Tag: News & Discoveries

Study Shows that High Levels of Exercise Do Not Compensate For a Poor Diet

A long-term research study investigating the independent and joint effects that exercise and diet have on a participant’s risk of death has shown that the detrimental effect a low-quality diet has on a person’s health and fatality risk cannot be eliminated by high levels of exercise. The study by the University of Sydney, which followed…


FDA Warns Puberty Blockers May Cause Vision Loss in Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently added a warning to the labeling of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists—also referred to by many as puberty blockers—saying the drugs may cause a series of symptoms in children that include headaches, pressure buildup inside the brain, and vision loss. The warning, announced by the agency on July 1, says…


$3 Billion a Month: Costs for Australia’s National Disability Scheme Continue to Soar

Despite efforts by the previous federal government to bring costs under control, the budget for Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme has continued to spiral as the program spent A$3.29 billion (US$2.29 billion) in the last month alone. The NDIS, established under the Gillard Labor government in 2013, was designed to be a fully government-funded program…


Australian Researchers Develop Semi-Permanent Virus and Bacteria Repellent Surface Spray

A team of researchers from several Australian universities have developed a first-of-its-kind spray that can prevent the spread of bacterial and viral infections—including COVID-19—on a multitude of surfaces for prolonged periods. The spray coating, which uses a combination of plastics strong enough to compare with bullet-proof glass, can repel viruses and bacteria via an air-filled…


Understanding Lupus: Gene Responsible For Autoimmune Disease Discovered

Australian National University (ANU) researchers believe they have discovered the potential cause of the autoimmune disease lupus. Senior researcher Vicki Athanasopoulos from the ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) said in an ANU news release that the discovery of a gene called Toll-like receptor seven or TLR7 that, when over-activated, causes the autoimmune disease…


Depression Is Probably Not Caused by a Chemical Imbalance in the Brain: New Study

For three decades, people have been deluged with information suggesting that depression is caused by a “chemical imbalance” in the brain – namely an imbalance of a brain chemical called serotonin. However, our latest research review shows that the evidence does not support it. Although first proposed in the 1960s, the serotonin theory of depression started to be…


New Study Adds to Growing Body of Evidence Suggesting Mask Mandates Are Ineffective

A new study published this month revealed that COVID-19 mask mandates in schools have little to no effect. “Our findings contribute to a growing body of literature which suggests school-based mask mandates have limited to no impact on the case rates of COVID-19 among K-12 students,” researchers at the University of Southern California and the…


Stopping Juvenile Diabetes in Its Tracks: Australian Researchers Discover Protein That May Prevent Type 1 Diabetes

Australian researchers have developed a biological agent that may prevent Type 1 diabetes by improving an aspect of white blood cell function, which is compromised in people who develop the autoimmune disease. University of Queensland (UQ) Faculty of Medicine researcher Prof. Josephine Forbes said in a release on Thursday that lab testing showed the protein—known…


Lawsuit Claims Skittles Are Unsafe for Human Consumption

A civil lawsuit has been filed against Skittles alleging that the candies are unsafe for human consumption because they contain a known toxin that the company had pledged six years ago to phase out. Jenile Thames alleged in a proposed class action suit filed on Thursday that Mars was using “heightened levels” of titanium dioxide,…


CDC Issues Health Alert on Virus that Affects Newborns, Young Babies in US

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert to inform hospitals and doctors that parechovirus, a virus that can cause severe symptoms among young infants and newborns, is “currently circulating in the United States.” On Twitter, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky made note of the alert on Tuesday and wrote that…