The number of children admitted to hospital in England for acute throat infections increased by 76 per cent between 1999 and 2010, according to new research published today in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Acute throat infection (ATI), which includes acute tonsillitis and acute pharyngitis, is one of the most common reasons for consulting a GP. The majority of ATIs are self-limiting and can be managed at home or by the GP, but a small proportion may require hospital admission.

This study investigated admission rates for children up to age 17 with ATI alongside trends in tonsillectomy rates, between 1999 and 2010. The study was motivated by concerns that the decline in tonsillectomy rates in recent years has led to an increase in hospital admissions for tonsillitis of increased severity. It also investigated whether performing fewer tonsillectomies is associated with higher rates of complications such as quinsy, an abscess that can occur when an infection spreads from a tonsil to the surrounding area.

The research, which was funded by a fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research, showed that the number of children admitted to hospital with ATI increased from 12,283 in 1999 to 22,071 in 2010 - a rise in admission rate of 76 per cent. Short hospital stays, lasting less than two days, increased by 115 per cent over the decade, and accounted for the majority of admissions. Stays of two or more days in hospital for ATI decreased slightly, while quinsy rates remained stable. The authors found no evidence of an association between tonsillectomy trends and admission rates or the severity of ATI or quinsy.

India is facing a spike in dengue fever, the potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease.

There have been 12,500 cases since September, compared with 2,859 in the same period last year, and the virus has killed 77 people in southern India this year compared with 33 last year.

Health chiefs are now looking at every way to curb the spread of the disease - even urging children to wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts for three months to limit exposure to mosquito bites.

"It is not a panic situation, but we want to ensure that we take adequate prevention measures," the health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

Right from the horses mouth, Bill Gates states that "vaccines reduce population growth." Few can now deny what anti-vaccine advocates have been saying for years, specifically that vaccines directly and negatively impact fertility. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will only be too willing to oblige future generations.


The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committing 10 billion dollars over the next ten years to make it the most aggressive decade ever to roll out new vaccines to poor nations around the world. The commitment will also effectively create widespread fertility problems across vaccinated populations.

In the video above, Bill Gates states at 0:11:

"Over this decade, we believe unbelievable products can be made both inventing new vaccines and making sure they get to all the children that need them."

At 0:20 he continues:

"We could cut the number of children who die every year from about 9 million to half of that if we have success on it."

Now here is the statement straight from the source which should not leave any doubts on the intention of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Listen carefully at 0:28:

"The benefits are in terms of reducing sickness, reducing the population growth. It really allows a society to take care of itself once you've made that intervention."

Now why would Bill Gates state that vaccines could cut the number of children who die every year in half and then also state literally a few breaths later in the same segment, that vaccines could reduce population growth. Are those two not contradictory? If vaccines were to cut the number of child deaths in half, then this would only increase population growth since these children would presumably then grow to become fertile adults. Ahhhh...do you see the problem? The only way they could not become fertile adults is if the vaccines were to make them infertile. Then it wouldn't matter how many children were saved since they could not reproduce, hence the assertion of reducing population growth. See how it all works?

A little-known plant with a truly bizarre name is now making headlines as a cancer killer, with the compound of the plant vanishing tumors in mice with pancreatic cancer. Known as the 'thunder god vine' or 'thundelei gong teng, the Chinese plant is actually integrated into Chinese medicine and has been used for ages in remedying a number of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the new research out of the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center, the thunder god plant compound led to no signs of tumors after a 40 day period - even after discontinuing the treatment. Published in the journal Science Translational Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health, even the scientists working on the project were stunned by the anti-cancer properties of the compound. Known to contain something known as triptolide, which has been identified as a cancer fighter in previous research, it is thought to be the key component that may be responsible for the anti-tumor capabilities.

Study leader and vice chairman of research at the Cancer Center explained to Bloomberg how he was blown away by the effects of the simple plant:

"This drug is just unbelievably potent in killing tumor cells," he said.

And just like with numerous other powerful substances like turmeric and ginger, mainstream science is still slowly confirming what many traditional practitioners have known for their entire lives. This is, of course, due to the fact that there is simply no money for major corporations in researching the healing powers of natural herbs and compounds such as the compound found in the thunder god vine. Turmeric and ginger, for example, have been found to be amazing anti-cancer substances that are virtually free compared to expensive and dangerous cancer drugs.

In May 2004, a Food and Drug Administration investigator triggered a years-long inquiry and trial of Synthes, a multinational medical device manufacturer, uncovering multiple cases of what amounted to human experiments that left five unwitting patients dead. The four business-people found responsible served between five and nine paltry months in prison. The families of the dead were only recently informed that their loved ones had perished on the tables of surgeons using an experimental bone cement. They sued Synthes' elusive yet "forceful," "hands-on," "800-pound gorilla" CEO, Hansjörg Wyss, to no avail.

