Research-based articles on weight management, joint health, gut health, and natural wellness to help you make informed health decisions.
Yes, you can see a baby on an abdominal ultrasound at 8 weeks, but it may not look like a baby yet. At this stage, the embryo is about the size of a raspberry, measuring roughly 1.6 centimeters from crown to rump. An abdominal scan will typically show the gestational sac, the yolk sac, and … Read more
Your uterine fibroid ultrasound report is a dense page of medical terms, measurements, and abbreviations. It can feel overwhelming. The good news is that the core information is straightforward once you know what to look for. You need to focus on three main things: the size of the fibroid, its location in the uterus, and … Read more
Blood is red because of hemoglobin, a protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen. Hemoglobin contains iron, and when iron binds with oxygen, it reflects red light back to our eyes. This is why oxygen-rich blood looks bright red, while blood returning to the lungs looks darker and more maroon. What Makes Blood Red? … Read more
Playa dust is the fine, alkaline silt that covers the ground at Burning Man and other events held on ancient lake beds. When dry, it becomes a fine powder that gets kicked up by wind, bikes, and thousands of feet, and it can get into your lungs, irritate your skin, and damage your gear. The … Read more
A single strand of human hair measures about 0.02 to 0.04 inches (50 to 100 micrometers) across. That is roughly the width of a sheet of standard printer paper. For most people, the average is close to 0.003 inches (70 micrometers), but your own hair thickness depends on genetics, hair color, and even which part … Read more
A stye is a small, painful lump that forms on the edge of your eyelid. It happens when a tiny oil gland at the base of an eyelash becomes blocked and infected. The infection is almost always caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which normally lives on your skin without causing problems. What Exactly Happens … Read more
Facial fat is often the last place your body loses weight, and the first place you notice weight gain. You cannot spot-reduce fat from your face alone. The only proven way to lose facial fat is to reduce overall body fat through a consistent calorie deficit, combined with healthy habits that reduce fluid retention and … Read more
Hair thinning at 20 is more common than most people think, and it is usually not a sign of a serious medical problem. The most frequent cause is genetics, specifically a condition called androgenetic alopecia, which can begin in the late teens or early twenties. Other causes include stress, nutritional deficiencies, certain hairstyles, and medical … Read more
If you are following the low FODMAP diet to manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you might wonder if glucose fits into your plan. The short answer is yes: glucose is low FODMAP and is generally well-tolerated by most people with IBS. Unlike fructose, which can trigger symptoms in some people, glucose is absorbed directly by … Read more
Removing hair color without damage is possible, but it depends entirely on how the color was applied and what kind of dye you used. The safest method is a color remover that shrinks dye molecules so they rinse out, rather than bleach that strips your hair’s natural pigment. For semi-permanent or demi-permanent color, a gentle … Read more