Page Updated: Saturday, May 16, 2026 2:07 PM ET

BBC News - Health

The banned hallucinogenic drug healing PTSD - Trials on veterans suggest the potent hallucinogen could provide a new treatment for PTSD, but scientists still don't know how it works.

19 hours ago

I tried the UK's 'saltiest' sandwich - here's what I learned -- Health correspondent James Gallagher absorbs more than the recommended daily limit in just one meal to find out how salt affects our bodies.

14 hours ago

These breathing techniques could reduce your stress in minutes -- Spending a few minutes on your breathing can not only bring instant stress relief, but also benefit your health in the long term.

1 day ago

What is a 'safe death'? Mentally ill woman asks for assisted dying in Canada -- Canada has twice delayed access to medically assisted dying for those with mental illness. Claire Brosseau says she cannot wait any longer and wants the courts to decide.

12 hours ago

Three fun challenges to slow your brain's ageing -- Our brains thrive on a challenge, but it doesn't all have to be hard work to see the health benefits. Here are three simple and fun ways to protect your brain as you age.

4 days ago

Feeling drained? The 'hidden work' that causes women to feel overwhelmed -- Women are still taking on most of the cognitive burden of running a household. Understanding why is the key to reducing burnout.

1 month ago

IVF is a roll of the dice. Can science fix that? -- It is more than 45 years since the first baby conceived using IVF was born, yet the procedure is still a roll of the dice for many couples. Can new research change that?

9 days ago

The myth that women are more empathetic -- Scientific research is upending gender stereotypes about empathy – and revealing new ways of thinking about masculinity.

3 days ago

How societal pressures shape motherhood -- There are many hidden forces at play that shape a new mother's identity, biology and physical self.

9 days ago

How motherhood changes the brain -- The brain changes during pregnancy and motherhood are long-lasting and largely beneficial.

9 days ago

Does your diet affect your fertility? -- Can eating certain foods really improve your chances of having a baby? Here are the facts.

9 days ago

Six Steps to Calm -- Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox.

1 month ago

Health Fix -- Trusted insights for better health and wellbeing rooted in science, every Wednesday to your inbox.

1 month ago

How a tiny chip can hold information from your gut -- A new organ-on-a-chip technology helps doctors design personalised treatments for gut health. -- Tech Now

1 month ago

Do you need to drink electrolytes to stay hydrated? -- Electrolyte-packed drinks are said to optimise health and hydration. But do we really need them? -- Health Decoded

1 month ago

The immersive tech preparing doctors for lifesaving surgery -- Tech Now meets medical teams using mixed reality environments to rehearse life-or-death operations. -- Tech Now

1 month ago

The health benefits of drinking matcha tea -- As a self-confessed coffee addict, Melissa Hogenboom examines the science behind matcha tea's health benefits. -- Health Decoded

1 month ago

The race to unlock nature's hidden secrets -- A team of researchers is working on an ambitious project to build the world's largest biological database. -- Tech Now

1 month ago

Why walking backwards can be good for your health -- Research shows the activity of 'retro-walking' can have surprising benefits for your physical health and brain. -- Health Decoded

1 month ago

Chasing longevity: The business of not ageing - The growing longevity industry is selling a big aspiration – the ability to slow your biological clock, but how credible is this?

1 month ago

Why eating fibre is good for your brain

1 month ago

How defying ageism can help you live longer

1 month ago

Why certain foods are more important at different life stages

1 month ago

Parents weren't always this tired. What changed? Our ancestors probably didn't suffer as much from parental sleep deprivation, leading some scientists to reconsider guidelines for today's new parents.

6 days ago

Want a better night's sleep? Go camping

6 days ago

Your phone's blue light isn't ruining your sleep

1 month ago

The micro-dreaming game that helps you sleep

1 month ago

Why an uneven heart rate could be a good thing - Micro-fluctuations in the time between heartbeats are proving a helpful indicator of mental health, stress levels, exercise capacity and even how well you are ageing.

