Health and Wellness

Pumpkins are a mainstay of fall decorating, but they’re also a great health food. So while you’re carving them into ghoulish faces for Halloween, think about adding this nutritionally dense food to your meal plan. These orange plants are one of the best sources of beta-carotene and antioxidants. In addition, one cup of cooked pumpkin…

A new study finds that kids who use electronic devices before bedtime can have sleep problems because their smart phones, laptops and tablets lower melatonin, a hormone that encourages sleep. The study was conducted by Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway and surveyed almost 10,000 teens ages 16 to 19 in that country. Between 80…

Bullying is widespread in the United States, so much so that the CDC reports that 20 percent of high school students recently reported being bullied at school within the past year. And with social media and cell phones such a big part of daily life for kids, bullying unfortunately isn’t limited to the school bus,…

Society is inundated with advice on what to eat for optimum health, weight loss, and disease prevention. And much of that information is contradictory, confusing, or flat-out wrong. However, scientific research has shown that certain foods promote good health and prevent the onset of disease, according to Dr. Christopher Smith, UCF Health’s specialist in family…

About 72,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with gynecologic cancer a year and September – Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month – is a good time to remind women about symptoms and risks for cancer of the female reproductive organs. There is only one screening test for such cancers – the Pap test that can…

If you’re a curry connoisseur, you know that turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the key spice that gives the Indian dish its zing. Turmeric is also what makes American mustard yellow. In addition to its flavor, turmeric is also gaining popularity as a medicinal, anti-inflammatory herb. Inflammation is our immune system’s response to a foreign or…