Is Your Anger Giving You a Headache?
US researchers have found that people who bottle up their anger could be putting themselves at risk of headaches. The study revealed that bottling up anger is more likely to cause headaches than depression and anxiety, both of which have been linked to headaches. However, it was also suggested that simply flying into a rage is not the best way to control your anger, the most useful technique is deep breathing.

Are You SAD?
If you are a sufferer of SAD Seasonal Affective Disorder, and have been diagnosed, consider yourself lucky. According to research 50% (Michalak et al, 2001- British Journal of Psychiatry) of SAD sufferers are miss-diagnosed with clinical depression and needlessly prescribed antidepressants instead of the recommended light treatment. It is now estimated that up to 35% of the population suffer from seasonal disorders.

Coenzyme Q10 Link To Alzheimer
Coenzyme Q10 improves the symptoms of Parkinson's disease according to a new study published in Neuroscience Letters. Parkinson's is the chronic neurological condition characterised by loss of cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that along with other things helps to maintain normal muscle tone. There has been much interest in antioxidants and their protection ability to these neurons, CoQ10 is an antidioxant produced by the cells of the heart muscle and recent research suggests supplementation may benefit people with some neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

Snoring Damages Your Heart
Snoring could be more serious than first thought. According to research at Stanford University, California, USA habitual snorers are 33% more at risk of developing cardiovascular problems and they have linked snoring to Alzheimer's, finding the same genetic marker in people who snore and those who suffer from this dreaded disease. As research is still in the early days we shall have to wait further developments, until them try a nasal spray specially formulated for snoring.

Fatty Foods linked to breast cancer
Women with a high fat diet may double their risk of developing breast cancer. The studies led by the Medical Research Council Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge on 13,00 women from Norfolk who ate more than 90 grams of fat a day found that they were twice as likely to develop cancer, compared to those who ate 40g or less. DR Sheila Bingham who led the research said, "Our study shows that there is an emerging link between eating too much fatty food and increasing the risk of breast cancer".

Dr Lesley walker, Director of Science Information at Cancer Research UK said, "Studying the link between diet and cancer is a complex business. The EPIC study continues to uncover more information about how the two can be connected. This research highlights the importance of eating sensibly to reduce cancer risk".
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer for women in the UK and is increasing steadily in developed western countries.

Flouride Fantasy
British Dental Health Foundation welcomes Lords Decision on the Water Bill- the amendment to the bill would take the decision to fluoridate the water out of the hands of the privatised companies that now control the water supply.

What does it mean? Water companies will be required to fluoridate when asked to do so by health bodies after consultation with public consultation but some groups are against this amendment. They believe it represents a form of mass medication and ignores the individual's health. There is also concern that high levels of fluoridation are toxic and could be linked to increased risks in cancer, hip fractures and kidney problems as well as having adverse effects on the environment.

Mercury link to Autism
US research suggests that babies with autism have significantly lower levels of mercury in their hair compared to other babies.

Scientists are looking to see whether autistic children are unable to either excrete or absorb mercury. Scientists discovered that the mean level of mercury in children with autism was nearly a tenth lower than in other children and the more severe a child's autism the lower level of mercury found. It may mean that autistic children are also deficient in zinc, iron and copper, metals essential for brain development.

The Big Mac is under attack
McDonald's is in the dock and being accused of not informing customers clearly enough about what is in it's food and just how fattening it can be. Obesity, already a major political issue in Washington US is now a legal issue.

American lawyer John Banzhof is already famed for lawsuits against the tobacco industry that have been going on for the last 35 years from his campaigning, and if smoking is no longer tolerated on aeroplanes, or tobacco advertising banned on television then just think what his actions may have on the junk food industry because that is where John has now set his sights.

America is the fattest nation on this planet and it appears the UK is trying to catch up, along with the Australians. Obesity costs the US $117 billion in annual medical bills and triggers 300,000 premature deaths in the US and the western world with its diet high in fat, sugar and salt has final accepted that they are going down the same path and it appears that as far as Banzhof and other US health professionals are concerned this health problem is as big as the effects of smoking.

Federal Liberal senator Guy Barnett warns "Today's fast food companies could become the tobacco industry defendants of tomorrow. Health warnings on junk- food packaging highlighting the medical and lifestyle risks will no doubt become a requirement in future years unless the industry acts now".

Banzhaf argues that the fast-food companies, agribusiness giants, packagers and marketers believes these are responsible for the ones stuffing consumers full of fat, sugar and chemical additives and that by statistical analysis he believes it will be possible to assign specific blame to companies something that may prove quite difficult in the long run. But it seems that the word is out and companies are starting to worry, McDonald's in France took the rather unusual turn of taking out advertising in magazines to inform its customers that eating at McDonald's regularly was not a good thing and should be limited to once a week. He has already helped law students win three of the seven law suits against McDonald's and is hoping for another two who may have gone to court by the time this feature is published.

