- A study of children in Finland suggested that two cups of coffee day doubled the risk of diabetes, with a higher risk from two cups of tea day. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.)
- A cup and a half of coffee per day doubles the risk of miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy. (Journal of the American Medical Association.)
- Women planning to get pregnant can now ask their GPs to prescribe them folic acid in order to reduce their chances of having a baby with spina bifida. The Times.)
- Women who have a partner or midwife constantly present during labour have less Caesareans and forceps deliveries than those given drugs to speed delivery. (British Medical Journal.)
- Pregnant women by eating bran-rich food can prevent constipation and thus varicose veins and haemorrhoids. Valerie Yule in a letter to the Institute.)
- Stretch-material or sports bras with sufficient cleavage can prevent or cure lumpy breasts. It has now been found that benign lumps in the breast called fibroadenoma are predictors for a greater risk of breast cancer later. (Valerie Yule in a letter to the Institute.)
- The hormones produced through nipple stimulation (two to three minutes twice a week) may help protect against breast cancer. Prof Tim Murrell, Dept of Community Medicine, University of Adelaide.)
- Women under 45 who have abortions have a 50% higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to an American study involving 1,800 women. No increased risk was associated with spontaneous abortion or miscarriage.
- In a study of 500 women, exercise averaging four hours a week since menstruation reduced the women's chances of developing breast cancer by almost 60%. (University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles.)
- The lipocene pigment in tomatoes may help guard against cancer 'up to 2lbs a day could make all the difference'. (Professor George Truscott, head of the chemistry department at Keele University.)
- A study of 5,000 vegetarians found that they had a 40% lower risk of dying of cancer and 20% lower risk of dying of any cause compared to meat eaters. (British Medical Journal.)
- The use of mouthwashes containing alcohol could increase the risk of oral cancer. Dr John Llewelyn, City Hospital, Edinburgh.)
- Alcohol drinkers with 'an empty-calorie diet high in white bread and sweets' had a three times higher incidence of colon cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute.)
- Gardens treated with pesticides or herbicides are associated with tumours of connective tissues in children, and insecticidal strips in the home with childhood leukaemia. (New Scientist.)
- A study of 2,323 children under ten with leukaemia found that the disease correlated with a consumption of more than 12 hot dogs a month. Hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausages, salami and other processed meats contain carcinogenic nitrites as preservatives. Vitamin C added to these products can prevent the harmful effect of the nitrites. (University of Southern California, reported in The Times.)
- Antioxidant vitamins beta carotene, vitamins C and E) may help prevent obstructive lung disease.
- A study of 29,000 male smokers found a higher incidence of lung cancer amongst those who took beta-carotene. Anti-oxidant vitamins may have harmful as well as beneficial effects.' (New England Journal of Medicine.)
- Smokers are 1.5 times as likely to suffer impotence, even after removing the effects of other possible causes such as drinking, psychiatric problems, heart and circulation problems. (American Journal of Epidemiology.)
- Falls on a bicycle crossbar, parallel bars, horsebacks, karate kicks - indeed any damage to the blood vessels of the groin - can cause impotence in men. (The Times.)
- In a small sample of 30 men, live sperm counts were almost double in those whose intake of organically grown food was 50% or more. (Department of Occupational Medicine at Aarhus Hospital in Denmark, reported in Planetary Connections.)
- The surfactants in washing powders, cosmetics and detergents may help cause the fall in men's sperm counts. (Professor Dennis Lincoln of the Medical Research Council's reproductive biology unity in Edinburgh.)
- The anti-depressant drug Anafranil reduced premature ejaculation in a study of 15 men. (The Daily Telegraph Aug 30 '94.)
- A 26 year old woman taking the contraceptive pill levonorgestrel and prescribed a nasal spray containing the hormone oxytocin to help her breast-feed, felt intense sexual desire two hours after using the spray, a desire that would last for about three hours. Dr Joe Herbert of Cambridge University suggests that the two hormones may act together in a powerful way. (British Medical Journal, reported in The Times.)
- Evening primrose oil did not help menopausal women with severe hot flushes in a study at the Royal Free Hospital (The Times, March 30th '95.)
- In a study of 36 women, Hormone-Replacement Therapy resulted in subtle but significant increases in intelligence and memory, particularly where the task was a complex one. (Dr Halbreich at the State University of New York in Buffalo.)
- Women on estrogen-replacement therapy may significantly lower their risk of death from colon and rectal cancer. The Wall Street Journal, April 5th '95.)
- In a study of 14 patients with schizophrenia, glycine, an amino acid found in many foods, was found to lessen withdrawal and confused thinking, although hallucinations and delusions were not affected. (American Journal of Psychiatry, August '95.)
