What can humans learn from moose? A lot about osteoarthrtitis, as it turns out. Moose and humans develop the degenerative joint disease in much the same ways and with most of the same symptoms. Osteoarthritis is generally considered a disease caused by the wear and tear of joints over the course of a long life. But a 50-year study of OA in the moose of Isle Royale in Lake...

Looking for ways to beat high blood pressure with few or no drugs? The latest findings show beets can help. The juice of the blood-red root crop is high in nitrates; these convert in the body to nitric acid, which relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure. Many people with hypertension currently take a prescription form of nitrates, but researchers found a pint of...

Sedatives and sleeping pills are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs, despite having serious side effects and becoming addictive to many people. Now German researchers have found a sweet alternative in an aromatic form: The scent of jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides) seems to activate the same chemical pathways in the brain as do drugs like valium. Benzodiazepenes,...

Most popular diet plans turn on the simple idea that you’ll weigh less if you eat less. While this can be true in some cases, under eating can lead to problems ranging from malnutrition to rebound weight gain. Happily, there’s another way — one that lets you eat more and still lose weight. The secret weapon? Veggies and fruits. These foods are densely packed with...

English researchers have turned up a new tool for fighting heart disease: the humble toothbrush. Medical professionals have long known that inflammation in the body is a major contributor to heart disease, and that included inflammation in the mouth and gums. The new study looked at information on 11,000 people who participated in the Scottish Health Survey. After balancing...

In late May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told drug companies they’d need to put new warning labels on popular heartburn drugs. The issue? Long-term use of these antacids can lead to more fractures of the hips, the wrists and the spine. The affected class of drugs are proton-pump inhibitors, which halt production of acid in the stomach. And while that can reduce...

Looking for another excuse to eat your avocados and broccoli? A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that good levels of vitamin B6 — found in those vegetables as well as whole grains, fish and meat — may cut lung-cancer risk by as much as half. In a study of nearly half a million Europeans, some of whom smoked, researchers looked...

People battling diabetes can take a cue from fighters everywhere: muscle strength helps make winners. New research finds that low muscle mass — common in elderly and obese people at greatest risk of type 2 diabetes — is associated with the insulin resistance that causes the disease. People with incipient or frank symptoms have long been told to eat well and exercise,...

The cholesterol-lowering statins drugs are among the most widely prescribed. By lowering cholesterol, proponents say, drugs such as Crestor and Lipitor help reduce the risk of killer strokes and heart disease. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal considered the benefits and risks of the drugs, and came up with some interesting findings. The researchers...

Intimacy both requires and ideally engenders trust. And, researchers from Utrecht University in Holland have discovered, both sides of this coin have hormonal triggers. Think of a romantic dinner, with soft lighting and gentle caresses. Those warm, fuzzy feelings are partly the result of a pulse of the hormone oxytocin (also triggered by childbirth and orgasms) that makes...