Sunlight may help prevent myopia
Spending more time in the sunshine may help cut the growing incidence of short-sightedness in children, say Australian researchers, who say the problem now affects record numbers of Asians. As many as nine out of every 10 Singaporeans, for example, wear glasses by the time they leave school, compared with two in 10 Australians; and about 30 per cent of six- and seven-year-old Singaporeans are myopic, compared with 1.3 per cent of Australians at that age, AFP reports. The key difference is the time spent outside, says the Australian Research Council team: 30 minutes a day on average in Singapore, compared with two hours in Australia.
Detox products 'meaningless'
Most detox products are merely marketing ploys that do little more than 'part people from their cash', say British researchers, who found no two companies use the same definition of 'detox' and that most of the claims are 'meaningless' anyway. A study by Voice of Young Science, which represents more than 300 post-graduate and post-doctorate science students, says the term 'detox' is applied to 'everything from foot patches to hair straighteners', AFP reports. 'Our investigation ... has convinced us that there's little or no proof that these products work.'
Bulimics show 'impulsive' brain scans
Bulimia nervosa may be a mental disorder, say US researchers, based on brain scans of women with and without the eating disorder. Women with bulimia scored significantly worse in brain-function tests, appeared to be more impulsive, and showed far less activity in areas of the brain linked to self-control. It's not clear why, but the researchers, from Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, say this may be related to levels of the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine, WebMD reports.