U.K.: Beer good for sick cows: "A farmer was yesterday toasting the health of a cow that made a wonder recovery after being treated with beer. When the cow developed a stomach problem, a vet suggested yeast - so the Suffolk farmer fed her Adnams beer. Lottie has now made a full recovery and given birth to a calf named Adnams. "She was very ill and wouldn't eat or drink", said Mrs Baskett yesterday. "The vet who was treating her said she thought that brewers yeast might help cure the problem. "She said she had heard of it being used in other countries and in England many years ago. "So Tony approached the local pub and they gave him a barrel of Adnams which just had the dregs of the beer in the bottom. "We put it in a bottle and pushed the bottle into Lottie's mouth and got it down her that way. "After a few months she made a full recovery and now to show how healthy she is she has given birth to a calf, which we have of course named Adnams. "We've been farming for 48 years here and I have never heard of beer being used like this before. But apparently it was in the old days."" 8:30 AM
Human milk popular: "You won't find it on any commodities exchange, but there is a booming trade in mothers' breast milk. The United States' largest non-profit milk banks distributed 745,300 fluid ounces (22,000 litres) last year - double the amount in 2000 - at a cost of $US2.6 million. Prolacta Bioscience, which is in it for profit, started marketing a breast-milk concentrate for $US48 an ounce. And some mothers are selling their own milk on the internet for $1 to $2.50 - more than a third less than milk from the big banks. Since January one popular website has listed more than 100 advertisements for human milk." 8:33 AM
Boob job too successful: "A woman who had breast enlargement surgery to transform her B-cup to a DD-cup is taking her boss to court for looking at her breasts too often. Sabrina Pace, 26, who works at a Cardiff car-hire firm, said that after she returned to work following her breast operation, her manager, David Ford, began to pay her unwanted attention. At an employment tribunal this week, she said Ford had suggested she pose for a calendar. "You will have to close your cardigan, Sabrina, unless you want me to talk to your breasts," he is alleged to have told her."
Why women like married men: "The mystery of why women frequently fall for married men may have finally been solved by scientists. Women may be genetically programmed to seek out men who carry the scent of their wives' skin. They find a man carrying the smell of another woman more attractive than a 'clean' male, according to studies on mice. Dr Donald Pfaff, professor of neurobiology at Rochester University in New York, explained: "The implication was that the test females would pay more attention to the male if he was decorated with the odours of other females. "Our data suggests that female mice may use, or even copy, the interests of other females based on olfactory cues. It could also be seen as a female trusting the mate choice of another female.""
Meals now get "assembled": "Hundreds of "meal-assembly" centres are opening up across the US to help overworked mothers - and the occasional father - to bring home a "home-cooked" meal. Selecting from the menu of the month, harried customers visit the centres to assemble meals from ingredients that have been pre-peeled, chopped or diced. The meals are packed up to be put in the freezer and later served at home. There is no agonising about what to cook, no time-consuming preparation of meat or vegetables and no washing up. There are now an estimated 700 "meal-assembly" centres across the country - and they are opening up at the rate of 40 a month. The industry even has its own trade group, the Easy Meal Prep Association. The centres, arranged like giant kitchens with different stations for each recipe, allow customers to prepare up to 12 uncooked meals in two hours." 8:34 AM
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Pot rots your lungs: "Marijuana smokers risk getting life-threatening emphysema 25 years earlier than cigarette smokers. Melbourne doctors have identified a pattern of emphysema in marijuana smokers that is different from the disease that develops in cigarette smokers. They found young patients had developed large cysts or holes in the lobes of the lungs that made breathing difficult. Respiratory expert Associate Professor Matthew Naughton said the nine marijuana smokers studied had been using the drug for 10 to 35 years. "We believe the reason for this outcome is that the breathing manoeuvre for marijuana intake is different from tobacco smoking," Associate Professor Naughton said.
