Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Blessing of Fish Oil

2:28 AM Anonymous
Fish oil has a host of benefits and seems to hold a cure for many ailments, reveal scientists. 

 Consumption of fish during pregnancy especially oily fish like fresh tuna, salmon, sardines and trout can strengthen the immune system of both the mother and the baby. 

 Vitamin A present in fish oils is good for the eyes. Fish oils help reduce blood vessel inflammation that causes heart disease. 

 Mackerel, sardines, salmon, pilchards, trout and fresh tuna are the richest sources of Omega-3 types of polyunsaturated fatty acid. 

 Research has shown that consumption of oily fish, at least two portions in a week, can relieve rheumatoid arthritis, offset blindness and fight heart diseases.
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Pregnant Women may be Better Off by Not Working Right Up to the Due Date

2:17 AM Anonymous
A new study published in the Journal of Labor Economics reveals that pregnant women who work right up to their due date were more likely to give birth to babies who have lower birth weight. 

 The study was conducted by researchers at University of Essex who analyzed data from three major studies in Britain and the US and found that working late into pregnancy has the same effect on the unborn child as smoking during pregnancy and led to slow growth of the baby in the womb. 

 The researchers added that the findings were limited to mothers over 24 years of age and did not affect those who were younger than 24 and continued to work late into their pregnancies. “We know low birth weight is a predictor of many things that happen later, including lower chances of completing school successfully, lower wages and higher mortality. 

We need to think seriously about parental leave, because — as this study suggests — the possible benefits of taking leave flexibly before the birth could be quite high”, one of the study authors, Professor Marco Francesconi said.
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Saturday, July 28, 2012

How over a quarter of women admit to faking orgasms

11:59 AM Anonymous
It seems Meg Ryan is not the only woman who can feign a convincing orgasm. A new survey has revealed that over a quarter of women admit to faking it every time they have s*x. The statistic was revealed in AskMen.com's Great Male Survey 2012, which polled 50,000 people from across the U.S., the UK and Australia. 

A rather luckier 30per cent of women surveyed said they never have to fake it. And they aren't the only ones. Over a third of men admitted to having faked a climax at least once. In fact, 40per cent of men said they were only 'somewhat satisfied' with their s*x lives but there was 'room for improvement', and an unfortunate 22per cent admitted: 'I have no s*x life'. 

Twenty-five per cent of women were also 'not at all satisfied, because of the quality of s*x', with 27per cent admitting to 'no s*x life'. The survey results went beyond s*x to reveal some interesting attitudes towards relationships. 

Weight gain presented a major issue. While 67per cent of women said they would remain with their boyfriend if he became fatter, over half of men ruthlessly admitted they would not stay with their girlfriends if they did the same. Contrary to popular belief, it found that 44per cent of women believed in marriage, compared with 70per cent of men. 

Demonstrating further female cynicism, a third of women admitted to having read their boyfriend's emails or text messages as a means of 'checking up' on their man. Women also have little trust when it comes to birth control. 

Though 73per cent of men polled said they would take a male pill if it existed, just over half of women would actually trust a man to remember to take it. But perhaps their general lack of trust in men is justified. Over half of men say they have lied about their number of s*xual partners.

 And if they could choose a celebrity their current girlfriend could 'be more like', the majority of men chose Spider-Man star Emma Stone, with just 20per cent suggesting Sports Illustrated cover girl Kate Upton.
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

More than half of 14 and 15 year old girls are unhappy with their figures despite being healthy or underweight

6:26 PM Anonymous
Schoolgirls as young as 12 are unhappy with their weight and some are skipping meals in an effort to be skinnier, a study has found.

 Half of girls in year eight – who are aged 12 and 13 – said they wanted to be thinner. And 58 per cent of girls in year ten, aged 14 or 15, said they wanted to lose weight, according to the study by the Schools Health Education Unit. 

During the research, 31,354 boys and girls aged ten to 15 were questioned about their eating habits and body image. 

Young girls revealed how they are controlling their eating in their quest to be thinner. A quarter of year ten girls skipped breakfast on the morning they were questioned and 20 per cent had skipped lunch the day before. 

Of those who had skipped breakfast, 36 per cent had avoided eating lunch on the previous day. But if many of the girls keen to lose weight started dieting they could be putting their health at risk. 

