Health

‘Mystery’ chemical found in millions of Americans’ tap water could be toxic: ‘Good reason to investigate’

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‘Mystery’ chemical found in millions of Americans’ tap water could be toxic: ‘Good reason to investigate’

Researchers say they have identified a previously unknown, potentially toxic chemical in the treated drinking water consumed by millions of Americans. Chloronitramide anion is a byproduct of the decomposition of chloramine, which is used by treatment plants to disinfect drinking water and kill diseases like cholera and typhoid fever. After eluding them for years, researchers … Read more

Supplement sold on Amazon is being recalled due to contamination with ‘potentially dangerous hidden drugs’

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Supplement sold on Amazon is being recalled due to contamination with ‘potentially dangerous hidden drugs’

Hyaluronic acid supplements that were sold in the U.S. through Amazon are being recalled by their manufacturer after the FDA found that they were contaminated with two over-the-counter drugs. MXBBB is voluntarily recalling one lot of their Umary Acid Hyaluronic supplements following laboratory analysis that showed the presence of diclofenac and omeprazole. The recall comes … Read more

Prenatal vitamins may have dangerous levels of lead and arsenic, explosive new study finds

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Prenatal vitamins may have dangerous levels of lead and arsenic, explosive new study finds

Some prenatal vitamins contain a “concerning” amount of toxic heavy metals, while others don’t have key nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy, a shocking new study finds. Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus tested 47 prenatal vitamins — 32 over-the-counter and 15 prescription — for their choline and iodine levels and checked … Read more

This new travel trend has Americans chasing fountain of youth

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This new travel trend has Americans chasing fountain of youth

A new report from Booking.com provides insight to the top travel trends for next year, with many travelers going beyond sightseeing. The annual travel predictions report for 2025 highlights the “passport to longevity” trend.  “Vacations in 2025 will go beyond relaxation, evolving into life-enhancing journeys focused on health and well-being,” Booking.com’s website says. Fifty-two percent of … Read more

Popular anxiety drug being recalled nationwide for ‘possibly life-threatening’ error

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Popular anxiety drug being recalled nationwide for ‘possibly life-threatening’ error

A popular prescription anxiety drug is being recalled nationwide for a “possibly life-threatening” mistake on the carton. The Pennsylvania-based drug maker Endo announced this week that it is expanding its recall of clonazepam tablets because some cartons bear the incorrect drug strength and wrong drug code. Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine used to treat panic disorder … Read more

The hot new trend? A non-surgical facelift with no downtime

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The hot new trend? A non-surgical facelift with no downtime

This time of year, the phones at plastic surgeon Jon Turk’s Upper East Side office are ringing off the hook as men and women across the United States call looking for “refreshment” before the holidays. But unlike years past, they’re not calling to schedule a pre-surgery appointment or consultation. The calls are for Turk’s new, … Read more

NY woman receives first fully robotic double lung transplant: ‘An unbelievable thing’

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NY woman receives first fully robotic double lung transplant: ‘An unbelievable thing’

Cheryl Mehrkar was an “adrenaline junkie” who relished being a scuba divemaster and riding her 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster in North Carolina, Maine, and near her home in Dutchess County. She had also achieved a fourth-degree karate black belt and dabbled in skydiving and bungee jumping. Now, Mehrkar has a new feat for her unusual résumé … Read more

This type of mushroom could slow cancer tumor growth — and extend your survival

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This type of mushroom could slow cancer tumor growth — and extend your survival

Talk about a magic mushroom. New research from the cancer treatment center City of Hope suggests that white button mushroom extract may slow prostate cancer progression by hindering tumor growth and supporting cancer-fighting immune cells. But one of the study’s authors has a warning for anyone buying their own mushroom extract as a cure-all. White … Read more

I’m a therapist — how rewatching a comfort show like Gilmore Girls is actually good for your health

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I’m a therapist — how rewatching a comfort show like Gilmore Girls is actually good for your health

Gilmore Girls fans know: When the weather turns and the leaves are falling, it’s prime time to revisit Stars Hollow. Comfort TV rewatches no doubt feel cozy, but according to psychotherapist Jill Lewis, MA, LCSW, there are several ways they can be a mental health boost. And while she says you definitely shouldn’t feel guilty … Read more

Therapist’s funny-looking ‘slithering’ technique can help you get out of bed in the morning

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Therapist’s funny-looking ‘slithering’ technique can help you get out of bed in the morning

If you can’t be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you can still slither out of bed like a hapless reptile or drunk noodle and crawl toward the promise of a better morning. Best-selling author, personal development coach, and motivational speaker Mel Robbins has taken to TikTok to share her therapist-recommended hack for getting out of bed when feelings of doom and … Read more

