For those who don’t know me, I am a nut fanatic! Unfortunately, this means that it is very easy for me to give in to my rather large cravings for peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios—which may be somewhat unhealthy. But according to a report in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a research...
Some day soon, when you get a stinging paper cut and reach for a band-aid, that band-aid might be made from sundew. Sundew plants are carnivorous, and they use the small adhesive balls on the ends of their tentacles to capture insects. Researchers hope that these adhesive properties will be have medical...
In East Africa, people have long employed the toxins of the Acokanthera schimperi tree to make poison arrows, which are particularly useful in hunting elephants. Researchers have now discovered that a small African rodent that typically weighs no more than two pounds has also learned to use the Acokanthera...
Diabetes, a metabolic disease that has become more and more prevalent in our society, happens to be very common in my family tree. In fact, I must take extra precautions not to develop this condition since it currently affects both my father and grandfather. Fortunately, many scientists have conducted...
Obesity has seen soaring rates in the U.S. and is already having an adverse impact on young people. Worse, most people still do not practice healthy behaviors that can prevent obesity. A common result of obesity is the excessive development of body fat in the abdominal region. Scientists are already...
Hundreds of years ago, the thunder god vine, or lei gong teng, was used in traditional Chinese medicine to fight a variety of different illnesses. Given that the plant was actually successful in alleviating pain from problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, the plant has been critically studied for...
Ever since the Middle Ages, a flowering plant named “Tansy,” has helped heal ailments from fever to rheumatism. The actual medical benefits of Tanacetum vulgare, more casually known as “Golden Buttons” or “Mugwort,” have always been a debatable matter, but scientists from Britain and...
Imagine going to the dermatologist and being prescribed lavender oil to treat your skin infection. This might sound absurd at first, for isn’t lavender used in cosmetics and perfumes? Although this is true, breakthroughs in research have revealed lavender’s potent effect against fungal diseases...
Plants are used in a variety of ways and have long been utilized for their medicinal properties and compounds. Specifically, through genetic modifications, plants can be altered so that their properties produce an even more desired outcome. According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of...
Turmeric, a spice often used in Indian cooking and traditional Chinese medicine, is now gaining recognition in the science world for its curative properties. Researchers at Saint Louis University have found that the spice, and its active chemical curcumin, may help prevent and treat liver fibrosis,...
Cancer. According to must studies, this ruthless disease is considered to be the number one cause of death worldwide, and the number two cause of death in the United States after heart disease.
As a UT student, I participated in a charity bike ride known as the Texas 4000 for Cancer from Austin,...
Growing up in an Indian family, rice was the primary staple in our diet and we it ate almost daily. However, never did it occur to me that the very rice my mother made could potentially be a health remedy. How exactly could this simple grain play such a role in people’s lives?
According to...
As humans, we often concentrate on the wellbeing of our own species. Although plant biologists seem to take a slightly different approach to this matter, research that documents the relationship between plants and human health often receives significantly more press than those reporting on animal...
As individual states in the US and other countries become increasingly open to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, there is a great need to consider the plant’s detrimental effects — memory loss, anxiety, and paranoia — and determine if they are controllable.
A recent study from...
Every year, sunscreen producers flood the market with their latest and greatest products that somehow “improve” on the tried and true SPF 30 lotion’s ability to prevent skin cancer.
Before the increase in awareness of the sun’s harmful radiation on human skin, sunbathers would slather...
[This week, we bring you a special FEATURE LENGTH article on an amazing encyclopedia collection!]
The closing of a spring semester evokes a new persona in typical study-crazed college students. Before attempting to successfully complete course finals while sleep deprived...
Over the course of 20 years, I have witnessed my mother prepare some odd homemade remedy for an illness that my siblings or I had contracted. When young, I never really thought to question the effectiveness of these treatments, because I always believed that mother knew best. But now, I often wonder...
