Chanting “om” might help ease your aching back, but only if it comes at the end of yoga practice. A new study finds that the physical act of doing yoga — but not its meditative aspect — may help reduce symptoms of chronic back pain.
Family MattersSex
Using Beads to Get Pregnant — or Prevent It
Women who want to get pregnant, as well as those who just as desperately desire the opposite outcome, care a lot about their fertility. But figuring out exactly when to have sex — or when to avoid it — can be tricky.
Insomnia May Boost Heart Attack Risk
People who struggle with insomnia appear to be more prone to heart attacks than those who typically get a good night’s sleep, a large Norwegian study has found.
Obama’s Misguided Crackdown on Medical Marijuana
(Updated) Why is the U.S. government cracking down on medical marijuana, a $1.7 billion business — and one of the few that seems to be thriving in a moribund economy?
Study: Why People Don’t Read Nutrition Labels
How often do you look at the Nutrition Facts label on the side of the box? A new study reveals that people say they look at it a lot more than they actually do.
Study Asks Who’s Funnier, Men or Women?
(Updated) If men are funnier than women, then it’s not by much — and mostly just to other men. Such is the conclusion of a new study by psychologists at the University of California, San Diego, who judged comic wit by asking …
Family MattersInfancy
New Guidelines: How to Put Baby Safely to Bed
Sleeping like a baby is now more regimented than ever, in light of updated guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) about how best to put baby to bed to reduce the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.
BPA Exposure in Pregnant Women May Affect Daughters’ Behavior
A new study finds that exposure to bisphenol A before birth may lead to behavior problems in girls by age 3. The findings, published in Pediatrics, promise to heat up the debate over the safety of BPA, the ubiquitous chemical …
Why the Latest Study on Cell Phones and Brain Cancer Won’t Be the Last Word
Proving a negative in science is really, really hard — and that may well be the task that researchers trying to evaluate the potentially carcinogenic effects of cell phone use may have before them.
U.S. Panel Urges ‘Energy Star’ Nutrition Ratings for Food Labels
Taking a cue from the Energy Star ratings on the front of household appliances, a panel of experts is recommending that a similarly easy-to-read system appear on every packaged food item in American grocery stores so busy …
Teens’ IQ May Rise or Fall Over Time
The brain undergoes more change in adolescence than at any other time of life, save before birth and during infancy. That may help explain why teenagers’ IQ can fluctuate significantly over time, as a new study finds, registering …
Family MattersMarriage
Argue Much? Conflict Levels in Marriage Don’t Change Over Time
If you squabble a lot with your sweetie, don’t think that things will improve after getting hitched. New research shows that conflict levels don’t vary much over the course of marriage. (The good news, conversely, is that if you …