Healthy Living, Simplified

a woman gently touching her cheek, showing how collagen supplements may support skin health.

What Does Collagen Do? The Science Behind the Buzzy Protein

Collagen is the body's most abundant protein, and supplements are everywhere. Here's what collagen does, what the research says about skin and joint benefits, and how to support your natural collagen production.

Vegan Tofu Kimbap

This vegan tofu kimbap pairs crispy gochujang tofu with crunchy veggies in a seaweed and rice roll. Each serving has 14g of plant-based protein and 347 calories, so it works for lunch, dinner, or picnics.

Recipes

how to remove microplastics from your body comes down to staying away from them as best you can in the first place

How to Get Microplastics Out of Your Body: What Works and What’s Hype

Hormonal Health

A woman eats a plate of bacon, a processed meat linked to colon cancer.

Does Processed Meat Cause Colon Cancer? Here’s What the Science Actually Says

Almost half of U.S. adults don't realize processed meat raises colorectal cancer risk — even though health agencies settled the question years ago. Here's what the science actually says.

Frozen raspberries dusted with ice crystals, an example of how canned and frozen fruits and vegetables lock in nutrients right after harvest

Are Frozen and Canned Fruits and Veggies as Healthy as Fresh?

Think canned and frozen produce can't compete with fresh? The research says otherwise. Here's what to know about nutrition, sodium, and getting the most value out of every serving.

Fitness

Nutrition

Sleep

Getting Fit Before Surgery Could Mean Fewer Complications After

Exercise Is Medicine: Exercise offers countless perks, and most of us exercise to feel good and, of course, to look good. But new research points to yet another benefit beyond general health and fitness: how well your body handles surgery. This finding is important, since about two in three will need a major operation someday. Getting fit before surgery even has a name now: prehabilitation, or prehab. The Study: Researchers pooled 42 studies of 4,825 adults who did aerobic exercise before major surgery. Patients in 30 studies trained under supervision at a hospital or exercise facility, and those in the other 12 mostly worked out at home without medical supervision. Supervised exercise was linked to about 40% lower odds of complications after surgery. When supervised exercise included high-intensity workouts, the association strengthened. The Takeaway: Exercising before surgery may help your body cope, especially when a pro is guiding your workouts, perhaps even more so if you do intense supervised exercise. Keep in Mind: No study compared supervised and home workouts directly, and supervised programs were usually more intense, so supervision itself may not be the secret ingredient. Either way, it appears that a fitter body handles surgery better.

Woman performing a glute bridge on a mat at home, one of six core exercises for back pain that support the spine

Core Exercises That Help Protect Your Back

Crunches aren't enough to protect your spine. Learn the difference between your core and your abs, and discover six core stabilization exercises, including the curl-up, side plank, bird dog, dead bug, glute bridge, and prone plank, that build endurance, control, and stability to lower your risk of back injury.

Why Runners Are Drinking — and Spitting Out — Their Carbs

The Trend: Fall marathon season has begun, with a few of the biggest in the country happening in October and November. Rather than sucking down a gel, you might see marathoners and other athletes skipping actual food and drinking — and spitting out — a liquid carb solution instead. What People Are Saying: Usually toward the end of a game or long race, athletes take a swig, swish it around like mouthwash, then spit it out. This is called carb rinsing, and by activating the brain through nerves in the mouth, it “tricks” the body into feeling like it has more energy. Carb rinsing can be done with an energy drink or a solution containing carbohydrates like maltodextrin, an easily digestible carb made from starch. Some rinses also contain caffeine or menthol. What to Know: Studies have found that carb rinsing can provide a small, quick performance boost, particularly during longer or more intense exercise. A carb rinse is probably not necessary if you’re on a short morning jog, but it’s generally safe to try during a race if you feel like you need an energy boost — just make sure you don’t accidentally spit on your competition when you’re doing […]

What Your Sweat Can Tell You About Your Health

Your sweat does more than cool you down. How much you sweat, how it smells, and how salty it is can offer clues about your hydration, stress, hormones, and overall health. Here's what to watch for and when to check in with a doctor.

