entire Web this site home > current health & longevity news health & longevity news archive Bio-News: Health and Longevity Mutant genes 'key to long life' (Nov 16, 2009) There is a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that prevents cells from ageing, researchers say. Scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US say centenarian Ashkenazi Jews have this mutant gene. They found that 86 very old people and their children had higher levels of telomerase which protects the DNA. Read more. Source: BBC Depression link to processed food (Nov 2, 2009) Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests. What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found. Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported. Read more. Source: BBC Curry spice 'kills cancer cells' (Oct 28, 2009) An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown. The chemical – curcumin – has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis and even dementia. Now tests by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab. Read more. Source: BBC Science to 'stop age clock at 50' (Oct 20, 2009) Centenarians with the bodies of 50-year-olds will one day be a realistic possibility, say scientists. Half of babies now born in the UK will reach 100, thanks to higher living standards, but our bodies are wearing out at the same rate. To achieve "50 active years after 50", experts at Leeds University are spending £50m over five years looking at innovative solutions. Read more. Source: BBC Learning to juggle grows brain networks for good (Oct 12, 2009) Juggling boosts the connections between different parts of the brain by tweaking the architecture of the brain's "white matter" – a finding that could lead to new therapies for people with brain injuries. Jan Scholz and his colleagues at the University of Oxford found that people learning to juggle grew more white matter in a part of the parietal lobe – an area involved in connecting what we see to how we move. Read more. Source: New Scientist Educated women 'aid long life' (Oct 6, 2009) A well-educated woman positively influences both her own and her partner's chances of a long life, Swedish research suggests. A man whose partner had only a school education has a 25% greater risk of dying early than if she had had a university education, it suggests. The authors say educated women may be more likely to understand the various health messages their families needed. Read more. Source: BBC Med-style diet 'can battle blues' (Oct 6, 2009) The Mediterranean diet, already thought to protect against heart disease and cancer, may also help to prevent depression, Spanish researchers say. They found depression was more than 30% less likely to develop in people who followed a diet high in vegetables, fruit and cereals, and low in red meat. They studied 10,094 healthy adults over four years, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports. Read more. Source: BBC Half of babies 'will live to 100' (Oct 2, 2009) More than half of babies now born in the UK and other wealthy nations will live to 100 years, researchers say. The study, published in The Lancet journal, also says the extra years are spent with less serious disability. Data from more than 30 developed countries shows that since 1950 the probability of surviving past 80 years of age has doubled for both sexes. Read more. Source: BBC Melon compound 'reduces stress' (Sep 17, 2009) Scientists may have uncovered a natural way to combat stress – eat a melon. The key ingredient is an enzyme called superoxide dismutase, thought to have beneficial antioxidant properties which prevent damage to the body's tissues. Volunteers given a capsule containing the enzyme reported fewer symptoms of stress and fatigue than those given a dummy capsule. Read more. Source: BBC Alzheimer's research links three genes to disease (Sep 7, 2009) Scientists have discovered a trio of genetic mutations that account for nearly 100,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease in Britain today. Three genes that protect the brain from damage and ensure neurons work properly were found to be impaired in many patients with the disease, in the largest genetic study of the condition yet. Read more. Source: The Guardian Moderate drinking 'boosts bones' (Aug 17, 2009) Women who drink moderate amounts of beer may be strengthening their bones, according to Spanish researchers. Their study of almost 1,700 women, published in the journal Nutrition, found bone density was better in regular drinkers than non-drinkers. But the team added that plant hormones in the beer rather than the alcohol may be responsible for the effects. Read more. Source: BBC Beetroot juice 'boosts stamina' (Aug 7, 2009) Drinking beetroot juice boosts stamina and could help people exercise for up to 16% longer, a UK study suggests. A University of Exeter team found nitrate contained in the vegetable leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake – making exercise less tiring. The small Journal of Applied Physiology study suggests the effect is greater than that which can be achieved by regular training. Read more. Source: BBC Replacement teeth grown in mice (Aug 5, 2009) Researchers in Japan have successfully grown replacement teeth in mice, according to a report in PNAS journal. Tissue containing the cells and instructions for building a tooth was transplanted into the jawbones of mice. They report that these tissue "germs" regularly grew into fully functional teeth with a hardness comparable to that of the natural variety. Read more. Source: BBC Dairy for children 'extends life' (Jul 28, 2009) Children who eat plenty of dairy foods such as milk and cheese can expect to live longer, a study suggests. Some 4,374 UK children from a 1930s study were traced 65 years later by researchers in Bristol and Queensland. They found those who had had high dairy and calcium intakes as children had been protected against stroke and other causes of death, journal Heart reports. Read more. Source: BBC Proof mounts on restricted diet (Jul 10, 2009) Cutting calories may delay the ageing process and reduce the risk of disease, a long-term study of monkeys suggests. The benefits of calorie restriction are well documented in animals, but now the results have been replicated in a close relative of man over a lengthy period. Over 20 years, monkeys whose diets were not restricted were nearly three times more likely to have died than those whose calories were counted. Read more. Source: BBC Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's' (Jul 6, 2009) Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say. The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease. Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine. Read more. Source: BBC Vegetarians 'avoid more cancers' (Jul 2, 2009) Vegetarians are generally less likely than meat eaters to develop cancer but this does not apply to all forms of the disease, a major study has found. The study involving 60,000 people found those who followed a vegetarian diet developed notably fewer cancers of the blood, bladder and stomach. But the apparently protective effect of vegetarian did not seem to stretch to bowel cancer, a major killer. Read more. Source: BBC Prostate cancer: shock breakthrough (Jun 20, 2009) Two patients with inoperable prostate cancer have made dramatic recoveries after receiving one dose of an experimental drug that is creating excitement among cancer specialists. The results were so startling that researchers decided to release details of the two cases before the drug trial, in which the patients took part, was complete. Doctors said their progress had exceeded all expectations. The men were treated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, one of the top medical centres in the world. Read more. Source: The Independent Problems are solved by sleeping (Jun 9, 2009) Sleeping on a problem really can help solve it say scientists who found a dreamy nap boosts creative powers. They tested whether "incubating" a problem allowed a flash of insight, and found it did, especially when people entered a phase of sleep known as REM. Volunteers who had entered REM or rapid eye movement sleep - when most dreams occur - were then better able to solve a new problem with lateral thinking. Read more. Source: BBC Rogue protein 'spreads in brain' (Jun 9, 2009) Scientists have shown a rogue protein thought to cause Alzheimer's can spread through the brain, turning healthy tissue bad. They believe the tau protein may share characteristics with the prion proteins which cause vCJD. When injected into the brains of healthy mice it triggered formation of protein tangles linked to Alzheimer's. Read more. Source: BBC Vitamins 'undo exercise efforts' (May 13, 2009) Taking vitamins after exercise may undo some of the beneficial effects of the workout, research suggests. Some advocate taking antioxidants like vitamin C and E to help protect the body from harmful chemical by-products it creates in breaking into a sweat. But German scientists now believe these "free radicals" may actually be good for us and even buffer against diabetes, PNAS reports. Read more. Source: BBC 'Proof' face creams beat wrinkles (Apr 30, 2009) Scientists say they have clinical proof that a face cream available on the high street does reduce wrinkles. Five months' worth of stock of the leading brand sold in a day after Professor Chris Griffiths announced in 2007 it appeared to combat sun damage. Two years on from the BBC Horizon programme showcasing his work, his team has shown the cream visibly smoothes out the skin. Read more. Source: BBC Walnuts may prevent breast cancer (Apr 23, 2009) Eating walnuts may help to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, research suggests. The nuts contain ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols that may all reduce the risk of the disease. Mice fed the human equivalent of two ounces (56.7g) of walnuts per day developed fewer and smaller tumours. Read more. Source: BBC Revealed: why we need a good night's sleep (Apr 7, 2009) To sleep, perchance to dream, said Hamlet. Now scientists have shown that sleep is more about getting rid of the previous day's mental rubbish than it is about dreaming. A study into slumber has found that the nerve connections built up in the brain during a busy day are pruned back during the night in an attempt to keep the mind from overloading on junk information. Read more. Source: The Independent 'Brain training' claims dismissed (Feb 27, 2009) People who spend money on brain trainers to keep their mind sharp may well get the same benefit from simply doing a crossword, experts conclude. Consumer group Which? asked three experts to check claims made about several devices, including the Nintendo DS, on memory and staving off dementia. They found the evidence behind such claims was non-existent or "weak". Read more. Source: BBC Gene could allow lab-grown teeth (Feb 24, 2009) Scientists believe they have found a way to grow teeth in the laboratory, a discovery that could put an end to fillings and dentures. The US team from Oregon have located the gene responsible for the growth of enamel, the hard outer layer of teeth which cannot grow back naturally. Other scientists are already growing the inner parts of teeth in animals – but they have no hard enamel coatings. Read more. Source: BBC Mole rats may hold secret to long life (Feb 24, 2009) They may not be the prettiest creatures, but naked mole rats may hold the secret to longevity. They can live for nearly 30 years longer than any other rodent. Read more. Source: New Scientist Multivitamin supplements a 'waste of time' (Feb 11, 2009) Middle-aged women who swallow multivitamin supplements are not doing their health any favours, and are just creating expensive urine, according to the world's largest study into the subject. Researchers who examined the pill-popping habits of nearly 162,000 American women aged 50 to 79 found that although they swallowed dietary supplements by the bucketload, there was no sign that they reduced common cancers, heart disease or deaths. Read more. Source: The Independent The great health debate: is sunshine a miracle cure? (Feb 8, 2009) Our bodies make vitamin D when the sun shines, and new research suggests the positive effects on health are greater than we ever guessed. But too much sun causes skin cancer. It's a dilemma provoking fierce discussion among scientists. Read more. Source: The Guardian Cutting calories 'boosts memory' (Jan 27, 2009) Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers. They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later. The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements. Read more. Source: BBC Vitamin D 'is mental health aid' (Jan 23, 2009) Vitamin D, found in fish and produced by sun exposure, can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age, a study has suggested. UK and US researchers looked at 2,000 people aged 65 and over. They found that compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest were more than twice as likely to have impaired understanding. Read more. Source: BBC Body repair 'could be ramped up' (Jan 14, 2009) A combination of drugs could trick the body into sending its repair mechanisms into overdrive, say scientists. The technique could be used to speed the healing of heart or bone damage, they claim. The bone marrow of treated mice released 100 times as many stem cells – which help to regenerate tissue. Read more. Source: BBC Scientists dismiss 'detox myth' (Jan 5, 2009) There is no evidence that products widely promoted to help the body "detox" work, scientists warn. The charitable trust Sense About Science reviewed 15 products, from bottled water to face scrub, and found many detox claims were "meaningless". Anyone worried about the after-effects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep, they said. Read more. Source: BBC home | bio-news archive BACK TO TOP

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