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The Tampa Bay Times recently ran a story that would have been unsurprising to many of you. It found that much of the locally-sourced organic food being served in one restaurant was actually nothing of the kind. There's a simple reason for that: Organic is just a process, or marketing, or both, since there is no real difference in the food.

Late last year, ACSH testified at the White House on the impact of the FDA's "deeming regulations," granted to it by the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, to cover all tobacco products. This was after numerous agencies and officials had been asked for guidance on this complex subject. The Council issued its recommendations, and it looks more and more like our advice will win the day, at least based on a recent committee vote.

The health website WebMD supposedly gives us scientifically sound advice. So why is it following in the footsteps of the Natural Resources Defense Council with respect to pesticide scares? As a result we think the Web Doctor's health advice on this issue is decidedly unscientific.

Occasionally we hear improbable stories, like one about a person who's left unscathed from a disaster that kills hundreds. In a way, we might consider this type of person to be "superhuman." Similarly, a recent study has uncovered a new subset of people who are genetically superhuman, described as otherwise healthy people who have survived despite having genes that signal fatal diseases.

Proponents of organic agriculture have succeeded in scaring many consumers about the supposed dangers of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. But few have thought to examine the effects of those chemicals approved for use under organic rules. At least some, such as copper sulfate, are also dangerous for beneficial species such as bees.

They say money can't buy happiness, but it can certainly buy a nice house, a boat or a plane tickets to Hawaii. That has to count for something, right? According to scientists, it does. A recent study from Cambridge University found people who spend money on things they enjoy, like hobbies and other interests, tend to be happier than their peers.

Environmental groups really dislike the weed killer 2,4-D. So much so, that they routinely play the "let's scare the public by calling it something else" game. What are the rules? Just make sure that whenever 2,4-D is mentioned, also refer to dioxin and Agent Orange so that everyone thinks they're the same. But they aren't. Not even close.

Science rests on data, of that there can be no doubt. But peer through the hot haze of hype surrounding the use of big data in biology, and you will see plenty of cold facts that suggest we need fresh thinking if we are to turn the swelling ocean of “omes” – genomes, proteomes and transcriptomes – into new drugs and treatments.

A recent poll found that in defiance of what marketing claims are about organic food, anti-GMO beliefs are actually a sign of being less educated. This is a big blow to Organic Consumers Association and the attack groups they fund to say just the opposite, such as U.S. Right To Know and SourceWatch.

Though we often tout healthy eating and regular exercise as the cornerstones of good health, even the healthiest of patients are not immune to the leading cause of death in men and women in the U.S. And although rare, it is worth noting that rigorous exercise could elevate the risk of heart attack in people who may be at risk.

The Centers for Disease Control found that recent use of cigarettes by teens decreased, while use of e-cigarettes increased. So that's a good thing, right? Well, not according to the agency, which now wants us to be concerned about nicotine addition.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the U.N.'s epidemiological arm, has been in existence since the 1960s. But it only recently got a skeptical look from journalists and the general public, because officials declared that sausage is the same risk as cigarette smoking, plutonium, mustard gas and asbestos. So what's going on there?

Why are saturated fats healthy again? Why do the latest nutritional guidelines still have a very low cap on salt despite all the contradictory data?

Babies begin to learn language sounds before they’re even born. In the womb, a mother’s voice is one of the most prominent sounds that's heard. And, as research scientist Naja Ferjan Ramirez writes, at birth newborns can even distinguish between their mother’s language and another.

The next time you feel stress and anxiety riding on your shoulders, pick up a coloring book. Seriously, they're not just for kids anymore. Adult coloring books are the new way to unwind, and many health experts are on board.

Residents of Flint, Michigan continue to have misgivings about their water supply, even after the city switched back to cleaner water in the wake of its recent contaminated water crisis. Yet one health issue – a growing number of skin rashes among residents – has caused them to avoid bathing with city-supplied water at all costs. But are these fears justified? The science says they are not.

Electro-stimulation has been making headlines recently as a way to further induce effective cardiovascular, neuromuscular and muscular strength adaptations to physical exercise. But researchers caution this type of training should be used as a supplement to traditional exercise and not replace it altogether.

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Common diabetes medications with antioxidant effects have been implicated in promoting the spread of existing cancer in mice. That's thought to be caused by the activation of the NRF2 pathway, resulting in increased expression of cancer-promoting proteins and cancer cell migration.

Step aside, paleo diet; there's a new fad in town. Celebrities like Mariah Carey have jumped on the Purple Diet plan, where only purple fruits and veggies are allowed.

When Robert De Niro pulled the film “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe” from the Tribeca Film Festival last month, the scientific community cheered. Then, however, the actor stated in a TV interview that he was not sure that it was the right decision, but made it clear that he wants to learn the truth. Here, we extend an invitation to Mr. De Niro to learn the truth, and to gain an understanding of why we are absolutely sure that there is no link between vaccines and autism.

Pindolol, a medication used to treat high blood pressure and angina, has been found to reduce alcohol consumption in binge-drinking mice. Researchers are looking to fast-track human clinical trials to test efficacy.

Giving peanut protein to infants at high risk of developing allergy to peanuts has been shown to limit the development of that allergy at 5 years of age. Now, a new study demonstrates that this allergy avoidance is robust — even if the kids avoid peanuts for a year.

Most people take for granted the notion that eating butter leads to a bad heart. As a result, many have turned to vegetable oil as a healthy cooking alternative. Yet a new study stands among many others in showing that the opposite may be true: butter, in fact, could be better for our health than vegetable oils. So, all in all, the jury is still out.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna have elucidated the role of galectin-1, a protein that has been found to be over-expressed in the joint cartilage of individuals with osteoarthritis, and which seems to stimulate the destructive inflammatory process.