Your Health : Shots - Health News There's never been more information about how to live a healthy life, yet the goal sometimes seems impossible to reach. We sort through the latest news on how to eat better, live longer and stay well.
Shots - Health News

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The California company iHealth is one of 12 U.S. manufacturers getting an investment from the federal government to provide free tests by mail to people ahead of the winter COVID season. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A study of nearly 300,000 people in the U.K. found that people who maintained at least five of seven healthy habits cut their risk of depression by 57%. Maria Stavreva/Getty Images hide caption

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Maria Stavreva/Getty Images

These habits can cut the risk of depression in half, a new study finds

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Pesky Pete Barron holds the leaves of poison ivy illustrating how it grows in clusters of three leaves. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption

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Jesse Costa/WBUR

Poison ivy is poised to be one of the big winners of a warming world

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Experts say the new COVID boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines and boosters. Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The new COVID boosters are coming: Here's what you need to know

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The rich savory flavor of miso soup is one way to experience umami, the fifth major taste. Yuuji/Getty Images hide caption

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Yuuji/Getty Images

How umami overcame discrimination and took its place as the 5th taste

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Kame Ogito, 89, gathers seaweed at low tide in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan. Seaweed is part of the plant-based, low-calorie diet that makes Okinawans some of the longest-lived people in the world. David McLain/Dan Buettner hide caption

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David McLain/Dan Buettner

7 habits to live a healthier life, inspired by the world's longest-lived communities

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People with diabetes who were prescribed fruits and vegetables, saw their blood sugar decline significantly. And adults with hypertension saw their blood pressure go down. RyanJLane/Getty Images hide caption

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RyanJLane/Getty Images

Prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables help boost heart health

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Meredith Rizzo for NPR

How hardworking microbes ferment cabbage into kimchi

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Michael Hawley, general manager of the kitchen at Faulkner Hospital, places roasted tomatoes into a pot as he prepares the roasted tomato and shallot coulis. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption

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Jesse Costa/WBUR

Leland has been an editor at the literary magazine The Believer since its inception in 2003. Gregory Halpern/Penguin Random House hide caption

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Gregory Halpern/Penguin Random House

As a writer slowly loses his sight, he embraces other kinds of perception

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Sodas like Poppi and Olipop have added prebiotic ingredients intended to help nourish your gut bacteria. Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Poppi hide caption

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Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Poppi

Prebiotic sodas promise to boost your gut health. Here's what to eat instead

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The author awaits a bowl of ramen noodles in a Tokyo restaurant. Yuki Noguchi/NPR hide caption

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Yuki Noguchi/NPR

What the U.S. could learn from Japan about making healthy living easier

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When humans interact with dogs, the feel-good hormone oxytocin increases — in the person and the dog. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images hide caption

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Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

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Jeremy Nottingham (bottom right) sits for a family photo with his parents, Junius and Sharon, and sister Briana. Junius Nottingham Jr. hide caption

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Junius Nottingham Jr.

Testing your genes for cancer risk is way cheaper now — and it could save your life

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John Shambroom and Loose Ends volunteer Jan Rohwetter examine the rug Shambroom's wife, Donna Savastio, couldn't finish due to symptoms of Alzheimer's. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption

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Jesse Costa/WBUR

Dr. Chris van Tulleken took part in a month-long experiment. He ate 80% of his calories from ultra-processed food. He explains what happened in his new book, Ultra-Processed People. Jonny Storey hide caption

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Jonny Storey

An ultra-processed diet made this doctor sick. Now he's studying why

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Heat can be deadly, as this sign in Death Valley National Park warns. Some of the hottest temperatures in the world have been recorded here. But it doesn't need to be 130 degrees out to be dangerous. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

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David McNew/Getty Images

How heat kills: What happens to the body in extreme temperatures

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Laura Gao for NPR

There's a way to get healthier without even going to a gym. It's called NEAT

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Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive that will be available for sale over the counter in stores as well as online, was approved by the FDA last week. Perrigo Co. hide caption

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Perrigo Co.