Health & Wellness
The Five-Second Rule, According to the Research
Bacteria do not wait five seconds. What actually decides whether dropped food is a problem is the food, the floor, and what is living on it.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 9, 2026
Health & Wellness
Evidence-led reporting on everyday health questions, from nutrition claims and sleep to screening, symptoms, and ageing well.
Health & Wellness
Measuring Blood Pressure at Home Without Fooling Yourself
Home readings are useful, but only if the cuff fits, the posture is right, and you record more than the number you liked.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 9, 2026
Health & Wellness
Why Strength Work Helps Knee Pain More Than Rest
The instinct to protect a sore knee by using it less is understandable, and for many common problems it is the wrong direction.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 8, 2026
Health & Wellness
What Actually Works for Thinning Hair
A small number of treatments have solid evidence behind them, a larger number have some, and the most heavily marketed products generally have none.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 7, 2026
Health & Wellness
Hydration Myths: How Much Water You Actually Need
The eight-glasses rule has no clear scientific origin, and the body has a well-tuned mechanism for telling you when to drink.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 7, 2026
Health & Wellness
Vitamin D: Who Should Test, and Who Should Just Supplement
Routine testing is not recommended for most healthy adults, yet a modest supplement in winter is standard advice in many countries.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 6, 2026
Health & Wellness
The Eye Screening Advances Changing Macular Degeneration Care
Imaging that once existed only in hospital eye departments now sits in high-street optician practices, and it is catching disease years earlier.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 5, 2026
Health & Wellness
The Early Signs of Hearing Loss People Explain Away
Hearing rarely fails all at once. It fades in specific frequencies, in specific situations, and most people blame the room first.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 5, 2026
Health & Wellness
Fibre, Not Probiotic Marketing, Is the Gut Health Basic
Most people fall short of recommended fibre intake, and no supplement on the shelf compensates for that gap.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 4, 2026
Health & Wellness
Living With Dizziness: Practical Steps That Help
Dizziness is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and describing it accurately is the fastest route to the right treatment.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 3, 2026
Health & Wellness
Slow Breathing and Stress: What the Evidence Supports
Breathing exercises are free, portable, and modestly effective, which is an unusual combination in stress advice.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 3, 2026
Health & Wellness
Simple, Evidence-Backed Ways to Relieve Constipation
Most constipation responds to a handful of unglamorous changes, applied consistently for a few weeks rather than tried for a few days.
By Leah Fornier · Sep 1, 2026
Health & Wellness
Amyloidosis: The Early Signs That Are Easy to Miss
A rare disease with common symptoms is a difficult combination. Amyloidosis is usually diagnosed late for exactly that reason.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 30, 2026
Health & Wellness
Almond Butter: What It Does and Does Not Do
It is a genuinely nutritious food sold with claims that outrun the evidence. The useful parts are the ordinary ones.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 28, 2026
Health & Wellness
Wrinkle Care: The Ingredients With Evidence Behind Them
Three or four ingredients have decades of trials behind them. Most of the skincare aisle is packaging around them, or around nothing.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 26, 2026
Health & Wellness
Choosing a Pillow: A Small Purchase With Outsized Effects
Pillow height should be determined by how you sleep and how broad your shoulders are, which is why most people are using the wrong one.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 24, 2026
Health & Wellness
Fatty Liver: The Diet Changes That Actually Move the Needle
Fat in the liver is reversible, and the evidence points to a small number of changes doing most of the work.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 22, 2026
Health & Wellness
Five Brain Myths That Refuse to Die
Some of the most repeated claims about the brain were never supported, and a few of them shape decisions about education and health.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 20, 2026
Health & Wellness
Does Microwaving Really Destroy Nutrients?
Microwaving is often among the gentler ways to cook vegetables. The nutrient losses people worry about mostly happen in the water.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 18, 2026
Health & Wellness
Intermittent Fasting: Where the Evidence Currently Stands
Time-restricted eating works for a lot of people. The reason appears to be simpler and less exciting than the mechanisms usually claimed.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 16, 2026
Health & Wellness
Loneliness and Health: What the Evidence Supports
Loneliness has measurable effects on physical health, and the interventions that help are more specific than being told to socialise more.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 14, 2026
Health & Wellness
Why Walking Pace Predicts Health Better Than Step Count
How fast you walk carries more information about your health than how far. It is also something you can train.
By Leah Fornier · Aug 12, 2026