I am consistently shocked, on a daily basis, of the information that is spread through our society. With the internet being a convenient, copious source of information, and ways to instantly check sources and original data if needed, I cannot understand why so many people believe incorrect information so vehemently.

Most especially, it would seem, when they know little to nothing on the topic, scientifically.

It is ok while breastfeeding given that you don't get drunk. Telling women they can't drink until they wean leads to unnecessarily short breastfeeding spans. There is absolutely no reason not to have a glass of wine while breastfeeding - it isn't going to hurt the baby. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

High protein, low carbohydrate diets have been successful at helping individuals rapidly lose weight but due to their recent popularity little is known about the diets' long-term effects on vascular health. 

A new study provides some of the first data on this subject, demonstrating that mice placed on a 12-week low carbohydrate/high-protein diet showed a significant increase in atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the heart's arteries and a leading cause of heart attack and stroke. The findings also showed that the diet led to an impaired ability to form new blood vessels in tissues deprived of blood flow, as might occur during a heart attack.

There's great news for movie lovers.   That popcorn slathered in butter at the movie theater may be only mostly bad for you.

Snack foods like popcorn and many popular breakfast cereals contain "surprisingly large" amounts of healthful antioxidant substances called polyphenols, said chemist Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who headed a new study and presented the results at the ACS meeting today.

Polyphenols are one reason why fruits, vegetables and foods like chocolate, wine, coffee, and tea have become renowned for their potential role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. 

100 years ago you had to be rich to be fat.  Now apparently you have to be rich to stay thin.  And women add more pounds being poor than anyone.

A nationwide study that followed participants for 14 years correlates the U.S. Food Stamp Program to obesity among its users.

Researchers found that the average user of food stamps had a Body Mass Index (BMI) 1.15 points higher than non-users. The link between food stamps and higher weight was almost entirely based on women users, who averaged 1.24 points higher BMI than those not in the program, the study found. For an average American woman, this would mean an increase in weight of 5.8 pounds.

There has been a fight brewing Down Under over vaccinations.  Areas of Australia have dangerously low vaccine compliance rates leading to the recurrence of completely preventable diseases like whooping cough (pertussis).   

Is organic food better for you than conventional food?   It's the second most asked question we get here about food, the first being 'What is the difference between organic and inorganic food?  (Also Lee Silver's What is the meaning of "organic" (and inorganic) food?) 

It seems people still use the intelligence quotient (IQ) test even though minorities in America claim there is cultural bias that invalidates it as a measure of intelligence.

Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health have gone even further than cultural bias; they say prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can affect a child's IQ, according to their study of black and hispanic women living in New York City.

PAHs are chemicals released into the air from the burning of coal, diesel, oil and gas, or other organic substances such as tobacco. In urban areas motor vehicles are a major source of PAHs.

You want to live healthier and probably look better; that's a good start.  Diet popularity can either be a sign that something works or an indication that people believe in crazy stuff.   Either way, it can't hurt to spend 5 minutes reading an article on the Internet before you commit.

A site called Realbuzz.com says it has put popular dieting approaches to the test - giving you the pros, the cons and each one has been rated on how they satisfy hunger, their ease to follow, expense and most importantly - the impact they can have on your overall health.