Onions can cut the risk of cancer in your gut! (Go To Top)

          London: Food can help you keep gut cancer at bay. According to The BBC, The Institute of Food Research has looked at studies carried out into how changes in diet can help one prevent this disease. Onions, apples, celery and broccoli are all highlighted by the study as being particularly beneficial. Studies have shown that gut cancers are not purely genetic and can be modified by diet as the walls of the gut are lined with a layer of cells called the epithelium which is covered with a film of mucus. It is the body's first line of internal defence, but it can be susceptible to the development of abnormalities over time. Research has suggested that fibre, folic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, plant chemicals such as flavonoids (plant pigments) and gut fermentation products such as butyrate can provide protection at various stages of cancer. "Many of the mechanisms have yet to be discovered, but basically what this means is that people can help to protect themselves by controlling their weight and by eating diets rich in fruits and vegetables and other sources of fibre," Professor Ian Johnson, head of Gastrointestinal Health and Function at the institute, said. "Cancer is a complex multistage process that can take a large proportion of a person's lifespan to develop. Nutrition is potentially a powerful tool to interrupt many stages of that process, and could be much more effectively deployed by many people," he added.
- July 26, 2004

A pint a day keeps brittle bones at bay (Go To Top)

        London: Along with giving you a high, a pint can also keep those brittle bones in check. According to The Sun, new research has revealed that drinking beer is good for the bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Researchers have found that beer is a good source of silicate, a mineral that plays a key role in the strengthening of bones. It has almost twice the impact of known bone boosters such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin K. A study of identical twins at London's St. Thomas' Hospital showed that the siblings who drank in moderation had better bone density than teetotal twins. "Potentially this is a very significant finding," claimed Dr. Jonathan Powell of the Medical Research Council. "Nobody was really clear about the biological function of silicate. But we found that it appears to have a role in bone formation. There is a very clear association between silicate intake and bone mineral density," Powell explained. Also, as the whole grains get broken down in the brewing process, the body easily absorbs it. A beer a day provides around a third of the silicate needed to boost bones and is still within the guidelines for safe drinking. Lager, ale, stout and beers brewed from wheat are all of equal benefit. Silicate has another added bonus in that it helps to produce collagen, which Dr Powell links to the steel supports in a building. And since collagen gives skin its elasticity, a by-product of consuming a beer a day could also be a better complexion.
-July 22, 2004

Kids with siblings are very friendly: Study (Go To Top)

        Washington: A new study has revealed that children who grow up with one or more siblings get along better with their classmates in kindergarten than single kids. In a national study of over 20,000 children, teachers rated students who had at least one sibling. They found that such children form and maintain friendships better, get along with people who are different, comfort and help other children, express feelings in a positive way and show sensitivity to others feelings. "Children without siblings were consistently rated as having poorer social skills," said Douglas Downey, the co-author of the study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University. "Siblings fight with each other, they have conflicts, but they also figure out how to resolve those conflicts. That probably helps them deal with other children when they go to school," he added. The results of the study reflect the value and importance of having siblings, even after the researchers took into account a variety of other factors that may be influential in developing social skills, such as the socioeconomic status of the family and whether the children lived with both biological parents. Downey said it made little difference if the siblings were brothers or sisters, if there were one or more siblings, or how close in age the siblings were. Researchers also suggest that benefits may decline slightly when children have three or more siblings or when there are large age differences between the siblings. Downey said that parents of only children should not view these results as a reason to have another child. "We wouldn't encourage parents to have a second child simply as a strategy for improving social skills. Our findings are consistent, but they are modest. There are other things that parents can do to improve an only child's social skills, short of having another child," he said.
- July 22, 2004

An aspirin a day does not keep strokes away: Study (Go To Top)

