Various Health
Diverse health research and cross-disciplinary studies. General health insights and scientific curiosities.
Everyday Advice
People do not die of old age: aging weakens the body and disease causes death
A common phrase says someone “died of old age.” Medicine says otherwise. Doctors do not certify “old age” as a…
videoMedCircle: mental health interviews with psychiatrists & psychologists
Mental health interviews with world-class psychiatrists & psychologists, providing mental health advice packed with actionable takeaways and clear explanations of…
You should wear sunscreen every day
Wearing sunscreen daily is essential for protecting your skin from harmful UV rays, which can cause premature aging, skin damage,…
Study Findings
Breaking routine with new skills improves memory in older adults
Breaking routine to learn a hard new skill, such as digital photography, improved memory in a 14-week trial of adults aged 60 to 90. More varied days tracked with sharper thinking, but not with memory.
videoHow to slow visible aging in skin, nails, and hair
Harvard professor David Sinclair and co-host Matthew LaPlante discuss methods to slow or reverse cosmetic aging, focusing on skin, hair,…
CBD products ineffective and potentially harmful for pain management
A new study from the University of Bath has found that cannabidiol (CBD) products do not provide effective relief for…
Massage and other touch ease pain, anxiety, and depression
A Nature Human Behaviour review of 137 controlled studies found that touch, mostly massage, eased pain, anxiety, and depression in adults and helped newborns gain weight, with medium-sized effects.
Dancing is just as good for your mental health as any other form of exercise
A systematic review found that structured dance interventions significantly improve psychological and cognitive health, often equaling or surpassing the benefits…
Boiling hard tap water removes up to 90% of its microplastics
In a 2024 lab study, boiling hard tap water for five minutes removed up to 90% of the nano- and microplastics floating in it by trapping them in limescale. In soft water, boiling removed about 25%.
Lab Research
Long COVID brain fog linked to a change in brain cell receptors
Long COVID brain fog linked to higher AMPA receptors on PET scans; new study points to a biological marker and possible AMPAR-targeted treatments.
HIV vaccine research shows early human signals, but no vaccine yet
After more than four decades of work, there is still no approved HIV vaccine. Recent large trials that tried to…
Sure Shot says its drink lowers blood alcohol within 30 minutes
Sure Shot's maker says its drink lowers blood alcohol within 30 minutes. A company-funded trial published in 2025 found blood alcohol 12% to 15% lower than with a placebo over four hours, with no next-day hangover data.
videoOrigami robots powered by magnets could make surgery less invasive
Researchers at Harvard University report a small robot arm that folds like origami and moves when exposed to a controlled…
Princeton scientists move DNA inside living cells with light
Princeton researchers used light-controlled liquid droplets to pull chosen DNA spots together inside human cells in about two minutes, and found that DNA in the nucleus behaves like a springy liquid.
CNET’s Mattress Smasher 9000 scores bed firmness from 1 to 10
CNET's Mattress Smasher 9000 presses a plate into each bed with about 165 pounds of force and turns how deep it sinks into a firmness score from 1 to 10, giving shoppers one scale to compare beds.