Preventive care Archive

Dentists can help detect health problems far beyond the mouth. These conditions include oral cancer, diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoporosis, acid reflux, and eating disorders. People can maximize their dental check-ups by sharing health updates and voicing health concerns. Only two-thirds of Americans visited the dentist in the past year, and many avoid dental visits due to fear or embarrassment. There are many strategies to help people tamp down these emotions, including music, relaxation, and medication.

Eating a traditional Mediterranean diet or green Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes more foods high in plant foods, including green tea and duckweed, may help reduce brain shrinkage, a 2024 study suggests.

A 2024 study suggests that reallocating as little as five minutes per day from time spent sitting, standing, or walking to vigorous exercise may help lower blood pressure. Switching out a bigger block of sedentary time for exercise may offer even greater benefit.

Putting on your socks and shoes while standing on one leg is a way to evaluate your mobility, balance, core strength, flexibility, and stability.

Over time, many men experience grief brought on by physical decline where they can no longer perform activities like before, have less endurance, and need more time to recover. Men can manage this grief by accepting these changes as part of normal aging, focusing on what they still can do, adjusting their goals to meet their new abilities, and talking with others going through similar issues.

Men need adequate amounts of daily protein to help manage age-related muscle mass. While most of their protein should come from food to ensure they get the required nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, adding protein powder to their diet can help meet their daily quota. Depending on the brand, a single scoop of powder can offer 15 to 30 grams of protein per serving and can be mixed with water or milk or added to a smoothie.

Studies have shown that both coffee and tea drinkers may experience health benefits compared to people who don't consume these beverages. Experts point to the high amounts of caffeine and inflammation-fighting polyphenols in these drinks as possible reasons.

Both the Mediterranean diet and vegan diet can help stave off heart disease. But while the Mediterranean diet is slightly more expensive than the standard American diet, a vegan diet is 19% lower in cost, according to a 2024 analysis.

A gluten-free diet (which omits wheat, rye, and barley) may be low in fiber, a nutrient that's important for cardiovascular health. People who avoid gluten should try to include gluten-free grains and seeds in their menus, such as amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, teff, and quinoa. Carrots, celery, kale, and kiwis contain mostly insoluble fiber, which helps you feel full and encourages regular bowel movements. Beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits (such as berries, apples, pears, and citrus fruits) are good sources of soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

A 2024 study found that eating more fruit during middle age may be linked with a lower risk of developing depression later in life.