Unlike the Urban Dictionary listing states, sassafras does not refer to dripping sarcasm. It’s actually a type of tree that grows in North America and East Asia, providing a pleasant aroma — and a great deal of folk medicine remedies. Over 38 years ago, however, sassafras in its pure form was outlawed by the U.S. Food…
Opiate addiction has been called "America's fastest-growing drug problem." It's now believed that the prescription opioid epidemic the leading cause of death among adults under 50 years old living in the U.S. In fact, the opioid epidemic is now responsible for more deaths of despair every year in the U.S than HIV was at the…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 820,000 new cases of gonorrhea occur each year in the United States, with 570,000 of the cases being in young people ages 15 to 24. Worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are currently 78 million people infected. (1, 2) Gonorrhea is a…
Wearing nail polish can be a great way to maintain good-looking toenails and fingernails. And who doesn’t love a relaxing manicure and pedicure? But if you choose to wear nail polish, consider the chemicals that come with it, especially the common chemicals used to remove the nail polish. Nail polish remover is definitely a quick…
Too often, diets are based on what you can’t eat. Veganism: no animal products at all. Vegetarianism: goodbye, steaks and chicken wings. Gluten-free: see ya later, grains. Paleo: don’t even look at that block of cheese. So it’s a bit of fresh air when instead of being super-restrictive, a diet adds a little leeway to…
Somewhere between 0.5 percent and 2.0 percent of the global population has vitiligo, a disorder that affects pigmentation of the skin. With this condition, the cells that make the skin’s pigment, called melanocytes, are destroyed. This results in white blotchy patches, and vitiligo treatment can take quite a while to work. For some, vitiligo may…
Trichomoniasis is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the world. It is sometimes referred to simply as “trich.” Although it can cause very uncomfortable symptoms, it’s believed that up to 70 percent of people with trichomoniasis do not have any symptoms. (1) In fact, most people with trichomoniasis do not even…
Have you ever read about the Steve Jobs diet? Well, it sounds like it changed quite frequently, but for some time he was following a fruitarian diet. At other times, he would limit his diet even further to just one or two fruits or vegetables. (1) Preparing to play Mr. Jobs back in 2013, actor…
America's No. 1 favorite comfort food is testing positive for some disturbing ingredients, and you won't find them on the label. New testing confirms that chemicals in mac and cheese include a variety of phthalates, chemicals that disrupt the body's normal hormonal function. Some are even linked to certain cancers. But is it time to panic…
TB may seem like a deadly disease of the distant past. But just this year, up to 50 babies were exposed to the disease in a United States hospital and nearly 200 staff and patients of another medical center were also believed to be exposed to TB. In fact, about 1.7 billion people (about a quarter of the…
