Drinking Coffee Not Only Keeps You Awake Longer, But May Also Keep You Alive Longer!

If sipping on a hot cup of coffee in the morning is one of your simple pleasures, you’ll be happy to learn that coffee may also add years to your life. People who live on the Greek Island of Ikaria are known for their long life expectancies, and researchers have been studying the islanders to learn the reason why.

According to a recent reportpublished in the New York Times, one explanation may be the coffee they drink. This boiled coffee appears to produce antioxidants and they found that the older islanders who drank the boiled coffee had better functioning endothelial cells (cells line the interior surface of blood vessels throughout the circulatory system).

However, it is important to note that coffee is only one factor that may be contributing to the islanders’ longevity. Researchers plan to conduct further studies to discover how the island’s water, minerals and air quality might also be playing a role.

Listen Up! Your Headphones Could be Causing Hearing Loss

Did you know approximately 15 percent of Americans ages 20 to 69 have high-frequency hearing loss that may have been caused by loud noise exposure? Frequent exposure to loud sounds can wear down the hair cells of your ear’s cochlea, which can ultimately cause hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

Researchers claim medical and genetic factors play a role, and some people are more at risk than others. However, anything louder than 85 decibels can cause damage after extended exposure. Interestingly, sounds made by household objects such as hair dryers and kitchen blenders can go past 85 decibels. The rule to go by is if you have to raise your voice to be able talk to someone an arm’s length away. If this is the case, the nose is probably above 85 decibels.

When you consistently listen to your headphones at a high volume, you risk doing permanent damage. The good news is you can take steps now to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in the future.

Girl Power!

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the accomplishments of these 50 inspirational women who helped shape the health care industry. These female doctors and researchers have had the greatest impact in medicine and health research and deserve to be recognized for their contributions to society. Natural birth, radiation therapy, and lifesaving blood transfusions are health innovations that would not be possible without these brilliant women in medicine. Now that’s girl power!

Who on this list inspires you? Let us know; we’d love to hear from you!

How to Look Your Best This Allergy Season

Well, it’s that time of year again. Allergy season is coming and as the pollen is building up, many of you may be beginning to experience the familiar and unwanted itchy eyes, sneezing, and stuffy nose.  And unfortunately, performing at 100% may be difficult when you don’t feel your best. The good news is you can still look your best even when allergies may be getting the best of you.

Jennifer Lawrence looked stunning at the SAG Awards when she accepted her award for Best Female Actress. You would never know that she was battling allergy symptoms. Here are some beauty tricks to mask the toll that allergies take on your eyes and nose.

Chewing Gum Enhances Concentration

Myth or Medical Miracle?

Medical miracle! Chewing gum can serve as a quick breath freshener and some types can even clean your teeth. However, you may be surprised to learn that chewing gum can boost your concentration and improve memory. According to a new study published in the British Journal of Psychology, chewing gum can help you focus on tasks that require continuous monitoring over a long period of time

Researchers conducted a health-related memory test that involved listening to a list of numbers read aloud in random order. Participants were scored on how accurately and quickly they were able to recall a specific number sequence. One group chewed gum during this test. Results indicated that the participants who chewed gum had a faster reaction time and a better recall of the numbers compared to those who did not chew gum.

Researchers Raise Their Glasses to the ‘Red wine pill’

In European countries like France, red wine consumption is much higher than in many other parts of the world. The phenomenon known as the ‘French Paradox’ has astounded the medical world, because despite having diets high in fat, the French have a 42% lower occurrence of heart disease compared to Americans. For years, scientists studied this phenomenon and found that the secret behind this paradox lies in the antioxidant resveratrol, which is most commonly found in grapes and red wine.

Although red wine’s antioxidants may have anti-cancer properties, scientists say that you would likely need to drink 100 glasses a day to see a clinical benefit. Understandably, that is not possible. But what if you could reap the benefits of red wine by simply taking a pill?

According to a recent study, researchers say they have figured out that resveratrol functions to activate an anti-aging enzyme, which could trigger proteins that regenerate cells. Can a pill be taken as preventive medicine to improve the body’s defense system against aging and disease? Or is this the newest anti-aging hype?

Make the Right Decision By (Sometimes) Tapping Into Your Intuition

When should you follow your intuition? That inner voice that nudges you when you’re torn between two choices can help in some cases, but in certain situations deliberation has proven to be more effective. To make the best decision, when should you tap into your intuition and when should you apply logic to make a decision?

According to some scientists, intuition is a series of cognitive processes that happens very quickly, enabling you to come up with a decision instantly. In a matter of seconds, your brain takes in all of the information about the present situation, compares it to similar situations in the past, and uses that to make the decision. Essentially, that “gut feeling” is typically a fast heartbeat or a knot in your stomach, as opposed to a conscious thought. Intuition can be a valuable tool when you are already knowledgeable about the present situation. For instance, your immediate judgment about a sports game is more likely to be accurate if you’ve spent some time on the court or field.

So in which situations is deliberation more effective than intuition? Researchers found that when it comes to activities, such as playing chess, deliberation may be a more useful approach. Chess players normally take a few minutes to make a decision and the players who think longer about their decision end up making stronger moves compared to ones they were initially going to choose.

Despite the strategy a person uses to make a decision, many experts agree it is not necessarily about whether our gut feelings are “right” or “wrong,” but rather how to consider all of our thoughts and emotions when making an important decision. While you may not be able to make the right decision in every situation, you can always learn from these experiences and use that knowledge to make better decisions going forward.

Dr. Yagoda’s intuition has been regularly praised by patients and peers. She is a warm, caring detail-oriented doctor who provides her patients with a full spectrum of treatment options to ensure optimal health and wellness.