Preliminary study demonstrates calorie restriction reduces markers of aging
Can eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet extend human life? Preliminary research suggests it might, so researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are launching a long-term study to find out.
In an editorial in the April 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Washington Unive
Omega 3 fatty acids in dietary fish oil are reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic and anti-arrhythmic effects in humans, but the biochemical basis for these beneficial health effects is not well understood. Now a University of Michigan biochemist reports that fish oil significantly diminishes the production and effectiveness of various prostaglandins, naturally occurring hormone-like substances that can accentuate inflammation and thrombosis.
Dr. William L. Smith desc
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have uncovered a genetic “signature” that accurately identifies colon cancer–a key, they hope, to better understand how the cancer develops.
Colon cancer may begin when processes that regulate adult stem cells in the colon go awry. A handful of stem cells lie in the bottom of tiny tube-like “crypts” in the epithelium (or lining) of the colon. Stem cells produce daughter cells that proliferate, eventually making their way to
Scientists at the University of Illinois have discovered an antifreeze-protein gene in cod that has evolved from non-coding or ’junk’ DNA. Since the creation of these antifreeze proteins is directly driven by polar glaciation, by studying their evolutionary history the scientists hope to pinpoint the time of onset of freezing conditions in the polar and subpolar seas. Professor Cheng will present her latest results at the Annual Main Meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology in Can
In the face of the growing obesity health challenge, “appetite suppressants are increasingly interesting because they work on the very simple premise of ’What you don’t eat now, you won’t need to lose later,’” Alexandra Einerhand, director, nutrition and toxicology-Europe at Lipid Nutrition notes.
Einerhand says that in a study, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from “Korean pine nuts, which have been part of our diet since before ancient Greek and
University of Mississippi researchers say they have created the first-ever mammalian model of how alcohol consumption spurs tumor growth, showing that even moderate drinking resulted in larger and more robust tumors.
The research provides the first mammalian model of the links between alcohol, VEGF, and tumor growth, said Wei Tan, the study’s lead author. The study increases understanding of how alcohol over-stimulates production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG
Female harbor seal pups whose blubber falls below average levels may be at higher risk of delayed sexual maturation or death, even if they get enough fat in their diets later on, according to a new study sponsored by The American Physiological Society and presented at Experimental Biology 2006.
The study found that harbor seals pups that were heavier when captured from the wild continued to gain weight and grow regardless of whether the researchers placed them on a high fat or
But meta-analysis does not uncover enough benefits to recommend use of soy supplements
Because some studies have suggested that soy contains chemicals that may help ward off breast cancer, increasing numbers of women are using soy supplements as a potential tumor preventive. But although a new meta-analysis of all available published data finds that while soy intake may be associated with a small reduction in the risk of breast cancer, there is no evidence to recommend the use
New evidence in the April 5, 2006 Cell Metabolism reveals a molecular mechanism that may play a general role in animals’ ability to respond appropriately when starved. The researchers discovered a pathway in worms that underlies their ability to adapt to food scarcity by remodeling their primary feeding organ.
In combination with earlier evidence, the findings suggest the so-called muscarinic acetylcholine pathway might play a conserved role in animals’ starvation response, t
We are all familiar with the dangers of too much fat in our diet–increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are just a few of the most severe consequences. But some rare metabolic diseases, such as hypolipidemia and Tangier disease, seem to work in reverse–they severely limit the amount of fat and cholesterol that makes it into the bloodstream. Researchers from the Carnegie Institution and the University of Pennsylvania have found a specific gene that could be responsible for su
The Canadian prairies are facing an unprecedented water crisis due to a combination of climate warming, increase in human activity and historic drought, says new research by the University of Alberta’s Dr. David Schindler, one of the world’s leading environmental scientists.
“The western prairies are worse than other areas of Canada,” said Schindler, co-author of a paper published in the journal “Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences,” early online edition. “One of the r
Single-molecule diode may change Moore’s ’law’ of microchip memory
Using the power of modern computing combined with innovative theoretical tools, an international team of researchers has determined how a one-way electrical valve, or diode, made of only a single molecule does its job.
Diodes are critical components within computer, audio equipment and countless other electronic devices. If designers can swap existing diodes with the single-molecule one,
Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have identified a third gene involved in prostate cancer, expanding their groundbreaking announcement, published last October in Science, that the majority of prostate cancers carry a malignancy-inducing fusion of genes never before seen in solid tumors. The new findings appear in the April 1 issue of Cancer Research. Since prostate cancer is a cancer of the epithelial cells lining organs, lead researcher Arul Chinnaiyan and his colleagues be
WOMEN eat more unhealthy foods and tend to put on weight when they move in with a male partner, according to a new report by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
On the other hand, a man’s diet tends to become healthier when he starts cohabiting with a female partner – and her influence has a long-term positive impact.
The reason for the change in dietary habits, say experts, is that both partners try to please each other during the ’honeymoon period’ a
Scientists from all over the world tackle the global threat of Malaria at the second annual BioMalPar conference
Today the network of excellence for Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite (BioMalPar), will bring together the world’s elite in the field of Malaria research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. At the second annual BioMalPar conference, organised jointly by Institut Pasteur Paris (France), Leiden University Medical Centre (The Nether
Reading is a standard day-to-day activity of a modern human being. It includes three components: sensoric (perception of visual stimulus – letters and other characters), motoric (eyes’ movements) and cognitive (attention, memory, and character and word recognition). The reading process requires quick eye movements – saccades, which move the eyes quickly from one text fragment to another. Only the retina’s central part, which contains cones, is capable of recognizing objects (characters). This dicta
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