One recipe for longevity is simple, if not easy to follow: eat less. Studies in a variety of animals have shown that restricting calories can lead to a longer, healthier life. Now, new research suggests that the body’s daily rhythms play a big part in this longevity effect. Eating only during their most active time […]
Maximizing The Anti-Cancer Power Of Broccoli
University of Illinois researcher Elizabeth Jeffery has learned how to maximize the cancer-fighting power of broccoli. It involves heating broccoli just enough to eliminate a sulfur-grabbing protein, but not enough to stop the plant from releasing an important cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane. The discovery of this sulfur-grabbing protein in the Jeffery lab makes it possible […]
Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age, say researchers
Seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards, with too little or too much little sleep associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, say researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University. Sleep plays an important role in enabling cognitive function and maintaining good psychological […]
A single course of antibiotics affects the gut microbiota of infants
A study recently completed at the University of Helsinki revealed that the fungal microbiota in the gut is more abundant and diverse in children treated with antibiotics compared with the control group even six weeks following the start of the antibiotic course. In light of the findings, a reduction in the number of gut bacteria […]
Microplastics found deep in the lungs of living humans for the first time
A team of researchers from the University of Hull and Castle Hill Hospital, both in the U.K., has identified minute particles of plastic in lung tissue removed from live human patients, marking the first time such materials have been observed in living human patients. The group has published a paper describing their findings in the […]
Nylon cooking bags, plastic-lined cups can release nanoparticles into liquids
Nylon cooking bags and plastic-lined cardboard cups are conveniences many people rely on, but a new study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology suggests that they are an underappreciated source of nanoparticles. They report that the plastic in these products release trillions of nanometer-sized particles into each liter of water that they come in contact with. That […]
How a deadly fungus evades the immune system
New research from the University of Toronto has scientists re-thinking how a lethal fungus grows and kills immune cells. The study hints at a new approach to therapy for Candida albicans, one of the most common causes of bloodstream infections. Previously, scientists thought that Candida albicans spread by changing from a single, round cell to a long string […]
Consuming Canned Soups Ups BPA Levels
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that a group of volunteers who consumed a serving of canned soup each day for five consecutive days had a more than 1,000 % increase in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations compared with the same individuals who then consumed fresh soup daily for five days. This […]
Eating two servings of avocados a week linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Eating two or more servings of avocado weekly was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and substituting avocado for certain fat-containing foods like butter, cheese or processed meats was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open […]
Animal Study Demonstrates How Triclosan Can Trigger Gut Inflammation
Scientists have identified bacteria and specific bacterial enzymes that trigger harmful effects of triclosan, an antimicrobial agent found in thousands of consumer products; moreover, the study suggests these enzymes can be blocked from driving intestinal damage. Triclosan is an antimicrobial ingredient present in more than 2,000 consumer and industrial products. It is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant […]