Health issue: SHORT CUTS

SHORT CUTS Olive leaf extract can help fight obesity, says study    A new researche has revealed that a cup of coffee prepared with olive leaf extract may help in combating obesity. The study involved feeding rats a high carbohydrate, high fat diet for eight weeks until they developed signs of metabolic syndrome. The rats given coffee fortified with olive leaf extract for a further eight weeks showd improved cardiovascular, liver and metabolic signs compared with rats given normal coffee. Lindsay Brown of University of Southern Queensland's said the olive leaf extract led to weight loss because of its anti-inflammatory properties, reports the Sydney Morning Heraid. Tea tree oil may combat skin cancer:     Tea tree oil, widely used for removing spots and insect bites,may offer a cheap and effective treatment for some skin cancers, scientists claim. Researchers at the University of Western Australia found the oil can shrink non-melanoma skin cancers in mice in just one day and cured them within three days. Non-melanoma skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that affect thousands across the world every year. The activating body's immune response, the Daily Mail reported. 'Minute particles' found in asteroid pod:          Japan's space agency said it has found "minute particles" of what it hopes is asteroid dust in the capsule of the space probe Hayabusa which returned to Earth last month. Scientists hope any dust samples from the asteroid itokawa could help reveal secrets about the origins of solar system. But the agency says it is still unclear whether the particles are contaminants from Earth of come from itokawa which the space probe landed on.