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	(30/09/2009) - Self-monitoring of blood glucose Diabetes patients should always control their own blood sugar values if this leads to improvements in their treatment. This is the view advocated by Michael Nauck of the Bad Lauterberg Diabetes Center and his coauthors in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106[37]: 587-94), who discuss sensible approaches to blood glucose self-monitoring.

	(30/09/2009) - Eat soybeans to prevent diseases Soybeans contain high levels of several health-beneficial compounds including tocopherols, which have antioxidant properties. These molecules can be used in the development of functional foods, which have specific health-beneficial properties and can be used in the treatment or prevention of diseases. Tocopherols exist in four forms (α, β, γ, and δ) of which γ-tocopherol is found in greatest concentration in soybeans.

	(29/09/2009) - Orgasms, sexual health and attitudes about female genitals An Indiana University study published in the September issue of the International Journal of Sexual Health found that women who feel more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors, such as having regular gynecological exams or performing vulvar self-examinations.

	(29/09/2009) - Linking weight loss to less sleep apnea More than 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, most common among the overweight and obese. More than just loud snoring, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and a poor quality of life. For years, doctors have told patients with sleep apnea that their best bet for alleviating it would be to lose weight, but there's been very little research-based evidence to prove that.

	(29/09/2009) - Diabetes weakens your bones Current research suggests that the inflammatory molecule TNF-α may contribute to delayed bone fracture healing in diabetics. The related report by Alblowi et al, "High Levels of TNF-α Contribute to Accelerated Loss of Cartilage in Diabetic Fracture Healing" appears in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

	(29/09/2009) - Your eyes may be a window to heart disease For centuries eyes have been seen as windows to the soul. But medical researchers now believe the eyes may also offer vital clues to your risk of heart disease and stroke.

	(28/09/2009) - Can stress be healthy? Stress doesn't just motivate us to get things done. Short bouts of it may actually boost the immune system and protect against one type of cancer, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who were able to show the effects using stressed out laboratory mice.

	(28/09/2009) - Personality traits influencing weight loss Being too optimistic could harm weight loss efforts. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal, BioPsychoSocial Medicine, reveals the psychological characteristics that may contribute to weight loss.

	(28/09/2009) - Social background weighs heavily on teenage diet Teenagers' attitudes to diet and weight are shaped by their social class, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

	(25/09/2009) - Vitamin D deficiency in younger women increases risk of high blood pressure Vitamin D deficiency in premenopausal women may increase the risk of developing systolic hypertension 15 years later, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

	(24/09/2009) - Study reveals 2/3 of prostate cancer patients do not need treatment In the largest study of its kind, the international team of pathologists studied an initial 4,000 prostate cancer patients over a period of 15 years to further understanding into the natural progression of the disease and how it should be managed. The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, could be used to develop a blood test to distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

	(24/09/2009) - High-sugar diet increases men's blood pressure; gout drug protective A high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men, while a drug used to treat gout seems to protect against the blood pressure increase, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

	(23/09/2009) - Yes, that soda will make you fat While health officials have long suspected the link between obesity and soda consumption, research released today provides the first scientific evidence of the potent role soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages play in fueling California’s expanding girth.

	(23/09/2009) - Weight loss is good for the kidneys Losing weight may preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that taking off the pounds could be an important step kidney disease patients can take to protect their health.

	(23/09/2009) - Breathing technique can reduce frequency, severity of asthma attacks As the health care reform debate turns to cutting costs and improving treatment outcomes, two professors at Southern Methodist University in Dallas are expanding a study that shows promise for reducing both the expense and suffering associated with chronic asthma.

	(23/09/2009) - Large fat cells may increase risk of type 2 diabetes in women Middle-aged women with large abdominal fat cells have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women with smaller fat cells. Waist circumference divided by body height can also be used to determine which women are at risk. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

	(23/09/2009) - Insufficient levels of vitamin D puts elderly at increased risk of dying from heart disease A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age. The research, just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older. The study found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin.

	(23/09/2009) - Watching your weight? Beware of skinny friends with big appetites Thin friends who eat a lot could put your waistline at risk, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, which examines how other peoples' weight and food choices influence how much we eat.

	(23/09/2009) - Pancreatic fat levels may help predict diabetes, researchers say Researchers have long suspected that overweight people tend to have large fat deposits in their pancreases, but they've been unable to confirm or calculate how much fat resides there because of the organ's location.

	(17/09/2009) - New evidence that green tea may help improve bone health Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting new evidence that green tea — one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and now available as a dietary supplement — may help improve bone health. They found that the tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and help slow its breakdown. Their findings are in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

	(16/09/2009) - Under pressure: The impact of stress on decision making We are faced with making decisions all the time. Often, we carefully deliberate the pros and cons of our choices, taking into consideration past experiences in similar situations before making a final decision. However, a new study suggests that cognitive stress, such as distraction, can influence this balanced, logical approach to decision making.

	(15/09/2009) - Eye Movements May Help Detect Autism Most parents will attest that infants convey their needs and interests in a variety of ways, many times without ever making a sound. For researchers in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, it is what babies communicate with their eyes that could be key to understanding the development of certain disabilities, including autism.

	(15/09/2009) - You're never too old to learn Dr. Lixia Yang (above) and her co-author, Ralf Krampe of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany, found that seniors were able to retain 50 per cent of concepts they learned almost a year before.

	(15/09/2009) - Antioxidant ingredient proven to relieve stress A dietary ingredient derived from a melon rich in antioxidant superoxide dismutase enzymes has been shown to relieve stress. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, published in BioMed Central's open access Nutrition Journal, researchers found that the supplement decreased the signs and symptoms of perceived stress and fatigue in healthy volunteers.

	(14/09/2009) - Key Brain Receptors Linked To Learning and Memory Decrease with Age Scientists studying cognitive decline that accompanies aging have been interested in nicotinic receptors, part of a key neural pathway that not only enhances learning and memory skills but reinforces addictions as well. The loss of these receptors has been difficult to study in living subjects, but Yale University researchers using advanced imaging technology have successfully tracked the loss of receptors with age, according to a report in the September issue of the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

	(14/09/2009) - Smoking: New research helps itch to quit European scientists said Sunday they could explain why nicotine patches designed to help smokers kick their habit can cause skin irritation.

	(12/09/2009) - Second-hand smoking results in liver disease, study finds A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside has found that even second-hand tobacco smoke exposure can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common disease and rising cause of chronic liver injury in which fat accumulates in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol.

	(12/09/2009) - High fruit and vegetable intake positively correlated with antioxidant status, cognitive performance Researchers at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I of the Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, plasma antioxidant micronutrient status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects aged 45 to 102 years. Their results, published in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, indicated higher cognitive performance in individuals with high daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

	(12/09/2009) - Sleep helps reduce errors in memory, research suggests Sleep may reduce mistakes in memory, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by a cognitive neuroscientist at Michigan State University.

	(12/09/2009) - Children with emotional difficulties at higher risk for adult obesity Previous research has shown that low self-esteem and emotional problems are found in people who are overweight or obese- but not which influences which. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, sheds light on this issue showing that children with emotional difficulties are at higher risk for obesity in adult life.

	(12/09/2009) - Food habits are more important than the most important obesity risk gene The risk of becoming obese is 2.5 times higher for those who have double copies of the best known risk gene for overweight and obesity. However, this is only true if the fat consumption is high. A low fat diet neutralizes the harmful effects of the gene.

	(12/09/2009) - Lowering sodium consumption could save US $18 billion annually in health costs Reducing Americans' average intake of sodium to the amount recommended by health officials could save the nation as much as $18 billion annually in avoided health care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of people, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

	(10/09/2009) - Study shows regular CGM use increases diabetes control for all age groups The latest data from groundbreaking human clinical trials of the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) show that the primary determinant of improvements in achieving better diabetes control is regular use of monitors - six days per week or more - rather than the age of patients, and that benefits continue well past the time when people with type 1 diabetes begin using the devices - including experiencing fewer low blood sugar emergencies.

	(10/09/2009) - Work conditions impact parents' food choices Since most parents in the US are employed, there are competing demands on their time that can compromise food choices for themselves and their children. How parents cope with these demands and how work conditions are related to food choice coping strategies are the subjects of a study in the September/October issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Findings suggest that better work conditions may be associated with more positive strategies such as more home-prepared meals, eating with the family, keeping healthful food at work, and less meal skipping.

	(10/09/2009) - Study Reveals New Role of Vitamin C in Skin Protection Scientists have uncovered a new role played by Vitamin C in protecting the skin.

	(10/09/2009) - Doctors fear asking mentally ill to quit smoking People with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are the heaviest smokers in the country, but their doctors are afraid to ask them to quit. They assume that if their patients try to quit smoking, their mental disorders will get worse.