Cheney keeps it caffeine-free: "Some stars demand epic quantities of whiskey in their dressing rooms, but the strongest thing on US Vice President Dick Cheney's backstage menu is decaffeinated coffee and caffeine-free soda. The Internet sleuth site www.thesmokinggun.com has obtained a list of official "vice presidential downtime requirements". Mr Cheney's office has confirmed the items are "consistent" with what he expects to find in his hotel room. The decaffeinated coffee will be brewed before he arrives, the thermostat will be set to 20 degrees Celsius and the televisions will be tuned to Fox News, which is widely viewed as sympathetic to the White House. There will be four to six bottles of mineral water and four cans of Diet Sprite, plus two bottles of sparkling water if Mr Cheney's wife, Lynne, is travelling with him." 8:35 AM
"Anyone those who attempts to dispel the notion that HIV is the cause of AIDS are perpetrators of death. And I, would very much, for one, like to see the Constitution of the United States and similar countries have some means in place that we can charge people who are responsible for endangering public health with charges of endangerment and bring them up on trial. I think that people like Peter Duesberg belong in jail".
He actually wants to throw in jail anybody who questions the orthodox theory! It sure looks like a fragile theory judging by the words and deeds of those who espouse it.
So here's the surprise: I have been reading on this issue for many years and I think the orthodox view is probably right -- at least as far as the Western world is concerned. Africa is another matter. They seem to call anything AIDS there. The main thing that makes me doubt the orthodox theory these days is the dogmatism of its defenders.
I am guessing that admitting to any uncertainty in their conclusions is seen by the establishment as politically dangerous. But the matter should nonetheless be discussed fully and openly as it would be truly tragic if the theory is wrong. 12:59 AM
Fish and linseed oil not so great after all: "Fish oil may not quite be the elixir of life that we have been led to believe. Analysis of all the best trials on the subject has found little evidence that eating fish, or taking fish oil capsules, cuts the risk of dying of heart disease, stroke or cancer. The finding may come as a shock to those who believe that the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, which are found not just in fish oils but also, in short chain form, in some plant oils such as linseed oil. The analysis indicates that, despite a lot of work and a multiplicity of trials, it is difficult to show clear benefits. The better the quality of the trial, the lower the apparent benefit. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal online by a team led by Lee Hooper, of the University of East Anglia, are unlikely to go uncontested. Other analyses, including one published as recently as 2002, have shown benefits". 8:36 AM
The water fad: "But there's another water-related cultural trend that has gained near cult-status in the day-to-day lives of many Americans: bottled water. Today, half of all Americans drink bottled water. One in six drink only bottled water. The bottled water industry has doubled in the United States in the last decade. Today, supplying water is a $400 billion business, already 30 percent larger than the pharmaceutical industry.... What's more, bottled water is often not what it's marketed to be. Beverage corporations have spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting bottled water as "pure," "safe," "clean," "healthy" and superior to tap water, while many popular brands actually come from our public taps. A Natural Resources Defense Council study found that bottled water is no more "pure" or safe than tap water. In the case of some brand-name waters that contain harmful contaminants like arsenic, it can be even less safe. In 2004, half a million bottles of Dasani were recalled in Britain after they were found to contain unsafe levels of bromate, a cancer-causing chemical. Today, bottled water is among the least regulated industries in the United States. Adding insult to injury is the astronomical markup to the consumer on each bottle of water. Ounce for ounce, bottled water is 240 to 10,000 times as expensive as tap water. Most branded bottled waters cost more than gasoline." 8:37 AM
There is a further comment on the scandalous ignoring of science by the anti-salt fanatics here 11:07 PM
