Checklist For A Healthier You

From research labs around the world, simple additions and subtractions that just might result in a healthier life.

More This
+ Coffee
A cup or more daily may cut your risk of some types of head and neck cancers, says an analysis of nine studies. Decaffeinated coffee doesn’t seem to do the trick; neither does tea.
+ Fish
In a recent study, people who ate at least two servings of fish a week were much less likely than infrequent fish eaters to develop age-related hearing loss—in fact, they were only 58 percent as likely to say “Huh?”
+ Writing it down
If you have irritable bowel syndrome, jotting down your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about the problem may help alleviate the discomfort. In a recent study, people who did so for 30 minutes at a time for four days found that their symptoms improved significantly.

Less
– Sitting
In a big study from the American Cancer Society, women who spent lots of time on the couch were nearly 40 percent more likely to die during the study than women who did less sitting; sedentary men boosted their risk by 18 percent.
– Expensive drugs
Prescribed diuretics (aka “water pills”) are just as effective as pricier meds at preventing complications of high blood pressure, a major study shows. Most people should try them first, researchers say.
– Toughing it out
In a study that followed elderly people for as long as 17 years, those who were depressed at the start were more likely to develop dementia. It’ll take more research to know whether treating depression can help retain mental faculties, but you’d certainly feel better in the meantime.