Washington, Apr 20 : Incorporating an omega three fatty acid- found in fish oil- in the diet could help prevent diseases like Parkinson''s and Huntington''s.

Dr. Nicolas Bazan, form the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, showed that the omega three fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevented the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases.

For the study, researchers developed a cell model with a mutation of the Ataxin-1 gene.

Washington, Apr 20 : A simple urine test could predict if a smoker is at the risk of developing lung cancer or not, according to a new study.

Lung cancer afflicts some smokers and not others, and now University of Minnesota researchers have hypothesised that the presence of the metabolite NNAL in a patient''s urine might predict risk of lung cancer.

Bangkok - Global Fund - the main multilateral donor for health programs combatting HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - is facing a 4-billion-dollar budget shortfall next year, the fund's executive director said Monday.

"We are facing a financial crisis," Global Fund executive director Michel Kazatchkine said. "We estimate our funding gap in 2010 to be somewhere around 4 billion."

Washington, Apr 20 : A herb used in traditional medicine by many Middle Eastern and Asian countries not only kill pancreatic cancer cells but also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties, researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson found.

Washington, April 20 : A study conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine has revealed that drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome lose weight.

Researchers found that participants who drank at least 8-ounces of low sodium vegetable juice as part of a calorie-controlled DASH diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but drank no juice lost one pound.

Wiesbaden, Germany  - Rocking a chair back and forth is good for a child's body and mental capacity, according to a study conducted in Germany.

The study found that the rocking motion can reduce pressure on the backbone that can have a negative impact on body posture, breathing and organ function.

The study also found that rocking a chair can also improve a child's concentration and attention span.