When it comes to living a healthier lifestyle, listen to and watch your co-workers. Their positive habits could eventually help you.

That’s the main message from researchers in the Netherlands, who tracked the influence that employees can have on their colleagues when it comes to eating better and working out. While much is known about the effects that neighbors, friends, and relatives have on lifestyle choices, there’s much less evidence about how co-workers influence those behaviors.

Using data from more than 4,300 people across 113 organizations, this is what the researchers found: People are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when their colleagues encourage them. The same held true for exercise, although the effect was less pronounced.

So why do our co-workers hold more sway over our eating habits than our exercise routines? The researchers theorize it may be a matter of proximity: Most people eat at work — often together — whereas exercise usually happens after work.

The study is one of the first to address co-workers’ influence on healthy behaviors. Unlike some prior research, it used an approach that allowed for a more fine-tuned analysis of the relationship between co-workers and healthier behaviors.

Now, the researchers said, workplace leaders and public policymakers can use the findings when making important decisions about ways to encourage healthier living. Colleagues can now be relevant sources of social support when it comes to healthy behaviors, just like friends and neighbors have been.

So keep up with your work friend in the next cubicle. Their good habits could soon become yours.

Most people know you can’t enjoy a stack of pancakes without a healthy drizzle of syrup. But the sweet breakfast staple might make more than just your tongue happy.

New research suggests that replacing refined sugar with pure maple syrup could decrease risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

Canadian researchers studied 42 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 75 with body mass indexes between 23 and 40. The study targeted overweight adults with mild cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Each participant replaced 5% of their daily calories with either a refined sugar syrup or maple syrup for eight weeks. They took a four-week break and then repeated the process for another eight-week cycle.

The researchers found that those who replaced 5% of their calories with maple syrup saw a significant reduction in risk factors associated with heart disease and diabetes compared with those who used the refined sugar syrup.

The maple syrup group had better control over their blood sugar, lower blood pressure, reduced abdominal fat, and improved gut health. Poor blood pressure control, high blood pressure, belly fat, and harmful gut bacteria have all been linked to an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes.

The researchers said maple syrup is beneficial because it has 12% fewer calories than light corn syrup, and it also contains essential nutrients like manganese, calcium, thiamin, potassium, and copper.

Please don’t take this as an invitation to drown your flapjacks in syrup. But in moderation, maple syrup may deserve a spot on your breakfast plate.

As we turn the page to 2025 and pack away decorations after another holiday season, it’s a great time to evaluate our own health and well-being.

After all, like many adults in the United States, you could have a health condition and not even know it.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 40% of American adults who have hypertension, or high blood pressure, are unaware of that fact. Left untreated, this can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In some cases, it can lead to premature death.

The American College of Cardiology defines hypertension as having a systolic blood pressure of 130 over a diastolic blood pressure of 80.

The new report revealed that just over half of adults with high blood pressure were currently taking medication to lower blood pressure. But only about 20% of adults who knew of their high blood pressure had it under control.

Several factors such as old age, genetics, being overweight, not being physically active, a high-salt diet, and drinking too much alcohol can increase your chances of hypertension. Severe headaches, chest pain, dizziness, and nausea are among its many symptoms.

Lifestyle changes can help. From eating more vegetables and fruits to becoming more physically active, there are ways to tackle high blood pressure.

You can also lower your risk by managing stress more effectively, monitoring your blood pressure with regular checks, reducing your exposure to polluted air, and using medications for high blood pressure treatment.

Whatever you do, don’t wait until it’s too late.

With the holiday season in the rearview for another year, many of us are looking at getting a fresh start and forgetting about past diet and exercise challenges.

For our fat cells, that’s easier said than done.

A new study shows that fat cells “remember” being overweight, thanks to chemical markers that control which genes are activated in our cells.

These chemical stamps make it easier for fat cells to return to their previously plump state with little effort. This evidence provides a biological reason that confirms the suspicions of many who have struggled to maintain weight loss — that even if you lose weight, it’s incredibly easy to gain it back.

Researchers said that fat cells live for about 10 years on average before being replaced by new ones, which explains the cells’ extended memory. While there are currently no medications available that can erase our fat cells’ memory, it’s an area researchers hope to study more.

