New figures for the number of workers who were fatally injured in the agriculture sector have today been released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)…

Echinacea has been used for hundreds of years as an herbal remedy to prevent or treat colds, and today it is among the most commonly used herbal medicines in North America. However, in spite of its popularity, studies of the effect of the herb on the body’s immune system are conflicting…

New research shows increased muscle performance in sub-maximal activities, which in humans can range from everyday activities to running a marathon. With no current regulations in place, the scientists from Coventry University believe their findings may have implications for the use of caffeine in sport to improve performance…

USAID will contribute $11.5 million for the Market Linkages Initiative (MLI), a two-year program aimed at promoting trade in “staple foods” in East Africa, the Daily Nation reports. The project’s goal is “to build food security and capacity with strategic partners to open up market access for small-scale farmers” in seven countries, the publication writes (Senelwa, 6/29)…

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century…

An across-the-board review of the health effects of Qigong and Tai Chi finds these practices offer many physical and mental health advantages with benefits for the heart, immune system and overall quality of life…

Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KNE), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and disperse microbial biofilms, is pleased to announce the invention of biotech plants producing DispersinB® antibiofilm enzyme. This provides a proof of concept for developing bacterial disease resistant agricultural crops of economic importance…

Women who measure their peak heart rates for exercise will need to do some new math as will physicians giving stress tests to patients. A new formula based on a large study from Northwestern Medicine provides a more accurate estimate of the peak heart rate a healthy woman should attain during exercise. It also will more accurately predict the risk of heart-related death during a stress test…

Male fish that used to be feminized after chemicals, such as the pharmaceutical ethinylestradiol, made it through the Boulder, Colo., Wastewater Treatment Plant and into Boulder Creek, are taking longer to become feminized after a plant upgrade to an activated sludge process, according to a new study. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego…

Even though freshwater concentrations of mercury are far greater than those found in seawater, it’s the saltwater fish like tuna, mackerel and shark that end up posing a more serious health threat to humans who eat them. The answer, according to Duke University researchers, is in the seawater itself…