The Berkeley Murder that Changed America
Prosenjit Poddar, a Bengali student at UC Berkeley, fell in love. What followed would transform medical law.
Kiran Sampath
South Asians Can’t Give Up Tobacco. It’s Killing Us.
The region’s long history of paan, gutka, and hookah use has made us blind to a major health risk, especially in the American diaspora.
Mayesha Soshi
How the West Bastardized Baby Massages
As U.S. practitioners “discover” the millennia-old tradition from the Indian subcontinent, what gets lost in the process?
Vaishnavi Naidu
Boroline, the Bengali Miracle Cream
The Indian antiseptic ointment has outlasted the British, Partition, and copycats. Its formula for winning isn’t what you think.
Ayesha Le Breton
How Samahan Became a Global Sensation
Fans of the Sri Lankan herbal drink, from Naomi Campbell to Amitabh Bachchan, swear it cures everything from a cold to a cough. Does it?
Mallika Basu
Why South Asian Women Are Suffering from Anemia
Researchers have found that the demographic is more prone to the condition than other groups. What gives?
Olivia Bowden
How Ancient India Pioneered Sanitation
Millennia before the Roman Empire, the Indus Valley Civilization had private toilets and sophisticated drainage systems. But who gets to decide what is “clean” today?
Why South Asians Still Aren’t Working Out Enough
Despite health risks and fit celebrities, the community gets significantly less exercise than the recommended amount. What gives?
Sanchita Kedia
Maldives and Sri Lanka May Hold the Secrets to Long Life
Life expectancy in Maldives, at 80, and Sri Lanka, at 76, are years higher than the world average, but are understudied compared to Blue Zones.
Allana Akhtar
Brown Don’t Frown: The Science of South Asian Aging
Studies suggests that South Asians look younger for longer. That hasn’t stopped them from seeking new treatments to help turn back the clock.
U.K. Study: Common Heart Medicine Doesn’t Work For Most South Asians
Plavix, or clopidogrel, lowers the chance of heart attacks or strokes. But genetic factors prevent British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis from activating the drug.
Glutathione: The Injectable, Modern-Day Fair & Lovely
Skin-lightening cream’s newer, more expensive cousin is taking over pop culture. But the latest “solution” to an age-old fixation presents new dangers.
How India Invented the Nose Job
Initially devised to help the mutilated, rhinoplasty has become a routine procedure that’s still taboo among South Asians.
Mehr Singh
How Eastern Medicine Became the Infertility Cure-All
People are adding traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and other ancient practices to their fertility treatments. But do they work?
Welcome to the Only Child Generation
South Asian families are shrinking. Judgment from the community isn’t.
South Asians Need to Talk About Dementia — Before It’s Too Late
New Alzheimer’s drugs could delay cognitive decline, but South Asians might miss out on this life-altering care.
Vipassana: Ancient Cure-All or Current Fad?
Ten-day retreats of complete silence are no longer the pursuit of just the enlightened and famous. But does shutting up mean opening up?
How the West Stole Meditation
A South Asian tradition rooted in spirituality is now a multibillion-dollar industry about productivity.
Naya Jorgensen
When South Asian Women Choose to Go Child-Free
They may face criticism for their choice. But it’s not stopping them from celebrating their lives.
Ashwagandha, the West’s Latest Poster Child
The herb, rooted in Ayurveda, can reportedly treat stress, hair loss, and much more. But why is science so divided on it?
Treating Painful Sex is an Uphill Battle for South Asians
Vaginal pain is more common than people think. For South Asians, getting care is its own challenge.
Trina Paul
South Asia’s Stinkiest Beloved Treat? A Laxative.
How Big Ayurveda turned Hajmola, the lip-smacking digestive aid, into candies.
The Tesla Cliff Crash is Yet Another Cry for Help
In January, Dharmesh Patel tried to kill himself and his family. The tragedy unveils glaring gaps in mental health resources for South Asian men.
Reetika Vazirani, the Forgotten Poet We Should All Know
The Indian American was a pioneer of diasporic poetry. Twenty years after she took her son’s life and her own, few remember her brilliance.
Ashritha Karuturi
How Horlicks, Bournvita, and Complan Took Over India
World War I, celebrity ads, and scare tactics ensured that a Western concoction became a mainstay for the subcontinent and its diaspora.
Caring for South Asian Elders in the U.S., Miles from Home
While enrolling aging parents in nursing homes is common practice in the West, for South Asian American families, it’s more complicated.
As IVF Grows Popular, South Asian Egg Donors Run Low
Asian Americans use in-vitro fertilization more than any other group. As they look to South Asian egg donors to increase IVF success, they often find long wait times and disappointment.
Homeopathy in South Asia: Snake Oil or Salve?
How a German semi-scientific approach to curing disease became big business in the subcontinent.
The Increasing Threat of Breast Cancer in Pakistan
Pakistan has the highest breast cancer rates in Asia and among the highest mortality rates. Experts still don’t know why.
Zuha Siddiqui
Too Many South Asians are Quietly Suffering with PCOS
The condition can impact everything from fertility to appearance — and studies show South Asians are at higher risk.
Why Many South Asians Never Learn to Swim
South Asians account for a significant number of drowning deaths. So why aren’t more of us learning to swim?
Sadaf Ahsan
The Magical Weight Loss Drug No One is Talking About
In June 2021, the FDA approved semaglutide, one of the first drugs specifically designed for weight loss. For some, it’s been a godsend. But is it also promoting fatphobia?
The “Colonial Hangover” Contributing to Vitamin D Deficiency
A potent combination of shadeism, skin tone, climate change, and pollution put South Asians at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency — which can have life-altering consequences.
Why Endometriosis Is Often Ignored Among South Asians
Even with debilitating pain and clear symptoms, many South Asians with endometriosis wait years for the diagnosis and treatment that could change their lives.
The Conundrum of South Asian Lactose Intolerance
South Asian nations are leading producers and consumers of milk — so why are so many of us lactose intolerant?
Ishani Nath