	(10/09/2009) - Regular aerobic exercise reduces health concerns associated with fatty liver Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia determined that patients with a sedentary lifestyle who engage in routine physical activities lower their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The lower risk of problems associated with fatty liver was not contingent upon weight loss, but a direct result from the increased aerobic exercise. The results of this study are published in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

	(10/09/2009) - Baby boomers' boon? LED light and green tea cream to smooth facial wrinkles Scientists in Germany are reporting a major improvement in their potential new treatment for facial wrinkles that could emerge as an alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery. The non-invasive technique combines high-intensity light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a lotion made of green tea extract. It works ten times faster than a similar anti-wrinkle treatment that uses LEDs alone, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the Oct. 7 issue of ACS' Crystal Growth & Design.

	(10/09/2009) - Noisy roads increase risk of high blood pressure Traffic noise raises blood pressure. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health have found that people exposed to high levels of noise from nearby roads are more likely to report suffering from hypertension.

	(10/09/2009) - High fruit and vegetable intake positively correlated with antioxidant status, cognitive performance Researchers at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I of the Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, plasma antioxidant micronutrient status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects aged 45 to 102 years. Their results, published in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, indicated higher cognitive performance in individuals with high daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

	(08/09/2009) - Study: Men Losing Their Minds Over Women Research reported in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology has shown that men go ga-ga over pretty women. They simply lose their minds (while women keep theirs).

	(07/09/2009) - Cancer drug may improve memory in Alzheimer's patients A drug now used to treat cancer may also be able to restore memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study conducted by scientists at Columbia University Medical Center, which appeared in the September issue of The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 18:1).

	(05/09/2009) - Insomnia is bad for the heart Can't sleep at night? A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems. The investigation, which measured the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal, its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre and the Université Laval.

	(05/09/2009) - Research reveals a broccoli boost for arteries New British Heart Foundation (BHF) research from Imperial College London may have revealed why vegetables are good for the heart. The findings suggest that a chemical found in vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, can boost a natural defence mechanism to protect arteries from disease.

	(04/09/2009) - Thinner thighs, weaker heart Women and men with thighs under 60 centimetres (23.5 inches) in circumference face a far higher risk of premature death and heart disease, according to a study released Friday.

	(03/09/2009) - Is Tetris good for the brain? Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes. A research team based in New Mexico is one of the first to investigate the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques.

	(03/09/2009) - Parents play key role in whether teen tobacco use becomes daily habit Researchers have found new evidence showing that parents play a key role in whether or not their adolescent children who experiment with tobacco progress to become daily smokers before they graduate from high school.

	(03/09/2009) - Biotransformed blueberry juice fights fat and diabetes Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal, the Institut Armand-Frappier and the Université de Moncton who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice.

	(03/09/2009) - Medical home gives patients better primary care at no more cost A one-year evaluation at Group Health Cooperative is the first to demonstrate the measurable benefit to both patients and staff when a primary care practice adopts a "patient-centered medical home" model. This model gives patients more time with doctors, more preventive care, and improved collaboration among caregivers. The September 2009 American Journal of Managed Care will publish the results—which include significantly fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

	(03/09/2009) - Weight-loss surgery can break a family's cycle of obesity Adolescent and young children of obese mothers who underwent weight-loss surgery prior to pregnancy have been found to have a lower prevalence of obesity and significantly improved cardio-metabolic markers when compared to siblings born before the same obese mothers had weight-loss surgery. This new study has been accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

	(03/09/2009) - Vitamin C deficiency impairs early brain development Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen shows that vitamin C deficiency may impair the mental development of new-born babies.

	(01/09/2009) - High caffeine intake can lead to arrhythmias Coffee is routinely consumed in countries within the Mediterranean basin. Coffee, an infusion of ground, roasted coffee beans, is the most widely consumed behaviourally active substance in the world. It contains several hundred different substances including, antioxidants, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds and alkaloids. Nevertheless, the effects of coffee on the cardiovascular system have been mainly related to caffeine. Acute and chronic caffeine intake appears to have only minor negative consequence on health. However, high levels of caffeine intake have been related to ventricular arrhythmias.

	(01/09/2009) - Do women who smoke like men die like men? Smoking still kills more men than women, because men started smoking substantial numbers of cigarettes long before women did.

	(01/09/2009) - How much omega-3 fatty acid do we need to prevent cardiovascular disease? A team of French scientists have found the dose of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that is "just right" for preventing cardiovascular disease in healthy men. In a research report appearing in the September 2009 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the scientists show that a 200 mg dose of DHA per day is enough to affect biochemical markers that reliably predict cardiovascular problems, such as those related to aging, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. This study is the first to identify how much DHA is necessary to promote optimal heart health.

	(01/09/2009) - Carbon monoxide linked to heart problems in elderly Exposure to carbon monoxide, even at levels well below national limits, is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for the elderly with heart problems, according to a study published today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

	(31/08/2009) - Relieve headaches by knowing the cause When it comes to fighting headaches, instant gratification is ideal. It's easy to pop a couple of pain pills and move on with your daily activities. But doctors say the most common remedy used by headache sufferers could actually be a major source of the problem.

	(29/08/2009) - What You Hold May Affect the Weight You Give to a Matter The next time you attach importance to something you are considering or prioritizing, it might be a good idea to stop and think about what you happen to be holding in your hands. According to a research at the University of Amsterdam, when you are holding something heavier in your hands, you are likely to attach more importance to whatever it is you are thinking about.

	(28/08/2009) - You Are What You Listen To It may not be possible to judge a book by its cover, but judging someone by the contents of their iTunes library could be a very different story, new research suggests.

	(27/08/2009) - Radioactive Cancer-Binding Buckyballs For Targeted Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is notorious for the toll it takes on the entire body. It kills cancer cells, sure, but it kills a lot of healthy cells, too. But soon a new advance in carbon chemistry may replace the shotgun blast of chemo with a radiation sniper shot.

	(26/08/2009) - Women slightly more likely to die than men in the 30 days following a heart attack A new study from NYU School of Medicine found that women may have a slightly higher risk of death than men in the thirty days following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but that these differences appear to be attributable to factors such as severity and type of ACS. The study, published in the August 26, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found however that overall there was no significant difference in mortality observed between the sexes after a heart attack. The large observational study pooled 136,247 ACS patients from 11 independent, international randomized clinical trials between 1993 and 2006.

	(25/08/2009) - Company You Keep Influences How Much You Eat Thin friends who eat a lot could put your waistline in danger. That’s the warning from researchers studying how other people’s weight and food choices influence how much we eat.

	(25/08/2009) - High blood pressure linked to memory problems in middle age High blood pressure is linked to memory problems in people over 45, according to research published in the August 25, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

	(25/08/2009) - Consumption of sugar substitutes assists in long-term weight control A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity reports that consumption of sugar-free beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners increases dietary restraint, a key aspect of successful weight maintenance.

	(24/08/2009) - Daylight could help control our weight Exciting research into Brown adipose tissue (BAT) — brown fat, which is found in abundance in hibernating animals and newborn babies — could lead to new ways of preventing obesity.

	(24/08/2009) - Research shows why low vitamin D raises heart disease risks in diabetics Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, and researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now think they know why.

	(24/08/2009) - Smokers have more options than ever in the fight to kick the habit Nina Ball regularly walks by a row of smokers outside the charter school in North Philadelphia where she helps youths find jobs and get into college. A year ago, she might have bummed a cigarette there.

	(21/08/2009) - Training can improve multitasking ability Training increases brain processing speed and improves our ability to multitask, new research from Vanderbilt University indicates.

	(20/08/2009) - Anti-aging gene linked to high blood pressure Researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have shown the first link between a newly discovered anti-aging gene and high blood pressure. The results, which appear this month in the journal Hypertension, offer new clues on how we age and how we might live longer.

	(19/08/2009) - Milk is safe, even encouraged, for some children after treatment for milk allergy Some children with a history of severe milk allergy can safely drink milk and consume other dairy products every day, according to research led by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published in the Aug. 10 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

	(18/08/2009) - Does sugar feed cancer? Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have uncovered new information on the notion that sugar "feeds" tumors. The findings may also have implications for other diseases such as diabetes. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

	(18/08/2009) - Smoking linked to increased brain lesions and brain shrinkage in MS People who smoke and have multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at increased risk of brain shrinkage and increased brain lesions related to the disease, according to a study published in the August 18, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Smoking has already been linked to an increased risk of developing MS.

	(17/08/2009) - 'Killer spices' provide eco-friendly pesticides for organic fruits and veggies Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. Think bigger…acres bigger. These well-known spices are now becoming organic agriculture's key weapons against insect pests as the industry tries to satisfy demands for fruits and veggies among the growing portion of consumers who want food produced in more natural ways.

