The New Zealand scientist who discovered manuka honey’s unique health properties has put his name to a new testing standard that will ensure consumers are getting what they paid for.

Professor Peter Molan MBE, from the University of Waikato’s Honey Research Unit, said the surging global demand for New Zealand manuka honey is creating a major ethical concern in the way it is being marketed to consumers.

People who are overweight – but not obese – tend to live longer than people who are underweight or normal weight, according to a new study.

The Canadian study was published in the online journal Obesity, and found that people who were underweight or extremely obese (based on their body mass index or BMI) died the earliest reports WebMD.

Women have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

But everyone has more types of bacteria on their hands than the researchers at the University of Colorado expected to find.

Sperm cells can be turned into stem cells with similar properties to embryo stem cells, according to new German and UK research, reports the BBC.

The journal Nature published the study, raising hopes of a ready supply of ‘repair tissue' for the body, but it’s too early to draw firm conclusions as it is unclear whether the cells could be safely used in humans one day.

Poor dental hygiene increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes according to two studies out this week, reports Agence France-Presse.

The number one killer in the world is heart disease, extinguishing 17 million lives every year according to World Health Organisation figures, and it is the leading cause of death in the US, England, Canada, Wales and New Zealand, where it accounts for 40 per cent of all deaths annually – 11,300 people.

The head of medical affairs at GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand, Andrew Hvizdos, has responded to questions from NBR regarding reported severe reactions to a reformulated version of a potentially lifesaving drug they produce - Eltroxin.