It sounds like something right out of a horror movie, but it's real life. Parents in the United Kingdom — desperate to cure their children of autism — fall prey to snake oil, and to the con men that sell it. But this type of snake oil — doing away with autism by drinking bleach, is deadly.
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Late last year, when Germany unexpectedly voted in favor, European Union member states agreed to a five-year renewal period for glyphosate – instead of the originally proposed 15 years. This illustrates the “Era of Post-Truth” on scientific questions in the EU in general, and in France in particular.
Exposure at an early age might increase the likelihood of developing an allergy to the family kitty, according to some researchers. But according to others, it could be protective against such an allergy. So which is it? A recent study indicates it depends on the age at which the allergy is assessed.
American snowboarder slash Superwoman Chloe Kim just won her first Olympic gold medal in the Women's Snowboarding Half-pipe. But even she isn't immune to getting hangry — hungry + angry. We feel you, girl.
We can do a lot of things in under 24 hours. Now, we can add to that list sequence a human genome and diagnose a genetic disease. This amazing feat was done recently and shows just how quickly personalized genetic information is revolutionizing medicine.
Biosimilars are less expensive generic versions of expensive biologic medicines. Rheumatologists, who prescribe a lot of these medications, have a few concerns about how they're approved. Namely, if these meds provide identical treatment as biologics, and that they're expensive. A position paper and accompanying editorial have been written focusing on these issues.
Given the countless books written on babies – month-to-month pregnancy guides, labor and delivery primers, and others particularly on sleeping and feeding – information overload is very real. But then again, there are books like The Baby Whisperer that make you glad you added it to your family library.
A new law passed by a slim margin in the Netherlands reflexively making anyone over the age of 18 an organ donor, compelling them to have to take specific action to opt out. Should the U.S. follow suit?
Romanian researcher Istvan Mathe has answered that burning question — "Is it safe to eat snow?" — with a nuanced answer. Yes, it's safe, but only for half a day. That is if you're talking about freshly fallen snow in Transylvania--it may not apply to Central Park.
Errors in our scientific beliefs are not always due to Big Industry and its evil intent. Science is a human enterprise, constrained by human foibles. Sometimes we just get it wrong.
No, I'm not speaking of Jonathan Goldsmith, the guy who just pretended to be The Most Interesting Man in the World. I'm speaking of the real deal, my grandfather, Dimitri Berezow -- a man who survived Stalin and Hitler, cheated death on multiple occasions, and went on to live the American dream. His was an impossibly unique story – one that seems too extraordinary to be true (and yet is) – capped with a cautionary tale about modern healthcare.
We have yet another tragic flu story in the news. This time it's a 38-year old mother who died because she thought the flu drug she was prescribed was too expensive. The only problem? The media got everything wrong. The flu drug would not have made any difference.
Last year, Italy had more than 5,000 cases, for an incidence of 8 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the United States had 118 cases, for an incidence of roughly 0.04 per 100,000 people. The populist politicians and anti-vaxxers are to blame.
A high-quality meta-analysis in the journal Scientific Reports tells us what scientist have known for years: That GM foods – in this case, corn – are not only not harmful to you or the environment, but may actually be superior.
Sufferers of asthma and eczema should be very thankful that drug companies continue to do research. There are now biological drugs that are very effective in treating both conditions. I should know. I take two of them.
Nate Archibald, whose 14-year NBA career included a championship season with the Boston Celtics, suffers from an incurable heart disease, which he discovered by accident. Amyloidosis can affect any organ or tissue. But when it plagues the heart, death can arrive at any moment.
A surprisingly low number of women consider sudden, but persistent bloating as a serious condition — one with a serious underlying cause. The news comes from a recent study which showed that women are more likely to make dietary changes if they experience bloating — rather than contact their physician. Persistent bloating is the lesser known symptom of ovarian cancer.
Your donations at work: We were at the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, as well as Congress. And that's only when we weren't getting hate mail from anti-science activists, who simply can't accept that they're slowly losing ground in popular culture.
In the first of a series for the FOX podcast network, the Council's medical director clarifies misperceptions surrounding infant nutrition. This includes new trends, like importing specific organic formulas from overseas for being so-called "more pure" or "natural."
Excess body fat is associated with many ailments — including breathing problems. Recent research has found reducing adiposity, particularly in the deep abdominal area (visceral fat), is associated with improved breathing as well as ameliorating other ills.
Pigs have their noses constantly in the mud, and they eat just about anything. It's not a surprise, therefore, that they carry potentially dangerous infections. And raising the pig yourself and naming it Oinker doesn't mean it will be more hygienic than any other pig.
Veteran New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof fancies himself an expert in chemistry and toxicology. Chemists and toxicologists disagree.
Environmental Working Group, which promotes fear and doubt about the (non-organic) American food supply, tries to pretend it isn't industry-driven. But given the group's cozy relationship with industry, it's no surprise officials have named Shazi Visram, a top organic baby food company founder, to its board.
New research into the 1918 and 2009 influenza pandemics reveal a potential warning sign: Mild cases of influenza that occur in the spring or summer may be a harbinger of a devastating pandemic to come in the autumn.
Alcoholism takes a terrible toll on those who are addicted and their families. There is no magic pill to cure it, but there is a pretty good pill that does prevent some people from drinking. The chemistry Antabuse is very interesting; it shows why the drug works and also why you'd better not cheat if you are taking it.
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