	(14/08/2009) - An apple a day keeps kidney stones away Researchers have found another reason to eat well: a healthy diet helps prevent kidney stones. Loading up on fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, while limiting salt, red and processed meats, and sweetened beverages is an effective way to ward off kidney stones, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Because kidney stones are linked to higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, increased body weight, and other risk factors for heart disease, the findings have considerable health implications.

	(14/08/2009) - Bad news for coffee drinkers who get headaches High caffeine consumption, more headaches?

	(13/08/2009) - Study finds meal replacements aid weight loss Meal replacements in a medically supervised weight loss program are successful in facilitating weight loss, according to a new study conducted at the University of Kentucky. The study appears in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

	(10/08/2009) - Parents can help stop the obesity epidemic, says psychologist Childhood obesity has quadrupled in the last 40 years, which may mean today's children become the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, a leading obesity expert told the American Psychological Association on Saturday.

	(06/08/2009) - What you eat depends on with whom you eat If you are a woman who dines with a man, chances are you choose food with fewer calories than if you dine with a woman. That is one of the findings in a study conducted by researchers at McMaster University.

	(03/08/2009) - Poor sleep in children may have prenatal origins A study in the Aug.1 issue of the journal Sleep found that alcohol consumption during pregnancy and small body size at birth predict poorer sleep and higher risk of sleep disturbances in 8-year-old children born at term. Findings are clinically significant, as poor sleep and sleep disturbances in children are associated with obesity, depressive symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and poor neurobehavioral functioning.

	(03/08/2009) - In New Trial, Mosquitoes Spread Malaria Vaccine Malaria kills upwards of a million people a year, infects hundreds of millions, and significantly damages the economies of dozens of countries. Cures and prophylaxis for malaria range from bug nets to drugs to gin and tonics, but none are weirder -- or more poetically just -- than a new method that uses mosquitoes themselves to deliver a malaria vaccine.

	(31/07/2009) - Sun exposure may trigger certain autoimmune diseases in women Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight may be associated with the development of certain autoimmune diseases, particularly in women, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health.

	(31/07/2009) - Food additive may one day help control blood lipids and reduce disease risk Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a substance in the liver that helps process fat and glucose. That substance is a component of the common food additive lecithin, and researchers speculate it may one day be possible to use lecithin products to control blood lipids and reduce risk for diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease using treatments delivered in food rather than medication.

	(30/07/2009) - Freshly crushed garlic better for the heart than processed A new study reports what scientists term the first scientific evidence that freshly crushed garlic has more potent heart-healthy effects than dried garlic. Scheduled for the Aug. 12 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, it also challenges the widespread belief that most of garlic's benefits are due to its rich array of antioxidants. Instead, garlic's heart-healthy effects seem to result mainly from hydrogen sulfide, a chemical signaling substance that forms after garlic is cut or crushed and relaxes blood vessels when eaten.

	(30/07/2009) - When eating and dieting, follow your gut Eating a small lunch doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be so hungry for dinner that you’ll eat more than usual, a new study suggests.

	(30/07/2009) - The Medical Minute: What is osteoporosis? Why now? Why me? Osteoporosis comes from a Latin term which means "holes in the bone." In reality it is a skeletal disease characterized by low bone mineral density and structural deterioration of bone, leading to bone weakness and increased risk of fracture. Untreated, osteoporosis can lead to fragility fractures, which are broken bones that occur from falls at a standing height. These most commonly occur at the wrist, hip, or spine.

	(29/07/2009) - Some evidence that diets high in calcium and dairy products in childhood may lower mortality Suggestive evidence points to the possibility that children who have a diet high in calcium and who consume dairy products may have a lower mortality rate than those who don’t, according to a study by researchers in Bristol and Brisbane, published in the journal Heart.

	(28/07/2009) - High-fat, high-sugar foods alter brain receptors Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to new animal research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The new research results are being presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior. The results have implications for understanding bulimia and other binge eating disorders.

	(27/07/2009) - Fresh meats often contain additives harmful to kidney disease patients Uncooked meat products enhanced with food additives may contain high levels of phosphorous and potassium that are not discernable from inspection of food labels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). This can make it difficult for people to limit dietary phosphorous and potassium that at high levels are harmful to kidney disease patients.

	(26/07/2009) - Smoking rates significantly higher among homosexual men, women Men and women who are gay or lesbian are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to smoke, according to findings from a review study carried out by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

	(25/07/2009) - Stress can induce hair loss, and is especially notable in women The New York Times recently reported that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's hair was thinning as a result of extreme stress. If so, doctors say, she's not the only one.

	(24/07/2000) - Common allergy drug reduces obesity and diabetes in mice Crack open the latest medical textbook to the chapter on type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes, and you'll be hard pressed to find the term "immunology" anywhere. This is because metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions are, with a few exceptions, distant cousins.

	(23/07/2009) - Stop and smell the flowers -- the scent really can soothe stress Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels. Their study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

	(23/07/2009) - Longer life for milk drinkers, say researchers Research undertaken by the Universities of Reading, Cardiff and Bristol has found that drinking milk ¹ can lessen the chances of dying from illnesses such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke by up to 15-20%.

	(23/07/2009) - Life after chemotherapy: Daily tasks, quality of life may be affected Each day, thousands of people undergo chemotherapy treatments for different types of cancer, and it is widely known that patients are negatively affected during the treatments; previous research has shown decreases in cognitive functioning among cancer survivors following treatment. However, scientists were unsure how these cognitive declines might affect daily tasks or quality of life when the treatments ceased. A new study at the University of Missouri reveals that, following chemotherapy, mild decreases in skills, such as verbal fluency and problem-solving ability, affect the quality of life for cancer survivors.

	(22/07/2009) - New way to kill cancer found using body's immune system Scientists have discovered a new way of killing cancer cells in a breakthrough that could eventually lead to new treatments for a range of different cancers.

	(21/07/2009) - Rsearcher creates weight-gain guidelines for women pregnant with twins Healthy, normal-weight women pregnant with twins should gain between 37 and 54 pounds, according to research from a Michigan State University professor who helped shape the recently released national guidelines on gestational weight gain.

	(20/07/2009) - Adopting low-risk dietary and lifestyle factors related to lower incidence of high blood pressure Adherence to modifiable lifestyle and dietary factors including maintaining normal weight, daily vigorous exercise, eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low in sodium and taking a folic acid supplement was associated with a significantly lower incidence of self-reported hypertension among women, according to a study in the July 22/29 issue of JAMA.

	(19/07/2009) - Daily potassium citrate wards off kidney stones in seizure patients on high-fat diet Children on the high-fat ketogenic diet to control epileptic seizures can prevent the excruciatingly painful kidney stones that the diet can sometimes cause if they take a daily supplement of potassium citrate the day they start the diet, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

	(18/07/2009) - Edible coating makes fish filets longer-lasting, healthier Consumers may be able to eat longer-lasting, potentially healthier fish fillets if research at Oregon State University makes its way to the supermarket.

	(18/07/2009) - Probing Question: Is grilling dangerous to your health? For many people, summer festivities would be terribly un-festive without the sizzle, the smoke, and the tantalizing smell of meat being barbecued. In the summer, many gatherings revolve around the grill, and there are shelves of cookbooks devoted to the art of cooking over an open flame.

	(18/07/2009) - Baking soda: For cooking, cleaning, and kidney health? A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate -- baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more -- slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," comments Magdi Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital).

	(18/07/2009) - Scientists discover why we never forget how to ride a bicycle You never forget how to ride a bicycle - and now a University of Aberdeen led team of neuroscientists has discovered why.

	(18/07/2009) - Healing power of aloe vera proves beneficial for teeth and gums, too The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments.

	(17/07/2009) - How to ... avoid kidney stones These solid masses that form in the kidneys can grow big enough to cause severe pain and even infection as they pass into the urinary tract.

	(16/07/2009) - Circulating blood cells are important predictors of cancer spread in children Endothelial progenitor cells may play a role in the start and progression of metastatic disease in children with cancer, according to study results published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

	(16/07/2009) - New evidence that popular dietary supplement may help prevent, treat cataracts Researchers are reporting evidence from tissue culture experiments that the popular dietary supplement carnosine may help to prevent and treat cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide. The study is scheduled for the July 28 edition of ACS' Biochemistry.

	(16/07/2009) - Vitamin D, curcumin may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease UCLA scientists and colleagues from UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute have found that a form of vitamin D, together with a chemical found in turmeric spice called curcumin, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques considered the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

	(15/07/2009) - Pesticide levels in blood linked to Parkinson's disease People with Parkinson's disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

	(15/07/2009) - A 'heart healthy' diet and ongoing, moderate physical activity may protect against cognitive decline Eating a "heart healthy" diet and maintaining or increasing participation in moderate physical activity may help preserve our memory and thinking abilities as we age, according to new research reported today at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.

	(14/07/2009) - Caloric Restriction Slows Aging in Monkeys The diet delays or prevents diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and brain atrophy.