Buildings not sick after all: "So-called sick building syndrome does not exist, according to a study that suggests its cold-like symptoms can be mainly pinned to job stress, dissatisfaction and poor office relationships. Sick building syndrome is a popular yet vague term to describe headaches, coughs, tired or itchy eyes, runny noses or inexplicable tiredness that are usually blamed on poor air quality in the office. More than 4,000 British civil servants, aged 42-62 and working in 44 different buildings across London, were questioned about their health. They were asked to list any symptoms of sick building syndrome, the physical properties of their offices and the demands of their job, including levels of support at work. Separately, the buildings were also assessed by independent field workers. They checked temperature, lighting intensity, levels of airborne bacteria, fungi and dust, humidity, ventilation flow, noise level and concentrations of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and airborne organic chemicals. One in seven of the men and nearly one in five of the women respondents reported five or more symptoms of the syndrome. There was some evidence -- but minor -- that those who reported high levels of the symptoms worked in offices that were too hot and dry and had relatively high levels of airborne germs and dust. On the other hand, those with only low levels of the symptoms worked in buildings where there was poor air circulation and unacceptably high levels of CO2, noise, fungus and airborne chemicals. In fact, the biggest factors linked with the symptoms were job stress and lack of support in the workplace. "'Sick building syndrome' may be wrongly named," say the authors. "Raised symptom reporting appears to be due less to poor physical conditions than to a working environment characterised by poor psychosocial conditions." 8:37 AM
Of course the mothers of fat children don't think their kids are abnormal -- because most of the mothers themselves are fat! It may be sad to say but most of the mothers these days are fat. THAT is why there is an "epidemic" of obesity. It is genetically inherited. Slim women very often think they are too good to have children, so fewer slim children are born 11:53 PM
Dopamine is good gear: "When Wayne Kanuch received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in 1993, the last thing he imagined was that the drug prescribed to treat his illness would turn him into a compulsive gambler and put his libido into overdrive. Mr Kanuch's marriage ended in divorce, partly as a result of the sexual pressures he placed on his wife, and he began losing fortunes at the horse track. He was fired from his job at Chevron for trawling for dates on the internet while at work, and he quickly went bankrupt... New evidence unearthed by scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration and Duke University suggest the reason Mr Kanuch, 52, could not stop is that the drug being used to treat Parkinson's boosted the level of dopamine in his brain. Researchers are looking into the possibility that dopamine, associated with a host of obsessive behaviours, may turn some Parkinson's patients, even those who tend to be risk-averse, into obsessive pleasure seekers"."
Sheeeet! Now showers can be bad for you!: "A new analysis based on animal studies suggests that showering in manganese-contaminated water for a decade or more could have permanent effects on the nervous system. The damage may occur even at levels of manganese considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "If our results are confirmed, they could have profound implications for the nation and the world," said John Spangler, M.D., an associate professor of family medicine. "Nearly 9 million people in the United States are exposed to manganese levels that our study shows may cause toxic effects." The study is the first to show the potential for permanent brain damage from breathing vaporized manganese during a shower. It was conducted by reviewing the medical literature and calculating, based on animal studies, the amount of manganese people would absorb by showering 10 minutes a day." 8:39 AM
It's true. There is such a thing as a penis bone: "Whatever men and smirking wives may say about size not mattering, the fossa, a diminutive and distant cousin of the lion, clearly isn't listening. The creature, dubbed the Pink Panther of Madagascar, has the largest penis bone of all the cat-like species which, scientists believe, ensures that it is the real king of its island jungle. An adult fossa is about 3rft long and has a penis of about 7in, a sixth of its body length. If Man had the same ratio he would be 3ft tall and very smug. Scientists believe that the fossa is so well-endowed because of the demands of the female and the need to outdo male competitors. Lesley Dickie, presenting a study to the Zoological Society of London yesterday, said the large penis bone, the bacula, may be the secret to the fossa's ability to keep up an acceptable performance during mating sessions that last for up to eight hours. "It provides extra rigidity," she said. "It's nature's Viagra and in the case of the fossa size might be everything.""
