‘The shaman asks my spirit guides to gently cleanse me’

As the census reveals a twelve-fold rise in followers of shamanism, Amelia Hill experiences a healing ceremony

Air pollution linked to almost a million stillbirths a year

First global analysis follows discovery of toxic pollution particles in lungs and brains of foetuses

Plant-based diet can cut bowel cancer risk in men by 22%, says study

Researchers find no such link for women, suggesting connection between diet and bowel cancer is clearer for men

I always knew guzzling two litres of water a day was over the top. Now science is on my side

A new study cuts the traditional public health target down to size. What a relief: it’s never pleasant to drink a cold, flavourless glass of nothing

How Emily Wilson turned her teenage X Factor humiliation into comedy gold

A brutal take-down on the TV talent show led Emily Wilson into therapy. A decade later, she has turned her grim experience into award-winning standup

The Guardian view on the return of super-thin models: a worrying trend

Editorial: At a time when anxieties about body image are rife, the idealisation of skinniness is too dangerous to leave to the whims of the fashion industry

Eight glasses of water a day excessive for most people, study suggests

‘One size fits all’ guidance could lead to 20m litres of drinking water being wasted each day in UK, scientists say

I’ve just had an MRI scan. It should have been stressful – but I’ve never been so relaxed

Half an hour with no decisions to make? That’s my idea of bliss, writes Adrian Chiles

Break a sweat without breaking the bank: 26 of the best free or cheap fitness apps, sites and podcasts

Whether it is yoga, running or strength training you are after, there are plenty of affordable options to keep you moving

‘This looks like the real deal’: are we inching closer to a treatment for Alzheimer’s?

After years of setbacks, dementia researchers are getting excited about a new antibody drug called lecanemab. No one expects it to stop cognitive decline, but even slowing it would be a breakthrough