The researchers said: ‘An analysis of the characteristics of the year ten females shows that most of those wanting to lose weight are within the limits of “healthy” weight, and some are already underweight.’
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People who use internet to diagnose illness 'can't interpret their own symptoms'

6:22 PM Anonymous
Many people may believe that the internet has made it easier for us to discover what is wrong when we are sick.

 But new research suggests that using Google to diagnose illnesses could in fact be a very bad way of getting appropriate medical treatment. 

Of course, a rigorously trained doctor is likely to give a much more accurate diagnosis than the average web user seeking answers from the internet. 

But in addition, scientists have warned that individuals do particularly poorly when asked to work out their own chances of having any particular ailment. 

This misdiagnosis takes two main forms - self-positivity, where we overestimate the risks of falling prey to an illness, and self-negativity, where the opposite is the case. 

For example, according to NBC News, people may interpret symptoms which in someone else might seem like indigestion as a sign they are having a heart attack.

 Two scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology used this sort of finding to develop a more systematic study of how people perceive their chances of illness. 

They gave college students information on various diseases, telling them both how common they are among the whole population ('base rate') and the details of one specific person's health profile ('case risk').
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Peace of mind? No, health checks-ups can do more harm than good

6:14 PM Anonymous
When Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister, went for a check-up in 2005 he was given a CT scan. This discovered two small lumps in his lungs, and surgery was recommended. 

The operation was complicated by inflammation of the pancreas — a serious condition which meant being in intensive care. He spent six weeks in hospital but was readmitted a month later because a cyst, which had developed on his pancreas because of the inflammation, had to be removed as well. 

This was clearly a horrible illness. All those operations, scans, time off work, tests — but wasn’t it worth it if they caught the nodules early and saved Mulroney’s life? Here’s the problem. The nodules weren’t cancer — they were benign. Essentially, Mulroney had surgery and complications for a ‘problem’ that hadn’t actually been a problem.

 ‘Body MOT’ screening tests — like those the politician had — are done for people who are completely well and have no symptoms. You might think, as a GP, I would highly recommend them for reassurance or early diagnosis of problems. 

 Indeed, there are hundreds of posh private clinics that offer ‘check-ups’ with all kinds of blood tests, ultrasound and even MRI and CT scans which are meant to give you ‘peace of mind’ — combinations of tests that cost from £100 up to several thousand pounds. Some tests can be useful, but many are not. Some can end up doing us harm — as happened to Mulroney. How could an innocent check-up be harmful?
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How just two apples a day could cut the risk of heart disease

5:56 PM Anonymous
Just two apples a day could help protect women against heart disease by cutting their cholesterol levels, according to new research. Scientists found apples significantly lowered blood fat levels in postmenopausal women, the group most at risk of heart attacks and strokes. Snacking on the fruit every day for six months slashed cholesterol by almost a quarter. 

The biggest reduction was seen in low-density lipoprotein, the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol that furs up arteries and raises the risk of a life-threatening clot forming near the heart or brain. The findings, by a team of researchers at Florida State University in the U.S, support previous evidence that apples could be good for the heart. 

But the latest study suggests they could benefit one of the highest-risk groups. Around 45 per cent of British women will suffer from heart disease or a stroke and it is the biggest single cause of death among post-menopausal women. 

Up to the menopause, women appear to have a natural immunity to heart disease and the rate of illness is only a third of that seen in men. But from the age of around 50 onwards, the incidence increases sharply. Researchers wanted to see if eating the equivalent of two apples every day could have a significant effect on heart disease risk. 

They recruited 160 women who had been through the menopause and got half to eat 75 grammes a day of dried apple - the equivalent of two medium-sized fresh apples. As a comparison, the other half were told to eat the same quantity of prunes to see if they had a similar effect.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

How Regular S*x Can Help You Live Longer –Doctor Reveals

3:23 AM Anonymous


Good and regular marital sex can help you live a longer and happier life. According to Dr Stella Eze, a gynaecologist with a Lagos-based private hospital, MAY Hospital, Ilasa, good s*x not only promotes longevity but also keeps diseases such as the deadly breast cancer away.

In a chart with Imoh Essien, Dr. Eze describes sex, particularly between married couples, as beautiful and specially designed by God and nature to keep people in good shape all year round. 

