Allium sativum, the "Russian penicillin" --The plant the modern clinic forgot. How a common kitchen bulb outperformed the entire dermatology clinic -- and why that should not surprise us "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."-- attributed to Hippocrates, who prescribed garlic for infections, wounds, and tumors twenty-four centuries ago. There is a particular kind of result that the modern medical literature produces every so often and then quietly buries. Not an

A drug sold as harmless turns out to wound the gut, the heart, the kidney, and the very ecology within us. Here is the full ledger — and the plants that heal without a bill coming due. “A foreign compound the body has no use for — and no fluent grammar to read — is not neutral. It is a stranger handed the keys to every room in the house.” ~ REGENERATE There is a word that pharmacology uses with great precision and almost no public attention: xenobiotic. From the Greek xenos,

Adding a healthy option can actually drive people to make even worse choices, thanks to a mind-blowing glitch of human psychology. In 2017, and to much fanfare, menu labeling for calorie counts began to be mandated in national chain restaurants. Consumers should have the information needed to make healthy food choices outside the home, right? It makes sense that caloric information on menus will help people limit their food intake to stay within their daily energy needs. But

These days, it’s hard to know which foods are good to eat and which foods you should avoid with a 10-foot pole. This diet or that study will have you running circles in the supermarket, often with different sources completely contradicting each other. A classic example is eggs. Ten years ago, the health authorities had us thinking that the average egg was only one step away from junk food, being loaded with bad cholesterol and unhealthy saturated fats. Today, these same exper

Most people picture a heart attack the same way: sudden, dramatic, and unmistakable. Someone clutches their chest, struggles to breathe, and immediately knows something is wrong. While that image isn’t entirely inaccurate, it’s incomplete. The classic heart attack symptoms people often recognize were largely based on how heart attacks present in men. For many women, the experience can look very different. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United S

About half of all American women use vibrators. Why does this matter? Because that’s how many women could possibly have “dead vagina syndrome”— if indeed, it is a true medical condition. DVS is something you may have heard of. It involves unintentionally desensitizing your lady parts due to vibrator-overuse. So, could what you’re doing beneath the covers actually cause your vagina to die? Or is it just a myth? Let’s see what experts have to say. Still worried? If you believe

These picks consistently rank lowest for pesticide use and toxicity, and nearly 60% had no detectable residue in USDA testing. Key Points The EWG’s 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, based on more than 54,000 USDA samples, found 264 pesticide residues on produce even after washing. It ranks items into the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen to help shoppers make informed decisions. This year’s Dirty Dozen list highlighted PFAS — or “forever chemicals” — as some of the m

Throughout history, the natural world has served as a rich resource for compounds to treat human disease. For example, clay tablets from Mesopotamia dating from 2600 B.C.—humanity’s earliest written records—describe the healing powers of several plant species, including licorice, myrrh, and poppy capsule latex. More recently, penicillin and other lifesaving antibiotics have been developed from fungi, anti-cancer drugs paclitaxel and camptothecin have been derived from tree ba

Summary Anti-aging products are a $60 billion industry. And while there’s still no Fountain of Youth in sight, what you eat and what you put on your body have a direct effect on the appearance and health of your skin. When choosing personal care products, it’s important to read the labels. In this article, you’ll find out about some of the ingredients that are the biggest offenders to your skin, and 10 clean skincare ingredients that can have an anti-aging impact. Great-looki

Not all supplements are safe for your kidneys, especially for individuals with kidney disease. Key Points Some supplements may strain the kidneys when taken in high doses or excessively. High doses of vitamin C and vitamin D as well as some herbs may harm the kidneys. Protein supplements may need to be limited in those with kidney disease. Your kidneys work around the clock, tirelessly carrying out critical functions that keep your body in balance. From filtering blood and re