Looking Into the Flu-ture

UPenn scientists claim they can predict the strain of flu that will be prevalent in the future. Their study examined 40 years of flu genomes and provided them insight into predicting mutations that are likely to happen in the near future. It's like looking into the crystal ball of medicine. Details here.

Berry, Berry Good

Recently, I have been consuming a surplus of fruit smoothies due to the addition of this pretty insane Ninja Blender to my house. For the past week - as well as many more weeks to come I'm sure - the refrigerator has seemed to be stocked with an endless supply of fruit rivalling the back stock of Costco. Let's just say good thing the new appliance was a blender and not one of these puppies.

While enjoying a delicious strawberry, pineapple treat I stumbled over this compelling story. A new study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston has found that eating berries and citrus fruits can lower you risk of Parkinson's disease. The study took more that 22 years to complete as researchers followed 49,281 men and 80,336 women, studying their diet and intake of flavonoids, a dietary component believed to be the source of the "neuroprotective effects." Over the course of study, 805 participants develpoed Parkinson's disease. The top 20% of men who consumed the most flavonoids were 40% less likely to develop Parkinson's than the bottome 20%. Unfortunately there was no significant connection found in women participants. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 63rd Annual Meeting in Honolulu this April.

Sorry for the abrupt ending to this entry but I'd like to enjoy the last of my Parkinson's-fighting smoothie, thanks.

The Sailor Man and Science

Remember this guy?? Looks like the pipe-smoking, ill-tempered yet lovable sailor with an incurable craving for spinach had the right idea. Whenever this full-forearmed sailor got into a tussle with Bluto, he turned to his one secret weapon, a tin can full of leafy greens to activate his superhuman strength. With every comic strip or cartoon episode, boys everywherelearned how to score babes like Olive Oyl and the importance of including vegetables in your every day diet. Unfortunately, for many kids - including myself - the only thing that first plate of spinach did for us was crush our superhuman dreams and give us a taste of reality.

But, it looks like science is once again a shining beacon of hope for all us shattered youth. It looks like the grand country responsible for irresistable meatballs and inexpensive furniture has proved that our Popeye aspirations weren't so far off. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that taking small doses of inorganic nitrates increases muscle efficiency. Inorganic nitrates are found in fruits and vegetables, leafy, green vegetable especially. Inorganic nitrates, which were thought to be toxic at one point, have proven to be an imortant molecule that opens up blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. The recent study by Eddie Weitzberg and Jon Lundberg, published in the February issue of Cell Metabolism, found that inorganic nitrates increase the efficiency of mitochondria in metabolizing oxygen. Mitochondrion in our cells, therefore, can run on less oxygen intake or run optimally at normal oxygen levels. Ultimately, this means muscle activity will be more efficient, leading to longer and more effective work outs. So after the inclusion of spinach to your everyday diet, every gym session will be one step closer to living the dream. Oh, what I wouldn't do for those forearms...

Back from Lunch

Alright, it took a little over a year, but the doctor has returned, ready to bring you more news from the scintillating world of life science. Don't be nervous, I've done this before.