The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it is lowering the recommended levels of sodium in processed, packaged and prepared foods. The goal of the new, voluntary guideline is to help reduce Americans’ average sodium intake from 3,400 milligrams (mg) to 3,000 mg per day — roughly a 12% reduction — over the…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced its first authorization of an electronic cigarette. The permission to sell was granted to R.J. Reynolds for three of its Vuse tobacco-flavored vaping products. “Today’s authorizations are an important step toward ensuring all new tobacco products undergo the FDA’s robust, scientific premarket evaluation. The manufacturer’s data…  read on >  read on >

It’s okay for American children to go trick-or-treating this Halloween, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. During an appearance on CNN‘s State of the Union on Sunday, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert said trick-or-treating is an outdoor activity where there’s less risk of coronavirus infection, CBS News reported. “This is a time that children love. It’s…  read on >  read on >

A drowning child has a much lower risk of severe disability or death if a bystander steps in, even without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), new research finds. “Bystanders play a critical role in preventing poor outcomes in childhood drowning by instituting safe, early and effective rescue and resuscitation of pediatric drowning victims,” said author Dr. Rohit…  read on >  read on >

Good dental hygiene may well be a weapon against severe COVID-19: A new study shows that taking care of your teeth and gums may lower your risk of serious infection, especially if you have heart disease. Previous research has found an association between poor oral hygiene and increased inflammation and heart disease, and COVID-19 severity…  read on >  read on >

Parents frazzled by their little ones’ finicky food choices often sigh in exasperation, thinking: “They’ll grow out of it by college.” Maybe not, suggests a new study from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Some young people continue their picky eating into early adulthood, often restricting their diets to 10 foods or even fewer. Such…  read on >  read on >

Life is challenging enough for teens and pre-teens with food allergies. But bullying often comes with the territory, making their situation worse. In a new study of more than 100 kids with food allergies, nearly one-third said they had been subject to some form of food allergy-related bullying. “We also found that only 12% of…  read on >  read on >