Zinc supplementation boosts immune system in children, Cochrane Review finds – Zinc supplements reduce diarrhoea and other infections in malnourished children, and may prevent death. This study is the first Cochrane systematic review to focus on zinc as a means to prevent childhood death, including deaths caused by diarrhoea, one of the biggest killers of under-fives.
People who enjoy life maintain better physical function as they age – People who enjoy life maintain better physical function in daily activities and keep up faster walking speeds as they age, compared with people who enjoy life less, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Fish derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes – High concentrations of serum long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from fish and fish oils may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the world, including Finland.
Research backs risk-reduction surgery for ovarian cancer – Scientists back preventative surgery to improve survival for women who are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer and suggest it appears helpful for women at risk of getting breast cancer because of genetic faults.
Disrupting an antioxidant pathway prevents heart disease caused by reductive stress – Researchers have found that deficiency of an antioxidant response protein called nuclear erythroid-2 like factor-2 (Nrf2) delays or prevents hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a type of a heart failure in which the heart muscle grows abnormally thick.
On September 6, 2013, FDA released the analytical results of approximately 1,100 new samples of rice and rice products as part of a major effort to understand and manage possible arsenic-related risks associated with the consumption of these foods in the U.S. marketplace. – The levels FDA found in its testing are too low to cause immediate or short-term adverse health effects. FDA’s work going forward will center on long-term risk and ways to manage it with a focus on long-term exposure.
Breast is best: Good bacteria arrive from mum’s gut via breast milk – Another study is highlighting benefit of breastfeeding babies. Important ‘good’ bacteria arrive in babies’ digestive systems from their mother’s gut via breast milk, and this finding does confirm that when it comes to early establishment of gut and immune health, ‘breast is best’.
Copper identified as culprit in Alzheimer’s disease – Copper appears to be one of the main environmental factors that trigger the onset and enhance the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the clearance and accelerating the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain.
Early formula use helps some mothers breastfeed longer – Giving small amounts of formula in the first few days of life to infants experiencing high levels of early weight loss actually can increase the length of time their mothers end up breastfeeding, revealed by researchers at UC San Francisco, US.
New prostate cancer test improves risk assessment — Tool tested by UC San Francisco helps identify those best suited for active surveillance – A new genomic test for prostate cancer can help predict whether men are more likely to harbor an aggressive form of the disease, according to a new UC San Francisco study. The test, which improves risk assessment when patients are first diagnosed, can also aid in determining which men are suitable for active surveillance – a way of managing the disease without direct treatment.
