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Kratom, a mixture of 40+ chemicals derived from the leaf of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, has a core of very devoted followers, some of whom think it is a panacea to what ails them. Some maintain that it isn't even a drug. They are partially correct. It is a mixture of drugs. 
 
 

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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) falls into a larger category of "sudden uncategorized infant deaths" (SUID) alongside 'accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed' and those of 'unknown cause.'
These deaths are defined as the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that have no immediately obvious cause and can be caused by suffocation, asphyxia, entrapment, infection, ingestions, metabolic disease, congenital heart conditions and trauma (either intentional or unintentional.) 

The quick and frightening death of a man who contracted a kind of flesh-eating bacterium after cleaning crab pots has made national headlines. Understandably, the public wants to know what causes such a terrifying illness and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it. The media is not helping, but here's some insight.

Necrotizing fasciitis, which literally translated means "inflammation of the fascia (connective tissue) causing cell death," is the medical term for what's known as "flesh-eating" disease. A recent case that made national headlines involved a man who died four days after becoming infected with the ocean-dwelling microbe Vibrio vulnificus. 

Cranberry juice has been promoted for relief of urinary tract infections for decades. But scientists have had trouble providing convincing evidence that it really works. A new attempt to address UTIs in elderly women also fails to provide support. Maybe the best use for cranberries is really an accompaniment to your Thanksgiving feast.

We're excited to report that a new study in Health Affairs provides us with another metric that we have previously known and repeatedly been shown in the literature (and in medical practice): Life expectancy and well-being are positively linked.  

In the 1970s, an assay was developed by Dr. Bruce Ames that revolutionized the ability to test if a compound causes cancer or not. Since then, the Ames test has been used on everything from food dyes to pesticides. The test's power is not only that it is incredibly efficacious, but also that it's inexpensive and relatively easy to do. 

The arbitrary nature of many school requirements can be baffling. Cancel soft pretzel day out of caloric concern, but permit pie bake sales. Our public demands organic food in lunchrooms, but providing the skills necessary to intervene on a choking victim produces silence. We think, CPR training should be mandatory in schools.

American Council on Science and Health Director of Medicine Dr. Jamie Wells has been named one of America's Top Pediatricians by Consumers' Research Council of America.

A recent report stated that placebo treatments for pain can be effective even when patients know that it’s a placebo. On closer examination, however, this became somewhat less newsworthy. It has all the classic hallmarks of a fluke result that's partly the result of the statistics used, and partly over-interpretation of fairly modest results.

We humans like to think of ourselves as on the top of the heap as compared to all the other living things. About 50 years ago, a person's estimated number of human genes was in the millions. Today we’re down to about 20,000 (while bananas have 30,000). It’s time to rethink the question of how the complexity of an organism is reflected in its genome.

Unbeknownst to David Seidemann, a Brooklyn College geology professor and ACSH scientific advisor, he was placed on a "hit list" by the academic politically-correct mafia. In an article for Minding the Campus, Prof. Seidemann recalls a chilling tale in which he was investigated by the administration for alleged misconduct.

Why America's supposed newspaper of record has become a voice for anti-biotechnology food activists remains a profound mystery. Maybe it's calculated, in that the paper is tailoring its reportage to its customers, consisting of mostly affluent, organic-food-eating elites. Evidence plays a small part in the Times' coverage of controversial scientific issues.

The North American Mycological Association keeps records of mushroom poisonings; it reported 67 incidents of human poisoning from mushrooms in 2013. Fortunately, none were lethal. There were also 49 cases of dogs being poisoned, as well as one cat.

The burden of contraception rests heavily on a woman’s shoulders. Male options have been limited to the pull-out method, condoms and the dreaded “V’ word – vasectomy. But according to a recent study, injectable male contraception proved to be highly effective and comparable in efficacy to female contraceptives. So why not continue the research?

Human milk is the gold standard for feeding babies — its benefits are well-known. And now formula manufacturers are bringing their products closer to the composition of breast milk by the addition of compounds — oligosaccharides — that are commonly found in mothers' milk.

With winter approaching, perhaps you or somebody you know will be unlucky enough to catch a nasty "stomach flu" or "24-hour flu," (which will produce some quality time in the bathroom). Now while you will almost certainly feel better within 24-72 hours, here's the catch: There's no such thing as the stomach or 24-hour flu.

Many Americans whose BMI puts them in the obese category either don't know it, or assume they're "just overweight." This misperception can lead to fewer consultations with healthcare providers, and less attention to dealing with the issue, according to a recent survey.

Many people think they have a drug allergy, when in fact what they have is drug intolerance. According to the CDC, approximately 10% of all U.S. patients report having an allergic reaction to penicillin, but fewer than 1% of the population is truly allergic to penicillins. 

Only 1 in 8 women are aware that density is a risk factor, and just 1 in 5 know that dense tissue reduces the sensitivity of mammograms to find tumors. Since breast cancer is second worst cancer killer among women, why hasn't there been more emphasis on the risk factors associatd with dense breasts?

Molecular biology never ceases to amaze. The 15-year-old question — why world-saver Jack Bauer never pees, eats or poops has been answered. Hint: He's got some very foreign DNA.

Nate Silver, statistician and election forecaster, told ABC News that election forecasts that gave Hillary Clinton a 99% of chance of winning didn't "pass a common sense test." That is certainly true. What he left unsaid -- possibly because it wouldn't be good for his career -- is that all election forecasts that provide a "chance of winning" don't pass the science test.

Is there really a wrong way to eat Nutella? Spread it on bread, eat it by the spoonful.... but depending on the way you consume it, the nutrition content may differ. And because of how the Ferrero-made product has evolved over the years, now the FDA is taking a second look at its calorie content per serving.

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The American Council on Science and Health and has entered a content sharing agreement with the prestigious science site Live Science. Live Science, which produces excellent biomedical and health news reporting, will allow ACSH to reach millions more readers around the world.