Health & WellnessS


Health

Excessive cola may cause muscle paralysis


UPI
Wed, 20 May 2009 18:11 UTC
Arta, Greece -- Excessive cola consumption can lead to muscle problems -- from mild weakness to profound paralysis -- researchers in Greece warn.

"We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralization and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes," Dr. Moses Elisaf of the University of Ioannina in Greece said in a statement.

"Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can also lead to hypokalaemia, in which the blood potassium levels fall, causing an adverse effect on vital muscle functions."
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Wine

Glass of wine a day 'cuts risk of gallstones by a third'

Kate Devlin
The Telegraph
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:26 UTC
drinking wine
© PAResearchers studied the diets of 25,639 people over 10 years
A glass of wine a day can cut the risk of developing gallstones by a third, a new study shows. Scientists previously knew that moderate levels of alcohol could protect against gallstones, but did not know how much was needed.

Gallstones occur when bile from the gallbladder, which is normally fluid, forms stones.

They can be extremely painful and treatment is often surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Around one in 10 people will develop gallstones, which can be caused by infections, family history or too much cholesterol.
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Attention

US: Colorado School District Mulls Random Drug Tests


Associated Press
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:50 UTC
A Colorado Springs school district is considering random drug tests of high school students in district extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs and musical groups.

Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 officials began considering random drug testing in January after Colorado Springs police said in December that they found a "significant" number of Cheyenne Mountain High School students were using heroin.
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Magnify

House calls for study on kids on psychotropic drugs

Emily Ramshaw
The Dallas Morning News
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:46 UTC
House lawmakers just passed a bill calling for a study on children under 16 who receive psychotropic drugs through the state's Medicaid program.
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Pills

Herceptin improves stomach cancer survival: study

Deena Beasley
Reuters
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:40 UTC
Herceptin, the breast cancer drug developed by Genentech, reduces the risk of death for certain stomach cancer patients by 26 percent compared with chemotherapy alone, according to new research.

"This will quickly have an impact on the standard of care," said Dr. Richard Schilsky, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which is holding its annual meeting here. "It's going to force us to test stomach cancer patients on whether they are HER-2 positive or not."

Herceptin, or trastuzumab, is currently approved for use in the 25 percent or so of breast cancer patients whose tumors generate a protein called HER-2, which can fuel cancer growth.
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Cow

Food, Inc.: Piercing the Veil of Corporate Agriculture

David Murphy
Civil Eats
Tue, 26 May 2009 00:41 UTC
Image
If you've ever been curious exactly how America produces the cheapest and "safest" food on the planet, but not quite believed all the hype that fuels the empty advertising slogans on your television, then Food, Inc. promises to be the film that explains why there's a serious disconnect between food propaganda and reality.

In exactly 93 minutes, director Robert Kenner manages to slice down to the bone the many myths of the U.S. food system in a riveting documentary that exposes how a handful of corporations determine what our nation's children eat and how America's addiction to cheaper, faster, and larger portions has managed to shorten the average lifespan of the next generation for the first time since the Black Plague.
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Calculator

Fighting Business with Business: Building the Conversation on Sustainable Food

Pooja Renee Mottl
Civil Eats
Thu, 28 May 2009 00:22 UTC
Like it or not, capitalism and business are at the heart of what makes America tick. They exist using a language all their own, influencing our economic system through terms like government spending, taxes, investment, profits, quarterly earnings, debt, revenues and growth.

And when capitalism and business speaks, America listens, particularly when the news is big - from politicians, to CEO's, to the average Joe. When taxpayers were asked to dish out billions in the case of the recent banking and auto industry bailouts, ears perked and immediate action was taken to bring about long overdue and necessary change. Business could not continue under threat and no stone was to be left unturned. The banking sector was overhauled and policed while the auto industry was told to go electric or go home.
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Cell Phone

Flashback Cancer Risk In Mobil Phones: Official

Emma Morton
The Sun
Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:49 UTC
Image
Danger ... phone risk
Mobile phones DO increase the risk of brain cancer, scientists claimed yesterday.

The chances of developing a malignant tumor are "significantly increased" for people who use a mobile for ten years.

The shock finding is the result of the biggest ever study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization.
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Red Flag

Flashback The Pigs' Revenge

Felicity Lawrence
The Guardian
Sat, 02 May 2009 20:59 UTC
Image
© Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA litter of pigs
Just as an unsustainable financial system caused the current banking crisis, the intensive farming of animals is at the heart of the swine flu pandemic

In modern disaster management theory, when any large system experiences a major shock or failure, you assess the risk, activate an ordered emergency response, and manage the after-effects. In the world of real people hit directly by the real shock, you look for someone to blame.

For ordinary Mexicans this week, who faced the shutdown of their country by swine flu and an unknown number of deaths, it was a culprit that was needed.
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Video

Documentary on Intensive Pig Farming Faces Legal Threat

Judith Soal
Common Dreams
Sat, 30 May 2009 19:45 UTC
Image
© Guardian photoFilmmaker, Tracy Worcester, with a pig as seen in the documentary
A documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at the Guardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one of the companies it investigates. Pig Business criticizes the practices of the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming it is responsible for environmental pollution and health problems among residents near its factories.
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