Natural Foods – Our Ancient Ancestors Wanted Anything But That
Natural foods aren't fit to eat, says science and technology historian Rachel Laudan. The move to eat only organic and natural flies in the face of advances that make foods better, not worse. Continue...
View ArticleWe’re All Eating GMOs! And That’s a Good Thing
It'd be hard, if not impossible, to avoid eating genetically modified foods. By one means or another virtually all our crops — grains, fruits and vegetables — have been genetically modified. If you...
View ArticleNo Sweet Dreams: Bedbug Resistance on the Rise
Itchy bedbug bites are hardly a thing of the past, since resistance to commonly-used pesticides is on the rise. Not only are the critters basically laughing at older chemicals, the resistance seems to...
View ArticleChanging Behavior is Hard, Especially When Food is Involved
Would taxes on less-nutritious foods lead to better health? Or better purchasing patterns? In a recent study of food taxes vs. food subsidies, researchers found little to support that notion as both...
View ArticleDiet Comparisons with a Nutty Twist
Once again, researchers have taken on that perennial question: What's better for weight loss, low fat or low carb? But this time, they've added walnuts to the mix. This isn't a nutty idea, since these...
View ArticleEnergy Drinks: The Dose Makes the Poison
Caffeine-fueled energy drinks can provide a quick pick-me-up, and they're popular among young men in particular. But too much a good thing can be dangerous, and if combined with alcohol they can lead...
View ArticleEnjoying the Sun’s Vitamin D, While Blocking Skin Cancer
Current medical advice says avoid the sun to minimize the risk of skin cancers, but doing so also minimizes the skin's creation of vitamin D. But a new type of sunscreen being developed may soon allow...
View ArticleC-Section Babies Get Mom’s Germs to Improve Immunity
Cesarean-section-born babies miss out on the beneficial bacteria found in the mothers' vaginas. And some hypothesize that this omission makes these infants more susceptible to various ills. A recent...
View Article‘Healthy Obesity’ May Be an Oxymoron, Study Says
Although obesity is linked to a myriad of negative health effects, there are some obese people who still seem to escape these impacts. But a new study from South Korea suggests that there may be hidden...
View ArticleBariatric Surgery Beneficial Even for Older People
If someone has been obese for many years, would undergoing bariatric surgery still be helpful, allowing them to live longer? A new study shows that while middle-aged patients benefitted, "bypass...
View ArticleStick Motivates Physical Activity Better than Carrot, Says Study
Can people be motivated to change their behavior to improve their health? Encouraging weight loss by financially rewarding individuals isn't particularly effective. But a new study suggests that using...
View ArticleEggs Aren’t Heart Disease Culprit, Even for the High Risk
Dietary cholesterol, especially eggs, have often been demonized as a source of high blood cholesterol levels, and thus taboo for people with an elevated risk of heart disease. But a recent study once...
View ArticleWeight Loss Helps Prevent Knee Arthritis — Who Knew?
It's easy to be led astray by trusting to logic when evaluating health advice. But sometimes logic is borne out by science, as in the case of a recent study of prevention of knee arthritis by weight...
View ArticleChewing Gum Might Speed Surgical Recovery
Your mother might have told you not to chew gum — it's bad for your teeth, and it sticks your stomach together, etc. But in some cases, your doctor might actually prescribe a little gum chewing to help...
View ArticleObesity Raises Blood Pressure, Even in Kids
High blood pressure frequently accompanies obesity — and can lead to a myriad of ills, such as kidney problems, heart disease and stroke. A new study demonstrates that is also true for children and...
View ArticleJoint Pain on the Rise; Obesity May Be the Culprit
A Nebraska-based study of changes in the prevalence of arthritis and related conditions found large increases during the period of 2007-2012. One possible reason for this situation is the ongoing,...
View ArticleMillennials’ Diets Loaded with Idiosyncrasies
The millennial generation (born between 1984 and 2004) has its own take on food and nutrition. From eschewing breakfast cereals to checking the web for information, they don't necessarily follow in...
View ArticleNew York City’s Salt Warning on Hold; That’s Good for Now
The current attempt by the New York City Board of Health to force chain restaurants to label foods containing high levels of salt has been stymied for now. This is a good development, since the idea...
View ArticleOnline Diet Programs Unlikely to Meet Standards, Study Finds
Online weight-loss programs are convenient — you can access them from home whenever it suits you. But how good are they? It's hard to tell sometimes just from looking at the site. A new study suggests...
View ArticleAstronaut Kelly Grew in Space, In More than One Way
After nearly a year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly was nearly 1 1/2 inch taller when he returned to Earth. But that's far from the only change that the human body is likely to undergo when it spends...
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