Below are the great benefits of sex as listed by Dr. Sella:

S*x can cure headaches
Some of the health benefits of s*x are its ability to act as a pain reliever. The hormone oxytocin (a nine amino acid peptide that is synthesized in hypothalamic neurons and transported down axons of the posterior pituitary for secretion into blood) secretes within your body whenever you engage in sexual activity. Because of this secretion, endorphins (hormone-like chemicals that bear a close functional resemblance to morphine) are released. When a person is aroused or excited, oxytocin levels not only begin to increase, they are the reason that orgasms come about. Studies have shown that a rise in oxytocin levels can relieve pain; everything from headaches, cramps and overall body aches can be diminished with a simple roll in the hay.

S*x reduces stress and aids sleep 
A recent survey revealed that people who have more s*x reported that they felt more at ease, happier and learned how to handle stress better. After an orgasm, an intense wave of calm and relaxation overcomes humans (that’s why men usually fall asleep) and it’s a time when people can truly liberate themselves and let go. Plenty of people who enjoy a regular dose of s*x convey that they sleep much better during the night and feel alive and refreshed throughout the day. So, one of the health benefits of sex is a better night’s sleep, which allows you to handle day-to-day stress much more efficiently. 

Sex increases sufficient blood flow 
It goes without saying that when we get aroused our blood starts to pump at a quicker rate and, thus, blood flow to our brain increases. Both an increased heart rate and more blood pumping through the brain result in better performance (in and out of the bedroom). What this ultimately means is that the fresh supply of blood pumping through your body provides the organs with a healthy dose of oxygen and rids the body of old and wasteful products. So, another health benefit of sex is a cleansed system. Treat your temple right with the help of a little excitement. 

Regular marital s*x improves Fountain of youth
Although the orgasm is sometimes referred to as the “little death,” having at least two orgasms a week can increase your life span. Every time you reach orgasm, the hormone DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) increases in response to sexual excitement and ejaculation. DHEA can boost your immune system, repair tissue, improve cognition, keep skin healthy, and even work as an antidepressant. Therefore, a health benefit of sex if you keep the orgasms coming is potentially a longer life. It’s quite evident that there are many health benefits of s*x. 

It increases brain power, heart rate, it can help fend off diseases and ailments, and it makes individuals feel good about themselves. In today’s stressful society, it has become a little more difficult to engage in intimate sexuality as often, but as long as you incessantly make the effort, you’ll realize that it’s always worth it. The health benefits of s*x will make you feel wonderful within and without and you will gradually notice that the more sex you have, the more bounce you will have in each step. Happiness isn’t s*x itself, but s*x does ultimately play a role in human happiness.
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

A pill for men? No, they just need a jab in the bottom

6:37 AM Anonymous
Just who should take responsibility for birth control is a subject that divides many couples. There are only two forms of male contraception — condoms and vasectomies, and they have disadvantages.

 Though condoms have a 98 per cent success rate with perfect use, in reality and with human error, they prevent pregnancy only in 85 per cent of cases — an unacceptable risk for many couples.
Vasectomies are designed to be a permanent form of contraception (though a reversal is possible) and involve otherwise healthy men going under the knife. Female contraceptives, on the other hand, such as the Pill or implants are effective and reversible, though they can cause nasty side-effects such as weight gain, depression and blood clots. 

So why are there not more options for men? The simple answer is biology, says Professor Peter Schlegel, head of urology at New York’s Cornell University and a top authority on male contraception. ‘It is a lot easier to control one egg than the 100 million sperm a man produces every day. 

 'The potential for error is enormous and all it takes is for one sperm to get away for the treatment to fail. It is practically much more difficult.’ However, with 50,000 men having a vasectomy every year in Britain, there is clearly a market for male family planning and scientists around the world, determined to push back scientific frontiers, are trying to find new options.
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Mother-of-two left unable to eat for TWO YEARS

6:30 AM Anonymous

A mother-of-two has been unable to eat a single meal for two years - after developing a rare condition that has paralysed her stomach. Former healthcare assistant Natalie Roux-Bean, 30, has shrunk from a healthy size 12 to a zero and is permanently starving hungry. 