Fatness is caused by a virus!: "As many as one in five Australians may have contracted a virus linked to obesity. Blood tests on 2000 Australians, carried out in the US, showed about 20 per cent of them had been exposed to a virus called Ad-36, which some researchers say can cause weight gain. The idea that fatness is catching is controversial. However, Richard Atkinson, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who did the testing, said a fat virus could help explain the worldwide epidemic of obesity. "I believe obesity is a complex disease of many causes, one of which is viral infection," he said. How Ad-36 caused fatness was not known exactly, but it had been detected in fat cells in people and animals. In the laboratory it stimulates cells that are pre-fat cells to become fat cells." 8:41 AM
Friday, March 17, 2006
Another diet fad bites the dust: "Weight- and health-conscious eaters may not find much help in following the so-called low-GI diet, a new study suggests. In recent years, researchers have taken to classifying carbohydrates based on their GI, or glycemic index - a measure of the effects of a given food on blood sugar levels. High-GI foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to produce a quick surge in blood sugar, and some studies have suggested that diets heavy in such foods can contribute to weight gain, diabetes and heart disease. Books and web sites espousing "low-GI" diets have followed suit. But not all studies have found associations between high-GI foods and elevated blood sugar and diabetes. One reason is that it's hard to translate lab findings on glycemic index to the much more complicated realm of everyday eating, according to Dr. Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, the lead author of the new study... In her team's study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, there was no association between high-GI eating habits and elevated blood sugar among 813 adults who were followed over 5 years." 8:42 AM
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Jogging solo bad for your brain: "Far from being a healthy pursuit, jogging on your own could be bad for your health. New research has found that it raises stress levels and stifles the production of new brain cells. Harvard University psychology Professor Elizabeth Gould, who led the research, said: "These results suggest that, in the absence of social interaction, a normally beneficial experience can exert a potentially deleterious influence on the brain." Writing in the journal Nature, Professor Gould said her results showed that, contrary to accepted wisdom, jogging is not always good for you."
Pot blows your memory: "People who regularly smoke marijuana may find their memories growing hazy over time, a study suggests. In a study of long-term and shorter-term marijuana users, researchers in Greece found that both groups performed more poorly on tests of memory, attention and other cognitive abilities than a comparison group who'd only occasionally used the drug. Long-term users - who'd smoked four or more joints per week for at least 10 years - showed the greatest deficits. The findings, published in the journal Neurology on Monday, add to the conflicting body of research on the effects of marijuana on the brain. While many studies have suggested that long-time pot smoking dulls memory, attention span and mental acuity, some have found no large differences in these skills between marijuana users and non-users." 8:43 AM
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Remember -- Today's medical miracle is tomorrow's medical disaster: "Millions of people with heart disease may be able to reverse their illness and stave off heart attacks by taking higher doses of cholesterol-busting drugs, according to a landmark study. For the first time scientists have found a way of reversing the chronic build-up of fat in arteries, a development dubbed the holy grail in the fight against coronary heart disease. Patients put on intensive treatment with a cholesterollowering statin showed a significant reversal of atherosclerosis, when fatty deposits known as atheroma build up on artery walls. The process, often compared to scale forming in water pipes, causes narrowing of the blood vessels and can lead to fatal conditions including heart attacks and strokes. Until now, efforts have concentrated on slowing the progress of what was thought to be an irreversible disease. But a major study involving rosuvastatin, known by the brand name Crestor, has shown that patients given much more intense doses can reverse their coronary decline. British scientists working on the international study, presented yesterday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta, Georgia, said that a more aggressive use of statins appeared to halve the relative risk of heart attacks. Neal Uren, consultant cardiologist at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the only British centre involved in the trial, said that for those who had had a clinical episode, this could offer big improvements in life expectancy." 8:44 AM
Monday, March 13, 2006
Huge tropical fruit: "A woman in Hawaii has grown the world's heaviest mango. The more than 2.25kg tropical fruit is roughly the size of a human head. Colleen Porter has a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records for growing the world's heaviest mango. She framed it - in mango wood, of course. Virginia Easton-Smith, West Hawaii agricultural extension agent for the University of Hawaii, who helped with the submission to Guinness, confirms the record. The fruit had to be weighed and documented two separate times by three people. Independent witnesses verified six weighings. Porter, who tends a small avocado and mango orchard, also took her mango to several local grocery stores to weigh it on their scales. The record-breaking fruit is a Keitt mango, which typically reach about 1kg." 8:45 AM
