Nutrition Review

Traditional Chinese acupuncture curbs the severity of hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms, suggests a small study published March 8 in Acupuncture in Medicine. The effects did not seem to be related to changes in levels of the hormones responsible for sparking the menopause and its associated symptoms, the study shows.

Scientists are reporting the first evidence that consumption of a healthful antioxidant substance in apples extends the average lifespan of test animals, and does so by 10 percent. The new results, obtained with fruit flies -- stand-ins for humans in hundreds of research projects each year -- bolster similar findings on apple antioxidants in other animal tests.

The 2011 Sleep in America® poll released March 7 by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) finds pervasive use of communications technology in the hour before bed. It also finds that a significant number of Americans aren't getting the sleep they say they need and are searching for ways to cope.

An online calculator that predicts, within seconds, the presence of the three major food allergies in children has been developed by researchers at University College Cork. They have devised a new 'Cork-Southampton calculator' that gives 96% accuracy compared to current methods that are 61% -81% accurate. The research will be published online March 3 in the journal, Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

If you tend to have trouble picking up the latest dance moves or learning to play a new piano piece, there might be an explanation. A new study published online on March 3rd in Current Biology, shows that people who are fast to learn a simple sequence of finger motions are also those whose brains show large changes in a particular chemical messenger following electrical stimulation.

Autism? Allergies? Liver problems? BioRay said it can help. In fact, the supplement company established by Timothy and Stephanie Ray said it has products for just about anything that ails you or your family — from speech delays to weight issues. It might sound like the world's best apothecary, but neither Timothy nor Stephanie Ray is a licensed medical doctor or pharmacist. There's no strong scientific evidence that their products work or that they are safe.

Those who enjoy the caffeinated lift that comes from drinking traditional coffees and teas may tend to overlook the benefits of drinking herbal infusions. Now, as explained in this month's issue of Agricultural Research magazine, the idea that herbal teas may provide a variety of health benefits is no longer just folklore.

A pill containing a mix of essential fatty acids has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health tested the tablets by carrying out a randomised, controlled trial in 120 women.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a signaling pathway in the brain that's sufficient to induce cellular leptin resistance, a problem that decreases the body's ability to "hear" that it is full and should stop eating.

A head injury can blight the chances of survival up to 13 years after the event, especially among younger adults, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.