	(14/07/2009) - Regular moderate alcohol intake has cognitive benefits in older adults A glass of wine here, a nightcap there - new research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that moderate alcohol intake offers long-term cognitive protection and reduces the risk of dementia in older adults.

	(14/07/2009) - Asian spice could reduce breast cancer risk in women exposed to hormone replacement therapy Previous studies have found that postmenopausal women who have taken a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy have increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy.

	(14/07/2009) - People who bike or walk to work are more fit, less fat than drivers Trying to get fit but can’t work it into your daily schedule? Incorporating even relatively short bouts of exercise into a daily commute appears to deliver significant rewards, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

	(14/07/2009) - Smoking associated with more rapid progression of multiple sclerosis Patients with multiple sclerosis who smoke appear to experience a more rapid progression of their disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.

	(14/07/2009) - New technique could save cancer patients' fertility The tiny translucent egg nestled in the special laboratory gel was a mere 30 days old, but its four-week birthday caused researchers to quietly celebrate. This was the first time anyone had successfully grown a woman's immature egg cells, contained in a tiny sac called a follicle, to a healthy and nearly mature egg in the laboratory. When an egg is fully mature, it is ready to be fertilized.

	(13/07/2009) - Chemicals found in fruit and veg offer dementia hope A group of chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as tea, cocoa and red wine, could protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, a dementia expert will tell scientists at a conference today (Friday).

	(13/07/2009) - Study: 1 in 3 breast cancer patients overtreated One in three breast cancer patients identified in public screening programs may be treated unnecessarily, a new study says. Karsten Jorgensen and Peter Gotzsche of the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen analyzed breast cancer trends at least seven years before and after government-run screening programs for breast cancer started in parts of Australia, Britain, Canada, Norway and Sweden.

	(12/07/2009) - Scientists identify enzyme important in aging The secret to longevity may lie in an enzyme with the ability to promote a robust immune system into old age by maintaining the function of the thymus throughout life, according to researchers studying an "anti-aging" mouse model that lives longer than a typical mouse.

	(11/07/2009) - Sick? Stay home! The deadline is looming, rumors of layoffs are swarming and you get the flu. Think the heroic thing to do is to go in and “work through the pain?” Wrong! According to Dr. Mary Capelli-Schellpfeffer, medical director of Loyola University Health System Occupational Health Services, people who come to work sick are more likely to hinder than help their company.

	(10/07/2009) - How to care for your bones through the ages Bones are the body's first lines of defense. They protect the brain, heart and lungs and anchor the muscles. They keep us mobile. And all they ask in return is our support to keep them strong: good nutrition, weight-bearing exercise, calcium and Vitamin D.

	(09/07/2009) - Diets bad for teeth are also bad for the body Dental disease may be a wake-up call that your diet is harming your body.

	(08/07/2009) - Progressive resistance strength training helps older people in daily life Progressive resistance strength training not only helps older adults become stronger but also makes their everyday life easier, a Cochrane Review suggests.

	(07/07/2009) - Online computer games could encourage children to eat healthy foods Children who play an online game promoting healthy foods and beverages appear more likely to choose nutritious snacks than those who play a game promoting unhealthy products, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

	(06/07/2009) - Lower risk of dementia for married or cohabiting people People who live alone have twice the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease in later life compared with married or cohabiting people, according to a research study led by Miia Kivipelto from Karolinska Institutet and published on the prominent British Medical Journal's website, bmj.com.

	(05/07/2009) - Caffeine reverses memory impairment in Alzheimer's mice Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup. When aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were given caffeine - the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day - their memory impairment was reversed, report University of South Florida researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

	(04/07/2009) - A rush of blood to the head -- anger increases blood flow Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments, described in BioMed Central's open access journal Cardiovascular Ultrasound, also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure.

	(03/07/2009) - Learning from locusts: Study points toward new treatment for stroke and migraine A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions.

	(02/07/2009) - New gadgets demystify metabolism; Find out how many calories your body burns And when she doesn't gain a pound -- ever -- there's only one thing to blame: her metabolism.

	(01/07/2009) - Metabolic factors may play a role in risk for breast cancer Physiological changes associated with the metabolic syndrome may play a role in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to study results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

	(01/07/2009) - Using the Internet to help young smokers quit Many young smokers want to quit but don't know what methods work.

	(30/06/2009) - Researchers show new antioxidant could help treat cardiovascular disease Researchers at the University of Glasgow believe they have found a potential new treatment for cardiovascular disease which reduces blood pressure.

	(29/06/2009) - Worried about mercury? It's easy to choose safer fish We've been told seafood is good for us because it's low in calories and fat, full of protein and packed with Omega-3s, which may protect against coronary heart disease and stroke, and are thought to help neurological development in unborn babies. But we've also been warned about the potentially harmful mercury content in fish. What's with the flip-flop advice?

	(29/06/2009) - Site for alcohol's action in the brain discovered Alcohol's inebriating effects are familiar to everyone. But the molecular details of alcohol's impact on brain activity remain a mystery. A new study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies brings us closer to understanding how alcohol alters the way brain cells work.

	(28/06/2009) - Drinking milk in the morning may help stave off lunchtime hunger Now there's a new reason for the weight-conscious to drink fat free milk at breakfast time, suggests a new study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers in Australia found that drinking fat free milk in the morning helped increase satiety, or a feeling of fullness, and led to decreased calorie intake at the next meal, as compared with a fruit drink. The milk drinkers ate about 50 fewer calories (or nearly 9% less food) at lunch

	(27/06/2009) - Why Saints Sin and Sinners Get Saintly To many, New York Gov. Eliott Spitzer's fall from grace seemed to make no sense at all. But a new Northwestern University study offers provocative insights that possibly could relate to why the storm trooper of reform -- formerly known as the Sheriff of Wall Street -- seemingly went from saint to sinner overnight.

	(26/06/2009) - Mindfulness Training Improves Sleep Quality; Lessens Need for Sleep Medicines Stressed-out people sleep better and take sleep medication less often when they learn to let go of intrusive thoughts, according to researchers at Duke Integrative Medicine.

	(26/06/2009) - Naming may be key to brain's ability to recognize faces Our tendency to see people and faces as individuals may explain why we are such experts at recognizing them, new research indicates. This approach can be learned and applied to other objects as well.

	(25/06/2009) - Sleep helps build long-term memories Experts have long suspected that part of the process of turning fleeting short-term memories into lasting long-term memories occurs during sleep. Now, researchers at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics of MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have shown that mice prevented from "replaying" their waking experiences while asleep do not remember them as well as mice who are able to perform this function.

	(25/06/2009) - A breath mint made from... coffee? We all know why Starbucks puts boxes of breath mints close to the cash register. Your morning latte can create a startling aroma in your mouth, strong enough to startle your co-workers too.

	(24/06/2009) - Longer life linked to specific foods in Mediterranean diet Some food groups in the Mediterranean diet are more important than others in promoting health and longer life according to new research published on bmj.com today.

	(23/06/2009) - Red yeast rice may lower cholesterol Two years ago, Chuck Jones of Yardley, Pa., had high cholesterol, but his medicine caused severe leg cramps that routinely ruined his sleep.

	(22/06/2009) - The battle for CRTC2: How obesity increases the risk for diabetes Obesity is probably the most important factor in the development of insulin resistance, but science's understanding of the chain of events is still spotty. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have filled in the gap and identified the missing link between the two. Their findings, to be published in the June 21, 2009 advance online edition of the journal Nature, explain how obesity sets the stage for diabetes and why thin people can become insulin-resistant.

	(21/06/2009) - Cannabis alters human DNA A new study published by University of Leicester researchers has found "convincing evidence" that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans.

	(20/06/2009) - Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food? Ready for some live, active cultures in your chocolate? How about your breakfast cereal? Probiotics, the so-called "friendly" bacteria with health benefits, have busted out of the dairy case and are colonizing other areas of the supermarket.

	(19/06/2009) - Green tea may affect prostate cancer progression According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.

	(18/06/2009) - New evidence that vinegar may be natural fat-fighter Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar -- a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods -- may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Their study is scheduled for the July 8 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

	(17/06/2009) - Novel light-sensitive compounds show promise for cancer therapy Chemists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have developed novel compounds that show promise for photodynamic cancer therapy, which uses light-activated drugs to kill tumor cells.

	(16/06/2009) - Are everyday products from cosmetics to household cleaners causing the high rates of breast cancer? Has the key to reducing breast cancer gotten lost in the race for a cure? A new book, No Family History, presents compelling evidence that exposure to everyday products such as cosmetics and toiletries, hormones in food, household cleaners and pesticides is behind the dramatic increase in breast cancer and argues that the solution is simple: prevention.

	(15/06/2009) - Study suggests new approach to common cause of blindness Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in collaboration with lead investigators at the University of Kentucky have identified a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in older Americans.