St. John’s wort, a plant widely known for relieving symptoms of depression, may have more curative properties than originally thought. St. John’s wort can refer to any species in the plant genus Hypericum, which persists throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere, and researchers at the Agricultural...
Asthma and allergies afflict over 60 million people in the United States, making it the most prevalent chronic disease in the nation. Many people visit their local allergists to be treated, and treatment can often include the prescription of an inhaler that relaxes the muscles of constricted airways....
When I hear the word “morphine” or “codeine,” the first thought that comes to mind is not that of a flower. Although these two drugs may fall under the classification of some of the strongest pain medications on the market, people often fail to acknowledge the source of morphine and codeine:...
Sceletium tortuosum is a plant native to South Africa that has been used for a few hundred years with a variety of purposes. Also known as Kanna, Channa, and Kougoed, the plant has been known to enhance mood, reduce anxiety, relax the user, and even cause euphoria when taken in large amounts. The...
Have you ever thought about the evolution of pharmaceutical drugs? When I watch Grey’s Anatomy or House, I constantly feel amazed by far humans have come, how much we understand about the human body, and how many drugs and procedures have been procured to help us live longer. However, while the...
Southern Africans have used native plants for hundreds of years to treat a slew of different illnesses in a wide variety of animals. Researchers at Kansas State University are just beginning to document the 506 herbal remedies that have been used in 18 different areas of Southern Africa. While gathering...
For thousands of years, tribes and villagers worldwide have looked to nature for solutions to their medical problems. Even today, researchers continue to look into traditional remedies to discover if they are truly successful. One such natural treatment stems from (pun intended) the kava plant, found...
Traditional Chinese medicine provides of a wide variety of homemade remedies for a wide variety of illnesses, even illnesses that modern technology’s pharmaceuticals have failed to treat. Of course, traditional Chinese medicine is not as widely accepted as the medicine that comes in the form of...
[All this week, GS is covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. This is our final installment of Marijuana Special Topic Week.] Legalization of Marijuana has been a hot topic in this nation since it was outlawed...
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] The word “marijuana” has undoubtedly earned its...
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] Cannabis: a word that has undoubtedly struck a different...
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that illustrates a parent-child relationship excellently. The epic struggle to teach one’s child what to eat and what not to eat is one that has spanned generations. We never learn the importance of our parents’ attempts until we grow up and realize the value...
Over the past few years, my trips to the grocery store have evolved from pleasant outings into maddening chores. While browsing down the food aisles I constantly notice new and improved items scattered among the original product, thus turning my thirty-minute trip to the store into a two-hour hunt...
It’s no secret that blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and plums are rich in antioxidants. However, many people don’t know that the reason for the abundant antioxidants is mainly due to high levels of anthocyanins, chemicals that are responsible for the fruits’ vibrant colors,...
After centuries in existence, garlic has attained its fair share of myths and certainties. While this pungently flavored vegetable may have the ability to ward off vampires and fight the plague, garlic also has many associated health benefits, one of which includes containing one the world’s most...
Blueberries seem to be the fashionable, healthy snack to eat. How many times have you watched a movie and the characters go out to pick some blueberries? More than likely, you’ve seen more of those movies than movies where the actors go around picking plums. However, though blueberries seem to have...
Considered one of the most daunting diseases of our time, HIV/AIDS has killed more than 20 million people worldwide since the epidemic first penetrated our species. Finally, after years of studying the ever evasive virus, researchers at the UCLA AIDS Institute have discovered that a chemical from...
Being diagnosed with cancer never sits well in a patient’s stomach, especially if they don’t have the money or the health insurance coverage to pay for it. Fortunately, there may be a cheaper alternative through traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers have shown that Realgar-Indigo naturalis...
Cranberries are all the rave these days, it seems. Consumer demand for cranberries has never been as high as it is today, and the main reason for this demand stems (this is bad plant humor) from the fact that cranberries are incredibly beneficial to the human body. What exactly do cranberries do for...
