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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.

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.