Coffee intake linked to reduced risk of MS

It is estimated that more than 2.3 million people worldwide have multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease of the central nervous system - the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease, whereby immune-system induced inflammation damages the protective coating of nerve fibers, called myelin. Symptoms of MS vary but commonly include loss of balance and coordination, blurred vision, extreme fatigue,...

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Eating fish during pregnancy may boost baby's development, not impair it

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international agencies are in the process of revising guidelines concerning fish consumption in an attempt to better reflect the nutritional benefits of fish. Currently, the FDA recommend that pregnant women should eat fish no more than twice a week. The reason for limiting fish consumption is because much of the mercury in the environment ends up in the world's oceans, so fish contain small...

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Antibiotic breakthrough may signal the end of drug-resistant superbugs

Kim Lewis, a microbiologist and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and colleagues report their discovery in the journal Nature. Many of the antibiotics in use today were discovered decades ago, and since then, microbes have evolved into resistant strains that do not succumb to them. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2012, there were about 450,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis...

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Losing just half an hour of sleep 'can impact body weight and metabolism'

For the study, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar, recruited 522 patients who had been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At the start of the study, the participants' height, weight and waist circumference were measured and samples of their blood were analyzed for insulin sensitivity. The participants were required to keep sleep diaries, from which their weekday "sleep debt" was calculated. The...

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Drinking beetroot juice reduces high blood pressure, trial shows

One glass of beetroot juice a day is enough to significantly reduce blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure, conclude researchers who conducted a placebo-controlled trial in dozens of patients. beetroot juice Beetroot contains high levels of inorganic nitrate. Other leafy vegetables - such as lettuce and cabbage - also have high levels of the compound, which they take up from the soil through their roots. The trial, conducted at Queen...

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Chocolate could prevent obesity and diabetes, study suggests

More than a third of US adults are obese and are, therefore, at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. But new research suggests a surprising prevention strategy for both conditions - eating chocolate. In a mouse study, led by Andrew P. Neilson of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, researchers discovered that a certain antioxidant in cocoa - the main ingredient in chocolate - prevented...

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Alcohol does not benefit the heart, claims new study

A new BMJ study finds that even among people who drink only light to moderate amounts of alcohol, reducing consumption can improve heart health, reduce body mass index, and bring down blood pressure. The large multi-center international study, which was co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, calls into question previous research that suggests light to moderate drinking may be good for the heart. The...

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1 in 10 patients inappropriately prescribed aspirin to prevent first heart attack, stroke

This was the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, led by a team at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. The researchers note that as aspirin is also available over the counter, it is possible that inappropriate use may be higher than their figure suggests because of patients medicating themselves against the risk of primary cardiovascular events. In May 2014, the Food and Drug Administration...

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Weight 'influenced by gut bacteria'

Past research has suggested that weight may be influenced by genes. A new study builds on this concept, revealing that our genetic makeup shapes what type of bacteria live in the gut, which may affect how heavy we are. The results of a twin study suggest that our genes influence what type of bacteria we have in our gut, and that the abundance of bacteria could affect our weight. The findings come from a twin study conducted by researchers from...

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Some areas of the brain 'may not slow down with aging'

Past research has suggested that as we age, our brain functions slow down. But a new study from The University of Adelaide in Australia indicates that there are areas of the brain that remain as effective in old age as they are in youth. A  new study suggests that some areas of the brain may remain as effective in old age as they are in youth. Dr. Joanna Brooks - who performed the study while she was a visiting research fellow at the schools...

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Tinnitus less common in women who drink more coffee

A new study finds that women who consume more caffeine are less likely to have tinnitus - a condition where a person perceives noise in one or both ears, or in the head, even though there is no external sound. Researchers found that the more caffeine women consumed, the less likely they were to have tinnitus. The researchers, from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston, MA, write about their findings in The American Journal of Medicine. According...

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Arthritis drug helps bald man grow full head of hair

There is no cure or treatment for alopecia universalis, an uncommon autoimmune disease that causes loss of hair over the entire scalp and body. Now doctors at Yale University in New Haven, CT, report how they successfully restored hair on the head and other parts of the body in a 25-year- old man with the disease that had left him nearly completely hairless all over. They write about the treatment and the results in the Journal of Investigative...

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New health benefits associated with hempseed oil

Hemp is a crop full of oils with potential health benefits, according to a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. A derivative of cannabis (marijuana), hemp has been used for millennia in textiles, medicine and food, by people all over the world. Despite this, hempseed has been banned in North America since the 1930s, when all varieties of cannabis were made illegal due to its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content....

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Men are 'more narcissistic and entitled than women'

In January, we reported on a study by researchers at Ohio State University who found that men who regularly post pictures of themselves on social media score higher on measures of narcissism and psychopathy than their peers. In particular, men who edited their selfies before posting were found to be the most narcissistic. However, that study - published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences - did not compare data for men...

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