‘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
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
My US hellscape or broken Britain: where would you rather seek healthcare?
It’s insurance renewal time again – when I discuss cover in New York, hear tales of NHS woe in the UK, and wonder which is worse, says Guardian columnist Emma Brockes
Milk formula firms target women looking for pregnancy advice
Companies advertise products to women searching online for folic acid to get around marketing restrictions
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
Acupuncture relieves back and pelvic pain during pregnancy, study suggests
Analysis shows significant benefits with no major side-effects for mother or baby but more trials needed ‘to confirm results’• [Update: the study on which this article reports was later withdrawn by the BMJ owing to ‘fundamental flaws’ in the research – see footnote]
‘We are treated like dogs’: tenants in damp UK homes left gasping for air
Doctors warn mould becoming serious health hazard, as renters describe misery of landlords who fail to repair their property
‘I’m investing some hope’: four women on their decision to freeze their eggs
After scientists cautioned against egg freezing as an ‘insurance policy’, we hear what drives women to do it
Sexually transmitted infections on the rise among over-65s in England
Increase in sexual activity among older people and popularity of chemsex are driving trend, say researchers
Digested week: Murdoch’s dumping will give Trump the hump
Ex-US president tries to reclaim the unhinged ‘stable genius’ as a joke – and a small part of me thinks good luck to him