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While public toilet seats can potentially transmit germs and viruses among users, similar health threats can find their way to us when we come into contact with some common objects, both in the bathroom and around the house.

So you have to give up something for lent? Don't pick carbs. If you do, expect flu-like symptoms.

They're sweet, and soft, and gooey and ... unbelievably fattening: paczki are everywhere on Fat Tuesday and that's OK.

The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, a state-run agency that funds stem cell research, is considering funding research on human embryos using a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9. This could potentially allow for cures to be discovered for devastating inherited diseases.

Cesarean-section-born babies miss out on the beneficial bacteria found in the mothers' vaginas. And some hypothesize that this omission makes these infants more susceptible to various ills. A recent study sought to determine if these bacteria could be swabbed on the C-section baby to deliver the missing benefits.

In 2012, an official federal panel designated routine PSA testing a Grade D: don't do it. Since then, doctors across the board have cut back on it. Not urologists, however. Their use of PSAs has not budged. Why? Simply, with more PSAs, abnormal results increase, and more urological procedures are done.

When it comes to taking multivitamins or other dietary additions, supplement industry reps say that the more you take, the better. But nutrition experts and the entire scientific community argue otherwise. So if you're eating bananas, avocados or a host of other foods, you're likely getting enough magnesium.

The Food and Drug Administration recently issued draft guidelines for the regulation of stem cell therapy clinics. They have become part of a booming industry, with many of them run by those with the ethical makeup of snake oil salesmen of yesteryear.

There's been a sharp uptick in the number of hepatitis B cases in the U.S. This isn't unexpected, because since 2010 heroin use has skyrocketed, and with that use, needles are shared more frequently. We're recently seen HIV and Hep C outbreaks from needle sharing. Is this any different? Very unlikely.

Researchers have found that regular spicy-food eaters, especially women, lived longer, and that they had a lower cancer risk than spicy-food avoiders. And foods like chili peppers contain the chemical, capsaicin, which, in terms of the debate on how to stay healthy, appears to be a hot item.

Current medical advice says avoid the sun to minimize the risk of skin cancers, but doing so also minimizes the skin's creation of vitamin D. But a new type of sunscreen being developed may soon allow our bodies to avoid getting skin cancers, while still allowing the sun to promote vitamin D production.

A new study shows the rapid loss of protection against whooping cough among teens vaccinated with a booster shot. This decline, which takes place over less than four years, helps explain the recent outbreaks in California and Minnesota, and shows that a new vaccination approach is needed.

While toe-tourniquet syndrome is not considered a widespread health threat to infants, unsuspecting parents should be aware of the situation in which strands of the mother's hair become accidentally wrapped around a baby's finger, toe or other appendage. If left undetected it can lead to painful consequences.

With Florida in a state of emergency due to nine cases, officials are getting serious about science solutions to stopping the pest that transmits it.

Viruses are all over the news right now. Here's one that is really bad news norovirus. What's it going to do to you? How do you catch it? NBA Hall-of-Famer and wicked wordsmith Walt Frazier explains. Take it away Clyde.

Insurance companies may be able to charge higher premiums for employees with higher body mass indices, should the EEOC adopt this proposal as a rule. Meanwhile, a new study found that nearly half of Americans who are deemed either overweight, or obese based merely on their BMI, are actually healthy.

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

Caffeine-fueled energy drinks can provide a quick pick-me-up, and they're popular among young men in particular. But too much a good thing can be dangerous, and if combined with alcohol they can lead to serious health issues.

California's law was ostensibly crafted to warn the public about potentially toxic substances in products. It has become a tool for predatory lawyers to sue companies for no valid reason and it's about to get worse.

After many years in hospital beds and on operating tables, Dede Koswara recently lost his battle with the rare "tree man illness," a bizarre skin disorder. Though they are rare, Koswara's case -- and other strange maladies we've taken a look at -- seem more common in Indonesia than in other parts of the world. Why is that?

A hunchbacked german shepherd and a third-grade girl with Marfan syndrome both recently made headlines --proof that when it comes to the spine, genetic abnormalities don't play favorites.

The rise of medical marijuana has kicked off a host of medical claims. A recurring one from some ex-NFL players is that pot greatly helps manage pain, and that it can be an effective substitute for opioid narcotics while helping guard against possible addiction. But while there may be benefits, these claims aren't medically proven, as a range of results from different studies show.

The first Friday in February is national "wear red" day, a time when the American Heart Association asks that, in an effort to increase awareness around women's heart health issues, everyone wear something red.

A case of Zika infection by transfusion has been reported by Brazillian health officials. This shouldn't be terribly surprising, since if it can be transmitted by mosquitos, a pint of infected blood seems like a sure bet. Although this may be obvious, it raises a range of questions that are less so -- but important.

A recent study reveals that mitochondria, which have recently gained recognition for their essential role in longevity and health, are essential for cell aging and this is the first research to conclusively prove it.