Glucosamine "Found to Be Ineffective"
New York Times 23 February 2006

A 24 week study of 1583 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee compared glucosamine and chondroitin, alone and in combination, with Celebrex (celecoxib) and placebo and found that only the drug, the Celebrex worked! This study and finding are rather perplexing. I'm a dog owner. Elderly dogs get arthritis. Here in Toronto almost everyone treats their arthritic dogs on glucosamine and see dramatic results again and again almost invariably. Perhaps we are using much higher doses on our pets. Perhaps dogs responded dramatically better to glucosamine, but in any event, if you have arthritis you might try glucosamine regardless of the quoted study above.

"Light exercise brings big cut in Alzheimer's risk, say researchers" Guardian 17 January 2006

People over the age of 65 who exercise lightly (fifteen minutes, three times a week) are up to 40% less likely to develop dementia.

Hormone can help dieters keep off weight
Guardian, 6 December 2005

This too is rather complex: fat cells secrete a hormone called leptin. When we lose weight/fat and the levels of leptin decrease, the metabolism goes into "starvation mode"; thyroid and adrenal levels drop, muscles work more effeciently. Experimental subjects with a 10% weight loss burned 23% fewer calories during light exercise. Injections of leptin reversed these effects.