The health benefits of differing low-fat diets are far from equal, say researchers, suggesting that a low-fat diet rich in vegetables and fruits has twice the cholesterol-lowering power of a conventional low-fat diet.
Rutgers University plant scientists are truly into something hot – They are working with a research laboratory named for the late Tabasco? Pepper Sauce heir, John S. McIlhenny, and built with a gift from the trust he established, the Coypu Foundation. The lab is part of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of the Louisiana State University system. At this facility, researchers collaborating with Rutgers colleagues will investigate whether plant extracts can cut risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes or other serious illnesses.
Even very low levels of a chemical found in plastic containers and tin cans boosts risks for prostate abnormalities in mice, and may do so in humans as well, researchers report.
Shifting care from doctors to nurses is one way of meeting the demand caused by ageing populations, rising expectations and reforms that move care from hospitals to primary care. While patient satisfaction can increase, the change may not always save money.
Although dentists in many developed countries recommend check-ups at six-month intervals, there are no high quality data to support this recommendation.
A review of 42 trials has shown that in most cases manual toothbrushes remove as much plaque as their expensive electronic counterparts, and protect just as well against inflamed gums. In fact, the only type of electric toothbrush more effective than a manual brush is that with a rotating-oscillating head.
School-based programmes that develop individual young people’s social skills are the best way to reduce drug use.
When added to standard care, music therapy helps people with schizophrenia improve their global state, mental state and social functioning.
Despite the availability of topical sunscreens, skin cancer is on the rise. A group of chemists at University of Scranton in Pennsylvania says that adding a mixture of antioxidants to sunscreen may help enhance its protection. In animal studies, they found that a mixture of various topical antioxidants was more effective than single antioxidants in preventing the formation of skin tumors induced by ultraviolet light.
Parents, take heart: You can teach your child to eat healthier. A study of preadolescent children found that those who attended a behaviorally oriented nutrition education program and were taught to follow a diet low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol adopted significantly better dietary habits over several years compared to their peers who received only general nutritional information.