She is unable to keep down anything more than a biscuit and is now fed 400 calories a day via a drip straight into her bloodstream. Doctors initially told Natalie she had a stomach bug and then wrongly treated her for anorexia before she was finally diagnosed with gastroparesis. The condition reduces the ability of the stomach to empty its contents even though there is no blockage. 

The cause is unknown but doctors believe it could be triggered by a disruption of nerve signals to the stomach. Mrs Roux-Bean was fitted with a 'stomach pacemaker' to try and ease her condition, but it had little effect.
Natalie now fears she will spend the rest of her life feeling permanently hungry. She has had to give up work as she feels so weak and is wheel-chair bound. She said: 'These last two years have been horrible. My stomach is telling me I am hungry. I miss the taste of food every day and can’t even remember what my last supper was. 

'I try to stomach a nibble of a cracker every now and then but that is the only thing I have tasted in a long time. 'Trying to fight your natural survival instincts to eat doesn’t get any easier and although I am in pain I still crave the taste of a real food. 'I am really weak and have to give up work. I can’t even take my children swimming or on bike rides anymore.'
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How wearing stockings could stop you snoring

6:18 AM Anonymous
Wearing tight stockings during the day may be a new way to tackle snoring at night. Compression stockings are widely used to treat varicose veins and prevent blood clots in the legs after surgery and during long-haul flights. They are now being given to people with sleep apnoea, a major cause of snoring. 

 This occurs when the soft tissue in the throat collapses repeatedly at night, blocking air flow into the lungs. It’s thought the knee-length stockings will help reduce this tissue collapse by tackling fluid build-up in the body — a small study of 12 patients has shown the stockings reduce symptoms by a third. 

Sleep apnoea affects an estimated one in 25 adults. It triggers a pause in breathing for ten seconds or more before the brain prompts the muscles to reopen the airway. This process is accompanied by a loud snore that is then followed by a gasping and spluttering sound. The condition increases the risk of heart failure, stroke and diabetes. Risk factors include being overweight, having a large neck, being menopausal (hormonal changes can lead to throat muscles relaxing) and taking medication such as sleeping pills.

 The main treatment is a type of mask called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device that delivers a supply of compressed air during sleep to prevent the airway closing. While these devices can be highly effective, many people find them uncomfortable to wear, and it is estimated around 46 per cent of people given them do not continue to use them.

 The idea behind the stockings is that they prevent tissue fluid — a clear liquid that is a constitute of blood — pooling in the legs during the day. Normally, the leg muscles help pump fluid back up to the body, but this flow is hampered in those with poor circulation or who are largely sedentary. Experts believe an accumulation of this fluid can flow back towards the head when the patient lies down at night.
The fluid then collects around the throat, squeezing the tissue and triggering sleep apnoea. The theory is that wearing the stockings during the day will squeeze the veins and help the muscles push the fluid back up to the rest of the body. In a new trial at Toronto University in Canada involving 50 patients, half will wear knee-length stockings during the day for two weeks and the other half will not. 

 Doctors will evaluate the overnight change in leg and neck fluid volumes, levels of daytime sleepiness and alertness, plus overall quality of life. Commenting on the research, Andrew Mc-Combe, an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, said: ‘This is an interesting idea and the hypothesis seems sensible, too.

 'Of course, a lot of people with significant apnoea are overweight and not very mobile, so fluid accumulation through the day is more likely in this group. ‘Whether the fluid moves to the neck at night when they are asleep is not known for sure, and clearly this idea is untested, hence the need for this study. I would be interested to see the outcome. 'If it is successful, then it is a simple manoeuvre to implement.’ Meanwhile, scientists have revealed that sleep apnoea increases cravings for carbohydrates.

 U.S. researchers studied 55 patients and found cravings for carbs such as biscuits and bread were twice as likely among those with the condition. Half of the patients had type 2 diabetes, and the research showed that those with diabetes and sleep apnoea have an even greater risk of carb cravings. Previous research suggested that type 2 sufferers often crave carbs and the scientists wanted to investigate whether this was linked to the sleep condition. The findings, presented at a recent conference hosted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, suggests a link. 