	(14/06/2009) - New antibiotics could come from a DNA binding compound that kills bacteria in 2 minutes A synthetic DNA binding compound has proved surprisingly effective at binding to the DNA of bacteria and killing all the bacteria it touched within two minutes. The DNA binding properties of the compound were first discovered in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick by Professor Mike Hannon and Professor Alison Rodger (Professor Mike Hannon is now at the University of Birmingham). However the strength of its antibiotic powers have now made it a compound of high interest for University of Warwick researchers working on the development of novel antibiotics.

	(14/06/2009) - What about the boys? Both boys and girls have issues, but boys seem to be the ones getting the raw deal. According to Judith Kleinfeld, professor of psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the US, issues affecting boys are more serious than those affecting girls, but they have been neglected by policy makers. Her review (1) of issues characterizing American boyhood, how they compare to those affecting girls, and the lack of initiatives in place to address them has just been published in the June issue of Springer's journal Gender Issues.

	(13/06/2009) - Low-fat diet helps genetically predisposed animals avoid liver cancer In a study comparing two strains of mice, one susceptible to developing cancer and the other not, researchers found that a high-fat diet predisposed the cancer-susceptible strain to liver cancer, and that by switching to a low-fat diet early in the experiment, the same high-risk mice avoided the malignancy. The switched mice were lean rather than obese and had healthy livers at the end of the study.

	(13/06/2009) - Laptops Linked to Male Infertility While fatherhood might be far from the minds of most young men, behavior patterns they establish early on may impact their ability to become a dad later in life. Excessive laptop use tops this list of liabilities, according to one reproductive specialist at Loyola University Health System (LUHS).

	(13/06/2009) - Hear! Hear! Texas wines fight cancer growth It's happy hour for Texas wineries. Research now shows that wines produced in the Lone Star State share the anti-cancer traits known to exist in wines from other producing regions.

	(12/06/2009) - A red-wine polyphenol demonstrates significant health benefits The benefits of alcohol are all about moderation. Low to moderate drinking - especially of red wine - appears to reduce all causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage. A mini-review of recent findings on red wine's polyphenols, particularly one called resveratrol, will be published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research; the review is also available at Early View.

	(12/06/2009) - Stress makes your hair go gray Those pesky graying hairs that tend to crop up with age really are signs of stress, reveals a new report in the June 12 issue of Cell.

	(12/06/2009) - Green tea: Seeking hope in a dose of nature Once a day, Matthew Hudson takes a square of chocolate mixed with green-tea extract and lets it dissolve in his mouth.

	(11/06/2009) - Extended or shortened sleep duration linked to weight gain Body Mass Index (BMI) varies as a function of habitual sleep duration, according to a new study.

	(11/06/2009) - Sleep may be important in regulating emotional responses According to a new study, sleep selectively preservers memories that are emotionally salient and relevant to future goals when sleep follows soon after learning. Effects persist for as long as four months after the memory is created.

	(11/06/2009) - When young men are scarce, they're more likely to play the field than to propose In places where young women outnumber young men, research shows the hemlines rise but the marriage rates don't because the young men feel less pressure to settle down as more women compete for their affections.

	(10/06/2009) - Stopping diabetes damage with vitamin C Researchers at the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center have found a way to stop the damage caused by Type 1 diabetes with the combination of insulin and a common vitamin found in most medicine cabinets

	(09/06/2009) - Scientists say consumers confused about sugars Three top researchers corrected inaccuracies and misunderstandings concerning high fructose corn syrup's impact on the American diet. They also examined how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers this sweetener in light of the upcoming 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

	(08/06/2009) - New research led by the University of Cincinnati (UC) suggests that the hunger hormone ghrelin is activated by fats from the foods we eat—not those made in the body—in order to optimize nutrient metabolism and promote the storage of body fat. Eating garlic is one of the best ways to lower high blood pressure and protect yourself from cardiovascular disease. A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) shows this protective effect is closely linked to how much hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is produced from garlic compounds interacting with red blood cells.

	(07/06/2009) - Fatty foods fire up hunger hormone New research led by the University of Cincinnati (UC) suggests that the hunger hormone ghrelin is activated by fats from the foods we eat—not those made in the body—in order to optimize nutrient metabolism and promote the storage of body fat.

	(06/06/2009) - Middle-aged women experience more stress but have lower blood pressure Both blood pressure and serum lipid levels have improved in Swedish middle-aged women during the past 30 years. Levels of perceived mental stress, however, have increased significantly. These are the of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

	(05/06/2009) - Study: Cigarette smoking does not affect everyone in same way Cigarette smoking induced COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a disease that results in severe breathing difficulty. According to World Health Organization (WHO) it is the fourth leading killer worldwide. However the mechanisms responsible for some smokers developing COPD and others evading the disease have not been well understood.

	(04/06/2009) - Diet may reduce risk of prostate cancer A new review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics assessed whether certain modifications in diet have a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer. Results suggest that a diet low in fat and red meat and high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial in preventing and treating prostate cancer.

	(03/06/2009) - Exercise more, not less, to ease aching back People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less.

	(02/06/2009) - Tai chi improves pain in arthritis sufferers The results of a new analysis have provided good evidence to suggest that Tai Chi is beneficial for arthritis. Specifically, it was shown to decrease pain with trends towards improving overall physical health, level of tension and satisfaction with health status.

	(01/06/2009) - Benefit of aspirin for healthy people is uncertain A new study has shown that, while taking aspirin is beneficial in preventing heart attacks and strokes among people with established cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention), its benefits don’t clearly outweigh the risks in healthy people (primary prevention).

	(30/05/2009) - Environmental pollution increases the risk of liver disease A new study is the first to show that there is a previously unrecognized role for environmental pollution in liver disease in the general U.S. adult population. This work builds upon the groups' previous research demonstrating liver disease in highly-exposed chemical workers. The study is being presented during Digestive Disease Week 2009 (DDW), the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

	(29/05/2009) - Breastfeeding duration and weaning diet may shape child's body composition Variations in both milk feeding and in the weaning diet are linked to differences in growth and development, and they have independent influences on body composition in early childhood, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

	(29/05/2009) - Is cherry juice a new 'sports drink? Drinking cherry juice could help ease the pain for people who run, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Seattle, Wash. The study showed people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn't. Post-exercise pain can often indicate muscle damage or debilitating injuries.

	(28/05/2009) - Pets bring health, happiness and healing Doctors may soon be prescribing their patients a script to adopt a cat or dog, given a recent study found an estimated $3.86 billion was saved on health spending in Australia, due to the benefits of pet ownership.

	(27/05/2009) - Green tea extract shows promise in leukemia trials Mayo Clinic researchers are reporting positive results in early leukemia clinical trials using the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea. The trial determined that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can tolerate the chemical fairly well when high doses are administered in capsule form and that lymphocyte count was reduced in one-third of participants. The findings appear today online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

	(26/05/2009) - Opposites attract -- how genetics influences humans to choose their mates New light has been thrown on how humans choose their partners, a scientist will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today. Professor Maria da Graça Bicalho, head of the Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility Laboratory at the University of Parana, Brazil, says that her research had shown that people with diverse major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) were more likely to choose each other as mates than those whose MHCs were similar, and that this was likely to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure healthy reproduction.

	(25/05/2009) - Diabetics' heart attack risk can be reduced, research finds People with diabetes who maintain intensive, low blood sugar levels are significantly less likely to suffer heart attacks and coronary heart disease, new research published today in The Lancet has shown.

	(24/05/2009) - Gluten-free diets help many For 20 years, Maurie Ange of El Cerrito, Calif., suffered from chronic belly aches. A decade ago, she was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and told to exercise more and increase her fiber intake. But the pain, bloating and digestive issues continued into her 60s.

	(23/05/2009) - 7 solutions for sleepless situations Seven solutions for sleepless situations.

	(22/05/2009) - BPA chemical leaches from plastic drinking bottles into people A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles, the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles, showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans. The study is the first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased the level of urinary BPA, and thus suggests that drinking containers made with BPA release the chemical into the liquid that people drink in sufficient amounts to increase the level of BPA excreted in human urine.

	(21/05/2009) - Vitamin D found in fish boosts brain power Eating fish -- long considered 'brain food' -- may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.

	(21/05/2009) - Face protection effective in preventing the spread of influenza: study A new article in the journal Risk Analysis assessed various ways in which aerosol transmission of the flu, a central mode of diffusion which involves breathing droplets in the air, can be reduced. Results show that face protection is a key infection control measure for influenza and can thus affect how people should try to protect themselves from the swine flu.

	(16/05/2009) - Common virus may cause high blood pressure-study A common virus may be a major cause of high blood pressure, researchers said on Thursday when they released a finding that may bring new approach to treating a condition that affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.

