Could a mushroom a day help keep the doctor away? A new University of Florida study shows increased immunity in people who ate a cooked shiitake mushroom every day for four weeks. Of the thousands of mushroom species globally, about 20 are used for culinary purposes. Shiitake mushrooms are native to Asia and are cultivated […]
Chemists discover how blue light from digital devices speeds blindness
Blue light from digital devices and the sun transforms vital molecules in the eye’s retina into cell killers, according to optical chemistry research at The University of Toledo. The process outlined in the study, which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, leads to age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the United […]
Intoxicating fragrance: Jasmine as valium substitute
Instead of a sleeping pill or a mood enhancer, a nose full of jasmine from Gardenia jasminoides could also help. In collaboration with Dr. Olga Sergeeva and Prof. Helmut Hass from the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, researchers from Bochum led by Prof. Hanns Hatt have discovered that the two fragrances Vertacetal-coeur (VC) and the chemical variation […]
Sleep loss limits fat loss
Cutting back on sleep reduces the benefits of dieting, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. When dieters in the study got a full night’s sleep, they lost the same amount of weight as when they slept less. When dieters got adequate sleep, however, more than half of the weight they lost […]
Eating nuts can reduce weight gain, study finds
A study recently published in the online version of the European Journal of Nutrition has found that people who include nuts in their diet are more likely to reduce weight gain and lower the risk of overweight and obesity. The findings came to light after researchers at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the International […]
Beetroot Juice Boosts Stamina
Drinking beetroot juice boosts your stamina and could help you exercise for up to 16% longer. A University of Exeter led-study shows for the first time how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring. The study reveals that drinking beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to […]
Why plants in the office make us more productive
‘Green’ offices with plants make staff happier and more productive than ‘lean’ designs stripped of greenery, new research shows. In the first field study of its kind, researchers found enriching a ‘lean’ office with plants could increase productivity by 15%. The team examined the impact of ‘lean’ and ‘green’ offices on staff’s perceptions of air […]
Raisins Fight Oral Bacteria
Compounds found in raisins fight bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppressed the growth of oral bacteria associated with caries and gum disease,” said Christine Wu, professor and associate dean […]
Study uncovers cause of pesticide exposure, Parkinson’s link
A new University of Guelph study has discovered why exposure to pesticides increases some people’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Previous studies have found an association between two commonly used agrochemicals (paraquat and maneb) and Parkinson’s disease. Now U of G professor Scott Ryan has determined that low-level exposure to the pesticides disrupts cells in […]
White rye bread healthier than whole wheat?
Wholegrain bread is good and good for you, as most people know. But it is not only the fiber-rich bran, the outer shell of the grain, that is healthful. On the contrary, research at the Lund University Faculty of Engineering shows that bread baked with white rye flour, which is flour made from the inner, […]