University of Florida researchers are reporting that an extract from dried papaya slows the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory. However, it’s not clear if the papaya extract will have the same effect on cancer in people, however. According to Dr. Nam Dang, the papaya extract appears to affect...

A natural chemical in bananas may help protect women against sexual transmission of HIV, U.S. researchers report. In laboratory tests, they found that a lectin called BanLec was as potent as two current HIV drugs. Lectins — sugar-binding proteins found in plants — can identify and attach to foreign...

Oh, my aching back! Chances are that at some point in the past year, you’ve uttered those words. Back pain is a common symptom and a major health burden in the United States. It’s the leading cause of work-related disability and missed days of work, the fifth-most-common reason for physician...

About 50 to 60 percent of women are diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI) at least once during their lifetime. Many experience multiple recurrences. Cranberry juice, a popular home remedy for urinary tract infection, is often taken along with low-dose antibiotics as a preventive measure. Because...

This article presents information about the health benefits of cranberry, its common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Cranberries are the fruit from a native plant in North America. These red berries are used in foods and in herbal products. Common Names — cranberry,...

With flu season just around the corner — and H1N1 flu a growing concern — health officials in Berkeley, Calif., have found that teaching kids about flu prevention in a fun way can help keep children healthy. Through its WHACK the Flu program, a community education effort sponsored by the City of...

Subliminal messages are most effective when they have negative words, English researchers say. Subliminal messages are images shown so quickly that viewers don’t consciously “see” them, according to background information in the University College London study. It included 50 volunteers...

A drug designed to fight anemia appears to double the risk of stroke in patients with diabetes and kidney disease without substantially improving their quality of life, a new study finds. Darbepoetin alfa, marketed as Aranesp and known as an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), is often prescribed...

Imagine a polka-dotted postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxic fumes and show the results simply by changing colors. Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part...

Dialysis patients with very low body fat are much more likely to die than other people on dialysis, even those with the highest levels of body fat, a new study has found. Researchers measured body fat percentage in 671 dialysis patients in California. In the next five years, the death rate for people...