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Oral allergy syndrome sufferers with hypertension may be at increased risk for severe reaction

Oral allergy syndrome sufferers that take high blood pressure medications may experience extreme facial swelling and difficulty breathing the next time they bite into a juicy apple.

8 Nov 2013

Study of fruit flies could help better understand food choice in obese people

Think of the smell of freshly baking bread. There is something in that smell, without any other cues - visual or tactile - that steers you toward the bakery. On the flip side, there may be a smell, for instance that of fresh fish, that may not appeal to you. If you haven't eaten a morsel of food in three days, of course, a fishy odor might seem a good deal more attractive.

8 Oct 2013

Longer looks: Chinese medicine; revolutionary doctors; frozen embryos

A few years ago, while visiting Beijing, I caught a cold. My wife, who is Chinese, and wanted me to feel better, took me to a local restaurant. After we sat down, she ordered a live turtle.

5 Oct 2013

Opinions on shutdown: Using Obamacare is a sham cause; GOP isn't crazy; what's the endgame?

House Republicans' irresponsible brinkmanship may finally lead to the government shutdown that some of its members have been coveting since they took control of that chamber in 2011. This time, though, the fight hasn't been a battle over spending on federal agencies. It's been a symbolic one over the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. And it's been a sham. The inconvenient truth for the GOP is that "defunding Obamacare," as the House tried to do, wouldn't stop most of the major provisions of the health care law, some of which have already gone into effect

2 Oct 2013

Use of intensive pesticide in banana plantations leads to contamination

Shoppers spend over -10 billion on bananas annually and now this demand is being linked to the contamination of Central America's crocodilians. New research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, analyses blood samples from spectacled caiman in Costa Rica and finds that intensive pesticide use in plantations leads to contaminated species in protected conservation areas.

19 Sep 2013

New book on evolution and future of human reproduction

Human beings would probably be known as pilosals rather than mammals if Carl Linnaeus had not been a proponent of breast-feeding. For social and political reasons, the famed taxonomist labeled the class of animals to which humans belong with a reference to their practice of suckling their young rather than to their evolutionarily older characteristic of having hair.

21 Aug 2013

Evogene announces financial results for second quarter and half year 2013

Evogene Ltd., a leader in plant genomics underlying crop productivity for the food, feed and biofuel industries, today announced its financial results for the second quarter and half year ended June 30, 2013.

19 Aug 2013

New test hints 3 sodas daily hurt lifespan, reproduction in mice

When mice ate a diet of 25 percent extra sugar - the mouse equivalent of a healthy human diet plus three cans of soda daily - females died at twice the normal rate and males were a quarter less likely to hold territory and reproduce, according to a toxicity test developed at the University of Utah.

14 Aug 2013

Shape and meaning: A study explores how brain encodes visual objects

Opening our eyes and seeing the world before us, full of objects, is a simple action we may take for granted. Yet our brain is constantly carrying out a huge analysis only to let us see a flower, a pen, the face of our children.

12 Aug 2013

Study: Potatoes and beans provide most nutrients per penny

A frequently expressed concern in the ongoing public health debate is the lack of affordability of fresh vegetables, especially those that are nutrient dense.

27 May 2013

Humans' closest animal relatives have metacognitive abilities closely related to humans

Humans' closest animal relatives, chimpanzees, have the ability to "think about thinking" - what is called "metacognition," according to new research by scientists at Georgia State University and the University at Buffalo.

6 Apr 2013

Five green powerhouse foods to help stylize your plate

The energetic and radiant hue of emerald green has been declared the spring color of 2013. While green shirts, pants and jackets will be seen everywhere this season, so should green food on your plate.

6 Mar 2013

Sex, condoms and lubricants: an interview with Dr Debby Herbenick

Condoms and lubricants are widely used by both women and men and so they are part of many people’s sexual experiences. They are used for both pleasure-related reasons as well as, in the case of lubricants, comfort and making sex easier for people. The use of condoms of course reduces the risk of pregnancy or infection.

23 Jan 2013

Banana leaf bandages effective and inexpensive

Banana leaves are a cheap and effective alternative to traditional medical wound dressings, as long as they are effectively sterilized before use, show study findings published in Dermatologic Surgery.

14 Dec 2012

Scientists restore sense of smell in mice through gene therapy

Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time -- a hopeful sign for people who can't smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease.

3 Sep 2012

Targeted intervention improves safety of MRI scans for children with sickle cell disease

Jude Children's Research Hospital reports success using a targeted educational approach to teach young patients to remain motionless during MRI scans, making the process safer.

1 Sep 2012

Coconut water really does deserve its popular reputation as Mother Nature's own sports drink

Coconut water really does deserve its popular reputation as Mother Nature's own sports drink, a new scientific analysis of the much-hyped natural beverage concluded here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

21 Aug 2012

Benefits of green banana flour-based pasta for people with celiac disease

People with celiac disease struggle with limited food choices, as their condition makes them unable to tolerate gluten, found in wheat and other grains. Researchers from the University of Brazil have developed a gluten-free pasta product from green banana flour, which tasters found more acceptable than regular whole wheat pasta.

23 Jun 2012

Bananas have healthier blend of sugars than sports drinks

Bananas have long been a favorite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients, and are easy for cyclists, runners or hikers to carry.

30 May 2012

Study sheds light on malleability of brain's recognition process

No matter what novel objects we come to behold, our brains effortlessly take us from an initial "What's that?" to "Oh, that old thing" after a few casual encounters. In research that helps shed light on the malleability of this recognition process, Brown University neuroscientists have teased apart the potentially different roles that two distinct cell types may play.

12 Apr 2012