Minamata Disease Poster (Photo credit: Marufish)
Healthy Berries are Good Food for Health (Photo credit: epSos.de)
Tasty Food Abundance in Healthy Europe (Photo credit: epSos.de)
Will eat for food (Photo credit: altemark)Untitled
*Drinking during pregnancy 'worse than smoking tobacco or cannabis' and
7,000 babies a year are harmed, warn senior medics*
*This is not a well-supported judgment. See here and here. There are
even findings that mothers who drink moderately have healthier babies.
The data on which the mavens below base their judgments will almost
certainly be epidemiological and class-confounded*
Drinking during pregnancy causes more harm to the unborn child than tobacco
smoke or cannabis, according to senior doctors.
They want Government guidelines to be changed to tell women to avoid
alcoh... more »
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*Fish oil - a healthy choice for men or not?*
There have been question marks about taking supplements to prevent health
problems ever since research into beta-carotene in the 1990s dropped a
bombshell. Back then beta-carotene, the red-orange pigment that colours
plant foods like mango and carrots, was a rock star of the nutrient world,
with studies suggesting that a beta-carotene-rich diet reduced lung cancer
risk. But research giving beta carotene to smokers in the form of
supplements, not food, delivered a nasty shock – these supplements appeared
to increase lung cancer risk, not... more »
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*Australian scientist to use population data to examine vitamin D claims*
THE potential general health benefits of vitamin D supplements will at last
be clear to Australians but it is going to take five years to find out. The
answer will come from a study of 25,000 people aged 60 to 79, one of the
largest projects of its kind in the world.
That vitamin D is important for bone health is accepted, but it is not
known what level is needed, says study leader Associate Professor Rachel
Neale of the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Centre.
"People receive conflicting advice about how muc... more »
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*Chocolate and red wine 'can beat diabetes,' study claims*
*This is just another correlational study and the data is self-report so
much caution is in order. There could well be a class effect at work.
There is a critical commentary on the study here*
Eating high levels of flavonoids including anthocyanins and other compounds
(found in berries, tea, and chocolate) could offer protection from type 2
diabetes - according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA)
and King’s College London.
Findings published today in the Journal of Nutrition reveal that high
intakes of ... more »
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*Why taking vitamin D is 'pointless': Review finds taking supplement does
little to prevent chronic disease or early death*
*Good for Rickets but not much else*
Scientists claim there is no evidence to support taking vitamin D
supplements to stave off chronic disease and early death - and results of
several multi-million dollar trials currently under way are unlikely to
alter this view.
A new review examines existing evidence from 40 randomised controlled
trials - the gold standard for proving cause and effect - and concludes
that vitamin D supplementation does not prevent heart a... more »
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*Why shift work is linked to so many health problems such as cancer and
diabetes: Study finds it damages 1,500 genes*
*Overinterpreted data. Study showed that some genes have a circadian
rhythm, nothing more*
Shift work could damage almost 1,500 genes - explaining why it has been
linked to a range of health problems, a study shows.
Disruption to the timing of sleep - also caused by jet lag - is feared to
increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other
life-threatening illnesses.
The researchers found disrupting the body’s natural 24 hour cycle disturbed
t... more »
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*Men in their 40s more likely to have children with mental disorders as
biological clocks are ticking*
*Men who leave it to late in life to have children may be less well
adjusted to start with -- and pass that on to their children*
CHILDREN born to dads in their 40s and older are significantly more likely
to develop mental health disorders than those with much younger fathers.
A study led by University of Queensland psychiatrist John McGrath has found
the offspring of older fathers are particularly at risk of mental
retardation, autism or schizophrenia compared with those born t... more »
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*Too many hands in the sugar bowl*
IT can be a long time between global flu epidemics if you work at the World
Health Organisation, where the struggle to fill the working day must seem
interminable.
No wonder director-general Margaret Chan is constantly looking round for
the next big thing. "It's not just Big Tobacco any more," Chan told a
health conference in Finland last year. "Public health must also contend
with Big Food, Big Soda and Big Alcohol."
Gone are the days when the WHO would justify its existence trying to
control Big Malaria or offer relief from Big Malnutrition. T... more »
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*Smoking, drugs during pregnancy 'can turn baby gay', neuroscientist Dick
Swabb claims*
*One would have to see the studies behind these claims but I suspect that a
lot of them will be just epidemiological speculation. His comments on
alcohol during pregnancy are an extreme view. Other writers come to the
opposite conclusion -- e.g. here and here*
SMOKING and drug use during pregnancy can raise the chance of having a
child who turns out to be gay, a leading neuroscientist claims.
Dr Dick Swabb, professor of neurobiology at Amsterdam University, argues
the development of the bra... more »
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*Chinese herbal medicine slows the development of type 2 diabetes, study
claims*
*Restraint in eating is all that is needed to control pre-diabetes*
Traditional Chinese herbal medicines can stave off the onset of diabetes, a
new study has revealed. A clinical trial found herbs were comparable to
prescriptions for controlling pre-diabetes.
Researchers say their findings show traditional Chinese herbal medicines
hold promise for slowing the progression from pre-diabetes to an official
diabetes diagnosis.
Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when a person has developed elevated blood sugar
l... more »
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*Fat fathers-to-be 'have overweight daughters who are at greater risk of
diabetes and premature ageing'*
*If you are a rat*
Fat fathers-to-be could end up with overweight daughters who are at greater
risk of diabetes and premature ageing, new research warns. A father's
diet, weight and health at the time of conception affects the baby’s genes
and health. The link is most pronounced in baby girls.
The impact of a mother's health on her children has been well documented
but the effect of the health of fathers is new.
The study found that if male rats ate a high fat diet, had diab... more »
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*How sex can make you smarter: Scientists say it encourages the growth of
brain cells and improves long-term memory*
*If you are a rodent*
It gives night classes a whole new meaning. Having sex makes you smarter,
research suggests.
A study found that middle-aged rats made more new brain cells after mating.
Researchers at the University of Maryland also credited frequent sexual
activity with increased brainpower.
However, the benefits to the brain were lost if the creatures stopped
mating.
A second study, also published last year, suggested that having sex
counteracts the effect... more »
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*Do yoga or weight lifting: Study finds 3.5 hours of exercise a week nearly
HALVES the risk of diabetes*
*Probably a class effect. Middle class people more likely to exercise and
also healthier in general*
Diabetes can be prevented with just half an hour's exercise a day, a study
has found.
The research from Harvard University found that the chance of developing
type 2 diabetes was cut by between 30 and 40 per cent with just three and a
half hours of exercise a week.
Meanwhile, just an hour's workout every seven days can cut the risk by 13
per cent.
The study, which follo... more »
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*Can exercising for just 60 seconds a week transform your health? The BBC's
Dr Michael Mosley says 'fast exercise' is even more powerful than experts
thought*
*No evidence is offered for the assertions below. Diet and lifestyle
generally have little impact on longevity. See here for instance. It is
often asserted that something in the life of long-lived groups is
responsible for the longevity but that is mere speculation. Genes are the
key. Nearly half of males die in or before their 60s. I am still
travelling well at age 70, despite living an extremely sedentary life and
... more »
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*Fruit juice 'shouldn't count in your 5 a day': Some brands have more sugar
than cola says obesity tsar*
*I personally find freshly squeezed orange juice much more satisfying than
the bottled variety. I have an electric citrus juicer for the purpose*
Fruit juice is so high in sugar it should not count as part of a healthy
five-a-day diet, the Government’s obesity tsar has warned. The public
should even start watering it down to wean themselves off it, said Oxford
professor Dr Susan Jebb.
Some brands of orange juice contain as much sugar as cola and should be
taxed because of t... more »
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*Children who watch too much TV may have 'damaged brain structures'*
*But is it BECAUSE they watch TV?*
Watching too much television can change the structure of a child's brain in
a damaging way, according to a new study.
Researchers found that the more time a child spent viewing TV, the more
profound the brain alterations appeared to be.
The Japanese study looked at 276 children aged between five and 18, who
watched between zero and four hours TV per day, with the average being
about two hours.
MRI brain scans showed children who spent the most hours in front of the
box had gre... more »
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*Sugar is 'the new tobacco': Health chiefs tell food giants to slash levels
by a third*
*It looks like Loony Lustig has finally convinced somebody of the truth of
his Quixotic crusade. Pity most of his fellow scientists are not convinced*
Food giants are being told to cut the amount of sugar they use because it
has become the ‘new tobacco’.
Doctors and academics say levels must be reduced by up to 30 per cent to
halt a wave of disease and death.
They found that even zero-fat yoghurts can contain five teaspoons of sugar,
while a can of Heinz tomato soup has four.
The equivalent o... more »
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*Study: ‘No Statistical Correlation’ Between Fine Airborne Particles,
Premature Death*
There's no evidence to support the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
longstanding claim that fine airborne particulate matter measuring 2.5
micrograms or less (PM2.5) is killing thousands of Americans every year,
according to the first comprehensive study of its kind.
The study, entitled “Airborne Fine Particulate Matter and Short-Term
Mortality,” was released on JunkScience.com last month. It compared air
quality data collected statewide by the California Air Resources Board to
854,109 d... more »
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*Sleeping pill Stilnoct (zolpidem/ambien) can increase the risk of heart
attacks, scientists claim*
*This finding probably shows only that Taiwanese in poor health have more
insomnia*
A sleeping pill prescribed to thousands of patients can increase the risk
of heart attacks by up to 50 per cent, according to scientists.
Research carried out among heart attack victims found that numbers were
higher among those who had taken zolpidem tablets, prescribed in the UK
under the name Stilnoct and in the US as Ambien.
Scientists have linked taking zolpidem to an increased threat of heart
... more »
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*Mother confined to a wheelchair with chronic fatigue walks again after
drinking two litres of protein milkshake a DAY*
*Looks like her symptoms reflected a dietary deficiency. Unusual that she
needed protein. A normal diet should provide that. Her personal
deficiencies and sensitivities may not be widely shared*
A mother-of-three who was left confined to a wheelchair with chronic
fatigue is walking again - thanks to a daily diet of two litres of
milkshakes.
