First Check > Stories
24
Jul

FACT CHECK: Does drinking 3 litres of water really ‘flush out’ alcohol?

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 days
  • 0
  • 6 min read

CLAIM: A viral Instagram reel claims that drinking 3 litres of water the day after alcohol consumption helps “flush alcohol” from the body, that antioxidant-rich foods (berries, amla, leafy greens) reduce alcohol-related oxidative stress, and that garlic, turmeric, and fatty fish boost liver enzymes to break down acetaldehyde faster, effectively “detoxing” the body.    FACT: […]

23
Jul

Meditation calms the brain in just 3 minutes: Harvard study

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 days
  • 0
  • 4 min read

Within just two to three minutes of starting meditation, the human brain shows measurable signs of calm, with the effect peaking between the seventh and tenth minute—even among people who had never meditated before, according to a new study published in the journal Mindfulness in March 2026. Participants in the study wore a cap fitted with 128 […]

23
Jul

Nearly 9 in 10 Indian adults have unhealthy cholesterol levels, finds national study 

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 days
  • 0
  • 4 min read

Almost nine out of every ten adults in India have some form of unhealthy fat or cholesterol level in their blood, with the condition, known medically as dyslipidemia, being more common in cities than in villages and more common among women than men. The findings come from the ICMR-INDIAB study, one of the largest health […]

cancer
21
Jul

WHO’s alarming cancer warning: 1 in 5 people will get the disease

  • Arijit Gupta / 4 days
  • 0
  • 6 min read

One in five people worldwide will develop cancer in their lifetime, and nearly everyone will feel its impact through a loved one, the WHO’s 2026 global cancer report warns. With 20.6 million diagnoses in 2024 and cases projected to hit 35 million by 2050, survival still hinges starkly on wealth, ranging from over 85% in […]

21
Jul

Safdarjung Doctor’s Association seeks President’s intervention over Sonam Wangchuk’s hospitalisation

  • Arijit Gupta / 4 days
  • 0
  • 5 min read

The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking an “independent, impartial, and time-bound inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding the continued hospitalisation of activist Sonam Wangchuk, the security arrangements at Safdarjung Hospital, and the alleged use of force against protesters at Jantar Mantar. In […]

21
Jul

Sonam Wangchuk’s health: What more than 3 weeks of fasting can do to the body

  • Arijit Gupta / 5 days
  • 0
  • 6 min read

As activist Sonam Wangchuk remains under close medical supervision after more than three weeks of fasting, doctors say his condition underscores the profound physiological stress that prolonged fasting can place on the human body. Research shows that going without food for extended periods can trigger major changes in metabolism, hormones, inflammation and electrolyte balance, with […]

climate change
20
Jul

Climate change is costing India sleep, southern cities worst hit: study

  • Arijit Gupta / 6 days
  • 0
  • 5 min read

Southern India is among the hardest-hit regions in the world when it comes to sleep loss from hot nights, according to a new report by Climate Central, a US-based nonprofit of scientists and communicators. “Climate change-linked sleep losses were also high in other already-hot places: people in southern India and several countries in Southeast Asia […]

Cyclospora
17
Jul

Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taco Bell lettuce sickens over 1,600 across five US states

  • Arijit Gupta / 1 week
  • 0
  • 6 min read

A Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants has sickened more than 1,600 people and hospitalised 94 across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, prompting an investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No deaths have been reported, and no recall had been issued as […]

cancer
17
Jul

The workout supplement found in millions of homes may hold clues for future cancer treatments

  • Arijit Gupta / 1 week
  • 0
  • 5 min read

A supplement best known for helping athletes build strength may also help the immune system fight cancer, according to a new study. Researchers found that creatine, a naturally occurring compound widely used as a fitness supplement, can strengthen key immune cells that detect tumours and activate the body’s cancer-fighting response. The findings suggest creatine could […]

diabetes
16
Jul

From diabetes pills to heart drugs: Govt fixes prices of 39 medicines

  • Arijit Gupta / 1 week
  • 0
  • 4 min read

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the prices of 39 medicines sold across India, revised the price of an anti-rabies injection, exempted a patented pneumococcal vaccine from price control for five years, and approved new brands of intravenous (IV) fluids under existing price orders. The decisions were issued through a series of Gazette […]

IVF
16
Jul

Paying more for IVF? Most costly add-ons lack proof of success

  • Arijit Gupta / 1 week
  • 0
  • 4 min read

One in seven couples worldwide struggle to conceive. For many, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) becomes the last resort. And where there is desperation, there is an industry ready to supply hope, at a price. But a study has found that most of the extra treatments routinely sold to IVF patients lack proven scientific benefit. The review, led […]

