WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has stopped routine food safety inspections of seafood, fruits, vegetables and many other foods at high risk of contamination because of the federal government’s shutdown, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency’s commissioner, said on Wednesday. F.D.A. inspectors normally examine operations at about 160 domestic manufacturing and food processing plants…
Image Oral hormone replacement therapy, or H.R.T., increases the risk for potentially fatal blood clots. But a study in BMJ found that hormone replacement delivered through the skin by injection or skin patch entails no increased risk for blood clots. British researchers looked at 80,396 women who had blood clots while on various H.R.T. regimens,…
Anita Radini, an archaeologist at the University of York, in England, spends a lot of time looking at tartar. Really old tartar. Tartar, or dental plaque — that film of bacteria that feels like sweaters on your teeth — contains a wealth of information about what long-dead individuals encountered in their daily lives. Dr. Radini…
Why do people who made themselves clear saying they want to see you fail to pick up the phone five minutes before the meeting? The next day they call and say that they forgot, did not have enough time, fell ill, or their phone was discharged. All these reasons sound plausible only the first couple…
Lifestyle has a significant impact on type 2 diabetes, with diet playing a major role. Nuts are a good source of nutrition, and they provide a range of health benefits. However, some nuts are better than others for people with diabetes. Around 30.3 million adults in the United States have a form of diabetes. A…
Peter D. Meldrum, who led the biotech company Myriad Genetics for 23 years, when it was at the heart of a landmark court battle involving whether two genes associated with breast cancer could be patented, died on Dec. 20 in Salt Lake City. He was 71. A spokesman for the company said the cause was…
Artificial sweeteners offer no health benefits, a large review of studies found. But it found no proof that they do any harm, either. Researchers looked at 35 observational studies and 21 controlled trials of nonsugar sweeteners in children and adults. Some compared intake of sweeteners with no intake; others compared lower with higher intakes. They…
Consuming certain foods can lead to a reduction in body fat. When a person adds these fat-burning foods to the diet, they can burn fat and lose weight over time. Such fat-burning foods include eggs, nuts, and oily fish. The term “fat-burning foods” may apply to those that produce fat loss by stimulating metabolism, reducing…
Just in time to befuddle people who received genetic testing kits for the holidays, a new study finds that if you tell people that they have a genetic predisposition to certain health characteristics, such as a low capacity for exercise or a tendency to overeat, their bodies start to respond accordingly. Even if their DNA…
Many people are unsure how to lose weight safely and naturally. It does not help that many websites and advertisements, particularly those belonging to companies that sell diet drugs or other weight-loss products, promote misinformation about losing weight. According to 2014 research, most people who search for tips on how to lose weight will come…