HEALTH & WELLBEING

For years, cannabis has been held as illegal, and still is, in many states and countries across the world.

A transgender woman might be the first to successfully breastfeed her adopted newborn child following months of hormone therapy.

Pressure at work and even in school can bring both emotional and mental stress, which in turn can affect how a person functions in life.

New research suggests that drinking coffee is associated with longer life. Two major studies involved more than 700,000 people and found that the more coffee consumed, the less likely to die young from disease such as diabetes, cancer and various heart ailments.

Australian doctors and giant tobacco company British American Tobacco have told federal parliamentarians that the country must make e-cigarettes easily available to smokers as it is a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes.

Leading Australian researcher and oncologist, Prof. Roger Reddel, who is also the Director of the Children's Medical Research (CMRI) Institute, believes that all childhood cancers will be curable in near future. Even 50 years ago, very few children survived childhood leukaemia, but now the cure rate is upwards of 80 percent.

A Bond University study has for the first time pointed out, or rather, quantified, the real extent of antibiotic over-prescription in Australia. The study shows how a number of general physicians (GPs) do not follow national guidelines for antibiotics.

Two small studies have reported success stories of personalised vaccines treating melanoma patients. The findings recorded in these studies are big steps towards personalised therapies, even though vaccines are still unlikely to be used as standard treatment.

African people may soon be munching on Vitamin A-rich bananas developed by Australian researchers. The bananas have been developed in Queensland as part of a “significant humanitarian project” to save African lives.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently revealed that oral sex is producing dangerous gonorrhoea and that a decline in the use of condoms is helping the infection spread faster.

Poor sleep may lead to Alzheimer’s, especially for those who carry the risk of the degenerative disease. Lead scientist Dr. Barbara Bendlin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US said that previous studies had also shown the influence of sleep on the development progression of the disease in various ways.

Drinking coffee may be a good way to stay fit. US journalist and health expert Bob Arnot, in his new book “The Coffee Lover’s Diet,” explored how coffee can help in losing weight.

Botanix, an Australian company, is developing the first new acne treatment in 20 years. The treatment involves using synthetic cannabis oil to treat pimples.

Ecstasy could help alcoholics deal with trauma and stress, factors that cause people to get hooked, according to a study. The drug is being tested as part of a revolutionary treatment to help alcoholics beat addiction.

Australia is slowly taking a tough stance on food manufacturers when it comes to marketing junk foods to kids. It is going for tighter regulations such as banishing confectionary and soft drinks from Victorian schools. By end of the year, it will be removing soft drinks from vending machines in all NSW hospitals.

Latest reports suggest that regular intake of chocolate and cocoa could be beneficial for cognitive functioning over time, thereby staving off degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Latest reports suggest that around 16,000 Australian children have been prescribed antipsychotics. In 2015, a total of 16,570 teenagers, children and toddlers were prescribed such drugs, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data has shown.

Prof. Lindsay Grayson, leading infectious disease expert with Melbourne’s Austin Hospital, has warned that the country may return to the Dark Age of medical treatment because of the superbug crisis.

A survey carried out by Obesity Policy Coalition has created quite a buzz, and there are many who want a ban on cartoon characters used on food packaging to lure kids. About 186 packaged foods with cartoon characters were surveyed, and 52 percent were classified as unhealthy, based on Food Standards' Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion.

Recent research suggests that exposing skin to sunlight releases a compound that can help in alleviating eczema symptoms. Inflammation is dampened by the molecule nitric oxide.

A Stourbridge mum has revealed how an orgasm nearly killed her. Lucinda Allen, 38, slipped into a medically-induced coma five years ago after having sex with her engineer husband Tony.

Perth is now a hub for medical marijuana trade. The Medicinal Cannabis Council, a new peak industry body, is launching today with the sole aim of making Australia a world leader in this field.

If you want to die early, have fried potatoes. A recent study has found scientific evidence that connects eating fried potatoes to a higher risk of death.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a drug that imitates the effect of sunlight on skin, which allows tanning without the harmful effects of UV rays. The drug tricks the skin into producing the brown form of melanin.

Type 2 diabetes drug canagliflozin, sold as Invokana, may protect patients from heart attack and stroke. As per a large study involving 10,000 patients, the drug also slows down renal disease progression significantly.

The latest cannabis legalisation reports suggest that independent senator Jacqui Lambie is in the process of teaming up with the Greens and One Nation to overturn a ban on doctors prescribing unregistered but readily available treatments.

Never-before-seen footage of Victoria’s medicinal cannabis crop has been released. Using the drug for treatment is expected to change many lives.

While Australia takes baby steps in marijuana legalisation, women in New York State suffering from menstrual cramps may soon be able to ease their monthly pains.

"Pokemon Go" urges players to get up and go, inadvertently giving them some calorie-burning initiatives through small steps for a healthier life, according to a study.