Ocean Robbins

One of the most important nutrients for your health isn’t found in food — instead, it’s made by certain bacteria in your gut if you feed them right. Short-chain fatty acids are crucial for digestive health and can fight inflammation throughout your body, as well as combat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. So, how can you ensure that your gut microbiome has what it needs to produce these life-giving organic compounds?

Every year, unsafe food causes 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths. Ensuring food safety at home is crucial for maintaining health. Discover the safest temperatures for storing food, what kitchenware contains forever chemicals that can mess with your hormones, and how seriously you should take expiration dates. Let’s explore how to protect your health and make informed choices for a safer kitchen.

Creatine supplies energy to cells throughout your body — especially muscle cells. Many athletes take it to build muscle and improve athletic performance. But is it also good for your brain, your heart, and your immune system? Or is it a dangerous fad? Do you need to eat meat to get enough, or should you take a supplement?

Apricots may not have the fame of peaches, plums, or cherries, but they pack a punch when it comes to health and flavor. Are these little fruits as beneficial as they are delicious? Can apricots enhance your health? Are there any downsides? Dive into the world of apricots with us, and discover why this underrated fruit deserves to be featured in your diet.

Hibiscus plants adorn many of the world’s most beautiful tropical locations and gardens. With their delicate petals and vibrant colors, the flowers are a delight to behold. But hibiscus offers benefits well beyond the visual. Food and drinks made with hibiscus have been used medicinally around the world for thousands of years. So what are the proven benefits of hibiscus, and how can you get this beautiful flower into your meals and beverages?

Corn is one of the most widely eaten foods in the world. It’s also incredibly versatile. You’ll find corn in baked goods and bread, popped as a snack, grilled on the cob, fed to cows, used to fuel cars, and as the base ingredient for a huge range of processed foods and additives. But is corn good for you? And how do you choose the healthiest corn to eat?

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that prepares your body for sleep and confers many other health benefits. But melatonin levels can decrease as we age, and our modern lifestyles and schedules can interfere with melatonin production. So is supplementation safe and effective? Can we get it from food? And are there other things we can do to keep our melatonin at optimal levels?

Acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD are very common and very uncomfortable digestive problems. While there are many pharmaceutical treatments, most have unwanted side effects and generally lose effectiveness over time. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to prevent and alleviate reflux using dietary approaches. So, which foods help and harm your digestive system? And are there other lifestyle strategies that can also provide relief?

Strawberries are among the world’s favorite berries — and for good reason. Their taste can be divine, and they’re loaded with beneficial nutrients. But they also come with a few downsides, including health and environmental concerns. So is it a good idea to include strawberries in your diet? And if you do, what are the best ways to minimize the risks and potential harms while still taking advantage of their robust nutrition and health benefits?

Gardens can produce food, and we need food to stay alive. But the act of gardening gives us far more than calories. Gardeners tend to be healthier, happier, longer-lived, and more socially engaged than non-gardeners. Why is that? And what kind of gardening, and how much of it, produces the biggest health benefits?

Is your cookware safe? Or is it off-gassing toxic chemicals that get into your food and body? This article examines the options out there so that you can make the best purchases for your health, the environment, and your cooking needs.

There are many lifestyle strategies that are proven to reduce the risk of dementia as you age. One of the most robust — and most studied — is physical activity. It’s not just good for your muscles and heart, but also your brain. So what kinds of exercise are best? And how much is enough?