Wellington, Dec 28 : Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day may reduce risk of developing endometrial cancer by almost 25 per cent, a new study has suggested.

Originating in the lining of the uterus, endometrial cancer is one of the most widespread invasive gynaecological cancers.

Wellington, Aug 31- Dairy giant Fonterra has bought an Indian pharmaceutical firm as part of a joint venture with a Dutch dairy company.

Fonterra announced Wednesday that its 50-50 joint venture with Royal FrieslandCampina, DMV-Fonterra Excipients (DFE), had agreed to acquire ingredient manufacturer Brahmar Cellulose Private Limited (BCPL), based in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, reported Xinhua.

Auckland, May 11 : An outbreak of a highly infectious virus has affected nearly 300 people in New Zealand's Northland region, a media report said.

So far, there have been 283 reported cases of norovirus gastroenteritis, with two deaths in the region, the New Zealand Press Association reported.

The two deaths were linked to the virus outbreak, but it was not the cause of them.

Wellington, Feb 10: When it comes to discussing weight issues, both sexes in a relationship often find it hard to address, but taking into consideration a partner's feelings can help make it easier.

When addressing such a problem as weight gain, partners need to ensure that the person in their life understands that they are doing it out of love, respect and care, Stuff. co. nz reported.

Wellington, Jan 17: A NZ company has discovered a brand new use for Marlborough sauvignon blanc - using it in sunscreen.

Marlborough company NZ Extracts recently commissioned AgResearch to investigate whether sauvignon blanc extracts could help avoid sunburn.

Wellington, Jan 17: A study has found that those who drank free milk supplied at schools have a reduced risk of bowel cancer.

Associate Professor Brian Cox and Dr Mary Jane Sneyd at Otago University revealed that they found a 30 per cent reduced risk of bowel cancer for those who took part in school milk programmes.

Wellington, Jan 13 : New research has suggested that people who roll their own cigarettes are more addicted than those who smoke the readymade variety.

Amy Lewis of the Victoria University has found that cigarettes contain a number of addictive elements within the tar, in addition to the commonly cited nicotine.

Wellington, Jan 13 : Smokers who prefer roll-your-own tobacco may be more intensely addicted to the habit than those who puff on readymade cigarettes.

Doctoral graduate Amy Lewis at the Victoria University in New Zealand investigated how tobacco smoke influences proteins involved in cigarette addiction.

Wellington, Jan 9 : More and more girls are joining the binge-drinking culture and ending up in hospital in New Zealand, it has been revealed.

A pilot programme in Wellington by the Ministry of Health has provided a better picture of the impact of the country''s drinking culture.

Wellington, Jan 2 : Forget sunscreens, the thing that can actually protect your skin from UV rays is broccoli juice, say scientists.

Scientists in the United States have been testing broccoli extract on human volunteers and mice, which showed their skin was protected against sunburn.

Broccoli contains sulforaphane, an antioxidant, which helps stop sunburn and tumour development.

Additionally, scientists in New Zealand have also suggested that extract from totara and manuka trees could act in a similar way to broccoli.

Wellington, Dec 16 : Kiwi nutrition experts have issued warning over the potentially harmful repercussions of a recently revived fad diet based on hormones from human placenta.

The diet involves a very low calorie intake combined with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone found in the placenta during pregnancy.

Wellington, Dec 2 : A new study has found that nurture rather than nature influences aggression in children.

The study compares genetically related and genetically unrelated children born to parents using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to examine the idea that depression and anti-social behaviour are primarily influenced by genes.

Wellington, Nov 27 : If you are pregnant, there are iPhone apps that can help you get through the process. And while it''s true that these apps don''t make the pain ago away, they do let you keep track of things and become more knowledgeable.

Pregnancy-related phone applications are an extremely handy pregnancy resource that can be used just about anywhere, reports Stuff. co. nz.

Wellington, Nov 21 : A new killer strain of superbug-New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-has reached New Zealand and up to four patients have contracted the bacterial gene since December last year.

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1, is found in E. Coli and Klebsiella bacteria, causing anything from urinary tract infections, high fevers and pneumonia to abdominal infections. In extreme cases, it can be fatal.

New Zealand, Nov 01 : Kiwi developers, who developed a device that may give fresh hope to stroke and brain injury survivors have big plans for their product''s entrance into the lucrative export market.

The device allows stroke victims to play simple video games using an "air mouse" attached to a handlebar wirelessly connected to a computer.

Able-X is the brainchild of Industrial Research engineer Marcus King.

Auckland, Sep 12 - In a rare altruistic gesture, a nurse in New Zealand donated her house worth $800,000 to a charity.

Knipe-Ackermann, who died in January on her 73rd birthday after a battle with bowel cancer, gifted her Ponsonby home to Oxfam. The house was sold for $800,000, making it the biggest bequest in the history of the New Zealand arm of the charity.

Wellington, Sept 8 : New research has indicated that making fatty foods and alcohol expensive will be a lot more effective in promoting nutrition and health than licensing controls and patient interventions.

The Australian research also indicated making fatty foods more expensive was more effective than focussing on educational campaigns to improve nutrition.

Wellington, August 2 : A psychologist has warned that computer screens are bad for the brains of young children.

Dr Aric Sigman, an American-born British psychologist warns against computer usage, especially by any children under 9.

"Children are adults [legally] at 18 but their brains are not adult till they''re 24 and a half," The New Zealand Herald quoted Sigman as saying.

Wellington, July 20 : Having lunch off a toilet seat is safer than a typical office desk, according to an American microbiologist.

"There''s more faecal bacteria in your kitchen sink than in your toilet after you flush it. People nuke their bathrooms, but not their kitchens," The New Zealand Herald quoted Dr Charles Gerba, of Arizona University, as saying.

Auckland, July 19 : Vitamin C could play a key role in fighting cancer.

People with cancer cells should have more vitamin C to limit tumour growth, a research led by Margreet Vissers, associate professor at the University of Otago, has said.

"Our results offer a promising and simple intervention to help in our fight against cancer, at the level of both prevention and cure," Vissers was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

Wellington, July 9 : A New Zealand woman dying of cancer will be buried in a pink coffin decorated with 30 pairs of breasts, a newspaper reported Friday.

Pam Hermansen, 48, of Christchurch, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, told The Press it had been a major part of her life so she wanted breasts represented at her funeral.

Wellington, July 5 : A new international study that suggests obese women get less sex than their skinner counterparts has come under fire from big Kiwi women.

Appearing last month in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the research - covering nearly 12,000 French people - claimed fat women were 30 per cent less likely than "normal"-weight women to report having a sexual partner in the past year.

New Zealand, June 18 : Mum's kiss could give newborn babies lifelong protection against sore throats and ear infections, found a world-first study in New Zealand.

The University of Otago study aims to determine if newborns can receive, and establish, good bacteria that have been introduced to their mother''s mouths.

Wellington, June 18 : A study has found that even a single alcoholic drink can triple the chances of a driver dying in a car accident, as it can increase a driver's blood-alcohol level by more than half the legal limit.

The British study, commissioned by the Government, has advised that legal limits for drinking and driving should be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Wellington, May 28 : Men in New Zealand are very much worried about their looks with hair loss, dandruff and weight gain being their three biggest concerns, according to a new survey.

In the Head & Shoulders Hair Retain Survey, 29 percent said that they were worried about having dandruff and 26 percent were concerned about losing their hair.