        Washington: A new research conducted by scientists at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital suggests has found that nearly half of patients who suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) after having been committed to aspirin therapy were "aspirin resistant." The aspirin wasn't producing the antiplatelet (blood-thinning) effect. The researchers collected data on 59 patients who came to the hospital with a stroke or TIA and studied the chronic aspirin users, requiring that patients had been taking aspirin for at least three days prior to admission. Antiplatelet effects of aspirin were measured using a machine called a PFA 100 - which can quickly, easily and reliably measure platelet function in response to aspirin. Out of 22 patients taking a baby aspirin, 73 percent had no antiplatelet effect while out of 37 patients taking an adult aspirin, 32percent had no antiplatelet effect. Out of 18 patients taking coated aspirin; 73percent showed antiplatelet effect while out of 11 patients on uncoated aspirin, 39percent had no antiplatelet effect. According to Mark J. Alberts, study leader, "Previous studies conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital showed the majority of patients taking low-dose or coated aspirin are not getting the desired antiplatelet effect. Now, we've taken our research one step further and shown that aspirin resistance does, in fact, correlate with clinical events. Many patients who are committed to taking aspirin each day are still having strokes or transient ischemic attacks." "This study is significant because it gets researchers one step closer to determining how we can maximize the effectiveness of aspirin. The long-term goal of this line of research is to determine if we can better tailor the type and strength of aspirin to maximize its effects as an anti-clotting agent, which may require routine testing of antiplatelet effects for individual patients," he added. "The message for patients is clear: do not rely on taking aspirin alone for reducing the risk of stroke. There are tried and true methods that have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, which include controlling your blood pressure and diabetes, stopping smoking, eating right and exercising," he further added.
- July 21, 2004

Health tips to minimise irritable bowel syndrome (Go To Top)

         Washington: People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have intestines that squeeze either too hard or not hard enough, causing food to move too quickly or too slowly through the intestinal tracts. Common IBS symptoms include: bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping that may go away after having a bowel movement; feeling the need to have a bowel movement after you've already had one. According to a report in Healthscout, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says that there is no permanent cure for IBS, but lifestyle changes and certain medicines can provide substantial relief. AAFP says that eating a varied diet, avoiding foods high in fat, drinking plenty of water, eating a number of small meals each day instead of three large meals, and learning new ways to control and deal with stress can go a long way in dealing with IBS. The AAFP also advises that people with IBS avoid using laxatives because they may become too dependent on them, resulting in weakened intestines.
-July 18, 2004

Tomatoes and Broccoli together can cure cancer more effectively (Go To Top)

        London: Forget all those bitter drugs, ingredients to cure cancer can be found in your very own vegetable garden if researchers are to be believed. According to BBC, the research led by scientists at the Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, indicates that eating tomatoes and broccoli together may offer better protection against cancer than eating either vegetable alone. Both vegetables are known to contain cancer-fighting chemicals but they interact together to maximise the effect. According to Dr John Erdman, the lead researcher, "We decided to look at these foods in combination because we believed it was a way to learn more about real diets eaten by real people. People don't eat nutrients, they eat food. And they don't eat one food, they eat many foods in combination." Erdman's team examined how different food and nutrient combinations affected the growth of prostate tumors in rats. Rats that ate a combination of broccoli and tomato powders had less growth of their tumors than rats who ate either of the two powders alone and rats given diets supplemented with lycopene. A final group of rats was fed a normal diet and given a drug commonly prescribed to men with benign growth of the prostate which is also being tested for its potential to prevent prostate cancer. "These preliminary results suggest that there is, in fact, an interactive protective effect between tomatoes and broccoli. Separately, these two foods appear to have enormous cancer- fighting potential. Together, they bring out the best in each other and maximise the cancer-fighting effect," Erdman said.
-July 17, 2004

Stephen Hawking's new black hole theory (Go To Top)

         London: Over the past 30 years, renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has maintained that a black hole destroys everything that falls into it. But now he has admitted that he has been wrong all along, reports Ananova. In a move that may send shock waves through the scientific community, the Cambridge don has said that he has finally solved the mystery behind black holes. Black Holes are regions in space where matter is compressed to such an extent that not even light can escape from their immense gravitational pull. The space bodies have mystified scientists for decades now, and in 1976, Hawking had caused ripples by his theory of "Hawking Radiation," which suggested that in black holes, the rules of quantum physics work differently and that they radiate energy. According to the report, Hawking has now said that once black holes form, they effectively start to "evaporate" away, losing mass in the process, due to which they eventually break open and release the information that fell inside it. "I've been thinking about this problem for the last 30 years, and I think I now have the answer to it. A black hole only appears to form but later opens up and releases information about what fell inside. So we can be sure of the past and predict the future," the report quoted him as saying. Hawking, who authored the book 'A Brief History of Time' and is crippled by motor-neurone disease, will present his findings at the 17th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation in Dublin, Ireland next Wednesday.
-July 16, 2004