 The researchers were unclear why sleep apnoea would trigger these cravings, but one theory is that waking repeatedly, a characteristic symptom of the condition, can disrupt levels of hormones that regulate hunger. This could lead to the body craving food that will give a high energy boost, such as bread, sweets and pasta.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Breastfeeding your baby for 6 months will 'keep you slim in later life'

11:51 AM Anonymous
Mothers who breastfeed their babies reduce their risk of becoming obese when they get older, research has shown. A study of 740,000 post-menopausal women found that the more children a woman had, the heavier she was likely to be in later life. But average Body Mass Index (BMI) was lower in women who had breastfed - irrespective of how many times they had given birth.

 Every six-month period of breastfeeding reduced a woman's long-term BMI - a standard measurement relating weight to height - by one per cent, according to the findings published in the International Journal of Obesity. This was after taking account of factors known to influence obesity risk, including smoking, exercise levels, and social deprivation. Professor Dame Valerie Beral, director of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University and a member of the study team, said: 'Our research suggests that just six months of breastfeeding by UK women could reduce their risk of obesity in later life.

 'A one per cent reduction in BMI may seem small, but spread across the population of the UK that could mean about 10,000 fewer premature deaths per decade from obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.' Lead author Dr Kirsty Bobrow, also from Oxford University, said: 'We already know breastfeeding is best for babies, and this study adds to a growing body of evidence that the benefits extend to the mother as well - even 30 years after she's given birth.

 'Pregnant women should be made aware of these benefits to help them make an informed choice about infant feeding.' The research formed part of the Million Women Study, a major investigation into reproductive and lifestyle factors affecting women's health. Participants had an average age of 57.5 and an average BMI of 26.2, which is classified as 'overweight'. A BMI of 30 marks the point at which an overweight person becomes obese. 

 Most of the women taking part in the study had given birth to at least one child and of these, 70 per cent had breastfed for an average 7.7 months. Previous research had shown that breastfeeding can help women lose the weight they put on during pregnancy in the months immediately after birth, however the long-term impact of breastfeeding was unclear.

 The study was funded by the charity Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council. Sara Hiom, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We already know that breastfeeding can reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, and this study highlights that breastfeeding may also be linked to weight. 'Weight in turn influences the likelihood of developing some cancers as well as other diseases. 

'Too few people know about the significant cancer risks associated with being very overweight,' she said. Professor Dame Sally Macintyre, director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing based at Glasgow University, said: 'The obesity epidemic is one of the biggest challenges facing both high-income and, increasingly, low and middle-income countries. 'Studies such as this one, which look at broad trends within a large population, can help us to develop effective strategies to prevent obesity and its related diseases.'
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Saturday, July 7, 2012

Overweight Alone Does Not Increase Risk of Death

3:31 PM Anonymous
Being overweight alone does not increase the risk of death, a new study conducted by researchers at UC Davis reveals. When compared to those with normal weight, people who were overweight or obese had no increased risk of death during a follow-up period of six years. People who were severely obese did have a higher risk, but only if they also had diabetes or hypertension. The findings, which appear in the July-August issue of The Journal of American Board of Family Medicine, call into question previous studies -- using data collected when obesity was less common -- linking higher short-term mortality with any amount of extra weight.

 "There is currently a widespread belief that any degree of overweight or obesity increases the risk of death, however our findings suggest this may not be the case," said Anthony Jerant, professor of family and community medicine and lead author of the study. "In the six-year timeframe of our evaluation, we found that only severe obesity was associated with an increased risk of death, due to co-occurring diabetes and hypertension." 

 Based on the study, Jerant recommends that doctors' conversations with patients who are overweight or obese, but not severely obese, focus on the known negative effects of these conditions on mental and physical functioning, rather than on an increased short-term risk of death. By contrast, Jerant added that it is important for doctors to talk with severely obese patients who also have diabetes or hypertension about their increased short-term mortality risk and treatment, including weight loss. 

 "Our results do not mean that being overweight or obese is not a threat to individual or public health," said Jerant. "These conditions can have a significant impact on quality of life, and for this reason alone weight loss may be advisable." In conducting the study, Jerant used nationwide data from 2000 to 2005 of nearly 51,000 adults aged 18 to 90 years who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys on health-care utilization and costs. 

The surveys include information on health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Body mass index (BMI), or weight adjusted for height, was calculated for each respondent. The study categorized people as underweight (BMI < 20), normal weight (BMI 20 to < 25), overweight (BMI 25 to < 30), obese (BMI 30 to 35) or severely obese (BMI > 35). Mortality was assessed using the National Death Index. 

