Health

Adults need to be vaccinated too

Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in history, having drastically reduced deaths and illness from infectious causes.

Health issues affect men and women differently

The differences between men and women run deep. Very deep. Right down to the level of what goes on inside the billions of cells that make our bodies tick.

But the world of medical science, which you'd think would be on top of this, has been somewhat slow to recognise it.

For decades, most health research has been based largely on human studies of men only, or of male lab animals.

It wasn't done to deliberately shut out women and their differences.

India girl kills herself over 'menstruation shaming'

In a suicide note, she accused the teacher of "torturing" her.

Although the girl did not mention period shaming in her letter, the mother says her daughter was asked to leave the class because of the stain.

Menstruation is taboo in parts of rural India. Women are traditionally believed to be impure during their periods.

Police say they have registered a case of suicide and are investigating. The incident took place early on Sunday in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Help! 11 tips to get kids to eat healthy

Countless parents have kids who just want to eat chicken nuggets, or pasta, or macaroni and cheese, or all of the above, and definitely without any vegetables.

It's a problem throughout the year, but at back-to-school time, it gets maybe a tad more stressful, as parents are looking to start over or at least give their kids lunches that pack a healthy punch and won't get traded away for Oreos or some other sugary snack.

How I became fit in my 60s

It came after decades of eating and drinking too much in a high-stress, sedentary job: "It was an explosion waiting to happen," he said.

For Graham, whose wife had become increasingly disabled through multiple sclerosis, the diagnosis was a wake-up call.

"I need to be able to help her - and I need to be around for longer," he said.

Graham is not alone in his diagnosis.

Public Health England estimates that 42% of 45- to 64-year-olds have a long-term health condition such as diabetes or heart disease.

Cinnamon: Pantry staple -- and medical powerhouse?

Harvested from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen plant, cinnamon has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat respiratory and digestive problems for centuries. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon as a perfume during the embalming process, while Romans used it in funeral pyres to mask the stench of burning flesh.

The Bible mentions cinnamon several times, most commonly as a way to perfume bedding, clothes and anointing oil. The essential oil form is made from the bark, leaves or twigs of the plant.

Are energy bars healthy?

They are often fortified with vitamins and minerals, which can help fill nutritional gaps.

But, like many foods in a specific category, not all energy bars are created equal. Those that are low in saturated fat and sugars, with a decent amount of protein and fiber, can provide a nutritious, satisfying pick-me-up. Others can closely mimic a candy bar. For example, some bars covered in chocolate contain as much saturated fat as a Snickers bar; others contain almost as much sugar.

Is coconut oil healthy?

But despite popular health claims about coconut oil, a report from the American Heart Association recently advised against its use, stating that it increases LDL cholesterol (a cause of cardiovascular disease) and has no known offsetting effects.

Litterati: Can a digital landfill rid the world of litter?

A resounding yes comes from the community of Litterati, an app that asks users to identify, photograph and geotag individual pieces of trash before disposing of them.

It's a simple enough idea: crowdsourcing data that could help stop litter from being created in the first place.

So far, Litterati has cataloged over 750,000 pieces of litter from 114 countries, with hundreds being added every day.

Why exercising in the cold isn't such a bad idea after all

Did you know when our bodies are exposed to cold over time, they actually start to change to keep themselves warm?

"We start to build up a tissue ... that we call brown adipose tissue — so brown fat," Dr Dino Premilovac from the University of Tasmania said.

"It's more muscle-like than it is fat-like in what it does.

"If we expose our bodies to the cold environment, the way our bodies deal with it over a long period of time is to produce more brown fat."

Brown fat's purpose in the body is to produce heat to warm up the blood, in turn keeping the body warm.