Social Issues

BPA is a chemical that’s used in plastics, food and drink containers, cans, pizza boxes, shopping receipts, baby bottles, and much more. Scientists and public health advocates have been sounding the alarm on BPA for years, pointing out that it may be linked to reproductive health problems, diabetes, asthma, obesity, and harming fetal neurodevelopment. But its health effects may be further reaching than expected, and BPA substitutes may not be any better. Discover the latest research on BPA and similar chemicals — and what you can do about limiting your exposure.

Funders and proponents say vertical farming is the future. But consumer demand may change the nature of what it means to "grow."

Once a self-reliant agriculture-dependent economy, Puerto Rico now imports the majority of its food (including, unfortunately, fast food). But some residents in a rural Puerto Rican community are reviving a historic botanical garden to serve as an example of and inspiration for bringing back local and sustainable farming — and for the purposes of cultural and historical preservation.

Although the U.S. food system is plagued with problems, heroic people have devoted themselves to improving the quality and accessibility of good, healthy food. Among these changemakers are a group of African American female entrepreneurs whose initiatives are inspiring examples of hope in action.

For many people, chocolate is one of the special pleasures in life. It tastes delicious, it’s connected to many favorite holidays, and it can immediately lift your mood. But what are the health effects (positive and negative) of chocolate? And can you enjoy it without contributing to slave labor and environmental degradation on cacao plantations? In this article, we’ll share the research on chocolate’s surprising health benefits, and how you can partake ethically and healthfully.

Fish and seafood are often recommended as good sources of healthy nutrients like protein and essential fatty acids. Some research even suggests that fish may help you live longer, with a lower risk for disease. But how much truth is there to these claims? What about contamination with mercury and other heavy metals? And what about the ethical and sustainability concerns?

Evidence of the link between urinary tract infections and foodborne pathogens has mounted for decades, but you wouldn’t know it from federal policy.

Eating a plant-based diet is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body and the environment. And as plant-based diets increase in popularity and acceptance, more and more people are turning to them. Curious about starting (or optimizing) a plant-based diet? Discover what to eat and avoid on a plant-based diet, its benefits for your health and the environment, and ways to implement it into your life for optimal success.

Industrial animal agriculture is a total environmental disaster, polluting local ecosystems and contributing to climate change. While one obvious response is simply to stop eating animals, there’s a growing movement known as “regenerative agriculture” that claims that raising cows can be part of the solution to climate change and other environmental problems. We asked Dr Doug Gurian-Sherman, a leading agricultural scientist, to share the real science with our readers.

Lawns may look pretty, and they can impress the neighbors. But are their benefits really worth their costs? They can be bad for the environment, and the pesticides sprayed on them can be bad for your health, too. Have you ever wondered what would happen if we turned all our lawns into edible gardens, filled with fruits, vegetables, and herbs?

Is gluten toxic, a harmless indulgence, or part of a healthy diet? We know that people with medical conditions like celiac disease need to go gluten-free, but what about everyone else? How do you know if you’re gluten intolerant? Or gluten-sensitive? This article discusses what gluten is, why some people follow a gluten-free lifestyle, and whether there are benefits to going gluten-free even if you don’t have celiac disease.

The Annals of Internal Medicine has published what many are calling the “red meat papers”, advising Americans that there’s no need to cut down on consumption of red and processed meats. But in reality, the red-meat papers are not a breakthrough study. In fact, they didn’t study anything at all. They merely re-examined the data using a tool that was designed for measuring the efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs, not lifestyle interventions. Then they declared that decades of research, regulations by international bodies, and common sense were wrong. If you want the facts, here’s what you need to know.