Read Online | January 24, 2026

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You’ve probably popped an antacid for heartburn, avoided milk during a cold, or reached for aspirin to protect your heart. These seem like sensible health decisions—the kind of things everyone just knows.

These common beliefs shape what we eat, how we exercise, and how we treat illness or injuries. But while many ideas passed down have real value, some do not. Many longstanding health “rules” don’t hold up scientifically. Some are misconstrued, while others are simply wrong and may even be harmful.

Read on for common myths that need to fade away.

(Read more)

• The American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups are suing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials over updates to the childhood vaccine schedule. 
• Children’s Health Defense is suing the American Academy of Pediatrics for saying that vaccines on the federal child vaccine schedule are safe.
• Tea drinkers have better bones than coffee drinkers, a decade-long study finds.
• Eating less butter and cheese has different health effects for different people, research finds.

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🏥 Health News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating incentives related to vaccinating children.

Paxton’s office said in a statement that the probe will cover pediatricians, insurers, vaccine companies, and other entities “engaged in deceptive or unlawful conduct by failing to disclose financial incentives connected to their administration of childhood vaccines.”

It noted that some pediatricians kick out families that refuse to adhere to a vaccine schedule and that doctors can receive bonuses for vaccinating.

(More)

More Health News:

• The National Institutes of Health will end the use of human fetal tissue in government-funded research.
• Adults who use artificial intelligence daily—especially for personal, non-work reasons—show significantly higher rates of depression.
• The FDA has put numerous over-the-counter medications, including Bayer aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Alka-Seltzer, and more, under recall due to rodent and bird waste found in a Minnesota distribution center.

😌 Mindset

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Somewhere along the way, ease and convenience have become the cultural defaults of our modern age. While convenience does solve many problems, it often creates new ones in its wake.

Here are some key things we need to remember:

1. The Virtue of Patience and the Ability to Tolerate Friction

The best rewards in life seem to accrue for those who are patient and toil away at problems despite their difficulty. A large portion of us are getting trapped in our own compulsive need for everything to be easy.

2. The Foundation of Competence

The expertise and skill of a master are built on a foundation of many trials and errors. To achieve excellence in your own pursuits, you’ll need to embrace effort sustained over time.

3. The Satisfaction of Struggle and Perseverance

To the sloth who prefers a life of ease, all pleasures are one-dimensional. However, if you struggle and strive, you can gain a quiet satisfaction that is deeper and more enduring.

4. The Ability to Maintain Attention 

We now stimulate our senses with endless new experiences, from social media feeds to lavish meals. While these things aren’t bad on their own, cumulatively, they are distracting us from the pleasure of depth. 

5. The Pride of Engaging in Ordinary Work

Looking for easy, quick money has become common, but hard work can help your wealth grow steadily over time. Don't forget the pleasure of ordinary work—making plans, taking action, and enjoying incremental progress.

(Read more)

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🍵 Food & Nutrition

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Grapefruit for breakfast might sabotage your medication, and green tea could undermine your cancer treatment. The St. John’s wort you take for mood support may be making your birth control ineffective.

The foods and supplements we reach for to stay healthy can sometimes do exactly the opposite when mixed with prescription drugs.

Supplement and medication interactions start in your gut and liver, where enzymes process them. 

Some herbs and foods turn these enzymes up, clearing drugs from your body too quickly and reducing their effectiveness. 

Other herbs and foods slow them down, causing drugs to build up to dangerous levels and increasing side effects. 

Others interact directly with medications—thinning blood, stimulating the immune system, or blocking absorption.

Any remedy potent enough to heal can also cause harm if used incorrectly. The goal is not to avoid healthy foods, herbs, and supplements, but to balance benefits and risks with knowledge and professional guidance.

 (Learn how 4 common foods and supplements interact with medications)

🚴 Lifestyle

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We’ve been told that our genetic destiny is written in our DNA. However, research is gradually dismantling this fatalistic view. 

Genetics may influence approximately 25 percent to 30 percent of how we age. The remaining portion is influenced by factors entirely within our control: what we eat, how we move, and how we handle stress, others, and ourselves. 

Stanford researcher Lucia Aronica’s findings on epigenetics and nutrition embody this balance of nature and nurture. 

“You are not just a passive reader of your genetic code, but an active writer of your health story every day with every choice,” she told EpochTV’s “The Upgrade.”

Thank you for reading 🙏

Have a wonderful day!

- Matthew Little and Wanlun Lu.

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