Jeanette Elisha-Elliss, 47, suffered the mystery illness for three years
before her health dramatically deteriorated.
H... more »
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*A diet to cure diabetes: Patients were able to come off tablets after two
months on severe low calorie regime*
*The explanation given below for the good results is unduly complicated.
The results could simply be seen as the effect of giving the pancreas a
rest*
A crash diet that has been medically approved could help millions of
Britons defeat diabetes. Men and women suffering from the disease were
able to throw away their tablets after going on an extreme low-calorie diet
for just two months.
And 18 months later, some were still free of symptoms and said they were
astonished... more »
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*Could a tipple in pregnancy be good for baby? Study suggests mothers-to-be
who drink lightly have better adjusted children*
Mothers-to-be who indulge in a light tipple actually go on to have better
adjusted children than those who abstain, a study has claimed.
Advice on drinking in pregnancy has varied from a complete ban to moderate
consumption – amid fears that it could contribute to miscarriage and child
developmental problems.
But the latest research looked at mothers in Denmark who drank ten bottles
of white wine – or 90 units – over the course of the pregnancy.
Their offspr... more »
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*Shedding some light: vitamin D pills useless, say researchers*
It is good for your bones, it wards off rickets in children, but spending
money on vitamin D supplements to prevent cancer and other non-skeletal
diseases could be a waste of money, the medical journal The Lancet says.
The finding is the latest attack on the very healthy and growing supplement
industry, estimated to generate $1.5 billion in Australian sales a year.
Only last month the US journal Annals of Internal Medicine said most
vitamins and mineral supplements did not prevent chronic disease or death,
that their ... more »
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*'Gorgeous girls eat meat': New diet book says the secret to staying slim
is replacing bread with beef jerky*
*A paleo diet does seem to work for some*
A new diet book claims that the secret to staying slim is eating like a
cave woman by sticking to foods that our ancestors could 'catch, pluck, or
dig up'.
In Cavewomen Don't Get Fat: Ancient Secrets to Rapid Weight Loss, author
Esther Blum introduces a paleo-based eating plan with a twist - which she
calls 'Paleo Chic' - and it's not exactly vegetarian-friendly.
'Gorgeous girls eat meat,' she said on The Today Show, explaining ... more »
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*Sugar: How sweet it is ... and how bad it is*
*This is just a reprise of the old Robert Lustig crusade. Very few medical
researchers agree with him -- as the overall evidence is far from clear*
Hormones drive the development of breast and buttock fat in women at
puberty. They drive hunger during pregnancy. Is it really so unlikely that
they could also drive how much we eat, how much we exercise, and how much
we store as fat?
We don't need to look far to find the hormones involved. Insulin, and its
partner leptin, drive the packing and unpacking of fat cells and the
signals t... more »
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*'Bad' cholesterol that causes heart attacks now linked to Alzheimer's:
Clumps stick to brain cells affecting memory and mood*
*But note that statins did no good -- as usual: "No association was found
between statin use and PIB index, and controlling for cholesterol treatment
in the statistical models did not alter the basic findings."*
The ‘bad’ type of cholesterol – which causes heart disease – is linked to
Alzheimer’s, researchers have found.
Such cholesterol has previously been associated with a narrowing of the
arteries.
Now a study has revealed that the bad type is related... more »
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*Cut your sugar intake by HALF: New health warning says limit should be cut
to five teaspoons a day over fears it contributes to heart disease*
*United Nations guidelines! What a joke. I suppose a small serve of
terrorism is also recommended -- or one hour per week of hating Israel*
Adults could be advised to halve the amount of sugar in their diets under
new guidelines from the World Health Organisation.
Experts are considering lowering the recommended limit of ten teaspoons a
day to just five over fears that it is contributing to heart disease,
obesity and tooth decay.
Food com... more »
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*How 13,000 heart attacks a year could be avoided if we ate two pinches
less salt (?)*
*This is old-fashioned propaganda now. It takes a while for new findings
to be absorbed. It's just poorly-based theory below*
Lowering our salt intake by just two pinches a day could prevent 13,000
heart attacks and 5,000 strokes, say researchers.
Although the national intake has fallen in recent years, it remains above
the recommended maximum of 6g a day, with average consumption at 8.6g.
Excess salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure, leading to heart
disease and stroke.
The la... more »
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*How To Make Sense Of Confusing, New Blood Pressure Advice*
If you're confused about the latest recommendations for treating high blood
pressure, take heart. Doctors are confused, too.
On Wednesday, a panel of specialists called the Eighth Joint National
Committee published guidelines saying that many people over 60 don't need
to start taking medications to lower blood pressure until it's above 150/90
millimeters of mercury.
If doctors follow the advice, they'll be less likely to prescribe blood
pressure drugs to people at milder risk for heart problems.
Why? There's a lack of co... more »
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*Why you should eat nuts in pregnancy: Now doctors say it lowers risk of
baby developing allergy*
*I proposed this about a year ago -- JR*
Children could have a lower risk of developing a peanut allergy if their
mothers eat more nuts in pregnancy, researchers claim. Their study adds to
growing evidence that eating nuts while expecting a baby has no damaging
effect on the unborn child.
Those with peanut allergies can develop breathing problems if they eat or
come into contact with nuts. The most severely affected are at risk of
life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Mothers-to-be... more »
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*An apple a day could be as good as a statin for over-50s*
*This is just mathematical modelling: Proves nothing*
An apple a day could stop you having a heart attack – and may even be as
effective as taking a statin. Healthy over-50s who add a daily apple to
their diet can benefit as much as those who start taking a tablet, Oxford
University researchers claim.
Their study goes some way to proving the proverb coined by the Victorians:
‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’
The scientists’ calculations suggest that prescribing an apple a day to
everyone aged 50 and over would pre... more »
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*Alert issued on two commonly used crop pesticides which may damage the
brains of children and unborn babies*
*And pigs might fly. Rodent studies only. Neonicotinoids have been very
widely used for a couple of decades now, suggesting that any real harm
among humans would be well-known and obvious by now*
A safety watchdog has issued an alert about two food crop pesticides, which
may damage the brains of babies in the womb and children.
The suspect chemicals are used around the world on farms growing grapes,
strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, tea and oranges. They are part of a ne... more »
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*Vaccinations*
*Really smart guy takes down idiot spouting anti-vaccination rhetoric.
Awesome*
We’ve never really considered Tumblr to be a beacon of intelligent
discussion and debate. To be honest, 99% of Tumblr posts have a hashtag
that can somehow be traced back to One Direction, and an even higher
percentage of posts are GIFs, most serving as illustrations for some sort
of fan fiction.
But, this amazing Tumblr conversation that is doing the rounds on the
Internet today may have just changed our minds.
It started with this ill-informed analogy, posted by an anti-vaxxer:
[imag... more »
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*How babies breast-fed for longer do better in class at five*
*High IQ is the best predictor of breastfeeding so of course the kids of
those mothers do better -- from genetics alone*
Children who are breast-fed for longer do better in school by the time they
are five, new research claims.
Assessments by teachers at the end of year one revealed that children who
had been breast-fed for the longest reached the highest overall levels of
achievement.
Importantly, the teachers making the assessments were not aware whether the
children had been given mainly breast milk or formula mil... more »
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*Aspirin may help in fight against 'anger syndrome'*
*All theory so far*
If you have a quick temper it may calm you to learn that bouts of rage
could be cured by simply taking an aspirin.
A study has found that uncontrollable anger may be the result of
inflammation in the body. Intermittent explosive disorder (IED), which is
known as “anger syndrome”, usually begins in the late teens and is defined
as a “failure to resist aggressive impulses”.
US researchers found that IED sufferers had higher markers of inflammation
in the blood. Levels of one protein were on average twice as hi... more »
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* Eating lots of junk food for just one WEEK can damage your memory
permanently*
*If you are a rat*
Everyone knows that junk food is bad for the waistline, but new research
suggests it can damage memory, too.
Australian researchers found that even a short term diet of junk food can
have a detrimental effect on the brain’s cognitive ability.
The study suggests that obesity can trigger rapid changes in the brain.
Scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) showed for the
first time that rats fed a diet high in fat and sugar had impaired memory
after just a week.
Inte... more »
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*14p-a-day tablet could ease pain for millions of arthritis sufferers
without dangerous side effects*
*This appears to be a very early result from an uncontrolled study*
Scientists believe they can help millions of people suffering from
arthritis with a new 14p-a-day tablet. Spironolactone, usually used for
high blood pressure and heart failure, could help people with
osteoarthritis, it is claimed.
The research at Dundee University has shown it could be a breakthrough for
the six million people suffering from the debilitating condition across the
country.
Initial tests showed... more »
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*Exercise just as good as drugs in war on major disease*
*Those who "enrolled on exercise programmes" may have been healthier to
start with*
Exercise could be as effective as some of the best drugs which protect
against major diseases, research has found.
A study of more than 300 trials has found that physical activity was better
than medication in helping patients recovering from strokes - and just as
good as drugs in protecting against diabetes and in stopping heart disease
worsening.
The research, published in the British Medical Journal, analysed data about
studies on 340,00... more »
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*Aspirin is the best remedy for a sore throat, scientists say*
Aspirin is one of the most effective remedies for a sore throat, says
research. A couple of tablets, dissolved in water then gargled – not
swallowed – reduced sore throat pain intensity within two hours in a study
by the University of Cardiff Common Cold Centre. The effect lasted for more
than six hours.
Inhaling products containing menthol was also useful.
‘It provides relief from nasal congestion by causing a cool sensation in
the nose and also relieves the symptoms of sore throat and cough by a local
anaesthetic a... more »
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* Scientists believe genetic tweaks could significantly extend lifespans*
*If you are a worm. Since humans already live vastly longer than
roundworms, this is a moronic extrapolation. We probably already have all
the life-extending features that work*
Living to the ripe old age of 500 might be a possibility if the science
shown to extend worms' lives can be applied to humans, scientists have said.
