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 […]
Pandemic Movies To Watch In Quarantine
Disease-themed movies are at an all-time high amidst this coronavirus outbreak. But can it get any scarier in scary times. Since COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic, doesn’t it feel like you’ve seen this scenario before. Our very existence has been threatened by epidemics, war, famine, climate change, and dwindling resources. It seems like […]
Glucose: Potential new target for combating annual seasonal flu
Reducing glucose metabolism dials down influenza viral infection in laboratory cell cultures, providing an entirely new approach for combating seasonal flu, according to research that will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting in New Orleans. While annual flu shots are based on the U.S. Centers […]
Drug Blocks Two Of World’s Deadliest Emerging Viruses
From March 8, 2009 article: Two highly lethal viruses that have emerged in recent outbreaks are susceptible to chloroquine, an established drug used to prevent and treat malaria, according to a new basic science study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Journal of Virology.* The two henipaviruses that are the subject of the […]
Why Cigarette Smoke Makes Flu, Other Viral Infections Worse
A study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine could explain why the cold and flu virus symptoms that are often mild and transient in non-smokers can seriously sicken smokers. The study also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage. Until recently, scientists haven’t been able […]
Selenium Deficiency Causes Flu Virus To Mutate Into More Dangerous Forms
Influenza virus that has been passed through mice deficient in the trace nutrient selenium mutates and emerges from the mice more virulent than before, a new study shows. While the research was limited to rodents, it’s likely that something similar happens in humans deficient in selenium and, possibly, in other nutrients, University of North Carolina […]
Flu virus’ best friend: Low humidity
Yale researchers have pinpointed a key reason why people are more likely to get sick and even die from flu during winter months: low humidity. While experts know that cold temperatures and low humidity promote transmission of the flu virus, less is understood about the effect of decreased humidity on the immune system’s defenses against […]
This Ancient Ginger and Garlic Soup Recipe Fights the Flu, Common Cold & Sinus Infections
The flu season is on the rise. Try cooking this soup recipe which can boost your immune system and relieve your symptoms. With the change of temperature and the cold air being more conducive to spreading germs, many of us are already feeling run down. Maybe some of us are sniffling while others have a sore throat. […]
Vitamin D protects against colds and flu, finds major global study
Vitamin D supplements protect against acute respiratory infections including colds and flu, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The study provides the most robust evidence yet that vitamin D has benefits beyond bone and muscle health, and could have major implications for public health policy, including the fortification of […]
Ketogenic diet helps tame flu virus
A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet like the Keto regimen has its fans, but influenza apparently isn’t one of them. Mice fed a ketogenic diet were better able to combat the flu virus than mice fed food high in carbohydrates, according to a new Yale University study published Nov. 15 in the journal Science Immunology. The ketogenic diet […]