Tune into weight gain
The better the television programme, the more you eat - because when the brain is distracted it doesn't notice what the mouth is doing, neurological researchers in Chicago have found. 'If you concentrate on how the food tastes, you eat less because you feel full faster,' says team leader Alan Hirsch, whose study found that people eat as much as 44 per cent more potato chips when they're engrossed in a TV show than when they're not watching. Such distraction appears to inhibit or trick the ventromedial nucleus in the brain's hypothalamus, where the so-called satiety centre is located, Reuters reports.
Gene therapy helps the rats
University of Pittsburgh researchers have reversed erectile dysfunction in rats within four weeks, using gene therapy to repair damaged nerve tissue. The findings suggest a potential new treatment for erectile dysfunction, which affects as many as 30 million men in the US, healthday.com reports. 'This represents the first demonstration of a long-term treatment that doesn't rely on the chronic administration of drugs [with] potentially harmful side effects,' says joint team leader Joseph Glorioso.
Walnut-based alternative to Viagra
University of Malaya researchers have created a walnut-based alternative to Viagra. The active ingredient is an amino acid called arginine, AFP reports, quoting the Star newspaper. It's converted into nitric oxide, which 'enlarges blood vessels and enhances blood flow to the penis'. The N-Hanz tablets take effect after about an hour and last about four hours. 'Because it's not a drug, it's safe for those with hypertension or diabetes,' says team leader Kim Kah Hwi.
Young Viagra users risk infertility