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Is the BRAT diet the best choice for an upset stomach?
The BRAT diet — which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — has long been recommended for people coping with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These bland, low-fiber foods are easy to digest. But is this the best diet to help you recover from digestive woes?
There aren’t any studies comparing the BRAT diet with other options. �...Read more
5 foods to stock up on in April
The leap into April is a sign that crisp mornings are making way for sun-kissed evening skies. This change in weather also brings a shift in the produce selection available at the market. When you’re out shopping, snag these five seasonal selections and pantry staples that can help you create convenient, healthy meals that celebrate spring.
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Do you need travel health insurance?
While vacation is supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation, accidents do happen. Planning ensures you have the protection you need in case you’re sick or injured during your trip.
Depending on where you are and what your primary health insurance policy covers, you might be stuck with the bill if you do end up in the hospital. For this ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: Fabulous farro
Farro is an ancient grain that’s been cultivated for thousands of years. Delicious and nutritious (rich in protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron and magnesium), farro is enjoying a resurgence among gourmets and the health conscious alike.
The folklore
Legend has it that Julius Caesar himself brought it to Italy after invading Egypt in 30 B...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Beyond coughing: Wildfire smoke’s health risks
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: We’re living in an area that’s seeing increasing episodes of wildfire smoke. I’m concerned about how it could be affecting our health. Should we be concerned?
ANSWER: As wildfires become increasingly common throughout the U.S. and neighboring Canadian provinces, the smoke from these fires should be taken seriously. Air ...Read more
Happiness, Where Are You?
If you're bummed about missing International Day of Happiness (March 20), that sadness might be mitigated by where you live. The personal finance company WalletHub has issued its 2026 report on the "Happiest Cities in America."
The survey covered more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities, ranking them by 29 key indicators, from reported rates ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: When should I see a neurosurgeon about my back pain?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My brother was experiencing severe back pain last year and decided to see a neurosurgeon for treatment. Now he is experiencing little to no discomfort. When I think about seeing a neurosurgeon, I picture major spine surgery and a long, difficult recovery. Seeing that he is doing better made me reflect on my own situation. I ...Read more
Woman's HPV Test Comes Out Positive For Three Risk Types
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 35-year-old female. My doctor did a Pap smear and a human papilloma virus (HPV) test that was positive for one of the "risk types" (16, 18 and 45 according to my chart) -- but not one of the really bad ones. I am otherwise healthy. My Pap smears have always been normal.
I never did get my HPV vaccine. Should I get it? ...Read more
Got prediabetes? Tango with a mango and sing fado with avocado
Prediabetes isn't "before" anything when it comes to putting your heart health at risk. A study in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology of more than 1.3 million folks found that having prediabetes increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by 21% -- especially for folks ages 18 to 24. And earlier findings show ...Read more
Legislature, Gov. Healey approve $300M supplemental budget to cover soaring health care costs
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature have passed and signed another supplemental budget, this time appropriating $300 million to fund health insurance for public employees as health care costs continue to burden the state budget.
The House and Senate both passed the emergency legislation (H. 5348) during informal ...Read more
Deadly diseases in Minnesota newborns to be targeted in new whole-genome study
MINNEAPOLIS – A federally funded study aims to determine if whole-genome sequencing at birth can reduce childhood diseases and deaths while satisfying growing concerns over genetic privacy and public health research.
Parents at two yet-to-be-selected health systems in Minnesota will be able to opt in to the BEACONS study and have their ...Read more
Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection
A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products were sterile.
These products are sold under several names at major retailers across the country. The company, K.C. Pharmaceuticals, initiated the recall on ...Read more
This medical student has a 95% chance of developing a fatal neurodegenerative disease. She wants to find a cure before that happens
PHILADELPHIA -- Yentli Soto Albrecht is at risk of developing the same condition that claimed her father’s life two years ago.
The University of Pennsylvania medical student inherited a genetic mutation that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which patients progressively lose the ability to move. ...Read more
Health insurers pare back some prior-approval requirements
U.S. health insurers have made it easier for doctors to get approval before providing certain types of treatment, industry groups said, calling it a sign of progress toward alleviating burdensome delays for patients.
Major health plans said they collectively removed thousands of prior authorization requirements for medical procedures since they...Read more
State-run insurance plans for foster kids leave some of them without doctors
Ollie Super has moved in and out of cancer treatment since she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a toddler in foster care. Now 8, the second grader is dealing with it again. Her cancer came back late last year.
Ollie’s parents, who adopted her in 2020, tried to sign her up for a clinical trial using CAR T-cell therapy — which genetically ...Read more
Navigator cuts leave Americans with less help to find Obamacare plans
CINCINNATI — For four years, Kimberly Dudley has worked on the front line of the Affordable Care Act as a navigator, helping Ohioans solve the puzzle of buying private insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.
But the job is harder now, the answers scarcer. In one of its first acts, the second Trump administration cut annual ...Read more
A stroke of bad luck
If you are one of the more than 45 million Americans who have used marijuana, cocaine or amphetamines in the past month, I'm afraid the party's over -- or should be. A study in the International Journal of Stroke looked at data from 32 studies with more than 100 million participants and found that using cocaine ups your risk for a stroke by 96%;...Read more
Explaining Birdshot Chorioretinopathy And Its Treatments
DEAR DR. ROACH: My niece was diagnosed with birdshot chorioretinopathy. Can you please explain what this is, which treatments are involved, and what the typical prognoses are? -- P.Z.
ANSWER: Birdshot chorioretinopathy is an inflammatory condition of the choroid and retina (the very back of the eye). The average age of diagnosis is 53. This ...Read more
What should you know about the COVID cicada variant?
A new variant of COVID-19, dubbed cicada, is less susceptible to vaccination and appears to discriminate based on age, scientists say. The variant appears less threatening to older individuals, preferring young people instead.
Cicada, formally named BA.3.2, is a mutation of the omicron COVID-19 branch that first appeared in 2021. It has been ...Read more
Children's Minnesota lifts suspension on gender health services
MINNEAPOLIS — Children’s Minnesota hospital system resumed gender health care services it had suspended in late February in response to efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to cut off federal funding.
A favorable federal court ruling led to the reversal, Children’s said in a written statement on Monday, April 6. The health...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection
- Deadly diseases in Minnesota newborns to be targeted in new whole-genome study
- Health insurers pare back some prior-approval requirements
- This medical student has a 95% chance of developing a fatal neurodegenerative disease. She wants to find a cure before that happens
- 5 foods to stock up on in April






















