Summer holidays are upon us, and many of us will finally get to spend some lazy days by the pool. But how can you ensure this pleasant experience doesn’t leave you with any nasty surprises?

Potent doses of broccoli sprout extract activate a “detoxification” gene and may help prevent cancer recurrence in survivors of head and neck cancer, according to new research that confirms preliminary results released last year.

Young adults who are in high-quality relationships are in better physical and mental health, a new study shows.

No one wants to serve spoiled food to their families. Conversely, consumers don’t want to throw food away unnecessarily – but we certainly do.

The estimated annual health care costs related to obesity are over $210 billion, or nearly 21 percent of annual medical spending in the United States.

On any ranked list of nasty diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas in the Western world, Borrelia burgdorferi, would have to lie near the top. These bacteria cause Lyme disease, which was first recognised in the US in the early 1970s among patients in Lyme, Connecticut.

Regular exercise in middle age is the best lifestyle change a person can make to prevent cognitive decline in their later years, a 20-year study finds.

A few years ago I proudly lost almost 15% of my weight. However last week I stared with disbelief at my scale as I realised all my efforts were in vain and I had regained all of the previously lost weight.

For thousands of years humans have defended themselves from harm by others. But many have proceeded to regularly harm themselves. They have actively searched for substances to ingest, inhale, inject and apply which may give them some immediate relief but damage or destroy their lives over time.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more women are affected by depression than men. This pattern is seen in countries around the world, including the United States.

In this modern age, we tend to run from the sun due to what I believe to be understandable but overblown concerns about skin cancer. Since the time of the Greeks, heliotherapy (sun therapy) has been a valuable way to heal the body and balance the mind.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid narcotic about 100 times as potent as morphine, continues to be in the news, as deaths from fentanyl overdose continue to rise and even more potent nonpharmaceutical forms become available on the street.

The World Health Organisation’s cancer arm made two announcements this week: one welcome and one not so welcome.

The “common cold” is common. Most of us will have at least one or two per year. Children get sick more often and very young children often get more than five colds per year.

A few years ago, I gave conferences in Montreal regarding the healing properties of natural spring water. I was fascinated by the reports of people drinking natural spring water and stating that many of their illnesses vanished or greatly improved just by drinking such water.

Scientists have uncovered a link between emotional stress and diabetes, with roots in the brain’s ability to control anxiety.

With an estimated 100,000 health and fitness apps available on the two leading smartphone platforms, iOS and Android, it seems there is an app for everything – from tracking your bowel movements, to practising your pimple-popping technique.

It’s easy to explain the appeal of drugs like heroin and cocaine, which directly stimulate the brain’s reward centres. What’s less easy to explain is the appeal of psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin that produce altered states of consciousness.

Foods high in fat, especially saturated fat, are bad for you. A high-fat diet is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as well as metabolic disorders like obesity and type 2 diabetes. So why does saturated fat have these effects on the body? What’s going on in your body when you eat a fatty meal?

A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that more than one in three people in the United States have experienced pain of some sort in the previous three months. Of these, approximately 50 million suffer from chronic or severe pain.

Since the 1980s biologists have used genetic engineering to express novel traits in crop plants. Over the last 20 years, these crops have been grown on more than one billion acres in the United States and globally. Despite their rapid adoption by farmers, genetically engineered (GE) crops remain controversial among many consumers, who have sometimes found it hard to obtain accurate information.

A revolution in how we think about preventing cavities in children is upon us. Evidence shows that cavity formation has less to do with genetics, candy habits or poor brushing, and more to do with the types of snack foods we give children. Counter-intuitively, dark chocolate is better for teeth than pretzels or crackers.

I find it sad that people have to keep discovering wisdom through their own tragedies. I am saying this in the hope that you will take the time to read on, learn from the wisdom of others, and not require a disaster to become your teacher.