Thanks to WikiCommons!

We here at US Democrazy are always concerned about health.  I mean, skipping class is much less fun when you’re actually sick…

So we were delighted to learn about this new healthy tidbit:

Drinking alcohol can reduce the rate of heart disease in men by one third (sorry ladies, the results are not as good for you!).

BBC reports,

For those drinking little – less than a shot of vodka a day for instance – the risk was reduced by 35%. And for those who drank anything from three shots to more than 11 shots each day, the risk worked out an average of 50% less.

Looks like this is good news for irresponsible college students.  However, Professor Martin McKee from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was very quick to warn that

People should not be encouraged to drink more because of this research.

It is worth noting  alcohol is the cause of 1.8 million deaths worldwide (sorry to break the bad news).

In other health news, scientists have discovered the enzyme that causes tumors that can lead to breast cancer in women.

The BBC reports,

The Institute of Cancer Research says blocking the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX) reduced the size and frequency of tumours in mice.

Because this enzyme is more common in older women, you young’un’s are presumably safe for the short term. Scientists are already looking for a cure.

Our final healthy tidbit is about a tribe in Papau New Guinea has become immune to mad cow disease, scientifically known as kuru.

This suggests that evolution has taken place in just a matter of decades to ensure that members of this tribe are safe from diseases associated with cannibalism (mmm, tasty).

This is awesome for several reasons. We can use information gleaned from this tribe’s genes to learn more about a cure for this painful disease. Plus people who would normally be in danger are now completely safe!

Science joke of the week:

How do you tell the difference between a male and female chromosome?

Just pull down their genes!