Lather Up

Wash your mouth out with soap! Literally? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Uh oh… food poisoning! Your immune system protects you — but it can’t guard everywhere at once. What’s an upset stomach to do in the meantime?  Enter Ryan Gaudet and colleagues at

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Snowproof Genes

Cold weather — it’s SNOW joke! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s freezing out, and you’re MISERABLE! Forget the down parka – what if your GENES could warm you ?  Enter Victoria Wyckelsma from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and team. They study a

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Scratch That

Look out, Itchy and Scratchy – we’ve got your number! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scratching, rubbing, wiggling … being itchy is not fun! It can even be a symptom of serious medical conditions like eczema. You KNOW how itchy you are, but how

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Healthy Hearts

Beyond Burgers, Morning Star sausages, tofu bacon! Oh my!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Look at all the veggie selections on the menu! Doctors — and parents — say they’re good for our overall health. But how exactly? What does eating more vegetables and

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Yeast Corps

“HEY immune system! Bring it on!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your immune system is an army that protects you from disease. But in the heat of battle – these soldiers can get confused!  With inflammatory bowel disease, intestines make TOO much of a

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Sickly Sweet

Are sugar-free alternatives a SWEET idea for your gut? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your stomach as a mine. Deep down, the miners — your gut bacteria — work to break down food into nutrients you can use. Things go smoothly when

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Hicc-Away Heroes

The HiccAway product

I just can’t stop hic – hic – hiccupping!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… What’s YOUR favorite home remedy? A good scare? Upside-down drinking?  Hiccups are caused by spasms of the diaphragm — the muscle separating the chest and abdomen. This spasm forces

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Bean-ough Stress

Image of young Black woman eating fruit salad.

Feeling stressed? Have a bubble bath, a glass of wine, and… an apple?   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What’s YOUR go-to snack for decompressing? Ice cream, donuts, pizza? While these foods comfort us, they won’t reduce our stress. So what SHOULD we eat? Enter

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Step It Up!

Four young people in sneakers. Photo by Ben Weber on Unsplash.

My shoes are too tight! Knot again! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time to buy new school shoes AGAIN? You blink and the kids have outgrown them! Is it okay to just squeeeeeeze their feet into last year’s pair? Elsa Matthias and colleagues at

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Bite-time Story

Image of mosquitoes (Anopheles stephensi) which transmits malaria. Photo credit - Jim Gathany This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

Bugged by pesky mosquitoes? Try adjusting your ALTITUDE! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Malaria is a deadly disease spread by mosquitoes. And almost eighty percent of malaria mosquito bites occur indoors. BUT, these mosquitoes fly close to the ground. Could raising the height of

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