While vast quantities of peels from the aloe vera plant are thrown out every year as agricultural waste, this natural ingredient has potential to be a powerful insecticide, new research suggests. “It’s likely that millions of tons of aloe peels are disposed of globally every year,” said principal investigator Debasish Bandyopadhyay, from the University of…  read on >  read on >

A more personalized approach to exercise may be necessary, claims a new study that found fat burning varied widely between individuals. Even worse, this rate often does not align with the “fat-burning zone” on commercial exercise machines, the researchers added. Clinical exercise testing, a diagnostic procedure to measure a person’s physiological response to exercise, may…  read on >  read on >

The federal government recently stopped pandemic-related emergency food aid, leaving perhaps 2 million more Americans without enough to eat. Emergency allotments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, ended in March in all states that hadn’t already cut them. After this temporary increase in SNAP benefits ended, recipients experienced a…  read on >  read on >

Childhood obesity is concerning for many reasons, among them that the severity of the sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) grows with obesity levels and age. A new study looked at the role of obesity in children’s OSA. It adds to a growing awareness of the part obesity plays in the condition and…  read on >  read on >

Parents and caregivers are being advised to immediately stop using La-La-Me Infant Loungers because they pose a risk to babies of suffocation and falling. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the warning Thursday. It said the loungers failed to meet its Infant Sleep Products Rule for several reasons. The product’s seller, La-La-Me of…  read on >  read on >

Older adults who use certain heartburn medications for years may have a heightened risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests. The study, published Aug. 9 in the journal Neurology, is the latest to point to potential hazards from prolonged use of medications called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. They include such well-known brands as…  read on >  read on >