Folks who follow a healthy lifestyle are less likely to wind up with a case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a new study claims. The more healthy behaviors in which a person regularly engaged, the lower their risk of IBS, researchers reported Feb. 20 in the journal Gut. Not smoking, vigorous exercise and getting enough…  read on >  read on >

Niacin is an essential B vitamin, but new research reveals that too much of it may harm your heart. Found in many foods that millions of Americans eat, excessive amounts of niacin can trigger inflammation and damage blood vessels, scientists report in the Feb. 19 issue of the journal Nature Medicine. “The average person should…  read on >  read on >

Raw milk cheese tainted with E. coli bacteria has sickened 10 people in four states, hospitalizing four, federal regulators warn. The cases have been tied to Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a food safety alert. Six of the patients remembered which type of raw…  read on >  read on >

People threatened by accidental exposure to foods they’re allergic to may have a new weapon of defense: On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the use of the asthma drug Xolair to help prevent anaphylactic reactions. Xolair (omalizumab) is an injected drug and is not meant as a substitute for EpiPens or other…  read on >  read on >

A little-known pesticide is likely present in the bodies of most U.S. residents, raising concerns of potential reproductive and developmental problems, researchers report. In the study, the pesticide chlormequat was found in four out of five people they tested. “The ubiquity of this little-studied pesticide in people raises alarm bells about how it could potentially…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Feb. 16, 2024 (HealthDay news) — A drug first developed to treat cocaine addiction might also help slow the spread of advanced colon cancer, a new study suggests. The drug vanoxerine appears to suppress cancer stem cell activity by essentially rewiring gene networks critical to tumor growth, the researchers explained. “Tumors treated with vanoxerine…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Feb. 15, 2024 (Health Day News) — Schools that want little girls to get plenty of exercise might want to rethink their dress code. A University of Cambridge study of more than 1 million kids in 135 countries found that in countries where most students wear school uniforms, fewer kids get the 60 minutes…  read on >  read on >

Replacing regular salt with a salt substitute can reduce high blood pressure in older adults, a new study has found. Older adults who use a salt substitute are 40% less likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those who use regular salt, according to findings published Feb. 12 in the Journal of the American…  read on >  read on >