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A recent study, predictably followed by alarmist headlines, suggested that the sweetener xylitol may increase the risk of cardiovascular complications and blood clots. As usual, there’s much more to the story — including the fact that xylitol is perfectly safe for most people to consume as a sweetener.

Last week, a lawsuit was filed against the Pacqui Chip Manufacturer alleging the wrongful death of a child from consuming their noxiously “hot” chili pepper chip. (The product was voluntarily withdrawn after the child’s death). A seriously high verdict may discourage future production of similar products. But what about in the meantime?

Although nutrition has made significant advances in recent years — such as recognizing the harm caused by trans fats — it’s surprising that, even within the academic field, there’s still ongoing debate about the most efficient diet. (Spoiler alert: any of them can work as long as a diet aligns with your preferences and allows for greater consistency.)

You'd think surgeons would be the first to know when to hang up their scalpel, but alas, they're as stubborn as a rusted bolt. When should a surgeon put down the knife and stop pretending they’re not going blind? It's a question of cognitive decline, ego, and knowing when to pass the baton, or in this case, the scalpel.

The popularity of health coaching continues to grow. The appeal is understandable, given the promise of more one-on-one time with a person specifically hired to support your health. Artificial Intelligence has blossomed in the 2020s, and creating calendars, training plans, answering questions, and more have never been easier. The combination of these two is obviously appealing — but it warrants caution.

When it comes to dinner, we seem to have a bit of selective empathy. A study in the journal Appetite shows that children are less inclined to eat animals they perceive as having human-like traits, revealing our deep-rooted bias towards identifiable over anonymous victims.

In this radio interview, Lars Larson and I discussed overeating and over-imbibing during the holidays, particularly focusing on the phenomenon known as "Holiday Heart Syndrome."

Overindulging during holiday festivities can cause more than heartburn. You could end up in the emergency room. Prevention is the best course.

Food loss and waste is a global concern. 30 to 40% of our annual production, 80 billion pounds of food, are wasted annually, or, in more human terms, 242 pounds per person. 22% of our landfills are filled with wasted food. A new study examines the intersection of environmental concerns and meat-related food loss.

Just in time for Christmas – Toxic Christmas Trees?
Vanilla
A child’s view of factory farms
What is nuclear power worth to you?

Reflecting their baseless antagonism towards COVID vaccines, the state's legislature, governor, and attorney general have made decisions that will have deadly consequences for many Texans.

Most respiratory viral diseases, like influenza, take their greatest toll on the ends of the lifespan, the frail elderly, and the not-quite-as-frail infants and toddlers. But COVID was different and had little impact on the mortality of the very young. A new study sheds some light on why.

This past week, Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health hosted a webinar on the putative dangers of ultra-processed foods (UPF). Let me share my recap.

Here's the premise: social justice and equitable care increasingly require that those individuals providing your healthcare look like you and share your lived experience. To that end, medical schools have fashioned (or refashioned) their mission statements to explicitly call for diversity in their student bodies. But as a new study shows, words and intentions are not sufficient.

Jerry Rogers, the editor of both RealClearHealth.com and RealClearPolicy.com, moderated a discussion with several experts [1], including me, on various aspects of vaccines.

The DEA recently added six "new" synthetic cannabinoids to its Schedule I list of illegal drugs (aka Spice, K2, bath salts). Has doing this ever worked in the past? No. Will it work now? Of course not. There are plenty of reasons. Here are some of them. Plus, here's another Dreaded Chemistry Lesson from Hell for all you masochists.

The blockbuster weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic have helped many patients rapidly slim down. But these powerful pharmaceuticals could have unintended consequences we may not be ready for. Meanwhile, what motivates people to wear masks? Post COVID, researchers are finally beginning to find some answers.

Even as cigarette manufacturers can no longer escape liability for addiction-inducing practices, social media (SM) companies hide behind the First Amendment and The Communications Decency Act (CDA) to protect themselves. A recent case dents this shield. But the decision still protects some SM activities - even those allegedly engendering addictions in teens. I disagree with the Court’s reasoning. Here’s why.

From 1839 to 1842, the British attacked China over the Chinese government's decision to ban opium. The French joined the fray between 1856 and 1860. The military superiority of the Western powers resulted in the legalization of opium in China. Karma – in the form of China's payback to the Western powers – is a bitch.

Listicles are articles consisting of lists. It is indeed the listicle season.
Listicle #1 - Learning never ends.
United Healthcare is no longer an insurance company; it delivers healthcare
Listicle #2 – Useful Principles
Plain vanilla

Methadone has been known to be an effective treatment for opioid addiction and dependency since the 1960s. Unfortunately, in this country, since 1972, the federal government segregates people with opioid use disorder from people with other health conditions that doctors treat in their offices by requiring them to travel miles each day to take a daily dose of methadone at government-approved clinics. Congress may soon undertake the first serious reform in how people get methadone in more than a half-century.

The New York Times recently summarized an article from the prestigious journal Science, claiming that 460,000 fewer Medicare deaths since 1999 could be attributed to reduced emissions from 138 coal-fired power plants.

This past month, Stanford Medicine posted the following press release headline: “A Stanford Medicine-led trial of identical twins comparing vegan and omnivore diets found that a vegan diet improves overall cardiovascular health.”

A vacation is a tough time to get sick or hurt. It's even tougher when you might have a perfectly legitimate need for a controlled substance, but can't get it from any urgent care facility. The result? Instead of getting an effective drug for what ails you you get tossed out with something nearly worthless. This just happened to my wife. Here's the story. It's infuriating.

This year the American Council on Science Health turned 45. That's a long time for a non-profit to be around. But ACSH has persevered because we continue to offer something no other organization provides: quick and easy-to-read, always factual – and thorough – science.