Researchers in Canada have found that speaking two languages over the course of one's life can help to delay the onset of dementia by approximately four years.
Dementia is defined as a progressive decline in brain function due to damage in the brain beyond what might be expected with normal aging. The most common symptoms of dementia are: Read more
I recently received a letter from a reader that asked for my opinion on a stretching technique called Active Isolated Stretching (AIS).
AIS was named and developed by a man named Aaron Mattes, who has had a long history of using this stretching technique on his clients and teaching it to thousands of health practitioners over many years. Read more
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning not to give over-the-counter cold and cough medicines to children 2 years of age or under without consulting with one's doctor.
This warning is the result of research that was conducted in response to the deaths of three infants in 2005; all of them were found to have dangerous levels of pseudoephedrine, a nasal decongestant, in their systems. Read more
Polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC or vinyl, is arguably one of the most toxic types of plastic in our lives.
One reason why PVC is so toxic is that it is often mixed with softening chemicals called plasticizers, the most well known variety being phalates.
Exposure to PVC and the plasticizers that often come with it have been strongly associated with an increased risk of developing the following conditions: Read more
During the second half of my wife's first pregnancy, our mothers and aunts told us that we were definitely going to have a baby boy.
How did they know with such certainty?
Because Margaret gained the bulk of her pregnancy weight at the front of her abdomen.
According to widely accepted folklore, if weight gain during pregnancy occurs mainly at the front of the abdomen, one can expect a baby boy. If weight gain occurs more evenly throughout a woman's body and face, it's most likely a girl. Read more
According to Dr. James Vaupel of the Laboratory of Survival and Longevity in Rostock, Germany, a person's life span has very little to do with genetics.
Dr. Vaupel explains that while certain physical traits like height are determined in large part by one's genetics, "only 3 percent of how long you will live compared to the average person can be explained by how long your parents lived." Read more
A study published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that taking heartburn drugs like Nexium, Prilosec, or Prevacid for one year or longer can significantly increase the risk of experiencing a hip fracture in people over 50 years of age.
According to IMS Health, a corporation that tracks drug sales all over the world, Nexium is one of the most popular drugs in the world, second only to the cholesterol drug Lipitor. Sales of Nexium totaled $4.6 billion in 2005. Read more
Jealousy. Nowhere is this emotion more evident than in a toddler who suddenly finds a new baby in the house to gobble up mommy's and daddy's attention.
My mother-in-law once told me about walking into a room to see her then-5-year-old son about to smother his infant sister's (my wife) face with a pillow. In the same breath of laughter, she went on to tell of another time when she was nursing her youngest, when suddenly, her baby screamed in pain. My mother-in-law wheeled around to discover that her son had pinched his baby sister on the arm while he was behind his mother's back. Read more
A report issued on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 by Ontario's auditor general indicates that children in Ontario are often exposed to unnecessary amounts of ionizing radiation when they get a CT scan, also known as a CAT scan. Read more
When you have to sit for long periods of time, do you naturally tend to slide your bum forward so that your lower back is slightly reclined? If so, you might consider purchasing a chair that has a built-in reclining feature. Read more
After 21 years, we made the difficult decision to bring our catalogue to a close. To stay connected with Dr. Kim's writings, please feel free to subscribe for free here: Dr. Ben Kim on Substack. Sending best wishes and thanks to all.