Science Probes How Probiotic Yogurts Affect Your Gut
Researchers have put the health promises of popular probiotic yogurts to the test and found they may alter the way in which food is metabolized. According to the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the term "probiotics" commonly refers to digestible live microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and yeasts, that have the potential to boost health when consumed in sufficient quantities. In most cases, edible probiotics contain the same sort of "friendly bacteria" already found in the guts of most individuals. Some preliminary evidence indicate that consuming probiotics may aid in the treatment of diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bladder cancer, urinary and intestinal tract infections, and even eczema.
www.consumer.healthday.com, Oct 26, 2011
New Diabetes Device Tests Tears Instead of Blood
For diabetics, there is no comfortable way to accurately measure blood sugar that does not involve blood. Testing takes a little pinprick, but some people who should test many times a day don't because of the pain.
Engineers and doctors across the world have worked for years to find a painless way, and now a new study adds another drop of confidence to the idea of testing tears instead of blood. A sensor developed by researchers at the University of Michigan detected dilutes levels of sugar, or glucose, in tears. In a test of 12 rabbits, researchers showed that glucose levels in tears correlated to glucose levels in the blood, upping the competition to find a bloodless test for diabetics.
www.foxnews.com, Nov 10, 2011
Laughter Might Be Good Medicine for Alzheimer's Patients
New Australian research suggests that exposing Alzheimer's patients to "humor therapy" appears as effective as psychiatric drugs in reducing the agitation that often plagues those struggling with dementia. In a three-month period, nursing home residents who actively participated in a weekly two-hour clowning session involving music, mime and humorous props showed a significant reduction in both physically and verbally aggressive behavior.
www.consumer.healthday.com, Sep 30, 2011
Electronic Nose Device Could Sniff and Nip Tuberculosis in the Bud
Researchers from the United States and India are in the process of developing a device that could diagnose tuberculosis in symptomatic patients. The handheld device is known as the Electronic Nose and is similar to the breathalyzer that police use to detect alcohol on a person’s breath. The Electronic Nose will have sensors that were established in California to track the biomarkers; molecules on the breath that may be used to determine what state a disease is in, which could identify TB. The device’s development is due to the collaboration of California’s Next Dimension Technologies and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi.
www.onlinenewsheardnow.com, Nov 10, 2011
Three Hours of Exercise Weekly Can Cut Men's Heart Risks
A new study suggests that three hours of vigorous exercise a week can reduce a man's heart attack risk by 22 percent. The Harvard School of Public Health researchers also found that about 38 percent of that decreased risk was due to the beneficial effects of exercise on a man's levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The study included 1,239 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who provided information on their weekly amount of exercise. The researchers also analyzed the men's cholesterol levels, as well as biomarkers of inflammation and insulin sensitivity.
www.consumer.healthday.com, Oct 5, 2011
Too little exercise, too much TV tied to depression
According to a new study of middle-aged Americans, women who exercised frequently and didn't watch much TV were least likely be diagnosed with depression. Researchers found that women who reported exercising the most in recent years were about 20 percent less likely to get depression than those who rarely got their blood moving. On the other hand, the more hours they spent watching TV each week, the more their risk of depression crept up but the effect was smaller than it was for physical activity. The finding "adds to the growing body of evidence that physical activity is important to maintain brain health.
www.reuters.com, Nov 11, 2011
Inhibiting Allergic Reactions Without Side Effects
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have announced a breakthrough approach to allergy treatment that inhibits food allergies, drug allergies and asthmatic reactions without suppressing a sufferer's entire immunological system. The therapy centers on a special molecule the researchers designed, a heterobivalent ligand (HBL), which when introduced into a person's bloodstream can, in essence, out-compete allergens like egg or peanut proteins in their race to attach to mast cells, a type of white blood cell that is the source of type-I hypersensitivity (that is, allergy).
www.sciencedaily.com, Oct 13, 2011
Sweetened Drinks Tied to Hypertension Risk
Researchers found that consuming beverages flavored with either sugar or artificial sweeteners was associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension. In three large, prospective studies of healthcare professionals, drinking at least one sweetened beverage a day was associated with a 6 percent to 20 percent greater relative risk of receiving a hypertension diagnosis from a doctor. The researchers explored some possible reasons to explain why both sugar-sweetened and diet beverages would be associated with a higher risk of hypertension, and found some hints of a role for carbonation and whether the drink was cola or not.
ww.everydayhealth.com, Nov 10, 2011
