With the influx of new retailers offering bulk foods and double-digit sales growth in 2009, buying food in bulk is slated to be one of the biggest money-saving trends of 2010, according to the Bulk is Green Council. Dedicated to helping consumers, food manufacturers and grocers learn about the environmental...

Imagine a polka-dotted postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxic fumes and show the results simply by changing colors. Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part...

A potentially deadly stomach infection is on the rise outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn. The germ that causes the condition, known as Clostridium difficile, can create serious symptoms, including diarrhea and an inflammation of the colon, that can be fatal....

Although acupuncture has long been used to treat pain, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. The process appears to involve the brain’s ability to produce opioids (pain-reducing chemicals) that bind to neurons in distinct regions of the brain, and the ability...

The United States has 31.8 million H1N1 flu vaccine doses available and is on track to have another 10 million ready by week’s end, a federal health official said Tuesday. So far, that isn’t enough to prevent long lines at vaccination centers, but it is consistent with what officials had...

National Public Health begins today with the launch of a new video campaign entitled the Healthiest Nation in One Generation. We’re hoping to make this video viral, so we need your help to spread the word. This campaign is important because, let’s face it – as a nation we’re not nearly as...

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released new data today showing that a staggering 285 million people worldwide have diabetes. The latest figures from the IDF Diabetes Atlas indicate that people in low and middle-income countries (LMCs) are bearing the brunt of the epidemic, and that the disease...

Smoking bans are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease associated with exposure to secondhand smoke, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The report also confirms there is sufficient evidence that breathing secondhand smoke boosts nonsmokers’ risk for heart...

Two interactive computer tools released today by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will help emergency planners and responders select and run alternate care facilities during disaster situations. In such instances, hospitals experiencing a surge in seriously ill patients requiring...

March 24 is the 21st annual American Diabetes Alert Day. Why does it matter, you say? 1 in 5 Americans is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Most of these folks won’t even find out they have diabetes until they’ve had the disease for 7-10 years. Untreated, diabetes  leads to heart disease,...