Health (General) – Newsletter for November 26, 2010

Half of antibiotics produced in China fed to animals

BEIJING – Nearly half of the antibiotics produced in China are being fed to animals rather than used to fight viruses in people, a media report said Friday.

Of the 210,000 tonnes of antibiotics made in China each year, 97,000 tonnes end up in animals, Xiao Yonghong, a professor from the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Half of antibiotics produced in China fed to animals.

Fight obesity to fight ailments, say doctors (Nov 26 is Anti-Obesity Day)

NEW DELHI – From heart disease to high blood pressure, urological complications to those related to pregnancy, obesity attracts a whole lot of ailments, doctors said Friday as India observed the Anti-Obesity Day.

As of 2008, more than 20 million people in India suffered from obesity.
Said Hrishikesh Pai, a gynaecologist: “Studies point to … Original article on : Fight obesity to fight ailments, say doctors (Nov 26 is Anti-Obesity Day).

Being fat by age 9 ups heart disease risk

LONDON – Children who are overweight by the age of nine have greater chances of developing heart disease.

By the time they are 15, they have higher blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood insulin levels than normal, which raise the chance of a premature death from heart disease.
Tam Fry of the National …. Source  : Being fat by age 9 ups heart disease risk.

Sarah Palin blasts Michelle Obama, Barbara Bush

LONDON – Sarah Palin has slammed Michelle Obama for her campaign against childhood obesity and dismissed Barbara Bush as one of the “blue bloods” trying to fix the political system.

In a radio interview Palin, the 2008 vice-presidential nominee who is considering a 2012 White House bid, said Michelle’s anti-obesity push reflected a belief that parents … Original article on : Sarah Palin blasts Michelle Obama, Barbara Bush.

Milk, meat from cloned cattle ’safe to consume’

LONDON – Meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring is “no different to conventional produce and is safe to consume”, British government advisers have said.

The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) launched an investigation after reports surfaced in August this year about milk and meat from offspring of cloned cows … Original source on Gaea Times at : Milk, meat from cloned cattle ’safe to consume’.

HIV pill could lessen infection risk among healthy gays

LONDON – A pill used to treat people with HIV when given to healthy gay and bisexual men during a three-year global trial lessened their chances of infection, says a new study.

The drug Truvada lowered the chances of infection by 44 percent, and by 73 percent or more among men who took their pills …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

EU bans chemical from baby bottles

BRUSSELS – A widely used chemical – Bisphenol A – will be banned from baby bottles in the European Union (EU) from the middle of next year, Europe’s food safety agency has ruled, according to a spokesman for the European Commission.

Bisphenol A is used in many common products including in tin cans for preservation …. Read the original article  : EU bans chemical from baby bottles.

Jet lag clouds memory for a long time

WASHINGTON – Chronic jet lag affects the brain in ways that bring on memory and learning problems which stay for a month after a flight.

Twice a week for four weeks, researchers subjected female Syrian hamsters to six-hour time shifts – the equivalent of a New York-to-Paris airplane flight.
During the last two … Read more : Jet lag clouds memory for a long time.

Binge drinking doubles heart attack risk

LONDON – Binge drinkers are at twice the risk of a heart attack than those who consume the same amount but spread it over a week.

Researchers, led by Jean-Bernard Ruidavets from the Toulouse University in France, examined almost 10,000 healthy men aged between 50 and 59 and tracked them for 10 years.
… Original article on : Binge drinking doubles heart attack risk.

Smoking cannabis ‘ups cancer risk’

LONDON – A new US study has found that smoking cannabis may increase the risk of cancer by suppressing the immune system.

Scientists believe the drug triggers the production of cells that weaken the body’s resistance to cancer, reports the Scotsman.

The study found that cannabinoids – the active compounds in cannabis – activated biological pathways [..] Read the original article: here.