Read Online | May. 17, 2025

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Oregano, famously known as the “pizza spice,” is celebrated for adding flavor to pizza and pasta dishes. Beyond the kitchen, this herb has been cherished for thousands of years for its remarkable medicinal properties.

In traditional medicine, oregano has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, from toothache and respiratory illness to arthritis, kidney disorders, lung disease, and epilepsy.

Research has affirmed many of its traditional uses, including its ability to fight infections, improve cholesterol, aid digestion, soothe inflammation, improve diabetes, and more. (Read more)

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered an FDA review of the abortion pill mifepristone after “alarming” data revealed serious side effects at rates 20 times higher than reported in a clinical trial.
• RFK Jr. recently defended his vaccine statements, affirming his commitment to transparency about vaccine efficacy rather than unconditional reassurances of safety.
• Living near golf courses may double Parkinson’s disease risk, with groundwater contamination from heavy pesticide use being the likely culprit, a study finds.

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🏥 Health News

The Food and Drug Administration is giving its nutrient requirements for infant formula a comprehensive review for the first time since 1998.

“You can’t Make America Healthy Again if we don’t fix what nourishes our youngest and most vulnerable Americans,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.

Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA’s new commissioner, said it’s crucial these foods offer optimal nutrition.

“Protecting our most vulnerable is not just a moral duty—it is our responsibility.”

(Read more)

More Health News:

• Scientists have discovered that bacterial debris trigger Lyme disease immune reactions long after the infection is cleared, and that an existing antibiotic treats the disease at dramatically lower doses than standard antibiotics.
• Bacteria from gum infections can directly invade heart tissue, trigger inflammation, and increase atrial fibrillation risk by 30 percent, study finds.
• Teenage obesity physically enlarges brain regions controlling memory and emotions, potentially threatening cognitive development through inflammation, research finds.

🧑‍🍼Parenting

(Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock )

In 1965, the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote: “The role of the family in shaping character and ability is so pervasive as to be easily overlooked. The family is the basic social unit of American life; it is the basic socializing unit. By and large, adult conduct in society is learned as a child.”

Sixty years later, Moynihan’s words still ring true, as evidenced in a new report by Nicholas Zill of the Institute for Family Studies. (Read more)

More Parenting:

• Maternal warmth during childhood fundamentally shapes personality traits linked to lifelong success, suggesting a mother’s love may be the most powerful investment in a child’s future.
• Shared walks strengthen father-daughter bonds and significantly improve a daughter’s mental health, relationships, and well-being.
• Teens with mental health disorders spend an extra hour daily on social media and make twice as many negative self-comparisons that may either result from or contribute to their conditions.

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🔬 Premium Article of the Week 👇

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

The innovation of extracting food dye from coal tar once thrilled the public. It created vibrant hues that transformed fashions and foods of the day, with the public clamoring for more. As coal gave way to oil, so too did the source of synthetic dyes. But the delight these bright colors brought was darkened by later discoveries that spurred the Food and Drug Administration to remove many of them from our foods and cosmetics. Now we are down to just six. (Read more)

😌Mindset

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The secret to transforming your life lies in seeing, feeling, and becoming your future self today.

Research shows our brains often see our future selves as strangers, disconnected from who we are today. That’s why we often give in to immediate gratification, like a sugary treat, instead of striving for the long-term benefits of eating better to lose weight.

Studies reveal that visualization techniques can make people future-focused and more likely to save money, maintain healthy habits, and achieve long-term goals.

Some practical strategies to connect to your future self include setting three identity-based goals, strengthening emotional connection through journaling, reducing distractions, and tracking your progress. Most importantly, remember,  rather than extreme changes, moderate improvements create sustainable success. (Read more)

More Mindset:

• Living generously transforms whole communities and your own life through eight simple yet powerful actions, creating connection and meaning at little cost.
• Focus on the journey, not just the destination, if you want to turn daunting tasks into fulfilling daily growth and find joy in the process.

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Have a wonderful day!

– Matthew Little, Hristina Byrnes, and Yan Yang.

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