Reaper Proteins

Scientists have been known to give some proteins whimsical names. Such is the case with a protein called Reaper as in Grim Reaper. The Rockefeller University website has a news article about experiments whose results are detailed in a paper published in the Journal of Cell Biology. The Reaper protein is the focus of the article. Cells have a mechanism known as apoptosis which enables organisms to kill off their own cells. Why would such a mechanism exist? Because it is sometimes advantageous to an organism to be able to kill defective cells, particularly ones with severely damaged DNA or precancerous properties.

Reaper facilitates the killing process by interacting with inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) in order to release the brakes on the cellular suicide mechanism. IAPs inhibit the process as their name implies. An ability to enhance the effectiveness of Reaper proteins so as to target specified cells like cancerous ones, for example, offers the possibility of adding a new weapon to the cancer fighting arsenal.

Scientists have discovered that Reaper proteins effect their mission by making contacting with cellular organelles called mitochondria. Mitochondria can be thought of as cellular energy factories. The travel of Reaper to the mitochondria is effected by latching on to Hid proteins. The Hid/Reaper complex of proteins protects Reaper from degradation. Getting Reaper directly to mitochondria can mean a more effective killing process.

Calm Down With These Drinks

5 Drinks That Help You Calm Down is a Yahoo Shine article with some advice for those looking for natural counters to stress. The list of five drinks includes two teas (black and green), milk which can generate mood-boosting serotonin, hot cocoa and cold water followed by an outdoor walk. The purpose of the water and walk combination is to stimulate endorphins.

Healthy Foods

7 Best Stress-Fighting Foods is an article listing the seven as papaya, peppermint tea, pumpkin seeds, avocados, salmon, almonds and oatmeal. Papaya is very rich in vitamin C. The author noted a study indicating that the amount of vitamin C found in a large papaya was linked to the stoppage of stress hormones in rats.

Another article worthy of note is 25 Superfoods For Your Entire Body. Omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, which are found in arctic char, were credited as improving both moods and brain function.

Blood Sugar Level Benefits of White Rye Flour

A Science Daily article titled White Rye Bread Healthier Than Whole Wheat? states:

ScienceDaily (2010-02-15) -- Wholegrain bread is good and good for you, as most people know. But it is not only the fiber-rich bran, the outer shell of the grain, that is healthful. On the contrary, new research shows that bread baked with white rye flour, which is flour made from the inner, white part of the rye kernel, leads to better insulin and blood sugar levels compared with wheat bread with rye bran. White rye flour thus leads to much better values than both regular wheat flour and rye bran. At the same time, much of the bread that is sold in stores today in most countries is in fact baked with wheat flour and bran from various grains.

Also of interest to those who eat breakfast is the finding that rye porridges are particularly good for you.

Medical Tort Reform Needed

Fear of Lawsuits May Prompt Some Doctors to Overprescribe Antibiotics, is a Science Daily article which states the following:

ScienceDaily (2009-12-20) -- Investigators surveyed 162 health-care providers to determine whether medical liability concerns were as important as antibiotic cost and formulary restrictions in selecting treatment regimens. They found a strong correlation between the prevalence of methicillin resistance and density of attorneys in countries in Europe and North America.

Our skewed tort system is literally killing some of us. A physician's mindset should be singularly devoted to patient care. The Hippocratic Oath has been taken seriously for centuries and has withstood challenges. But the challenge to a physician's income may be the most devastating challenge of all. Defenders of the status quo with respect to our tort system argue that it's about justice. I agree but find the blindness of the other side tragic. Deep pockets rather than culpability too often determines where a case ends up. That's not justice we're seeing but greed.

Veggie Myths

Seven myths about veggies is a Shine article containing some worthy facts.

Loss of nutrients begins after picking.

Since frozen vegetables are flash frozen soon after picking they can be more nutritious than fressh produce.

Cooking can release as well as destroy nutrients. Releasing nutrients into water is a basic of good soup.

Iceberg lettuce, although mostly water, does have small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Healthy Heart Foods

5 Foods to Prevent Heart Disease is a Shine article from Yahoo. The five foods listed are: garlic, salmon, berries and cherries, quinoa and hot cocoa. Hot cocoa came as a surprise to me. The writer states that hot cocoa is loaded with antioxidants. There is said to be "two-times more than red wine and three times more than green tea."

Quinoa is a small sprouted seed which is a good source of magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral which relaxes blood vessels.