Some brain cells are naturally protected against a stroke – and now we know why.Jack Mellor at the University of Bristol, UK, exposed slices of rats' hippocampi to the low-oxygen conditions typical of a stroke. Neurons in the hippocampi known to resist stroke damage…

Indirubin, a herbal compound used in traditional Chinese remedies might beat deadly brain tumours.Indirubin is derived from the Indigo plant, an active ingredient in the Dang Gui Long Hui Wan formula that is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia.Researchers from the Ohio State…

Dietary protein reduces hunger and increases fullness in overweight men during weight loss programmes, a study says.Diets “containing 18 to 35 percent of daily calorie intake from dietary protein, are associated with reductions in hunger and increased fullness throughout the day and into the…

Landscape artist Jane Anderson struggled with seasonal affective disorder in the winter months. She tried meditation and noticed a change within a month.“My experience was a sense of calmness, of better ability to regulate my emotions,” she says.Her experience inspired a new study…

British scientists have found a new way of killing cancer cells, a media report said Friday.The study not only sheds light on why some people fail to respond to chemotherapy but also reveals a new way of targeting cancer cells, the Daily Express reported.…

Long-term exposure to air pollution could damage the brain and cause depression, besides triggering learning and memory problems.Mice tests showed that, in the long term, dirty air could cause actual physical changes to the brain which resulted in negative effects.While other studies have…

Something as simple as sitting for long periods in one posture daily is fraught with grave risks, especially for women.Such women are two to three times more likely to develop a life-threatening blood clot in their lungs than more active women, according to a…

More than the apple, a strawberry a day could keep not just one doctor away, but an entire army of brain, hormone and cancer specialists.Fisetin is a natural flavonoid found very abundantly in strawberries and to some extent in other fruits, vegetables, tea and…

A breast cancer wonder drug could be turned into a universal weapon against tumours.Newcastle University researchers said a family of cancer drugs, known as PARP inhibitors, affect the way tumour cells repair themselves.These inhibitors target hereditary forms of breast cancer as well as…

Red wine and chocolate make for a deadly combination to keep your mind sharp and alert, a study suggests.Polyphenols, plant chemicals abundant in dark chocolate and wines, dilate blood vessels, speeding the supply of blood to the brain.This provides it with a rush…