U.S. researchers tweaked two genetic pathways in the tiny lab worm
Caenorhabditis elegans and boosted the creature's lifespan by a factor of
five.
The research raises the prospect of... more »
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*How traffic fumes can be deadly - even at 'safe' levels: Living near a
busy road can increase risk of premature death by 7%*
*A tiny and hence totally insignificant effect*
Living near busy roads could put men at higher risk of premature death –
even when air pollution levels are rated as ‘safe’, claim researchers. A
major study found exposure to traffic pollutants can push up the risk of
dying by seven per cent, compared with living in quieter neighbourhoods.
There is mounting evidence of the health dangers of pollution, which is
already known to play a part in asthma attack... more »
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*Father's folic acid intake BEFORE conception plays crucial role in
long-term health of offspring*
*Rodent study only*
A potential father's diet prior to conception can play a crucial part in
the health of his future children, new research has found.
Canadian scientists discovered that sperm carries a 'memory' of the
father's lifestyle, and is transferred to offspring follow conception.
The scientists said: ‘You are what your father eats’ and advised men
thinking about starting a family to lay off junk food and fill up on green,
leafy vegetables.
The advice follows a study of fo... more »
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*Scientists discover radiation 'bomb' that could wipe out HIV from
sufferers’ body*
*Study in laboratory glassware only*
For years, doctors have been treating HIV patients using anti-viral drugs,
the effects of which can sometimes be mixed.
Now a group of scientists in New York have tried seeing if using powerful
doses of radiation - a radioactive smart bomb - might be more effective,
and the results are very encouraging.
Researchers found that in patients who were blasted with a combination of
antiviral drugs and radiation, the treatment was even more effective and
made the HIV... more »
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*Healthy food labels blamed for rise in obesity as Australians fall into
high sugar and fat trap*
"HEALTHIER" foods could be to blame for rising obesity. New research from
Nutrition Australia Queensland found 96 per cent of Queenslanders were
unable to tell the difference between unhealthy and healthy food.
Sneaky labelling which touts high-sugar products as low-fat, and vice
versa, makes it difficult for consumers to identify healthy choices.
High-sugar breakfast cereals, Caesar salads and frozen yoghurt often
marketed as healthy alternatives are the most common culprits. The ... more »
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* Do Smarter People Drink More Alcohol?*
*It appears they do, but is it because they are best able to afford it? My
gin bill is considerable*
It’s the booziest time of the year, and also the most hung over: According
to one study, 96 percent of Americans have been hung over at work after a
holiday party, or know someone who has. Creative hangover cures like dried
sour plums and poached duck embryos may ease (or exacerbate) physical
symptoms, but here’s something that might help the self-reproach: You can
blame your hangover on your high IQ, because studies show there might be a
... more »
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*Trying for a baby? Eat Brussels sprouts: Vegetable helps boost fertility
in both men and women*
*Just theory. No research cited*
Many people shudder at the thought of Brussels sprouts with their minds
conjure up images of bitter, overcooked school vegetables. But new
research suggests that couples who are trying for a baby should tuck into a
regular helping of the festive staple.
According to studies, nine per cent of all conceptions take place over the
Christmas period, making December the most fertile month of the year.
Parties and festive tipples are thought to be partly re... more »
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*Keep eating vegetables to give your love life a glow: Plenty of fruit and
veg helps make a person more attractive*
*This study had NO data on food intake of any kind!*
Research shows that eating lots of fruit and vegetables gives people a
golden glow that makes them look more attractive. And as we don’t find the
yellowy colour more appealing in other contexts, the researchers believe we
have learnt to link bronzed skin with good health.
This could help us pick a mate and also ensure we avoid sickly sorts who
might pass on an infection.
Those who find it difficult to eat their gr... more »
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*New Study Puts Abortion-Breast Cancer Link Back in the Spotlight*
*Not that any evidence will convince abortion supporters*
A new study pointing to a link between breast cancer and abortion among
Chinese women may breathe new life into a debate over a long-contentious
issue which both sides have accused the other of exploiting to promote its
cause.
The meta-analysis by Chinese researchers, published in the peer-reviewed
journal Cancer Causes and Control, found a 44 percent increased breast
cancer risk after an abortion. It also found that the risk grew
significantly with subseq... more »
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*Why do people hate the word 'chemicals'?*
Written by Dr Mark Lorch, BBC
Chemistry is everywhere in the world around us - so why are we so scared of
it, asks Dr Mark Lorch.
I really enjoy my job, I'm a chemist in academia. I get to wallow in the
fascinating world of research science and then pass on my passions to eager
young minds.
But my job is even better than that. I'm an academic who gets let out of my
ivory tower and into schools, shopping centres and festivals where I
perform all the most entertaining chemistry. And I pull out all the stops -
liquid nitrogen gets sloshed... more »
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*Parents warned against giving paracetamol and ibuprofen for mild fever*
*This is a long-overdue warning*
A misplaced “fever phobia” in society means parents too frequently use both
medicines to bring down even slight temperatures, say a group of American
paediatricians, who warn that children can receive accidental overdoses as
a result.
As many as half of parents are giving their children the wrong dosage,
according to a study carried out by the doctors.
In new guidance, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that a high
temperature is often the body’s way of fighting an in... more »
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*An aspirin a day could help stop dementia say scientists as they launch
huge study into benefits of the pill*
It is already used to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and now
researchers believe the humble aspirin could also hold the key to warding
off dementia and cancer.
The claim came yesterday at the launch of the largest ever study into the
health benefits of the everyday medicine, which has long been thought of as
a health-booster.
A study of 15,000 people aged over 70 will be the most extensive clinical
trial on the use of aspirin to prevent disease in the elderly.
... more »
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*Warning over stroke risk from soluble painkillers*
*Less healthy people take more drugs! How surprising! And salt is now
known NOT to be harmful. See the sidebar here*
A study of more than 1 million people found those who took the drugs were
22 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke, seven times more likely to
develop high blood pressure and 28 per cent more likely to die prematurely
from any cause than people taking similar drugs that contained no salt.
Researchers said the salt content of such drugs should be labelled, and
that the public should be more cautious about takin... more »
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*Sugary drinks linked to increased endometrial cancer risk*
*The usual bunk -- correlational data with social class confounding*
Sugar-sweetened beverages have long been associated with a number of health
risks – including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. And now, a new
study reveals that sugary drinks may also be associated with a
significantly increased risk of a common type of endometrial cancer.
In a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention, researchers analyzed data collected from 23,039 postmenopausal
women as part of the Iowa Women... more »
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* More Than 20% of 14-Year-Old Boys Diagnosed With ADHD*
*Good evidence that a lot of normal behavior is being medicalized*
More than 20 percent of the 14-year-old boys in the United States have been
diagnosed at some point in their lives with attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), according to a newly released study by the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study also said more than 20 percent of 11-year-old boys had been
diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives.
The study indicated that American boys were 125 percent more likely than
girls... more »
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*How a McDonald's sign makes us MISERABLE: Fast food logos 'stop people
enjoying music and art'*
*This sounds like the respondents just gave the researchers the response
that they knew was wanted*
Just looking at a McDonalds sign, or any other symbols of our ‘culture of
convenience’, makes us sad, according to new research.
Canadian researchers claim being exposed to symbols of fast food and other
signs of disposable society could make the smaller, everyday things in life
harder to enjoy.
The study found that people regularly exposed to fast food signs are less
likely to savour ... more »
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*Racist sandwiches?*
Did you know that eating or even talking about a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich could be considered racist?
That’s right. Apparently, it’s because people in some cultures don’t eat
sandwich bread. Verenice Gutierrez, principal of Harvey Scott K-8 School in
Portland explained in and interview with the Portland Tribune:
“Take the peanut butter sandwich, a seemingly innocent example a teacher
used in a lesson last school year,” the Tribune said.
“What about Somali or Hispanic students, who might not eat sandwiches?”
Gutierrez asked. “Another way would be to s... more »
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*Sugary drinks linked to womb cancer: Those who consume the most are 78 per
cent more likely to contract killer disease (?)*
Soft drinks laden with sugar could raise a woman’s risk of developing womb
cancer, claim researchers. They said those who downed the highest amounts
were 78 per cent more likely to suffer from the disease as those who did
not.
The disease tends to hit women aged 50-plus and is Britain’s fourth most
common female cancer, killing nearly 2,000 a year.
The 14-year study involving almost 25,000 women in their 50s and 60s looked
into endometrial cancer, which af... more »
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*Women who take the Pill for more than three years have double the risk of
eye condition that leads to blindness*
*The effect described below is larger than the usual rubbish but the
finding is still only a correlational one with no obvious causal path. If
estrogen is at fault, women should be going blind all over the place*
Women who take the contraceptive pill for more than three years are twice
as likely to suffer from an eye condition that can lead to blindness, a new
study has found. The research revealed women who take the pill are more
likely to develop glaucoma.
The co... more »
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*Weight loss surgery could REVERSE the effects of ageing: Study finds it
can protect against diabetes, heart disease and cancer*
*This is a very small study and telomeres are still poorly understood so
the conclusion is speculative*
Weight loss surgery may reverse the effects of ageing, new research
suggests. After the surgery some patients’ telomeres – genetic biomarkers
that play a role in the ageing of cells – lengthened, suggesting the ageing
process had been reversed.
Usually telomeres become shorter as a person gets older.
‘Obesity has an adverse effect on health, causes p... more »
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*Eating a full English breakfast CAN help you lose weight: Protein - not
cereal or fruit - is best for preventing hunger pangs*
*This seems a reasonable study*
Eating a full English for breakfast can help you lose weight, a new study
suggests. Research shows that a meal high in protein instead of
carbohydrate or fibre for breakfast can fight off hunger and avoid the urge
to over-eat later in the day.
