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Stress affects gut health and intensifies pain, which — for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — can make traveling to see family during the holiday season excruciating. “People living with IBS often say the holidays are especially stressful, above and beyond the typical holiday stress most people report having,” said Tiffany Taft, medical social…  read on >  read on >

On top of their other health hazards, electronic cigarettes may help rot your teeth, a new study suggests. Vaping appears to promote cavities, which can result in tooth loss if not treated quickly, experts say. “If you are vaping, be aware that there are potentially some detrimental oral health effects,” said lead researcher Dr. Karina…  read on >  read on >

A century-old diabetes drug seems to help keep high-risk COVID-19 patients from falling deathly ill, a new study reports. Metformin reduced the risk of death from COVID-19 by 44% in a group of diabetics who were taking the drug when they became infected with the coronavirus, according to the researchers. Diabetics taking metformin also were…  read on >  read on >

Millions of Americans will enjoy a hot, nutritious Thanksgiving meal thanks to their local food pantry, often staffed by volunteers. Now, new research spotlights just how important these charities are. Families who rely on pantries for food assistance come away with $600 to $1,000 in free meals and produce every year, after taking into account…  read on >  read on >

It’s not too late to get the latest COVID-19 booster shot. Whether it’s the bivalent vaccine from drug maker Pfizer or from Moderna, the shots offer more protection against symptomatic infection, public health officials reiterated at a White House briefing on Tuesday. However, since the vaccines debuted in September, only 13% of American adults have…  read on >  read on >

Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you can still benefit from a vaccine that can help prevent another infection, a new study shows. Danish patients gained between 60% and 94% protection against reinfection, depending on the COVID variant wave, the researchers found. The findings were published Nov. 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. “In…  read on >  read on >