Goodbye 'Gluten-Free'? Celiac Disease Vaccine May Make It Possible

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14, 2018 -- People with celiac disease must follow a very restrictive diet, but an experimental vaccine may offer many of them the freedom to eat more normally.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. If someone with the disease eats gluten -- a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- it can damage the small intestine.

A Healthy Diet Is Never Too Late With Colon Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 -- A healthy diet may lower your risk of death from colon cancer, even if you wait until after you're diagnosed with the disease, new research suggests.

The study included more than 2,800 colon cancer patients. Those whose eating habits before their cancer diagnosis most closely matched American Cancer Society dietary guidelines had a 22 percent lower risk of death during the study period than those with unhealthy diets before diagnosis.

You Probably Have 'Microplastics' in Your Poop: Study

TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 -- There's a good chance a dose of tiny plastic particles has taken up residence in your gut, a new, small study argues.

Microplastics, as they are called, were found in stool samples from a handful of volunteers located across Europe and Asia, researchers report.

Gluten-Free Craze a 'Double-Edged Sword' for Celiac Patients

TUESDAY, Oct. 16, 2018 -- The gluten-free diet craze is both reassuring and upsetting to people with celiac disease who are allergic to the nutrient, a small study suggests.

People with celiac disease say they're happy to have more food choices at stores and restaurants. But some with celiac sense a growing stigma as other people voluntarily go gluten-free. And many patients fear people see them as "high-maintenance" and misunderstand the severity of their disease.

Antibiotics May Cure Appendicitis -- No Operation Needed

TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 -- If you're suffering from acute appendicitis, you might be successfully treated with antibiotics and never need an operation to remove your appendix, Finnish researchers report.

Most appendicitis cases are uncomplicated, which simply means the organ hasn't ruptured, so they can be treated with antibiotics. Only when the appendix looks like it may burst immediately is an operation necessary. And the difference is easily seen on a CT scan, said lead researcher Dr. Paulina Salminen, a surgeon at Turku University Hospital.

Common Heartburn Drugs Linked to Broken Hips in Dialysis Patients

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 -- Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may raise the risk for hip fractures among dialysis patients by nearly 20 percent, a new study suggests.

Many people with kidney failure take medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which curb production of stomach acid.