In the meantime, researchers emphasize prevention through maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen, especially for young people. The best way to avoid regaining weight is not to gain it to begin with.

The same team is also delving into whether other types of cells, like those in our brains or blood vessels, might also harbor weight-gain memories. If that’s the case, the research could offer even more insight into why keeping the pounds off can feel like a losing battle.

While we’d like to forget about times when we were overweight, our fat cells aren’t so quick to move on. Let’s hope that as we take a stroll down memory lane after the 2025 holiday season, we won’t remember any undue weight gain.

When it comes to nutrition, eggs have been a tough nut — or shell — to crack.

The small, oval, protein-packed goodies were once declared a no-no because they are naturally high in cholesterol. More recently, eggs have swung back into the good foods category, thanks to their high levels of vitamins, minerals, protein, and good fats.

Now, a new study offers more evidence favoring the humble egg. Researchers found that women aged 55 and over who ate eggs on a regular basis saw notable improvements in their brain health. The women experienced less decline in executive brain functions and less memory loss over time.

The researchers accounted for a variety of factors, including age, education, cholesterol levels, and lifestyle factors — and the positive results remained.

So, eggs are good for women’s brain health, but how many eggs should women consume to see these positive benefits? Researchers found that five eggs per week seems to be the optimal number, so nearly an egg per day.

Interestingly, the study did not note any significant link between egg consumption and improved brain health for men.

Researchers said the reason for the healthy brain boost in women isn’t completely clear, but they suggest the lesser-known nutrients packed into eggs, like choline [ko-lean] and lutein [loo-teen], may have something to do with it. These nutrients are known to benefit brain health.

This study ultimately puts another point in the “good” category for eggs and adds to the ever-growing collection of evidence showing that the once-spurned egg may not be as bad as it’s cracked up to be.

Scented candles are a great way to spruce things up at home. But there may be health risks, based on the candle you choose.

The primary concern: candles made from a byproduct sourced from a refinement of petroleum called paraffin. The National Candle Association says paraffin is the most used candle wax in the world.

A paraffin candle releases volatile organic compounds, also known as V-O-Cs, that quickly vaporize into the air at room temperature. These compounds are commonly emitted from paints, cleaning products, car exhaust, and fuel-burning appliances like gas stoves, among other things.

VOCs are harmful on their own and react to gases to form pollutants in the air.

Toluene and benzene are two VOCs released from paraffin candles. Toluene [tall-you-een] is a registered toxin with exposure limits because it’s a neurotoxin associated with dizziness and headaches. Benzene is a known carcinogen with long-term exposure linked to blood disorders such as leukemia.

Research shows that candles made from soy wax, beeswax, coconut oil, or animal fats are considered healthier. But anything that is burned emits harmful particulates or chemicals — it’s just that paraffin wax is more polluting.

Experts say there are several ways you can minimize health ramifications. Choose candles labeled as 100% soy wax, beeswax, or stearin [steer-in] wax, and ensure the wick is cotton, wood, or synthetic. If you can’t resist scented candles, look for those with essential oils or candles labeled as phthalate-free. It’s also important to avoid dyed candles.

These precautions will go a long way in keeping your room as fresh as it is healthy.

They say age is just a number. But some days we all wish that number was lower.

Humans have been exploring ways to slow down or even reverse aging for thousands of years. It’s only natural … our mortality reveals itself to us on a regular basis.

But what if you could be four years younger with minimal cost and effort? A new brain study reveals that this is possible, in a way.

According to a new study, engaging in everyday physical tasks like walking the dog and taking out the trash can give a healthy boost to our brain’s processing speed.

The study participants’ cognitive processing speed, the speed at which our brains receive and process information, was on par with a person four years younger on the days they engaged in physical activity. Researchers found the same positive results whether participants went for a short walk or an intense jog.

Researchers said the study did not show enhancements to working memory, the ability to retain and analyze information, but the response time on working memory tasks improved.

While the study reveals the positive short-term effects of physical activity, it did not measure improvements over time, something future studies may explore.

Ultimately, researchers say the study shows the important role that movement plays in our brain health, even if it’s through small, everyday tasks.

