No evidence that diet changes fight cancer: "Two new studies have found what their authors say is scant evidence that changes in diet help cancer patients survive longer or avoid recurrences of the disease. Many cancer patients and their families see hope in foods popularly believed to help fight cancer, including nutritional supplements. And studies indicate that eating plenty of vegetables and fruits helps prevent certain cancers. While not disputing that healthy eating has major benefits, the authors of one study said such diets may have little relevance in treating cancer itself. Some nutritional supplements may even be harmful, they added. The study consisted of an analysis of 59 previous studies of specific dietary modifications. There was little relationship between diet and survival or prognosis, the authors said. The other study found that neither garlic nor vitamin supplements, both popularly thought to help fight cancer, delays the progression of pre-cancerous gastric lesions to cancer. Both studies appear in the July 19 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute."
Preggy mothers should eat up: "Babies whose mothers do not eat enough during pregnancy appear to be at risk of clogged up arteries later in life, researchers say. A study of 200 children found that, on average, the lower the mother's calorific intake during pregnancy, the thicker the child's artery walls. Clogged up arteries - atherosclerosis - can lead to heart disease and strokes. The University of Southampton team said the reasons for the apparent link were unclear and needed further exploration. Their study appears in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.... The researchers said it did not matter what proportion of the calorie intake came from fat, protein or carbohydrate - it was the total calorie intake that was important. The association between artery thickness and calorific intake remained strong even after taking account of factors such as social class, smoking, exercise habits and sickness in pregnancy.... "Our advice to pregnant women is that a healthy balanced diet is essential to give both mother and baby the best chance of a healthier life. "A restricted or low calorie diet should not be followed during pregnancy." 8:08 AM
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Hi tech bikini: "As the bikini turns 60, it's entering the electronic age with a new model featuring a built-in alarm to warn wearers to get out of the sun - and ease concerns that the scanty swimsuits damage the health. The American Cancer Society advises that the best way to lower the risk of skin cancer, the most common form of the disease in humans, is to avoid too much exposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet light. So Canadian company Solestrom has come up with a new bikini that goes on sale next month with a UV meter built into its belt and an alarm that beeps to tell wearers when to head to the shade. "There's so much concern about sun exposure and skin cancer that we saw the demand and designed something to be safe for the wearer," Solestrom spokeswoman Emily Garassa said".
Fishy answer to weight loss: "Swallowing fish oil as part of an exercise regime helps shed kilograms faster, new research shows. An Adelaide study has found that overweight people on a modest exercise plan lose more weight if they also take daily doses of tuna oil rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. The polyunsaturated fats, found in oily fish and some grains, nuts and vegetables, have cardiovascular benefits but little is known about their contribution to weight loss. The University of South Australia study involved overweight or obese people with cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Participants did not alter their diet but took regular doses of either tuna fish oil or sunflower oil, which does not contain Omega 3. After three months of light exercise - a 45-minute walk or run three times a week - those consuming fish oil had lost an average of 2kg."
British house of honey: "When Anthony and Gwynneth Kemp noticed liquid seeping from the wall of their flat in Bristol they assumed the neighbour had left a tap on. It was only when Mr Kemp, 67, a former architect, was told by his neighbours that the leak, dripping from a lintel above a window, was not coming from their flat that he went to investigate further. After tentatively tasting it he turned to his bemused wife and told her that it was honey. Bees had built a nest in the walls and because of the hot weather the wax in the nest had started to melt. Mr Kemp said: "I went up and tasted it. I didn't know what to think because I hadn't expected it to taste sweet." David Charles, a beekeeping expert from Somerset, said: "They are probably ordinary honey bees. Because it has been so hot the bees have been able to collect lots of pollen. At certain temperatures beeswax becomes pliable and collapses and the honey has seeped out." 8:09 AM
More proof that smokers tend to be dummies: "A 21-year-old man is in hospital with severe burns after lighting a cigarette while using paint thinners, sparking a fire that destroyed his Brisbane home. Police said firefighters were called just after midnight when the blaze engulfed the high-set timber house at Annie Street, Woolloongabba, in the city's inner southside. The house was gutted and a neighbouring house was also damaged in the blaze. The man had lit a cigarette while using paint thinner to clean an engine in a car being restored under the house, police said. He was taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital with severe burns to 30 per cent of his body." 8:09 AM
