Heena Sharma Blog

A large protein found in spinach may aid in the development of new medications for millions around the world dealing with alcohol use disorders, chronic pain and mood disorders , researchers said. The study, led by researchers from the Purdue University, discovered two peptides which are naturally metabolic products of Rubisco -- a large protein found in many plants like spinach -- that may aid in the development of new medications. "These disorders are currently not adequately managed," said Richard van Rijn, Assistant Professor at Purdue. "Better medications that take a more holistic approach and produce fewer side effects will be beneficial. "We discovered that these peptides selectively activate the known beneficial pathways without activating the 'side-effect pathways' of the receptor," van Rijn added. Read More Business Standard

Turns out, drinking a glass of wine daily for health reasons may not be so healthy after all. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that consuming one to two drinks four or more times per week increases the risk of premature death by 20 percent, compared with drinking three times a week or less. First author Sarah M. Hartz said, "It used to seem like having one or two drinks per day was no big deal, and there even have been some studies suggesting it can improve health. But now we know that even the lightest daily drinkers have an increased mortality risk." Although some earlier studies have linked light drinking to improvements in cardiovascular health, Hartz said the new study shows that those potential gains are outweighed by other risks. Her team evaluated heart disease risk and cancer risk and found that although in some cases, drinking alcohol may reduce risk of heart-related problems, daily drinking increased ca