Restricting sugary food may lead to overeating

Many people try to lose weight by periodically forbidding themselves from eating certain foods. But depriving yourself of tasty food can backfire, new research in rats suggests. It can activate the brain's stress system, causing anxiety and withdrawal-like symptoms, and leading you to overeat the forbidden foods when you get a chance. more  

Genes that protect chromosome tips may boost longevity

By studying the genes of dozens of people who've lived to 100, scientists have found gene variants that appear to protect chromosome caps, or telomeres, from deteriorating with age. Longer telomeres were associated with both longer lives and healthier aging. more

Insights into how HIV evades immune system

New details about how antibodies bind the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may help bring researchers closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine. more  

Wide variety of bacteria mapped across the human body

By analyzing bacterial communities in and on several people, scientists have begun to create an atlas of bacterial diversity that documents the different types of microbes that thrive in distinct regions of the human body. This research sets the stage for determining how changes in bacterial communities help to cause or prevent disease. more

Gene mutations linked to early-onset inflammatory bowel disease  

An international team has discovered that mutations in either of 2 related genes cause a severe and rare form of inflammatory bowel disease in young children. The discovery allowed the researchers to successfully treat one of the study patients with a bone marrow transplant. more

Protein-making errors may help defend cells  

Anyone who's taken a biology class knows that a gene's sequence precisely dictates the order of amino acids that must be linked together to make a protein. A new study reveals that, in the face of an invading virus or bacteria—or an irritating chemical—the cell's protein-making machinery goes off-script, inserting more of an amino acid known to help defend proteins against damage. more

Information for patients: Don’t fear the flu - Arm yourself with the facts

Scary stories about the 2009 H1N1 flu are sure to get your attention. A lot of people are worried and confused as this new virus spreads across the globe. But it’s not fundamentally different from the seasonal flu we see every year. Learn the facts about H1N1 and how to prevent it from striking your family. more

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Information appearing on the Vidyya Medical News Service is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Seek professional medical help and follow your health care provider's advice.

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