By Sarabeth Lowe, MPH The power of play is well documented and, in some ways, deeply embedded in our culture. Look no further than the schoolyard playground or the variety of extracurricular activities available to students. While these integral pieces of educational curricula may come and go, the importance of

Equine-assisted therapy consists of working with a mental health professional certified in animal-assisted therapy and participating in mounted and unmounted sessions, which includes grooming, tacking, and riding horses, with a focus on fostering communication between the therapy-seeking individual and the horse. Individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional, and social challenges can

Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins and is also a steroid hormone. Although vitamin D is manufactured in skin from a reaction with ultraviolet (UV) light, there appears to be a conditional need for exogenous vitamin D for many people.  There are seven identified forms of vitamin D,

By Aliza Becker, BA, MPS Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in the body is responsible for both normal aging and the emergence of certain health conditions.1 The first part of this series examined effects of the diet on the health of telomeres, which cap the ends of individual chromosomes to prevent

Ms. Lowe is a Communication Specialist at the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center. More than 50 years ago, the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted a landmark statute to mitigate one of the most prevalent and damaging types of pollution to human health. It’s likely not the hazard

Human bodies do not make the mineral calcium, which develops strong bones, muscles, the heart, and nerves.1 Besides milk, which is commonly thought to be the only primary source for calcium, patients can also get calcium through a variety of different foods including broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, and beans.2 Each

  Tart cherries are a low-calorie food with multiple essential nutrients as part of a healthy diet, including fiber, vitamin C, potassium, polyphenols and carotenoids.1 Polyphenols are an antioxidant that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.2  As part of a daily diet, carotenoids, an antioxidant, can help reduce

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that is actually eight compounds—four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. The synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol (all-rac-alpha tocopherol) is also referred to as vitamin E and is found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Tocopherols are considered to be the most active of the vitamin E compounds and