- By SciShow
A quarter of all prescription drugs in the U.S. come from substances that are found only in plants. In this episode of SciShow, we take a look at four of these talented plants who make our lives better.
Adaptogens can greatly increase the effectiveness of some modern drugs, including antibiotics, anxiolytics (anxiety relief), antidepressants, and hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) agents. They also can reduce, and in some cases eliminate, the side effects of some drugs. They have a proven record of being safe, efficacious, and quite versatile in their treatment of many conditions.
Life-saving antibiotics may cause long-lasting damage to the developing microbial communities in intestinal tracts of premature babies, research finds.
- By SciShow
More than half of Americans take a dietary supplement, but the truth is, most people don't need them.
The rise in cases of otherwise healthy young adults who have been hospitalized or even died from vaping-associated lung injury is alarming.
High-dose vitamin D supplements improve weight gain and help with the development of language and motor skills in severely malnourished children, our latest study has found.
- By Karin Ried
A systematic review and meta-analysis of previous cohort studies on the effects of chocolate consumption has found that chocolate may be linked to a reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. The paper was published overnight in the British Medical Journal.
- By Rose Brandt
Prescription omega-3 fatty acid medications are a safe and effective option for reducing high triglycerides, which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.
Vitamin D deficiency in middle childhood could result in aggressive behavior as well as anxious and depressive moods during adolescence, according to a new study of school children in Bogotá, Colombia.
There’s been a rise in recent years of biomedical engineering techniques that can restore lost tissue and bone.
- By Pat Harriman
Taking nonprescribed psychostimulants may slightly improve a person’s short-term focus but impede sleep and mental functions that rely on it—such as working memory.
Food additives do a lot of good: they prolong shelf life, improve taste and texture, and add colour to otherwise unappealing products.
Pregnant women exposed to higher levels of air pollutants had children with lower IQs, compared to the children of women exposed to lower levels, a new study reports.
- By Anne Warde
New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases.
In Australia’s most recent nutrition survey, 29% of people reported having taken at least one dietary supplement. This proportion was even higher in the United States at 52%.
Michael Pollan explains what goes on during the mental fireworks of a psychedelic experience.
Microdosing psychedelics is a growing trend that involves ingesting very small sub-hallucinogenic amounts of substances like LSD or dried psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
- By Neil Watkins
People take vitamin supplements for all kinds of reasons, from maintaining general health to preventing cancer. But there’s no convincing evidence that vitamin supplementation benefits people who don’t actually have a vitamin deficiency.
- By Emily Burch
Want to boost your immune system, reduce your physical signs of ageing, or cleanse your blood to get rid of toxins?
Hyperbole can be rampant in health news, particularly with respect to cannabis. One recent headline declared: “CBD is effective in treating heroin addiction.” Another proclaimed: “New study finds CBD could curb heroin addiction.” These stories were referring to a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found a short-term course of cannabidiol (CBD) reduced cue-induced cravings and anxiety..
- By Andrew Carey
Researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK recently published a study in the journal Scientific Reports suggesting caffeine increases brown fat. This caught people’s attention because brown fat activity burns energy, which may help with weight loss. Headlines claimed drinking coffee can help you lose weight, and that coffee is possibly even the “secret to fighting obesity”.
Why did government officials stop psychedelics from reaching mainstream culture?
The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of contention and confusion for both sides of the debate.