“Functional” Drinks Promise More Than Just Hydration

The Trend: Years ago, a wellness drink meant a shot of wheatgrass in a funky juice bar. Now, “functional” shots are one of the biggest beverage trends around — and it’s a market that’s expected to grow from $6.6 billion in 2026 to $19 billion by 2033. Functional beverages promise benefits beyond basic nutrition, from helping you focus to boosting your mood. And these shot versions are marketed as convenient, single-dose alternatives pills or powders. What People Are Saying: Functional drinks have become more popular as more people look for alternatives to alcohol, soda, and energy drinks. Many contain adaptogenic and nootropic ingredients including L-theanine, ashwagandha, and lion’s mane, which are marketed for benefits including focus and relaxation. Others contain vitamins, minerals, CBD, probiotics, and more to improve sleep, energy, immunity — you name it. What to Know: Even though they’re marketed as being healthy, functional drinks might not be right for everyone. Like supplements, some functional drinks contain ingredients that aren’t closely regulated. Herbal ingredients can interfere with medications, and excessive amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can cause side effects.

Fermented Foods Keep Working Even After the Bacteria Stops

Gut Feeling: Kimchi and yogurt are known as gut-friendly foods because they contain probiotics. But a new review from Saudi Arabia suggests those live cultures may be getting too much credit, and that the compounds the bacteria leave behind are what’s really beneficial. The Study: In this narrative review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, a researcher examined more than two decades of studies on fermented foods and metabolic health. As microbes ferment food, they break it down into new substances called postbiotics (short-chain fatty acids that help strengthen the gut lining). These compounds stay biologically active even after the microbes that made them have died. The Takeaway: This means foods like pasteurized sauerkraut can still do you some good. And eating a variety of fermented foods across categories (think everything from kefir to miso) gives you a wider range of these compounds. Pairing them with fiber-rich plants will get you bonus points, since your gut bacteria feed off the roughage. Keep in Mind: Some of the most dramatic results come from animal studies, which don’t always hold up in people. How much you benefit may also depend on the bacteria already in your gut.

Salmon fillets, fresh greens, and vegetables on a kitchen table, the best food for blood pressure.

The Best Food for Blood Pressure, According to Cardiologists

No single food will lower your blood pressure on its own, but some make great additions to a DASH-style eating pattern. Here's what the research says about salmon, beets, leafy greens, potassium, and sodium.

sweating person in a cap drinking water, showing signs and symptoms of dehydration

Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration, From Mild to Severe

Thirst isn't always the first warning sign. Learn the signs and symptoms of dehydration, from dark urine and headaches to confusion and fainting, plus how to rehydrate and when to get medical help.

Can’t Turn Off Your Brain? Try This Sleep Trick

Wind Down: You finally crawl into bed at the end of the night, but of course your brain decides it’s the perfect moment to replay every awkward thing you said over the past week. Fortunately, yoga nidra is gaining traction as a sleep aid for insomnia. In a new study from India, people who practiced this specific type of guided body scan fell asleep faster and slept longer. How to Do It: Also called “yogic sleep,” yoga nidra is a guided meditation you do lying on your back while a voice slowly turns your attention to different parts of your body as you follow your breath. All you have to do is search for something like “yoga nidra for sleep” on YouTube and follow along. Selecting a 10-minute recording is a good place to start, and falling asleep partway through is totally fine. The Benefits: Compared with a group that got standard sleep hygiene advice, the yoga nidra group in the study slept roughly an hour longer each night and spent less time lying awake after dozing off. Everyone in the study had heart disease, but an earlier study of people with chronic insomnia found that yoga nidra helped them […]

If You Think You Sleep Fine After Coffee, Think Again

Afternoon Coffee: When it comes to coffee and bedtime, falling asleep isn’t the whole story. You might drift off easily after an afternoon coffee, sleep for your usual eight hours and never remember waking up — yet caffeine can still alter what happens inside your sleeping brain. That’s because sleep quality isn’t measured only by how long you’re unconscious. The Study: A 2026 systematic review in Nutrients examined 32 human studies using EEG to track the brain’s electrical activity during sleep. The researchers found that caffeine consistently suppressed low-frequency brain activity associated with deep, restorative NREM sleep. It also tended to increase faster-frequency activity, shifting the sleeping brain toward a lighter, more wake-like state. Importantly, these changes could show up even when traditional measures — like total sleep time or how quickly someone fell asleep — looked relatively normal. Takeaway: Even if you fall asleep “just fine” after an evening cup of Joe, your sleep might still be compromised. Keep in Mind: This was a review of varied studies, not a single controlled trial, and caffeine’s effects differ substantially between people. For some people, even morning caffeine may influence nighttime sleep; others may notice little effect.

