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Boy or girl? Mothers can control outcome Mothers can adjust the sex of their unborn children in response to the environment where they live, according to new research. The study, published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B, finds that mothers exert far more control than fathers do over whether or not the couple has a son or daughter. The goal is to improve the child’s survival. “It seems likely that when there are large and predictable costs associated with producing and/or rearing either sons or daughters in a given environment, females should bias offspring sex ratios to produce the sex that will perform best in the given environment,” co-author Sarah Pryke told Discovery News. “Altering offspring sex ratios in response to the quality of the local environment is likely to be highly advantageous to any species, as it should allow mothers to best match the phenotype of their offspring to the prevailing condition, and thus maxim...

  How to know if our kidneys are working fine The kidneys generally work silently, filtering blood , balancing fluids , and keeping the body’s internal chemistry in perfect sync. There are two of them, about the size of fists, just under the rib cage, working 24/7. Unlike the heart or stomach, they rarely shout when something’s wrong or when everything’s right. But here’s something interesting: kidneys have their own ways of expressing happiness. Not everything needs a lab test. Sometimes, it’s about observing the little things that can go unnoticed. Here are some of the quiet signs that point toward a pair of kidneys in perfect harmony. 7 Morning breath feels fresh and clean Bad breath only comes from poor oral hygiene or gut problems. The  kidneys  play a role in clearing waste like urea from the blood. When they falter, toxins build up, leading to a fishy or ammonia-like breath , especially in the morning. If waking up feels light, without a dry mouth or strange tast...

  We're told an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but does this humble fruit really have an outsized positive effect on our health? The world loves apples. Every year, almost 100 million  tonnes of apples are produced globally . These fruits, which comes in  a wide range of colours and flavours , have long had a reputation for helping us stay healthy. The popular phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" originates from a slightly wordier Welsh proverb written in 1866: "Eat an apple on going to bed and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." But is there any truth at the core of this longstanding maxim? And are apples especially healthy compared to other fruit? First, let's think about the nutrients that apples contain. For one thing, they are a rich source of  phytochemicals, including flavanols . These compounds have been linked to numerous health benefits, such as maintaining a healthy weight and lowering your heart disease risk. Why ap...

  Thyme is a Mediterranean herb with dietary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. The flowers, leaves, and oil of thyme plants can treat various symptoms and complaints. The most common variety is Thymus vulgaris . A wide range of thyme-related products, such as for cooking or for skin care , are available. This article looks at thyme’s medicinal uses and nutrition and the history of its rise to popularity. thyme in gardens and gathered it in the countryside. Scientific research does not support this use for respiratory illnesses but has shown that thyme has a range of medicinal properties that modern people can benefit from Benefits of Thyme. researched the anticancer effects of thyme . A 2023 study found that concentrations of thyme oil decrease the viability of breast cancer cells by 50%. Another 2023 study found that thyme oil is rich in components such as thymol and p-cymene , which have detrimental effects on certain cancer cell lines , stopping cancer cells from migrating to...