Health News

Ultrasound can remotely stimulate brain circuits

Washington, Oct 30 : Neuroscientists at Arizona State University have developed pulsed ultrasound techniques that can remotely stimulate brain circuit activity without the need of exogenous proteins or surgically implanted medical devices for the same.

The new study provides insights into how low-power ultrasound can be harnessed for the noninvasive neurostimulation of brain circuits and offers the potential for new treatments of brain disorders and diseases, like traumatic stress disorders, traumatic brain injury and even Alzheimer''s disease.

Why eating red meat may be hazardous for your health

Red MeatLondon, Oct 30: An international research team has given two reasons why eating red meat could be bad for you: it increases risk of food poisoning in humans and a regular diet of the animal product can make people more susceptible to E. coli.

The study has been published in Nature.

According to University of California, San Diego School of Medicine professor Ajit Varki, M. D., the team has uncovered the first example of a bacterium that causes food poisoning in humans when it targets a non-human molecule absorbed into the body through red meats such as lamb, pork and beef.

African ginger spice may harbour diabetes cure

London, Oct 30: A pungent peppery spice known as grains of paradise or Aframomum melegueta, which is an integral part of West African cuisine, may harbour diabetes treatment, suggests a new study.

Aframomum melegueta – a member of the ginger family that grows well in the swamps along the coast –has long been known in African folklore as a medicine that aids digestion.

The finding was made after Ilya Raskin, a plant biologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, tested an extract of A. melegueta on diabetic mice and found that it produced a significant drop in their blood sugar levels, reports New Scientist.

Breastfed kids less likely to suffer from childhood behavioral problems

Breastfed kids less likely to suffer from childhood behavioral problemsWashington, Oct 30: A new study has suggested that kids who are breastfed are less likely to suffer from behavioral or mental health issues than those who are not nursed.

The research has been presented at the American Public Health Association’s 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego.

To reach the conclusion, the research looked at whether breastfeeding is

associated with decreased behavioral problems and psychiatric illness during childhood.

Type 2 diabetes ups carcinoma risk

Washington, October 30 : An Italian study has revealed that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) have a significantly increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Dr. Valter Donadon from Pordenone Hospital of Italy, who investigated the relationships between DM2 and risk of HCC in a large population based case-control study, also found that DM2 pre-exists to the development of HCC in most cases.

Describing the study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, Donadon said that the research team had enrolled 465 consecutive patients with HCC compared with an age and sex matched control group of 490 subjects.

Grapes may help fight high BP

Washington, Oct 30 : Eating grapes can help fight high blood pressure and lower signs of heart muscle damage, suggests a new study.

What’s more, intake of grapes can improve heart function, the study in lab rats found.

The new study, published in the October issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, gives tantalizing clues to the potential of grapes in reducing cardiovascular risk. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of phytochemicals – naturally occurring antioxidants – that grapes contain.

The study was performed in laboratory rats. The researchers noted that while these study results are extremely encouraging, more research needs to be done.

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