Antioxidant-rich walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation, promote heart and brain health and may even help you live longer, according to a new study. Here, more foods that reduce inflammation, possibly extending longevity. (Jupiterimages) When cold, rainy days or tough workouts trigger muscle and joint pain, most people reach for an NSAID – or an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as aspirin and ibuprofen – to reduce pain and inflammation. (MORE: Unusual Sunburn Soothers That Really...

Women who are exposed to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy might be twice as likely to have a child with autism, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health that’s published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. This finding is particularly impactful this time of year: Summer weather leads to higher levels of ozone in the atmosphere, damaging both population health and the environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (ABOVE: The Most-Polluted Cities...

As the weather warms up for summer, trips to the beach, boating excursions and days spent by the pool will become more and more common. Although these activities are important parts of enjoying the warmer months, time spent in the sun can be dangerous because of the sun’s harmful UV rays. (MORE: Does the Sun Help or Hurt?) “Sunburn is your skin's way of telling you that the cells have been hurt, and generally this means that the radiation has...

Gallup-Healthways announced that according to their 2012 surveys, a state known for its stunning outdoor vistas and mountainous terrain has the smallest percentage of citizens who are obese. States here are listed in order from thinnest to fattest - keep clicking to find out where your state ranks. (Thinkstock/George Doyle) Obesity is officially a disease, according to new guidelines from the American Medical Association – meaning one-third of Americans just got a new diagnosis, CDC data indicates. (ABOVE: The Fattest...

June isn't part of the official flu season, but the summer weather doesn't mean you can push illness prevention to the back burner until October. Hundreds of people still contract influenza each week, all summer long, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (MORE: Deadly Summer Diseases) But that weekly number could easily be in the thousands. Instead, enter the flu shot: The vaccine prevented 13 million illnesses and 110,000 hospitalizations from 2005 to 2011,...

The natural world might hold the key to cancer protection in humans. The key? Nakedmole rats. These notoriously ugly rodents with unusually long lifespansnaturally do not contract cancer because of a specific compound in their tissue, biologists from the University of Rochester say in the journal Nature. Researchers discovered a chemical in the naked mole rat that they believe makes the animals cancer-proof - despite their 30-year lifespan. The substance is called HMW-HA. When the researchers removed HMW-HA from the...

The city-state of Monaco is known for its amazing Mediterranean climate. With 300 days of sunshine a year, a low humidity level and breezy-cool evenings, the region is one of the most popular travel destinations. If the perfect climate isn’t enough to make you want to live there, consider this: The country also boasts the highest life expectancy in the world, according to the 2013 CIA Life Expectancy Report. People living in Monaco live an average of 89.68 years, more...

“Smart” foods: Foods labeled smart, natural or healthy might not be, according to Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD. It’s a food’s ingredient list that really matters. Here, more foods that sound healthy but aren’t. (Jupiterimages) The summer season means fresh, local produce, farmer's markets and a focus on natural, healthy living. But some choices that seem healthy might be nothing more than a trap, according to New York nutrition expert Bonnie Taub-Dix, MS, RD, and author ofRead It Before You Eat It....

When an outbreak of an infectious disease occurs – thinks SARS or the new MERS virus – human carriers who show no outward signs of the disease spread the infection. Click through to find out which other diseases can be silent, asymptomatic killers. Three students at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Va. have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, a disease that infects nearly 9 million people worldwide each year, killing almost 1.5 million, according to the World Health Organization....

The Center for Science in the Public Interest publishes two annual lists: The FDA-regulated foods most likely to give you a foodborne illness, and the USDA-regulated meats most likely to give you a foodborne illness. See which foods are most likely to make you sick here. (Thinkstock/Jupiterimages) In the first major foodborne illness outbreak of the summer, the USDA recalled almost 23,000 pounds of ground beef because of concerns over E. coli. When the weather gets warmer, foodborne illness rates...

For residents of one Southern state, summertime means the livin’ is…fizzy. This state holds four of the top five cities in the country for per capita soda consumption, according to a new ranking in the July issue of Men’s Health magazine. (Click here to see the full list.) In this state and across much of the South, summer temperatures are forecasted to stay well above average through August, meaning residents are likely to continue to reach for their favorite form...

The tick-borne illness Lyme disease is the sixth most-common illness nationwide, according to report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2011, it sickened 33,000, CDC data says, but most experts believe the real rate of Lyme disease infection is five to ten times higher. Incidence of the disease is growing rapidly, as in the war over how to treat it, according to an exhaustive feature recently published in The New Yorker by Michael Specter. (Click here...