Health Highlights: April 2, 2007

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

FDA Extends Comment Period on Foods From Cloned Animals

A month-long extension for comments about the safety of food from cloned animals was announced Monday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The original deadline of April 2 has been extended to May 3.

The FDA issued a preliminary assessment last December that said meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring were "as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals," suggesting that food from cloned animals would soon be allowed on store shelves,BusinessWeekreported.

But the FDA decided to extend the original 90-day comment period after several organizations asked for more time to study the issue. The groups include the public advocacy group Center for Food Safety, and food industry associations such as the American Frozen Food Institute and the Food Marketing Institute.

So far, nearly 4,000 comments about food from cloned animals have been submitted to the FDA's Web site. Many are from individuals who expressed ethical, safety and moral concerns about allowing food from cloned animals into the general food supply,BusinessWeekreported.

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'Friendly' Soil Bacteria May Boost Mood

Exposure to "friendly" bacteria in soil may help improve mood and fight depression, say researchers at Bristol University in Great Britain.

They found that mice exposed toMycobacterium vaccaemade more of the brain chemical serotonin. A lack of serotonin is linked with depression and common antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels,BBC Newsreported.

The findings appear in the journalNeuroscience.

More research needs to be conducted to determine whetherMycobacterium vaccaehelps boost mood by activating serotonin neurons, the researchers noted.