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A basket of sweet potatoes. Image Credit: prapann/iStock/Getty Images If statistics are an accurate indication, sweet potatoes are widely underrated in the United States. While the average American enjoys regular potatoes enough to consume more than 36 pounds of them each year, sweet potatoes are appreciated to the tune of just over 5 pounds per person per year. The orange-fleshed root vegetable has a lot to offer, however, and is an ideal component of virtually any healthy diet....

Many think fruit juice is good for you, but there are several drawbacks to the drink to consider. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative What Really Happens to Your Body When examines the head-to-toe effects of common behaviors, actions and habits in your everyday life. Many people have grown up considering fruit juices, like orange juice or apple juice, a healthy diet staple. After all, there was a time when it was unlikely you’d see a breakfast commercial that ​didn’t​ feature a glass of OJ as part of a “nutritious breakfast....

Certain over-the-counter medications may be effective years after their expiration dates, but not all of them are safe to take. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. Maybe you feel a headache coming on at the end of a long day. Maybe you tweaked your back rearranging the living room furniture. Or perhaps you pushed yourself too far during your workout and now you’re hurting....

Exercise after an adjustment can worsen body pain. Image Credit: Steve Debenport/E+/GettyImages Chiropractic treatments are one of the most sought-after forms of alternative medicine. These treatments aim to help relieve back pain, readjust the spine, improve various body functions and help correct poor posture. Advertisement Depending on your diagnosis, treatments can range from short routine adjustments to more long-term treatment plans. Each adjustment involves manipulations of the spine, tissues and muscles....

A bowl filled with okra in a market. Image Credit: dabldy/iStock/Getty Images Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a digestive disorder that affects about 20 percent of adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. While IBS causes a lot of discomfort, including gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation, it does not cause any permanent harm to your intestinal tract, and can be managed with medication, lifestyle changes and diet (like keeping a food diary)....

You can work your legs, but make sure to keep your back straight. Image Credit: primipil/iStock/GettyImages Laminectomy is a surgery that relieves pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. This medical procedure, also called decompression surgery, can relieve the symptoms of a too narrow spine including pain, numbness, tingling and burning. Advertisement Recommended laminectomy recovery exercises and movement restrictions help prevent injury and promote optimal healing after this procedure. Follow exercise guidelines only after consulting your doctor....

Lettuce greens for sale at a farmers market. Image Credit: Christina-J-Hauri/iStock/Getty Images Dieters often eat plenty of lettuce because it fills you up and provides essential nutrients, such as folate and vitamins A and K, without providing a lot of calories. Likewise, other nonstarchy vegetables, including lettuce, can be a good choice for diabetics due to their low carbohydrate content and minimal effects on blood sugar levels. Advertisement Lettuce and Diabetes Risk A study published in “Diabetes Care” in December 2004 found that people who ate more green, leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, were less likely to develop type-2 diabetes than people who didn’t eat these vegetables often....

If you regularly exceed the recommended amount of sugar each day, you might be wondering if the soft drink sugar amount of your favorite beverage is to blame. Image Credit: Cata N / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages If you regularly exceed the recommended amount of sugar each day, you might be wondering if the soft drink sugar amount of your favorite beverage is to blame. While the amount of sugar varies, some of the more popular beverages contain more than 40 grams of sugar in a single 12-ounce serving....

A young girl drinks a glass of milk. Image Credit: Antonio_Diaz/iStock/Getty Images Milk can lull a scared child back to sleep, it can calm a colicky baby and some believe it can cure a common stomachache. While milk does work wonders for some people, it may make others much worse. Before treating your stomachache with milk, first determine the cause of your pain. If you cannot discover the cause, consult your doctor to rule out any possible health problems....

You can order a variety of dim sum foods, which means that dim sum nutrition also varies quite a bit. Image Credit: Lisovskaya/iStock/GettyImages Although “dim sum” might bring steamed dumplings to mind, the City University of New York explains that this modern-day restaurant phenomenon began as a light snack with tea. Nowadays, you can order a variety of dim sum foods, which means that dim sum nutrition also varies quite a bit....

Nutritional Facts of Crepes Image Credit: Mizina/iStock/GettyImages Crepes are the French version of pancakes, usually with diameters much larger than traditional pancakes due to their thinness. While crepes originated in France, you can find crepes served in restaurants around the globe, and crepes often contain fruit and other fillings for breakfast, as well as meats and cheese when served as lunch and dinner. Product nutrition may vary by restaurant due to differences in recipes....

