Asthma Breakthrough Holds Promise

They seem to work even when patients know what they're getting

(NEWSER) - Placebos aren't just for research: Studies increasingly show that treatments with no active ingredients can work as well as—or even better than—"real" therapies. In one such study, some hotel employees were told they were getting good exercise at work; they lost weight, while fellow workers who hadn't gotten the message didn't. Another study found that subjects told their food was high in calories felt full faster than compatriots told they were eating low-cal food, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Don't go overboard on the candles, researchers warn. The fumes of paraffin wax candles can contribute to cancer and asthma, though it would take years of heavy use to cause a problem, the BBC reports. “An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions will not likely affect you,” says one scientist involved with the new study. More»

Drug may boost emotional learning, squash fear: studies

(NEWSER) - The drug ecstasy may help people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, Reuters reports. The drug could help patients in therapy bond with their therapists—key to recovery—and get a better hold on their feelings, studies suggest. It may help reestablish a balance between two areas of the brain, while causing the release of chemicals that ease emotional learning and reduce fear. More»

Drink is great source of key vitamin B12

(NEWSER) - Two glasses of milk a day could help prevent brain-deteriorating diseases like Alzheimer’s, scientists at Oxford have found. Milk, they observed, is an excellent source of vitamin B12, which experts believe helps protect nerve cells; elderly people with low B12 levels experience twice the brain shrinkage of those with high levels, the Daily Telegraph reports. More»

Researchers identify gene key to growing protective enamel

(NEWSER) - Scientists have identified a gene that grows tooth enamel and could be the missing link needed to grow teeth in labs—perhaps rendering fillings and dentures obsolete, the BBC reports. Researchers had already figured out how to grow the insides of animal teeth, but not enamel, which can’t grow back naturally. Tests in mice lacking the key gene led to the discovery. More»