What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are sugar-based molecules found in many foods, from cookies to cantaloupes.

If you have diabetes, planning your carb intake—and sticking to the plan—is critical to keep blood sugar on an even keel and to cut your risk of diabetes-related problems like heart disease and stroke.

Whether or not you have diabetes, you should aim to get about half your calories from complex

Daily Exercise Helps Keep the Sniffles Away

Regular exercise can improve your mood, help you lose weight, and add years to your life. Still need another reason to hit the gym? A new study suggests that working out regularly helps ward off colds and flu.

In the study, researchers followed a group of about 1,000 adults of all ages for 12 weeks during the winter and fall of 2008. During that time, people who logged at least 20 minutes of

Who's Most at Risk for STDs?

Your STD risk is not about who you are, but what you do.Certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea, are more prevalent in some communities than others, but it's really not about who you are; it's about what you do and who you do it with (and who they've done it with).The other reason it's so hard to know just who is most at risk for STDs these days is that

What Should I Do if the Condom Breaks?

Accidents happen: In moments of passion, a condom worn incorrectly (or past its expiration date) can break or slip off, putting you at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV and—if you're a woman—pregnancy.Morning-after HIV preventionAfter such an accident, you and your partner should get tested for STDs, including HIV, as soon as possible. If you have been exposed to the HIV

Vitamin B12 May Help Ward off Alzheimer’s

People who consume lots of foods rich in vitamin B12—such as fish and fortified cereals—may be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than people who take in less of the vitamin, a small study conducted in Finland suggests.In the study, which was published in Neurology, researchers in Scandinavia analyzed blood samples from 271 individuals ages 65 to 79 who showed no evidence of dementia

Binge Drinking, Pot May Harm Teen Brains

Even teenagers know that downing 12 beers in a single night isn’t good for their bodies and can be dangerous. But a new study suggests that routine binge drinking like this may cause mental problems—including a reduced ability to think—that can last long after the hangovers have worn off.In the study, researchers interviewed 48 teens between the ages of 12 and 18 about their alcohol use and then

Fish Oil Doesn’t Benefit New Moms

Women who take fish-oil supplements during pregnancy are just as likely to experience postpartum depression as those who don’t, and their babies’ minds don’t appear to develop more quickly, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.However, the supplements do appear to reduce the risk of preterm birth, a benefit seen in earlier studies.Previous research has