Can You Sleep Too Much? New Research Suggests There’s a Sweet Spot

More sleep isn’t always better. A Nature study found a U-shaped link between sleep and biological aging, with the lowest aging markers between about 6.4 and 7.8 hours.

How to Block Nighttime Light for Better Sleep and Heart Health

Lights Out: Plenty of us drift off at night with a streetlight glowing through the blinds or a phone lighting up the nightstand. But new research suggests even all-too-common dim light while sleeping could be bad for your heart. In a study of more than 70,000 adults, sleeping with light about as bright as a nightlight was linked to more heart problems years later. Luckily, darkening your bedroom is pretty easy. How to Do It: The easiest solution is an eye mask because it blocks out most of the light, although a little can still slip in around the edges. So add blackout curtains to take care of any streetlight. Also, switch off the hallway light or close the door and add a draft stopper. And the notifications flashing on your phone can disrupt your sleep without ever waking you, so turn off or cover your devices before bed. The Benefits: Over eight to 10 years, people with high nighttime light exposure had a 24% higher risk of heart attack than those with none. Shorter sleep seemed to explain part of that link, and earlier studies have tied light during sleep to depression and blood sugar problems.

Mindfulness

Beauty

Personal Growth

Want a Mood Boost? Feed the Birds

Gives You Wings: One of the simplest mood boosters might be sitting outside with a handful of birdseed. It’s always pleasant to watch a little winged creature land on a feeder or flit between branches, and new research suggests that those small encounters with nature may do more than simply brighten your morning. The Study: Researchers at Virginia Tech surveyed 3,658 people in the U.S. and Canada participating in Project FeederWatch, a citizen-science program where people observe and report birds visiting their feeders. Participants completed wellbeing surveys before and after the 2024-25 season. At the end of the season, 95% said feeding and watching birds had positively affected their wellbeing. Researchers identified three potential mechanisms: positive emotions, such as happiness and calm; engagement, or becoming absorbed in the activity; and meaning, including feeling connected to nature or contributing to something beyond yourself. The Takeaway: Bird feeding is a remarkably simple way to build small moments of pleasure and connection into your day. Watching birds can give you something to focus on, pull your attention away from stress, and create a sense of connection with the natural world. Keep in Mind: The study was observational and relied on self-reported experiences, so […]

Mindfulness

Your Coffee May Boost Your Mood Before You Even Drink It

Morning Ritual: Your morning coffee may start working on your mood before the caffeine reaches your bloodstream — or even your lips. New research suggests the smell alone may help you feel calmer. The Study: Researchers studied 20 healthy adults ages 20 to 29, exposing each person to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee for five minutes. Participants sat about 20 inches from the coffee and breathed normally. Before and after, researchers assessed mood using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire and measured brain activity with EEG and heart rate. After smelling the coffee, participants showed a significant reduction in overall mood disturbance. Several specific measures also improved: tension and anxiety, fatigue, confusion, and depression/dejection all decreased. Meanwhile, an EEG-based measure of relaxation increased modestly, from about 0.74 to 0.78. Heart rate did not significantly change, and energy levels stayed consistent. The Takeaway: The finding suggests coffee’s aroma may have a calming effect, as opposed to the jolt of energy we generally associate with coffee. Keep in Mind: This was a tiny study with no control group, so researchers can’t establish that the aroma itself caused the changes. It may just as well have been the concept of ritual.