A woman holding her head and neck in discomfort. Image Credit: 4774344sean/iStock/Getty Images The electrolyte potassium is an essential mineral. Your body needs it in small amounts for proper skeletal, heart, muscle and digestive function. Dietary sources of potassium include bananas, some types of fish, meat, dairy products, avocados, citrus fruit, tomatoes, cantaloupes, lima beans and potatoes. Potassium levels may be involved with migraine headaches. Advertisement Migraines Migraines are a type of headache that causes a very painful pulsing or throbbing in one area of your head....

An olive oil-based vinaigrette is perfect to drizzle over your salad. Image Credit: elena_hramowa/iStock/GettyImages Just as abs are “made in the kitchen,” so is well-controlled blood sugar. For people with diabetes, careful attention to detail — right down to the ingredients that go into your salad dressing — helps you keep everything under control. Advertisement Not All Dressings Are Equal If you’re using store-bought salad dressings, get used to the idea of reading the labels....

Closeup of a stomach massage. Image Credit: ZenShui/Frederic Cirou/PhotoAlto Agency RF/Getty Images Massages are usually associated with relieving stress and muscle pain, not with losing weight. A massage may be relaxing, but there isn’t really any scientific evidence to show that it improves weight-loss results. For that, you’ll need to make changes to your diet and start exercising more often. Check with your doctor before getting a stomach massage, as this isn’t safe for everyone....

Cat pose is a great stretch for a lumbar curvature to the left. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages Many people take scoliosis tests in school and some receive a positive diagnosis. For those who have a lateral curvature of the spine to the left, incorporating regular lumbar scoliosis stretches and strengthening exercises will help reduce symptoms. Advertisement Read more: Struggling to Lift More Weight? Deloading May Do the Trick Video of the Day What Is Scoliosis?...

Think you have what it takes? Image Credit: Facebook: @otillorace Think you’re tough enough for any of these 10 tests of strength and endurance? If so, pick your poison. These events can be completed in as little as four hours — if you’re a highly skilled, fearless paddleboarder — or require 12 days of near-continuous cycling. Advertisement In between lies every grueling, twisted challenge imaginable to push the human body to its mental, physical and emotional limits....

references & resources Yale Medicine: "Sinus Infection" Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care: "The Role of Oral Vitamin D3 Supplementation in The Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Adults with Vitamin D Deficiency" Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: "Vitamin D" BioMed Research International: "Extra Dose of Vitamin C Based on a Daily Supplementation Shortens the Common Cold: A Meta-Analysis of 9 Randomized Controlled Trials" Nutrients: "Vitamin C and Immune Function" World Journal of Otorhinolarynogology - Head and Neck Surgery: "The Microbiome and Chronic Rhinosinusitis" American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: "Sinus Infection" NIH: "Ginger Root" MedlinePlus: Sinusitis Is this an emergency?...

references & resources National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin B12" U.S. National Library of Medicine: "Iron" ODS: "Iron" Mayo Clinic: "Zinc" ODS: "Zinc" Mayo Clinic: "Vitamin D" ODS: "Vitamin D" ODS: "Omega-3 Fatty Acids" American Heart Association: "Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids" FDA: "FDA 101: Dietary Supplements" Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Vitamin B12 Journal of the American Heart Association: Plant‐Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults University of Maryland Medical Center: Iron These supplements for vegetarians can help you get the nutrients you might be missing from your diet....

There's some evidence that the omega-3s in fish oil may be a factor in heart palpitations. Image Credit: Andrii Shablovskyi/iStock/GettyImages The side effects and health benefits of omega-3s, found in fish oil, are still being explored. The latest: A recent study found that daily purified omega-3 oil lowered the risk of a cardiac event, but raised the risk of hospitalization for atrial fibrillation, which can include heart palpitations. Advertisement You might have experienced heart palpitations if you have felt that your heart is suddenly skipping around, fluttering, beating fast or pounding, Mayo Clinic says....

Following a healthy diet and exercising can help increase lean body mass. Image Credit: Branimir76/iStock/Getty Images The more lean body mass you have, the higher your metabolism is likely to be. Having a healthy percentage of lean body mass may make you less likely to become sick or to develop health problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Having a low lean body mass, however, may increase the risk of side effects from medications....