Search results

Sometimes Strep throat is actually 'Fuso' throat, caused by the bacterium Fusobacterium. However, the ability of this bacterium to cause Strep throat is under-appreciated, and problems may arise if all sore throats are treated in the same way. 

Right after the death of Barbara Bush, Prof. Jarrar said, among other things, that she was "happy the witch is dead." Setting aside free speech, let's focus on an important underlying concern: The psychology of pure, unadulterated hatred. How does someone become so consumed with animosity for a fellow human being?

Over the years nuts have increasingly been viewed as pretty beneficial, delivering a range of health benefits by the handful. However, according to a new study by Swedish researchers, such a reputation may be fairly misleading. That's because, as they learned, the nut-eater has to be inclined towards a healthy lifestyle in order to enjoy their benefits.  

The Organic Consumers Association, which promotes conspiracy theories about 9/11, chemtrails, and FEMA, is pushing another one: Pesticides cause school shootings.

Laetrile, which is found apricot seeds, has been used by quacks to "treat" cancer for 70 years. It works, assuming that your goal is to poison yourself. But cancer claims, which were ridiculous in the 1950s, continue today. Psst. Keep this secret. It's cyanide, no more, no less. Don't let the screwballs tell you otherwise. 

The anti-opioid hysteria has hit the U.S. Military. It's using acupuncture – which is quackery – to treat wounded soldiers, even during battle. Let's stick a needle in this nonsense. 

The narrative that honeybees – which aren't actually native to North America, Europe or Australia – face mortal danger and will take us down with them has, for years, been advanced by environmental groups and repeated in the media. The only problem is that it isn’t true. According to the USDA, the U.S. honeybee population hit a 22-year high in 2016 before dipping slightly last year.
 
 

Consider this paradox: The more nutritious our diet, the more food we throw away, and the more it takes from our environmental resources. Which begs the question: Does virtuous eating have an environmental cost?

A genetically-engineered enzyme could provide a more elegant solution for plastic bottles, most of which that can hang around the environment for hundreds of years.

Melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer – kills an estimated 10,000 Americans per year, with the death toll rising each year. Yet there is no consensus in the medical community on a uniform, data-based protocol to screen for the disease. Now, scores of those who study and treat melanoma are banding together to address that.

Cats are independent, untrainable and don't really bond with people — at least that's their generally-accepted reputation. But a recent study suggests that cats actually like interacting with people — maybe even more than they like food. Who knew?
 

Older mothers may be better – or maybe not. But when a study is based on moms' answers to a questionnaire about their own children, it's also possible that older mothers just think their children are more perfect than how younger moms view their kids.  

Statistics is difficult, and choosing the proper tools becomes more challenging as experiments become more complex. That's why it's not uncommon for large genetics or epidemiological studies to have a biostatistician as a co-author. Perhaps more biomedical studies should follow suit.

Pain patients are experiencing a world of trouble. If their pain itself wasn’t enough, the CDC added to their agony by issuing a restriction on primary care physicians. As guest writer Richard Lawsen explains, the "guideline" focuses on prescription of opioid medications to adults with long-lasting non-cancer pain – using methodology that's deeply flawed. 

It was another week of us doing what we do best: separating health scares from health threats. So when we get pushback from those in the health-scare business – a shifty faction that includes academic journalism professors and a former bureaucrat who insists checking your email will give you brain cancer – it's time for us to get busy.

Mental health problems affect almost twice as many Americans as diabetes. Why is Congress declaring that the former is not an essential health benefit?

Reputations are funny – they take years to build but seconds to destroy. Cargill, a company that provides all manner of agricultural products and services, ruined its reputation with farmers and science writers by announcing a partnership with the thoroughly wretched Non-GMO Project, an anti-biotech organization.

Jade Erick was interested in holistic health but she ended up anything but healthy. The 30-year-old California woman died after receiving an intravenous dose of turmeric, a spice that has not been shown to offer any health benefits whatsoever. Of course this won't stop Joe "Big Dough" Mercola from selling it on his website. The ridiculous claims are free. 

Of all the nasty things floating around out there just waiting around to kill us, viruses are the nastiest. You've all heard of smallpox, rabies, Spanish flu, polio, AIDS and Ebola. But emerging viral infections are seriously scary. 

Dr. Carson, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was a pioneer in the field of pediatric neurosurgery. He catapulted to world-renowned status in that arena as the principal surgeon in a 22-hour operation separating conjoined twins, who were attached at the head.

Since they are easily overlooked, it makes sense to check in with your kidneys to see how they're doing – and more importantly, to learn whether you're caring for them properly. Millions of Americans are not, and they're unaware of the damage they're doing because it can be symptomless.

Apparently, you can make any claim with an Asterisk (*), so long as the asterisk clarifies that your claim isn't true. In one of Dr. Oz's latest press releases, the TV 'doc' touts apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar) as a miracle health benefit: it improves blood flow, prevents diabetes, encourages weight loss, and prevents cancer. But not too long ago on the Dr. Oz show, he caveats his claims by saying this: "

Since nobody really knows what postmodernism is, it's becomes a nebulous concept that poses an existential threat to science and technology. How so? Because it's largely characterized by a rejection of objective truth. This is antithetical to scientific inquiry.

Turmeric pills are the latest version of snake oil promoted by healers and naturopaths. And although that may be bad, it's not as bad as their latest trick – administering turmeric using an IV and killing an otherwise healthy person.

The key to preventing Alzheimer's Disease may lie in the North Atlantic island of Iceland. Its relatively homogeneous population has been a treasure trove for genetic researchers looking for mutated genes that either increase or decrease the disease's risk.