A hearty sitting of foods like sausage, egg or bacon for the first meal of
the day helps to curb hunger throughout the morning and cut the number of
calories eaten at lunch time
A... more »
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*Could symptoms of autism be ERASED by stimulating the brain? Magnets could
boost social skills*
*This is a very small study over a very short time period so is of
tentative significance only*
A clinical trial revealed magnetic brain stimulation can help people with
autism with social interaction.
The treatment can boost the part of the brain that is underactive in people
with autism, the researchers found.
Dr Lindsay Oberman, a neurologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Centre in Boston who was not involved in the study, told New Scientist that
the findings are an ‘excell... more »
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*Buffaloberry: Next Commercial ‘Super Fruit,’ Scientists Say*
*Zero evidence of clinical utility presented. Just discredited theory --
JR*
Buffaloberry is a deciduous thorny, thicket-forming shrub growing up to 6 m
tall. The shrub is a member of the olive family native to Western North
America and is found on many Indian reservations, often where little else
grows well.
The bright red fruit has a tart flavor, and has historically been used as a
source of nutrients for many Native Americans.
The sugar and acidity of the fruit make it desirable as a fresh or dried
product. In addi... more »
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*Fat is good for you*
*"About TURN!" -- as they say in the army. The "bad fat" gospel is now
increasingly being challenged. And below is one such challenge. I don't
believe either gospel. "Eat what you like" is my gospel. Human beings are
omnivores. They can thrive on a wide variety of diets.*
It’s tempting to call David Perlmutter’s dietary advice radical. The
neurologist and president of the Perlmutter Health Center in Naples, Fla.,
believes all carbs, including highly touted whole grains, are devastating
to our brains. He claims we must make major changes in our eating habi... more »
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*Women who eat nuts 'less likely to develop pancreatic cancer'*
*The usual rubbish. Middle class people are more likely to eat a "correct"
diet -- in which nuts are praised -- and they are healthier anyway*
Women who snack on brazil nuts, cashews, pecans and other popular varieties
are less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, a study has suggested.
Researchers found a handful of nuts twice a week is enough to significantly
reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer in western
countries, with smoking and obesity tho... more »
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*The saturated fat myth has had its day*
For more than 20 years, there have been one or two medical commentators in
newspapers, such as the Telegraph's great James Le Fanu, who have rejected
the cholesterol theory of heart disease. Dr Le Fanu has always maintained
that (most) people should stick to the boiled eggs and buttered soldiers
for breakfast and avoided margarine as if their lives depended on it. But
the mainstream view for 40 years, as dished out to the public in health
campaigns and via the NHS has been – cut down saturated fat to lower your
risk of cardiovascular disease... more »
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* A daily bowl of wild blueberries could protect against obesity, heart
disease and diabetes*
*If you are a specially bred obese lab rat*
A bowl of wild blueberries a day could protect against a range of health
problems including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Regular
consumption of the berries over an eight-week period can improve or prevent
metabolic syndrome, researchers say.
Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high
blood pressure and obesity.
It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and other conditions
affecting blood vessels... more »
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*Kidney risk of two fizzy cans a day: Sugar used in drinks raises blood
salt levels*
*If you are a rat*
Just two fizzy drinks a day can damage the kidneys, research shows.
One study revealed how the type of sugar used in such drinks apparently
raises blood salt levels.
A second showed that the drinks may cause the kidneys to get rid of too
much protein from the body.
A hallmark of failing kidneys is called proteinuria – the increased
excretion of protein in the urine.
It was found in those who had two of the drinks daily in a study at Osaka
University Graduate School of Medicine... more »
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*It's never too late for women to start a diet: Even switching to healthy
food in middle age is likely to lead to a longer life (?)*
*The journal article is: "The Association Between Dietary Patterns at
Midlife and Health in Aging: An Observational Study". It was an
upper/lower quintile analysis, which suggests that their overall data did
not support their conclusions*
Healthy eating is good for you, no matter when you start, claim
researchers. They found middle-aged women who ate a Mediterranean diet
lived longer and were healthier.
Cecilia Samieri, who examined data on almos... more »
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*Regularly brushing your teeth lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes
(?)*
*This is just a correlational study over an absurdly short period*
Regularly brushing your teeth can help protect you from heart attacks,
researchers have found. Poor dental hygiene and bleeding gums can allow up
to 700 types of bacteria to enter the bloodstream.
But brushing and flossing has now been found to help to combat bacteria in
the mouth that can cause hardening of the arteries which may lead to heart
attacks and strokes.
This means that people who brush their teeth at least twice a day ... more »
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*6 Graphs That Show Why The “War” on Fat Was a Huge Mistake*
The “war” on saturated fat is the biggest mistake in the history of
nutrition.
As people have reduced their intake of animal fat and cholesterol, many
serious diseases have gone up.
We are now in the midst of worldwide pandemics of obesity, metabolic
syndrome and type II diabetes.
Studies conducted in the past few decades conclusively show that neither
saturated fat nor dietary cholesterol cause harm in humans (1, 2, 3, 4).
Scientists are now beginning to realize that the entire low-fat dogma was
based on flawed studie... more »
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*Usain Bolt reveals the secret of his McSuccess: Fastest man alive ate 100
chicken McNuggets A DAY at Beijing Olympics*
*Looks like they can't be as bad for you as the wiseacres say*
The fastest man alive has revealed the secret to his success: fast food.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt says he ate 100 McDonald's chicken McNuggets a
day at the 2008 Olympics.
During his ten days in Beijing, he estimates he downed 1,000 McNuggets as
he set three world records, earned three gold medals and dashed onto the
world stage.
Bolt writes in his new book, Faster Than Lightning, that he found C... more »
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*Italian women who eat pasta rather than bread get less breast cancer*
*Why? Who knows? Perhaps pasta eating is more common in rural areas and
rural areas are healthier than cities*
A simple switch from sandwiches to pasta could help cut the risk of breast
cancer.
A diet rich in bread after the menopause can raise the risk of developing
the disease by 60 per cent, warned researchers.
However, the chances dropped among older women who relied more on pasta.
The study also found that at any age, being overweight while eating a lot
of bread raised the risk by nearly half.
Academic... more »
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*Child-centred mothers stressed out? No, they're the happiest and least
likely to suffer mental health problems*
*Survey data but no obvious distortions*
Putting your child first can make you happier, a study has found.
It challenges the myth that parents who are highly involved in their
children’s lives must be sacrificing their own well-being, researchers said.
The team of psychologists said labels such as ‘helicopter parents’, ‘tiger
mums’ or ‘little emperors’ undermine parents who place their children at
the centre of family life, and assume that parents’ needs come last.
In ... more »
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*Sections of the Australian medical community question Catalyst program
about cholesterol and heart disease*
*The Australian public broadcaster has done some good for once, blowing the
whistle on the cholesterol/statin myths*
The ABC's medical science program Catalyst is under fire from some sections
of the medical community for a two-part special that questions the
scientific evidence linking cholesterol to heart disease.
Recently, Catalyst described the claim that saturated fats and cholesterol
causes heart attacks as one of the biggest myths of medical history.
The most recent... more »
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*The secret to healthy sperm? CARROTS: Study finds they boost performance
more than any other fruit or veg*
*No info about where the research was published or the names of the authors
so this is difficult to critique. There is however on average a 2/3rds
chance of it not being replicable*
Carrots have long been said to be good for your vision. Now, it has
emerged, they can also improve the fertility of men.
Researchers investigating the effect of fruit and vegetables on the health
of sperm discovered that carrots produced the best all-round results.
They had the greatest effect ... more »
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*A miscarriage of science: BPA’s unproven pregnancy risk*
The headlines are out: Pregnant woman should fear the chemical Bisphenol A
(BPA) because a “new study” says it increase the risk of miscarriage.
Fortunately, we have lots of good reasons to doubt these headlines.
What does the study really say? We don’t completely know since it’s not
available in any peer-reviewed publication. All that’s available is an
abstract produced for a recent presentation at a conference hosted by the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). The abstract does,
however, provide enough in... more »
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*Alzheimer’s to be treated by replacing faulty genes -- one day*
Alzheimer’s will be treated or even prevented by replacing faulty genes, an
expert in the disease has predicted. Men and women could be given a nasal
spray packed with healthy versions of the defective genes that cause the
illness.
Professor Julie Williams, of Cardiff University, said the entire population
could eventually be screened in middle-age to identify those at most risk
of the memory-robbing disease.
They could then be given cutting-edge gene therapy and other treatments to
stop the disease ever developing... more »
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*Drinking three cups of coffee a day could halve the risk of liver cancer*
*Some proper reservations about the direction of causation expressed below*
Three cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of liver cancer by up to
50 per cent, latest research has shown.
One study found the drink reduces the risk of the most common type of liver
cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), by 40 per cent but separate
research indicated that risk could be reduced by half.
Study author Dr Carlo La Vecchia, said 'Our research confirms past claims
that coffee is good for your health, and particu... more »
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*The savvy snacker's secret? Eating 30 almonds a day reduces hunger pangs
and doesn't cause weight gain -- if you are a pre-diabetic*
*The actual finding was that the nuts did nothing. Total calorie intake
was unaffected*
Snacking has become something of a national pastime, with an estimated 97
per cent of people munching their way through at least one snack a day.
While this habit may keep hunger at bay, it's fuelling an obesity epidemic.
Now new American research may hold the answer - munching on almonds can
reduce hunger without increasing weight.
Researchers at Purdue Uni... more »
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*Five Phony Public Health Scares*
*Activist misinformation harms Americans*
Health activists, nutrition nannies, medical paternalists, and just plain
old quacks regularly conjure up menaces that are supposedly damaging the
health of Americans. Their scares range from the decades-long campaign
against fluoridation to worries that saccharin causes cancer to the ongoing
hysteria over crop biotechnology. The campaigners' usual "solution" is to
demand that regulators ban the offending substance or practice. Here are
five especially egregious examples of activist misinformation.
