A mechanical hum fills the small room where James Bond is working to track down a killer. His name is printed in black letters on the side of his body.
But this James Bond isn’t the world’s most famous secret agent. It’s one of three gene-sequencing machines at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg.
Working along its Matrix-inspired counterparts, Neo and Niobe, Bond is the size of an average desktop printer. But the state-of-the-art devices can determine the genetic make-up of animal and plant cells in about three days. Continue reading…
Sleep may be an everyday activity, but very few people give it much thought. Even those who suffer from sleep loss may think that’s it’s quite normal. The truth is that sleep plays a big role in overall health, and getting too much or too little can have a huge impact on your well-being. So.. Continue reading…
It stands to reason that the weather can affect the sales of certain products – for example, more rainfall generally means that consumers purchase less sunscreen. But the phenomenon can go much further. In the UK market, warm summer weather led to a sales increase of 23% for frozen sweets and 10% for chilled drinks… Continue reading…
Johannesburg – The economic impact of obesity in South Africa is more than R700bn per year, a study revealed. According to the Discovery Vitality OBEcity index for 2017, which presents insights on weight status and food purchasing behavior of Vitality members across six South African cities, the impact of obesity is not only limited to.. Continue reading…
Artificial sweeteners may be less helpful than many believe in helping people lose weight and avoid health problems associated with extra pounds, a new evidence review suggests. Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and other artificial sweeteners did not lead to any significant weight loss in more than 1,000 participants in seven clinical trials, said lead researcher Meghan.. Continue reading…
Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed medications out there. One in six Americans takes antidepressants or other psychiatric medications, most of them (84.3%) on a long-term basis. (1) This is especially concerning when using addictive drugs like Valium and Xanax. (2) That number is more than double what it was in 1999. Many who.. Continue reading…
Elderberry It’s an old folk remedy. This fruit is loaded with nutrients called antioxidants, and it may help fight inflammation. In some lab studies, an extract from the berries appears to block flu viruses. But scientists caution that more study is needed. You definitely still need to get a yearly flu vaccination! Button Mushrooms They.. Continue reading…
If you shun the sun, suffer from milk allergies, or adhere to a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It is also occurs naturally in a few foods —.. Continue reading…