Here are three interesting studies you don’t want to miss if you want to improve your immediate and long-term health:

The last straw. Attempts to improve public health often backfire (taking BPA out of can linings and substituting another chemical that's just as bad or worse is a good example). Here's another one: A study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants found that 18 of the 20 paper straws they tested contained PFAs, the forever chemicals that are hormone disruptors and show up in the blood of 99% of Americans. Not a good switch from plastic straws, which were given up to reduce pollution in the ocean. Bottom line: Skip all straws.

Metformin and vitamin B12. When researchers looked at more than 30,000 folks people Type 2 diabetes, they found that taking the drug Metformin for five years increased their risk of a B12 deficiency by 41%. That can cause nerve problems, anemia, anxiety, and irritability, and it's associated with dementia. If that's you, get a blood test and talk to your doctor about vitamin B12 supplementation, or perhaps trying medication alternatives.

Joints Sore? Move more, not less. A Lancet Rheumatology review of 31 studies found that when people with osteoarthritis engaged in therapeutic exercise (that's prescribed by a doctor and/or physical therapy), they had less pain right away and long term. And folks with the most pain and greatest physical restrictions benefited the most.