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Fletcher et al. suggest that kiwifruit consumption, and to a lesser extent vitamin C supplementation, can lead to mood-related improvements in a relatively short period of time (from 4 to 16 days), even in a relatively healthy population with good mental health. Image credit: Photo Mix.

Kiwifruit Consumption Can Improve Vitality and Mood in As Little As Four Days, Study Suggests

Jan 26, 2024 by News Staff

Foods rich in vitamin C can improve mood; however, the timecourse of these benefits is unknown. In new research, scientists from the University of Auckland...

Devitt et al. demonstrated the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by 266-nm UVC light, which matches closely with the absorption spectra of RNA and aromatic amino acids. Image credit: Devitt et al., doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00828.

New Research Reveals How UV Light Inactivates Coronavirus Particles

Jan 11, 2024 by News Staff

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a tremendous impact on humanity. Prevention of transmission by disinfection of...

The human genome contains approximately half a million copies of LINE-1. Image credit: Baldwin et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06947-z.

Scientists Reveal Structure of Ancient Virus-Like Genetic Element

Dec 18, 2023 by News Staff

The Long Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon is an ‘ancient genetic parasite’ that has written around one third of the human genome through...

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that evokes a desire to scratch. The skin barrier is constantly exposed to microbes and their products. However, the role of microbes in itch generation is unknown. Deng et al. show that Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory neurons to drive itch. Image credit: Deng et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.019.

Common Skin Bacterium Can Cause Itch and Scratch-Induced Skin Damage, Study Says

Nov 23, 2023 by News Staff

New research by Harvard Medical School scientists shows that a common skin bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus causes itch by instigating a molecular...

Krikorian et al. showed that daily supplementation with 13 g whole fruit strawberry powder reduced interference in memory and depressive symptoms in overweight middle-aged individuals. Image credit: Robert Owen-Wahl.

Strawberry Consumption Reduces Risk of Dementia, New Study Suggests

Nov 20, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Late-life dementia is a growing public health concern lacking effective treatment. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease develop over...

Willow bark extracts contain several virucidal agents that are likely to act synergistically and directly on the viruses. Image credit: Mona El Falaky.

Willow Bark Extracts Have Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Effect: Study

Nov 15, 2023 by Sergio Prostak

Recurring viral outbreaks have a significant negative impact on society. This creates a need to develop novel strategies to complement the existing antiviral...

The synthetic melanin is being applied to inflamed skin; just under the surface of the skin are green free radicals, also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Image credit: Yu Chen, Northwestern University.

Synthetic Melanin Cream Improves Skin Healing after Chemical and UV-Induced Injuries

Nov 2, 2023 by News Staff

In a new study, scientists at Northwestern University show that their synthetic melanin, mimicking the natural melanin in human skin, can be applied topically...

Overview of the bioinformatic workflow for the recovery of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from fruits and vegetables and the detection of their presence in the gut. Image credit: Wicaksono et al., doi: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2258565.

Fruit- and Vegetable-Derived Microbes Contribute to Gut Microbiome Diversity, Study Shows

Oct 31, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Diversity of the gut microbiota is crucial for human health. A new study provides the first evidence of the interconnection between the plant and the gut...

The tongue color is a mirror that reflects the health status of a patient. It could be used in diagnosing some diseases without any physical contact with the patient, which facilitates the process of primary healthcare. Image credit: Gerd Altmann / Sci.News.

New Diagnostic System Based on Tongue Color Analysis Correctly Diagnoses Diseases in 94% of Cases

Oct 24, 2023 by News Staff

Tongue diagnostic systems are fast gaining traction due to an increase in remote health monitoring worldwide, and new research from the University of South...

Regular intake of grapes may improve eye health in older adults, specifically in augmenting MPOD, which can be explained by an increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content, and the downregulation of AGEs. Image credit: Couleur

Study: Regular Grape Consumption May Improve Eye Health in Older Adults

Oct 10, 2023 by News Staff

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 34 Singapore older adults, consuming grapes — a natural source of antioxidants and other...