- Don't wear bifocals typing on your computer. You will tilt your head to an unnatural angle and put a strain on your neck, leading to painful neck problems. (Teleconnect.)
- Higher levels of magnesium in the blood - the result of a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grain may help prevent asthma. Dr John Britton, Nottingham City Hospital.)
- Fizzy drinks and fruit juices are best swallowed straight down rather than drunk with a straw or swilled around the mouth, to avoid the acid in the drinks eroding tooth enamel. Government's Chief Dental Officer.) An average as low as two fizzy drinks a day is associated with loss of tooth tissue in children. (Shaw et al, British Society of Dental Research.)
- In a three-year experiment, 200 children in Tayside, Scotland, are having their teeth varnished with a protective film of Chlorzoin to stop the sugars that cause decay. The Times, April 26th '95).
- 50 grams of fresh ginger every day can inhibit two of the enzymes responsible for inflammation in arthritis. Odenske University in Denmark.)
- The higher the consumption of carotenes, the pigment found in green, leafy and yellow vegetables - and particularly the lutein and zeaxanthin carotenes found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, the lower the risk of macular degeneration of the edge and of blindness in old age. (Journal of the American Medical Association.)
- Those with the equivalent of A levels or university degrees were up to three times less likely to suffer dementia in old age. (British Medical Journal.)
- Rats that exercised had much higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor - a factor reported to decline with the onset of Alzheimer's. Dr Carl Cotman, University of California.)
- Zinc may help trigger Alzheimer's although a deficiency can cause slow wound healing, loss of appetite and other problems). In 1992, the University of Melbourne gave zinc supplements to five Alzheimer's patients but within four days their cognitive decay markedly accelerated. (David Steel, The Wall Street Journal, Sept 2nd '94.)
- A BBC Panorama programme was accused of scaremongering by linking mercury in dental fillings with Alzheimer's Disease. Dr Boyd Haley's work, featured in the programme, linked mercury even at low levels in the brain with Alzheimer's (The Times, July 19th '94.)
- Old people with very small heads were 14 times more likely to show signs of Alzheimer's and other forms of age-related dementia than those with large heads. (Dr Amy Graes of the Battelle Centre for Public Health Research in Seattle.)
-Those taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, indomethacin and even aspirin, are less likely to contract Alzheimer's. Nigel Hawkes, The Times, Feb 6th '95)
- Aspirin delays the ageing of tissue (in the test tube); it damps down virus replication in HIV-infected tissues (in the test tube); taken regularly it may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer; it adds a health-giving boost to red and white wine; and in small doses it blocks thrombosis and protects against strokes and heart disease. (Guardian Aug 17th '94.)
- Fasten a slightly wet aspirin on to a wart with a bandage. Keep the aspirin moist and in place for several days. Once the aspirin is removed, the wart should turn a dark colour and fall off within a week. (Privileged Information newsletter, reported in Teleconnect.)
- Recent research at Gothenburg University suggests that the symptoms of a cold can be reduced in severity and the attack shortened by taking the anti-asthmatic drug Intal, manufactured by Fisons. (The Times.)
- Selenium depletion may speed the progression of HIV infection. Selenium, found in seafood, meat and whole grains, or available as a supplement, may be a future anti-viral agent. (Kate Muir, The Times, Aug 30th '94).
- A protein in saliva protects the white blood cell from infection and means that kissing would not lead to HIV infection. (Nigel Hawkes, The Times.)
- Singing helps keep the palate soft and prevents snoring. Snoring often starts once the throat muscles become floppy due to age, lack of exercise or weight gain. (Dr Elizabeth Scott, adviser to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.)
- A 10 minute operation with a carbon dioxide laser, removing a very small amount of tissue from the soft palate at the back of the throat, can cure snoring, without the side effects of conventional palate surgery. (Royal Oldham Hospital, reported in New Scientist April 1st '95).
- Almonds and walnuts reduce the cholesterol level and may thus help prevent coronary heart disease. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.)
- An article in the Annals of Internal Medicine links quinine the key ingredient in tonic water) to kidney failure. (Twisted Times #15 '94.)
- Children, especially boys, who were rated (more than 50 years ago) as prudent, conscientious, truthful and free from vanity lived significantly longer. Childhood cheerfulness and extroversion were inversely related to longevity. Children whose parents divorced lived an average of four years less. (American Psychologist, reported in The Times March 13th '95.)
- The life-shortening effects of failing to exercise vigorously are comparable to smoking 20 cigarettes a day. (Study of 17,300 Harvard graduates, report by Nigel Hawkes in The Times.)
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