While many people routinely beef up their vitamin C consumption to boost immunity, scientists in Canada say there’s evidence the vitamin may provide a fountain of youth for many. A study published in the FASEB Journal has found that increased vitamin C intake can stop and possibly reverse signs of aging associated with Werner’s syndrome, a disease that causes accelerated aging and age-related diseases.

First lady Michelle Obama is on a mission to end the childhood obesity epidemic that’s facing the nation. So far, she’s talked to parents, kids, teachers, policy makers and the food industry about her signature issue.

While antidepressants are routinely prescribed for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a new Mayo Clinic study has found the herbal antidepressant St. John’s wort isn’t effective in treating the disorder. Scientists conducted a placebo-controlled trial of 70 IBS patients for their results.

Eating yogurt with blueberries may help protect against intestinal diseases like ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer, according to the findings of a new study. The researchers tested various types of diets of blueberry husks, rye bran and oat bran with or without a mixture of probiotic bacteria. The results showed that the protective effect of blueberries was reinforced if they were eaten together with probiotics.

Another study has found an additional benefit for probiotics, also known as the "good bacteria." Chinese researchers from Central South University have found a certain probiotic can relieve symptoms caused by ulcerative colitis (UC), which is a form of inflammatory bowel disease.

Consumers who have been signed up for the Mayo Clinic’s monthly newsletter should already know about the benefits of probiotics, or the "good bacteria" that can benefit digestive health. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic reviewed clinical data and said that while the mechanism of the bacteria is not clear yet, the effects on treating and perhaps preventing infections like diarrhea are.

Probiotics are sometimes prescribed by doctors to improve the body’s response to antibiotics by increasing levels of gut bacteria used by the body, but new research suggests they may play a complementary role in another treatment. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine included probiotics as part of a regimen for patients who had recently undergone gastric bypass surgery.

There’s a new reason for mothers-to-be to include probiotic foods or supplements containing the good bacteria in their diet. Researchers say pregnant women who take probiotics at the end of their pregnancies can reduce their children’s risk of developing eczema.

They’re already known to aid in digestion and are believed to be helpful in treating and preventing a host of common illnesses, from urinary tract infections to eczema. Now researchers say probiotics may aid in weight loss.

Incorporating probiotics, the "good bacteria" that can improve digestive health, can now be done while drinking iced tea.