Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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An Alternative to the Needle
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MONDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDayNews) -- A new polymer gel may offer an alternative to the injections required to manage diseases such as diabetes, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, bowel cancer and infections. The polymer gel, developed by researchers in India, can carry drugs through the stomach and deliver them into the colon, where they're released, according to a study in the Sept. 20 online issue of Polymer International. This type of oral drug delivery can be difficult because enzymes in the stomach can break down an active drug before it reaches the target site in the colon. To test the gel, the researchers loaded it with vitamin B2 and studied its releasing capacity in conditions that simulated the human body. They concluded that the gel can deliver 56 percent of the drug to the colon. More research is needed to develop actual pills that use this polymer gel. More information The National Diabetes Education Program has advice about controlling diabetes.
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