By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . Immaca-ulate: Model Miranda Kerr uses the plant extract in her smoothies . A South American plant could work as an  anti-depressant. The maca plant has long been eaten for its purported health benefits. Maca extract was  fed to mice over six weeks and those given the highest dose were found to exhibit the least depressed behaviour. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol decreased while levels of the happy hormone dopamine rose, according to research at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Maca, which is available from health food stores, has previously been credited with boosting energy and libido, and clearing up acne. Fans include supermodel Miranda Kerr, who mixes the powder into smoothies. A liquid probiotic supplement has been shown to be effective for sufferers of  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Symprove – a barley-based drink that delivers four strains of helpful bacteria to the gut – significantly improved pain in patients who had not responded to conventional treatments, according to a study. IBS affects one in five people and causes abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. There is no cure. The supplement, costing £79 for about four weeks’ supply, relieved symptoms in 60 per cent of patients within 12 weeks, with no unpleasant side effects. ‘This is a real breakthrough,’ said Professor Ingvar Bjarnason, consultant gastroenterologist  at Kings College Hospital and principal investigator of the study published in the Journal Of Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. ‘Symprove had a profound impact, and for the first time we saw people becoming symptom-free.’ Root of all cheerful: Extract from the South American maca plant has been found to work as an anti-depressant has previously been credited with boosting energy and libido, and clearing up acne . PEOPLE who live on a noisy road have higher blood pressure than those in  quiet backstreets. Each ten-decibel increase in sound is linked to an 11 per cent rise in the risk of high blood pressure, a new study found. And high noise levels in the living room during the day increased the risk of hypertension by 24 per cent. The German Federal Environment Agency investigated the health of nearly 2,000 people. ‘Chronic exposure to traffic noise is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure,’ said Dr Wolfgang Babisch, who led the study. The reason is unclear, but one theory is that noise has a stress-like effect that releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Digging for fitness: Victoria has found gardening tones her arms . Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton has a new secret to her health and fitness – gardening. The . 33-year-old has started growing her own fruit and vegetables in her . Cheshire garden after turning vegetarian, and has found it’s transformed . her physique. ‘It’s great . for my arms,’ says Victoria, who has lost 11lb and inches from her . thighs since she retired from cycling after the London 2012 Olympics. ‘I . like to know where the vegetables come from and I get a workout at the . same time. 'My upper-body strength is good compared to other cyclists as I . have two doberman dogs and I’m constantly pulling them backwards to . make sure they don’t run away, but now my arms are stronger than ever.’ An invention backed by two investors from BBC’s Dragons’ Den could prevent Legionnaire’s Disease. Called Steri-Spray, it uses ultraviolet light  to destroy legionella bacteria that can lurk in shower heads and taps and cause a pneumonia-type lung infection if inhaled. It also purges incoming water of bacteria. Water treatment specialist Ian Helmore came up with the idea after finding a positive legionella sample on a shower during testing at a hospital. It led to all showers being shut for two weeks. His solution is backed by Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis, and Steri-Spray products are now used in 26 of the UK’s 50 NHS trusts. Last month The Mail on Sunday told how Alethea Parker lost her legs and hands after contracting the disease from a shower.
Maca plant extract found to work against stress and depression .
Tests on mice found that levels of dopamine rose thanks to maca .
Celebrity fans such as supermodel Miranda use it in smoothies .
By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . Immaca-ulate: Model Miranda Kerr uses the plant extract in her smoothies . A South American plant could work as an  anti-depressant. The maca plant has long been eaten for its purported health benefits. Maca extract was  fed to mice over six weeks and those given the highest dose were found to exhibit the least depressed behaviour. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol decreased while levels of the happy hormone dopamine rose, according to research at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Maca, which is available from health food stores, has previously been credited with boosting energy and libido, and clearing up acne. Fans include supermodel Miranda Kerr, who mixes the powder into smoothies. A liquid probiotic supplement has been shown to be effective for sufferers of  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Symprove – a barley-based drink that delivers four strains of helpful bacteria to the gut – significantly improved pain in patients who had not responded to conventional treatments, according to a study. IBS affects one in five people and causes abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. There is no cure. The supplement, costing £79 for about four weeks’ supply, relieved symptoms in 60 per cent of patients within 12 weeks, with no unpleasant side effects. ‘This is a real breakthrough,’ said Professor Ingvar Bjarnason, consultant gastroenterologist  at Kings College Hospital and principal investigator of the study published in the Journal Of Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. ‘Symprove had a profound impact, and for the first time we saw people becoming symptom-free.’ Root of all cheerful: Extract from the South American maca plant has been found to work as an anti-depressant has previously been credited with boosting energy and libido, and clearing up acne . PEOPLE who live on a noisy road have higher blood pressure than those in quiet backstreets. Each ten-decibel increase in sound is linked to an 11 per cent rise in the risk of high blood pressure, a new study found. And high noise levels in the living room during the day increased the risk of hypertension by 24 per cent. The German Federal Environment Agency investigated the health of nearly 2,000 people. ‘Chronic exposure to traffic noise is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure,’ said Dr Wolfgang Babisch, who led the study. The reason is unclear, but one theory is that noise has a stress-like effect that releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Digging for fitness: Victoria has found gardening tones her arms . Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton has a new secret to her health and fitness – gardening. The . 33-year-old has started growing her own fruit and vegetables in her . Cheshire garden after turning vegetarian, and has found it’s transformed . her physique. ‘It’s great . for my arms,’ says Victoria, who has lost 11lb and inches from her . thighs since she retired from cycling after the London 2012 Olympics. ‘I . like to know where the vegetables come from and I get a workout at the . same time. 'My upper-body strength is good compared to other cyclists as I . have two doberman dogs and I’m constantly pulling them backwards to . make sure they don’t run away, but now my arms are stronger than ever.’ An invention backed by two investors from BBC’s Dragons’ Den could prevent Legionnaire’s Disease. Called Steri-Spray, it uses ultraviolet light  to destroy legionella bacteria that can lurk in shower heads and taps and cause a pneumonia-type lung infection if inhaled. It also purges incoming water of bacteria. Water treatment specialist Ian Helmore came up with the idea after finding a positive legionella sample on a shower during testing at a hospital. It led to all showers being shut for two weeks. His solution is backed by Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis, and Steri-Spray products are now used in 26 of the UK’s 50 NHS trusts. Last month The Mail on Sunday told how Alethea Parker lost her legs and hands after contracting the disease from a shower.
Miranda Kerr uses the plant extract in her smoothies . A South American plant could work as hormone cortisol decreased while levels of the happy hormone dopamine rose, according to the South American maca plant has been found to such as cortisol and adrenaline. Digging for