	(15/05/2009) - Study: Ginger capsules ease chemotherapy nausea Ginger, long used as a folk remedy for soothing tummyaches, helped tame one of the most dreaded side effects of cancer treatment - nausea from chemotherapy, the first large study to test the herb for this has found.

	(14/05/2009) - Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find Teaching young children how to speak a second language is good for their minds, report two Cornell linguistic researchers.

	(13/05/2009) - Vitamin supplements may cut benefits of exercise Free radicals aren't always the bad guys. It even seems that popping antioxidants to mop them up might reduce some of the beneficial effects of exercise.

	(12/05/2009) - Eating fish, nuts and olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of age-related blindness Regularly eating fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-three fatty acids and avoiding trans fats appears to be associated with a lower risk for the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according to two reports in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

	(11/05/2009) - New technique may help detect potential breast cancer spread A new phase III clinical trial of early stage breast cancer patients has shown that a molecule designed to home in on nearby lymph nodes is just as accurate as current techniques, but faster, more specific and easier to use.

	(10/05/2009) - Research suggests children can recover from autism Leo Lytel was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. But by age 9 he had overcome the disorder. His progress is part of a growing body of research that suggests at least 10 percent of children with autism can "recover" from it - most of them after undergoing years of intensive behavioral therapy.

	(09/05/2009) - Skin color clue to nicotine dependence Higher concentrations of melanin -- the color pigment in skin and hair -- may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, according to scientists.

	(08/05/2009) - Wealth is good for your health, finds study Wealth and social class has a greater impact on the health and well-being of the elderly than previously realised, according to new research.

	(07/05/2009) - Tea for the treatment of type-2 diabetes The researchers have harvested the ingredients for the tea in Africa, totalling approximately fifty kilos of leaves and three hundred kilos of fruit from the wild nature of Nigeria. Afterwards the tea has been produced exactly as local healers would do so. The recipe is quite simple: boil the leaves, young stalks and fruit and filter the liquid.

	(06/05/2009) - New study reinforces significant role of walnuts in diet A new study has found that keeping the diet for type 2 diabetes under control gets a lot of help from including daily amounts of foods with the right kind of fats such as walnuts.

	(05/05/2009) - Calorie restriction causes temporal changes in liver metabolism Moderate calorie restriction causes temporal changes in the liver and skeletal muscle metabolism, whereas moderate weight loss affects muscle, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. In addition, researchers found that short-term calorie restriction (CR) with a low-carbohydrate diet caused a greater change in liver fat content and metabolic function than short-term CR with a high-carbohydrate diet.

	(03/05/2009) - Your brain on -- and off -- caffeine Ever miss your daily cup of coffee and subsequently get a pounding headache? According to reports from consumers of coffee and other caffeinated products, caffeine withdrawal is often characterized by a headache, fatigue, feeling less alert, less energetic and experiencing difficulty concentrating.

	(02/05/2009) - White tea -- the solution to the obesity epidemic? Possible anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human fat cells (adipocytes). Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism have shown that an extract of the herbal brew effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.

	(01/05/2009) - Half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years—at least in men—suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

	(30/04/2009) - Sugar, spice and puppy dog tails: Developing sex-typed personality traits and interests A new longitudinal study of children's personality traits and interests tells us that sex-typed characteristics develop differently in girls and boys. The study, by researchers at The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Purdue University, appears in the March/April 2009 issue of the journal Child Development.

	(29/04/2009) - Anti-aging cosmetic reduced wrinkles in clinical trial Scientists testing a cosmetic anti-ageing product sold on the high street have shown it can clinically reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin damaged by everyday exposure to sunlight.

	(28/04/2009) - Dietary fats trigger long-term memory formation Having strong memories of that rich, delicious dessert you ate last night? If so, you shouldn't feel like a glutton. It's only natural.

	(27/04/2009) - Blood testing, mosquito style A skin patch could one day provide a less-invasive alternative for diabetics who need to take regular samples of their own blood to keep glucose levels in check. The common method of drawing blood from fingertips and using glucose testing strips and metres can be painful, inconvenient and time-consuming.

	(26/04/2009) - Vitamin E, selenium and soy in combination does not prevent prostate cancer The combination therapy of vitamin E, selenium and soy does not prevent the progression from high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) to prostate cancer, according to the new research presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA). The study confirms the findings of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) and expands knowledge of the affect soy has on prostate cancer.

	(25/04/2009) - Mind over muscle: Positive body image more effective than exercise in helping lose weight, quit smoking One in five women between the ages of 18 and 24 are smokers, and most say they keep lighting up for fear of gaining weight. But researchers at Temple University have found that when it comes to quitting, a little bit of dialogue and support can be more effective than an exercise plan in helping women not only keep off the weight, but also stay smoke-free.

	(24/04/2009) - Humans don’t get all the benefit from raw tomatoes Eating a raw tomato may not be the best way to release all its healthy antioxidants into the body.

	(23/04/2009) - Eating fatty fish once a week reduces men's risk of heart failure Eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week helped reduce men’s risk of heart failure, a recent study shows, adding to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are of benefit to cardiac health. Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and reported in the April 22 online issue of the European Heart Journal, the study is one of the largest to investigate the association.

	(22/04/2009) - Charred meat may increase risk of pancreatic cancer Meat cooked at high temperatures to the point of burning and charring may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009.

	(21/04/2009) - Grapefruit juice boosts drug's anti-cancer effects In a small, early clinical trial, researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center have found that combining eight ounces of grapefruit juice with the drug rapamycin can increase drug levels, allowing lower doses of the drug to be given. They also showed that the combination can be effective in treating various types of cancer.

	(20/04/2009) - Fish oil protects against diseases like Parkinson's, study Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Boyd Professor, and Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degenerative Diseases Research at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, will present new research findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.

	(18/04/2009) - Differences among exercisers and nonexercisers during pregnancy No one doubts that mothers - especially pregnant mothers - are among the busiest people on earth. And while the benefits of exercise for these women and their developing fetuses are widely known, many expectant mothers do not exercise. A survey examining daily activities of moms-to-be will soon be released as part of a larger study looking at the effect of maternal exercise on fetal development. The results suggest, among other things, that exercising during pregnancy does not require "stealing" time from other activities.

	(17/04/2009) - New model of female condom could bring wider use Advocates of the female condom are promoting a less costly, more user-friendly version that they hope will vastly expand its role in the global fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

	(16/04/2009) - Energy drinks work -- in mysterious ways Runners clutching bottles of energy drink are a common sight, and it has long been known that sugary drinks and sweets can significantly improve athletes' performance in endurance events. The question is how?

	(14/04/2009) - When cancer cells can't let go Like a climber scaling a rock face, a migrating cancer cell has to keep a tight grip on the surface but also let go at the right moment to move ahead. Chan et al. reveal that the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) coordinates these processes to permit forward movement. The study will be published online April 13 and will appear in the April 20 print issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.

	(13/04/2009) - Carrot or bribe? Rewards for healthier lifestyle stir deb Health authorities and corporations are increasingly offering money to people who quit smoking, lose weight or take medicine, despite uncertainty that such incentives work beyond a few months, doctors said on Friday.

	(04/04/2009) - How You Feel the World Impacts How You See It In the classic waterfall illusion, if you stare at the downward motion of a waterfall for some period of time, stationary objects -- like rocks -- appear to drift upward. MIT neuroscientists have found that this phenomenon, called motion aftereffect, occurs not only in our visual perception but also in our tactile perception, and that these senses actually influence one another. Put another way, how you feel the world can actually change how you see it -- and vice versa.

	(04/04/2009) - Study: Sports drink consumption can cause tooth erosion While sipping on sports drinks all day may provide an energy boost, this popular practice is also exposing people to levels of acid that can cause tooth erosion and hypersensitivity, NYU dental researchers have found.

	(04/04/2009) - Nicotine may have more profound impact than previously thought Nicotine isn't just addictive. It may also interfere with dozens of cellular interactions in the body, new Brown University research suggests.

	(04/04/2009) - Cellular target may prove useful in treating deadly brain tumors Duke University researchers have identified a receptor on the surface of cells that may give them another avenue of attack against glioblastoma, the most common and most deadly type of brain cancer.

	(04/04/2009) - How to ... make dips healthier Slathering vegetables and fruit in high-fat, high-sodium dips can ruin what would have been a healthy snack. Here are nutritionists' tips on choosing better toppings:

	(04/04/2009) - Does Your Shift at Work Put You at a Greater Risk for Developing Cancer? Does your shift at work put you at a greater risk for developing cancer?

	(03/04/2009) - Sleep: Spring cleaning for the brain? If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you know the feeling that your brain is full of wool.

	(02/04/2009) - Researchers find new way to fight cocaine addiction UC Irvine pharmacological researchers have discovered that blocking a hormone related to hunger regulation can limit cocaine cravings. Their findings could herald a new approach to overcoming addiction.

