A hero among hormones: why cortisol is something to celebrate rather than stress about

Forget cortisol belly, cortisol face and cortisol-reducing cocktails. Without cortisol we wouldn’t even get out of bed in the morning

Democrats use new tactic to highlight Trump’s gutting of Medicaid: billboards in the rural US

The ‘big, beautiful’ bill will cut more than $1tn from the health plan, with rural hospitals feeling the brunt of it

Many DIY health tests could give false results, studies find

Review of test kits for conditions including high cholesterol and cancer calls for tighter regulation to improve safety

7,000 steps a day could be enough to improve health, say researchers

Target easier to achieve than 10,000 steps and linked to 37% reduction in cancer deaths

Who needs quinoa? 17 overlooked and affordable superfoods, from peas and potatoes to popcorn and even sugar

Can’t afford goji berries, spirulina or turmeric – or just don’t like the taste? Most kitchens are full of healthy but unglamorous alternatives. Nutrition experts name their favourites

‘Women have more power than they think’: self-help superstar Mel Robbins on success, survival and silencing her critics

The lawyer turned motivational speaker fills arenas with her promise that you can always turn things around – even if her ideas aren’t exactly new. What is it about her that makes people listen?

How to reduce your food footprint: if it’s better for you, it’s better for the planet

Curbing waste, eating a plant-rich diet and limiting ultra-processed food (and sadly, coffee and chocolate) will dramatically reduce your carbon footprint

Archimedes knew the golden power of boredom – so why can’t we stop bringing our phones into the bathroom?

Being bored used to be a superpower, but now we have dopamine on loop to keep us endlessly occupied

Measles cases are surging in Europe and the US. This is what the anti-vax conspiracy theory has brought us

Nearly 30 years after Andrew Wakefield’s discredited study linking the MMR vaccine and autism, we badly need an injection of rationality

No, age isn’t just a number – and the sooner we realise that, the happier we will be

It’s tempting to want to stay young for ever. But each new life stage brings gains as well as losses