The Ins and Outs of Gut Bacteria
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Deep in the bowels of our, well, bowels, lurk trillions of microscopic bacteria. But don’t be fooled by the big bad “B” word, intractably tied to infections and disease. In fact, these bitty bugs do us a world of goo…
“The View” Co-Host Authors Book on Diabetes Struggle
Bennett Raglin/WireImage/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The View co-host Sherri Shepherd is speaking out about her personal struggle with diabetes in her new book, Plan D: How To Lose Weight And Beat Diabetes. Speaking to Good Morning America, Shepherd says…
Elementary School Cafeteria Goes Vegetarian
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A New York City elementary school cafeteria is one of the first in the nation to go meatless.Students at P.S. 244, the Active Learning Elementary School, are being treated to eclectic fare, including black bean and c…
Immigrant Children Less Prone to Allergies
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — America’s obsession with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer may not be such a good thing. Research shows that some exposure to germs is actually helpful.A new study found that children born outside the U.S. devel…
FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Plan B for Woman 15 and Older
Scott Olson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved Plan B One-Step, a brand of emergency contraceptive, to be available for women 15 and older without a prescription.This comes almost a month after a federal judge ord…
Mediterranean Diet Helps to Preserve Memory and Cognitive Skills
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — According to a new study, a Mediterranean diet, high in Omega-3s and low in meat and dairy, may help to preserve memory and cognitive ability.The study, published in the journal Neurology, was the largest study to da…
ER Visits Related to Sleeping Drug Jump Nearly 220%
Tim Boyle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The number of patients heading to the emergency room after taking the active ingredient in the sleeping drug Ambien has jumped dramatically, a new report finds.The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis…
Soldier Becomes First Amputee to Graduate from Air Assault School
Sgt. Joe Padula/U.S. Army(NEW YORK) — Sgt. 1st Class Greg Robinson endured 10 grueling days of navigating obstacle courses, strenuous runs and repelling out of helicopters in Army Air Assault school, and he did it all with a prosthetic leg.”A disabili…
Number of Boston University Student Deaths ‘Staggering’
STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images(BOSTON) — By the time student newspaper editors learned that a student had died in a fire just off the Boston University campus over the weekend, they knew the drill.
Over the next few days, they confirmed the student’s nam…
The FDA Investigates Caffeine in Snacks
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Americans crave their caffeine, with many often admitting they can’t begin their daily routine without a morning cup of coffee. Energy drinks and products, popular among teens and adults alike, line store shelv…
FDA Approves Plan B One-Step to Be Sold Over-the-Counter
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Plan B One-Step, a pill used to prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse, can now be sold in drug stores without a prescription to females 15 and older. Furthermore, Plan B w…
‘Obamacare’ Poll Finds 42% of Americans Unaware It’s Law
Comstock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A new poll finds that many Americans are confused about the health care overhaul legislation commonly called “Obamacare.”The Kaiser Family Foundation released results of a non-partisan study Tuesday findin…
Gay ESPN Host Reflects on NBA Player Coming Out
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Jared Max almost missed the phone call he’d been waiting for. The co-host of ESPN Radio’s Maxed Out, was just getting settled for his mid-morning nap when his brother called asking if he’d hea…
Friendfluence: How Our Friends Shape Us
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The importance of friendship has long been linked to our very survival. These days while we still cherish friends, we tend to undervalue their role in our lives. With the declining size of families and the tendency for ad…
Brothers Who Lost Legs in Boston Bombing Reunited
Paul Norden at Beth Isreal Deaconess Hospital in Boston. Patricia Wen/The Boston Globe via Getty Images(BOSTON) — Two brothers who each lost a leg in the deadly Boston Marathon bombing were reunited Monday, seeing each other for the first time since …
Toddler Born Without a Windpipe Gets Artificial Trachea
Courtesy Jim Carlson/Saint Francis Medical Center(PEORIA, Ill.) — In a groundbreaking feat of science and surgery, a Korean toddler born without a windpipe received an artificial trachea made from her own stem cells. Hannah Warren, 2½, was born…
Professor Asks If Eating Boogers Boosts Immunity
Design Pics/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Scott Napper has a hypothesis: What if his daughters’ tendency to pick their noses and eat the dried nasal mucus — their boogers — actually had some health benefits?Napper, who teaches biochemistry at the Uni…
Children with Autism ‘Fall Off the Cliff’ After Graduation
Courtesy Nan Garber(NEW YORK) — For four years, Janet Mino has worked with her young men, preparing them to graduate from JFK High School, a place that caters to those with special needs in Newark, N.J.All six of them have the severest form of autism,…
Task Force Releases New HIV Screening Recommendations
ABC News Radio(ROCKVILLE, Md.) — New guidelines about HIV testing from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force may come as a surprise to some. The task force now strongly recommends expanding testing for the virus behind AIDS to include everyone ages …
Catherine Zeta-Jones Seeks Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Donna Ward/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Catherine Zeta-Jones has checked into a health care facility for what TMZ.com reports is treatment for her bipolar disorder.A rep for the actress tells ABC News, “Catherine has proactively checked into a he…