nola@healthinsight.co.za

Menopause

Mention the word “menopause” and the first thing that comes to mind is the dreaded hot flushes that women experience during midlife, along with mood swings and various bodily changes.  The word “hormones” is also bandied about at this stage in life.  But what exactly is menopause and is it

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Walking For Good Health

“Walking is a man’s best medicine.”  So said Hippocrates more than 2400 years ago and it is just as true today, as the health benefits of walking have been proven repeatedly by modern scientific studies.  Any physical activity is a boon to overall heath and walking comes with a host

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Serotonin (5 – Hydroxy Tryptamine)

Serotonin is a small molecule that functions both as a neurotransmitter in the CNS (Central Nervous System) and as a hormone in the periphery. Serotonin is generally known as the “feel good” hormone, as low levels are associated with depression.  Apart from the connection with mood, serotonin is an important

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Covid-19 Possible Links To Blood Glucose Levels

Severe cases of COVID-19 are generally associated with older people and people with preexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.  However, it was unclear why so many young and seemingly healthy people were also hospitalized with severe COVID-19 symptoms.  Innovative new ways of doing research have now shed some

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Mushrooms Provide Important Nutrients

Mushrooms are not a vegetable as they appear to be, but are a kind of fungus.  Some wild mushrooms can be toxic, but the commercially grown edible ones are quite tasty and come in different shapes, sizes, and colours.  Adding flavour and meaty texture to many different dishes, mushrooms also

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Senescent Cells

It is not easy to admit that you are getting on in years and the dreaded three-letter word “old” is far worse to hear than some four-letter words!  Rather use the fancy description that you have “senescence” and that your condition is caused by zombie cells in your body. What

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Calcium Supplements

Calcium is generally associated with bone health and healthy teeth.  Contrary to their appearance, bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and build up again, depending on the calcium contents and needs of the body.  The bone production of healthy individuals, who get enough dietary calcium and

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Effects Of Aging On The Body

Aging, like death, is an unfortunate certainty! There are much more involved in aging than just grey hair or wrinkles.  Gerontologists (scientists who study aging) are of the opinion that aging and the rate of aging (individuals age at different rates) result from the interaction of many lifelong influences, such

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Brain Plasticity

The brain is not only an extraordinary system, but also immensely flexible and adaptable.  The way in which cells in the brain and other parts of the nervous system can adapt to change serves important functions in the brain, such as learning, the forming and retrieving of memory, or responding

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How The Brain Solves Problems While You Sleep

Sleep on it – in the morning you will know what to do: We often wrestle with a problem or cannot make up our minds about a decision to be taken, then decide to sleep on it.  The next morning, we usually have clarity on what to do.   But how

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