TAKE A HIKE British researchers have concluded that one long walk is much better for
your body than a series of short walks (adding up to the same distance).
Healthiness was measured in terms of alterations in blood
fats. However, the same
researchers conclude that some exercise, even short walks, is much better
than no exercise.
ROLLER COASTER
ALERT Riding a roller coaster will give you an adrenaline rush, but it may also
cause serious neurological damage. Scientists at the Lariboisiere Hospital
in Paris studied four cases of illness that followed roller coaster rides.
All of the patients, who were between 20 and 55 years old and otherwise
healthy, developed a severe headache within a few hours or days riding on
a roller coaster. When examined, it was discovered that three had
bleeding within an
artery in the head and two had had small strokes.
Such news wouldn't have disturbed Jonathan Thompson, Darthy Brown and Dion
Hughes. Six Flags over Georgia, an American amusement park offered
a Jeep to whoever rode their roller coaster, for the longest time. The
three men
tied for first place,
each having spent 17 hours a day - for 60 days! - riding the rails, with
only
breaks for food.
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
SMOKING? The British Department
of Health has released a list of the 600 additives contained in cigarettes
- and it's very shocking to read. Your average cigarette contains acetone (=
paint-stripper),
ammonia (= toilet cleaner), hydrogen cyanide (= what the
Nazi used in the gas-chambers), beta-naphthyl methylether (=
mothballs), arsenic,
carbon monoxide (=
car
exhaust). The full list is available of the Department from
Health's website.
HEALTHIER
DOWN SOUTH Southern European teenagers are much healthier than their North European
and North American equivalents. Moreover, Mediterranean adolescents drink
much less than their British equals. A recent study by the WHO of children
from 11 to 15 from North America and Europe suggests that the heaviest
drinkers are found in the UK and Denmark. However, the US kids had the
worst diet, took least exercise, consumed more medicine and had more
health problems!
FLYING DANGER
Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen have
published findings which suggest that airline pilots are more likely to
suffer from myeloid leukaemia and skin cancer thar the rest of the
population. The study involved nearly 4000 pilots and other members of the
cockpit crew. The leukaemia is believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to cosmic
radiation at high altitudes. However, the skin cancer may simply be
because pilots tend to spend more time at holiday resorts, according to
the epidemiologists.
YOUR TOOTHBRUSH COULD BE
YOUR BEST FRIEND A British
company, Cambridge Silicon Radio, in collaboration with the
technology giant Intel, is about to revolutionise toys and
gadgets. They have
invented a new kind of chip called Bluetooth. This chip is only a
few millimetres in diameter but it is also equipped with a radio
transmitter allowing it to interact with a minicomputer. The result? Well,
for example, a tooth brush which tells you if you have halitosis,
sports shoes which
pace
you or refrigerators which tell you when the milk has
gone off. The chip, for
some obscure reason,
is
named after a 10th.
Century Danish Viking called Harald Bluetooth.
MALNUTRITION
ACCUMULATES A study by a US
research group, Worldwatch Institute, reveals that for the first
time ever there are as many people in the world who are overweight as
those underweight. Using UN data the study says that 20% of the
world's 6 million inhabitants
is
underfed - reflecting a
fall over the last 20 years. On the other hand, the number of
people who ar overweight has increased to 1.2 billion. Both
phenomena are considered to be malnutrition and both reduce life
expectancy and productivity. Over half of those underweight 790 million
people to be exact - are chronically hungry. At the same time,
55%
of the US population is overweight.
OVERDOSING ON
VITAMIN C People who consume too
much vitamin C may be risking a heart attack. Excessive quantities of the
vitamin
thicken the
arteries. For example, the arteries of people who take 500 milligrams of
vitamin C - equivalent to 10 oranges - are 2.5 times thicker than those
who do not. The arteries of smokers who do the same are five times more
obstructed. The research was undertaken by the University of South
California. The researchers recommend that people avoid taking
excessive quantities of vitamin C supplement.
GIVE YOUR
TEETH SOME STICK In many parts of Africa, people clean their teeth
by
chewing
a twig from a "toothbrush tree". South African and American
scientific research has now shown that the sticks contain six compounds
which kill off the bacteria that cause
cavities and
gum disease. Chewing
may also stop you going senile. Japanese research on
mice suggests that
tooth-loss is related to short-term memory-loss. Chewing stimulates the hippocampus which is a cavity in the brain where new memories are
briefly stored. Furthermore, it is believed that chewing reduces stress.
And if you want to keep your teeth, one way is to take small doses of
aspirin every day. Research at the Australian University of Adelaide
suggests that aspirin helps to prevent periodontitis, a disease which
affects 600 million people in the world and causes teeth to fall out.
DANGEROUS SPORTS A study in America concludes that the three most dangerous sports for
children are basketball, cycling and American football - in that order.
The research was done by studying admissions to seven American hospitals
over two years.
SHORT STROKE Research at the University of Bristol has identified that short men are
more likely to suffer
strokes
than tall men. The medical histories of nearly 5000 men were analysed in
the study. The report suggests that there is a 16% reduction in the risk
of having a stroke for every 10 cm. a man is taller.
SMOKE SIGNALS Japanese scientists have proved that smoking prematurely ages skin by
disrupting the body's mechanism for renewing skin. Smoke reduces the
production of new connective
skin tissue (called, collagen) and increases the
destruction of old tissue. The research suggests that as a result, smokers
have more
wrinkles.
FAT CYCLE Women's
thighs and
waists are fatter at
the beginning of menstruation, than at other times in the menstrual cycle,
according to French research.
Layers of fat, which are typically
25 mm. thick, vary by
about 1.5 mm. through the monthly cycle. The changes are
due to the hormone oestrogen.
THE AGE OF YOGA You are never too young to start doing yoga; that seems to be the opinion
of many parents in Britain. Yoga for
toddlers is becoming
increasingly popular. Yoga probably started in the Indus River Valley
over 5000 years ago but it has not traditionally been practised by small
children. Now kids between the ages of three and seven are learning to
combine relaxation, meditation, breathing and movement. More and more
British primary schools are also teaching yoga to help children with their
concentration and memory. Sadly, the local council in Swansea (Wales)
recently
banned Nena Joyce, aged 82, from teaching yoga. They say she is too old.
OLIVE SKIN Japanese researchers say that applying olive oil into your skin after
sunbathing can protect against skin cancer. Skin cancer can appear as a
result of the ultra-violet rays of the sun which create atoms in the skin
which activate abnormal growth. Antioxidants, such as the vitamin E in
olive oil, seem to protect against ultra-violet damage. The Japanese
scientists came to their conclusions after experiments on mice. The bad
news is that the olive oil has to be virgin extra to be effective. |