1. Ame... more »
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*3-year-old baby born with HIV may have been cured thanks to 'unusually
aggressive' treatment*
*Babies are very flexible developmentally so this may not be replicable in
adults*
Doctors now have convincing evidence that they put HIV into remission,
hopefully for good, in a Mississippi baby born with the AIDS virus — a
medical first that is prompting a new look at how hard and fast such cases
should be treated.
The case was reported earlier this year but some doctors were skeptical
that the baby was really infected rather than testing positive because of
exposure to virus in the ... more »
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*Does living in a sunny place reduce the risk of a child developing ADHD?*
*Correlational data only. Interpretation speculative. The percentage of
the variance in ADHD explained by sunlight (correlations around .7) was
extremely high but that is to be expected of ecological correlations.
Individuals were not examined. High sunlight AREAS and high ADHD AREAS
were correlated. Are high sunlight areas simply less likely to REPORT
ADHD? Could be. The study may simply show that plenty of sunlight makes
you Pollyanna-ish*
Children who live in sunny areas may be less likely to ... more »
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*Daily exercise 'can boost pupils' secondary school results by a grade'*
*So who were the inactive ones? Probably lower class, who are dimmer
anyway. The results may tell us NOTHING about exercise as such*
One hour’s exercise each day can boost children’s GCSE results by a grade
amid fresh evidence of a link between physical activity and academic
achievement.
Researchers found that pupils could improve their results in a series of
key academic subjects with increased exposure to activities such as PE,
lunchtime games or cycling to school.
The study – based on an analysis of al... more »
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*Three glasses of wine could reduce chance of conception -- if you already
have serious fertility problems*
*Drinking three small glasses of wine a week could reduce some women's
chances of conceiving by two thirds, research has found*
The study of women's drinking habits in the months before they began
fertility treatment found that even low quantities of alcohol had a
dramatic impact on the ability to conceive.
Research on couples who had already undergone around three failed cycles of
IVF, found that women who abstained from all alcohol had a 90 per cent
chance of achieving ... more »
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*Super-vaccine could eliminate need for annual flu jabs within five years
after successful trials*
A new 'Holy Grail' flu vaccine which gives lifelong protection against all
strains of the virus could be available within five years. Scientists from
Britain and Europe are getting ready to start large-scale trials of a
universal vaccine after early tests on humans proved successful.
If all goes to plan the new injection would stop the need for annual flu
jabs and could save thousands of lives every year.
It could also be effective against highly dangerous forms of the disease,
such... more »
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*Do high doses of vitamin C raise prostate cancer risk? Study shows popping
too many supplements could give men tumours*
Men who take high doses of vitamin supplements could be increasing their
risk of lethal prostate cancer by nearly 30 per cent, say researchers.
A study of 48,000 men spanning more than two decades suggests popping too
many vitamin pills can put them in danger of tumours that are more likely
to be fatal.
The researchers linked high doses of vitamin C to an increased risk of
lethal and advanced prostate cancer.
The results, by experts from Harvard School of Publi... more »
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*Air pollution leading cause of cancer, WHO finds*
*If you are talking about third worlders cooking over a cow-dung fire in a
windowless hut, maybe. For the rest it's just opinion based on rodents or
an inconclusive correlational base*
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said outdoor air pollution is a
leading cause of cancer in humans.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared on Thursday that
air pollution is a carcinogen, alongside known dangers such as asbestos,
tobacco and ultraviolet radiation. The decision came after a consultation
by an expert panel ... more »
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*Epigenetics: Can we alter genes?*
*A useful summary of a school of thought below but most of the supposed
epigenetic effects have fairly obvious alternative explanations. The
children of the Dutch famine survivors may have been disadvantaged in a
number of ways -- such as a damaged hormonal environment in utero etc.*
Towards the end of the Second World War, something unprecedented happened
in modern Europe: a famine. Operation Market Garden, the Allies’ attempt to
push across the Rhine in September 1944, had failed, and in retaliation for
Dutch collusion the Nazis blockaded to... more »
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*Rasher of bacon a day can harm a man's fertility: Half portion of
processed meat 'significantly harms sperm quality'*
*Just the usual correlational rubbish. Men who eat fish rather than bacon
are probably more middle class*
Men who eat just one rasher of bacon a day could be reducing their chances
of becoming fathers. Half a portion of processed meat such as a rasher or
a small sausage can significantly harm sperm quality, scientists believe.
Those who want to boost the odds of having a child should eat fish instead
– with species such as cod or halibut appearing to have a parti... more »
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*Chemicals in foods can 'double miscarriage risk' (?)*
*These are just boring old scares that have been investigated many times
and found to be baseless. It makes a good story, though. The phthalate
results are at least amusing -- and not the first time. This study showed
that phthalates IMPROVED male fertility*
A chemical found in dozens of household items may double a woman’s risk of
miscarriage, researchers warn.
Scientists said pregnant women should avoid canned food, stop heating food
in plastic containers and even avoid touching cash register receipts.
Researchers from t... more »
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*Pomegranates can protect the heart from a high cholesterol diet by
'strengthening the arteries' -- in pigs*
*Pigs are certainly a better model of humans than are rodents but their
normal diet does not of course include the highly processed foods eaten by
humans in advanced societies -- so generalizations must be regarded as
preliminary*
It is heartening news for those who can’t resist pigging out.
Pomegranates could reverse some of the damage done by junk food, research
suggests.
A supplement made from the fruit helped keep blood vessels healthy, a key
step in keeping he... more »
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*Wonder drugs cut toll of strokes by 40%: How the use of statins has helped
thousands control their blood pressure (?)*
*The report below is thoroughly dishonest -- presumably written by an
apostle of the statin religion or perhaps a featherheaded dupe who believes
everything she hears. There is no way the effects of the various
medications can be separated out in the data available below. The benefit
could be entirely due to the various blood pressure drugs, not statins.
The fact that "Hypercholesterolemia increased significantly during the
study period" suggests that the s... more »
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*How living near an airport could shorten your life: High levels of
aircraft noise 'increase chances of dying from a stroke or heart disease'*
*Utter rubbish. Poor people are more likely to have to live in noisy areas
and they are less healthy anyway*
Living near an airport may increase your chances of dying from stroke,
heart and circulatory disease, according to a study.
Those exposed to high levels of aircraft noise are up to a fifth more
likely to need hospital treatment for, or die from, such diseases, it found.
Researchers say the noise may trigger a stress hormones respons... more »
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*Babies born to smoking mothers 'have smaller brains and are more anxious
and moody than other children'*
*This is very poor data. The smoker mothers were likely to be pretty poor
types altogether and their kids reflected that. Smoking itself may have
had no effect. Smokers are dumber, poorer etc. etc.*
Children whose mothers smoked in pregnancy are more likely to become moody
and depressed than other boys and girls, say scientists.
A study of more than 200 children found that those whose mothers were
regular cigarette users while they were in the womb had smaller brains and
w... more »
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*Women who have their breasts removed over cancer fears may NOT improve
their survival rate, study warns*
Women who have a healthy breast removed over fears they might later develop
breast cancer may not improve their survival rate, according to new
research.
Earlier this year Hollywood star Angelina Jolie underwent surgery to remove
her breasts after being told she had an 87 per cent risk of developing
breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene and her family history.
Jolie's mother, maternal grandmother and aunt all died from breast or
ovarian cancer in their late 40s or in th... more »
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*‘Dozens of mental disorders don’t exist’*
*The fact that 14 mental disorders have now ballooned to 250 rather speaks
for itself. Are we 18 times loonier than we were?*
As World Mental Health Day approaches, has the drive to identify all
illnesses created a ‘fiction’ of psychiatry?
In his riveting tale of how psychiatrists “medicalise” human suffering,
Gary Greenberg recounts that, in 1850, a physician called Samuel Cartwright
reported a new disease in the highly respected New Orleans Medical and
Surgical Journal. Cartwright named it drapetomania, from the ancient Greek
drapetes... more »
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*IVF babies 'are a third more likely to develop childhood cancer'*
*Ho hum! Need for IVF sometimes springs from poor health. Any surprise
that some of the children of such mothers are in poor health too?*
Children born as a result of IVF are a third more likely to get cancer, a
major study found.
Scientists said those born after fertility treatments were 33 per cent more
likely to have childhood cancer.
They were 65 per cent more likely to develop leukaemia and 88 per cent more
likely to develop cancers of the brain and central nervous system.
The study suggests fertility treat... more »
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*Walking an hour a day can cut risk of breast cancer: Brisk stroll can
reduce chance in over-50s by 14%*
* All this research shows is that people in poor health don't walk much*
Women who walk for an hour a day can cut their risk of breast cancer in
later life, say researchers. Taking a brisk stroll can dramatically reduce
the chances of developing the disease in women over 50, the period at which
they are most at risk.
Just 60 minutes of so-called moderate activity a day led to a 14 per cent
lower risk compared to women who were less active, a study revealed. And
women who did... more »
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*Cholesterol Drugs Linked To Eye Damage, JAMA Study Confirms Anew*
A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology titled, “Association of Statin
Use With Cataracts: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis,” reveals that the
top-grossing, cholesterol-lowering drug class known as statins is
significantly increasing the risk of cataracts within exposed
populations.[1]
Statin-induced eye damage will be a surprising finding to some, especially
to statin drug advocates who have argued that the purported ‘antioxidant’
effects of statins ‘may slow the natural aging process of the lens.’ This
la... more »
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*Why did I just eat that cookie? How caveman instincts NOT emotions guide
us to calorie-laden treats*
*Pretty right. That you are fighting human nature is a good reason why
dieting rarely works for long*
Caveman instincts lead us to reach for the cookie jar not our emotions,
according to one weight loss expert.
