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Having Type 1 diabetes means a person's insulin-producing beta cells don't work normally. New research brings us closer to the day that new, functional beta cells can be produced in the lab and given to diabetics to normalize their metabolism.

If you subscribe to its philosophy, one of the underlying principles of the organic movement is that better tasting, higher-quality and even more ethically-produced food can be had if you're willing to pay for it. But as the market has ballooned to be a $100 billion Big Organic industry in its own right, smart shoppers are increasingly aware that the only thing they're getting are the same products at a much higher cost.

Almost as if this was a sci-fi movie, virtually every time that new information about Zika surfaces it's bad. This trend continued this week as the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the NIH held a mostly-discouraging press briefing at the White House.

The rat population is an ongoing problem due, in large part, to the fact that they're really good at one thing -- making more rats. But through a bit of biological jujitsu, or using the opponent's force against itself, researchers have developed an application that uses sex pheromones that can greatly help in the capture of these nasty rodents.

Many tout the benefits of switching to a “chemical-free lifestyle.” The problem, however, is that the word “chemical” is commonly misused. Everything is a chemical – ordinary table salt (sodium chloride), for instance, and even water (dihydrogen monoxide). So here’s a handy guide to the chemicals in your kitchen, and what they mean for your health.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has issued its final recommendations for aspirin use, as it applies to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. It mostly pertains to those in the 50-to-59 and 60-to-69 age groups.

Obtaining hormonal contraceptives just became considerably easier for California females, as compared to those in 47 other states in the nation. A new law allows women and girls, irrespective of age, to get birth control materials without first having to visit a primary care physician. Instead, they can simply go to their local pharmacist.

Scientists believe they have discovered a new set of genes linked to stroke -- but not just any stroke. The finding could help shed light on one of the most common types, and one closely associated with cases of dementia.

A British researcher has floated the idea of adding exercise equivalents — for instance, how far to run to burn off the calories in a product — to labels on packaged foods. Supposedly, this it to give a value for average-aged and averaged-sized people, which would help everyone assess their individual need for exercise. However, we doubt it.

Drexel University scientists have dressed their nanoparticle with tumor-fighting success, by using polyethylene glycol as an anchor for an enzyme to break down a tumor's extracellular matrix. That allows chemotherapy drugs to reach the tumor's core.

Microscopic algae, such as diatoms, can be picked up from virtually anywhere there is water – including seas, soils and even moist surfaces such as exposed rocks. While diatoms traditionally have been used to diagnose death by drowning, research is unravelling their huge potential for use as trace evidence in a range of forensic investigations.

Astounding! Another case of yummy, natural dietary supplements adulterated with a dangerous, illegal amphetamine-like stimulant. You can read about this anywhere, but only we turned it into "Supplement Woodstock." Enjoy the music -- but not the pills!

Some of the top health stories making news over the last 48 hours.

BMJ Global Health, a new publication, reports that five billion people around the world lack access to surgery, at a total cost of roughly $12.3 trillion in lost GDP by 2030. The authors call for various agencies to pull together in a concerted effort to provide access to those who need it most.

While statin drugs, which lower cholesterol production by the liver, have helped many avoid atherosclerosis not everyone can take them. A new means of dealing with artery-blocking cholesterol plaques may be on the horizon — with an old compound called cyclodextrin possibly being repurposed to do just that.

In the continuing effort to curb childhood obesity, researchers are focusing on ways to keep kids active while encouraging healthy behaviors. According to a recent article published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers believe that parents of young children can be a big part of the solution by getting more involved. 

Modern canning technology has almost entirely eliminated botulism poisoning. So, if bisphenol-A, otherwise known as BPA, is going to be tossed out of one can into another, something is going to have to take its place to keep all of us who own a can opener, safe.

Many vocal California women are outraged by the sales tax imposed on feminine products, and they have teamed up with state legislators to demand that these essential goods be made exempt, like they are in just a handful of other states around the country.

When assessing the treatment of heroin addicts, many wonder whether the current approved options, methadone and suboxone, are effective pathways to recovery. But now that a recent study has found promise in the pain medication hydromorphone, we’re left to wonder how well heroin addiction can be treated with an addictive drug.

We often hear about the next big thing in stem cell therapy, though few of these promises are backed up by evidence. But we appear to be close to a genuine breakthrough, based on a new technique capable of regenerating any human tissue damaged by injury, disease or aging.

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Terminally-ill cancer patients and their families often face a heart-wrenching choice when dealing with the imminence of death. Should patients take final refuge in a hospital, or retreat to the familiar comforts of home surrounded by loved ones? A recent study found that patients may fare better -- and live longer -- at home.

The saying that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” doesn’t mean that the squeaky wheel isn’t a huge pain in the neck. And according to a new study published in BMJ, when it comes to medical treatment difficult patients can cause physicians to make inaccurate diagnoses.

Sequencing a genome is quick and inexpensive, but a DNA sequence alone is not useful if we can't interpret the information that it holds. New research has developed an analysis using yeast that has the ability to determine whether a genetic mutation causes a disease. This work may help narrow the gap between having information and being able to use it to diagnose and treat patients.

Sleep disorders have also kept many researchers up at night, perhaps until now. Because according to a recent study, insomniacs brains may be wired differently than non-insomnia sufferers, which may lend credence to the long-suspected theory that anxiety and depression may not be the sole contributors to the pillow-time problem.