We all need a good quantity and quality of sleep – it is when we are asleep that the body carries out some of the most vital processes, such as growth, repair and recovery. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can soon find yourself not only tired, but also irritable, stressed and more prone to illness. It stands to reason then, that when you are pregnant, you need your sleep even more since there...
Anemia is a condition that is caused by having too little iron in your bloodstream. Iron is used to make a vital component in your red blood cells called hemoglobin – it is hemoglobin that makes your blood red in color, and it’s also used to transport vital oxygen around your body to help your cells and organs function effectively. If you don’t have enough iron, you can’t make enough hemoglobin...
Memory formation is an important function of the human brain. It not only allows us to reminisce about past vacations, recall the punchline to a joke, or remember an important date, it is also vital in terms of learning. Everything you have learned, from the day you were born, is as a result of your innate ability to experience something, process that information, and remember it so that you know...
While most often associated with pregnancy, food cravings can strike anyone. Whether you have a sweet tooth, hunger after carbs, or just can’t give in to your craving for salt, food cravings can often cause us to overeat or make bad food choices. So what causes food cravings, and how can we stop them? Cravings in pregnancy Food cravings are very common during pregnancy, and while most of the time...
There are several factors that contribute to a hangover the morning after the night before. First and foremost, ethanol, the chemical in alcoholic drinks that we commonly refer to as ‘alcohol’, is a diuretic, which means that it stimulates the body’s urinary system to produce more urine than usual. This excessive passing of water causes our body to become dehydrated, and it is this dehydration –...
Rice is a staple part of the diet for people in many countries, especially in Asian regions where the warm, humid climate particularly favours the growth of rice in paddy fields. However, rice is enjoyed all over the world and for good reason – it is a very nutritious foodstuff that provides many health benefits. A source of complex carbohydrates Unlike simple carbohydrates – sugars – which are...
The stomach is adapted to be able to cope with acid, so if your diet is normal and you are healthy, you shouldn’t feel any burning sensation in your stomach. However, many people have, at some time in their life, experienced acid reflux or ‘heartburn’ – that burning feeling in the throat or chest that is caused by stomach acid rising up out of the stomach and into the esophagus, which is not...
Why is it that some women seem to be able to get pregnant quickly, while for others it is more of a struggle to conceive? Of course, there are many factors that can affect male and female fertility, but if you are trying to get pregnant and would like some advice on how you can help speed things along, here are some dos and don’ts that you might want to bear in mind. DO have lots of sex! Research...
Post-partum (or post-natal) depression is a condition that affects somewhere between 10 and 18% of all new mothers, and up to 35% of mothers with a history of mood disorders. It is characterized by feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and sadness. Symptoms usually appear within four weeks of childbirth, and can last for up to a year, causing harm to mother and child. What causes post-partum...
Parents of children away at college often worry about how their offspring are coping with independent living. Are they making friends and studying hard? Are they eating properly? Are they getting enough exercise? According to new research published in Journal of Adolescent Health, these worries may not be entirely unfounded. Meg Small, a research associate from the Prevention Research Center for...
Lisa Martin is a qualified biology teacher and experienced freelance science writer from Warwickshire in the UK. She is fascinated by how the human body works and is particularly interested in writing about new research and discoveries in science and medicine.
Follow Lisa on Twitter: lisaamartin1