Of the 50,994 people included in the UC Davis analysis, just over 3 percent (1,683) died during the six years of follow-up. The investigators found that severely obese people were 1.26 times more likely to die during follow-up than people in the normal weight group. However, if people with diabetes or hypertension were eliminated from the data, those who were overweight, obese or even severely obese had similar or even lower death rates than people of normal weight. 

Consistent with a number of prior studies, underweight people were nearly twice as likely to die than people with normal weight, regardless of whether diabetes or hypertension was present. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in recent decades. An estimated one-third of all U.S. adults over age 20 are obese and another one-third are overweight. 

In addition to diabetes and hypertension, health problems associated with these conditions include heart disease, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. The relationship between weight and mortality is a controversial topic in public health. Although studies based on data collected 30 years ago showed that mortality risk rose as weight increased, analyses of more recently collected data, including the current one, call this assumption into question. 

 "Our findings indicate that the risk of having an above-normal BMI may be lower than in the past," said Jerant. "While this study cannot explain the reasons, it is possible that as overweight and obesity have become more common, physicians have become more aware of associated health issues like high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and are more aggress

ive about early detection and treatment of these conditions." Jerant said that the six-year period of his investigation limits the ability to make assumptions about the link between unhealthy weight and the risk of death over a longer timeframe. "We hope our findings will trigger studies that re-examine the relationship of being overweight or obese with long-term mortality," said Jerant.
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Discovery Could Lead To New Treatments For Asthma

3:24 PM Anonymous
Reprogramming the immune cells that promotes asthma diminishes airway damage and inflammation in mice, a discovery that could lead to new treatment options for asthma. The researchers were able to reprogram the asthma-promoting cells (called Th2 (T-helper 2) cells) after identifying an enzyme that modifies the DNA of these cells. The enzyme could be a target for the development of new treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases, in particular allergic asthma, caused by an excess of Th2 cells. 

 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researcher Dr Rhys Allan led the research while working at Institut Curie, Paris. Dr Allan said that the research team discovered that the enzyme Suv39h1 could switch off genes to control the function of Th2 cells, which are key to the allergic response. "Th2 cells have an important function in the immune response, but they also play a significant role in diseases such as allergic asthma," Dr Allan said. "People with asthma have too many Th2 cells, which produce chemical signals that inflame and damage the upper airways. 

In this study, we discovered that the Suv39h1 enzyme plays a critical role in programming these asthma-promoting cells, making it a potential target for new therapies to treat asthma," Dr Allan said. More than two million Australians have asthma - approximately one in 10 people - and the disease is even more common among Indigenous Australians. The prevalence of asthma in children in Australia is among the highest in the world. Dr Allan said the Suv39h1 enzyme was part of the 'epigenetic circuitry' of Th2 cells.  

"Epigenetics refers to changes or modifications in the DNA that alter how genes are switched on and off, without changing the fundamental DNA sequence. Suv39h1 effectively 'tags' the DNA to tell the cells which genes they need to switch on or off to promote an allergic response," Dr Allan said. Using agents that inhibit Suv39h1 could destabilize Th2 cells in people who have an excess of these asthma-promoting cells so they no longer cause inflammation, Dr Allan said. 

 "We had the idea that erasing these epigenetic tags could 'short-circuit' the asthma-promoting Th2 cells and diminish the inflammatory immune response. And, in fact, in mouse models of allergic asthma, blocking this pathway with an inhibitory compound did reduce allergy-related airway damage. Ultimately, our results have identified a potential target for therapeutic intervention in asthma and potentially other Th2-mediated inflammatory diseases, which could improve outcomes for patients," Dr Allan added. Research Institute published the study in the journal Nature.
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Scientists Find Brain Center for Decisions During Social Interactions

3:21 PM Anonymous
One small region of the brain carries information only for decisions during social interactions, a new study has revealed. Specifically, the area is active when we encounter a worthy opponent and decide whether to deceive them. A brain imaging study conducted by researchers at the Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Science (D-CIDES) put human subjects through a functional MRI brain scan while playing a simplified game of poker against a computer and human opponents.

