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Mental illness linked to diet

According to new research released this week, mental health is linked to diet and changes to diets over the last 50 years may hold the key to the rise of mental illness.

17 Jan 2006

Trip overseas could give you more than you bargained for!

According to a new study by U.S. researchers, that trip overseas to an exotic country may not be as trouble free as you might wish, and you could bring back more than you bargained for.

16 Jan 2006

Cut calories, cut portions for a younger healthier heart

According to a new study, which is the first to associate calorie restriction with delaying the onset of aging, cutting down on calories and restricting portions, really does work.

16 Jan 2006

Molecular mechanism involved with neural tube defects

Environmental and genetic factors lead to neural tube defects in 1 in every 1,000 births and cause 1 in 20 of every spontaneous abortion. One cause of these defects is the failure of cells within the neural tube to migrate to the middle of the developing neural tube.

11 Jan 2006

Hedgehog protein plays a role in regulating fat and bone

A protein that guides the early development of creatures as diverse as fruit flies and humans also plays a role in regulating fat and bone formation in adult organisms, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.

10 Jan 2006

Fuel for Living - Government dishes up recipes for health

Almost a third (33 per cent) of 16-24 year olds admit they have passed off a ready meal as their own creation when they wanted to impress someone according to a Department of Health.

10 Jan 2006

Tomato juice keeps emphysema from developing in new animal model of degenerative disease

Feeding tomato juice to mice kept them from developing emphysema after cigarette smoke exposure that was long enough to induce emphysema in a control group, Japanese researchers report in February issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

10 Jan 2006

Overweight people not interested in healthy lifestyle

According to a poll in the UK more than a quarter of obese and overweight people do not want to lose weight, and many were unable to identify their weight category.

9 Jan 2006

Low-fat, high-carb diet not associated with weight gain in postmenopausal women

In a clinical trial of over 48,000 post-menopausal women, a low-fat diet that includes increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is not associated with weight gain over an average of 7.5 years, according to a study in the January 4 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Jan 2006

Fruit bats a reservoir for Ebola virus

IRD researchers have succeeded in the first identification of bats as a potential natural reservoir of Ebola virus. Several epidemics of haemorrhagic fever have raged in the Republic of Congo and Gabon since 2001, hitting both humans and primates simultaneously.

6 Jan 2006

High fibre diet gives little protection against bowel cancer

The once accepted doctrine that a high fibre diet prevents cancer has been challenged by new dietary research.

14 Dec 2005

Suddenly sugar isn't looking so sweet

University of Florida researchers have identified one possible reason for rising obesity rates, and it all starts with fructose, found in fruit, honey, table sugar and other sweeteners, and in many processed foods.

7 Dec 2005

Recording the formation of a memory trace

Memory formation follows a dynamic pattern, allowing for retrieval from different areas of the brain, depending on when an organism needs to remember, said a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine.

7 Dec 2005

Bats possible carriers of Ebola virus

According to recent research scientists say that three species of bats that are eaten by people in central Africa may be carriers of the Ebola virus that has killed hundreds of humans and great apes.

2 Dec 2005

Cranberry flavoured toothpaste may help stop decay

According to researchers cranberries, well-known for their ability to help thwart urinary tract infections, may also help prevent tooth decay and cavities.

28 Nov 2005

Star anise sought after in bird flu fight

The ancient spice star anise is apparently the main source of shikimic acid, a key ingredient in the bird flu drug Tamiflu, and farmers in China's southern region of Guangxi are being encouraged to capitalise on the growing demand for the spice.

28 Nov 2005

New door opens for anti-aging research in humans

A counterintuitive experiment has resulted in one of the longest recorded life-span extensions in any organism and opened a new door for anti-aging research in humans.

26 Nov 2005

Researchers identify genes affected by Methotrexate (MTX)

A Queen's University study of fruit flies that may revolutionize the way birth defects are studied has identified the genes affected by a widely-prescribed drug known to cause birth defects.

26 Nov 2005

Diets rich in meat increase the likelihood of developing chronic respiratory symptoms

A new study finds that eating mostly meat, refined starches, and sodium may increase the likelihood of developing chronic respiratory symptoms, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

21 Nov 2005

Critical role of p53 gene

Fruit flies can live significantly longer, and remain healthy, when activity of the fly version of the tumor-suppressing protein p53 is reduced in nerve cells.

21 Nov 2005