Climate change, extreme weather & conflict exacerbate global food crisis

Climate change, extreme weather & conflict exacerbate global food crisis

Global food insecurity has risen substantially since pre-pandemic times, exacerbated by extreme weather, climate change, war and conflict. What the U.N. World Food Program calls “a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions” plays out differently around the world. In this story, three of Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellows detail the local situation in their region – from rising inflation and flooding in Nigeria to diminished local food […]

February 22, 2024 22

Health / Medical

Are ultra-processed foods bad for you? | Decomplicated

Studies show that the average British person consumes more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods. Their consumption can cause extreme health issues and early deaths, putting a massive strain on national health services across the world. An evaluation of global dietary guidelines highlights the need for clearer warnings on what common foods fall under the ‘UPF' banner.

February 22, 2024 16

Lifestyle

Is aromatherapy good or bad for you?

Many people have turned to essential oils to help with stress, insomnia, headaches and other conditions. It's called aromatherapy, and FOX Medical Team's Beth Galvin explores how it works.

February 21, 2024 16

Health / Medical

The Powerful Constraints on Medical Care in Catholic Hospitals Across America

Jennifer Chin, an OB-GYN at UW Medicine in Seattle, has treated patients turned away by Catholic hospitals. “We had many instances where people would have to get in their car to drive to us while they were bleeding, or patients who had had their water bags broken for up to five days or even up to a week,” Chin says. (DAN DELONG FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS) By Rachana Pradhan and Hannah Recht via KFF […]

February 20, 2024 13

Health / Medical

Bacteria in your gut can improve your mood − new research in mice tries to zero in on the crucial strains

The difference between one mouse’s fear and another mouse’s calm might be in their gut bacteria. Katriel Cho, CC BY-NC-ND By Andrea Merchak, University of Florida Probiotics have been getting a lot of attention recently. These bacteria, which you can consume from fermented foods, yogurt or even pills, are linked to a number of health and wellness benefits, including reducing gastrointestinal distress, urinary tract infections and eczema. But […]

February 19, 2024 14

Health / Medical

GoFundMe Has Become a Health Care Utility

In its early years, GoFundMe funded honeymoon trips, graduation gifts, and church missions to overseas hospitals in need. Now it has become a go-to platform for patients trying to escape medical billing nightmares. (ERIC HARKLEROAD/KFF HEALTH NEWS) By Elisabeth Rosenthal via KFF Health News GoFundMe started as a crowdfunding site for underwriting “ideas and dreams,” and, as GoFundMe’s co-founders, Andrew Ballester and Brad Damphousse, once put it, “for life’s important moments.” […]

February 13, 2024 13

Environment

‘Healthy humans without a healthy planet is a logical fallacy’

A nomadic community preparing a meal in Ladakh, India. Image by Prabhu B Doss via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). By Sonam Lama Hyolmo via Mongabay Dr. Sakib Burza says his fondest memories are climbing the majestic pine trees in the Kashmir Valley where he spent most of his childhood with his family. On a normal day, he would go trekking up the hills into the mountains above the tree line, watching over […]

February 7, 2024 15

Health / Medical

How does cancer spread to other parts of the body?

Pexels/Michelle Leman Sarah Diepstraten, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and John (Eddie) La Marca, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute All cancers begin in a single organ or tissue, such as the lungs or skin. When these cancers are confined in their original organ or tissue, they are generally more treatable. But a cancer that spreads is much more dangerous, as the organs it spreads to may be vital organs. A […]

February 1, 2024 21

Health / Medical

Measles is on the rise around the world – we can’t let vaccination rates falter

fotohay/Shutterstock Jaya Dantas, Curtin University In recent weeks a series of measles alerts have been issued around Australia, including in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, after the identification of a small number of cases in travellers returning from overseas. Meanwhile, places such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been contending with larger measles outbreaks. In fact, the World Health Organization reported a 45-fold increase in measles […]

January 31, 2024 14