	(02/04/2009) - Research shows why you should believe your eyes Changes in a person's eyes can show that they've seen something before, even when they're pretending they haven't, research by University of Sussex doctoral student Becky Heaver reveals.

	(02/04/2009) - Red in the Face: People use your skin colour to judge how healthy you are People use the colour of your skin to judge how healthy you are, according to researchers at the University of St Andrews.

	(02/04/2009) - Anemia treatment improves heart structure and quality of life in kidney disease patients In chronic kidney disease patients, different levels of anemia treatment have a beneficial effect on the heart and improve quality of life, according to a pair of studies appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that different levels of treatment may be warranted for different patients.

	(02/04/2009) - Omega-3 kills cancer cells Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils, has been shown to reduce the size of tumours and enhance the positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its harmful side effects. The rat experiments, described in BioMed Central's open access journal Cell Division, provide some support for the plethora of health benefits often ascribed to omega-3 acids.

	(01/04/2009) - Autism linked with stress hormone levels Some of the symptoms of the autistic condition Asperger Syndrome, such as a need for routine and resistance to change, could be linked to levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research led by the University of Bath.

	(31/03/2009) - Source of major health benefits in olive oil revealed Scientists have pinned down the constituent of olive oil that gives greatest protection from heart attack and stroke. In a study of the major antioxidants in olive oil, Portuguese researchers showed that one, DHPEA-EDA, protects red blood cells from damage more than any other part of olive oil.

	(30/03/2009) - Action video games improve vision Video games that involve high levels of action, such as first-person-shooter games, increase a player's real-world vision, according to research in today's Nature Neuroscience.

	(30/03/2009) - Enzyme and vitamin define the yin and yang of asthma The allergen breathed in by a person with asthma triggers a proteinase or enzyme called MMP7 that activates a cascade of events to prompt an allergic reaction, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Immunology.

	(30/03/2009) - Study: Cholesterol drug lowers blood clot risk Statin drugs, taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, also can cut the risk of developing dangerous blood clots that can lodge in the legs or lungs, a major study suggests.

	(28/03/2009) - Developing Brains: Alcohol Worse than Marijuana It appears that when it comes to teen brain development, parents should be more worried about alcohol abuse than marijuana abuse. Two recent studies have been published showing that alcohol -- a legal substance (though not legal for teens in the U.S.) -- is considered more dangerous than marijuana, which is illegal in many countries.

	(28/03/2009) - Common fragrance ingredients in shampoos, conditioners are frequent causes of eczema Considerably more people than previously believed are allergic to the most common fragrance ingredient used in shampoos, conditioners and soap. A thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that over 5% of those who underwent patch testing were allergic to the air oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient linalool.

	(28/03/2009) - 8 hours -- or else Americans are sleeping less than ever, according to a new National Sleep Foundation poll. Some people are losing sleep because of the economy. Some are staying up too late and getting up too early. Some have disorders such as sleep apnea. And others can't sleep because their partner snores. But the danger is the same for everybody, says Mark Opp, a professor at the University of Michigan and the senior writer of a study about sleep in this month's Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

	(27/03/2009) - Study shows that exercise reduces migraine suffering While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study describes an exercise program that is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the program decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life. The study is published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.

	(27/03/2009) - Simple finger device may help predict future heart attack Results of a Mayo Clinic study show that a simple, noninvasive finger sensor test is "highly predictive" of a major cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, for people who are considered at low or moderate risk, according to researchers.

	(27/03/2009) - How much vitamin D do I need? Vitamin D -- the so-called sunshine vitamin -- is the wonder nutrient of the moment. While the vitamin is best known for helping build strong bones and absorb calcium, a vitamin D deficiency can raise the risk of everything from immune disorders to colds and flu, according to recent research.

	(27/03/2009) - Probing Question: What do children need to be successful readers? In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of…"

	(27/03/2009) - Drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer People are advised to wait a few minutes before drinking a cup of freshly-boiled tea today as a new study, published on bmj.com, finds that drinking very hot tea (70°C or more) can increase the risk of cancer of the oesophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

	(26/03/2009) - Herbal medicines could treat gastrointestinal disease Herbal medicines could benefit patients suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders that cannot be treated using conventional drug therapy. In a study published in Neurogastroenterology and Motility, researchers reviewed data on Japanese herbal medicines and found them to be effective in reducing the symptoms of GI disorders such as functional dyspepsia, constipation, and postoperative ileus.

	(26/03/2009) - Fructose metabolism by the brain increases food intake and obesity The journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC), published by Elsevier, will publish an important review this week online, by M. Daniel Lane and colleagues at Johns Hopkins, building on the suggested link between the consumption of fructose and increased food intake, which may contribute to a high incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

	(26/03/2009) - Energy drinks may be harmful to people with hypertension, heart disease People who have high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid consuming energy drinks, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study to be published online Wednesday in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

	(25/03/2009) - Let sunshine in to fight tuberculosis, WHO says Ventilation and some sunshine could go a long way to reduce tuberculosis risks in hospitals and prisons, two strongholds of the contagious lung disease, the World Health Organization said.

	(25/03/2009) - Eating soy early in life may reduce breast cancer among Asian women Asian-American women who ate higher amounts of soy during childhood had a 58 percent reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

	(25/03/2009) - Games technology to help in future dental training Dentists of the future could be using games technology to hone their clinical skills.

	(25/03/2009) - Omega-3 fatty acids reduce risk of advanced prostate cancer Omega-3 fatty acids appear protective against advanced prostate cancer, and this effect may be modified by a genetic variant in the COX-2 gene, according to a report in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

	(24/03/2009) - Fruit extract shows promise as weight-loss aid An extract derived from a West African fruit may help overweight people shed pounds and lower their cholesterol, a new study suggests.

	(24/03/2009) - Circumcision protects against genital wart virus A study of nearly 1000 men in three countries has yielded more evidence that circumcision helps protect against infection with human papillomavirus.

	(24/03/2009) - Exercise improves young men's heart regulation Offering yet more reason to get regular exercise, a new study shows that running and other aerobic activities improve nervous-system control of the heart in young men.

	(24/03/2009) - Smokers may have increased risk of pancreatitis Smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic pancreatitis, according to a report in the March 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. In addition, the risk of developing the disease may be higher in those who smoke more.

	(24/03/2009) - Eating red and processed meat associated with increased risk of death Individuals who eat more red meat and processed meat appear to have a modestly increased risk of death from all causes and also from cancer or heart disease over a 10-year period, according to a report in the March 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In contrast, a higher intake of white meat appeared to be associated with a slightly decreased risk for overall death and cancer death.

	(24/03/2009) - Aerobically fit women have lower chance of breast cancer, study says A new study by University of South Carolina researchers indicates aerobically fit women are three times less likely to die of breast cancer than those who seldom exercise.

	(24/03/2009) - Social isolation makes strokes more deadly, study finds New research in mice suggests that social isolation may promote more damaging inflammation in the brain during a stroke. Researchers at Ohio State University found that all the male mice that lived with a female partner survived seven days after a stroke, but only 40 percent of socially isolated animals lived that long.

	(24/03/2009) - Listening to pleasant music could help restore vision in stroke patients, suggests study Patients who have lost part of their visual awareness following a stroke can show an improved ability to see when they are listening to music they like, according to a new study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

	(23/03/2009) - Proteins from garden pea may help fight high blood pressure, kidney disease Researchers in Canada are reporting that proteins found in a common garden pea show promise as a natural food additive or new dietary supplement for fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Those potentially life-threatening conditions affect millions of people worldwide.

	(23/03/2009) - Studies suggest drinking coffee or tea may reduce the risk of stroke The role coffee and tea play in a person's risk of having a stroke got a little clearer recently as two large observational studies found that the beverages may actually provide a modest amount of protection.

	(22/03/2009) - Stranger knows best: Other people know more about what will make us happy than we do Want to know what will make you happy? Then ask a total stranger -- or so says a new study from Harvard University, which shows that another person's experience is often more informative than your own best guess.

	(22/03/2009) - Scientists closer to understanding how to control high blood sugar Scientists are closer to understanding which proteins help control blood sugar, or glucose, during and after exercise. This understanding could lead to new drug therapies or more effective exercise to prevent Type 2 diabetes and other health problems associated with having high blood sugar.

	(21/03/2009) - Depressed people have trouble learning 'good things in life' While depression is often linked to negative thoughts and emotions, a new study suggests the real problem may be a failure to appreciate positive experiences.

	(20/03/2009) - Tobacco makes medicine Tobacco isn't famous for its health benefits. But now scientists have succeeded in using genetically modified tobacco plants to produce medicines for several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes. The research is published in the open access journal BMC Biotechnology.

