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»

And appears to stop cancer from spreading, too: studies

(NEWSER) - A daily low dose of aspirin has long been recommended as a way of lowering stroke and heart attack risk, but new studies published this week suggest it also greatly reduces cancer risk. The UK studies found that after taking 75mg to 300mg of aspirin per day for just three years, cancer risk was reduced by about 25%, the BBC reports. After five years, the risk of death from cancer was cut by 37%, the Telegraph adds. 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»