Researchers have identified a gene that can trigger obesity, behavior problems and postpartum depression when missing or damaged. The finding could lead to new treatments for postpartum depression and overeating: The study in mice suggests the so-called “love hormone” — oxytocin — may ease symptoms.  Obesity and postpartum depression are major health problems worldwide. The…  read on >  read on >

A regulation allowing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food was revoked Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after the agency concluded the additive was unsafe for human consumption. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) contains bromine, which is found in fire retardants. Small quantities of BVO have been used legally in some citrus-flavored…  read on >  read on >

A new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday. In clinical trials, donanemab (Kisunla) modestly slowed the pace of thinking declines among patients in the early stages of the memory-robbing disease. But it also carried significant safety risks, including swelling and bleeding in the brain. “Kisunla…  read on >  read on >

Cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic can help treat alcoholism, a new study says. People taking semaglutide had 50% to 56% decreased odds for either becoming alcoholic or relapsing into alcoholism, researchers reported recently in the journal Nature Communications. Few drugs are now available to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), so adding semaglutide to…  read on >  read on >

As bird flu continues to spread among U.S. dairy cows, reassuring new government research finds the pasteurization process widely used in the industry effectively kills all bird flu virus in milk. In a health update posted Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the results are the latest to show that pasteurized grocery store milk remains…  read on >  read on >

All Diamond Shruumz edibles have been recalled after the company found high levels of a mushroom toxin in them that may have sickened 39 people in 20 states. The recall includes Diamond Shruumz cones, chocolate bars and gummies “because such products contain muscimol, a chemical found in mushrooms of the genus amanita,” California-based Prophet Premium…  read on >  read on >