It's well known that even healthy elderly people have decreased appetites and may eat less than is necessary to promote continued health. A new study suggests that an elevated level of an anorexic hormone — PYY — might be involved.

A team of chemists demonstrated that they can identify the true animal source of leather goods by examining collagen. This technique could be enormously useful for investigating cases in which counterfeit leather goods are suspected.

Some Olympians are using a recuperative procedure known as "cupping therapy," where hot glasses or cups are placed over sore areas of the body. And while there's no scientific study proving its effectiveness, don't tell that to these pumped-up, polka-dotted performers, because to them the process is absolutely beneficial to their quest for Olympic gold.

For marketing purposes and to reinvent themselves, some food companies are now adding rather unusual colors to your favorite foods. For example, McDonald's in China unveiled two new sandwiches with red and green buns to celebrate the release of "Angry Birds."

Women who use estrogen-containing contraceptives may have an increased level of vitamin D in their blood. However, a recent study suggests that the vitamin level can drop if she decides to become pregnant and stops taking the pills. It's important for women and their doctors to be aware of this possibility.

In the first article of this series we discussed the last of four measures that the Center for Medicare Services uses to establish hospital star ratings — the patient experience — which heavily weighted in determining hospital ratings.
New York hospitals had significantly longer delays than national averages, and the ratings reflect this.

A novel (and sorely needed) asthma drug is making some noise during Phase II clinical trials in Great Britain. Inflammation and constriction of the airways was shown in a small number of subjects. Should this hold up in larger trials, it could be a game changer for all asthmatics.

1. Organic honey is disappearing in the US, and for a reason that makes sense. Beehive keepers have learned that there is no organic solution for varroa mites, the pests implicated as the key reason why honey bees sometimes have greater than average seasonal deaths. And they would rather lose their organic sticker than lose their business.

Using population-based data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute, two new studies looked at testicular germ cell tumors and glioblastoma and found that only private insurance had better outcomes for patients.

Spoilage in milk, and risk of food poisoning, happens because of the presence of harmful bacteria. That is why pasteurization saves so many lives and the raw milk food fad has orders of magnitude greater risk of causing illness.
So do you want milk to last for two months? A new science study shows it's affordable and works.