Wes Streeting’s health bill brings back ‘democratic control’ of the NHS in England – but what does it mean?

repic/Shutterstock.com Most NHS patients never think about who has legal responsibility for the health service. They notice waiting times, whether local services disappear and whether they can get treatment when they need it. But Wes Streeting’s new health bill changes who has the ultimate power to make those decisions, and may make the NHS far […]

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Cooling ingredients in vapes might cause irregular heartbeats

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock.com For years, flavour additives in e-cigarettes have been largely viewed as a secondary concern compared with nicotine. Research and regulation have focused on addiction, nicotine delivery and, more recently, the respiratory effects of vaping. But as evidence accumulates researchers are increasingly asking whether certain flavouring ingredients have health effects of their own. Among the […]

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The mysterious tooth condition affecting millions of children

It affects a significant number of children and can leave their adult teeth permanently weakened and discoloured. Sorapop Udomsri/Shutterstock Your child’s small, delicate, chalk-white baby teeth fall out. In their place grow yellowish-brown, fragile teeth – much to everyone’s surprise. This is the dental condition molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), a condition that is almost as […]

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‘Lime bike leg’: what doctors are seeing in ebike crashes

Peter Porrini/Shutterstock.com A man in his 30s arrived at the Royal London Major Trauma Centre after what sounded like a relatively minor cycling accident. He had been riding a shared ebike when he lost control and fell. By the time I met him, scans had revealed a complex fracture around his ankle where his shinbone […]

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Why tiny amounts of vitamin B12 matter more as we age

Berna Namoglu/Shutterstock Two micrograms is an almost unimaginably small amount. It weighs less than a tiny fragment of a grain of table salt. Yet adults need only around this amount of vitamin B12 each day, depending on the guideline used, to support red blood cells, nerves and DNA production. In 2026, it is 100 years […]

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Do you lose your whole day to one appointment? ‘Waiting mode’ may be why

voronaman/Shutterstock You have a 3pm appointment. It’s now 10am and somehow your entire day already feels out of reach. Maybe you find yourself unable to start anything properly. You feel on edge, waiting for something to begin, or end. You check the time again and again. Even a positive, planned event, like a friend visiting […]

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Magic mushrooms and Alzheimer’s: what one remarkable case can tell us

CYAM/Shutterstock Magic mushrooms are better known for producing hallucinations and altering people’s sense of reality than for treating brain diseases. Most people associate them with tripping, rather than Alzheimer’s disease. But a report on an individual patient has prompted scientists to ask whether psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, could have unexpected effects on […]

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Not all fruits and vegetables are equal when it comes to heart health, our research shows

The flavanols found in many fruits and vegetables are beneficial for heart health. nadianb/ Shutterstock Fruits and vegetables are an important part of our diet. They provide nutrients and fibre, and many contain additional compounds (known as bioactives) that can improve health. But not all foods are created equal – with big differences in the […]

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Baby slings: what the evidence says about benefits, risks and safe use

Baby slings offer convenience and promote infant bonding, but serious risks include suffocation, falls, and hip dysplasia if the sling is used incorrectly Natalia Deriabina/Shutterstock Human babies are born more dependent on their caregivers than most other mammals. They need close contact with an adult for feeding, comfort, warmth and protection. Parents and caregivers around […]

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Hardening the body: the science behind martial arts conditioning

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock.com The White House is gearing up to host a UFC event as part of celebrations of 250 years of American independence. The fighters on the card are relying on body conditioning techniques that have been around for centuries to try to emerge victorious. Muay thai, karate and jiujitsu all use ancient practices that […]

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