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, […]
Dark Honey Has More Illness-Fighting Agents Than Light Honey
Honey bees pollinate the crops we eat and provide honey. Where they forage for nectar now has gained nutritional importance: What they eat determines the level of antioxidants in honey, according to new research. In a study that analyzed 19 samples of honey from 14 different floral sources, University of Illinois scientists found that honey […]
Chemicals in lavender and tea tree oil appear to be hormone disruptors
A new study lends further evidence to a suspected link between abnormal breast growth in young boys — called prepubertal gynecomastia — and regular exposure to lavender or tea tree oil, by finding that key chemicals in these common plant-derived oils act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The study results will be presented Monday at ENDO 2018, […]
Clean: The New Science of Skin
A preventative medicine physician and staff writer for The Atlantic explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics. Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments […]
Processed foods highly correlated with obesity epidemic in the US
As food consumed in the U.S. becomes more and more processed, obesity may become more prevalent. Through reviewing overall trends in food, George Washington University (GW) researcher Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS, concluded that detailed recommendations to improve diet quality and overall nutrition are needed for consumers, who are prioritizing food that is cheaper and […]
Ulcerative colitis linked to missing gut microbes
About 1 million people in the United States have ulcerative colitis, a serious disease of the colon that has no cure and whose cause is obscure. Now, a study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators has tied the condition to a missing microbe. The microbe makes metabolites that help keep the gut healthy. “This […]
Your iPhone 12 and its accessories can interfere with pacemaker behavior
According to a recent study in the Heart Rhythm Journal, the iPhone 12 and its accessories can interfere with an ICD’s behavior, and even stop it from working. If you or someone you know has an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), you may want to avoid using an iPhone 12. The study found several components within the […]
Turmeric could have antiviral properties
Curcumin, a natural compound found in the spice turmeric, could help eliminate certain viruses, research has found. A study published in the Journal of General Virology showed that curcumin can prevent Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) — an alpha-group coronavirus that infects pigs — from infecting cells. At higher doses, the compound was also found to kill virus […]
Elderberry compounds could help minimize flu symptoms, study suggests
Folk medicines and herbal products have been used for millennia to combat a whole range of ailments, at times to the chagrin of modern scientists who have struggled to explain their medicinal benefits. However, a recent study by a group of Chemical and Biomlolecular Engineering researchers from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and […]