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

Shots

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The brain requires a large number of nutrients for optimal health and efficiency, but micronutrients are typically absorbed better through foods than through supplements. Grace Cary/Getty Images hide caption

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Grace Cary/Getty Images

Can multivitamins improve memory? A new study shows 'intriguing' results

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Foods classified as ultra-processed are those that have many added ingredients such as artificial coloring, added sugars, emulsifiers and preservatives. An apple may undergo minimal processing when it gets made into applesauce. But when it gets made into a shelf-stable apple pie or candy gummies with added sugars, colorings and flavorings, these foods are considered ultra-processed. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo for NPR

What we know about the health risks of ultra-processed foods

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"When you're younger, your mind is more open, and you're more creative," says 13-year-old Leo De Leon. Adolescence is a time of rapid brain development that scientists call "breathtaking." Jon Hamilton/NPR hide caption

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Jon Hamilton/NPR

Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain

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Experimental therapies for cancer can be tempting when you're sick, but many fail to offer any benefit. Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF hide caption

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Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF

Genetics, gut microbes and other lifestyle and environmental factors can impact how people's bodies react to food. An NIH study aims to find out how. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

Many teens and young adults struggle with overuse of screens. They also have good advice for how to have a healthy relationship with social media. Rose Wong for NPR hide caption

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Rose Wong for NPR

Teens say social media is stressing them out. Here's how to help them

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Janice Chang for NPR

Lifesaving or stigmatizing? Parents wrestle with obesity treatment options for kids

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Jonnie Lewis-Thorpe, now 83, (right) lives with her daughter Angela Reynolds. She has Alzheimer's and lost her home due to symptoms of the disease. Katie Blackley/WESA hide caption

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Katie Blackley/WESA

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration supported drugmaker Perrigo's application to sell the oral contraceptive Opill without a prescription. Perrigo hide caption

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Perrigo

Advisers to the FDA back first over-the-counter birth control pill

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New recommendations from the USPSTF advise that women get biannual mammograms starting at age 40 to detect breast cancers. andresr/Getty Images hide caption

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If you're 40, it's time to start mammograms, according to new guidelines

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Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will make a recommendation about whether the agency should approve the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the U.S. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

The FDA considers first birth control pill without a prescription

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There's growing evidence that social media use can contribute to mental health issues among teens. A new health advisory suggests ways to protect them. martin-dm/Getty Images hide caption

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Major psychologists' group warns of social media's potential harm to kids

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Back pain shouldn't stop you from cooking at home. Here's how to adapt

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Diet culture can hurt kids. This author advises parents to reclaim the word 'fat'

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For years, the research picture on how social media affects teen mental health has been murky. That is changing as scientists find new tools to answer the question. Olivier Douliery /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Olivier Douliery /AFP via Getty Images

The truth about teens, social media and the mental health crisis

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Some urinary tract infections may be caused by food-borne E. coli bacteria, research finds. Getty Images/Westend61 hide caption

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Unraveling a hidden cause of UTIs — plus how to prevent them

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The seemingly simple act of reaching for a cup of coffee actually activates parts of the brain involved in motion, planning and emotions. Melinda Podor / Getty Images hide caption

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Melinda Podor / Getty Images

An overlooked brain system helps you grab a coffee — and plan your next cup

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A COVID infection during pregnancy could raise baby boys' risk of some neurodevelopmental delays, study finds. JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF hide caption

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JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

COVID during pregnancy may alter brain development in boys

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Long COVID — lingering symptoms that can follow a COVID diagnosis — plagues millions of Americans. It may be less likely after a second bout of COVID than after a first. For those living with it, it can be debilitating. Judy Schafer, 58, met with a group of other women with long COVID via Zoom, at her home in Seattle, Wash., in January. Jovelle Tamayo/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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Jovelle Tamayo/The Washington Post via Getty Images

You're less likely to get long COVID after a second infection than a first

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Shots - Health News

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