Blogs About Stress

The health effects of Sauna use

February 17, 2026

Bathing in heat for cleansing, purification, healing, social, and spiritual purposes is an ancient practice, which has been practiced for thousands of years and across many cultures.  Variations of its use are still practiced today in different cultures, such as the saunas of Finland, the sweat lodges of the American Indians, the banyas of Russia and the Turkish hamman. Sauna use is also known as sauna bathing and is characterized by short-term exposure to high temperatures that induces a thermoregulatory response in the body that influences various mechanisms in the body.   The term “sauna” is a Finnish word which typically refers to an unpainted spruce- or pine paneled room with wooden benches.  Historically, saunas were heated by wood fires, but

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Bone Health

January 23, 2026

Most people don’t consciously think about bone health.  It may come to mind when an elderly family member or friend has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle and likely to fracture from a minor fall.  In reality, bone health, which refers to the amount and quality of bone, starts in childhood.  Bone mineral content increases 40-fold from birth till adulthood and about 40%-60% of all adult bone mass is accrued during the adolescent years. Individuals who obtain a higher peak bone mass in youth will be better protected against fractures and osteoporosis later in life.  Peak bone mass remains relatively stable from age 20 up to age 50, after which bone mass

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Recent insights into the causes and development of cancer

December 30, 2025

Cancer develops when cells in the body grow and divide uncontrollably, due to mutations (mistakes) in cell DNA. Recent insights into the causes of cancer and how cancer cells develop in the body indicate that the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells results from different factors and an accumulation of abnormalities that affect many of the regulatory mechanisms of the cell, such as: Together, this accumulation of cell abnormalities indicates malignancy at the cellular level.  A defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, making it possible to invade adjoining areas, and to spread to other organs in the body, a process called metastasis.  The development of cancer. A fundamental feature of

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Creatine

November 26, 2025

If you have heard of creatine, it is likely that it is associated with steroids and other supplements used by bodybuilders to bulk up on muscle.   You may also have heard that creatine supplements may damage your liver and kidneys and contribute to body fat and hair loss.  Are these perceptions true or are they misconceptions?  Fortunately, for clarity’s sake, creatine and its effects on the body are well researched. What is creatine? Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical ingredient that is vital to our bodies and is mainly stored in the muscles as well as other organs, such as the heart and brain.  The body naturally produces creatine, about 1 gram per day, made in the liver, kidneys, and

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Grey Hair

October 15, 2025

Since ancient times people have tried to solve the puzzle of hair turning grey as one gets older.  Clay tablets from the ancient Assyrian Empire from 7th century B.C. have included medical texts, written in cuneiform, which describes how to darken prematurely grey hair by applying various mixtures of ingredients that included leek seeds, poppyseeds, cypress oil, pine gum, and the head of a black raven or gall from a black ox.  This had to be applied for days at a time. Scientists still continue to look for ways to reverse the graying process, but with little success so far.   Hair greying is a visible sign of aging and popular belief has it that stress would hasten this process, but

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Nicotine

September 17, 2025

Tobacco smoke has hundreds of harmful chemicals in it and its effects on human health are well documented.  Tobacco smoke is synonymous with nicotine, one of the chemicals in tobacco plants, which begs the question: Is it the nicotine component of tobacco smoke that is so extremely harmful? What is nicotine? Nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical found in the tobacco plant, and it can also be created synthetically.  Nicotine comes from the Nicotiana species, which are tobacco plants that form part of the nightshade family, along with eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Tobacco plants originated in South America where it was cultivated by indigenous people, who used the leaves to chew, smoke, or for use in religious rituals.   It

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Intelligence Inheritance

August 23, 2025

Through the ages parents have argued about their children’s intelligence – has it been inherited from the mother or the father? In recent decades, some older studies have suggested that genes related to intelligence are passed down from the mother to the child, as women have two X chromosomes compare to men having one X chromosome.   Having two X chromosomes was regarded as potentially increasing the likelihood of children inheriting intelligence-related genes from the mother.  A study conducted by the University of Cambridge in 1984 identified a significant relationship between maternal genes and the development of higher brain function in babies and children, with the scientific basis lying in the existence of so-called “imprinted genes”. However, more recent genetic studies

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Cold-water swimming

July 22, 2025

Humans are versatile mammals with adaptive capabilities to withstand a diverse range of conditions in their environment, such as exposure to extreme hot or cold climates.   Since ancient times, cultures all around the world have exposed the body to cold temperatures as a form of health intervention.  In recent times the health effects of cold-water swimming on the body have received attention through a number of scientific studies.  The results suggest that while cold-water swimming initially triggers the “cold shock response”, characterized by a gasp reflex, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate and blood pressure, regular immersion in cold water leads to acclimation in the body, resulting in some important health benefits. Recent studies on cold water immersion and swimming:

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Tattoos and your health

June 29, 2025

Tattooing has increased in popularity over the last three decades and is now seen on individuals from a broad range of social classes and in nearly every country in the world.   As getting tattoos becomes more common, for example one in three Americans have at least one tattoo, potential risks and side effects are more intensely scrutinized.   While various studies have determined the extent of health risks and medical complications associated with tattoos, one study went a step further to determine whether people are properly informed about medical risks and complications, and how the level of knowledge differs between people with tattoos and people without tattoos. It is important to know what really happens to your body when you get

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