Many health advantages have been attributed to soy isoflavones, which are components of soy-protein foods, yet it is still unclear to what extent the isoflavones themselves are responsible for these benefits. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jenkins et al. compared the effects of a low-saturated fat control diet, and soy-protein diets with either a high or low isoflavone content in the context of their effects on risk for coronary artery disease. Compared with t

People who consume alcohol in moderation are healthier, yet the relationship between alcoholic beverage preference and health benefit or risk has not been extensively investigated. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Barefoot et. al. surveyed alcoholic beverage preference in a large and homogeneous group of highly educated upper-income Americans and found that beverage choice has implications beyond the relative physiological benefits of alcohol. Wine drinking has

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered kinks in aggrecan, a widely studied protein at the submolecular root of arthritis, a finding that brings scientists closer toward new drugs and other interventions to prevent or alleviate the disease. “Aggrecan acts to organize and densely pack sugar molecules that give cartilage its resilience,” said Steven Eppell, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Nanoscale Orthopedic Biomaterials Labo

ESA PR 52-2002. What is the fastest Ferrari`s distinctive red paint has ever travelled? Next year it will be 10800 km/h! Mars Express, to be launched in May/June 2003, the first European spacecraft to visit the Red Planet, will be speeding on its way accompanied by the very essence of Ferrari: a sample of its distinctive red paint. Mars has always fascinated us here on Earth. The European Space Agency`s Mars Express mission, due to arrive at its destination by December 2003, aims to solve ma

The only known adults in the world who possess a rare genetic mutation that prevents their bodies from producing leptin may open the door to a new way of fighting fat. After injections with leptin — a human hormone linked to appetite control — the adults’ dramatic weight loss suggests that leptin offers significant promise for treating obesity. Dr. Julio Licinio, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, flew three cousins — two women and one man — from a

University of Minnesota Cancer Center researchers have found that morphine, which is routinely given to cancer patients to manage severe pain, actually stimulates signals in endothelial cells that in turn prompt tumors to grow in mice. The study will be published in the Aug. 1 issue of Cancer Research. Kalpna Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the hematology, oncology and transplantation division of the university’s department of medicine and lead author of the study, found that doses of morp