel-like structures on the sides of buildings are being used to grow microalgae, phytoplankton and diatoms, purifying the air while generating breathable oxygen.

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Repurposing Weeds: Pond Plants Offer Protein Strategy

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Duckweed, a fast-growing plant that blooms on bodies of water, is a superior protein source relatively free of allergens or endangered by climate change.

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Burn Notice: Safe and Sustainable Fireplace Practices

Nov 27, 2019 08:30AM

Sustainable, safe and healthy practices for using indoor fireplaces and wood stoves—especially when it comes to maintaining air quality.

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Take Hibiscus to Fight Breast Cancer

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

A hibiscus flower extract selectively kills off triple-negative breast cancer cells, one of the most difficult to treat types.

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Say No to the Third Cup of Joe to Avoid Migraines

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Study finds that drinking three or more servings of caffeinated beverages a day raises the odds of a headache that day or the next.

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Eat Organic to Shed Insecticides

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Switching to organics has quick payoffs, reducing agrochemicals in the body by 94 percent within a month.

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Dance to Improve Quality of Life With Dementia

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Older people with dementia have responded to simple dance movement lessons with visible humor and imagination and reported a higher quality of life after six sessions.

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Try Acupuncture for Pain-Free Sleep

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Patients suffering from chronic-pain find that acupuncture treatments were significantly better than drugs at helping them sleep.

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Help Avoid Skin Cancer With Vitamin A

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Researchers found that people with diets rich in vitamin A had a significantly reduced risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) skin cancer.

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Pass Up Sugary Drinks for a Strong Liver

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Drinking sugar-sweetened drinks can increase the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by 40 percent.

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Golden Rules: Moms Launch Eco-Friendly Certification

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

A nonprofit has launched Moms Across America Gold Standard, a multi-tiered verification program for food, beverages and supplements that creates a simple, trustworthy resource for consumers.

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License to Plant: Gun Control in India Goes Green

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

In a northern India district, regulators require that applicants for gun licenses, in addition to normal background checks, must plant 10 trees and submit selfies as photographic evidence.

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Jaws of Life: California Bans Fur Trapping

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

California has enacted a ban on fur trapping for animal pelts, making it the first state to outlaw a centuries-old livelihood.

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Methane Matters: Fracking Linked to Global Warming

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

As methane concentrations increase in the atmosphere, evidence points to shale oil and gas as the probable source, but the EPA has taken steps to stop regulating it.

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Species Setback: EPA Weakens Protective Regulations

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

As the Endangered Species Act is being weaken, critics fear more oil and gas drilling will be allowed on land that is currently habitat-protected, impacting the climate crisis.

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Kool-Kats: Candy Wrappers Reimagined as Origami

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

KitKat chocolate bars from Nestlé's Japan confectionery branch will soon be wrapped in paper instead of plastic, with instructions for how to fashion it into the iconic origami crane.

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Polar Alert: Alaskan Sea Ice Melting Faster

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

Sea ice along northern Alaska disappeared far earlier than normal this spring, alarming coastal residents that rely on wildlife and fish.

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Healing Hazard: Health Care Sector Impacts Climate

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

A study claims that if the global health care sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet.

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Hot Habits: Phoenix Shifts to a Cooler Night Mode

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

In Phoenix, one of the hottest and fastest-warming cities in the U.S. with heat waves and triple-digit days, work and play are shifting into the cooler hours at dawn and dusk.

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Abandoned Crops: Economics Drive Farm Food Losses

Oct 31, 2019 08:30AM

According to a new study, about one-third of edible produce remains unharvested in the fields, where it rots and gets plowed under.

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NetworkSpinal Offers Somatopsychic Approach in Healing

Oct 01, 2019 12:00AM ● By Candi Broeffle

Research undertaken at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, shows conclusively that patients undergoing NetworkSpinal care demonstrated significant improvements in pain and stress levels. The study concluded that out of 2,818 subjects, a stunning 99 percent were more than satisfied with the level of care they received and its long-term results.

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Fight MRSA With Herbal Extracts

Sep 30, 2019 08:30AM

A study finds that herbal extracts significantly reduced the ability of MRSA bacteria to grow and spread, a finding that may help develop new strategies against the superbug.

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Try Fennel Oil to Fight Vaginal Yeast

Sep 30, 2019 08:30AM

Laboratory researchers have found that fennel oil has significant antifungal properties against vaginal yeast infections caused by Candida species.

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Reduce Kids’ Risk of High Blood Pressure With Maternal Vitamin D

Sep 30, 2019 08:30AM

Children born with low vitamin D levels, determined by the mothers' levels during pregnancy, have an approximately 60 percent higher risk of elevated systolic blood pressure.

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