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, from the University of Ottawa, explains in an article
for NY Daily News, that dieters tend to experience cravings at the same
point in the day when their bodies tell them 'it's time to leave the safety
of [the] cave and replenish energy supplies.'
He ... more »
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*Teenage girls who eat peanut butter twice a week 'reduce their risk of
breast lumps by 39%'*
*Note that is only BENIGN breast lumps that appeared to be reduced!
Mention of cancer reduction is not warranted*
Teenage girls who regularly eat peanuts are 39 per cent less likely to
develop benign breast disease by the age of 30.
Some benign breast diseases, while noncancerous, increases the risk of
breast cancer later in life.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and
Harvard Medical School found the link was particularly strong in girls who
ate peanu... more »
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*UK: Smokers are losers*
People who are unemployed are almost twice as likely to smoke as those in
work, new figures reveal. Research also shows people in their early 20s,
those who co-habit with a partner and workers in low paid manual jobs are
most likely to smoke.
The Office for National Statistics data reveals overall smoking levels have
remained unchanged since 2007, when the ban on smoking in public places
came into force.
Almost four in ten (39 per cent) of people not in a job but seeking work
smoked compared to 21 per cent of those in a job, and 17 per cent among the
ec... more »
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*The vegetarian crusade continues*
*Most people like meat so that has to be WRONG!The data below is just
correlational. Maybe middle class people are more susceptible to the
vegetable siren song and they live longer anyway*
Many people struggle to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day,
but new research suggests that even those who do manage it should be doing
more. The Spanish study revealed that people who eat seven-a-day live, on
average, for more than a year longer than those who do not.
The research revealed that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables is
particula... more »
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*Musicians 'have sharper minds': study*
*I would think that you would mostly have to be of above IQ to play a
musical instrument -- so all we are seeing here is effects of higher IQ*
PLAYING a musical instrument could help protect against mental decline
through age or illness, according to a new study.
Musicians have sharper minds and are able to pick up and correct mistakes
quicker than non-musicians, researchers at St Andrews University found.
They measured the behavioural and brain responses of amateur musicians
compared with non-musicians when performing simple mental tasks.
T... more »
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*Can dieting make you dumber? How calorie-counting and resisting cravings
clogs up the brain*
*Sounds reasonable*
Dieting may make you thinner, but new research has found that it may also
be detrimental to your mental capacity.
Harvard economics professor Sendhil Mullainathan told the New York Times
that obsessive calorie-counting and spontaneous cravings 'clog up' a
dieter's brain, leaving little room for other thoughts or calculations.
Professor Mullainathan explains that this 'clogging' negatively impacts our
ability to carry out various tasks that make up what he calls 'bandw... more »
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*Commonly-prescribed statin may impair memory*
*Side effects are slowly being admitted*
Some commonly prescribed statins can impair memory but others do not,
scientists have found.
The most recent review of statins suggests that for three quarters of those
taking them, they offer little or no value
Between six and seven million people in the UK take the medicines every day
to lower "bad cholesterol" in the blood.
But after starting the treatment, some patients complain that their memory
is affected. Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) insisted
all manufacturer... more »
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*‘Marriage improves cancer survival rate by 20% and can be BETTER than
chemotherapy when it comes to battling the disease’*
*This is an old chestnut: Does marriage make you healthier or are
healthier people more likely to marry? The second is almost certainly
true. But both could be true*
Marriage has many benefits when it comes to raising children, buying a
house, and having a hand to hold during life's toughest times. But new
research suggests that, for some cancer patients, having a husband or wife
could be more beneficial than chemotherapy.
New research from Harvard Unive... more »
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*Why sweeteners may INCREASE your sugar craving: They tickle the taste
buds, but can't fool the brain into producing the pleasure response*
*More perverse results from dieting*
Choosing diet drinks and artificial sweeteners instead of high-calorie
treats may increase your craving for sugar, a study has found.
It is because sugar subsitutes tickle the tastebuds, but can’t fool the
brain.
The pleasure we get from sweet treats is the result of a chemical called
dopamine, which is released in the brain when sugar is consumed and is
linked to a feeling of reward.
Artificial sweeten... more »
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*Cup of tea boosts brain cells?*
*The report below is rather mad in a couple of ways. For a start, the
journal article concerned -- by Giesbrecht et al. is from nearly 3 years
back. Secondly, the researchers administered L-theanine and caffeine
together. How do they know that it was not caffeine alone which produced
the effects? All the effects reported would be normal for caffeine*
NATURAL ingredients found in a cup of tea can improve brain power and
increase alertness, it is claimed. Researchers looked at the effect of key
chemicals found in tea on the mental performance o... more »
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*Impaired IQ and academic skills in adults who experienced moderate to
severe infantile malnutrition: A 40-year study*
*After a fair bit of looking I cannot find a good explanation of WHY some
Barbadian infants were malnourished. It seems likely that they came from
poorer or less functional families -- so poverty alone would explain the
effects observed. Poor people are dumber on average. Contrary to the
conclusions below, the effects may be entirely genetic -- JR*
By Waber DP, Bryce CP, Girard JM, Zichlin M, Fitzmaurice GM, Galler JR.
Abstract:
Objectives: To evaluate IQ and ... more »
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*Sugar is 'the most dangerous drug of our time' and should come with
smoking-style health warnings, says Dutch health chief*
*This is just an attention-seeking bureaucrat making baseless assertions.
If he was any sort of serious thinker he would address the question of
distinguishing between people liking something and being addicted to it*
Sugary foods and drinks should come with a smoking-style health warning,
according to a leading Dutch health expert.
Paul van der Velpen, head of Amsterdam's health service, said that sugar is
‘the most dangerous drug of our time’.
The healt... more »
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*Babies given Calpol just once a month 'are five times as likely to develop
asthma'*
*This sounds like a plausible alternative to the discredited hygeine
hypothesis. Modern homes are not only cleaner but also more likely to use
pharmaceuticals. Proper caution about the direction of the causal arrow is
however expressed below*
Children who are given Calpol are far more likely to develop asthma, a
major study has found. Those given the medicine once a month are five
times more at risk while even having it just once a year increases the
chances by 70 per cent.
Over the past 50 y... more »
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*Heavy coffee drinkers face death risk: study*
*An honest researcher: "It could be the coffee, but it could just as
easily be things that heavy coffee drinkers do," says The University of
Queensland's Dr Carl Lavie. "We have no way of knowing the cause and
effect."*
This is not meant to keep you awake at night, but heavy coffee drinkers are
at increased risk of death, according to a major study.
For reasons that researchers don't fully understand, a 17-year study of
45,000 people shows those aged under 55 who average more than 28 cups a
week are at risk.
It's not that people a... more »
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*Will your drinking water poison you?*
*The addition of fluoride to drinking water has remained controversial so
we are greatly indebted to the massive and very thorough literature review
below -- which summarizes the available evidence on the question. And
what it finds is that there is no cause for alarm. Scientific studies very
rarely find exactly zero differences between two groups. Zero effect is
however recognized if the difference is very small. SOME differences will
arise due to random variations alone. And the results below show a tiny
difference and henc... more »
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*Booze doesn't cause depression*
*This is based on generalizations from a known atypical group so is
interesting but not conclusive*
There is no truth to the long-held belief that alcohol causes depression,
clinical neuroscientists from The University of Western Australia have
concluded.
Professor Osvaldo Almeida, of UWA's School of Psychiatry and Clinical
Neurosciences, said that until now everyone had assumed that alcohol caused
people to become depressed, particularly if consumed at excessive levels.
"Even one of the diagnoses we have for depressive disorders - Substance
Indu... more »
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*Garlic can lower blood pressure by 10%... but only if you take it in
tablet form*
*Meta-analyses are hard to evaluate but the effect is in any case very
weak -- and no mortality or morbidity effects appear to have been
demonstrated*
Twelve weeks of treatment with garlic tablets led to a ‘significant’ cut in
blood pressure, slashing the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to
a review of evidence.
Researchers claim those with hypertension, or high blood pressure, could
control their condition better by adding garlic to conventional medication.
The review of 21 studie... more »
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*Forget hi-tech trainers, stick to plain plimsolls parents told*
Parents whose children demand the latest Nike or Adidas trainers may be
better off buying old-fashioned plimsolls because they encourage a
healthier style of running, researchers claim.
But adults have been warned not to cast aside their hi-tech trainers as
their bones are unable to adjust to the sudden increase in impact.
Human feet are designed to land on the front part of the foot when running,
but modern trainers with cushioned heels make it virtually impossible to do
so.
Instead they force us to land on the h... more »
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*Could listening to Miley Cyrus make you more INTELLIGENT? Scientist claims
certain pop songs can make you smarter*
*No research details given. I'm guessing it was not very rigorous*
A British scientist has claimed that listening to songs by Miley Cyrus or
Justin Timberlake while studying has a calming effect on the mind that aids
logical thought.
Despite not being perhaps the most obvious choice of relaxing tracks, the
clinical psychologist believes pop songs with 50 to 80 beats per minute
allow the brain to learn and remember new facts more easily.
Dr Emma Gray, who specialise... more »
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*Correlation between small testicle size and “sensitive new age men”*
*Not really a surprise*
A link between the size of a father's testicles and how active he is in
bringing up his children has been suggested by scientists.
Researchers at Emory University, US, said those with smaller testicles were
more likely to be involved with nappy changing, feeding and bath time.
They also found differences in brain scans of fathers looking at images of
their child, linked to testicle size.
But other factors, such as cultural expectations, also played a role.
Levels of promiscuity and testi... more »
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*Brainpower of elderly boosted by video game: Just 12 hours playing
dramatically improved multi-tasking ability, memory and attention span*
*Probably a temporary practice effect*
A simple video game devised by scientists dramatically rejuvenated the
brains of pensioners after only 12 hours. The improvements were so great,
they did better than those in their 20s at the driving-based challenge,
said researchers.
