Study Raises New Questions About Artificial Sweeteners

For decades, artificial sweeteners have been promoted as a healthier alternative to sugar. But new research suggests they may have unexpected effects on your metabolism.

"What makes our analysis notable is that by focusing on non-caloric comparators, we better isolated the direct physiological effects of the sweeteners themselves, not the ...

Calling Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Something Else Might Save More Lives, Researchers Argue

Men might benefit if doctors quit referring to low-risk prostate cancer as cancer at all, a new study says.

Referring to the lowest-risk type of prostate cancer — Grade Group 1 (GG1) — as cancer does more harm than good, researchers argued recently in the journal JAMA Oncology.

Renaming GG1 as a precancerous or p...

Taking Small Breaks From Sitting Around Can Lower Your Cancer Risk

Planning an epic TV binge, or a long session of video gaming?

If you take hourly breaks to get up and stretch your legs, you’ll lower the risk of cancer posed by sedentary behavior, a new study says.

Each hour of prolonged, uninterrupted sitting around in a person’s day is associated with a 9% higher risk of dying from ca...

Learning Languages Could Net You A Younger Brain, Study Says

Is your teenager thinking about taking a Spanish or French class?

Tell them there’s a hidden benefit to picking up another language — their brain might age slower, a new study says.

People who speak additional languages have brains that appear six to 13 years younger than those who only speak a single language, resea...

FDA Lets 20 ZYN Nicotine Pouches Claim Lower Risk Than Cigarettes; Critics Warn Of Danger

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized marketing of 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products as a lower-risk option than cigarettes, a decision that drew immediate criticism from anti-cancer advocates worried about youth use.

Nicotine pouches are placed in the mouth between the lip and gums. They are made of nicotine powder, flav...

Rehab Program Helps Lift Long COVID 'Brain Fog'

Many people with long COVID suffer from “brain fog,” finding it difficult to remember things, think on their feet or pay attention.

But this symptom can be addressed by rehab, according to a new study.

Ten weeks of cognitive rehabilitation helped long COVID patients lift much of their brain fog, allowing them to achieve g...

Why Are You Right- Or Left-Handed? Experiments Suggest Surprisingly Simple Explanation

Why is your right hand so much better at everyday tasks like writing, throwing or using tools if you’re a righty, but your left hand if you’re a lefty?

A new study argues that your dominant hand is made, not born — in other words, practice determines whether you’re left- or right-handed.

There’s no hardw...

Prompt Responses From Mom Might Lower A Baby's Risk Of Childhood Mental Health Problems

Here’s more pressure for harried mothers — a sluggish response to baby’s coos and babbles might increase their risk of childhood psychiatric problems.

Moms who respond within one second of their baby’s vocalizations appear to lower the child’s risk of mental health problems by age 7, researchers reported July ...

Rural Americans More Likely To View Cancer As A Death Sentence, Poll Finds

People living in rural America are more likely to view cancer as a death sentence, a new survey reports.

About 43% of people living in rural areas say a cancer diagnosis means inevitable death, compared to 35% of people in urban or suburban locales, according to the new poll from the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

This is likely driven b...

FDA Scientists Warn Against Expanded Peptide Access As Kennedy Reshapes Advisory Panel

Federal health scientists are urging caution about expanding access to controversial peptide drugs, even as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reshapes the advisory panel that will consider whether to loosen those restrictions.

FDA career scientists quietly posted recommendations online Monday in several briefing documents advisin...

Can A Popular Muscle Supplement Help Treat Depression?

Could the same supplement many people take to build muscle also help treat depression?

A new review published June 30 in the journal Brain Medicine suggests creatine has potential, but the evidence isn’t quite there yet.

Creatine helps cells produce energy. Your body makes it naturally, but you can also get it from foo...

Heat Dome Coming: Tips To Stay Safe During Extreme Temps

A heat dome is expected to scorch most of the United States through the July 4 weekend, sending temperatures into the high-double and even triple digits in the central and eastern regions of the nation.

In advance of these brutal conditions, experts are offering ways to protect against heat stroke and other forms of heat-related illness.

Diets That Lower Inflammation Might Cut Dementia Risk, Study Indicates

A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods might help people avoid dementia, especially if they have an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says.

People with early blood markers of Alzheimer’s who followed a diet designed to quell inflammation lowered their dementia risk by up to 29%, researchers recently reported in ...

Melatonin Shows Promise As Safe, Cheap Painkiller, Review Concludes

The sleep supplement melatonin might also be useful in treating chronic pain, a new evidence review says.

Melatonin appears to reduce chronic muscle and joint pain as much as painkillers like opioids, aspirin, Aleve (naproxen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen), researchers reported June 30 in the journal Pain.

“Melatonin is ...

Vitamins Might Be Key To Asthma Control In Children, Adults

Vitamin A might help children who are struggling with asthma, a new study says.

Higher levels of vitamin A in the bloodstream are linked to better lung function in both kids and adults with asthma, researchers reported June 30 in the journal Thorax.

The study also looked into vitamin D, but found that the nutrient only benef...

A 40-Year-Old Law Requires ERs To Treat Everyone — Unless They Opt Out

For 40 years, U.S. emergency departments have been barred from turning away patients who cannot pay. 

But that protection applies only to hospitals that contract with Medicare, and a growing number of for-profit emergency room (ER) operators are opting out, reports STAT.

One of the largest, Houston-based Nutex Health, r...

From Caffeine To 'Healthy' Labeling, FDA Sets Year-End Agenda For US Food Supply

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the food supply issues it seeks to tackle by year’s end.

The FDA’s Human Food Program aims to prevent foodborne illness, reduce diet-related chronic disease and ensure chemicals in food are safe.

Its proposed agenda, announced June 29, emphasizes more informat...

Major Study Supports Same-Day COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination

One trip to the pharmacy may be all you need to protect yourself from COVID-19 and the flu this fall.

A new study — published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine — found that getting both vaccines at the same visit is no riskier than getting a flu shot alone.

A team led by Yan Xie of the VA St. Louis Health ...

Even Mild Weather Changes Impact Mental Health

Heat domes, soaking rains and savage winter storms have left their mark on people’s minds and moods this year.

And little wonder — even modest, short-term changes in weather can affect a person enough to make them seek therapy, a new study says.

Fluctuations in temperature and levels of sunshine are linked to U.K. residen...

Women With Parkinson's More Likely To Have Brain Changes Related To Alzheimer's

Women with Parkinson’s disease might be more vulnerable than men to Alzheimer’s-related changes in their brains, new research suggests.

Women with Parkinson’s have higher levels of amyloid beta plaques in their brains, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported Sunday in Geneva at a meeting of the Europ...