Watermelon has Viagra effect

Researchers in Texas have discovered that citrulline, a phytonutrient (a compound that triggers a healthy response in the body) found in abundance in watermelons, may produce the same effect as Viagra. While Viagra is organ-specific, relaxing blood vessels around the groin and thus allowing the blood to pump in, citrulline gets to work on the whole body, decreasing the risk of heart disease and potentially stimulating libido at the same time.

AgNews, 30 June 2008

Voting with our genes

The decision of whether or not to vote may be partly down to our genes, according to a US study into voter behaviour. It found that individuals with particular variants of the MAOA and 5HTT genes were around 10 per cent more likely to have gone to the polls for the 2000 US presidential election than those without, and that genetic differences could affect everything from donating to a campaign to running for office. It seems politics really could be in the blood.

American Political Science Review, 1 July 2008

Fake drugs online

A report by the European Alliance for Access for Safe Medicines claims that 62 per cent of drugs bought online are counterfeit or substandard. Researchers ordered a range of prescription-only drugs from 100 seemingly reputable online pharmacies and found that only 38 per cent were genuine branded drugs. Of these, 16 per cent were illegal imports from outside the EU, while 33 per cent had no information detailing side effects or safe dosage. Only 4.4 per cent of the websites were licensed, the rest were not bound by any legal or safety regulations.

British Medical Journal, 2 July 2008