Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats, protein, and important nutrients like potassium, and there is ample evidence that eating nuts regularly helps protect against heart disease.

While ovarian cancer is not always inherited, family history is the top risk factor for the disease, which is diagnosed in 20,000 American women and kills 13,000 annually. Symptoms, such as bloating, pelvic pain, bowel or bladder habit changes, and unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, are often vague and subtle until the disease is advanced, making it hard to detect and cure. No standard screening test is available for ovarian cancer. Women with symptoms can ask for a pelvic ultrasound. Women with a family history should seek genetic counseling and testing.

Prunes boost not only digestion but bone health as well, according to a 2022 study. Most foods touted for bone health are high in calcium. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Other surprising foods that either build bone or hinder bone loss include dried figs, canned salmon, plant milks, tofu, almonds and almond butter, and white beans. People can tally their average daily calcium consumption by reading food and drink labels. Supplements can help make up any shortfall.

An enlarged thyroid, called a goiter, or nodules on the gland are quite common, especially in women. Doctors pat down the neck during physical exams to help detect these conditions. Treatment depends on whether a lesion is cancerous or causing severe symptoms. Some goiters or nodules are simply monitored over time.

People exposed to long-term stress have a higher risk of dying from cancer, according to a 2022 study. The connection may be related to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Oral health and overall health are strongly linked. Harmful bacteria and inflammation can trigger or worsen conditions throughout the body, including cardiovascular problems and diabetes. People should brush twice a day for two minutes and clean between teeth. Oral care product claims can be misleading. The American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance can help people choose oral care products by verifying product claims.

Breast pain after menopause may be due to noncyclic mastalgia, which is not influenced by hormone fluctuations. Women should contact a doctor if pain persists or they develop breast swelling or redness, nipple discharge, or fever.

A fever is the immune system’s response to an infection or invader. Most fevers drop after people take over-the-counter medications. People should call a doctor if their fever reaches 103° F and go to an emergency room if it reaches 105°.

It’s normal to accumulate and release gas; in fact, the average person releases two liters of gas per day. Certain foods can increase gas production since they take longer to digest.

Drinking about one cup of prune juice daily may help relieve chronic constipation, according to a 2022 study.