Walk the dog, mow the lawn, take out the trash — these activities may not quite be as exciting as stumbling across a flowing fountain of youth, but they still give our brains a healthy boost.

Age may be just a number, but if we can reverse that number just a little bit, why not?

More than a billion people around the world have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, called COPD [C-O-P-D).

That’s a lot of huffing, wheezing, and coughing. And when those conditions flare up, breathing can be restricted, sending them to emergency rooms for help.

For the past 50 or so years, the standard treatment for flare-ups has been steroid pills. The steroid can reduce lung inflammation, but it also can mean side effects like diabetes and osteoporosis. And it doesn’t always work on the first try.

Now a new study led by researchers in the United Kingdom suggests a new treatment that could shift the landscape for those with asthma and COPD.

Their study finds that an injection given during breathing attacks works better than current treatments and cuts the need for more treatment by 30%.

The drug is called benralizamab [ben-ruh-lie-zoo-mab], a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells to reduce lung inflammation. It is now used to treat severe asthma.

The researchers separated 158 people at high risk of an asthma or COPD attack into three groups. One group received an injection of benralizumab and a placebo tablet, a second received the usual steroid tablets and a placebo injection, and the third group received both the benralizumab injection and steroids.

After 28 days, the groups treated with benralizumab had less coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness. After 90 days, they were four times less likely to have had to repeat a treatment, compared with the steroid group.

An extra benefit: Patients can manage the injection themselves, so a flare-up would not necessarily require an ER visit.

What a breath of fresh air.

As is tradition, the new year brings about a flurry of new habits we’d like to form to become our best selves.

But if you’ve ever struggled to break a bad habit — let alone form a good one — you might be interested in some expert tips that could make all the difference.

Irish researchers have uncovered a framework for habit change that taps into your brain’s unique systems for automatic responses and goal-directed control.

The idea is simple: Habits are shaped by two brain systems. One triggers automatic actions based on familiar cues (like scrolling through social media when you’re bored), while the other helps us exercise conscious control (like putting the phone away to focus on work).

The trick, their study discovered, is finding the right balance between these systems. When automatic responses outweigh our conscious control, bad habits take over. But by understanding how these systems work together, we can use it to our advantage.

The study emphasizes the role of repetition and rewards. Repeating a behavior strengthens the brain’s connection between cues and responses, making habits stick. To break a bad habit, the key is to replace old behaviors with new ones, creating competing automatic responses.

Your environment also plays a big role. Adjusting your surroundings to make good habits easier and bad habits harder can help, such as picking a gym that is on your way home from work.

Keep in mind that stress and fatigue can trigger old patterns, so staying mindful and intentional is crucial when trying to form lasting good habits, like reaching for a carrot instead of a candy bar when a deadline draws near.

Picture this: You come home from work, where you spilled your coffee, missed a meeting and forgot your lunch. The only thing on your mind? Chips. Maybe pizza. After all, stress and unhealthy food choices often go hand in hand.

Now, new research from scientists at the University of Birmingham suggests that adding a flavanol-rich cocoa drink to your diet can help protect your vascular health, even after indulging in fatty foods.

The team set out to investigate how food choices impact vascular function during periods of stress. Previous studies show that high-fat foods can impair blood vessel function, affecting oxygen delivery to the brain. On the other hand, flavanols, found in cocoa, green tea, and other plant-based foods, have been shown to have cardiovascular benefits.

In their study, researchers asked participants to consume a high-fat breakfast of two butter croissants, cheddar cheese, and whole milk — along with either a high- or low-flavanol cocoa drink. After a rest, folks completed a mentally stressful math test while the team measured various aspects of cardiac function, like blood flow and brain oxygenation.

The results? Those who drank the low-flavanol cocoa experienced a significant decline in vascular function following the test, lasting up to 90 minutes. However, participants who drank the high-flavanol cocoa showed no such decline, indicating that the flavanols helped protect vascular health.

For the average shopper, finding a cocoa powder that isn’t alkalized, a process that lowers flavanol levels, can be tricky. Luckily, the less decadent but more accessible green tea is a good stand-in.