Tuesday, October 31

British scientists grow human liver in a laboratory

British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant.

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Monday, October 30

10 Useless or Even Dangerous First Aid Myths

We all know some remedy myths or old wives tales, but some of them have no effect on conditions, ailments, or illnesses of the human body. If you try any of these myths, you may run the risk of having an adverse reaction or the opposite result of what you would like to happen.

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Curry may keep elderly minds sharp

diet containing curry may help protect the aging brain, according a study of elderly Asians in which increased curry consumption was associated with better cognitive performance on standard tests. Curcumin, found in the curry spice turmeric, possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Caffeine-Stoked Energy Drinks Worry Doctors

Nutritionists warn that the drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle. But the biggest worry is how some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison-center calls from young people getting sick from too much caffeine

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Breakthrough in Skin Cancer

A revolutionary new "sticking plaster" skin cancer treatment which is less painful and can be used by patients in their homes has been developed by Scottish researchers.

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Wednesday, October 25

Dilbert creator Scott Adams temporarily fixes his uncurable voice disorder


Scott Adams suffers from a condition known as Spasmodic Dysphonia, which prevents him from speaking in normal conversation, but he can still speak in some contexts such as public speaking. There is no known cure for this condition, but Scott has recently found a way to get himself to be able to speak mostly normally again, by speaking in rhyme.

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Trans fat adds more pounds than other fat

Trans fat, which is used in many fried and processed foods, may contribute more to weight gain than other types of fat, suggests a new study presented here Saturday at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society, an organization of weight-loss professionals.

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Tuesday, October 24

Restaurants dishing out extra-large portions

Most restaurant chefs are dishing out portions that are two to four times bigger than the government's recommended serving sizes. In addition, a typical restaurant meal has at least 60% more calories than the average meal made at home, and Americans purchased 209 meals a person from restaurants last year.

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Monday, October 23

Your Questions on Lasik Eye Surgery

We asked for your questions last week after features on the vision-correcting surgical procedures Lasik and radial keratotomy.

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Wednesday, October 18

Study finds caffeine abuse among young Americans

CHICAGO - Young Americans searching for a legal high or just trying to stay alert may be abusing caffeine pills, sending some to the hospital, a study said on Monday. A review of records at the Illinois Poison Center in Chicago found more than 250 cases of medical complications from ingesting caffeine supplements.

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Study Finds U.S. Hospital Outcomes Vary Widely

Treatment outcomes at U.S. hospitals vary widely, depending on which state, city or individual hospital provides the care, a new report finds. The report, "HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study", found that patients have a 69 percent lower risk of dying at "5-star" hospitals compared with "1-star" institutions.

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Omega-3, junk food and the link between violence and what we eat

Research with violent British and US prisoners suggests nutritional deficiencies may play a key role in aggressive bevaviour. US clinician Joseph Hibbeln's hypothesis is that modern industrialised diets may be changing the very architecture and functioning of the brain. We are suffering, he believes, from widespread diseases of deficiency.

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Study Suggests Vitamin D May Help Fight Breast Cancer

Women with early stage breast cancer have significantly higher levels of vitamin D in their blood than women with cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, a small study found.
This could mean that a lack of vitamin D somehow plays a role in the spread of the disease. However, it's way too early to make specific recommendations.

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Monday, October 16

US Navy SEALs Workout: Physical Fitness Standards

Are you healthy enough to be a Navy SEAL?

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Caffeine more disruptive for daytime sleep

Caffeine has a stronger disruptive effect on daytime, catch-up sleep after a night of sleep deprivation than it does on a normal night's sleep, a new study shows.

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Software Helps Doctors Calculate Heart Attack Risk

Pioneering computer software is helping doctors to decide how best to treat patients admitted to hospital with suspected heart attacks. An international consortium of researchers, led by the University of Edinburgh, has developed a programme that enables doctors to swiftly assess the severity of a patient's condition.

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Wednesday, October 11

The Claim: A Plane’s Back Row Is the Safest Place to Sit


THE FACTS You have to put up with the noise, the bathroom and the prospect of being the last passenger to exit the plane. But if you sit at the back of an airplane, are you safer in a crash?

Some people argue that the rear portion of a plane is the safest place to sit because airplanes tend to plunge nose first. Others say the wing section is safer, arguing that it is more structurally stable...more

New Liquid Could Replace Adhesive Bandages

Adhesive bandages might become a thing of the past, thanks to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Hong Kong University who have developed a simple biodegradable liquid that can stop bleeding in rodents within seconds.

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Extra Pounds May Drain Brain

Add another hazard to the pitfalls of being overweight -- a few extra pounds might reduce your brainpower. According to a new French study, heftier people score lower on cognitive tests, even when factors such as education level are taken into account.

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Saving Generation XXL


Taking whole milk out of schools won't make kids thinner. Neither will levying taxes on video games. These are actual proposals— by the Illinois State Board of Education and the New York Legislature, no less. But they're misguided, arising predictably from misinformation.