 Using computer algorithms to sort out what amount of information each area of the brain was processing, the team found only one brain region-the temporal-parietal junction, or TPJ --- carried information that was unique to decisions against the human opponent.

 Some of the time, the subjects were dealt an obviously weak hand. The brain signals in the TPJ told the researchers whether the subject would soon bluff against a human opponent, especially if that opponent was judged to be skilled. But against a computer, signals in the TPJ did not predict the subject's decisions. The TPJ is in a boundary area of the brain, and may be an intersection for two streams of information, said lead researcher McKell Carter, a postdoctoral fellow at Duke. 

 It brings together a flow of attentional information and biological information, such as "is that another person?" Carter observed that in general, participants paid more attention to their human opponent than their computer opponent while playing poker, which is consistent with humans' drive to be social. Throughout the poker game experiment, regions of the brain that are typically thought to be social in nature did not carry information specific to a social context. 

 "The fact that all of these brain regions that should be specifically social are used in other circumstances is a testament to the remarkable flexibility and efficiency of our brains," Carter said. "There are fundamental neural differences between decisions in social and non-social situations," said D-CIDES Director Scott Huettel, the Hubbard professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke and senior author of the study. 

 "Social information may cause our brain to play by different rules than non-social information, and it will be important for both scientists and policymakers to understand what causes us to approach a decision in a social or a non-social manner. "Understanding how the brain identifies important competitors and collaborators-those people who are most relevant for our future behavior-will lead to new insights into social phenomena like dehumanization and empathy," Huettel added.
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Begin Your Day With Eggs If You Want To Lose Weight

3:17 PM Anonymous
Beginning your day with eggs is the best way for those who want to lose weight. A major UK review of studies into the effects of eating eggs has found that egg contains a powerful ingredient that can help to cut the amount of calories people go on to eat at lunch and dinner. Scientists say boiled, fried, poached or scrambled, eggs keep people fuller for longer compared with other common breakfast foods. 

 This appears to help people who are desperately trying to resist tempting but naughty afternoon snacks such as biscuits, cake or chocolate. The review, published in the journal Network Health Dietitian, also revealed that the specific proteins found in eggs are far superior to other types when it comes to keeping hunger at bay. 

 Dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton examined the results of six different studies over eight years. The studies show a consistent effect on satiety and short-term energy intake. Two studies found changes in appetite-related gut hormones, which may explain why egg-eaters feel full. A single, longer-term study revealed that people who ate an egg breakfast rather than having cereal had a significantly greater weight loss and lost inches around the waist.

 "While more research is needed, particularly on long-term weight loss, the evidence suggests a promising role for eggs in weight management," the Daily Express quoted Dr Ruxton as saying. He also noted two additional benefits of including eggs in a weight loss diet. The first is portion control. Dr Ruxton said that since eggs come in a fixed unit of around 78 calories per egg, this helps people to recognize how much they have consumed.  

Secondly, he said, the vitamin D content of eggs may help to support general health in overweight people since vitamin D levels are known to be low in this group, leading to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. "There are few natural sources of vitamin D in the diet so eggs can play a role here too," he added. An average egg contains a high level of protein at 6.5g, representing 13 per cent of an adult's daily requirement.
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Risk of Breast Cancer High in Women Who Conceive by Using Fertility Drugs

3:12 PM Anonymous
A new study conducted by researchers at National Institutes of Health has found that the risk of breast cancer in women taking fertility drugs goes up when they get pregnant.

 There have been a number of studies looking into whether fertility drugs play a role in reducing or increasing the risk of breast cancer in women and the conclusions have been mixed with some studies claiming that they do increase the risk and some claiming that they reduce the risk. 

 Researchers at NIH observed 1,400 women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 50 years and compared them with 1,600 of their sisters who had no signs of the disease. Around 288 participants admitted to taking ovulation-stimulating fertility drugs, 141 of whom had pregnancy lasting 10 weeks or more after taking the drugs. 

 The researchers found that those who took the fertility drugs and did not get pregnant had a lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer under 50 years of age compared to those who got pregnant.

 “Our data suggest that exposure to a stimulated pregnancy is enough to undo the reduction in [breast cancer] risk associated with a history of exposure to ovulation-stimulating drugs”, the researchers wrote in the report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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