According to scientists from the University of Michigan, BanLec, the lectin found in bananas, was just as potent as two anti-HIV drugs. The researchers are now exploring how this chemical could potentially lead to less expensive treatments to prevent the disease.

Current preventions of the disease include using condoms during sexual intercourse and a couple of drugs. But researchers are quick to point out that some women in poorer countries need another form of treatment in case the sex is not consensual. The scientists believe that BanLec may lead to an applied vaginal microbicide treatment that some women would find useful and cheap.

"That’s particularly true in developing countries where women have little control over sexual encounters so development of a long-lasting, self-applied microbicide is very attractive," said study senior author Dr. David Marvovitz.

According to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 59th Annual Scientific Session in Atlanta, Georgia, patients should be cautious when trying to lower their blood pressure, as dangerously low levels could also lead to potentially life-threatening conditions.

According to study author Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, individuals who suffer from diabetes and coronary artery disease should attempt to keep their blood pressure levels between 130 and 140 as 120 could be too much of a health risk for them.

"Our data suggest that in patients with both diabetes and coronary artery disease, there is a blood pressure threshold below which cardiovascular risk increases," Cooper-DeHoff said.

According to the study, although blood pressure levels greater than 140 are associated with nearly half of the increase in cardiovascular risks with diabetic patients, reducing levels below 130 does not offer any additional health benefits.

This finding suggests that regular use of over-the-counter painkillers could reduce your chances of receiving an accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer risk.

For the new study, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York examined PSA levels of 1,319 American men—all over 40 years of age—who used NSAIDs and acetaminophen.  

The researchers found that men who used NSAIDs regularly had PSA levels about 10 percent lower than men who did not use these drugs.  The research group said this finding suggests that regular NSAID consumption may reduce serum PSA levels. But they remain unsure how this could impact the development of prostate cancer.

Study results were published in the American Cancer Society journal Cancer.

This can help drain stuffy sinuses and even help open the airways leading in and out of your lungs. Soon you will be breathing freely and enjoying the taste and smell of your favorite foods again.

But that’s not all cayenne pepper can do for your health. The spice can also stimulate your digestive system and aid in the absorption of key vitamins and minerals. And due to the heated taste of the pepper, your body temperature may rise slightly, which boosts circulation and blood flow to your skin. This is one reason why cayenne peppers are associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading ailments in the elderly that scientists are trying to develop a cure for. Nutritional supplements such as vitamins B6 and B12 may help lower the risk factor by blocking the high levels of homocysteine. High levels of the amino acid occur when a patient is suffering from the disease.

The scientists replicated the impact of very low amyloid-beta concentrations on healthy brain cells to create the same effect of developing Alzheimer’s. They discovered that while there may not be outward damage to the brain, which results in behavioral clues, there are instances of electrical signals that are prevented from traveling through the cells.

These findings have given hope to other scientists that there may be a way to determine the early stages of Alzheimer’s, potentially preventing the disease before it’s too late.

"This opens up a whole series of important questions, and answering them may lead to alternative drugs or other agents to benefit Alzheimer’s patients," explained Alzheimer’s expert Dave Morgan, who reviewed the study.

According to researchers from Duke University Medical Center, the way a body anticipates a meal could be a diabetes risk factor. The way individuals respond to the taste or smell of food could be responsible for the development of the disease.

When individuals anticipate a meal, the parasympathetic nervous systems sets off salivation and increases the production of insulin in anticipation of glucose entering the blood stream. This process could ultimately lead to type 2 diabetes.

"We think this parasympathetic response is potentially important in type 2 diabetes," said Vann Bennett, one of the study’s investigators. "Our study showed there is a novel mutation in the gene encoding ankyrin-B, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. This happens through an impairment of the insulin secretion that is added by the parasympathetic nervous system."

According to a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), patients who had total knee replacement surgery saw a significant improvement in their dynamic balance.

One of the main problems with severe osteoarthritis is an impaired balance and an increased tendency to fall, these problems were fixed with the help of the surgical procedure.

The purpose of the study was to determine if the surgery was effective in fixing a patient’s equilibrium, as falls are one of the leading causes of injuries in elderly individuals.

"Balance is critical to the elderly, especially those with knee problems. This study reinforced our hypothesis about how an osteoarthritic patient’s function is compromised not only due to pain, but also by balance," said Dr. Leonid Kandel, the study’s author and orthopaedic surgeon.

According to a new study published in the journal, Depression and Anxiety, patients who received a series of 10 massage therapy sessions are reported to be half as anxious as they used to be up to three months after the treatment.

Additionally, the researchers found that while massage therapy was effective for anxious patients, it had the same results as people who were left in a room alone with soft and relaxing music. These findings puzzled the scientists.

"We were surprised to find that the benefits of massage were no greater than those of the same number of sessions of ‘thermotherapy’ or listening to relaxing music," said Dr. Karen J. Sherman, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. "This suggests that the benefits of massage may be due to a generalized relaxation response."

According to findings published in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research, obese patients with colon cancer have a greater risk of either death or relapse compared to individuals who maintain a healthy weight.

Researchers found that obese men had a stronger risk than obese women, but there was an overall 35 percent increase in the risk of death related to colon cancer in patients who were excessively overweight.

The scientists said that they were not too surprised by the findings, as multiple studies have shown that obesity increases the risk factor for other problems with an individual’s health.

"More studies are now demonstrating that obesity plays a role as an independent risk factor for poorer patient prognosis that is unrelated to stroke or heart disease," said Dr. James Abbruzzese.