The meat of Australia’s bush kangaroo may be the highest known source of the healthy fat CLA, a University of Western Australia and CSIRO sponsored PhD student has discovered.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is found in dairy products, beef and lamb.

In trials, CLA has been shown to possess potential anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetes properties, in addition to reducing obesity and atherosclerosis (high blood pressure). PhD student Clare Engelke has found that the meat-fat of

A new discovery of microbial activity in 3.5 billion-year-old volcanic rock and one of earth’s earliest signs of geological existence sheds new light on the antiquity of life, says University of Alberta researchers who are part of a team that made the groundbreaking finding.

“People have been looking for signs of early bacteria for the last 50 years,” said Dr. Karlis Muehlenbachs, from the U of A’s Faculty of Science and an author on the paper just published in the journal Science

Multiple births — twins, triplets or more babies in one pregnancy — have more risks of infant death and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy than births of single babies do. However, many couples seeking infertility treatments desire multiples and have poor knowledge particularly about the risks for twins, a University of Iowa study reported.

The investigation found that one in five women seeking treatment desired multiples over having a singleton, or one baby. While patients usu

Young women risk trying to emulate fantasy images, developing eating disorders

Viewing media images of thin, glamorous models may have a positive effect on young women’s self-image – but it may still lead to destructive dieting behaviour, says a University of Toronto study.

“The traditional assumption about body image is that exposure to thin images in the media makes young women feel bad about themselves, leading to dieting and, in extreme cases, to eating disorders,”

A brain imaging study has shown that, after they overcome their reading disability, the brains of formerly poor readers begin to function like the brains of good readers, showing increased activity in a part of the brain that recognizes words. The study appears in the May 1 Biological Psychiatry and was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the National Institutes of Health.

“These images show that effective reading instruction not only impro

A researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine says a small study shows promise for a nutritional supplement that may help boost fertility in women who have difficulty conceiving. Initial results indicate that of the women who took the supplement, one-third became pregnant after five months.

“This was a small, pilot study but if the findings hold up in a larger trial, the supplement may be a feasible treatment for some women,” said Lynn Westphal, MD, assistant professor of obste

Trend comes despite critical public health need

Despite a critical need for new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections and other infectious diseases, very few new antibiotics are being developed, according to a study in the May 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

To document trends, researchers evaluated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) databases of approved drugs and the research and development (R&D) programs of the world’s largest

An animal study finds a link in genetics that determines our sleep patterns

Are you annoyed by cheerful “morning people?” Do you ever wonder how “night owls” can keep going? Most of us ask these questions because we are in between these two extremes, and take a while to get going early in the morning and tire long before midnight. This entire spectrum reflects the broad, normal variation in sleep patterns in humans that is rooted in the very genetic foundations of how our body works.

Becoming emotionally involved with someone over the internet can have just as serious an impact on real-life relationships as ‘offline’ infidelity – especially in the eyes of women.

This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Dr Monica Whitty of Queen’s University Belfast, which is being presented today, Saturday 17 April 2004, at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference at Imperial College, London.

Dr Whitty asked 245 students to complete stories in which one partn

People often say that their performance on certain tasks differs throughout the day, and explanations for these fluctuations in mental abilities have focussed on factors such as changes in body temperature or diet. New research by psychologists suggests however that alterations in the hormone testosterone may be responsible for these mental changes.

Dr Daryl O’Connor and colleagues from the University of Leeds present their findings today, Saturday 17 April 2004, at the British Psychol

Numerous studies have been published showing that consuming alcohol increases the risk for breast cancer. That’s what makes a new research finding from Portugal so intriguing. The study has determined that certain compounds found in wine, beer (and tea) have contributed to a significant decrease in breast cancer cell proliferation.

Background

Numerous studies have found that regular, moderate use of alcohol affects the levels of important female hormones, especially for

Study demonstrates improved mobility, less pain, in patients with osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, degenerative joint disease estimated to affect more than 21 million individuals in the United States. The Arthritis Foundation reports that arthritis is the leading disability of Americans resulting in over 39 million medical visits per year and $65 billion in medical expenses and lost wages. This condition is characterized by erosion of articular cartilage, caused by

In the first known study of the absorption and anti-tumor effects of green and black tea polyphenols in human tissue, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles were able to detect tea polyphenols in prostate tissue after a very limited consumption of tea.

More importantly, the scientists found that prostate cancer cells grew more slowly when placed in a medium containing blood serum of men who had consumed either green or black tea for five days compared to serum collected

First it was Yuppies, then DINKS – couples with Double Incomes and No Kids. Now it’s time for TINS – couples who have Two Incomes but No Sex. According to some estimates, as many 50 per cent of modern men and women just don’t have time for sex – or are too stressed out to enjoy intimate relations when the opportunity arises.

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is hosting a public information session to discuss issues surrounding sexuality and a too-busy lifestyle.

“It is pos

Black South African women are becoming thinner because of the influence of the West, including media-portrayed images of waif-like women in films and TV shows according to new research.

The findings come from a study between Northumbria University in the United Kingdom and the University of Zululand in rural South Africa. The study, which will be presented at the British Psychological Society conference in London today (Friday 16th April), revealed that young black women are becoming

No further studies should be carried out to compare the effectiveness of oral rehydration and intravenous therapy for treating children who are dehydrated after suffering from diarrhoea, write researchers in BMC Medicine this week. Their systematic review of published research concludes that current guidelines recommending oral rehydration therapy as a first course of treatment are correct.

The researchers, from University of Alberta and Stollery Children’s Hospital, studied 14 randomised c