Clinical Trials Shirked

Between 2002 and 2004, Synthes - based in Switzerland and West Chester, Pennsylvania - tested a revolutionary product they called Norian XR, a cement which turns into bone when injected into the skeleton. The promising product was more effective than acrylic alternatives, but the FDA demanded clinical trials. Wyss and his executives, whom he hand-picked and groomed for company success, knew this would cost time and money.

As it turns out, the FDA's concerns were well-founded. In the spring of 2002, University of Washington orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jens Chapmen sent an email with the results of an animal study. When Chapman injected Norian XR into a pig's bloodstream, "the entire pulmonary artery system had clotted off...We were expecting to kill the pig...but not suddenly and with a relatively small dose."

The following month, executives Michael Huggins and Tom Higgins met with Wyss This was neither the first nor the last meeting in which all parties would agree to proceed with illegal testing of a high-risk device on uninformed patients. Market potential was "considerable" enough to incite "excitement about using Norian for vertebroplasties."

Whistleblowers and concerned employees like Michael Sharp were at first reassured that the rumors were unfounded and Synthes wouldn't dare flout the FDA. Then they were terminated for, supposedly, other reasons.

Just as previous research reported that girls in the U.S. were reaching puberty earlier in life, a new study reveals American boys are also showing the first signs of sexual maturity at a younger age than in decades past.

The research, which was led by Marcia Herman-Giddens of the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health, discovered that males are beginning to sexually develop six to 24 months earlier than the accepted medical standard, CNN's Jacque Wilson reported on Saturday.

Herman-Giddens, who originally documented early puberty in females back in 1997, and colleagues recruited more than 200 medical professionals throughout the U.S. to assist in their research. Between the years of 2005 and 2010, those individuals examined over 4,100 boys, aged six to 16, from 41 different states, Wilson said.

They recorded information about the size of the boys' testicles, as well as the growth level of pubic hair, and then "assigned each boy's data to one of five stages - Stage 1 being pre-puberty, Stage 2 being the onset of puberty and Stage 5 being adult maturity," the CNN reporter added. "They then compared the ages and puberty stages of all the boys. The rigorous study was designed to report on only physical changes, not hormonal."

Never underestimate the value of a good night's sleep. Not only does a lack of shut-eye leave you irritable, it has been linked to diabetes and weight gain, though no one understood why.

To investigate, Matthew Brady at the University of Chicago and his colleagues tested fat cells taken from the bellies of seven adults after four nights of sleeping up to 8 and a half hours, and then again after four nights on a measly 4 and a half hours.

The team found that after sleep deprivation fat cells from the same person were on average 30 per cent less responsive to insulin  - a hormone that makes muscle, liver and fat cells take up glucose after a meal.

High blood glucose levels are linked to diabetes. Fat cells also normally release the appetite-regulating hormone leptin. Brady suggests that if sleep-deprived cells are generally malfunctioning, this mechanism may also be disrupted, affecting weight gain.

During a session on Sunday chaired by Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham, the People's Assembly passed a bill on the law of biosecurity of genetically-modified life forms and their products.

The law aims to guarantee the health of humans, animals, plants and protect the environment by setting guidelines for the import, export, transportation, production, circulation and use of genetically-modified life forms and their products, in addition to setting a framework for research and development in genetic engineering.

The law also seeks to keep up with advances in genetic engineering, particularly in the field of agriculture such as the production of high-yield crops or ones that can survive in soils with high salinity, in addition to monitoring the use of genetic technology according to the standards and regulations of biosecurity.

A commonly asked question for those embarking on a gluten free diet - "Is quinoa a safe alternative to eat?"

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is actually not a grain. It is a pseudo-cereal seed used by many as a gluten free substitute.

It is a commonly used staple crop in South America, specifically grown in the Andes. Quinoa has a favorable protein content and contains a number of minerals and B-vitamins. With the popularity of the gluten free diet on the rise, interest in quinoa has skyrocketed, and it is being touted as a safe and healthy alternative to wheat, barley, rye and other gluten containing grains. Ergo the question - Is quinoa a safe gluten free food?

The Problem With Quinoa...

Technically, quinoa is gluten free. However; the processing of the pseudo grain is often performed in facilities that also process other grain based foods. This is where cross contamination becomes a major issue. A recent study found that 41% of processed products randomly pulled from grocery shelves contain enough gluten to cause damage to those with gluten sensitivity. As stated above, quinoa is a seed. One of the problems with seeds in general, is that they are particular hard to digest. Many seeds contain gluten like proteins and chemical compounds called lectins. Many of the lectins and gluten based components have been shown to created digestive suppression and inflammatory problems in humans, and they are known contributors of autoimmune disease.

• People who eat a diet high in carbohydrates are four times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment
• But protein and fat appear to have a protective effect

Older people who eat a diet high in carbohydrates are four times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment - a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.

New research from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in America has found the risk is also higher with a diet high in sugar.

On the other hand, proteins and fats appear to offer some protection - people who consumed plenty of them are less likely to suffer cognitive decline.

Not everyone with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) develops Alzheimer's disease, but many do, said lead author Rosebud Roberts, a professor in the department of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic.