Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Americans think they know about GMOs, but poll shows consumers still badly confused
As a non-expert consumer, it’s hard to know what to think about GMOs. Of course, we’re already consuming them, with ...
Organic pet food is ‘considerably more expensive’ than traditional alternatives but nutrient benefits insignificant
Perceived as being healthier alternatives to conventionally farmed foods, organics are often significantly more expensive – according to Consumer Reports, ...
‘Stuck on the spin cycle’: Probiotic supplements linked to ‘brain fog’
Given their current popularity, you might assume that probiotics—capsules containing a mix of “good” bacteria that are said to rebalance ...
Nigerian biotech startup introduces produce coating to combat malnutrition in Africa
Nigerian biotech startup Coating+ .... has created a transparent gelatinous coating that is sprayed onto fresh fruit and vegetables to prolong their shelf ...
Genetically modified hormone opens doors to personalized fertility treatments
An Israeli biotechnology firm based in Be’er Tuvia in southern Israel has developed a new-generation fertility treatment through the manipulation ...
Does living around violence change a child’s brain?
One study suggests that young teens who witness violence exhibit differences in the structure and function of their brains in ...
What are the odds that aliens might actually look similar to us?
In his new book, Equations of Life: How Physics Shapes Evolution, Charles Cockell from the University of Edinburgh makes the argument ...
Viewpoint: Trying to make smart food choices? Ignore what celebrities say about GMOs
Studies have confirmed that people are more likely to believe celebrities and politicians over scientists when it comes to medical advice ...
Why microbiome tests may be promising more than they can deliver
Microbiome testing companies have become a thing, offering consumers a chance to see a snapshot of the billions of microbes ...
Glyphosate and cancer—revisited
I’ve already written about this topic back in 2015. Much of the information below is from that original blog post, ...
No link between increased pesticide use and childhood cancer, study suggests
Like the word "chemical," the word "pesticide" has been hijacked and then unfairly demonized. Scientists use the word pesticide to refer to ...
Can artificial intelligence point out employee weaknesses, training needs?
Here’s the conundrum with corporate online learning: there are so many classes available from sites like Coursera, edX, and Udacity that companies ...
Organic Times: New satire site takes Onion-like look at crop biotechnology activists
Agriculture is a serious topic. While farmers in the developing world struggle to save their crops from pest invasions and ...
Hospital ‘superbugs’ getting better at defeating alcohol-based hand sanitizers
Popular hand sanitizers may be heading the way of antibiotics, according to a study published this week in Science Translational Medicine ...
Eat your broccoli: Chemicals in kale, cabbage and other Brassica vegetables could prevent colon cancer
Chemicals produced by vegetables such as kale, cabbage and broccoli could help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent colon ...
Celiac disease: What’s behind the surge in diagnoses?
A few years ago, the book “Wheat Belly” became a hit, as it pointed to new “scientifically engineered” strains of ...
Does glyphosate cause cancer? Jury says says ‘yes’ but years of research show the herbicide is safe
Can anyone make sense of the debate over glyphosate, the active molecule in the most widely used herbicide [Roundup] in ...
Preparing for motherhood: Do the father’s genes play a role?
[A] father may have the ability to dictate a mother’s attentiveness to their offspring—before it’s even born. The paternal genes ...
Reasons to be wary of the ‘untamed wilderness’ of dog DNA tests
The claims that dog DNA-testing companies make can seem all but definitive: One quick cheek swab can not only tell ...
Fighting cancer with help from the body’s internal clock
Chi Van Dang generally declines to discuss the science that made him famous. ... Instead of doing so, Dang [a ...
Sperm carries more than just a father’s genetics
Eat poorly, and your body will remember—and possibly pass the consequences onto your kids. In the past several years, mounting ...
CRISPR may help pave the way to cross-species organ transplants
Modern transplant technology is already pretty miraculous. Doctors can transfer anything from faces to hands to genitals between patients, keep ...
Investigational Alzheimer’s drug shows promise
An investigational Alzheimer’s drug significantly slowed patients’ cognitive decline in a large clinical trial, unexpected and unprecedented results that could ...
Man whose rare blood type saved millions of babies retires from donating after 60 years
James Harrison, known as the "Man With the Golden Arm," has donated blood nearly every week for 60 years. After ...
Why it’s difficult to declare the end of an Ebola outbreak
The World Health Organization on [July 24] declared the official end of the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic ...
Genetic data share: 23andMe partners with drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline
23andMe customers might just play a role in helping create one of Big Pharma’s next blockbuster drugs. On [July 25, ...
Elephants rarely get cancer. Can humans borrow their genetic strategies?
Elephants have 100 times as many cells as humans. But they seldom get cancer. This is surprising, because cancer is ...