Can skin really turn green like in ‘Wicked’? The truth about chlorosis, the ‘the lost disease’ of teen girls

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Can skin really turn green like in ‘Wicked’? The truth about chlorosis, the ‘the lost disease’ of teen girls

Something “Wicked” this way comes. In the wildly popular musical-turned-movie primed for release this week, Elphaba — who later became the the Wicked Witch of the West — turns up to Shiz University with bright green skin, the result of her mother drinking a suspicious elixir while pregnant. But here in the real world outside … Read more

I’m a doctor — how to stop crying when you chop onions using this paper ‘magnet’ trick

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I’m a doctor — how to stop crying when you chop onions using this paper ‘magnet’ trick

A cry for help? After a TikTok user complained that she weeps “a lot a lot” when chopping onions, an emergency medicine physician shared a tissue-free slicing strategy that he swears is a cut above the rest. “I’m gonna teach you how to never cry again cutting onions,” Dr. Joe Whittington declared on TikTok this month. Dicing an … Read more

This sneaky sign of dementia can show up a decade before other symptoms

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This sneaky sign of dementia can show up a decade before other symptoms

Losing your sense of smell is nothing to sneeze at — it could be an early sign of dementia. “Odor identification has been identified as a useful screening tool that predicts conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease dementia,” Virginia neurologist Fouzia Siddiqui told Parade last week. Nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, which gradually … Read more

Are you getting more sleep than the average New Yorker? Which boroughs catch the most Z’s

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Are you getting more sleep than the average New Yorker? Which boroughs catch the most Z’s

In the city that never sleeps, some boroughs actually catch less shut-eye than others. Though experts consistently recommend getting seven to nine hours a night, a new study by sleep-tech firm Simba found that New York is falling short, reporting an average of six hours and 36 minutes nightly — and there’s a 24-minute difference between … Read more

Too much ‘PM2.5’ can cause coughing, bronchitis, and even cancer — how to get it out of your home

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Too much ‘PM2.5’ can cause coughing, bronchitis, and even cancer — how to get it out of your home

Dust can be deadly. Commonly comprised of dirt, pollen, skin cells, insects, pet dander, mold spores, bacteria, mycotoxins, dust mites, their refuse, and other such flotsam and jetsam, the buildup of indoor and outdoor particles is not just a nasty sight. Experts say some dust can be downright dangerous. Experts have linked exposure to dust … Read more

I’m a pharmacist and would never take these 3 supplements — beware a viral social media trend

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I’m a pharmacist and would never take these 3 supplements — beware a viral social media trend

She finds gummy vitamins un-bear-able. Longtime UK pharmacist Amina Khan — founder and director of the skincare and supplements brand The Pharmacist Beauty — is revealing the three types of supplements she avoids. “I think you’re gonna be surprised at most of these,” Khan told her 271,500 TikTok followers in September. Gummy vitamins There are … Read more

Having too many pictures and unread emails on your phone might mean you have this mental disorder

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Having too many pictures and unread emails on your phone might mean you have this mental disorder

Does this ring a bell? If your phone contains thousands of photos you have to swipe through to find what you need or your phone storage is always full because you’re reluctant to delete anything, even unread emails, you may be a digital hoarder. Hoarding disorder — which is often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder and … Read more

Eat junk food when you’re stressed? These 2 drinks can help your body reset

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Eat junk food when you’re stressed? These 2 drinks can help your body reset

Just in time for the holidays, some heart-warming news. Flavanol-rich cocoa and green tea can protect your cardiovascular system against stress even after you eat fatty junk food, a new study finds. “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods,” said lead study author Catarina Rendeiro, an assistant professor … Read more

Diabetes rates have quadrupled since 1990 — here’s the 4 reasons why

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Diabetes rates have quadrupled since 1990 — here’s the 4 reasons why

The number of people living with diabetes worldwide has quadrupled in the past two decades, with 830 million people diagnosed as of 2022, as published this week in The Lancet. That’s more than four times the number of people who had the disease in 1990, according to a Thursday announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO). Among … Read more

The negative seed oil hype is all wrong, experts say — the problem is American ‘overconsumption’

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The negative seed oil hype is all wrong, experts say — the problem is American ‘overconsumption’

Seed oils are killing us. That’s according to a growing chorus of influential people warning against the staples of the average American diet — calling them toxic and blaming them for an epidemic of inflammation. But the canola and corn contrarians, the peanut pooh-poohers, the soybean and sunflower disparagers, and even the grapeseed gloom-and-doomers — they’re … Read more