Banzhof does not believe that by suing fast food companies the problem of obesity would be solved, but rather hopes that public opinion could be changed and that fast food companies and government regulators would have to change their ways
McDonald's serves some 40million people every day but it's ailing, with a menu that has not changes and saturation of the market place, McDonald's is having to close outlets and try to change its style, but putting healthier food like fruit on the menu may be too late. Accused of not informing customers as to what is exactly in the food they are eating the company will need to change its focus on its customer, wearing more than its heart on its campaigning process.

Powerlines and prostate cancer
According to US study men who are exposed to high levels of electromagnetic fields generated by electricity powerlines face an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer. The researchers from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill examined data on 387 male former employees of five large utilities companies who had died from prostate cancer. Their findings showed that men categorised in the highest 10% of electromagnetic field exposure were twice as likely as men exposed to lower levels to die from prostate cancer. Researchers say that there is inconclusive evidence to determine whether electromagnetic fields can really be considered cause of the disease, as previous research into whether electromagnetic fields cause prostate cancer has been inconclusive.

Healthy Bacteria
The importance of maintaining a healthy gut is one of the most important factors for maintaining and promoting long-term health. Probiotics supplements can help to replenish the good bacteria, known as probiotics that inhibit the gut but can become depleted by stress, poor digestion, antibiotics and chemicals. The probiotics aid digestion and the absorption of nutrients, aid gut detoxification whilst creating energy. They also protect the gut against invasion by disease causing organisms thereby assisting in the prevention of common digestive complaints.

To encourage your gut to a healthy state consider taking a probiotic supplement if you feel run down, sluggish and lacking in energy.

Homocysteine - Are You At Risk?
We go on and on about CHD, Chronic Heart Disease being the biggest killer in the UK and high cholesterol levels seen as a significant risk factor, but now the medical world is starting to consider the possibility of a new compound. Homocysteine may have been discovered some 30 years ago but it is only now that scientists are aware of the damage it may be causing.

Homocysteine is formed when the body's amino acid methionine is metabolised from dietary protein. When the body is optimally nourished it converts homocysteine into harmless compounds but when there are certain nutritional deficiencies the conversion is inefficient and raises the levels of homcysteine in the blood. These encourage the development of lesions in the capillaries and arteries and arterial lesions can lead to atherosclerosis, the condition leading up to a heart attack. Homocysteine also has another sting in its tail; it can cause the lesions to form very rapidly.

Homocysteine is not just linked to heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and certain forms of cancer are thought to be affected by this compound. Effective protection against Homocysteine includes the intake of vitamin B6, B12 and Folic acid vitamins. Scientists now agree that this inexpensive and simple approach to heart disease protection could save thousands of lives every year.

Fancy A Slice?
Cakes may be bad for your bones, as well as helping to increase your weight. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition bones require vitamin K to remain strong and healthy. But hydrogenated vegetables oils such as margarine used in the making of cakes and other convenience foods may have had their vitamin K destroyed by the hydrogenation process that occurs when the liquid vegetable oils are partially solidified. Vegetable oils are one of the most common dietary sources for vitamin K but depending upon the amount of hydrogenated oils you eat you could be lowering your vitamin K intake. Remember that vitamin K can be found in leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, a much healthier alternative.

Life is Great At 50+
Life for the over 50's is looking up. According to research this is the era where people become more aware of their own responsibility towards their health and enjoy life to the full. Check out the website www.laterlife.com for more info.

Natural Help for Surgery
A homeopathic remedy to try if you are due to have surgery and feeling nervous is Gelsemium sepervirens. Take the recommended dose both before and after surgery to help boost your immune system that can be weakened by nervousnes

Children's unhealthy diets caused by stress
According to research children who are under stress are more likely to consume an unhealthy diet than those children who are calmer. The researchers found that s the children's lives grew more stressful they were more likely to leave the healthy food options behind, fruit and vegetables made way for crisps, snacks and other fatty processed foods.

Jane Wardle director of Cancer Research UK's Health and Behaviour Unit said "Children in the more stressed category ate more fatty foods and more snacks, but they were also less likely to consume the recommended five or more fruits and vegetables or eat a daily breakfast". Her concern was that it could be laying the foundations for problems in later life and being obese as you enter teenage years increases your chance of being overweight as an adult, which can then set up health problems such as diabetes type 2, and increase the risk of heart disease or cancer.

The research also found that ethnic background influenced the children's diets. Asian students had the best diets; black students the worse and white students were in the middle.