	(19/03/2009) - Green tea and mushrooms cut breast cancer risk: study Chinese women who ate mushrooms and drank green tea significantly cut their risk of breast cancer and the severity of the cancer in those who did develop it, an Australian researcher said Wednesday.

	(18/03/2009) - New device looks to prevent vision loss in diabetes patients Indiana University School of Optometry faculty member's company is nearing completion of a diagnostic camera that could aid in saving the vision of millions of people worldwide.

	(17/03/2009) - Music tuition can help children improve reading skills Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published today in the journal Psychology of Music, published by SAGE.

	(16/03/2009) - Is it really only our kidneys that control blood pressure? The problem of high blood pressure has reached pandemic proportions, causing premature death through heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease in a third of the UK population. For decades, scientists have battled at length over its cause yet still cannot agree; is the kidney or the brain to blame?

	(15/03/2009) - Not enough vitamin D in the diet could mean too much fat on adolescents Too little vitamin D could be bad for more than your bones; it may also lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say.

	(14/03/2009) - To work your brain, work your body The problem: I lost my car keys. What kind of training will make my brain work better?

	(13/03/2009) - A diet rich in calcium aids weight loss Boosting calcium consumption spurs weight loss, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the British Journal of Nutrition, but only in people whose diets are calcium deficient.

	(12/03/2009) - Consuming a little less salt could mean fewer deaths For every gram of salt that Americans reduce in their diets daily, a quarter of a million fewer new heart disease cases and over 200,000 fewer deaths would occur over a decade, researchers said at the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

	(12/03/2009) - 'Short-sleepers' may develop blood sugar abnormality that can lead to diabetes People who sleep less than six hours a night appear to have a higher risk of developing impaired fasting glucose — a condition that can precede type 2 diabetes, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

	(11/03/2009) - Study suggests salt might be 'nature's antidepressant' Most people consume far too much salt, and a University of Iowa researcher has discovered one potential reason we crave it: it might put us in a better mood.

	(11/03/2009) - Teens' emotions may affect diabetes control Teenagers with type 1 diabetes may have a tougher time managing their blood sugar on days when they are feeling angry or down, a new study suggests.

	(10/03/2009) - Anger and hostility harmful to the heart, especially among men Anger and hostility are significantly associated with both a higher risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy individuals and poorer outcomes in patients with existing heart disease, according to the first quantitative review and meta-analysis of related studies, which appears in the March 17, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Management of anger and hostility may be an important adjuvant strategy in preventing CHD in the general public and treating CHD patients, according to authors.

	(08/03/2009) - Go green for healthy teeth and gums With origins dating back over 4,000 years, green tea has long been a popular beverage in Asian culture, and is increasingly gaining popularity in the United States. And while ancient Chinese and Japanese medicine believed green tea consumption could cure disease and heal wounds, recent scientific studies are beginning to establish the potential health benefits of drinking green tea, especially in weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention.

	(06/03/2009) - Mushrooms strengthen immunity: mouse study Mushrooms could give the immune system a hand in attacking foreign invaders, if the effects in mice translate to humans.

	(06/03/2009) - Long work hours tied to poorer mental function People who work well beyond the standard 40-hour week may show a somewhat faster mental decline in middle-age, a new study suggests.

	(06/03/2009) - Low vitamin D may be a bigger problem than thought Many U.S. teenagers -- including half of African Americans -- would be considered vitamin D-deficient if the definition of deficiency were changed to what many experts recommend, a new study finds.

	(06/03/2009) - Go green for healthy teeth and gums With origins dating back over 4,000 years, green tea has long been a popular beverage in Asian culture, and is increasingly gaining popularity in the United States. And while ancient Chinese and Japanese medicine believed green tea consumption could cure disease and heal wounds, recent scientific studies are beginning to establish the potential health benefits of drinking green tea, especially in weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention.

	(06/03/2009) - Emotional, Not Just Physical Weight, Increases Type 2 Diabetes Risk The combination of stress and obesity may significantly influence the development of type 2 diabetes among African-American women, with stress having a potentially greater role, according to researchers from Duke University Medical Center.

	(05/03/2009) - Is one diet as good as another? New study says no and tells you why Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term.

	(05/03/2009) - Younger breast cancer patients have greater chance of recurrence Breast cancer patients 35 years old and younger have higher rates of their cancer returning after treatment than older women patients with the same stage of cancer, and their risk of recurrence is greatly impacted by the type of treatment they received, according to a March 1 study in the International Journal of Radiation OncologyBiologyPhysics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

	(05/03/2009) - Older adults control emotions more easily than young adults With age comes the ability to better regulate emotions in order to not disrupt performance on a memory-intensive task, according to a study published in the March issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.

	(04/03/2009) - Sex is in the brain, says new research More than 40 percent of women ages 18-59 experience sexual dysfunction, with lack of sexual interest — hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD — being the most commonly reported complaint, according to medical researchers. While some question the validity of this diagnosis, a multidisciplinary team from the Stanford University School of Medicine is devoted to objective investigation of such problems.

	(04/03/2009) - Fast-food density and neighborhood walkability affect residents' weight and waist size In a research article published recently by the American Journal of Epidemiology, Oregon Research Institute (ORI) scientist Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., and colleagues show that a high-density of fast food outlets was associated with an increase of 3 pounds in weight and .8 inches in waist circumference among neighborhood residents who frequently ate at those restaurants. In contrast, high-walkability neighborhoods were associated with a decrease of 2.7 pounds in weight and 0.6 inches in waist size among residents who increased their levels of vigorous physical activity during a one-year period.

	(03/03/2009) - Broccoli may help protect against respiratory conditions like asthma Here's another reason to eat your broccoli: UCLA researchers report that a naturally occurring compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against respiratory inflammation that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

	(03/03/2009) - One drug may help people both lay down the drink and put out the cigarette A popular smoking cessation drug dramatically reduced the amount a heavy drinker will consume, a new Yale School of Medicine study has found. Heavy-drinking smokers in a laboratory setting were much less likely to drink after taking the drug varenicline compared to those taking a placebo, according to a study published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

	(02/03/2009) - Vegetable-based drug could inhibit melanoma Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target tumors more safely and effectively than conventional therapy.

	(02/03/2009) - Youths are most influenced by negative family members and by positive adults outside the family While children look up to and aspire to be like a positive family member or peer, they are more likely to imitate traits of other role models -- including negative role models, which can lead to behavioral problems, according to a Kansas State University researcher.

	(01/03/2009) - Do women really talk more than men? Refuting the popular stereotype that females talk more than men, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found women and men both use an average of 16,000 words each day.

	(01/03/2009) - How we think before we speak: Making sense of sentences We engage in numerous discussions throughout the day, about a variety of topics, from work assignments to the Super Bowl to what we are having for dinner that evening. We effortlessly move from conversation to conversation, probably not thinking twice about our brain's ability to understand everything that is being said to us. How does the brain turn seemingly random sounds and letters into sentences with clear meaning?

	(28/02/2009) - Health campaigns that promote exercise may cause people to eat more New research from the University of Illinois suggests that weight-loss campaigns that promote exercise may actually cause people to eat more.

	(28/02/2009) - Sex isn't just fun, it's healthy Want a simple way to increase your longevity? Try sex. It's one of the most fun things we humans can do.

	(26/02/2009) - British researcher says Facebook a brain drain This is your brain. This is your brain on Facebook.

	(26/02/2009) - Heart-healthy, low-cal diets promote weight loss regardless of fat, protein and carb content Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake—regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate—can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, and published Feb., 26, 2009, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

	(25/02/2009) - Women with diabetes before or during pregnancy at higher risk of depression Low-income pregnant women and new mothers with diabetes have nearly twice the risk of experiencing depression during and after pregnancy than women without diabetes, according to a study in the February 25 issue of JAMA.

	(25/02/2009) - Million women study shows even moderate alcohol consumption associated with increased cancer risk Low to moderate alcohol consumption among women is associated with a statistically significant increase in cancer risk and may account for nearly 13 percent of the cancers of the breast, liver, rectum, and upper aero-digestive tract combined, according to a report in the February 24 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

	(25/02/2009) - Think Twice Before Allowing Your 10-Year-Old to Work A new study finds that - despite being responsible enough to have a job at such a young age - fifth-graders who work are more likely to exhibit bad health behaviors than their unemployed 10-year-old peers.

	(25/02/2009) - Determining risk for pancreatic cancer Measurements of light scattering off of benign tissue look different from similar measurements taken from cancerous tissue using the four-dimensional elastic light scattering fingerprinting (4D-ELF) and low-coherence enhanced backscattering spectroscopy (LEBS) techniques developed by researchers from Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. The results are from the most recent clinical trial of the light-scattering analytical techniques, a trial that has shown the minimally invasive method for detecting pancreatic cancer is also able to differentiate other types of dangerous and benign pancreatic lesions without actually sampling pancreatic tissue. Credit: Northwestern University