14
Jul

Leptospirosis: The monsoon disease we often mistake for a common fever

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 weeks
  • 0
  • 6 min read

Monsoon brings a spike in waterborne diseases like dengue and cholera, but leptospirosis, spread through contaminated floodwater, often goes undiagnosed until complications develop. Globally, a person dies of leptospirosis roughly every nine minutes. According to data, an estimated 59,000 deaths occur per year from the disease. It spreads through something as ordinary as walking through a […]

10
Jul

PMOS? Experts explain why strength training may be better

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 weeks
  • 0
  • 5 min read

CLAIM: A viral Instagram reel claims excessive cardio worsens PMOS by raising cortisol levels and increasing insulin resistance, while advocating for strength training as a more effective approach for women managing the condition. FACT: True. Research suggests that exercise, including both cardio and strength training, plays an important role in managing PMOS. Doctors caution that […]

hiv
09
Jul

World’s first HIV-to-HIV lung transplant offers new hope for patients awaiting organs

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 weeks
  • 0
  • 4 min read

The world’s first lung transplant between two people living with HIV in New York City on March 21, 2026, is now expected to reshape organ allocation policies for people living with HIV in the United States, where about 1.2 million individuals are estimated to be living with the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control […]

08
Jul

Born after 1965? Study suggests your body may be ageing faster

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 weeks
  • 0
  • 5 min read

People born in more recent decades showed signs of faster biological ageing than earlier generations, and this faster ageing was linked to a higher risk of certain cancers occurring before the age of 50, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. The study, conducted by researchers from institutions including Washington University and Harvard, examined data […]

07
Jul

Scientists find the “off switch” that could stop your body from storing fat

  • Arijit Gupta / 3 weeks
  • 0
  • 4 min read

Imagine a switch inside every cell in your body that decides: burn this fat now, or save it for later. Scientists just found it and flipping it off seems to turn cells into fat-burning machines that also lose the ability to make new fat cells in the first place. The discovery comes from researchers at […]

brain
06
Jul

Think your brain only declines with age? This study says otherwise

  • Arijit Gupta / 3 weeks
  • 0
  • 5 min read

A three-year study tracking adults aged 19 to 94 has found that the brain can continue improving well into old age, challenging one of medicine’s most persistent assumptions. For decades, it was widely accepted that cognitive decline was an inevitable part of ageing. A new study published in Scientific Reports suggests that this assumption may […]

01
Jul

FACT CHECK: Does staying up too late at night really increase the risk of early death?

  • Arijit Gupta / 3 weeks
  • 0
  • 5 min read

CLAIM: A viral Instagram post claims that late-night scrolling significantly raises the risk of early death, as blue light and disrupted sleep cycles damage cardiovascular health and interfere with cellular repair.    FACT: While studies suggest that disrupted sleep cycles might lead to risks of cardiovascular diseases, there are no direct links that it raises […]

babies
30
Jun

Premature babies face risk of blindness from ROP: Early screening can save vision

  • Arijit Gupta / 4 weeks
  • 0
  • 4 min read

Every year, thousands of babies in India are born prematurely, before their eyes have fully developed. A condition called retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, threatens to steal their sight before they have even had a chance to see the world. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, ROP is an eye disease that primarily affects […]

grapes
29
Jun

FACT CHECK: Can eating grapes daily help in protecting your skin from sun?

  • Arijit Gupta / 4 weeks
  • 0
  • 4 min read

CLAIM: Grapes help protect skin cells from UV-related damage and may also help prevent premature ageing.  FACT: Several studies have found that grapes possess anti-inflammatory properties that aid skin repair and help protect against UV-related damage. However, doctors recommend combining grape consumption with other sun-protection measures such as sunscreen, umbrellas, protective clothing and sunglasses, along […]

WHO
17
Jun

As Kerala battles Shigella threat, WHO warns unsafe food sickens 866 million people worldwide

  • Arijit Gupta / 1 month
  • 0
  • 6 min read

Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year, with young children bearing a disproportionate share of the burden, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization. The report found that children under the age of five, who make up just 9 per cent of the global population, […]

diabetes
10
Jun

West Bengal’s diabetes numbers are worse than India’s average. Here’s why

  • Arijit Gupta / 2 months
  • 0
  • 7 min read

West Bengal has seen a sharp rise in the number of cases with higher blood sugar levels that outnumber the national average among both men and women, according to the latest National Family Health Survey.   As per the NFHS-6, 9.4 per cent of women in West Bengal fall in the ‘high’ blood sugar category (141–160 […]

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