Probiotics may help prevent allergies


A new study has found that if pregnant mothers and infants are exposed to probiotic bacteria, it can result in triggering the growth of the immune system, and thus lead to prevention of allergies.

When one takes a dose of antibiotics, probiotic bacteria, which are living micro-organisms, may work for restoring the balance in the gut, or to help create a stable gut flora that is less prone to diseases like gastroenteritis.
Headed by Emma Marschan at the University of Helsinki, the Finnish team of researchers treated 1,223 pregnant women with either probiotics, or a placebo for investigating if probiotics help prevent the development of allergies.

The researchers discovered a 50 per cent higher level of key proteins linked with tissue inflammation in the blood of probiotic-treated infants than in the blood of placebo-treated infants.

Inflammation is believed to stimulate the immune system, and thus reduce allergic reaction. Also probiotic children were 30 per cent less prone to develop an itchy skin condition known as atopic eczema, than their untreated counterparts.

In the absence of such heavy bacterial exposure, the immune system is much less active than it should be and this leads to malfunction and can lead too allergies.

Surgery: DaVinci cuts cost

Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that minimally invasive heart bypass surgery using a DaVinci robot means a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery for patients, as well as fewer complications and a better chance that the new bypass vessels will stay open.

They also found that robotic heart bypass surgery makes good economic sense for hospitals. Robert S Poston, the lead author of the study, said that using a surgical robot increases the cost of each bypass case by about $8,000.

He found that the robotic approach saves costs especially with high-risk patients who have lung or kidney disease or other health problems.

Lift weights, go bald
Religiously trying to pump up your muscles to stay lean and maximise your attractiveness? Well, in that case, all your efforts for a pleasing personality can go futile, for a new study has claimed that weight training can make a person bald.

Researchers have discovered that bodybuilders’ testosterone soars after a weights session — and that turns into a toxic substance, which attacks hair follicles. The study reveals that blokes who lift weights just three times a week for 45 minutes over two years are heading for a premature slaphead.

In the study, scientists found that testosterone levels soared an average 25 per cent after one of the sessions. They returned to normal after 30 minutes when the body converted the male hormone into a chemical called DHT. But DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, shrinks follicles and roots — so hair grows back thinner each time.
Light and sleeping patterns

If you think that biological clock only reminds us to shut eye every 24 hours, you are wrong. A new study has found that it’s actually light which governs the sleeping patterns of people.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have carried out the study and discovered that the eye uses light to reset the biological clock through a mechanism which is separate from the ability to see.

According to lead researcher Samer Hattar, the study’s findings indicate that patients with trouble sleeping or seasonal depression can benefit from development of easier, more available tests to determine if they are able to detect light properly for functions distinct from normal sight.

“It seems that even if individuals have normal sight, they might be having a malfunction that is contributing to their inability to detect light, which can adversely affect their biological clocks,” Hattar said.

Key markers of diabetes

Researchers from University of Warwick have discovered certain key markers that may help identify a far greater number of people who are at a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in future.

The team has found markers that indicate endothelial dysfunction changes in the cells, which line the blood vessels and sub-clinical systemic inflammation, the factors responsible for Type 2 diabetes.

Lead researcher Dr Saverio Stranges along with his colleagues focused his study on a protein called E-selectin. The presence of this protein indicates endothelial dysfunction, white blood cell count and levels of albumin, which are marker for sub-clinical systemic inflammation.

The study revealed that high levels of E-selectin and white blood cell count with low levels of serum albumin were clear predictors of high risk for Type 2 diabetes.