On the back of any official nutrition label– below the federally required information about calories, fat, sodium and sugar– are a list of vitamins and minerals that the food contains, as well as their Daily Recommended Amounts. Vitamins and minerals are essential elements that our bodies require to develop and function. The more recognizable vitamins…

The human body’s immune system is a complex system of cells and organs that defend the body from germs and outside harm. When the body senses an intrusion, like cold and flu germs infiltrating the body, it makes antibodies—cells that attack the foreign intruder to destroy it—therefore healing the body from the inside out. The…

Out of all the health issues that affect men annually, cancer is in the top ten. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, and almost 200,000 new cases are diagnosed annually and more than 30,000 men die from it each year. Annual physicals screen for this type of cancer so it can…

Temperatures are climbing this summer, and before we know it each day’s forecast will top 100 degrees. While we can’t do much about the temperature outside, our bodies have ways of keeping our internal temperatures regulated. The biggest organ in our bodies, our skin, may seem like simply a thing that keeps our skeletons in…

We all turn to the internet from time to time to find out answers to questions that are on my mind. Thanks to the internet’s endless information, we usually find an answer. With the giant surge in people consulting “Dr. Google” for their health questions, sometimes they feel more comfortable turning to the internet with…

You’ve heard of the appendix, the organ in our bodies that resides in the lower right abdomen, and seems to serve no real purpose in the body. You’ve heard that even though this organ exists and functions within us, you can live normally without it, and if it bursts—you’re in for emergency surgery to remove…

We’ve all had a headache before, and usually we can move through our day with a few pain pills and some grit. Headaches can be caused by a number of things, including allergies and even stress. But there’s a different type of headache that is debilitating, and can be a sign of a much more…

It’s estimated that over half a million people in the United States suffer from Crohn’s disease—an often debilitating disease of the digestive tract. The disease causes inflammation and irritation in the small intestine and top of large intestine, but in some cases can spread all the way from the mouth, throat, stomach, intestines and waste…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related issues. Frequent coughing or wheezing is common, excess phlegm and mucus production, shortness of breath and trouble taking deep breaths. Almost 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, and even more Americans may be struggling with COPD and…