Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Bread and Chocolate, No Longer D-Minimus

    Heavy fortification of foods with vitamin D offers one way to overcome chronic deficiencies of the nutrient among many people and can even help build bone.

    By Janet Raloff
  2. Health & Medicine

    Anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol drugs vs. cancer

    Cholesterol-lowering drugs, especially when combined with anti-inflammatory medication, may inhibit some cancers.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    Calcium’s lingering effect slows growths

    Calcium supplements' protective effect against colorectal cancer lasts years after a person stops taking the pills.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Health & Medicine

    Anti-inflammatories cut risk of mouth cancer

    Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication can reduce a smoker's likelihood of developing mouth cancer.

    By Nathan Seppa
  5. Health & Medicine

    Marijuana ingredient slows artery hardening

    Low doses of the chemical that causes marijuana's high can slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

    By Christen Brownlee
  6. Health & Medicine

    Surgical risk from painkiller may be brief

    A new study suggests that patients might safely use painkillers such as ibuprofen up to 24 hours before surgery.

    By Ben Harder
  7. Health & Medicine

    Understanding Vitamin D Deficiency

    Most adults don't get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, and obesity may be a contributing factor.

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    Neuron Savers: Gene therapy slows Alzheimer’s disease

    Putting extra copies of the gene for a cellular growth factor into the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease appears to slow the degenerative condition.

    By Nathan Seppa
  9. Health & Medicine

    Zinc boosts kids’ learning

    Zinc fortification improved mental skills in children with normal healthy diets, suggesting that the recommended intake for this mineral may need to be raised.

    By Janet Raloff
  10. Health & Medicine

    When the stomach gets low on acid

    A study in mice shows that a shortage of stomach acid can lead to cancer, apparently as a result of bacterial overgrowth and inflammation.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Licorice ingredient ferrets out herpes

    A compound in licorice homes in on lab-grown cells infected with a herpes virus and induces them to self-destruct.

    By Nathan Seppa
  12. Health & Medicine

    Season Affects Cancer-Surgery Survival

    Ample vitamin D at the time of lung-cancer surgery dramatically increases the odds that a patient will be alive and cancerfree 5 years later.

    By Janet Raloff