Coffee linked with lower depression risk in women

CHICAGO (REUTERS) - Women who drink four cups of coffee a day are 20 per cent less likely to become depressed than women who rarely drink coffee, United States researchers said on Monday.

Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world, and coffee consumption accounts for about 80 per cent of caffeine use.

Secret to shark health could fight human viruses

Sharks are primitive creatures but their bodies produce a sophisticated substance that shows promise in fighting a range of human viruses from hepatitis to yellow fever, researchers said on Monday. -- PHOTO: AP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Sharks are primitive creatures but their bodies produce a sophisticated substance that shows promise in fighting a range of human viruses from hepatitis to yellow fever, researchers said on Monday.

The compound, called squalamine, was discovered in 1993 but the study in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences is the first to explore its potential use against human viruses.