The multi-tasking ability, memory and attention span of the men and women
aged 60 to 85 were all boosted by the ‘brain training’ with some of the
benefits still obvious si... more »
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*Could GOOD hygiene cause Alzheimer's? People in wealthy countries are at
'greater risk' as they have less contact with bacteria*
*That hygeine hypothesis won't die, regardless of the evidence against it.
Tribal Aborigines in Australia, for instance, live in very dirty
conditions -- yet have high rates of autoimmune disease such as asthma and
diabetesThe article is nonetheless a brave attempt to use official data to
examine an hypothesis. I think that the difficulties of doing that do
defeat then in the end, however. They had three indices related to
Alzheimer's. I quot... more »
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* Phony Studies by pesticide opponents Will Not Rid Us of Lyme Disease!*
By Rich Kozlovich
This morning I received my e-newletter from the National Pest Management
Association which linked an article titled, Lyme activist questions federal
study of pesticides in private yards, quoting "A leading local advocate in
the fight against Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases is calling a
recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “junk
research” and a waste of taxpayer money.”
Auerbach is absolutely correct in her assessment. That money spent on this
study... more »
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*'LSD could be good for you': Hallucinogens 'wrongly linked with mental
health problems for years' study says*
*I get the impression that hallucinogen use was/is more of a college-kid
thing rather than a working class thing. In that case the underlying
health of the users should be generally good and that may cancel out damage
from use of the drugs. But this is epidemiological data so it's all
speculation*
Hallucinogenic drugs may actually be good for you, a team of researchers
has concluded. Norwegian scientists have carried out extensive research on
the effects of LSD - or t... more »
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* Mediterranean diet lowers risk of developing dementia? *
*The last paragraph below is the operational one*
Eating a Mediterranean diet is good for the mind, research has concluded.
Scientists say people who eat large quantities of fresh fruits and
vegetables, nuts, fish and olive oil have a lower risk of age-related
diseases such as dementia.
The research, by the University of Exeter’s Medical School, is the first
systematic review of previous studies into the diet’s benefits to the brain.
It comes after research last month showed the same diet could help
counteract a genetic... more »
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*Mothers who swim during pregnancy increase their child's risk of eczema
and asthma, scientists warn*
*This is just theory. No facts at all*
Pregnant mothers who regularly attend swimming classes may be increasing
the risk of their child developing an allergic condition.
Scientists believe that commonly-found airborne chemicals, such as chlorine
from pools and compounds found in cleaning products could be behind the
five-fold increase in inherited allergies during the past 50 years.
Exposure to these chemicals may be altering an unborn child’s immune
system, leaving them more se... more »
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*Another study showing that statins will not help you to live longer*
*Meta-analyses are not always well done but the large number of "negative"
finding is in this case impressive. For more on existing findings, see
here*
*Benefits Of Statins In Elderly Subjects Without Established Cardiovascular
Disease. A Meta-Analysis*
By Gianluigi Savarese et al
Abstract
Objectives: To assess whether statins reduce all-cause mortality and CV
events in elderly people without established CV disease.
Background: Since ageing of the population is steadily raising, prevention
of cardiovascula... more »
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*Teenage cannabis users are more vulnerable to heavy drug addiction and
psychosis - and genes drive up the risks*
*These conclusions seem to reply on epidemiological reports -- which can be
of dubious logic. It could be that problem personalities are drawn to the
drug rather than the drug damaging the personaity. I have known cannabis
users who seemed pretty spaced out whether they were high or not*
Teenage brains may be especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of
cannabis, experts believe.
The notion that cannabis is a 'safe' drug is misplaced and scientifically
inaccurate... more »
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*More fresh fruit deters diabetes while juice boosts risk (?)*
*This is just data dredging, with the usual weak and contradictory results*
EATING more whole fresh fruit, especially blueberries, grapes, apples and
pears, is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but drinking more
fruit juice has the opposite effect, says a study.
British, US and Singaporean researchers pored over data from three big
health investigations that took place in the United States, spanning a
quarter of a century in all.
More than 187,000 nurses and other professional caregivers were enrolled.
The... more »
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*Food addiction DOES exist: Sugar-laden junk activates the same region of
the brain affected by heroin and cocaine (?)*
*The usual naive logic. It would be more reasonable to say that cocaine
mimics the brain effects of foodBut the study didn't look at that anyway.
It is far more amusing. They gave people food that is quickly absorbed and
food that is slowly absorbed. They found that the brain activity associated
with food eating was greater with the rapidly absorbed food. What did they
expect? It was a bit like "discovering" that grass is green*
It has long been disputed w... more »
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*Gluten sensitivity: Fact or fad?*
*Gluten sensitivity clearly does exist as an aspect of Coeliac disease but
it would seem that it is also sometimes a neurotic reaction to life
problems. Get your romantic life right (for instance) and the gluten
sensitivity disappears*
Gluten-free is a big buzzword with big bucks behind it. In 2010, the global
market for gluten-free products was worth $2.5 billion. Over the next five
years, it is expected to grow to more than $5 billion. But, how much of
the buzz behind being gluten-free is bona fide?
A new study raises questions about the hy... more »
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*Black tea 'combats bacteria linked with tooth decay and gum disease'*
*As you will see from the abstract below, this is a very shaky finding. I
quote: "Epidemiological studies indicate that tea drinking in general may
protect against tooth loss, certain oral/digestive cancers and Helicobacter
pylori infection, although the studies were few in number with differing
methodologies." *
A comforting cup of tea brings a smile to most people’s faces. And now,
according to scientists, it might make that smile just a little bit
brighter. Researchers have claimed that drinking at least... more »
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*How eating raspberries could increase your chances of becoming a father
(?)*
*This is mostly just theory. The findings probably reflect social class,
with middle class men (who are healthier anyway) being more dutiful about
their fruit & veg. intake and more likely to take up food fads -- such as
berry eating*
Eating raspberries could help increase the chances of becoming a father, it
has been claimed. They contain high levels of Vitamin C, a key nutrient in
male fertility, and magnesium, which is involved in the production of
testosterone. They are also thought to protect s... more »
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*British food police lose fight to outlaw rare beefburgers after judge
rejects claim they are a health risk*
Beefburgers cooked rare can remain on restaurant menus after a judge
rejected claims by food watchdogs that they are a health risk.
A wine bar and restaurant chain had been told to stop serving the burgers
unless they took certain safety precautions.
The ruling by Westminster City Council, backed by the Food Standards
Agency, would have set a precedent across the country.
But the company – London-based Davy’s – appealed against the decision and
district judge Elizabeth Ros... more »
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*Eating too much red meat could increase the risk of Alzheimer's:
Scientists warn build-up of iron may damage the brain (?) *
*All that has been shown so far is higher levels of iron in one brain
region of Alzheimer's sufferers. All the rest is theory. No causal
inferences can be drawn from the evidence so far*
Eating too much red meat could trigger Alzheimer's, suggests new research.
Scientists found that a build-up of iron - abundant in red meat - could
cause oxidant damage, to which the brain is particularly vulnerable.
Researchers say this could in turn increase the risk ... more »
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*Use of psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms 'does NOT increase
risk of mental health problems' - and may even help (?)*
*I wonder how well these researchers know the people they describe. I am
surprised that they seem unaware of defensiveness among drug users. In my
observations, users of hallucinogens can be quite defensive about what they
do. And a major aspect of that defensiveness is to deny any adverse health
effects on themselves of what they do. Since the data below is
self-report, it is my view that the researchers have simply discovered
evidence in support ... more »
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*A bad back is more than a pain in the neck*
Theodore Dalrymple
As an occasional sufferer from lower back pain, I sympathise deeply with
David Cameron, whose lumbago currently prevents him from pursuing deer on
Jura. A bad back is an utter misery: there is no position that one can
adopt for long that remains comfortable. It is like a nagging spouse: it
demands attention and cannot be ignored.
Let us hope, for Mr Cameron’s sake and that of the country, that his
lumbago is intermittent rather than continuous. For chronic pain, or
chronic illness of any description, is seldom an aid... more »
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*New study links Alzheimer's to copper*
*Study in laboratory glassware only. Problems as described below*
The scientific community is divided on the question of whether copper -
found in red meat, vegetables, dairy products as well as pipes that carry
drinking water in much of the developed world - causes or prevents
Alzheimer's disease.
For the latest study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, researchers looked at how copper in the capillaries may cause a
breakdown in the blood-brain barrier, leading to a buildup of the protein
amyloid beta, or plaques that... more »
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*Pregnant women CAN drink alcohol and coffee, claims controversial new book
that aims to dispel 'motherhood myths'*
Pregnant women can drink alcohol and coffee and dye their hair – but should
avoid gardening, according to an expert who aims to dispel ‘motherhood
myths’. Economist and author Emily Oster contradicts conventional wisdom
and advocates a much more relaxed approach to pregnancy.
In her book, Expecting Better, she claims a glass of wine a day is fine,
plenty of coffee won’t harm the baby and gaining too little weight while
pregnant is far more worrying than gaining too... more »
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*Is fruit juice bad for your health?*
*This is just Lustig still pushing his anti-sugar barrow. He has very
little support from other medical researchers. Note that other fanatics
condemn artificial sweetners so it is sweetness that is wrong!*
It sounds like a crazy question, but fruit juice could be worse for you
than fizzy drinks.
Juice exudes health and vitality. It is officially one of your
'five-a-day'. It's what they sell in juice bars, those yogafied temples of
wheatgrass.
But fruit juice is also, according to the American obesity expert Robert
Lustig, basically just su... more »
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*More than four cups of coffee a day puts you at risk of early death, claim
U.S. researchers*
*"the results did not demonstrate any association between coffee
consumption and all-cause mortality in older men and women." Not much to
worry about, then, is there? It's junk research generally, with lots of
holes, some outlined below*
The findings come from a large- scale American lifestyle study of 43,727
individuals aged 20 to 87.
The US researchers suspect excessive coffee consumption may adversely
affect the body’s metabolism, outweighing some of the known health benefits.
