Researchers have discovered why some stomach bugs hit us so hard — and spread so fast. New research published Wednesday in Cell Host & Microbe found that stomach infections, like norovirus and rotavirus, are more contagious and more potent when the virus particles cluster together. A cluster of rotaviruses. The image is from a transmission...
Category: <span>Patient Education</span>
Post
Older people less apt to recognize they’ve made a mistake
The older you get, the less apt you may be to recognize that you’ve made an error. Credit: CC0 Public DomainIn a new study, University of Iowa researchers devised a simple, computerized test to gauge how readily young adults and older adults realize when they’ve made a mistake. Older adults performed just as well as...
Post
Smart Cane Detects Obstacles Using Ultrasound
At Texas A&M University a team of students has created a smart cane that can help visually impaired people to avoid obstacles. The Navigational & Object Visual Assistant (NOVA) is a prototype device that sends out ultrasonic signals in front of the user and vibrates when it detects something. The ultrasonic sensor is connected to motors...
Post
How does weight loss ‘fix’ type 2 diabetes?
By Maria Cohut In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin, which is the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Until recently, it was believed that diabetes lasts for life, but a new trial suggested that weight loss can send diabetes into remission. Researchers may now have learned why this happens. A...
Post
A dietitian on what you need to know about the keto diet
A diet developed in the 1920s to treat children with epilepsy is suddenly all the rage. The ketogenic diet, or “keto diet”, has reportedly been endorsed by celebrities and even athletes are giving it a go. The keto diet is one of a series of fashionable low carb diets that include the Atkins diet, the...
Post
Doctors say they’re better than pills, but can a spray REALLY stop you snoring or help you to lose weight?
Nose and mouth sprays are a highly effective way to get medication into the body — unlike a pill, the drug does not have to pass through the acidic environment of the stomach, which can reduce its effectiveness, nor does it have to be metabolized by the liver. Instead, squirting a fine mist containing the...
Post
Ginger tea could banish bad breath
Scientists found enzymes which break down bad smells are boosted by ginger Gingerol, the chemical which produces the flavor, is responsible for the effect The same process could also get rid of long-lasting aftertastes like coffee Drinking ginger tea could help people to avoid bad breath, according to research. Gingerol, the chemical which gives ginger...
Post
High fiber diets may make you less stressed because your gut affects your brain, study finds
Stress can weaken the walls of the gut, leading to leaks These leaks release bacteria and undigested food into the body cavity and can cause chronic inflammation But a high-fiber diet helps the gut produce cellular food that can fix these leaks New University College Cork research suggests that the same treatment may reduce the...
Post
Light Therapy Tech to Help Overcome Jet Lag and Summer Insomnia
The warm summer months we’re experiencing here in the northern hemisphere bring a whole host of health effects on our bodies. While longer days in the sun allow more time for our bodies to produce vitamin D and develop a nice tan, too much sun can lead to painful sunburns, an increased risk of skin...
Post
A dose of baking soda a day keeps autoimmune disease away
Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia (GA, USA) have evidence that a daily dose of baking soda may help the spleen to promote an anti-inflammatory environment. This could be therapeutic for the inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The results, published in the Journal of Immunology, suggest that baking soda could be...