Now take pomegranate juice for a healthier heart (Go To Top)

         London: If scientists at the Lipid Research Laboratory in Haifa are to be believed, the secret to a healthy heart might just lie in a glass of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice has been found to slow down heart muscle damage caused by factors like cholesterol and also reduces blood pressure, reports the Daily Mail. Biochemists have shown that the juice can reduce the size of atherosclerotic lesions, which narrow arteries and results in heart disease - by almost half. It also fights against the oxidation of bad cholesterol, a high level of which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. "The potential exists for high-risk patients to be spared bypass surgery simply by drinking pomegranate juice," claims Dr. Michael Aviram, a biochemist at Lipid Research Laboratory. He is working to develop a pill with the same medicinal attributes as the juice, which is rich source of flavonoids that have protective qualities for the heart. Roger Corder, a professor of experimental therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London, says that a glass of pomegranate juice is equivalent to two glasses of red wine, ten cups of green tea, six cups of cocoa or four glasses of cranberry juice, all of which contain flavonoids. -July 14, 2004

Medics `miracle' drug for arthritis (Go To Top)

         London: Medical experts have approved a "miracle" drug that they say will revolutionise the treatment of arthritis. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has granted a licence for Etanercept, which has transformed the lives of the people with psoriatic arthritis in trials. According to The Daily Mail, it is the first time in the UK the drug, which is also known as Enbrel, has been endorsed by officials for treatment of the debilitating condition.
- July 13, 2004

Scientist claims to be world's first 'cyborg' (Go To Top)

        Wellington: If Professor Kevin Warwick has his way, then 50 years from now most human brains will be linked electronically through a global computer network. Warwick, a professor of cybernetics (automated control systems) at Britain's University of Reading, who has an electronic implant in his arm claims to be the world's first cybernetic organism or "cyborg" that is part-human, part-machine. According to The New Zealand Herald, the professor and his wife contacted each other through implants in their arms, through what can be termed as the first direct link between nervous systems. Although the technology of linking human brains with a global computer is a long way off, Warwick's next priority is to develop a system for paraplegics who have lost nerves in their limbs but still have the brain nerves to control the limbs.
-July 6, 2004

Chinese mint can cure your cancer (Go To Top)

         Sydney: Scientists at the Salford University have come up with a fresh new discovery to fight cancer. They have found a type of Chinese mint to create a chemical, that destroys the blood vessels that feed the tumour, causing the cells to die, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. "All cancers require a blood supply if they are to survive and grow.If we can target and destroy these blood vessels ten we will have a treatment that will be applicable to all forms of cancer in both children and adults," claimed Alan McGown, the lead author of the study. The substance is formed from an extract derived from a Chinese relative of common garden mint, scutellaria barbata. The mint extract attacks the tumour's blood vessels, starving it of oxygen and nutrients while traditional substances destroy the tumour cells. Dr Sylvie Ducki, who worked on the team carrying out the research, added that this type of treatment would reduce side effects. "While most current chemotherapy target things that are present in tumours, many of these characteristics are also present in healthy cells, leading to side-effects such as hair loss. Here we have a drug that targets very specifically the blood vessels which feed the tumour," she said.
- July 6, 2004

Herbal supplements damage kidneys and liver (Go To Top)

          Washington: Consumers should remain cautious about trying other herbal supplements for according to doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, substances such as bitter orange, germander, jin bu huan and usnic acid ", ingredients in weight-loss products have been associated with kidney and liver problems. According to Dr. William Lee, "A number of herbal preparations have been implicated in causing liver damage, some even leading to the need for a liver transplant or to death. Herbal products are not under any specific supervision by the Food and Drug Administration, so there is no quality control, no proof of efficacy and no tests of safety." "The herbal industry is largely satisfying a need for self- remedies for patients who are unwilling to seek conventional medical attention or are wary of doctors. Most supplements are indeed harmless and only injure the pocketbook. Many people, however, take these compounds in any amount, never limiting themselves to what is advised regarding dosing," he added.
- July 4, 2004