San Francisco -- A nice cup of the right kind of cocoa could hold the promise of promoting brain function as people age.
In an increasingly aging world, medical researchers are seeing more cases of dementia and are looking for ways to make brains work better.
One potential source of help may be flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that can increase blood flow to the brain, researchers said Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ian MacDonald of England's University of Nottingham reported on tests given to young women who were asked to do a complex task while their brains were being studied with magnetic resonance imaging.
Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain compared with subjects who did not drink the cocoa, he said.
Health & Wellness
U.S. Billionaire Bill Gates and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Tuesday a joint plan to finance the testing of possible AIDS vaccines.
The plan, named Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, is to receive 111 million Canadian dollars (94.3 million U.S. dollars) from Ottawa and 28 million Canadian dollars (23.8 million U.S. dollars) from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The plan, named Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, is to receive 111 million Canadian dollars (94.3 million U.S. dollars) from Ottawa and 28 million Canadian dollars (23.8 million U.S. dollars) from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Petersburg, VA - What you can't see, can hurt you. Just ask James P. Hilton a 45 year old paramedic educator turned freelance journalist. In his newly launched book, Playing With Fire: What Everyone Needs To Know to Protect Their Health From X-rays Hilton claims airport Backscatter x-ray machines, sometimes called "virtual strip searches" for their ability to allow security men to see beneath people's clothing, are setting the stage for a future epidemic of cancer.
In 2005, when government scientists tested 60 soft, vinyl lunch boxes, they found that one in five contained amounts of lead that medical experts consider unsafe _ and several had more than 10 times hazardous levels.
But that's not what they told the public.
But that's not what they told the public.
The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that the proliferation of sexual images of girls and young women in the media is harming their self-image and development.
An APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls examined research papers covering the effect of all kinds of media content including television, music videos, magazines, video games, the Internet, movies, and music lyrics. They also looked at the way products are sold and advertised to young girls.
The Task Force described sexualization as: "when a person's value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another's sexual use."
An APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls examined research papers covering the effect of all kinds of media content including television, music videos, magazines, video games, the Internet, movies, and music lyrics. They also looked at the way products are sold and advertised to young girls.
The Task Force described sexualization as: "when a person's value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another's sexual use."
Reacting to a furor in public health circles, Merck said Tuesday that it would stop trying to get state legislatures to mandate the use of its new cervical cancer vaccine.
At least 20 states are considering making use of the vaccine mandatory for schoolgirls, and the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has already done so through an executive order. Part of the state rush to embrace the new vaccine has been fueled by Merck lobbying that began even before federal regulators approved the product last year.
The vaccine is aimed at a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. Critics of the vaccine's use on moral and other grounds have used Merck's perceived influence as a weapon to fight its use. And even public health officials who favor the vaccine say the movement to make it mandatory has come too fast, provoking a backlash that could undermine its eventual widespread use.
At least 20 states are considering making use of the vaccine mandatory for schoolgirls, and the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has already done so through an executive order. Part of the state rush to embrace the new vaccine has been fueled by Merck lobbying that began even before federal regulators approved the product last year.
The vaccine is aimed at a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. Critics of the vaccine's use on moral and other grounds have used Merck's perceived influence as a weapon to fight its use. And even public health officials who favor the vaccine say the movement to make it mandatory has come too fast, provoking a backlash that could undermine its eventual widespread use.
Thousands may have been exposed recently to hepatitis A at a Pappasito's Cantina on Houston's north side, and shots are being offered to those who may have been infected.
Because hepatitis is contagious, the Harris County Department of Public Health is offering free shots of "immune globulin." However health officials say the shot only works for those who've come in contact with hepatitis within the previous two weeks. After that, anyone possibly exposed should watch for symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion. Anyone who experiences such symptoms should see a doctor.
Because hepatitis is contagious, the Harris County Department of Public Health is offering free shots of "immune globulin." However health officials say the shot only works for those who've come in contact with hepatitis within the previous two weeks. After that, anyone possibly exposed should watch for symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion. Anyone who experiences such symptoms should see a doctor.
It has long been blamed for creating a nation of couch potatoes. But a new report today claims that Britain's love affair with television is causing far more damage - both physically and psychologically - than previously thought.
The findings have been compiled by Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist who has previously written about the effects of television on the viewer. His report, analysing 35 different scientific studies carried out into television and its effect on the viewer, has identified 15 negative effects he claims can be blamed on watching television.
The findings have been compiled by Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist who has previously written about the effects of television on the viewer. His report, analysing 35 different scientific studies carried out into television and its effect on the viewer, has identified 15 negative effects he claims can be blamed on watching television.
Compulsive gambling with extreme losses -- in two cases, greater than $100,000 -- by people without a prior history of gambling problems has been linked to a class of drugs commonly used to treat the neurological disorder restless legs syndrome (RLS). A new Mayo Clinic study is the first to describe this compulsive gambling in RLS patients who are being treated with medications that stimulate dopamine receptors in the brain. The Mayo Clinic report appeared in the Jan. 23 issue of "Neurology".
© BBC
Silicon implants can be problematical
Silicon implants can be problematical
The technique uses fat from the stomach or thigh which is then enriched with stem cells before being injected.
It is hoped the method could prove a more natural-looking alternative to artificial implants filled with salt water or silicone.
But plastic surgeons working in Britain have greeted news of the technique with "extreme caution."
Comment: "Our goal is to prevent cervical cancer," - No, their goal is to make money - pure and simple - and in a United States owned and run by corporations, they are taking the logical next step of legislating a future market for their drugs.
Also, Bloomberg reported that, "A group called the National Vaccine Information Center said yesterday that its analysis of reports to U.S. regulators found cases of serious side effects to Gardasil. One was Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system."