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A reader sent us scientific literature defending curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric), and nothing with us has changed. We remain highly critical of naturopaths, as well as other healers who use it. And in the wake of a young woman's recent death, that group includes anyone who defends administering these substances intravenously.

It glistens, oozes, sometimes sparkles and seems to be everywhere: in homes, schools and offices, and on travel gear and key chains. So it's no wonder that kids are accidentally – and even intentionally – ingesting hand sanitizer. The result can be signs of alcohol toxicity.

Who knew that the sharks on TV's Shark Tank were scientifically critical thinkers? On a recent episode, a woman from the company ENERGYbits gets ripped to shreds after the faux-science behind her algae supplements is exposed. 

Imagine if your sex was determined not at birth, but by the amount of food available in the early stages of your life. And that if you consumed more you'd increase the chance of becoming female. While that's not possible for humans, this is the surprise finding about the early growth of a particular species of invasive fish.

Faced with the ever-growing, internet echo-chamber as well as the many other sources of information available to us, it's worth taking a moment to listen to the radio show, On Being. It is a restorative program that gives you the chance to enjoy the beauty of science, and the scientific enterprise. 

A new study in the American Journal of Kidney Disease shows that acute damage to the organ can occur in marathon runners, of which there are more than 500,000 in the United States. But how significant is this work? Let's take a look.

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that women seeking to have a baby using in vitro fertilization "are more likely to give birth if they have health insurance that covers the procedure," as compared to women who don't have such coverage. 

The cholesterol goal posts are moving once again. The previous aggressive value of 70mg/dL is giving way to a new lower value because it has an acceptable safety profile, and further reductions in cardiovascular events.

Those with severe eczema can suffer mightily from itching, which leads to scratching, which makes it worse. Anti-inflammatory steroids are the go-to drugs (but they have many nasty, long-term side effects). But an antibody drug named Dupixent, just approved by the FDA, works very well. So now you may be able to give your fingernails a rest.
 

Ischemic strokes (those resulting from a block in an artery feeding the brain) are responsible for much morbidity and misery. Difficulty in speaking or walking are but two of the possible results in those who survive the occurrence. New research from Australia presents a possible means of reducing such effects based on peptides found in the venom of a deadly spider.

How would you feel about unlicensed pilots flying commercial airliners? Or if we allowed every motorist to determine which side of the street to drive on? Council advisor Dr. David Seres ponders why we allow untested supplements to be used as drugs.

Nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have their work cut out for them. Not only since they care for an extremely vulnerable population, but because they have to literally cut diapers to make them fit the smallest babies. But now two companies have designed specialized diapers with those babies in mind.

Scientists are humans, too. And just like other humans you know, some of them aren't very good at their jobs. There are three main ways in which scientists can mess up. Here's how.

Melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer – kills an estimated 10,000 Americans per year, with the death toll rising each year. Yet there is no consensus in the medical community on a uniform, data-based protocol to screen for the disease. Now, scores of those who study and treat melanoma are banding together to address that.

Cats are independent, untrainable and don't really bond with people — at least that's their generally-accepted reputation. But a recent study suggests that cats actually like interacting with people — maybe even more than they like food. Who knew?
 

Older mothers may be better – or maybe not. But when a study is based on moms' answers to a questionnaire about their own children, it's also possible that older mothers just think their children are more perfect than how younger moms view their kids.  

Statistics is difficult, and choosing the proper tools becomes more challenging as experiments become more complex. That's why it's not uncommon for large genetics or epidemiological studies to have a biostatistician as a co-author. Perhaps more biomedical studies should follow suit.

Pain patients are experiencing a world of trouble. If their pain itself wasn’t enough, the CDC added to their agony by issuing a restriction on primary care physicians. As guest writer Richard Lawsen explains, the "guideline" focuses on prescription of opioid medications to adults with long-lasting non-cancer pain – using methodology that's deeply flawed. 

It was another week of us doing what we do best: separating health scares from health threats. So when we get pushback from those in the health-scare business – a shifty faction that includes academic journalism professors and a former bureaucrat who insists checking your email will give you brain cancer – it's time for us to get busy.

Mental health problems affect almost twice as many Americans as diabetes. Why is Congress declaring that the former is not an essential health benefit?

Reputations are funny – they take years to build but seconds to destroy. Cargill, a company that provides all manner of agricultural products and services, ruined its reputation with farmers and science writers by announcing a partnership with the thoroughly wretched Non-GMO Project, an anti-biotech organization.

Jade Erick was interested in holistic health but she ended up anything but healthy. The 30-year-old California woman died after receiving an intravenous dose of turmeric, a spice that has not been shown to offer any health benefits whatsoever. Of course this won't stop Joe "Big Dough" Mercola from selling it on his website. The ridiculous claims are free. 

Of all the nasty things floating around out there just waiting around to kill us, viruses are the nastiest. You've all heard of smallpox, rabies, Spanish flu, polio, AIDS and Ebola. But emerging viral infections are seriously scary. 

Dr. Carson, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was a pioneer in the field of pediatric neurosurgery. He catapulted to world-renowned status in that arena as the principal surgeon in a 22-hour operation separating conjoined twins, who were attached at the head.

Since they are easily overlooked, it makes sense to check in with your kidneys to see how they're doing – and more importantly, to learn whether you're caring for them properly. Millions of Americans are not, and they're unaware of the damage they're doing because it can be symptomless.