What Is Gluten?

Is gluten bad for You? Eating gluten, the naturally occurring proteins in wheat, barley and rye can be life-threatening to people with celiac disease. Credit: Viktorfischer | Dreamstime Gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat endosperm (a type of tissue produced in seeds that's ground to make flour). Gluten both nourishes plant embryos during germination and later affects the elasticity of dough, which in turn affects the chewiness...

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Genetics Explains Why You Drink So Much Coffee

Genes & Health For those of you attempting to kickstart your Monday: Researchers identified eight gene variants that could explain why some people drink coffee heavily, while others abstain from the drink. If your favorite order at Starbucks is the “red-eye,” you can thank genetics for your ability to slog down all that caffeine without the shakes.   In a new study, scientists identified eight genetic variants that could partly...

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Sealed With a Kiss

A single intimate smooch can transfer upwards of 80 million bacteria.  WIKIMEDIA, ROBERT & MIHAELA VICOL Locking lips spreads more than just love. A healthy dose of microbes are also swapped between kissing couples, according to a study published today (November 17) in Microbe. Researchers in Amsterdam swabbed the mouths and collected saliva from 21 couples visiting a zoo in the city both before and after they shared 10-second kiss....

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The science behind total recall: New player in brain function and memory

Artist's abstraction (stock illustration). Credit: © agsandrew / Fotolia Is it possible to change the amount of information the brain can store? Maybe, according to a new international study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Their research has identified a molecule that puts a brake on brain processing and when removed, brain function and memory recall is improved. Published in the latest issue...

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