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25% of British school children are clinically obese

According to researchers over 25% of British school children are clinically obese and they lay the blame squarely on junk food and a lack of exercise.

24 Apr 2006

Yale researchers show how smell works within the brain

Yale scientists have systematically plotted the responses of the entire Drosophila (fruit fly) olfactory system, providing the first multi-dimensional map of the range of odorants sensed and the regions of the brain that are stimulated.

23 Apr 2006

Discovery of the molecular mechanisms that allow animals to switch genes on or off to gain or lose anatomical characteristics

Anatomical features, scientists know, come and go. The animal kingdom is full of critters that have independently gained or lost similar features. Whales and snakes, for instance, have lost their legs. Winged flight evolved separately in birds, bats and pterosaurs at different times in evolutionary history.

23 Apr 2006

Research puts something extra in your grapes

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have discovered a potential way to increase the amount of Vitamin C in grapes.

20 Apr 2006

Calcium supplements may be little help for healthy kids

There's little question that most kids get too little calcium, but a new review of evidence casts doubt on the value of supplements and calcium-fortified foods to build stronger bones.

19 Apr 2006

Calcium supplementation for improving bone mineral density in children

There's little question that most kids get too little calcium, but a new review of evidence casts doubt on the value of supplements and calcium-fortified foods to build stronger bones.

18 Apr 2006

Less chance of Alzheimer's when you follow a Mediterranean diet

Researchers in the U.S. say that eating a typical Mediterranean diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, legumes, cereals, some fish and alcohol, and little dairy and meat helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.

18 Apr 2006

Johns Hopkins researchers discover gene that reduces retinal degeneration in fruit flies

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a gene in fruit flies that helps certain specialized neurons respond more quickly to bright light.

18 Apr 2006

Breakthrough in fight against childhood obesity

What children eat has a greater influence than physical activity on their body weight, a Deakin University study has found.

18 Apr 2006

The Notch effect steers stem cells into cells of the nervous system

Stem cell scientists at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that Notch, a protein first discovered more than 80 years ago in the fruit fly, directs unspecialized embryonic stem cells to become cells of the nervous system.

13 Apr 2006

Analysis of different sweeteners and sweet substances

The most important factor in what kind of sweetener people prefer has little to do with how sweet it tastes. Rather, it has more to do with other tastes in the sweetener, such as bitterness or sourness, new research suggests.

13 Apr 2006

Moving in with the boyfriend, bad for girls health!

According to researchers in the UK when women move in with a boyfriend they gain weight.

6 Apr 2006

Healthy lifestyle changes reduce high blood pressure

Men and women with elevated blood pressure who make healthy lifestyle changes and sustain them for up to a year and a half can substantially reduce their rates of high blood pressure and potentially decrease their heart disease risk.

6 Apr 2006

International team tackle protein folding

A team of researchers from EPFL, (Ecole Polytechnique Fidirale de Lausanne), the University of Lausanne, Northwestern University and Tel Aviv Universitybring biology and statistical physics together to answer the question of how molecular chaperones fold, unfold and pull proteins around in the cell.

4 Apr 2006

Yellow pigment that sits on the retina focus of macular degeneration research

Whether a tiny yellow pigment is the main thing standing between many older people and macular degeneration is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

4 Apr 2006

Cancer chemical scare over soft drinks

Tens of thousands of bottles of soft drinks were removed from shop shelves yesterday after concerns that they could contain a potentially cancer-causing chemical.

3 Apr 2006

Sweetgum tree may help fight bird flu

The sweetgum tree grows widely throughout the country and is known for its mace-like green fruit, which are sometimes called "gumballs." Now, this spiny fruit may become an important source of a chemical needed to make a lifesaving drug against bird flu - a drug that is currently in short supply worldwide, researchers say.

3 Apr 2006

Raspberries - a better source of antioxidants

Antioxidants are believed to have substantial health benefits and raspberries in particular are a good source. In fact, raspberries may have 10 times more antioxidants than tomatoes or broccoli. Further, raspberries contain some specific antioxidants that are found almost nowhere else.

31 Mar 2006

Alcohol combined with energy drink won't make you less drunk

Scientists say that people who mix energy drinks with alcohol may feel more sober but that perception is a delusion.

28 Mar 2006

Study on fruit flies offers new approach to understand human response to viral infections

A research team led by UC Riverside scientists has shown that the common fruit fly can serve as an excellent model for studying the immunity animals are born with for fighting viral infections.

28 Mar 2006