9 days ago

Food labels are actually affecting your health

3 days ago

How enjoying your food could help you lose weight

5 days ago

I gave up eating sugar. This is what I learned

15 days ago

What it's like to plan summer travel this year - Family summer travel can look different around the world. We spoke to six families to learn where they're going this year, what they're spending and how they made their plans.

6 days ago

This baffling syndrome makes fathers feel pregnant

7 days ago

Is it limerence, infatuation or love? How to tell

1 month ago

Machine yearning: The one-sided truth of AI 'romance'

1 month ago

Body Clock: What Makes Us Tick?

1 month ago

How to Boost Your Brain Power

29 days ago

The Jennings vs Alzheimer's

29 days ago

The Flu That Killed 50 Million

29 days ago

What Makes Us Human

29 days ago

The Food Programme

1 month ago

The Food Chain

1 month ago

Complex with Kimberley Wilson

1 month ago

All in the Mind

1 month ago

The Easy Wellness Podcast with Vinny Hurrell & Cate Conway

1 month ago

The Music & Meditation Podcast

13 days ago

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

1 month ago

Magic mushrooms could help people quit smoking -- Nicotine is highly addictive, but new research is showing that psychedelics can shift people's worldview in ways to help them give up cigarettes.

15 days ago

Finding 'hidden sperm' in men deemed infertile -- A new AI-powered technology is locating sperm cells in men who were told they had none – and giving couples who have been trying for years another chance at having children.

15 days ago

Nine ways to cope with your seasonal allergies -- From the most effective medications to the most common triggers to avoid, we examine science-backed advice that should reduce your seasonal suffering.

17 days ago

Aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer - and we're starting to understand why -- The 4,000-year-old drug, most commonly used to treat pain, prevents certain tumours from forming and spreading across the body – findings that are already changing health policies.

19 days ago

Is AI making us forget how to think? -- As large language models take over more and more cognitive tasks, researchers are warning this mental outsourcing comes with a cost.

26 days ago

Dad brain: How fatherhood remakes men's minds -- From before their babies are born, men undergo serious hormonal changes that can powerfully influence their behaviour – with consequences for their child's wellbeing.

28 days ago

Here's why you might want to be rained on -- Humans are more sensitive to the smell of rain than sharks are to blood. And rain has some surprising benefits for our bodies too – especially when it comes to our mood.

26 days ago

'It felt like science fiction': The cancer therapy changing lives -- After nearly 100 years of development, treatments that bolster the body's immune system to fight cancer are coming of age – and saving patients' lives.

26 days ago

Are 'ancient grains' really better for you? -- Unlike commonly farmed crops like wheat, ancient grains have maintained genetic properties from their wild ancestors - and they're linked to many health claims, including that they contain more nutrients than their modern counterparts.

1 month ago

How to breathe in fewer microplastics in your home -- Clouds of microplastics concentrate in the air of our homes, and we could be breathing in millions of them each year. A few changes can help us reduce exposure.

1 month ago

Nature's most agonising stings, ranked by experts who get stung on purpose -- Top contenders for the most excruciating stings or bites include bullet ants, tiny jellyfish and 'murder hornets'.

1 month ago

Want to improve your memory? The right type of exercise can give it a boost -- A brief bout of physical exercise can create "ripples" of activity in your brain that help you store and retrieve memories.

5 days ago

Women were never meant to give birth on their backs - so why do they? -- It's usually more dangerous for women to give birth lying down, but the practice began because of a Frenchman who decided it was more convenient... for men.

1 month ago

How bad smells can affect your health -- That foul odour wafting your way can do more than make you gag – it could also have long-lasting mental and physiological effects.

1 month ago

Why weight-loss drugs aren't a quick fix -- Medication is not the easy solution that many people believe, especially if you hope to keep the pounds off in the long term.

1 month ago