Cosmetics and personal care products may contain color additives that could harm your health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. While personal care products manufactured in the United States are regulated by the FDA, imported products may contain unregulated dyes, the agency says. The FDA advises: Approval of a color additive for one use…  read on >

Your parents’ advice to eat your vegetables has solid science behind it. Filling half your plate with non-starchy selections, as well as some fruit, provides a high volume of low-calorie food that can tame hunger as it delivers important nutrients. A study done at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine provides more good…  read on >

Doctors continue to prescribe far too many opioid painkillers to patients following surgery, a new study indicates. In fact, one of every three patients prescribed an opioid, such as Oxycontin, didn’t take a single pill during their recuperation, said lead researcher Elizabeth Habermann. She is scientific director for surgical outcomes at the Mayo Clinic in…  read on >

The makeup of bacteria in your dog’s digestive tract may be more like your own than you think, researchers say. In a new study, investigators analyzed gut bacteria populations (“microbiomes”) in two dog breeds. The findings showed that the genes in the dogs’ microbiomes had many similarities with humans. In fact, they were more similar…  read on >

The outbreak of E. coli illness tied to tainted Arizona romaine lettuce continues to expand, federal health officials said Wednesday. “Since the last update on April 13, 2018, 18 more ill people have been added to this investigation, bringing the total number to 53,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a…  read on >

Your teeth may be a good indicator of your heart health, the American Heart Association says. A recent clinical study focusing on tooth loss during midlife found that people who lost two or more teeth during the trial had a 23 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The increase occurred regardless of other cardiovascular risk…  read on >

New research sheds light on why some people’s blood pressure is especially sensitive to salt. The research team previously discovered that a natural gene variation that occurs in 48 percent of people increases a person’s chances of having blood pressure that’s sensitive to salt. Their new study revealed how this gene variant prevents the body…  read on >

The crunchy goodness of peanuts, walnuts, cashews and other nuts may be just what the cardiologist ordered, new research suggests. The study couldn’t prove cause-and-effect. However, the analysis of health data on more than 61,000 Swedes aged 45 and older found regularly eating nuts was tied to lower risks for heart failure and an irregular…  read on >

If you want to eat more vegetables and less meat, but don’t want to give up meat altogether, there’s an alternative. It’s called flexitarian — for flexible vegetarian. You primarily eat a vegetarian diet, but you eat meat on certain days of the week or when the urge strikes. Your part-time vegetarian status comes with…  read on >