Mindfulness

A Flow State Can Boost Focus & Ease Stress. Here’s How to Find Yours

Mindfulness

Why More Women Are Traveling to Turkey for Hair Transplants

The Trend: Turkey (specifically Istanbul, dubbed “Hairstanbul”) has long been considered the reigning hair-transplant hotspot of the world, but its clinics have traditionally catered mostly to men. But now, more women are traveling to Turkey to add more to their thinning locks. According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, the number of women receiving hair transplants across the globe rose by 16.5% between 2021 and 2024. What People Are Saying: Turkish clinics have spread the word by advertising on social media and partnering with influencers. There are plenty of American hair-restoration specialists, but surgery in Turkey is usually less expensive (around $4,000 compared to about $20,000 in the U.S.). Plus, it’s often bundled with accommodations or other amenities. What to Know: There are several reasons why more women are seeking hair transplants. For some, hair loss comes from years of wearing tight updos, braids, or extensions. Others may be experiencing lost or thinning hair from hormonal changes, GLP-1 use, increased stress, or illness. And for many, female-pattern hair loss (also called androgenetic alopecia) becomes more common with age.

Why Some Men Are Injecting Testosterone Into Their Vocal Cords

The Trend: Testosterone injections aren’t just for muscle mass and sexual function anymore. The hormone is responsible for deepening teen boys’ voices during puberty, and that’s the logic behind men injecting it into their vocal cords to make them sound more masculine. The procedure isn’t new for trans men, but more cisgender men are now getting it done, too. What People Are Saying: In this procedure, testosterone is injected into the two vocal folds, which are bands of muscle in your voice box that vibrate when you talk or sing. Those vibrations create the sound of your voice, and the length, thickness, and tension of the folds determine the pitch of your voice. Injecting a small amount of testosterone into these muscles can lengthen the vocal cord and lower the pitch of the voice. What to Know: Experts caution this procedure should most definitely not be done at home, but it can work: Experts say it can successfully lower pitch between 15 to 30 Hz. Alongside influencer tips and apps, this is the latest “voicemaxxing” trend to help men’s voices sound deeper and more “manly.” These efforts to change your voice all fit into the broader “looksmaxxing” trend, where men […]

Some Women Are Breaking Ribs for a “Snatched” Waist

How to Boost Your Energy This Autumn

Staying Springy in the Fall: Cooler fall temperatures can feel like a relief after the endless heat of summer. But it also means less daylight and crisp days soon giving way to cold ones. If you’re prone to human hibernating when it gets chilly, here’s how you can boost your energy and avoid fall fatigue. How to Do It: Start your day with morning sunlight and some outdoor time. It increases alertness and keeps our circadian rhythms operating properly. Eat foods rich in vitamin D (like chicken and oily fish), or consider a supplement if sunlight is minimal where you live. Cold weather can make us crave comforting refined carbs, but stick to complex carbs (like seasonal root veggies) and protein- and fiber-rich foods to avoid crashing after a blood sugar spike. We might not feel as thirsty as we do in summer, but staying well-hydrated keeps energy levels up. Swap outdoor activities for indoor exercising and stretching. The Benefits: Our appetites tend to increase when temperatures drop, but eating nutrient-dense foods can feel energizing and filling. Fall fatigue can cause us to move less, which exacerbates tiredness and lethargy and makes our joints and muscles feel sore and stiff.

Why Summers Felt Endless When You Were a Kid

You Should Know: Pumpkin spice is back, leaves are changing, and it’s finally time to break out that fall sweater buried in the closet. Summer is officially over, and if you’re like us, it felt like it went by way too fast. And if the years seem to increasingly fly by the older you get, it’s not just your imagination. We humans really do perceive time differently as we age, and there’s a scientific reason for it. Going Deeper: When we’re kids, summers seem to stretch out endlessly, a never-ending season of fun and freedom. As adults, summers are fleeting and bookended by responsibility. Why the stark difference? For one, just about everything is novel and exciting to children. The brain is developing rapidly, and novel experiences cement themselves into memory more than mundane, routine ones. Second, as a 5-year-old, one year is one-fifth of your life. As a 50-year-old, one year is one-fiftieth of your life. Some experts propose that this disproportion can explain why childhood summers felt so impactful. Takeaway: When you look back on your life and feel like summers were longer and more exciting than they are now, it may be part nostalgia — but also […]

Are You Brushing Your Teeth Too Hard?