Washington, Mar 12: A well-known enzyme linked with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke has now been found to help create and maintain the brain, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

After selectively disabling the enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mouse embryos, it was found that the overall brain size was reduced by 50 percent, the cerebrum and cerebellum were shrunken, and the mice died within three weeks of birth.

London, Mar 12: Their dishes may taste divine, but a new report has claimed that celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay are cooking up a recipe for heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

A panel of dietary experts who assessed some of the most popular celebrity cookbooks criticized the chefs for serving up dishes high in saturated fat.

From analyses, judges found that many contained recipes with more than 100 per cent of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat in a single serving.

The study, carried out by The Fat Panel, an independent group of experts in areas such as nutrition, public health and pharmacy, found that the sticky toffee pudding by Gordon Ramsay accounted for 115 per cent.

Washington, Mar 12 : Spiritual kids are more likely to be healthier, just like their adult counterparts, according to a new study.

Dr. Barry Nierenberg, associate professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, came to this conclusion after studying the relationship between faith and health.

"A number of studies have shown a positive relationship between participatory prayer and lower rates of heart disease, cirrhosis, emphysema and stroke in adults," he said.

Washington, Mar 12: People who sleep less than six hours a night are nearly five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, suggests a new study.

The study showed that people who slept less than six hours a night during the work week were nearly five times more likely to develop abnormal fasting blood sugar levels, an important precursor for diabetes.

Washington, Mar 12 : Kids who are born extremely premature are likely to face learning difficulties by the time they reach the age of 11, say researchers.

The research team from University of Warwick, University College London and the University of Nottingham have revealed that almost two thirds of children born below 26 weeks gestation require additional support at school.

During the study, the researchers looked at 307 extremely preterm children born in the UK and Ireland in 1995.

Washington, Mar 12: People who lose control over their facial muscles have now got a new lease of life, for scientists have now developed a technique that could restore their ability to wink, and eventually may help them smile by implanting an artificial muscle in their temple.

Developed at the University of California, Davis and SRI International, the technique has shown promising results on cadavers.