Category Archives: Health Facts

A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.K. and India suggests that learning a second language and becoming bilingual can help to delay dementia and cognitive decline. During the study, which was remarkably straightforward, the researchers noticed that participants with dementia lived about 4.5 years longer before developing the disease if they were bilingual. Even after adjusting for factors such as income and educational background, the researchers determined that the results pertain to Alzheimer’s as well as two other types of dementia. The University of Edinburgh’s Dr. Thomas Bak, one of the lead researchers behind the study, said that although being bilingual won’t remove the risk of developing dementia, it can certainly delay it by many years.

As the pharmaceutical industry continues to grow, many researchers are staying open to treatment materials that might seem counter-intuitive. A new study conducted on mice indicates that compounds found in centipede legs could eventually serve as a natural pain reliever safer than the pharmaceutical drugs we have today. According to biochemist Glenn King, one of the lead researchers behind the study performed at Australia’s University of Queensland, the compound’s potency is similar to that of morphine, and in some cases it actually works much better. Best of all, the mice given the centipede venom showed no signs of side effects or addiction. Although more work will need to be done in order to determine if the venom can ever be used practically, the results demonstrate that safer, more effective pain relievers could be on the horizon.