Category: Health

Microgen/Shutterstock Humans spend a great deal of time trying to smell good. We wash, deodorise and perfume our bodies daily, suggesting body odour must matter. Yet scientifically, the picture is far less straightforward. In the animal world, smell is a powerful communication tool. Many species use scent to signal readiness to mate, mark territory or […]

siro46/Shutterstock Some of the most powerful interventions to slow or improve frailty are also the most ordinary: regular movement, adequate nutrition and meaningful social connection. It almost sounds too simple for a condition now recognised as one of the strongest predictors of hospitalisation, disability, poor recovery from illness or surgery, nursing home admission and death […]

'Zebra striping' involves alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Halfpoint/ Shutterstock On a typical night out, the rhythm of drinking can be hard to control. Rounds arrive quickly, glasses are topped up before they’re empty, and intentions to “take it slow” often dissolve by the second or third drink. If you’re not careful, you’ll find […]

People in a hospital waiting room. toodtuphoto/Shutterstock.com Amid political upheaval and the subsequent resignation of the health secretary, the king’s speech unveiled the NHS modernisation bill – the most significant overhaul of the health service in more than a decade. By legally abolishing NHS England and bringing operational management directly into Whitehall, ministers say they […]

A row of psilocybin mushrooms. Cannabis Pic/Shutterstock.com A single dose of psilocybin eased symptoms of depression within days, with benefits lasting for more than three months compared to placebo, our new study has found. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open involved 35 people with recurring depression. We randomly assigned participants to either […]

becauz gao/Shutterstock.com Can spending more time engaging with the arts, such as visiting galleries, museums, singing or painting, really lead to a longer and healthier life? It’s certainly an appealing idea. And it’s not implausible. Stress is bad for your health, and spending your free time doing something engaging, like visiting an art gallery, seems […]

Manuela Durson/Shutterstock.com Prescriptions for two antiparasitic drugs, ivermectin and fenbendazole, have recently surged in the US, according to a new study. Originally developed to treat parasitic worms, the drugs are now being discussed online as possible cancer treatments. In January 2025, Mel Gibson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast claiming that ivermectin and fenbendazole […]

anut21ng Stock/Shutterstock In a 2026 study I conducted with colleagues on people with peripheral arterial disease, one participant described how leg pain had disrupted his golf for years. It forced him to stop mid-round, shake his leg and apologise to his playing partners while he waited for the pain to pass. He found it mortifying. […]

Model Winnie Harlow has non-segmental vitiligo. Andrea Raffin/ Shutterstock Around one in every 100 people worldwide has vitiligo – a chronic, autoimmune skin condition that causes the skin to appear lighter in patches. The number of people affected by vitiligo makes it one of the most common skin disorders. Several studies also suggest that many […]

luchschenF/Shutterstock As more people look for ways to stay younger for longer, the supplement industry has moved beyond creams and cosmetic fixes to something more ambitious: products that claim to slow ageing by acting on cellular processes. Among the most heavily marketed compounds are NAD+, NMN and resveratrol, often described as supporting cellular repair, energy […]