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Federal health officials on Thursday backed the public health benefits of nicotine pouches, authorizing Philip Morris International’s Zyn to help adult smokers cut back or quit cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration OK’d 10 Zyn flavors, including coffee, mint and menthol. It’s the first time regulators have authorized sales of nicotine pouches, which are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. tobacco market. (Perrone, 1/16)

Charmella Roark remembers the shock that stopped her in her tracks when she learned about her younger sister’s cancer diagnosis. In 2018, Kiki Roark wrote in their family’s group text that she had been diagnosed with stage I breast cancer – the same disease that had taken their aunt’s life just a few years prior. (Howard, 1/16)

Scientists are unraveling the mystery of what triggers Huntington’s disease, a devastating and fatal hereditary disorder that strikes in the prime of life, causing nerve cells in parts of the brain to break down and die. ... New research shows that the mutation is, surprisingly, harmless for decades. But it quietly grows into a larger mutation — until it eventually crosses a threshold, generates toxic proteins, and kills the cells it has expanded in. (Ungar, 1/16)

Calorie labels in supermarkets and restaurants have little impact on consumer choices, researchers found, fueling doubts about whether the practice is worth keeping. The effect of the dietary information is a calorie reduction of about 1.8%, which amounts to removing two almonds from a 600-calorie meal, according to a review by the UK nonprofit Cochrane. The researchers aggregated results from 25 studies from countries including the US, UK and France. (Wind, 1/17)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Junk Food Turns Public Villain As Power Shifts In Washington

For years, the federal government has steered clear of regulating junk food, fast food, and ultra-processed food. Now attitudes are changing. Some members of President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle are gearing up to battle “Big Food,” or the companies that make most of the food and beverages consumed in the United States. Nominees for top health agencies are taking aim at ultra-processed foods that account for an estimated 70% of the nation’s food supply. (Armour and Hilzenrath, 1/17)