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Senator John McCain has been in the news over his health issues this past week. It is ironic that another Republican senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater is being invoked over the role of medical experts and what they say to the media. What should the talking heads of the media, especially media physicians, say in these political times.

Royal jelly contains a molecule that promotes wound healing. But don't rush to the local natural remedy store quite yet.

Orthorexia, or "clean eating" is as much a belief system as it is a dietary prescription. Believers eschew "normal" eating, thinking that only their particular restrictive versions of proper diets will provide optimal health. But the restrictions that such diets adhere to could be unhealthful, to say the least.

When not one country in the world meets the “breastfeeding standards” set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), it might be time to question their value. Are they attainable — more importantly, should they be?

Netflix has declined to carry the agriculture documentary called "Food Evolution", for reasons they refused to specify. Like all documentaries, it is clearly a passion project so when disappointments like that happen, passions run high as well, and lots of speculation occurs among the fans. Some believe it's a conspiracy against science, that Netflix is politically aligned with the groups who make their money scaring people about food. (1) Others give them a pass and say science documentaries are probably just not a draw for their audience.

Celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune disorder that is marked by damage to the lining of the small intestine, can only be treated by following a gluten free (GF) diet. Removing gluten works because gluten is the protein that the body reacts to in order to start the inflammatory response that damages the small intestine. 
But, that is harder than it sounds.

Here I am, 30 weeks into my pregnancy and feeling mighty darn good about my bump. After all, just last week a stranger — who also happens to be an OB — had validated my confidence by guessing exactly how far along I was just by looking at me.  Well, thanks lady! It made my day that she thought I looked exactly like what I needed to look like at 29 weeks along. 

Vaccines against the bacteria that cause middle ear infections in young children have been very effective in preventing some of them. A new report found that decreasing the probability that one type of bacteria will grow, can provide an opportunity for others. To keep up with this change (to say nothing of evolving bacterial resistance), it's important to track what happens when a vaccine has an impact on one type of infection.

In 2012, the hepatitis C universe changed forever when Gilead's Sovaldi was approved. Finally, there was an excellent drug that could eliminate the infection almost all the time. But some strains of HCV are tougher than others to treat. But now, Gilead strikes again.

John McCain’s office released a statement from the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, providing details of his Glioblastoma brain tumor. It was disclosed that the 80-year old senior Senator from Arizona was recovering from a surgical excision of a blood clot performed on July 14 that was discovered during a routine annual physical. 

People trying to quit smoking won a major battle last week when the FDA announced it would delay implementation of regulations that would have deemed a number of e-cigarette products illegal. So why are some anti-nicotine advocates calling foul?

Microbiologists have long known that the kitchen is an incredibly fertile field for bacterial growth — and a prime source is the kitchen sponge. A recent study of sponges found that even those that are "cleaned" by their users provide a soup of bacteria — some of which are pathogenic.

McDonald's. Dell. Chrysler. Rolls-Royce. Sears. Trump. All are companies that bear the names of their founders. Does that matter? One would think not, but new research from Duke University claims that eponymous companies are more successful than others.

Did the North Korean regime hire former Soviet scientists to build a biological weapons program? Given what we know about both countries, the possibility cannot be ruled out.

Hollywood will make no sequel to Erin Brockovich, nor will Pacific Gas & Electric be reimbursed $333 million. However, after nearly 20 years the truth about hexavalent chromium has finally been revealed by California regulators.

Trending this summer is the oh-so-delicious Moscow Mule, served traditionally in a solid copper mug. Lovers of the mule swear by its unique taste (thanks to the copper). But the dangers of the drink don't lie in the alcohol, but rather in the copper leaching into your drink.

Given the political morass consuming all of the oxygen in the room on social media and every news outlet, a pivot to human and gorilla medical commonalities seemed a worthwhile departure.

Enough already! Please stop with the avocado stories. The darn things contain plenty of folic acid, which may or may not cause or prevent cancer, or keep your hair from turning gray, and may be contributing to the demise of the English language. And it's all about the biochemistry of endogenous formaldehyde. Prepare to be confused. 

Airline pilots are tested, and increasingly drivers are tested as they age. But with physician shortages and an aging work force, are there rules for physicians when it comes to retirement?

Did you know we can characterize people at high risk for pubic hair grooming injuries? You know you're curious as to what medical science can tell you. 

As the highest quality of care continues not to be the emphasis in the health care debate — let alone be on par with discussions around access – Canadian health systems remain in the spotlight. This time multiple hospitals in southern Ontario shut their doors to the sickest of babies. 

Rapid, accurate detection of a tuberculosis infection still remains a healthcare challenge. Developing an assay that's able to definitively diagnose TB, and one that's cheap, should be high on our priority list. Especially, as we annually see increases in TB's prevalence.

If you're middle-aged and you usually walk slowly, consider this as you stroll: a new, large study found that those who felt they were "slow walkers" were nearly twice as likely to die from a heart-related cause as compared to those who said they walk briskly. It's an association, not a cause-and-effect finding. But it's worth a discussion with your doctor.

Pregnancy comes with so many symptoms. Some are completely normal; others can be alarming. And some can be both. How can you tell when to call the doc? 

Starting a forest fire is a reckless, destructive, inconsiderate act, especially at this true natural treasure in the Pacific Northwest. And the negligence and complete lack of empathy exhibited by the teenagers who did it is chilling.