Columnist Scott LaFee has compiled this week's collection of educational and unusual health news items for public review.

Potential Cancer-Fighting Properties in Dark Cherries

New Study Focuses on Anthocyanins

Recent findings suggest that natural compounds present in dark sweet cherries may help impede the spread and growth of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Scientists at Texas A&M discovered that anthocyanins, the plant pigments responsible for the cherries' deep red hue, appeared to slow metastasis, tumor growth, and resistance to therapy in laboratory mice.

These mice were fed an extract derived from cherries and afflicted with triple-negative breast cancer. Researchers caution that this does not suggest a future cherry-based cure, but rather the potential for an additional anti-cancer tool in comprehensive treatment plans.

Rising Syphilis Rates Among Pregnant Individuals

Alarming Increase in Maternal Infections

The rate of syphilis among pregnant people, which saw a substantial surge between 2016 and 2022, continues its upward trend.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that the maternal syphilis rate climbed another 28% from 2022 to 2024. This follows a massive 222% increase recorded in the preceding six years.

Scope and Contributing Factors

By the close of 2024, nearly 360 out of every 100,000 births were affected by this sexually transmitted infection. Increases were noted across virtually all age and ethnic demographics.

Experts attribute this surge—the highest level recorded since the 1950s—to several factors. These include reduced condom usage, cuts to public health funding for STI prevention, disruptions in prenatal care linked to the pandemic, increased substance abuse, and insufficient prenatal screening protocols.

Quirky Health Facts and Historical Milestones

Physiological Trivia

  • An average adult body contains between 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood, equating to 8% to 10% of total body weight.
  • In contrast, a baby carries only about one cup of blood, which is similar to the volume found in an average adult cat.

The Discovery of Surgical Anesthesia

This week in 1842 marks a significant moment in medical history. Physician Crawford W. Long of Jefferson, Georgia, became the first person to utilize ether as an anesthetic during a minor surgical procedure.

Long applied an ether-soaked towel to the face of patient James Venable before removing a neck tumor. Although this event occurred four years before William Thomas Morton's public demonstration, Long's work was not disclosed until 1849 in the Southern Medical Journal. His accomplishment is now widely recognized as the true discovery of surgical anesthesia.

Auto-Brewery Syndrome Explained

Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare condition where individuals experience the effects of intoxication, including hangovers, without consuming any or only minimal amounts of alcohol.

This effect is caused by specific types of fungi or bacteria within the gut that ferment carbohydrates, thereby producing ethanol internally.

Celebrating the Ig Nobel Prizes

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor scientific achievements that manage to be both humorous and thought-provoking. They recognize real science that is difficult to take seriously but impossible to ignore.

For instance, the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Biology was awarded to a Dutch researcher who completed a census of all the mites, insects, spiders, and other organisms sharing human beds at night.

Normal Heart Rate Data

The typical resting heart rate for most individuals falls between 60 to 80 beats per minute (BPM). However, elite, well-trained athletes may exhibit rates closer to 40 to 60 BPM.

Rates that consistently remain above 100 BPM or fall below 60 BPM may indicate an underlying health condition requiring medical attention.