Apr 29
We all acknowledge that smoking is bad for your health and can ultimately be fatal. Smoking during pregnancy not only poses a risk for the mother but also for the unborn child. The children of women who smoked while pregnant are more likely to be obese in their teenage years, a study has revealed. Researchers found that those who were exposed to cigarette smoke while in the womb had significantly higher quantities of fat than their non-exposed peers later in life. The exposed teenagers had a third more fat around their internal organs and 26 per cent more fat directly under the skin, according to the international team that carried out the study.
Apr 28
Numerous studies have suggested that breast milk helps keep babies healthy. But could it also be a cure for cancer, diabetes or arthritis? That’s the suggestion from a number of studies on its use as a treatment for conditions as varied as cancer, diarrhoea and diabetes. In the latest research published last week, a Swedish team reported that the sizes of bladder tumours were reduced just five days after patients were injected with a breast milk compound. The team at Gothenburg University had been looking at the antibiotic properties of breast milk when a researcher noticed that cancerous lung cells in a test tube died on contact with breast milk. They then isolated the key compound - a protein called alpha-lactalbumin.
Apr 25
A major DNA study suggests that we humans all have a little bit of Neanderthal in us. The discovery leads scientists to believe that Neanderthals have - at least twice - intergred with our ancestors. Some researchers have argued that the Neanderthals were driven to extinction by modern humans. But others say the two species merged. The new findings come from a genetic analysis of nearly 2,000 people from around the world. Dr Jeffrey Long, a genetic anthropologist at the University of New Mexico, who carried out the study, said: ‘It means Neanderthals didn’t completely disappear.’ He added: ‘There is a little bit of Neanderthal left over in almost all humans.’
Apr 21
Brain training games do nothing to keep the mind nimble, according to Cambridge University researchers. The scientists concluded that while we get better at the complex computer exercises with practice, there is no evidence that this is of any use in everyday life. Healthy middle-aged people would do more for their brain by eating a salad, going for a stroll or taking up ballroom dancing, experts said. Read the full article on the Daily Mail.
Sep 29
Are women more emotionally aware than men? Why does your arm hurt during a heart attack? Could people who see fairies be telling the truth? These are just some of the questions answered in a fascinating new book on the brain. Written by Rita Carter, a leading science and medical writer, it provides extraordinary insights into the way our brains work - and why we behave and act in the ways we do…
There are a number of structural and functional differences between male and female brains.
The human brain is divided into two hemispheres that do different things. They are connected by the corpus callosum, a thick band of nerve tissue that carries information between the two.
This band of nerves is slightly larger, on average, in women than in men - which means the emotional right side of the brain is better connected to the analytical left side.
This may be why women are more emotionally aware. Read more on the DailyMail website.
Sep 28
If you need a strong anti-inflammatory to ease your aching joints, then try eating basil. Several varieties of basil - with their fresh-tasting, aromatic leaves - have been shown to be as strong as anti-inflammatory medication when it comes to easing the swelling and pain of arthritis. The research, presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, found that, when taken orally, concentrated extracts from two types of basil - Ocimum americanum and Ocimum tenuiflorum - reduced joint swelling by up to 73 per cent within just 24 hours.
Sep 20
They may be the country’s most popular pet, but the UK’s seven million moggies now face bigger, tougher rivals on their territory Demand is surging for ’supercats’ - domestic breeds crossed with larger African or South American wildcats. Breeders are reporting up to six-month waiting lists for new kittens, despite price tags of up to £6,000. But animal welfare groups have warned that the size and instability of such hybrids means they could pose a danger to other pets and even small children. The savannah, the most popular supercat, is bred from a serval, a cheetah-like wildcat found in Africa. They can grow up to 35lb - compared with around 10lb for a typical domestic cat - and can jump 7ft vertically. Savannahs are thought to have first arrived in Britain in the past few years, with up to 300 living here.
Sep 14
A ‘masterswitch’ in the body’s battle against cancer has been identified by British scientists, raising hope of new treatments.
The key gene triggers the production of blood cells capable of fighting - and killing - tumour cells.
The cells form part of the body’s natural armoury against disease and we all have some.
Infusions of natural killer cells donated from volunteers are already given to some cancer patients. However, because they come from another person, they are not a complete match and so do not work as well.
The discovery of the ‘master-switch’ - a gene called E4bp4 that causes ‘blank’ stem cells to turn into natural killer cells - paves the way for a drug to boost the patient’s own stock of the cells.
