In The News: Department of Social and Behavioral Health
A recent peer-reviewed Japanese study by researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that preparing a home-cooked meal at least once a week is associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia in older adults.
By middle age, we often have about half the NAD+ we did in our youth. Hence, dietary supplements are being advocated by wellness influencers and some researchers.
About 240,000 cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed every year in the world.
Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol (polyol) used as a low-calorie substitute for table sugar. It is processed from plant materials like birch tree bark and corn cobs. It is added to sugar-free chewing gum, mints, toothpaste, and mouthwash because it helps prevent tooth decay.
A recent landmark global analysis in The Lancet Public Health (2026), in which I was a senior collaborator, analyzed decades of data across 204 countries and revealed that while the global health workforce has grown to 122 million, women are driving the expansion of the world’s healthcare workforce (71.4%).
Nevada is making gains in offering afterschool programs addressing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning, but more is needed especially to help rural areas, according to a study.
Coconut oil is a common edible oil used in the diet by certain populations around the world, including India. It is extracted from the kernel of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are man-made chemicals used in the industry and consumer goods since the 1940s. These are often referred as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in water, soil, or the human body.
Recent clinical trials from Merck and Moderna show promising results that a personalized messenger RNA (mRNA) melanoma vaccine intismeran autogene when combined with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, can reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by roughly 49% in high-risk patients after surgery compared to immunotherapy alone.
The term “nutrition transition” was coined by an American nutritionist, Barry Popkin, in 1993 to describe the large-scale shifts in human diet, energy spending, and body composition that happen alongside general economic development, urbanization, and demographic changes.
For decades, the South Asian diaspora in the United States has been celebrated as an exemplary economic success story and a “model minority.” However, behind the high median incomes and professional and academic accolades lies a simmering, intensifying public health emergency.
Currently, there are more than 10 states across the United States that are actively under flood watches, warnings, or facing severe monsoon-related problems.