Today’s dose will give your immune system a boost. There’s good news for those suffering from COPD, and some not-so-good news for the food pyramid. Also, what can brown (fat) do for you?

— See that picture? We just boosted your immune system, apparently. In a new study, 28 individuals were shown a slideshow of images featuring sick people. Blood was drawn before and after, and researchers found that levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an immune system molecule, jumped 23% during the slide show. Some participants instead saw a slideshow with guns being pointed at them, but they experienced a mere 6% boost in IL-6. (Psychology Today via Gawker — yes, Gawker)

— Researchers have developed a potential oral vaccine for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the results of a trial were promising: Cases of moderate-to-severe exacerbations were down 68% among the 38 patients, while hospitalizations were down 90%. The vaccine uses inactivated bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. (ScienceDaily)

— Five-a-day might not keep cancer away. After years of groups like the World Health Organization and US government promoting five fruits and vegetables a day, new research claims that only around 2.5% of cancers can be avoided by eating that many portions. Study authors examined more than 400,000 men and women and found that fruit intake showed a particularly weak association with cancer risk. (BBC)

— A series of reviews in Cell Metabolism looks at the potential of brown fat, going so far as suggesting that therapies to increase individual levels of brown-adipose tissue could reduce obesity. The reviews follow on three studies last year (here, here and here) that linked brown fat to high metabolism in adults. (ScienceDaily)

Image by tanjila via Flickr Creative Commons