Dutch hope to invent foods that prevent obesity
Scientists in the Netherlands are developing a new generation of foods that can help prevent obesity by making people eat less, a research institute said on Thursday.
The Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN), funded by the Dutch government and food groups like CSM Anglo-Dutch Unilever, is also developing food ingredients which can stop an obese person from developing diabetes.
Roche says unsure why Japan warned against Tamiflu
Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Thursday it was unsure why the Japanese government had warned that influenza drug Tamiflu should not be given to teenagers.
No definite link had been established between Tamiflu, seen as effective against a possible pandemic triggered by bird flu, and reports of young people injured by jumping from buildings after taking the drug, Roche spokeswoman Martina Rupp said.
Inhaled steroids do not alter course of COPD
Inhaled steroid therapy can improve lung function in people with COPD, but after 6 months the decline in lung function resumes, according to a pooled analysis of trial data.
COPD—short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—is a progressive lung illness caused by smoking that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is characterized by difficulty breathing that is not completely reversible.
Treating low iron boosts women’s mental abilities
Iron deficiency, even to a moderate degree, can hinder women’s memory and learning—but iron supplements can turn those problems around, a study has found.
Iron is essential for delivering oxygen to cells throughout the body, and iron deficiency is known to impair brain development and learning in babies and children. But women of childbearing age are also at elevated risk of low iron stores, and less is known about the possible cognitive effects in them.
