UR Medicine’s Most-Searched: What You Wanted to Know in 2025

Every year, countless people across our region look to UR Medicine experts for trusted health information. In 2025, popular searches revealed a mix of curiosity, concern, and a desire for clear science—especially on topics fueled by news headlines, viral trends, and seasonal illnesses.

Here are the top five most-searched questions of 2025, along with the evidence-backed answers from our experts.

1. Can Taurine Cause Cancer?

Taurine, an ingredient commonly found in energy drinks and supplements, made headlines this year after researchers at the Wilmot Cancer Institute uncovered a surprising connection: in certain conditions, taurine can accelerate the growth of leukemia cells.

In a breakthrough study, scientists found that leukemia cells use taurine as fuel, helping them survive and multiply more easily. This does not mean taurine causes cancer in healthy people—but it does offer new insight into how blood cancers grow and how future treatments might target them.

The answer: Taurine is not known to cause cancer in healthy individuals, but URMC research shows it can drive leukemia cell growth, offering important clues for cancer therapies.

Winter stomach bugs surged early and hard in 2025 and are on the rise again, along with other seasonal illnesses. Norovirus has certainly earned its reputation as the stomach bug you really don’t want. One infected person can shed billions of viral particles, and it takes less than 100 of those particles to get someone else sick.

Answer: UR Medicine infectious disease experts explain that norovirus spreads fast because it can:

• survive on surfaces for days

• resist many disinfectants

• spread through contaminated food, water, and hands

• reinfect you, even if you’ve had it recently, because immunity wears off quickly
  
  

Fluoride has been used safely for decades to prevent tooth decay, but questions resurfaced online about whether fluoride in tap water is harmful. Eastman Dental experts tackled these rumors this year.

Answer: At recommended levels, fluoride is safe and strongly protective against cavities. Experts also explain that:

• There is no evidence that fluoride at the levels it exists in community water causes cancer, neurological disease, or bone disorders.

• White streaks on the teeth can happen with too much fluoride in young children but is typically mild.

• Fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste remains one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent cavities.
  
  

For years, people believed you shouldn’t let someone sleep after a concussion. Experts at UR Medicine’s Concussion Care Clinic eased parents’ concerns.

Answer: Yes, it’s safe to sleep. In fact, rest is one of the most important parts of recovery. What matters most is monitoring for the first few hours, especially in children and teens, looking for symptoms such as:

• worsening headache

• repeated vomiting

• confusion or unusual behavior

• difficulty waking up

If symptoms worsen, seek emergency care.

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have been working to better understand head injuries for decades, investigating matters like the impact of head injuries on brain structure and function, concussion recovery, and how to optimize outpatient treatments for concussion.

Detox trends went viral…again. Juice cleanses promise fast results, but our nutrition experts and clinical dietitians say the science tells a different story.

Answer: Juice cleanses don’t detox the body or create lasting weight loss. Initial weight loss is usually due to the depletion of energy stores and water—not real fat loss.

Cleanses often:

• lack protein and essential nutrients

• spike blood sugar

• slow metabolism

• lead to rebound hunger and weight gain

Your body already has a highly effective detox system—your liver and kidneys—and it doesn’t need a cleanse to “reset.” Balanced meals, fiber, and steady habits work far better to reach health goals.