As Americans struggle to eat better, plant-based diets have become the rage, but exactly what are those and how hard are they to follow? A growing number of people have turned to plant-based eating, as evidenced by the fact that the plant-based foods market increased by 29% in recent years, according to the U.S. National…  read on >  read on >

Worries that clergy will urge depressed congregants to rely on prayer and not other mental health care appear to be unfounded. A nationwide survey found that 90% of clergy members embraced a medical understanding of the causes and treatment of depression. About 10% said they would recommend using religious means alone to address depression. “We…  read on >  read on >

Social isolation is a substantial risk factor for dementia in older adults, according to a pair of studies that add evidence to past research on this threat. But these new studies offer a potential solution: using technology to encourage older adults to text and email to stay in touch. Although the studies don’t prove lack…  read on >  read on >

Vaccinations among kindergarteners declined for the second year in a row, leaving hundreds of thousands of young children vulnerable to dangerous infectious diseases, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. About 93% of kindergarteners had their required vaccinations during the 2021-2022 school year, including the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis, polio and chickenpox vaccines, according to a new study…  read on >  read on >

Researchers are reporting progress on a blood test that can detect multiple cancers in a relatively simpler, and potentially less pricey, way than other tests under development. The test picks up certain cancer signals in the blood using a fairly straightforward method: counting bits of DNA that appear to be “broken” in unexpected places. In…  read on >  read on >

Infants too young to be vaccinated for COVID-19 get some protection from their mothers’ breast milk, researchers say. The new study follows up on findings published in 2021 that showed the breast milk of vaccinated people contained antibodies against the COVID-19 virus. For the study, researchers analyzed infants’ stool. “Our first study showed there were…  read on >  read on >