An experimental malaria vaccine tested on children in Burkina Faso has shown "a high level of efficacy" in protecting against the disease, a study published in the United States said Wednesday. The study was initially planned to study the safety and immune response of the vaccine, known by the name MSP3. "However, as malaria attacks were documented as part of the safety follow-up, the investigators decided to explore the protective effect of the … full story

One day not long ago a 27-year-old woman was brought to the 
Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, sleepy and confused. Fani Andelman, a neuropsychologist at the center, and colleagues gave the woman a battery of psychological tests to judge her state of mind. At first the woman seemed fine. She could see and speak clearly. She could understand the meaning of words and recall the faces of famous people. She could even solve logic puzzles, including a … full story

Scientists have found that a glass of milk may contain up to 20 painkillers, antibiotics and growth hormones. Through a highly sensitive test, scientists found a host of chemicals used to treat illnesses in animals and people in samples of cow, goat and human breast milk, Daily Mail reported. Though the doses of drugs were far too little to create an effect on anyone drinking them, the results highlight how man-made chemicals were now found throughout … full story

Dietary protein reduces hunger and increases fullness in overweight men during weight loss programmes, a study says. Diets “containing 18 to 35 percent of daily calorie intake from dietary protein, are associated with reductions in hunger and increased fullness throughout the day and into the evening hours,” said Heather Leidy, study author and professor in nutrition at the University of Missouri. “In our study, the two groups ate either 25 or … full story

Landscape artist Jane Anderson struggled with seasonal affective disorder in the winter months. She tried meditation and noticed a change within a month. “My experience was a sense of calmness, of better ability to regulate my emotions,” she says. Her experience inspired a new study which found changes in brain activity after only five weeks of meditation training, the journal Psychological Science reports. But Anderson, who did this research … full story

Liposuction if fraught with unwanted consequences that can turn other parts of a patient’s body fatter. Even as the fat will not return to the areas of the body where it was removed from, usually the thighs, lower abdomen and buttocks, it will reappear elsewhere, typically around the shoulders, arms and upper abdomen, according to US researchers, the Daily Mail reports. Liposuction is a simple but crude surgical process which literally sucks the … full story

Vegetarians have a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome — a precursor to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The symptoms are extra weight around the waist and insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body. The Loma Linda University study found that while 25 percent of vegetarians had metabolic syndrome, the number significantly rose to 37 percent for semi-vegetarians … full story

Carrots can halt the progression of breast cancer in the early stages of the disease, a study says. The retinoic acid, which is contained in carrot, also rejuvenates the skin and a weak version of it is used in anti-wrinkle face creams, express.co.uk reported. The study has shown that retinoic acid reverses early changes in cells that lead to breast cancer. The chemical affects cell growth, proliferation and survival. The results were presented … full story

Consuming food items rich in fibre, like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, especially as a young adult, is likely to confer a lifetime of protection against heart risk, researchers say. A new study found that adults aged between 20 and 59 years with the highest fibre intake had a significantly lower estimated lifetime risk for heart disease compared to those with the lowest fibre intake. This is the first known study to show the influence … full story

One way of prompting physical activity among children is to promote them duringleisure time, tailored to the specific gender. Researchers found children’s perceptions of what constituted play included both physically active and sedentary behaviours. Rowan Brockman from the University of Bristol Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, who led the study, said: “Contemporary children do engage in active play and value both the physical … full story