Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 30, 2006

Study: Saturated Fats an All in the Family Affair

Adults with kids in the home eat more saturated fat--the equivalent of about one frozen pepperoni pizza each week--than do adults who don't live with children, scientists report. This study really points out that we need to focus on the family as a whole, that the entire family needs to...

Oct 31, 2006

Social Pressure, Not Health Warnings Influence Sexual Behavior

Young people often decide if they should use a condom by whether they perceive their sexual partners as “clean” or “unclean.” In a study reported today in the journal Lancet, researchers found the factors like this one that influence a young person’s sexual practices are strikingly similar worldwide. Since nearly...

Oct 31, 2006

CDC Blocks Publication of Abortion Research

Regardless on your views of abortion—in favor or against legalization—new and disturbing research should unite all of us. According to the current issue of the medical journal The Lancet, illegal abortions are as common as legal ones worldwide. Some 20 million women seek illegal abortions each year, a number that...

Oct 31, 2006

Tattoos Less Sensitive to Touch

That tattoo you decided to get in college may look cool, but it might also be decreasing your skin’s sensitivity to touch. University of Northern Colorado psychologist Todd Allen tested 21 undergraduates who had gotten tattoos within the last couple years, most commonly on their lower back for females and...

Oct 31, 2006

Women Unaware Cervical Cancer Caused by Virus

Americans are in the dark about a virus linked to cervical cancer that can kill them, two new studies suggest. A vaccine exists to protect against types of the virus, called human papillomaviruses (HPV). But when presented under the umbrella of sexually-transmitted-disease protection, women are less likely to get vaccinated....

Oct 31, 2006

New Eye Implant Clears Cloudy Vision

A new type of cornea implant could restore some vision in infants and children who are blind due to a cloudy or damaged cornea, a study has found. The cornea is a typically clear covering of the eye that serves as our window to the world. But in some children,...

Oct 31, 2006

Science Confirms Diet Tactic: Eat Slow, Eat Less

Although the idea that eating slower inhibits appetite has been around for decades, there was no scientific evidence. Now the first study to evaluate the claim finds it to be true. It started in about 1972 as a hypothesis that eating slowly would allow the body time for the development...

Oct 31, 2006

Why Marijuana Impairs Memory

Scientists may have just found out why marijuana impairs memory and why the brain's natural versions of the drug might help against epilepsy. The active ingredient of marijuana, THC, is known to impair memory and to bind to areas of the brain linked to memory, such as the hippocampus. Still,...

Oct 31, 2006

Good Food Gone Bad

Pizza (Image credit: Afonso Lima / Stock.XCHNG)What a pity that most Americans have never eaten pizza and confuse it for the junk food advertised on television. In Italy there are laws defining pizza, which set allowances on the type of flour, tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, basil and oregano. Pizza is...

Oct 31, 2006

Biking Can Make Women's Genitals Less Sensitive

Women who bicycle frequently run the risk of decreased sensitivity in their genitals as well as pain, a new study suggests. Researchers compared 48 women competitive cyclists to 22 women runners. The bicyclists consistently rode at least 10 miles per week, and the runners logged at least five miles a...

Oct 31, 2006

Coffee to Maggots: Top 10 Bad Things That Are Good For You

Top 10 Bad Things That Are Good For You (Image credit: Dreamstime)Beer quells heart disease and chocolate staves off cancer? Though often tagged with a disclaimer, studies that tell us to eat, inhale and generally indulge in bad stuff is music to our ears. So go ahead and enjoy these...

Oct 31, 2006

Freezing Ovaries May Preserve Fertility

For women who undergo cancer treatment, loss of fertility is often a major concern. But a new experimental research program that will remove and freeze women's ovaries for possible future use could provide new hope, according to researchers. Female cancer patients receiving treatment can lose their fertility because you're trying...

Sep 30, 2006

Researchers Find Protein Behind Lou Gehrig's Disease and Dementia

Scientists have found a malformed protein whose unhealthy buildup inside cells can lead to fatal paralysis and dementia in sufferers, a new study finds. High concentrations of a protein called TDP-43 was found in the brains and spinal cords of people who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known...

Sep 30, 2006

Erotic Images Entice Even When Invisible

The use of scantily clad models in ads for everything from underwear to ice cream attests to the persuasive power of sex, but a surprising new study finds that our actions can be swayed by erotic images even when they don't consciously register in our awareness. In an experiment, 40...

Sep 30, 2006

Eyelids Alter Shape of the Eye

The pressure of the eyelid on the eyeball could cause one of the most common vision problems, new research shows. The work builds on previous research showing that heavy reading can change the shape of the eye during the day, temporarily degrading eyesight. Imperfections in the shape of the cornea,...