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A flavorful spice used in many dishes and even medicine has also shown promising results in other areas of health.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University led a clinical trial with 22 adults who had five grams of black cumin seed powder each day for eight weeks, and they showed a decrease in bad cholesterol and an increase in good cholesterol, showing the same outcomes as cholesterol-lowering medications.

The 20 adults in the control group with no cumin showed no changes in cholesterol.

The study’s authors said some participants also experienced weight loss with taking black cumin seed powder. They also suggested that at least a spoonful of cumin powder a day could ultimately boost cardiovascular health, lowering the risk of future heart problems.

“This study strongly suggests that black cumin seeds are useful as a functional food for preventing obesity and lifestyle-related diseases,” said Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, a professor and study author. “It was so gratifying to see black cumin comprehensively demonstrate actual, demonstrable blood lipid-lowering effects in a human trial.”

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The North Dakota supreme court revived the state’s abortion ban on Friday, once again making it a felony for doctors to perform the procedure except in medical emergencies or in some cases of rape or incest.

The supreme court’s decision reverses a lower-court ruling from last fall that had frozen the ban, in part on the grounds that its exceptions were unconstitutionally vague. Although three of the court’s five justices agreed with the lower court, they fell short of the supermajority needed under state law to declare laws unconstitutional.

“This decision is a devastating loss for pregnant North Dakotans,” Meetra Mehdizadeh, senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. The center represented the plaintiffs in the case, which included multiple doctors and an abortion clinic that has moved out of North Dakota and into neighboring Minnesota.

“This decision is a devastating loss for pregnant North Dakotans,” Meetra Mehdizadeh, senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. The center represented the plaintiffs in the case, which included multiple doctors and an abortion clinic that has moved out of North Dakota and into neighboring Minnesota.

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As a gerontologist who has helped countless older adulhttps://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5617927-congress-medicare-reform-dangers/ts navigate the Medicare maze, I’ve seen how one enrollment decision can shape someone’s quality of life for decades. That’s why the new legislation before Congress, H.R. 3467, should alarm anyone who cares about protecting older Americans’ health and autonomy. 

The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and introduced in May, would automatically enroll new Medicare beneficiaries into the lowest-premium Medicare Advantage plan available in their ZIP code unless they actively opt out. Even more troubling, it would lock them into that plan for three full years, limiting their ability to switch back to traditional Medicare or select a new plan except under narrowly defined hardship circumstances.

At first glance, “auto-enrollment” sounds efficient, with fewer decisions to make at a confusing time. But when you dig deeper, this proposal removes freedom rather than simplifying a decision. Many would find themselves stuck in private insurance plans they never chose, possibly unable to access trusted doctors, specialists or hospitals outside their network. 

Older Americans are far from a uniform group. Their health, medications and financial circumstances vary dramatically. Yet H.R. 3467 assumes everyone will benefit from being placed in the cheapest available plan.

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Cases of infant botulism tied to the ByHeart infant formula recall have nearly tripled across 15 states since the recall was first announced less than a month ago.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported 13 cases across 10 states when the recall was first announced on Nov. 8. Since then, the number has jumped to 31 cases across 15 states, according to the latest update on Nov. 19.

ByHeart has also expanded its recall to include all batches of the ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula cans and single-serve “Anywhere Pack” sticks.

Cases of infant botulism tied to the ByHeart infant formula recall have nearly tripled across 15 states since the recall was first announced less than a month ago.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported 13 cases across 10 states when the recall was first announced on Nov. 8. Since then, the number has jumped to 31 cases across 15 states, according to the latest update on Nov. 19.

ByHeart has also expanded its recall to include all batches of the ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula cans and single-serve “Anywhere Pack” sticks.

"We continue to urge parents and caregivers to stop using ByHeart formula immediately," the company stated in an Instagram post. "Monitor your child for symptoms of infant botulism and seek medical care immediately if they develop symptoms."

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A federal judge officially approved drug maker Purdue Pharma’s latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of the opioid epidemic and pay victims, according to multiple media reports.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane on Tuesday, Nov. 18 approved OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the harms of the opioids, the AP reported. The judge's decision orders members of the Sackler family, who own the drug-making company, "to contribute up to $7 billion over 15 years."

The move comes on the heels of Reuters reporting last week that the New York-based judge said he would approve a restructuring plan for the drug maker that includes a $7.4 billion settlement.

The deal aims to resolve claims Purdue Pharma fueled the United States opioid epidemic by selling addictive pain meds linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths over the past two decades.

Some of the money will be given to people who had OxyContin prescriptions, as well as their survivors, the outlets reported.

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This fall, multiple states including Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee and Wisconsin have reported outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease, a contagious virus that commonly infects children under 5 but can also cause symptoms in older kids and adults, too.

“This year, [cases seem] to be out of control,” said Dr. Allison Agwu, a professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. For example, in Agwu’s state of Maryland, cases are at “four to five times what they saw this time last year,” she said.

Dr. Matthew Thomas, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s in West Virginia, said spikes typically happen in cycles. “Some years you’ll see a lot of cases, like we’re seeing this year, and then it kind of fades away, where you don’t hear about it for a while,” Thomas said.

With cases higher than normal, it’s important to know the signs of the virus and what to do if you (or your kids) get sick. Here’s what to know:

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