How fruit bats got a sweet tooth without sour health
A high-sugar diet is bad news for humans, leading to diabetes, obesity and even cancer. Yet fruit bats survive and even thrive by eating up to twice their body weight in sugary fruit every day. Now, UC San Francisco scientists have discovered how fruit bats may have evolved to consume so much sugar, with potential […]
Coffee with milk may have an anti-inflammatory effect
Can something as simple as a cup of coffee with milk have an anti-inflammatory effect in humans? Apparently so, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. A combination of proteins and antioxidants doubles the anti-inflammatory properties in immune cells. The researchers hope to be able to study the health effects on humans. […]
How plants protect themselves from oxidative stress during iron uptake — and why this is also important for humans: Biology, chemistry and medicine: Interdisciplinary publication in Plant Physiology
Iron is a critical micronutrient for the survival of plants and humans, yet too much iron can also be toxic. An interdisciplinary research team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has discovered that the protein PATELLIN2 is not only involved in regulating iron levels in plants. PATELLIN2 is one of a group of proteins that […]
Sedentary lifestyle and sugary diet more detrimental to men: Study involved short-term exposure to reduced activity and increased sugar consumption
A new study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine is the first evidence in humans that short-term lifestyle changes can disrupt the response to insulin of blood vessels. It’s also the first study to show men and women react differently to these changes. Vascular insulin resistance is a feature of obesity and type […]
Using new technique, researchers make surprising discoveries about how flies’ brains respond to tastes
Taste matters to fruit flies, just as it does to humans: like people, the flies tend to seek out and consume sweet-tasting foods and reject foods that taste bitter. However, little is known about how sweet and bitter tastes are represented by the brain circuits that link sensation to behavior. In a new study published […]
Communication makes hunting easier for chimpanzees
Similar to humans, chimpanzees use communication to coordinate their cooperative behavior — such as during hunting. When chimpanzees produce a specific vocalization, known as the “hunting bark,” they recruit more group members to the hunt and capture their prey more effectively, researchers at the University of Zurich and Tufts University have now shown. Chimpanzees don’t […]
Study shows people ‘right size’ portions of high-calorie foods
New research has revealed that humans moderate the size of energy-rich meals they eat, suggesting people are smarter eaters than previously thought. The findings, led by the University of Bristol, revisit the long-held belief that humans are insensitive to the energy content of the foods they consume and are therefore prone to eating the same […]
Gene linked to severe learning disabilities governs cell stress response: Gene associated with Nascimento Syndrome triggers cell’s defenses against environmental attacks
A gene that has been associated with severe learning disabilities in humans has been found to also play a vital role in cells’ response to environmental stress, according to a Duke University study appearing May 24 in the journal Cell Reports. Cells are stressed by factors that may damage them, such as extreme temperatures, toxic […]
Stimulating brain circuits promotes neuron growth in adulthood, improving cognition and mood
We humans lose mental acuity, an unfortunate side effect of aging. And for individuals with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the loss of cognitive function often accompanied by mood disorders such as anxiety is a harrowing experience. One way to push back against cognitive decline and anxiety would be to spur the creation […]
Bird Flu: Outbreak, Symptoms, Treatment, Types, Spread & Risks
Bird Flu Symptoms What Is Bird Flu? Should We Be Concerned? Bird flu symptoms in humans can vary and range from “typical” flu symptoms (fever, sore throat, muscle pain) to eye infections and pneumonia. The disease caused by the H5N1 virus is a particularly severe form of pneumonia that leads to viral pneumonia and multiorgan […]