Here’s some interesting news from the world of health and medicine:
* Early Swine Flu Vaccine Trials Indicate One Dose May Be Enough. Results from the first H1N1 “Swine Flu” vaccines trials being conducted in Leicester, England, reportedly show a strong immune system response after just one dose, with minimal side effects. Immunologists had initially believed that at least two doses would be necessary to provide needed protection against the virus, which is already widespread in certain sections of the United States and Europe. The tests showed that two doses were, in fact, more effective than just one, but with even a single dose being powerful enough to ward off the flu in many people between ages 18 and 50, more vaccines may be available to more people more quickly than initially anticipated. Even so, the first H1N1 vaccines are not expected to become available to the general public until October or November, when the flu season is already well underway.
* Cell Phones Do Cause Brain Tumors, New Report Concludes. A new report titled, “Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern,” has been released by a group of organizations focused on the dangers of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs). The report refutes cell phone industry-financed research that has repeatedly concluded that cell phones do not pose a significant health hazard. The new report contends that the previous reports were fatally flawed. “Exposure to cell phone radiation is the largest human health experiment ever undertaken, without informed consent, and has some 4 billion participants enrolled,” charged Lloyd Morgan, lead author of the Bioelectromagnetics Society study. “Science has shown increased risk of brain tumors from use of cell phones, as well as increased risk of eye cancer, salivary gland tumors, testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.” Children and teenagers, being in a natural rapid growth phase, are particularly vulnerable to cell phone radiation, Morgan warned.
* Canadian Researchers Confirm Link Between Weight Gain, Smoking and Breast Cancer. A new study recently published in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology has confirmed the long-suspected link between breast cancer and women who smoke and/or are overweight. The study was unique in that it screened out women who had breast tissue mutations known to make a person susceptible to breast cancer, thus allowing the French-Canadian researchers to focus on lifestyle elements alone. The researchers discovered that women who gained more than 35 pounds before age 30, or more than 12 pounds after age 40, had twice the incidence of breast cancer compared to women whose weight was stable. Also, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for nine years increased breast cancer risks by nearly 60%. Conversely, the investigation found that moderate physical activity such as taking a daily 30-minute walk can reduce breast cancer risk (in non-smokers) by 52 percent for both pre- and post-menopausal women.
* Why Diet Drinks May Make You Fat. For the last several years, researchers have noticed that people who drink artificially flavored “diet” beverages don’t lose weight despite their reduced calorie intake. In fact, many diet soda drinkers actually gain weight. Now, scientists have discovered that while the tongue may be fooled by artificial sweeteners, the brain isn’t. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology, researchers have discovered that artificial sweeteners only stimulate that portion of the brain associated with pleasure, but do nothing for the part that controls feelings of hunger. Real sugar, by contrast, signals the brain that calories are being consumed, and at some point triggers a feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Artificial sweeteners fail to do this, causing people who use them to just look elsewhere for calorie sources. The scientists behind this most recent study suggest that the best way to control appetite is to consume sugared drinks through thin straws to moderate intake. Before the entire drink is consumed, most people feel full and stop drinking. This actually has more overall health benefits than drinking an entire can of diet soda and then, still hungry, wolfing down a burger or, worse, a doughnut or piece of chocolate cake.
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