“Transplant tourism” is on the rise because organ donations are not keeping up with growing demand, especially for kidneys, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The United Nations agency said it was concerned about a rise in cases where people in countries such as Pakistan, Egypt and the Philippines were persuaded to sell [...]
A report posted on the journal Science by the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute traces the loss of hair color to the gradual dying off of adult stem cells, called melanocytes, that provide a reservoir for the renewal of pigment-manufacturing cells. The discovery was made while scientists were researching the origins of malignant melanoma, a potentially [...]
As a trainer, I’ve witnessed some amazing things in the gym, most of which involved 300-pound powerlifters moving weight equal to that of a small SUV. (There was also the adult-film star I trained who had an orgasm every time she did hanging leg raises, but that’s another story.) The most impressive feat I’ve ever [...]
A team of food chemists at the University of Maryland has discovered how to boost the antioxidant content of pizza dough by optimizing baking and fermentation methods, a finding that could lead to healthier pizza, they say. (Credit: Photo by Scott Bauer / Courtesy of USDA/Agricultural Research Service) CHICAGO — Scientists are developing a healthier [...]
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (Reuters) — Chocoholics were given further reason to rejoice Saturday when a small clinical study showed that dark chocolate improves the function of blood vessels. While the researchers cautioned against bingeing on bon bons, they said the findings of the trial were clear and called for larger such studies to confirm the [...]
Millions of college students are suddenly facing sharply higher prices for birth control, prompting concerns among health officials that some will shift to less preferred contraceptives or stop using them altogether. Prices for oral contraceptives, or birth control pills, are doubling and tripling at student health centers, the result of a complex change in the [...]
A new patch for women who have lost their sex drive will become available on the NHS this week. Its makers say Intrinsa could be the female Viagra – the anti-impotence drug that has transformed the sex lives of hundreds of thousands of men. The female aphrodisiac will initially only be available on prescription for [...]
Rocker Tommy Lee once said we’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time. Amen, Tommy. Many of us follow his lead every day by shunning the most basic principle of Darwinian evolution—trying to survive—with food, toxins and reckless lifestyles. If you’d like to get in on the act, we present [...]
It might seem a total wonder that a smoker won’t quit after hearing that puffing away is a leading cause of death, or that an obese person can’t shed a few pounds after learning that lethal ailments loom for the overweight. But scientists have come up with a host of reasons why humans stick to [...]
The test of time usually works. Futile fads like sweatboxes, vibrating belts, and most tips from the odd, ponytailed Tony Little have died out quickly enough. But a few bad exercises have persisted, and exercise physiologists don’t see how these ineffective and sometimes dangerous maneuvers have survived. Take the sit-up, which can be quite damaging [...]