Breast cancer pill falls from favor: "Tamoxifen, the pill that prevents breast cancer in high-risk women, does not appear in the long run to save many lives, US researchers reported today. Women at the highest risk of breast cancer do appear to live longer if they take Tamoxifen, the researchers report in the latest issue of the journal Cancer. But for women at the low end of the high-risk group, the sometimes serious side effects of Tamoxifen outweigh the benefits, Dr Joy Melnikow of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues reported. Tamoxifen can cause blood clots and uterine cancer. "We found that for women at the lower end of the high-risk range for developing breast cancer, there is a very small likelihood that taking Tamoxifen will reduce mortality," Dr Melnikow said in a statement. Dr Melnikow and her colleagues calculated that Tamoxifen can extend life expectancy only when a woman's five-year risk of developing breast cancer is 3 per cent or higher. This is especially true for women who have not had a hysterectomy, and thus risk endometrial cancer from taking Tamoxifen". 8:11 AM
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Fabulous news if it works: "In a world first, Melbourne scientists have developed a once-a-day pill that they claim may cure Alzheimer's disease. Human trials of the drug start next month. The drug - called PBT2 - was developed by a team from the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria in collaboration with Melbourne-based Prana Biotechnology. "It is a major breakthrough and very much a Melbourne discovery," said Prof George Fink, the director of the Mental Health Research Institute. "Though much depends on the next phase of human clinical trials . . . early results indicate this drug offers hope to people with Alzheimer's disease," he said. The revolutionary drug stops the buildup of a protein called amyloid. Many scientists accept amyloid is a major cause of Alzheimer's as the protein is thought to cause the brain to "rust". Prof Fink said the drug could significantly prevent Alzheimer's developing or delay the on-set of the brain disease for many years. Early clinical testing has confirmed the drug is fast-acting. Levels of amyloid dropped by 60 per cent within 24 hours of a single dose. It found also that PBT2 suppresses the impairment of memory function. More human studies begin in Sweden next month and Australians will join a major international trial of the drug next year." 8:12 AM
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Diet seesaw swings back to carbohydrates: "The most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycaemic index (GI) foods, especially for women, say Australian researchers. The world's first 12-week trial of its kind compared the relative effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk of low GI and high-protein diets. The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat. Foods with a low GI include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, wholegrain and sour dough breads and Basmati or Doongara rice. Foods with a high GI include potatoes and white bread. The study by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Joanna McMillan-Price of the University of Sydney Human Nutrition Unit, showed that there was no one diet to fit all solutions, although both high protein and low GI diets would help people shed fat. However, the trial did show that a diet containing low GI carbohydrate significantly reduces the risk of heart disease." 8:13 AM
Monday, July 24, 2006
How sad. "Antioxidant" vitamins dangerous: "Expensive high-dose antioxidant supplements have no benefits but can increase blood pressure in some people, a pharmacology expert says. Professor Kevin Croft of the University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, said recent research showed there were no benefits from popular high-dose vitamin C and E supplements and a healthy diet would be more beneficial... Prof Croft will tell the Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) in Cairns on Monday that large population studies over many years appeared to create a link between antioxidants in the diet with reduced risk of heart disease. As a result, the use of vitamin C and E supplements was widespread and the industry worth billions of dollars. But recent studies of higher dose supplementation showed no benefits but pointed to potential adverse effects, he said. Perth researchers who looked at people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease said some patients taking high doses of vitamin E had higher blood pressure. Prof Croft said while vitamins C and E were essential for good health, people did not need them in any higher doses than could be gained from a balanced diet." 8:13 AM
Dangerous herb: "Millions of women may be at risk of liver disorders because they take the herbal remedy black cohosh to counter hot flushes and other symptoms of the menopause. An official alert over Cimicifuga racemosa was issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency yesterday and warnings will soon appear on all products containing the plant. Black cohosh is also sold as black snake root, rattle snake root and squaw root in a market worth 4.6 million pounds a year. Black cohosh, which is sold as drops or capsules that cost between 5 and 10 pounds for a month's supply, has been available in Britain for more than 20 years. Its use has increased since 2003, when a study linked HRT with higher risks of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer. Professor Philip Routledge, chairman of the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee, said that the data underlined a link between black cohosh and a risk of liver disorders. "This is rare, but can be serious," he said. Anyone who has suffered a liver complaint or any other serious health problem was advised to consult their GP before taking it." 8:15 AM
