Spring is nettle season. That’s when the young stinging leaves are richest in vitamins, and that’s when people start harvesting them, steeping them, adding them to food, and using them…

The phrase “Open Sesame!” comes from the Arabic folk tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It entered European awareness in Antoine Galland’s early-18th-century French translation of One Thousand and…

Too much caffeine can be harmful to your health. However, numerous studies have shown that just one cup of coffee a day is linked to a variety of health benefits.…

Talk of coffee being dangerous is fading. Today, many medical professionals consider this aromatic drink not just an energy boost but also a protector against serious illnesses. Recent studies have…

This universal “healer” can banish colds and help your eyes, heart, skin, stomach, and liver. The Benefits of Honey This natural treasure is produced entirely by bees, who partially digest…

For many people, the urge for a cup of coffee is the main reason to crawl out of bed in the morning. What gives this aromatic drink so much power…

The fruit of the mango tree is a yellowish drupe with a smooth, waxy skin. When you touch a ripe mango, it gives slightly: a fresh mango springs back under…

The authors of a new study hope their findings will encourage women to be more physically active. It’s especially important because women appear to gain greater benefits than men from…

Plums are delicious and packed with nutrients. With carbohydrates making up about 9–14 percent of their composition, they’re a good source of energy. Their pectin content (0.6–1.8 percent) helps remove…

Garlic is a humble garden plant that’s been used as a seasoning for as long as humans can remember. Its history, like that of onions, is so ancient it’s hard…

Honey captures the fresh aromas of spring and the warmth of summer. Its flavor was prized long before sugar became popular. Avicenna recommended honey to people who wanted a long,…

Imagine a world without onions and garlic. Many dishes simply wouldn’t be the same—borscht, meat patties, shish kebabs, dumplings—too many to list. In many national cuisines, onions are celebrated as…

Sunbathing has been used to strengthen the body since ancient times — a practice now called heliotherapy. In Ancient Greece and Rome, sunbathing was a regular part of daily wellness:…