Pop culture has done obsessive-compulsive disorder a massive disservice. Thanks to TV and movies, most people think OCD is all about scrubbing doorknobs or washing hands until they’re raw. Sure, cleanliness is one piece of the puzzle but the disorder…
Medicine has always been about making judgment calls in the fog of uncertainty. Doctors weigh symptoms, test results, patient histories, and gut instincts to make life-or-death decisions. For centuries, that uncertainty has been narrowed only by the limits of human…
Walk into any gathering of thirtysomethings and you’ll likely hear two competing claims. One says adulthood hardens people into who they already are: like the reliable friend who always shows up will stay reliable, and the one who flakes will…
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: saturated fat raises your “bad” cholesterol (LDL), and high LDL is a big red flag for heart disease. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, and LDL cholesterol is one of…
We often think metabolism is just about what we eat or how much we work out. But reality is far more complex. Things you might consider harmless (or don’t even think about) could be dragging your metabolic rate down without…
The faces in beauty ads are getting younger but not because wrinkles have disappeared. Across Instagram and TikTok, twenty-somethings with perfectly smooth skin talk openly about “getting a little Botox.” Not undoing damage, they’re trying to stop time before it…
Most people know about allergies from pollen, peanuts, and cat fur. But in immunology labs and allergy clinics right now, there are triggers that sound bizarre but are real. The body sometimes misbehaves in ways that surprise even specialists, because…
You’ve just had your gallbladder removed (or you might be facing surgery) and now you may be wondering: Can I still eat the foods I like? Will I ever digest fat normally again? The answer is yes, but things will…
It’s no secret that optimism has become the defining characteristic of our time. You’ve probably heard the pep talks: “Just stay positive!” or “Visualize success!” It’s practically a cultural reflex that an entire self-help industry built on the idea that…
In the years since Susan Cain’s book Quiet made introversion mainstream, millions have felt the relief of finally having a word to explain why small talk exhausts them or why they’d rather read a book than mingle at a party. …
Seafood is still one of the healthiest proteins you can eat, but it comes with a caveat. Every fish in the ocean, from the smallest sardine to the largest shark, contains some amount of mercury. This isn’t because fish are…
Say you eat fairly well, you make time for walks or workouts. Yet, the numbers on the scale still drift upward, or you can’t shift that stubborn fat despite your best efforts. Sound familiar? It might not be all about…
There’s a good chance you already know which camp you fall into. Some people spring out of bed at dawn, ready to take on the day before the coffee has even brewed. Others hit their stride long after sunset, their…
People have flirted with all-meat diets for decades. What if everything nutritionists told us about balance and vegetables was wrong? Claims echo across podcasts and TikTok videos. The idea feels primal, like returning to the way ancient humans might have…
We all love that morning (or mid-afternoon) cup of coffee but if you’re familiar with the sharp burn in your chest afterward, you know exactly how painful the side effects can be. Recent research suggests that not all coffees are…
If you often lie in bed replaying the day, heart rate high, mind buzzing, you’re not alone. Anxiety and sleeplessness have a way of feeding each other. Worry keeps you up, lack of sleep amplifies anxiety. But recent studies suggest…
Despite Americans spend more than $60 billion a year on dietary supplements, deficiencies in essential minerals like zinc were still common. People thought they were protecting themselves with daily capsules, yet many aren’t getting the benefits they paid for. But…
In the 1960s, a 17-year-old high school student named Randy Gardner set out to break a world record. He stayed awake for eleven straight days. At first, it seemed like a stunt: he gave interviews, played basketball, even cracked jokes…
George Orwell, in his 1945 essay, wrote that “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful.” He could have been describing passive-aggressive behavior. It’s not outright deception, but it’s not the truth either, it’s a half-language that forces you…
Every time a person eats, drinks, or takes medicine, the liver is responsible for handling the breakdown and safe processing of those substances. But it’s not the kind of organ most people talk about until something goes wrong. Yet it…