Regular tea consumption, particularly dark tea, is associated with increased urinary glucose excretion, improved insulin resistance, and a reduced risk of dysglycaemia. Image credit: Sci.News.

Regular Tea Consumption, Particularly Dark Tea, May Help Reduce Diabetes Risk

Oct 3, 2023 by Sergio Prostak

Tea, a beverage consumed extensively worldwide, has been reported to be associated with substantial health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular...

Ali et al. explored the extent to which oral intake of a whole-ginger extract would similarly impact neutrophils in both autoimmune mice and healthy humans. Image credit: Siala.

Ginger Supplements May Help Reduce Inflammation in Autoimmune Diseases

Sep 27, 2023 by News Staff

In a new clinical trial, scientists from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Colorado School of Medicine found that oral administration...

Schematic diagram representing the mechanism of action of trigonelline. Image credit: Aktar et al., doi: 10.1007/s11357-023-00919-x.

Plant Alkaloid Trigonelline Improves Cognitive Functions, Study Suggests

Sep 26, 2023 by News Staff

In recent years, exploring natural compounds with functional properties to ameliorate aging-associated cognitive decline has become a research priority...

Patients with functional dyspepsia treated with curcumin, curcumin plus omeprazole and omeprazole had similar significant symptomatic improvement. Image credit: Andrea Ajale.

Study: Curcumin May Be as Effective as Omeprazole for Treating Functional Dyspepsia

Sep 13, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Curcumin is an active ingredient in the culinary spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). This compound exhibits a broad range of biological properties, such as...

Schematic diagram of the mechanism of action of irisin. Image credit: Kim et al., doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.012.

Irisin-Based Therapies May Help Combat Alzheimer’s Disease

Sep 11, 2023 by News Staff

Irisin is a hormone released mainly from muscles after exercise which increases adipose tissue energy expenditure. Schematic diagram of the mechanism of...

White matter degenerating microglia are a novel therapeutic target to potentially reduce the impact of white matter injury and myelin loss on the progression of cognitive impairment. Image credit: Miroslaw Miras.

New Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia Discovered

Sep 5, 2023 by News Staff

Ferroptosis, which is caused by a buildup of iron in cells, appears to be a major mechanism of white matter injury in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular...

Orexigenic appetitive processing relies on the integration of sensory, interoceptive and hormonal signals to govern consummatory behaviors. Dysregulation of this process leads to maladaptive eating behavior such as binge eating and is associated with obesity. This circuit, however, was elusive in humans --- until now. Image credit: Barbosa et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06459-w.

Neuroscientists Find Link between Appetite and Memory in Human Brain

Sep 5, 2023 by News Staff

Obese individuals possess impaired connections between the dorsolateral hippocampus and the lateral hypothalamus, which may impact their ability to control...

Educational attainment is protective and moderates the effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on cognition. Image credit: WOKANDAPIX.

Higher Educational Attainment May Have Protective Effect Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Sep 4, 2023 by News Staff

New research illustrates that when it comes to risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even genetically determined forms of this disease, genetics is only one piece...

Representative confocal images of whole mounts organ of Corti from the medial region of the cochlea stained for filipin to label cholesterol (green) and phalloidin for visualizing actin in stereocilia (blue) from young (top) and old (bottom) C57BL/J mice. Scale bar - 30 μm. Rectangles indicate the region of the zoomed-in areas shown on the right using a 63x objective. Scale bar - 8 μm. Pink dotted lines represent the diameter of individual inner hair cells and outer hair cells. Image credit: Sodero et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002257.

Phytosterols May Help Reduce Age-Related Hearing Loss, Animal Study Suggests

Aug 30, 2023 by News Staff

Dietary supplementation with phytosterols — plant sterols with structure and function similar to cholesterol — prevented sensory dysfunction...