Brits love boob jobs: "Figures released today show that breast enlargements are now the most popular form of cosmetic surgery in the UK. More than 26,000 women went under the knife last year - up 150 per cent on figures for 2003. And it's estimated that by 2007, Britons will spend a whopping 659 million pounds a year on sculpting the body beautiful. So why the huge rise in mammary makeovers? It's all down to science, reckons consultant plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover. "There have been great advances in the type of implants available in the past five or ten years. "Implants aren't filled with liquid silicone any more so leaks are much rarer and people feel safe having the work done." Mr. Grover may be seeing more clients than ever but it seems their requirements have got more conservative of late. "A few years ago, patients liked the idea of a big, busty look but now they're far more concerned with looking natural. "Most of the women I see want to go up about two cup sizes"
Kissing is good for you: :The couples who kiss together, stay together. That's the advice from the panel of sexperts we quizzed to mark National Kissing Day - which was last week. Sarah Hedley, editor of saucy women's mag Scarlet, reckons snogging is one of the sexiest things you can do. She told us: "A very passionate kiss releases a feel good chemical in the body called oxytocin. "According to scientists, oxytocin is linked to fidelity so, put simply, if you kiss you won't feel the need to stray! "Apparently the hormone makes you feel more in love and stable." ... According to Sarah, kissing shouldn't be limited to the lips. She told us: "It might sound a bit strange but it's a good idea to kiss areas that sweat, like armpits and the top lip. "They're both areas with high pheromone levels, so in getting close and kissing, you'll be breathing in each other's pheromones which in turn increase arousal."... "Everyone is capable of having a mind-blowing snog. And it shouldn't be restricted to the mouth, being kissed on the neck is totally sexy... Telly sexpert Tracey Cox - who's best known for analysing couples' sex lives on C4's The Sex Inspectors - recommends couples try a Champagne Kiss. She advises: "Take a good gulp of chilled champagne into your mouth, resist the urge to swallow and hold it there. "Next lean over and kiss your partner, letting a tiny amount of champagne trickle into their mouth." 8:16 AM
Don't exercise or diet and still lose weight: "Dieters take heart. Researchers have found a way you can lose weight without dieting or exercising. The Adelaide team has isolated different chemicals found in green tea, cocoa, red grapes and fish which help burn fat. Obese people, fed supplements of these polyphenols, lost 2kg over 12 weeks, without otherwise altering diet or lifestyle. "If you take the green tea polyphenols while you're eating a high-fat diet they protect you against the development of body fat," University of South Australia Professor Jon Buckley said. "If you eat them while you're trying to lose weight they'll strip weight off." These nutrients alter the "machinery" inside muscle tissue to burn more fat and could be a powerful weapon in tackling obesity." 8:17 AM
Man told his willy is 'broken': "A man was told he'd 'broken' his willy after he got randy with his wife. Adam Shaw was having a "quickie" with his wife Niki when he fell out of bed and screamed in agony. Niki, 31, grabbed a bag of frozen peas to ease the swelling as Adam's manhood ballooned to the size of a cucumber - and his testicles to the size of a coconut. He was rushed to hospital where doctors told him: "It's broken". He had an operation to mend the injured organ reports The Sun. Adam from Camborne, Cornwall said: "I never knew you could break it - but I found out the hard way. It was agony." Niki added: "He'll just have to be a little less energetic in future." 8:19 AM
Viagra in a tube: "First there were potions, then pumps, then pills. But finding help for problems with sexual arousal could soon be as easy as buying toothpaste - with the arrival of an impotence treatment in a tube. A gel expected to become the world's first over-thecounter medication for erectile dysfunction was announced yesterday to a clamour of excitement from pharmaceutical executives and claims of a new sexual revolution. The non-prescription treatment, which would be available from pharmacies and supermarkets, will bring anti-impotence treatments into the consumer mainstream as never before if it passes clinical trials. The gel, codenamed MED2002, is being developed by Futura Medical in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline and is designed to be applied directly to the penis.... James Barder, the chief executive of Futura, said yesterday that MED2002 could be in the shops within three years, having already proved its efficacy in initial trials." 8:21 AM
Head lice shrug off shampoo: "Scientists have finally confirmed what parents and teachers have long suspected. Head lice have become impervious to the campaign to eradicate them. After randomly sampling almost 3000 schoolchildren in Wales, British scientists have concluded over-the-counter insecticidal shampoos to clear lice do little more than make the critters cleaner. Four out of five head lice collected during the research were found to be resistant to malathion, permethrin and phenothrin, the pesticides most commonly used in delousing treatments, according to a paper published in the British Medical Association journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. The findings did not surprise Australia's head lice expert, Richard Speare, of James Cook University. The last hope is a cocktail of herbal extracts and essential oils, with few clinical field trials to measure their efficacy and resistance potential. "A few herbal treatments such as Liceblaster, which rely on a whole range of compounds with active components, do work," Professor Speare said. "Instead of relying on a single chemical, the compounds work through a number of different pathways, so it is more difficult for the lice t
