Health Issue: SHORT CUTS

SHORT CUTS 'Body makes antibodies that can fight all flu viruses'      The human body makes rare antibodies effective against all flu viruses and these might be boosted to design a better universal flu treatment, researchers reported on Monday. Tests on mice suggest these immune system proteins could help most people survive a normally lethal dose of flu virus, the team at the University of Wisconsin and Seattle-based Theraclone Sciences said. It may be possible to engineer better versions of the antibodies in the lab to make a good alternative treatment for dangerous flu infections, the researchers said. Beetroot juice reduces stroke risk:      Beetroot has long been known for its various health benefits. Now, an Indian-origin researcher led study says that drinking its bright-red juice daily could substantially reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. A team, led by Amrita Ahluwalia at Queen Mary University in London, has found that beetroot juice contains a chemical, called nitrate, which dramitically reduces blood pressure, and also cuts the risk of heart disease and strokes. The findings have been published in the latest edition of the "Hypertension' journal. Now, tomatoes with extended shelf life:       Indian-origin scientists in the US claim to have created a new variety of tomatoes which can stay fresh for a week longer than usual, after they found a "fountain of youth" for the delicious fruits. A team, led by Avtar Handa of Purdue University, has in fact found that by adding a yeast gene increases production of a compound which slows aging and delays microbial decay in tomatoes, the Plant Journal reported on Monday.