Could You Be Short on Vitamin D?

TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- You'd think vitamin deficiencies would be rare in the United States, but many people are running low on vitamin D, and it's a serious health threat.

Being short on vitamin D not only affects bone density, it's also been linked to conditions such as heart disease, mental decline, some types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Is Crowdfunding Too Often Used for Bogus Treatments?

TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 -- Crowdfunding pleas for dubious or potentially unsafe medical treatments are increasingly common, and raised nearly $7 million on social media in two years, researchers report.

An ill patient pleading for naturopathic cancer treatments or hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be hard to resist. Ditto a parent seeking antibiotics for their child for chronic Lyme disease.

Yoga, Meditation Surging in Popularity in U.S.

THURSDAY, Nov. 8, 2018 -- If it seems like everyone you know is trying yoga or meditation, you might be right. A new government survey shows that the number of Americans practicing the "mindfulness" techniques has surged in the past few years.

In 2017, more than 14 percent of U.S. adults said they'd practiced yoga in the past year -- up from 9.5 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, the number of meditation practitioners more than tripled -- from 4 percent to 14 percent.

Many Mistakenly Believe Alternative Therapies Can Cure Cancer

TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 -- Despite evidence to the contrary, four in 10 Americans believe alternative therapies can cure cancer, a new survey finds.

Research shows that cancer death rates are much higher among patients who use only alternative therapies than among those who receive standard cancer treatments, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).