Health, medicine, wellness, and the science of living well.
Changing how much sweet-tasting food people eat may not change how much they crave or enjoy sweetness after all. In a six-month trial, researchers found that people assigned to high-, low-, or average
Teens who start using cannabis may experience slower growth in memory, attention, language, and processing speed. Their abilities often developed normally at first, then began leveling off while nonus
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the second largest ever, and shows no sign of slowing down. To help, researchers are trying to expand experimental vaccines and treatments
Cyclosporiasis has been getting all the headlines, but infections from raw milk have sickened more than 100 in Idaho this summer.
Linus Pauling was widely mocked for claiming that vitamin C could fight cancer, especially after trials using vitamin C pills showed no benefit. Researchers now know that intravenous vitamin C reaches
Blocking the glycine transporter SLC6A20 restored important brain signaling and improved social, communication, and repetitive behaviors in autism-related mouse models. The treatment also worked in hu
A ten-month Antarctic experiment found that astronauts may struggle not only with loneliness but also with spending too much time around the same people. Frequent contact was linked to greater tension
Supplements are a $70 billion industry that's growing fast. But there's little evidence that many supplements actually do what they promise.
A new wearable patch may help people reach REM sleep faster and remain there longer without medication or surgery. In a study of 28 participants, the device shortened the time to REM by 43 minutes and
Beginning around age 50, the brain’s memory center appears to lose many of its longtime immune cells and replace them with more inflammatory ones. This surprising shift may help explain how normal agi
A long-term brain study found that common risks such as smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high blood lipids were strongly linked to damage associated with vascular dementia. The finding
Genetic changes may set off a chain reaction that causes the spine’s natural shock absorbers to harden and deteriorate. Zebrafish with a faulty collagen-related gene developed mineral buildup and spin
Despite a deadly public health crisis, most U.S. doctors, nurses and other health workers turn away many patients with alcohol and drug addiction without offering them science-based medications.
Tiny pollution particles from smoke, soot, and dust may worsen rheumatoid arthritis and raise the risk of painful flares, particularly after prolonged exposure. The findings suggest that avoiding poor
A prescription form of THC helped many people with PTSD escape recurring trauma-related nightmares, with more than one-third reporting that the nightmares disappeared completely after ten weeks. The r
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide whether to approve the first mRNA flu vaccine.
A simple change in posture may subtly affect how people feel and make decisions. Participants who sat upright reported greater feelings of pride and took more successful risks in a virtual balloon gam
The FDA will soon decide whether to approve the first flu vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology as COVID-19 shots. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long questioned mRNA vaccines.