Preventing Disease & Staying Healthy

We all know that it’s good to exercise, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and get a good night’s sleep. But it’s hard to change our habits, especially if we don’t have persuasive proof that it will improve our lives and health.

The National Center for Health Research is constantly reviewing new research to determine what we can do that will prevent diseases and keep us healthy.

Excellent research is being conducted to learn exactly what kinds of foods and exercise will help you prevent specific diseases, and what exposures to avoid in your daily life. The results are sometimes confusing because new products to prevent diseases are aggressively advertised, whether they work or not. Sometimes the best strategies are ones that don’t cost anything – but who is going to pay to advertise those?

We cut through the hype. We scrutinize new research, and call the researchers to learn even more. Then we translate it into plain language that you can understand.

To find the information you need, please use our search box to search for exactly what you are looking for or browse through our various topics on the right. →

If you’re looking for information about how to prevent cancer, go to our Cancer Prevention and Treatment web site at www.stopcancerfund.org . If you don’t see what you’re looking for on any health topic, contact us through our online health helpline at info@center4research.org. We’ll try to get the information you need within a few days.

Pomegranate Juice and Prostate Health

Pomegranate juice contains plenty of antioxidants, but does it improve health, as the ads imply?

Haz-Map: Is Your Workplace Putting Your Health at Risk? How You Can Find Out

Have you ever wondered if where you work could be harming your health? Haz-Map, an online database that links jobs with illnesses and injuries, lets you see what hazards you may be exposed to.

Surviving Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes in the United States, with researchers estimating that more than half of all sexual assaults and rapes going unreported.

Recall of Device to Treat Irregular Heartbeats is Worrying Patients Who Have Them In Their Bodies

Defibrillators are medical devices that treat irregular heartbeats and can prevent sudden cardiac arrest. The 79,000 Americans who were implanted with the Riata or Riata ST Silicone implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads made by St. Jude Medical are left wondering what to do now that the FDA recalled the device in December 2011. This recall was announced a year after the company stopped their sales of the product.

Arsenic and Lead in Our Juice (And You Thought Poisoned Apples Were Only in Fairy-tales!)

Learn how much arsenic has been found in common foods and drinks (too much!)–and what laws are in place to protect your family from this known carcinogen (not many!).