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You may not give your liver much thought. But it performs essential functions every day. Like other parts of the body, fat can build up in your liver. That may damage the liver and lead to serious health problems. It’s normal to have some fat in your liver cells. But too much can interfere with your liver’s normal functioning. The liver acts as a filter to remove toxins from your blood. It helps…, Fat Build Up, Certain health conditions, your genes, your diet, and your digestive system can make you more likely to develop fatty liver disease. When this happens, it is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. “About one-third of U.S. adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,” says Dr. Rohit Loomba, a liver disease expert at UC San Diego Health. People with obesity or type 2 diabetes are at greater risk…, Finding Fatty Liver, Most people who have fatty liver disease don’t end up with liver damage. But some develop [qtip:inflammation|Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection.] and damage in their liver cells. This stage of fatty liver disease is known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. If NASH gets worse, it can cause permanent scarring and liver hardening. Liver…, Undoing Early Damage, The most effective fatty liver treatment involves a change in lifestyle. Weight loss is helpful. “But the weight loss has to be pretty significant,” says Loomba. You have to lose about 7% of your body weight to resolve NASH. You’ll need to lose at least 10% to reduce fibrosis, or scarring. Losing weight can also help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause…

COVID-19 vaccines are a key tool in fighting the pandemic. They slow the spread of the virus. They’ve also been shown to reduce COVID-19 deaths. A study estimated how many deaths were prevented because of the vaccines. Researchers collected data on state vaccination rates and COVID-19 deaths. They used the data to create a statistical model. Based on the model, COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 140,…

Have you ever wondered what it means to “follow the science?” Sometimes it may seem like what’s true one day changes the next. But when what we know changes, it often means science is working. Research helps us understand the world through careful testing. Each advance builds on past discoveries. This process can take a long time. But the end result is a better understanding of the world around…

You need your sense of balance to stand, walk, bend down, drive, and more. If it gets disrupted, you may struggle to work, study, or even do simple daily activities. Balance problems also increase the risk of dangerous falls. “Balance is really your sixth sense,” says Dr. David Newman-Toker, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University. “But we’re not usually aware of it, unless it’s broken.” Many…, Pinpointing the Problem, Tiny organs in your inner ear form the core of your balance system. They communicate with your brain to give you a sense of your body’s position. “But your balance system isn’t just your inner ear,” Hoa says. “It’s input from your eyes. It’s your muscles, joints, and spine. It’s your vision.” That makes balance disorders tricky to diagnose. “A change in any part of the system could contribute to…, Common Causes of Balance Problems, Identifying what’s causing a balance problem can be complicated. Several disorders have similar symptoms. An infection or [qtip:inflammation|Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection.] of the inner ear can trigger dizziness and loss of balance. This is called labyrinthitis. Inflammation can also affect the nerve that sends signals about balance to…, Finding What Works, Some balance disorders have straightforward treatments. But others can be tricky. For BPPV, a trained health care provider can perform a series of simple head movements. These move the loose crystals back in place. Ménière’s disease is harder to treat. Lifestyle changes like stopping smoking and eating less salt can sometimes reduce symptoms. New drugs are now being tested to treat Ménière’s…

To fight the spread of COVID-19, many places now require people to wear face masks. But the advice on wearing them has changed over the course of the pandemic. This has led some people to question: Do face masks even protect against COVID-19? “Yes, absolutely,” says Dr. Adriaan Bax, a biophysicist at NIH. He has been testing how well different types of masks work. Masks, he explains, can help…

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes pain and swelling in the joints. It’s an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks your own healthy joint tissue. Experts don’t know what causes the disease. Genes, hormones, and factors in the environment may play a role. Smoking cigarettes is known to increase the risk of developing RA. Researchers recently looked at whether being exposed to…

Bring on the holidays! But before you start cooking, take a moment to look over some tips on food safety. They can help avoid getting you and others sick. When preparing food, follow four basic steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill. First, wash your hands, countertop, and cutting board with hot soapy water. Make sure that knives and other cooking utensils are clean. Wash the lids of cans before…

Bottles of supplements line the shelves at your local supermarket. These include vitamins and minerals from A to zinc. You can also find products like probiotics, herbs, and fish oil. But are they needed for good health? And what about their risks? “For most people, eating a nutritious variety of foods can provide all the nutrients they need,” says Carol Haggans, a registered dietitian and…, Who Needs Supplements?, Your body needs different amounts of certain nutrients at different times in your life. For example, the ability to absorb and process some nutrients decreases with age. So older adults may need more of certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and calcium. People who avoid certain foods may also need a nutrient boost. For example, vitamin B12 is found only in animal products…, Safety Concerns, If you take supplements, tell your health care providers. Some supplements can change how well medications work. Others have risks for specific groups of people. See the Ask Your Doctor box for questions to ask about supplements. You can track information about your supplements and medications using NIH's My Dietary Supplement and Medicine Record chart. “It’s also important to know the total…, Boosting Your Immune System, Perhaps the most common claim for supplements is that they boost your immune system. Researchers have been studying whether any can help. “Many nutrients, like vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and magnesium are important for a healthy immune system,” Haggerty says. But so far, getting more than the recommended amount of any nutrient doesn’t appear to boost the immune system.…

Do you wake up with a tired or sore jaw in the morning? It could be a sign that you’re grinding or clenching your teeth at night. Over time, this can damage your teeth and lead to jaw problems. It can cause teeth to crack, loosen, and even fall out. Teeth grinding and clenching—also called bruxism—can cause serious issues if left untreated. And people aren’t always aware that they’re doing it. “…

Excerpts from an educational webinar from NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements, featuring Dr. Paul Thomas and Ms. Carol Haggans., Dietary supplement use in the United States:, Thomas:, Americans spend more on supplements than they do on over-the-counter medications, like products for pain relief, stomach upset, allergies, and the like. One good estimate is almost $49 billion in sales in 2019. Overall, about half of adults and a third of children take one of more supplements daily, or on most days. For adults, supplement use increases with age. About a third of those [aged] 19…, How the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements:, Haggans, : If you think about prescription or over-the-counter drugs, we expect them to work as intended and to be safe. FDA doesn’t treat dietary supplements the same. Dietary supplements are regulated as foods and not drugs. First, they’re [not approved] for effectiveness. So that means that if you take a supplement that’s marketed to help maintain [qtip:immune system|The system that protects your body…, How botanical and herbal supplements are different from vitamins and minerals:, Thomas, : There are no guideposts or recommendations for intake [for botanicals], like you have with the daily value for nutrients. So you need to get expert advice on when or if to take [a botanical] product. For most botanicals, we don’t know what the most important constituents are, or what combinations provide potential health benefits. And one company’s botanical supplement is [going to be]…, Questions to ask before taking a supplement:, Thomas, : The best advice we can give you is to talk with your health care providers before taking any supplements. Have a discussion with your doctor, pharmacist, registered dietitian, or other provider about which might be useful—or useless—to you. At the very least, let your main providers know what supplements you’re taking and why. Discuss your reasons for taking them and get their reactions. […