Phthalates are one of these pollutants that our skin can absorb. atk work/ Shutterstock Even though most of us will spend a majority of our lives indoors, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still exposed to air pollution. Indoor air contains a wide array of pollutants including chemicals found in manyContinue Reading
Many blue zone diets are rich in plant foods. Studio Romantic/ Shutterstock Ageing is an inevitable part of life, which may explain our strong fascination with the quest for longevity. The allure of eternal youth drives a multi-billion pound industry ranging from anti-ageing products, supplements and diets for those hopingContinue Reading
Microgen/Shutterstock People with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD for short, are 82% more likely to die earlier – from natural or unnatural causes – than people without the condition, a new study reveals. Previous studies have found excess deaths in people with OCD, but the specific causes of death had beenContinue Reading
The perfect slow running pace is one where you can still easily have a conversation. Lopolo/ Shutterstock Runners are obsessed with time. Amateur or professional, for most avid runners the aim is to get faster – constantly training in order to shave even just a couple of seconds off theirContinue Reading
esoxx/Shutterstock Placebos have been studied more than any treatment in the history of medicine, yet they remain mysterious. I’ve been studying placebos for 20 years and I’ve done some of the key studies that have advanced the scientific knowledge in this area. Here are six facts about this strange effectContinue Reading
Adolescence is an age when people are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. Thomas Andre Fure/Shutterstock It wasn’t just the virus that spread during the pandemic – anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns saw a worrying rise as well. But new research from my colleagues and I confirms thereContinue Reading
Because caffeine is water and fat soluble, it's able to exert its affects on many parts of the body. andrew crotty/ Shutterstock Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive compound in the world. Even if you don’t drink coffee or tea, you probably still regularly consume caffeine since it’s found inContinue Reading
COVID is not getting milder. Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The United States experienced its second largest COVID wave of the pandemic in January 2024. For the year to December 2023, in England COVID rates peaked at around one in 24 people. During the same month, Singapore also experiencedContinue Reading
Xanax pills gremlinworks/Shutterstock As with fashion and music, illicit drugs go through peaks and troughs of popularity. There are popular staples, such as cannabis, and more disruptive and transient substances, such as mephedrone. As with clothing fashion, the drugs that most people are able to buy are determined by theContinue Reading
Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock Eleven years ago, my colleagues and I estimated that about 2 million people around the world were dying from fungal infections annually. My latest estimate puts the figure today at nearly double that: around 3.8 million deaths. To put this in perspective, it accounts for around 6.8% ofContinue Reading
