Coffee lovers can sip peacefully. This week a new large study linked drinking coffee with a longer life, adding to the already strong evidence that the brew comes with health perks. Here’s what else caught our attention this week. (Sign up for the TIME Health newsletter for more.)
An FDA panel recommends approval for the first gene therapy treatment
The therapy is aimed at blood cancers and offers new hope that the disease won’t just be treated, but cured.
You Asked: Am I gaining muscle weight or fat?
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Even the most diligent eaters and exercisers can gain a few pounds after starting a new workout plan. The bad news: the extra weight you notice isn’t from muscle. The good news: it’s not from fat, either. Experts say those extra pounds are most likely from water.
Coffee drinkers really do live longer
Researchers have found that drinking coffee—both decaf and regular—is linked to a longer life. Past studies have found that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of diabetes, fewer strokes and heart problems and lower rates of certain cancers.
Your eyes might be full of bacteria. Here’s why that’s a good thing
A new study suggests that the eyes have a microbiome: their very own collection of bacteria. The good bacteria may help protect the eyes from diseases.
You’re putting sunscreen on the wrong way
The face is the most common place for skin cancers, but people still miss important spots—about 10% of their entire face—when they apply sunscreen, according to a new study.
Health experts are worried about a huge rise in smoking in movies
A sharp increase in showing tobacco use in films may negatively impact teen smoking rates, health officials say.
Eating a little bit healthier helps you live longer
You don’t have to make over your entire diet in order to live longer. Adding healthy foods to your diet—in any amount—may make a difference in how long you live, according to the latest research.
It’s not just chocolate powder. You shouldn’t be snorting anything, doctors say
Here are the dangers of snorting any type of powder—including Coco Loko, a new powder containing chocolate and ingredients found in energy drinks.