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Harris and his colleagues tested the omega-3 levels of 165 vegans for a study appearing in the journal Clinical Nutrition. Most were deficient, especially when it came to docosahexaenoic acid—or DHA—one of the two omega-3s (along with EPA) most often linked with health benefits. While it’s not clear how that affects herbivores in terms of heart disease or cancer, Dr. Harris says low omega-3 levels may put vegans and vegetarians at greater risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s, and the other mental conditions that omega-3 has been shown to ward off....

Why? The physicians credit the phenomenon with being one cause of a host of chronic health problems, from digestive issues and acne to autoimmune diseases like arthritis and psoriasis. And collectively these affect a huge number of people. We got the scoop on this problem with the yuck-factor name that may be affecting your health. WHAT IS LEAKY GUT? Leaky gut syndrome is known as “increased intestinal permeability” in the conventional medical world....

A Balancing Act Antidepressants can also create difficulties with arousal and orgasm. (They can affect men too, who may experience erectile dysfunction.) It all has to do with a balance between the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain. “Antidepressants, especially the SSRIs, only increase serotonin,” explains Dr. Rosenberg. “The lack of increase in dopamine, a chemical in the brain’s pleasure center that we believe is required for maintaining sexual interest, affects satisfactory sexual function....

In public: When people eat alone, they tend to let go and may end up eating three times more than they normally would. If weight loss is your goal, try to eat in front of at least one other person. Even if you’re alone, go out to eat at places such as at an Internet café, on a park bench, or at a coffee shop where other people are around....

We took a long, hard look at organic, low-fat yogurt vs. 2% fat Greek to find out if one really is better than the other. When it comes to key nutrients like sugar, protein, and calcium, the difference is surprisingly big—and what we found just may change the way you shop for good. Check out the Greek vs. Low-Fat Yogurt battle for yourself!

What gives? Many people think that loving themselves is actually being selfish—and that couldn’t be further from the truth, says Susan Blackburn, a therapist in Ontario, Canada. Selfishness is being concerned about your own interests without having regard for others, while self-love is about taking good care of yourself emotionally, spiritually, and physically, she says. If you’re still worried that self-love equals selfishness, think of it like this: Showing yourself a little TLC has big payoffs for the people around you, too....

It has been exactly two hours and 36 minutes since your last meal. You know because you’ve been watching the clock. For you, cravings are a way of life. Your stomach is a bottomless pit. Second dinner is a must. And getting “hangry” is a real and ever-present threat. What gives? We chatted with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, senior science advisor at Elements Behavioral Health and author of The Hunger Fix, about the top reasons some women are just always ravenous....

In one study, 62 men between the ages of 65 and 75 were put through a 24-week strength-training routine. They did exercises like chest and leg presses, crunches, and leg curls for 2 sets of 8 reps each, 3 times per week. One group lifted at a moderate intensity, or half of their one-rep max (the maximum amount they could lift in one contraction), while the other lifted at a high intensity, or 80% of their one-rep max....

More from Prevention.com: Find Your Perfect Dance WorkoutZumba Gold has all the fun and energy of the Latin-inspired dance-cardio class, but performed at a lower intensity. Just don’t mistake that for a low-sweat workout– you’ll still burn lots of calories while staying healthy and active. (For more low-impact workout ideas, check out Low-Impact Workouts With Big Calorie Burn.)“The reason our program is so good is that it taps into music and movement, so it’s exercise in disguise," Prouty says....

Whether it was brought on by arthritis, nerve damage, bending the wrong way, or lifting something a little too heavy, lower back pain can be frustrating to deal with. But if you’re struggling, know that most people experience back pain at some point in their lives, and it’s one of the most common reasons people book doctor’s appointments and call out of work. In fact, it’s one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)....

You go out of your way to avoid germs, looking like a weirdo while trying to open doors without touching the handles and even fist-bumping instead of shaking hands (yes, that’s a thing). But sterilizing your life is a pretty mute point if the everyday grooming habits that you think keep you nice and clean are actually getting you up close and person with a bevy of bacteria. Here are the 10 biggest bacterial threats in your daily beauty routine—and how to clean up their act....

“Depression doesn’t always look like debilitating sadness,” says Richard Kravitz, MD, MSPH, a professor of internal medicine at University of California, Davis, and an expert in identifying depression in primary-care settings. “Patients are reluctant to consider depression as a cause of their symptoms—in part because they may equate it with weakness, but also in part because they simply don’t associate those symptoms with depression.” Accurately identifying the problem is key, he adds, because the sooner you get treatment, the easier it will be to return your happy, healthy self....

Was it last week, last month? Last…year? We get it: Sometimes it’s easier to give into your excuses—I’m too tired, let’s just do it this weekend, it doesn’t even feel that great to begin with. But we don’t need to tell you that sex is essential for a healthy marriage—and also a healthy you. Research shows that a happy sex life can stamp out stress, reduce heart disease risk, and even improve immunity....

And here’s another positive news flash about menopause: It’s not a disease, nor does it have to present life-altering changes. Many women cruise through menopause with minimal symptoms, and many of the symptoms that women do experience can often be controlled naturally. Doctors commonly define menopause as the absence of periods for 1 year without other obvious causes. According to the North American Menopause Society, American women enter menopause between the ages of 40 and 58....

← Pick the best produce with Harvest This app features a database of produce—from acorn squash to zucchini—offering tips on how to tell if something is ripe, at its peak season, or typically high in pesticide residue. ($2; iPhone) ← Demystify packaged foods with FooducateUse the built-in bar-code scanner to see the health rating, from A to D, of almost any food. Scroll down to find out if the food is full of important nutrients or contains sketchy additives like high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or trans fats....