Health

We encounter different combinations of chemicals every day, depending on where we live, what we eat, the products we use and the work we do. Scientists suggest the best way to mitigate risks – and it doesn't involve sealing yourself in a bubble.

Many of us know the state of being “wired but tired” – feeling physically exhausted yet mentally unable to switch off. But the brain does not simply fall asleep because the body is fatigued – and part of the reason lies in the biology of survival.

Eating more leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli may help keep the lungs working better with age, according to a large new study linking higher vitamin K1 intake to a lower risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Peptide may not yet be the 2026 Oxford Word of the Year, but it must surely be in the running. For those of us not immersed in this new form of chemical pop culture, what the heck are they, and what should you be aware of if you're peptide-curious?

A team of researchers in China has sifted through the noise in what amounts to the most comprehensive review yet, and the results are both sobering and intriguing.

As some 150 million Americans dig into a hot dog on the July 4 weekend, physicians have uncovered how little we actually know about the health risks of this kind of processed meat. In fact, close to 90% of US adult surveyed poorly informed.

A flower you may have in your backyard or have seen in a public garden has been found to contain a surprisingly high amount of protein, as well as other nutrients. It could transform how we think of "ornamental" plants – and flowers in general.

A modified diet that takes cues from the Mediterranean model has the potential to promote healthier aging, with scientists using a large dataset from human records and combining it with an animal study to work out just why this could be.

The condition affects how certain adult teeth form in early childhood. It isn’t caused by lack of brushing, sugar or poor dental habits, but by something that disrupts the enamel formation before the teeth even erupt.

By following the journey of how PFAS move into the bodies of living things – including people – scientists like me are working to improve safety recommendations and usage guidelines for these chemicals.

Recent market insights suggest that this practice is becoming increasingly popular, with 34% of adults reporting they’ve tried zebra striping in 2025. But while this may help you pace yourself better, it’s by no means a hangover cure.

Less fat, animal-sourced protein and more complex carbs each day, for less than a month, can potentially take years off the biological clock in older adults. It suggests our health is more sensitive to short-term lifestyle changes than we think.