The ‘runner’s high’ – that feeling of euphoria and reduced anxiety that you get after exercise – is not directly caused by endorphins, according to new research from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Instead, it’s caused by endocannabinoids, molecules naturally produced by the body, which act similarly to cannabis. The researchers found this by measuring … Read more
It was unlikely that the residents of Islamic Sicily drank alcohol, but that didn’t stop them being involved in a possible thriving wine trade, according to a new study. Chemical residues of grapes found in medieval containers from Sardinia and Pisa led researchers from the University of York to speculate on how they were used. … Read more
Herpes and toxic chemicals are causing an aggressive cancer in California’s sea lions that has killed up to 23 percent of the population, study reveals Scientists analyzed 329 sea lions that have died over the past 20 years They found that many of them were suffering with an aggressive cancer After analyzing blubber, blood and … Read more
Smoking marijuana exposes the body to some of the same toxic chemicals released from tobacco, but at lower levels, according to a new study. Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the levels of several dangerous chemicals in the blood and urine of 245 volunteers. Some of the … Read more
Smoking marijuana exposes you to low levels of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke, study finds Researchers took blood and urine samples from 245 volunteers with HIV They used HIV patients due to high levels of marijuana and tobacco smoking They found evidence of naphthalene, acrylonitrile and acrylamide chemicals These are all probably carcinogens in humans … Read more
Rivers are being poisoned — and salmon killed — by toxic chemicals used to slow wear and tear on car tyres, researchers have warned. When tyres are used, microscopic particles break off and pollute the environment. When washed into rivers, they leach out chemicals into the surrounding water. US Researchers found that, amid this ‘giant … Read more
Metabolism is a key process in living things that enables fuel to be turned into energy, but its evolutionary origin is a long-standing enigma. Now, a study by US researchers has found a simple reaction between two chemicals, called glyoxylate and pyruvate, in Earth’s primordial soup billions of years ago may have led to the … Read more
New EU rule says cosmetics MUST be tested on animals despite the chemicals being used in hundreds of ‘cruelty free’ products supported by ambassadors such as Leona Lewis Eurocrats said chemicals in ‘cruelty-free’ cosmetics must be tested on animals Protesters say it destroys the EU-wide ban on animal experiments for cosmetics The two chemicals are … Read more
Chemicals commonly used in food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances and pharmaceuticals may trigger ADHD in teenagers, study warns Researchers from the US analysed the behavioural characteristics of 205 teens They identified those with signs of significant behavioural problems or ADHD This data was then compared with chemical analyses of each teen’s urine They found that hormone-system disrupting … Read more
Plastic pollution eaten by seabirds releases ‘potentially harmful’ chemicals in their stomachs Seabirds often confuse pieces of plastic waste with food and ingest them Experts from the Netherlands created a simulated bird stomach in their lab They used real plastic debris from beaches and stomach oil from real birds Analysis revealed that various chemical leach … Read more