From laundry detergent to dishwasher tablets, cleaning products are an indispensable part of life. Yet the chemicals that make these products so effective can be difficult to break down or could even trigger ecosystem-altering algal blooms. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’Langmuir have addressed those challenges with an environmentally compatible detergent made of tiny wood fibers and […]
A daily fish oil supplement slashed serious heart risks in dialysis patients
A large international study has found that taking a daily fish oil supplement can sharply lower the risk of serious heart-related complications in people undergoing dialysis for kidney failure. The research was co-led in Australia by Monash Health and the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash University. The study, known as the PISCES trial, followed […]
Compound in Mediterranean diet makes cancer cells ‘mortal’
Research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells’ “superpower” to escape death. By altering a very specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates cancer cells into normal cells that die as scheduled. One way that cancer cells thrive is by inhibiting a process that would cause them […]
Sleeping less than 7 hours could cut years off your life
A nationwide analysis found that not getting enough sleep is strongly linked to shorter life expectancy—more so than poor diet or lack of exercise. Researchers say this makes sleep one of the most overlooked pillars of long-term health. Credit: Shutterstock Getting a full night of sleep may play a larger role in longevity than many […]
Air inside your home may be more polluted than outside due to everyday chemical products
When you walk through a pine forest, the crisp, fresh scent is one of the first things you notice. But bringing that pine scent or other aromas indoors with the help of chemical products — yes, air fresheners, wax melts, floor cleaners, deodorants and others — rapidly fills the air with nanoscale particles that are […]
Recycled plastic is a toxic cocktail: Over 80 chemicals found in a single pellet
A single pellet of recycled plastic can contain over 80 different chemicals. A new study with researchers from University of Gothenburg and Leipzig shows that recycled polyethylene plastic can leach chemicals into water causing impacts in the hormone systems and lipid metabolism of zebrafish larvae. The plastic pollution crisis has reached global levels, threatening both […]
You catch (and kill) more flies with this sweetener
In a study that began as a sixth-grade science fair project, researchers at Drexel University have found that a popular non-nutritive sweetener, erythritol, may be an effective and human-safe insecticide. Erythritol, the main component of the sweetener Truvia®, was toxic to Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies in a dose-dependent manner in the Drexel team’s study, published in PLOS ONE. […]
Study finds novel treatment targets for gout
Gout is indeed one of the earliest known diseases, first identified by the ancient Egyptians around 2640 BC. But the disease is more prevalent now than ever, affecting more than 10 million people in the United States or approximately 5 percent of the adult population. Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, in […]
Study links micro- and nanoplastics to Parkinson’s and dementia
Nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and some types of dementia. In a Duke-led study appearing Nov. 17 in Science Advances, the researchers report that the findings create a foundation for a new area of investigation, fueled by the timely impact of environmental […]
Honey as an antibiotic: Scientists identify a secret ingredient in honey that kills bacteria
Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns […]