London - Can an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A trial is testing whether having apple products daily is as good for the heart as eating a whole fruit.
Apples are good for heart health because they contain antioxidants, which help reduce damage done by cholesterol, and pectin, which helps lower cholesterol levels.
Fifty people at increased risk of heart disease are taking part in the trial at Queen’s University, Belfast, where they will have two apples, apple extract or freeze-dried apple daily for four weeks to see if they all have equal health benefits.
A control group will have one apple a day or less.
Blood and urine samples will be collected at the start and end of the month-long trial to measure compounds in the blood that indicate heart disease risk.
* A pill that boosts production of the sleep hormone melatonin could help insomniacs.
Melatonin is secreted at night and plays a key role in sleep.
A Japanese study, involving 6 000 insomniacs, tested a new drug - known as a melatonin receptor agonist - which helps the body produce more melatonin. Those who took the drug fell asleep four and a half minutes more quickly and slept more soundly than before.
* Stroke patients may benefit from a stick-on patch of angina medication.
In a trial led by Nottingham University, more than 3 000 patients are being given patches containing glyceryl trinitrate within hours of a stroke.
Glyceryl trinitrate helps with angina by boosting the production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels.
Nitric oxide is produced naturally by the lining of the arteries.
But when they fur up, their ability to produce nitric oxide is reduced.
Researchers says nitric oxide may be beneficial following a stroke, which occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. The patch is worn for seven days, gradually releasing the chemical into the bloodstream.
* Listening to jazz can make your food taste better. The genre of background music can affect how satisfying something tastes and so may impact on how much is eaten, research reveals.
Researchers from the University of Arkansas played four types of music - classical, jazz, hip hop and rock - while people ate.
Participants found the food more satisfying when jazz was played and less so when hip hop was in the background. There was no effect for rock or classical music.
“People often consume food and beverages in the presence of background music. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the influence of sound on sensory perception and acceptance of foods,” researchers said.
The reasons why jazz and hip hop had such an effect were unclear.
* Doctors are using a drop of alcohol to help back pain. Chronic lower back pain is often the result of a bulging disc pressing on nerves.
Now an alcohol-based gel is being used to treat patients with lumbar (or lower back) disc problems as part of a trial at University Hospital, Limoges, France.
The gel is injected into the problem disc and the alcohol reacts with the tissue in the soft core, making it shrink. This reduces pressure on the nerves and eases pain.
The treatment is being compared with other standard treatments including painkillers, muscle relaxants, physiotherapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, where electrical impulses block pain signals.
* Stimulating the brain with electrodes is being tested as a treatment for anorexia.
Around half of patients - mainly young women - do not respond to other medical treatment such as family therapy, behavioural therapy and psychotherapy.
Research suggests that the nucleus accumbens, part of the brain involved in registering reward, does not work properly in anorexia patients - the reward system drives the motivation to eat.
The new technique, known as deep brain stimulation, involves stimulating this area with electrodes placed inside the brain to make it more active.
It is already used to treat several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.
The technology is undergoing clinical trials at Oxford University and Shanghai. - Daily Mail