Ind... more »
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*Eating salmon once a week 'reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis by half'*
*The esteemed Karolinska is putting out a lot of rubbish these days. This
was a self-report study, open to social desirability bias. Middle class
people probably said the "right" thing more often and they are healthier
anyway*
Eating salmon at least once a week could halve the risk of developing
rheumatoid arthritis. Oily fish such as salmon or mackerel had the most
marked effect, reducing the risk by 52 per cent, a study found. The same
benefit comes from eating four portions a week of lean fish such a... more »
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* Unruly kids become fatter adults?*
*Looking at the actual tables of results attached to the journal article is
enlightening here. Table S3 is particularly interesting. The major
predictor of health was in fact gender. No surprise when we reflect that
women live longer. The beta weights for all other variables were small to
negligible. And Table S3 shows us that conscientiousness predicted obesity
very weakly indeed (beta -0.09) and was marginally significant
statistically only by virtue of the large sample size. The other
significant results showed that Hawaiian natives we... more »
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*Drinking hot chocolate could prevent ALZHEIMER'S by boosting blood flow to
the brain*
*This is a short-term study of a small group so should not be taken too
seriously but it should be noted that normals did not benefit and that
anti-oxidants made no difference!*
Scientists have come up with an indulgent way to stave off dementia.
Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may boost memory in pensioners by
almost a third. It is thought chocolate’s ability to boost blood
circulation is the reason.
'We're learning more about blood flow in the brain and its effect on
thinking sk... more »
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*Stilnox/Ambien/Zolpidem: Give a dog a bad name ....*
*A woman dies in an unusual way, with signs of murder and a history of
depression. She also has traces of 3 drugs in her. So what is the
headline? Just one of those drugs is picked on! We have a scapegoat drug!
I have used Zolpidem for insomnia and found it perfectly satisfactory*
CONTROVERSIAL sleeping drug Stilnox could have prompted "bizarre" actions
that led to the death of a young woman who fell 12 storeys down her
apartment building's rubbish chute, a court in Melbourne has heard.
Victorian Coroner Peter White opene... more »
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*Green tea extract has anti-cancer potential*
*Study in laboratory glassware only*
A green-tea extract could help destroy deadly childhood cancers that are
resistant to traditional chemotherapy, ground-breaking NSW research has
discovered.
Cancer researcher Orazio Vittorio says a modified antioxidant called
catechin can kill 50 per cent of the cells from neuroblastoma cancers
within three days in laboratory studies.
On Friday night he was awarded the Kid's Cancer Project Award in the NSW
Premier's Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research, which will give him
$25,000 to put toward... more »
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*Red-headed men are less at risk of prostate cancer because of their
unusual genes, study reveals*
*My father was a redhead and all my prostate tests have turned up negative
so I rather like this study -- JR*
It may have become something of a magnet for ridicule and discrimination.
But now, it seems, there may be major health benefits to being ginger,
especially for men. New research shows that naturally red-headed men are
54 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer as those with blond,
brown or black hair.
Why hair colour should be such a powerful influence on cancer ri... more »
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*Broad Decline in Obesity Rate Seen in Poor Young Children*
*A change from the usual claims that obesity is an ever-increasing
epidemic. It may however reflect the economic downturn. More people are
poor and hence less able to splurge on excess food*
The obesity rate among young children from poor families fell in 19 states
and U.S. territories in recent years, federal health officials said
Tuesday, the first major government report showing a consistent pattern of
decline for low-income children.
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the latest
to find... more »
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*Eating a big breakfast is more slimming*
*One wonders why. This was a study of fat Jewish ladies and I have
observed that fat Jewish ladies tend to be devoted to their coffee and cake
at morning-tea time. Perhaps the breakfasters were better able to resist
cheating at morning tea time!*
Dieters have long been told they should breakfast like a king, lunch like a
prince and dine like a pauper.
Now scientists have confirmed the principle...and even quantified the
difference it can make to your weight loss.
Researchers gave women most of their calories either at breakfast or
dinn... more »
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*Statin Drugs are Poison*
*MIT scientist Raymond Francis discusses the ineffectiveness of Statin
drugs. He sheds light on why they are used, what damage they cause, and why
NOT to use them*
*I reversed my diabetes in just 11 days - by going on a starvation diet*
*This seems well-founded and very promising. It mirrors my own less
serious experience. I have always tested out OK when checked for diabetes
but a recent test now that I am aged 70 showed me as pre-diabetic --
meaning that I metabolized everything but was slow in doing so. I had
recently changed from my custom... more »
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*How overcoming adversity DOES help you live longer: Men who survived the
Holocaust outlive Jewish men of the same age*
*Rubbish! Only the exceptionally robust survived the camps. So of course
they live longer. They are a more select group healthwise*
Men who survived the Holocaust live longer than other Jewish men of the
same age who did not go through the hell of the Nazi death camps, new
research has revealed.
Researchers from Haifa University in Israel found a phenomenon known as
'post-traumatic growth' enabled Holocaust survivors to develop enhanced
'personal and inter-pers... more »
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*Could eating salmon twice a week protect against skin cancer? Omega-3 oils
found to destroy harmful tumour cells*
*This is a study in laboratory glassware only*
Eating salmon twice a week could protect against skin cancer, according to
new research. Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish - which include
sardines, mackerel and trout - destroy malignant cells in skin and mouth
tumours while leaving healthy ones alone, experiments show.
The finding could even lead to the development of aerosols or gels
containing the molecules that zap skin and mouth cancers.
Experiments found th... more »
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*How feasting on steak and spinach can cut the chances of Alzheimer's*
*These findings are explainable as indicating a general syndrome of
biological fitness. Anaemics are less fit so go on to get dementia too*
Iron-rich foods such as steak, spinach, liver and nuts could cut the risk
of dementia in later life, say researchers.
A study has found that people with anaemia – where levels of red blood
cells are lower than normal – were more likely to develop conditions such
as Alzheimer’s.
The most common cause of anaemia, besides heavy blood loss, is iron
deficiency, suggesting tha... more »
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*Australian study: Rich kids thinner*
*And lower class kids are fatter. Whenever it is examined, social class is
an important health predictor*
RICH kids are thinner than their poorer classmates, who are more likely to
grow obese in primary school, new research shows.
The Murdoch Children's Research Institute study of 4000 Australian children
shows that disadvantaged kids who are overweight or obese by the time they
start school are more likely to put on weight as they grow up.
Researchers tracked the children's weight from the age of four and five, to
the age of 10 and 11.
It ... more »
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*The greatest food in human history*
*I have been defending, advocating and enjoying McDonald's burgers for many
years. The first words my toddler son learned -- now nearly a quarter of a
century ago -- were his McDonald's order -- JR*
In terms of cost-per-calorie, no locavore, organic veggie can compete with
the McDouble
What is “the cheapest, most nutritious and bountiful food that has ever
existed in human history” Hint: It has 390 calories. It contains 23g, or
half a daily serving, of protein, plus 7% of daily fiber, 20% of daily
calcium and so on.
Also, you can get it in 14... more »
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*Breastfeeding 'can enhance a child's IQ': Longer a mother chooses to feed
baby the better their intelligence scores aged seven*
*The journal article ("Infant Feeding and Childhood Cognition at Ages 3 and
7 Years") is here. It is a great rarity in that it takes basic precautions
against confounders. Both maternal IQ and social class were controlled
for. A major reservation, however, is that IQ measured at age 7 is not at
all stable and, moreover, environmental influences tend to wane as the
individual gets older. So it is perfectly possible that the beneficial
effect of breas... more »
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*One to infuriate the food freaks*
While it may not be the obvious choice to hold a wedding reception, one
couple who chose their local McDonald's could at least guarantee their
guests' food would arrive quickly.
Fast-food fans Steven Asher and Emily Marshall had spent the past year
enjoying a string of romantic dates at the Golden Arches, so it seemed like
the obvious place to toast their nuptials when they tied the knot on
Saturday.
They arrived in a stretch limo and dined with their 33 guests in a
roped-off area at their local branch in Bristol.
Emily tucked into a chicken ... more »
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*Fennel could help beat PMT, study claims*
*It's not clear if this was double blind and the sample sizes were small
but this will undoubtedly fire up the herb enthusiasts*
Fennel could help millions of women beat the monthly misery of
pre-menstrual tension, researchers have claimed.
Young women who took drops made from the plant’s seeds felt less depressed
and found it easier to get on with their jobs, their friends and their
family.
It is believed that the liquorice flavoured seeds could help to rebalance
the female sex hormones which lay behind some of the symptoms of PMT, t... more »
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*Could coffee help prevent depression? Two cups a day 'may reduce the risk
of suicide by 50%'*
*This is naive. Since most Americans and Europeans drink coffee, this is
really a study of the minority who do not drink coffee. But who are they?
Mostly people who are caffeine sensitive, probably. So the findings could
equally well be held to show that sensitive people get more depressed*
Drinking between two to four cups of coffee every day appears to reduce the
risk of suicide in men and women by 50 per cent, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public... more »
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*Teenagers who smoke cannabis damage their brains for LIFE and may be more
likely to develop schizophrenia*
*Mouse study only so even if the damage is as described, quantifying it is
a large problem. The damage in people could be real but maybe trivial*
Teenagers who regularly smoke cannabis suffer long lasting brain damage and
are in much greater danger of developing schizophrenia.
American researchers say the drug is particularly dangerous for a group of
people who have a genetic susceptibility to the mental health disorder -
and it could be the trigger for it.
Asaf Keller, ... more »
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*Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have children with
'bad behaviour or ADHD'*
*So WHO were the "Mothers who smoke during pregnancy"? Mostly lower class
women and lower class people have more health problems anyway*
Children are more likely to be unruly and badly behaved if their mothers
smoked in pregnancy, claim researchers.
The risk of antisocial behaviour rose among children whose mothers smoked.
They were more likely to have poor attention spans and show disruptive
behaviour such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
An analysis of three ex... more »
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