Vitamins Fruits and vegetables are nature’s vitamins, so adding additional supplements can be toxic — several studies have linked multivitamins to heart attacks and even shorter lifespans. Other risks include irregular heartbeat, pain and seizures, according to the NIH. (Thinkstock/Ablestock.com) A diet full of nutrients such as vitamins A and C might boost your immunity during the ongoing cold and flu season. But a daily dose of these — heart disease and cancer — found a study from Kaiser Permanente...

(Thinkstock/Stockbyte) As 2013's cold and flu season rages on, the annual debate about vaccines — and whether they're healthy — continues. For some parents, skipping out on vaccinating their children against not only the flu, but also a host of childhood illnesses is easier than ever, much to the dismay of some public health officials. (MORE: ) Under a new California law, parents who opt out of vaccines for their childrenmusthave a healthcare professional’s signature confirming that they know the...

((CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith, Maureen Metcalfe, Azaibi Tamin)) The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome continues to infect people and animals alike — and researchers believe thevirus remains, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Disease. (MORE: ) MERS has killed 64 patients, and infected a confirmed 111, according to the study. But the actual number of cases is closer to 940, British researchers said after an analysis of all confirmed and probable cases. The study investigators used hospital records to...

The Center for Science in the Public Interest publishes two annual lists: The FDA-regulated foods most likely to give you a foodborne illness, and the USDA-regulated meats most likely to give you a foodborne illness. See which foods are most likely to make you sick here. (Thinkstock/Jupiterimages) RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — More than 90 tons of ready-to-eat salads and sandwiches by a California catering company are being recalled after 26 people in three states were sickened by a bacterial strain...

Heart disease is the world's number one killer. Rates of heart attack and stroke spike in the winter, as cold weather causes the blood vessel to narrow, increasing blood pressure. (MORE: ) As we head into "heart attack season," there's new information you need to know:The AmericanHeartAssociation and American College of Cardiology have issued the first new guidelines in a decade for preventingheartattacks and strokes. Among other things, they call for twice as many Americans — one-third of all adults...

A 20-year-old woman in Taiwan is the first person known to be infected with a strain of bird flu called H6N1, according to a new report of the case. In May, the woman was hospitalized after she developed a high fever, cough and shortness of breath. Tests for common respiratory infections came up negative, but more detailed tests revealedshe had H6N1, a flu virus that's common in birds, but has never before been seen in people. The woman was treated...

A medical illustration of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, one of the deadliest antibiotic-resistant superbugs in the United States, according to the CDC. (CDC) The last-line , theEuropean Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Friday, according to Reuters. These last-resort antibiotics are called carbapenems; the amount of infections that have shown resistance to carbapenems has increased sharply in the past four years, European health officials said in a news conference in Brussels. (MORE: ) The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter bacteria, which...

One woman's Italiantook a turn for the worse when she woke up with pain in her ear one night. She had no way of knowing then that she'd just been bitten by a Mediterranean recluse spider, and that a chunk of her ear would soon be liquefied by the spider's venom. But that's exactly what happened, according to a recent report of her case. (MORE: ) The 22-year-old woman soon sought treatment for herin an Italian hospital, where doctors prescribed...

((Thinkstock/George Doyle)) Green might be a color of choice for the holiday season — unless it’s coming out of a child’s nose. But contrary to what many might think, the perfect cure for your child's runny nose is not actually antibiotics, even if they have an upper respiratory infection, sore throat or green phlegm. Doctors warn that antibiotics are too often unnecessarily administered for these conditions and could do more harm than good, according to Public Health England, the Royal...

Air pollution directly affects cognition in elderly individuals, German researchers said at the 2015 meeting of the American Thoracic Society, after analyzing data on the link between impaired lung function and cognitive decline. What are some other health risks from air pollution? Click through to find out. (ThinkstockNadofotos) Environmental toxins continue to have negative effects on public health, including pregnant women and their unborn children. Pregnant women’s exposure to industrial air emissions might be linked to their child eventually developing...

((Thinkstock/Jupiterimages)) Children shouldn’t use winter weather as an excuse to avoid cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming or cycling, especially if they spent their summer indoors, experts say. Since 1975, children have continued a decline in cardiovascular fitness, causing kids to run slower and less often than their parents, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013. Researchers worry that the lack of exercise could contribute to worse health in adulthood. Children should participate in at...

People eating at fast food restaurants aren’t very good at estimating how many calories are in their meals, particularly if they're eating at Subway, a new study suggests. For the study, researchers queried more than 3,000 customers, including adults, teenagers and parents with young children, at suchfast food chainsin New England, such as McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, KFC and Dunkin' Donuts. Customers were asked how many calories they thought were in their meal (or, if they were parents, in...