A new study published in the journal is the first to show that a diet high in salt could be driving the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases worldwide. In tests on mice, an international team of researchers found that salt dramatically boosts - by up to 10 times - the induction of aggressive immune cells that are involved in triggering and sustaining autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of fighting pathogens. Mice with an increased salt intake suffered a more severe form of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.
 

Raise a glass to this: researchers say they've confirmed that the red wine compound resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity. Using animal models, they also uncovered the molecular mechanism for this interaction, paving the way for drugs that could treat and prevent diseases related to ageing in people. Resveratrol directly activates SIRT1 in cells, a protein that protects the body from diseases by revving up mitochondria, a kind of cellular battery that slowly runs down with age. The study is published in the journal .