HEALTH
Ultraprocessed Foods Linked to Early Onset of Colorectal Cancer
Story at-a-glance Colorectal cancer was once primarily a disease of older adults, but that pattern has been shifting in recent decades. Rates of early-onset colorectal cancer, meaning cases diagnosed before age 50, have been climbing steadily worldwide, with the steepest increases reported in high-income countries.1 In the United States, the […]
MAHA Bait and Switch? Trump’s EPA Calls for Review of Fluoride Science While Ignoring Historic Ruling on Fluoride
The MAHA movement ought to celebrate that the harms associated with fluoride are finally being debated, but it should not turn a blind eye to the EPA’s efforts to sidestep the 2024 federal ruling that ordered the agency to take regulatory action. On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) […]
Insect Loss As an Early Warning of Systemic Biological Failure
In medicine, silence can be more alarming than noise. For example, a patient who abruptly stops voicing discomfort or a monitor that ceases activity may signal system failure rather than resolution. Ecology presents a similar scenario, and currently, the silence is deeply concerning. Insects are disappearing across vast regions globally. […]
The Information War Over Antidepressants
Stat News hit the ethical and scientific bottom two weeks ago when they published an article by Stephen B. Soumerai, professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Christine Y. Lu, professor at the Sydney Pharmacy School of the University of Sydney.1 I have rarely seen so much disinformation […]
America’s Favorite Cooking Oil Shows Strong Link to Obesity
Story at-a-glance From restaurant meals to packaged staples, soybean oil is almost everywhere in the modern diet. In the United States, it’s the most widely consumed oil, with intake climbing from roughly 2% of total calories to nearly 10% over the last century.1 During this period, adult obesity has surged to […]
What Autism Is Not
In What Autism Is, I characterized autism as exclusion from the existential empathy on which meaningful human experience relies. Autistic people are irretrievably remote from the conditions for meaning. Whatever they learn is learnt as a simulation and from outside of human connection. Further clarity about autism comes from considering what […]
Heavy Alcohol Use Tied to Severe Brain Bleeds at Younger Ages
Story at-a-glance A bleeding stroke is one of the most devastating medical events a person can experience. It happens when a weakened blood vessel ruptures inside your brain, cutting off oxygen and compressing surrounding tissue. While it was once seen primarily in older adults, these strokes are now appearing in […]
EPA reverses course on formaldehyde cancer risk amid industry pressure, leaving millions at risk
For decades, formaldehyde—a ubiquitous chemical found in everything from car waxes to furniture—has been at the center of a fierce battle between public health advocates and corporate interests. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence linking formaldehyde exposure to cancer, miscarriage, asthma and fertility issues, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has repeatedly delayed decisive action, […]
Why Herbal Supplements Are Facing Increased Scrutiny Today
Story at-a-glance Over 70% of Americans take supplements today, and that number continues to rise.1 This modern trend has deep historical roots: For thousands of years, people have relied on plants and herbs for healing, with evidence stretching back at least 5,000 years in Egyptian medical texts and Ayurvedic traditions.2 Ancient […]
New Data Connects Smartphone Ownership at Age 12 to Obesity and Mental Health Concerns
Story at-a-glance Twelve-year-olds in the U.S. live in a world where smartphone access feels almost unavoidable, yet the decision to give a device at this age carries far more weight than some parents realize. Many families assume that a phone is simply a tool for convenience or safety, but the […]
