Category Health/Medical

Sweet, Tasty and Healthy: The new essence of Juice?

Sweet, tasty and healthy -- the new essence of juice?

A mix of stevia, lime and fibre can make juice healthy and tasty. Credit: Colourbox

Do you have a sweet tooth but need to keep a wary eye on your weight and blood sugar level? Then a new cocktail consisting of lime, stevia and β-glucans may be the answer to your prayers. In a study at Aarhus University the effect on the sensory experience of adding these 3 ingredients to juice was investigated. This trinity of ingredients means it is possible to make a tasty fruit beverage that is both low in sugar and high in fiber.

Fruit juice contains beneficial vitamins but often has high sugar and low fiber contents. The challenge is to increase the nutritional value of the juice without spoiling the taste...

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Certain GI Bacteria leverage the Immune system to Decrease the Severity of Stroke

Immune cells (green) assemble in the outer coverings of a mouse's brain, called the meninges, protecting it from a stroke's full force. Gut bacteria modified the immune' cells behavior to elicit that protective response. Credit: Corinne Benakis

Immune cells (green) assemble in the outer coverings of a mouse’s brain, called the meninges, protecting it from a stroke’s full force. Gut bacteria modified the immune’ cells behavior to elicit that protective response. Credit: Corinne Benakis

New research from Weill Cornell Medicine can help mitigate stroke – the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the study mice received a combination of antibiotics. 2 weeks later, ischemic stroke was induced in them. Mice treated with antibiotics experienced a stroke that was about 60% smaller than rodents that did not receive the medication. The microbial environment in the gut directed the immune cells there to protect the brain from the stroke’s full force.

Modifying the microbiotic makeup of the gut can become an innovative method to preven...

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Structure of Parkinson’s Protein could lead to new Diagnostic, Treatment options

Three-dimensional structure of an [alpha]-syn fibril.

Three-dimensional structure of an α-syn fibril.

Chemists have identified the complex chemical structure of the protein that stacks together to form fibrils in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. Thus researchers can identify specific targets for diagnosis and treatment. In Parkinson’s, the protein alpha-synuclein forms long fibrils that disrupt brain activity. This is similar to the beta-amyloid fibrils that form in Alzheimer’s disease patients. However, while the beta-amyloid structure is known, the alpha-synuclein structure has eluded researchers as a result of its complexity, its insolubility and the difficulty of characterizing one protein within a fibril.

“This is the first structure of the full-length fibril protein, which is now well established to be important for the patho...

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Inactivating a certain Protein-Coding Gene Promotes Liver Tissue Regeneration in Mammals

Highlights • Arid1a loss results in improved regeneration after diverse liver injuries • Arid1a overexpression impairs liver proliferation and regeneration • Arid1a loss also improves tissue repair after ear hole punch • Arid1a loss remodels chromatin, altering transcriptional access by C/EBPα and E2F4

Highlights • Arid1a loss results in improved regeneration after diverse liver injuries • Arid1a overexpression impairs liver proliferation and regeneration • Arid1a loss also improves tissue repair after ear hole punch • Arid1a loss remodels chromatin, altering transcriptional access by C/EBPα and E2F4

The liver is unique among human solid organs in its robust regenerative capability. This research gives us ideas about new ways to treat liver damage or chronic liver disease,” said Dr. Hao Zhu, an Assistant Professor at CRI. Tails in lizards and arms in starfish show an astounding ability to regrow, but mammals have partially lost the capacity to extensively regenerate body parts, Dr. Zhu said. The liver is unique among human solid organs in its robust regenerative capability...

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