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There’s an unexpected new ingredient sneaking its way into some of the food we eat every day—and you won’t find it on any labels. Called nanoparticles, these microscopic materials are around 1/100,000th the width of a strand of human hair. Because they’re so small, nanoparticles exhibit a wide array of unique properties by virtue of their size. Sometimes, nanoparticles occur naturally—the titanium dioxide powder used in frostings and confectioner’s sugar, for instance, contains naturally occurring nanoparticles....

The research: Researchers zeroed in on a compound, tomatidine, in green tomatoes that stimulates growth of cultured muscle cells in humans by generating changes in gene expression. When added to the diet of mice, tomatidine grew bigger muscles and increased the strength and endurance of the mice. Most notably, the tomatidine prevented and treated muscle atrophy. In addition, while the mice developed larger muscles, their overall body weight did not change due to a corresponding loss of fat....

Our primer will help you better understand how these unique compounds work, how they can protect your health, and the easiest way to incorporate them into your diet. Why They’re Making News For more than 5 decades, scientists have known about the health benefits of these compounds, but natural foods don’t provide a high enough concentration to budge your cholesterol. (A tablespoon of corn oil, the best natural source, has only 0....

Oh wait, you didn’t know that staying fit and healthy can be fun? Sure, it takes hard work (and a few buckets of sweat) to see results, but it is possible to enjoy yourself, too. Check out these 4 unique summer-ready workouts that feel less like homework—and more like summer camp for adults: Media Platforms Design TeamIf you want to hang ten…With this workout, it’s all about the athleticism of surfing minus the actual waves and beach....

In the study, participants eating a healthy Nordic-style diet, which emphasizes locally sourced foods and is rich in high-fiber whole grains, vegetables, root vegetables, berries, low-fat dairy, rapeseed (canola) oil, and three weekly servings of fish, had a reduced expression of genes that trigger inflammation after 24 weeks compared to a control group consuming lower-fiber grains and less fish. Both groups maintained the same weight, though, suggesting that anti-inflammatory benefits of the diet aren’t simply a result of weight loss, but rather, certain beneficial nutrients....

1. DIVIDE the chicken legs into thigh and drumstick portions. Remove and discard any visible fat.2. PLACE the chicken in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the broth, water, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming the surface occasionally.3. STIR in the carrots, leek, and sweet potato....

Ashley’s answer: It really depends. There are several factors that go into fasting: how long you do it, if you’re taking any medications, if you have any blood pressure or blood sugar issues, and how exactly you define “fasting”. Does it just refer to food and drink, or do you plan to take a break from social media, work, and negative thoughts while getting extra sleep, meditating, and relaxing? That’s a long-winded way of saying there isn’t or shouldn’t be a “take” on fasting....

Fortunately, you have alternatives for natural pain relief. From herbs that attack inflammation to techniques that leverage the brain’s remarkable healing powers, nature offers many treatments for conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and even muscle strains. Here are eight natural remedies that may enhance or replace conventional antidotes, and leave you happier, healthier, and pain free. What the science says:How to try it:Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Capsaicin Reduce pain from arthritis, shingles, or neuropathy An active component of chile pepper, capsaicin temporarily desensitizes pain-prone skin nerve receptors called C-fibers; soreness is diminished for 3 to 5 weeks while they regain sensation....

The research, published online in the journal Human Reproduction, showed that men who ate the most produce with high levels of pesticide residue had a 49% lower total sperm count and 32% fewer normally formed sperm than men who ate the least amount of pesticide-heavy produce. No, that is not permission to skip the salad bar in favor of a burger and fries. “This by no means is indication that people should stop eating fruits and vegetables,” says Jorge E....

Now, researchers believe that perfluorinated chemicals—compounds that have been widely used to manufacture products such as carpet, fabric, paper coatings and cosmetics—may be putting women at an increased risk for hypothyroidism and other disorders. “Experimental animal studies and epidemiological findings have demonstrated the effects of PFCs on thyroid function,” study author Dr. Chien-Yu Lin of En Chu Kong Hospital in Taiwan, told FoxNews.com in an email. “However, the relationship between serum PFCs and thyroid function in a nationally representative survey of adults has never been performed (until now)....

A Sticky Situation for Nonstick Pans Cooking Oils Under Fire

Most women affected by early menopause know it’s coming: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and an oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) are all common causes. But it can also be due to lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors. And even though only 1% of women hit menopause before 40, the factors behind an early change also affect the risk for a handful of illnesses and diseases. Check out these 7 things early menopause can mean for your health:...

Thanks to its rich supply of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, this salmon recipe is a star player in the battle against cardiovascular disease. Coat rack of broiler pan with cooking spray. Preheat broiler. 2. In small bowl, whisk sugar, mustard, and ginger. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Place salmon on broiler rack and brush glaze on top. Broil (6" from heat) 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is lightly browned and opaque....

Overall, people who consumed the most protein had a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who consumed the least, says study author Xinfeng Liu, MD, PhD of Nanjing University School of Medicine in China. Every additional 20 g of protein people ate was also associated with a 26% reduced risk of stroke. The reason: protein helps lower blood pressure, which plays a role in stroke risk. But while you don’t want to skimp on protein, you don’t want to go overboard either....

Using food for reasons other than for simple sustenance is a normal part of life. It becomes a problem when food becomes so closely linked with feelings that the two overlap and become one. The foundation for this starts in childhood. “When I was good I got a cookie;” “On summer nights we went to the lake to get ice cream;” “Sitting at the kitchen table eating bologna sandwiches and chips was the only time I had with my mother;” “When I misbehaved dessert was withheld....

The tomes, along with similar materials like instructional videos and online forums, can serve as “low intensity inteventions” the research suggests. Until this latest study, experts assumed that such interventions couldn’t benefit seriously depressed patients, says lead study author Peter Bower, PhD, a health science professor at the University of Manchester. “Our data would suggest that even quite severely ill patients do show benefits,” he says. To arrive at this conclusion, Bower and a team of researchers culled individual patient data from 2,470 people suffering from varying levels of depression....

Here’s what you need to know to navigate the changes you might experience. Sex is more satisfying. Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson: According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, a whopping two-thirds of women were satisfied with their sex lives—including women as old as 80. Even better, 67% of older women say they have orgasms “most of the time” or “always” during sex, leading the University of California, San Diego researchers to conclude sex really does get better with age....

But as it turns out, the real issue may not necessarily be modern wheat alone, but the fact that modern bakeries pump out processed, additive-packed breads that go from flour to bag in just a few hours—not nearly enough time for gluten proteins to adequately break down, says Stephen Jones, PhD, director of the Washington State University Bread Lab and professor in the department of crop and soil sciences. (Here is a rundown of different gluten-free flours....