You don't need to be told that American kids are getting fatter. You've seen the evidence waddling toward you in the mall...more

Tuesday, October 10

Natural remedies of Arabia

As you gaze at the piles of twisted bark or the varied combinations of dried flowers, you may wonder: What are these products? Where do they come from? How are they used locally?

These fascinating items whisper tales of the ancient trade routes, for many still come to Arabia from India, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria and other exotic locations, and are distributed across the Peninsula through existing commercial networks. Others are harvested locally, some under harsh desert conditions, and have their own fascinating stories to tell...more

Monday, October 9

Expanding Portions, Expanding Waistlines


MONDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- You've cut down on fat and reduced your desserts, and still you can't seem to lose -- or even maintain -- weight.
Chances are, like most Americans, you're suffering from what dietitians call "portion distortion." You're eating too much at a sitting. And eating too much of even the healthiest foods can translate quickly into a higher calorie count and disheartening readings on the scale
...more

BOLTHOUSE FARMS ISSUES VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR 100% CARROT JUICE


As a precautionary measure, following incidents involving two bottles of temperature abused 100% Carrot Juice, Wm. Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, CA is recalling 100% Carrot Juice. Carrot juice has the potential, if left unrefrigerated, to develop botulism, an illness which can be lifethreatening.

Proper refrigeration is generally achieved at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
All Bolthouse Farms processing facilities have been examined closely by internal auditors and the FDA, and have been found to be in compliance will all appropriate controlling regulations. In addition,samples from suspect lots have been examined by the FDA, and all samples have been found to be toxin free.

These results clearly indicate a likely link between consumer temperature abuse and the development of botulinum toxin...more

Lettuce recalled over E. coli concerns


A popular brand of lettuce grown in California's Salinas Valley, the region at the center of a nationwide spinach scare, has been recalled over concerns about
E. coli contamination.
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The lettuce does not appear to have caused any illnesses, according to the president of Salinas-based Nunes Co. Inc.

Executives ordered the recall Sunday after learning that irrigation water may have been contaminated with E. coli, Tom Nunes Jr. said...more

Friday, October 6

Exercise alone fails to tackle childhood obesity, says study




The belief that obesity can be thwarted by getting tubby kids to exercise more is misplaced, says a study among nursery-school children.

In an unusual experiment, British researchers tested the exercise theory among 545 preschoolers among 36 nurseries in the Scottish city of Glasgow, where fatty diets and a couch potato lifestyle are entrenched...more

Clinton deal cuts school snack foods

Snacks sold in schools will have to cut the fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.


Just five months after a similar agreement targeting the sale of sodas in schools, Clinton and the American Heart Association announced a deal Friday with several major food companies to make school snacks healthier — the latest assault on the nation's childhood obesity epidemic...more

Thursday, October 5

Why do some age well while others don't

The question is why some age well and others do not, often heading along a path that ends up in a medical condition known as frailty. Now, though, scientists are surprised to find that, in many cases, a single factor undetected cardiovascular disease is often a major reason people become frail.

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Drinking Tea Soothes Stress, Researchers Say

Published in the international journal Psychopharmacology, the study found that people who drank tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a tea substitute. Following a stressful event, tea-drinkers also had lower levels of cortisol in their blood when compared with a control group who drank placebo tea.

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Are Fido and Fluffy good for your health?

Seven out of every 10 American households are dwellings for people and pets alike. Here’s a look at some of the health benefits and risks of sharing our homes with dogs and cats...more

Tuesday, October 3

Fatty Liver Disease Endangers 6.5 Million U.S. Kids

As many as 6.5 million American children could have a dangerous condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), new research suggests.


NAFLD -- an accumulation of fat in the liver cells -- can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, end-stage liver disease requiring a transplant, and liver cancer. Until now, there has been little research into the prevalence of NAFLD in children...more

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates

Since the spinach scare, food safety is foremost on the minds of grocery shoppers nationwide. Dates on labels? Here's what you need to know

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Acrolein: Scientists Identify Potent Tobacco Carcinogen

The chemical acrolein, found in tobacco and also some cooking oils, appears to be a prime cause of smoking-related lung cancer and some nonsmoking-related lung cancers as well, according to studies conducted with lung cancer cells. many women who don't smoke still get lung cancer. However, these women cook with oils that are heated to high tem

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Eat fruits and veggies, avoid too much sugar and fat

Eating less isn't the only way to drop a few pounds.

If you eat the right foods, you can actually eat more and weigh less, says Genesys Regional Medical Center in Michigan...more

Food may be like a drug for some, study shows



The same brain circuits are involved when obese people fill their stomachs as when drug addicts think about drugs, a finding that suggests overeating and addiction may be linked, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.


The finding may help in creating better treatments for obesity -- a growing problem in the United States and elsewhere.

"We wanted to know why, when people are already full, why people are still eating a lot," said Dr. Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York...more

Monday, October 2

Dust mite droppings damage skin's defences


"Faeces deposited on our skin by dust mites may make our skin more permeable to different kinds of allergens and irritants, according to a new study in mice."

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