Berry good
Antioxidant-rich cranberries may be one of the healthiest foods, according to analysis of a series of studies which shows they can stop urinary tract infections, prevent plaque build-up on teeth and kill a virus that causes stomach cancer and ulcers. The analysis by Rutgers University researchers has found preliminary evidence that extracts from cranberries or the juice can boost levels of so-called good cholesterol and prevent some tumours from forming. Studies are under way into the possible effects of cranberries on heart disease, yeast and viral infections and strokes, AP reports.
Wheat and see
US and Israeli scientists have cloned a gene from wild wheat that boosts the protein, iron and zinc content in the grain by up to 15 per cent and appears to be non-functional in cultivated grain. They used conventional agricultural techniques to introduce the gene into cultivated wheat, which provides about one-fifth of all calories consumed around the world. 'Even small increases in wheat's nutritional value may help decrease deficiencies in protein and key micronutrients,' says team leader Jorge Dubcovsky, of the University of California, Davis. The discovery of the gene, GPC-B, may help boost nutritional deficiencies affecting millions of children, healthday.com reports. The plant in which it was found, wild emmer wheat, is an ancestor of some cultivated wheat.
Monkey business
Male chimpanzees, unlike many human males, show a distinct sexual preference for older females, according to a US anthropological study. 'The masculine preference for young women is a derived human trait, probably due to the tendency to form long-term relationships between couples,' the Boston University team says, after years of studying chimpanzees. Male chimps typically copulate in succession with six or more females, who often line up to wait their turn, the researchers say. But the males consistently seek out the older females, AFP reports.