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Laterlife Healthwise - 69
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Healthwise is a regular column written especially for laterlife.com members and visitors by Helen Franks, journalist and author. Welcome to healthwise 69. Helen has specialised in writing about health and ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and Choice. Helen has also written several books including Getting Older Slowly Your Guide to Successful Ageing and Bone Boosters co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise' Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate talkback page too. |
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A high intake of fish reduces the risks of dementia and Alzheimers, reports the American Medical Association. The evidence comes from a group of 3718 people aged 65 years and older, selected from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), with the research project starting from 1993. The group was asked to keep a diary to assess an intake of over 139 foods including specific fish, to determine an average intake of the omega-3 fatty acids as well as polyunsaturated and saturated fat intakes. Within this group, the results showed that there was a 10% slower rate in cognitive decline for subjects who ate one portion of fish per week and an even slower rate, 13%, for subjects who ate more than two portions of fish per week. What’s still a mystery is which fish. The evidence points to oily fish, but further research is needed.
Meanwhile, the Food Standards
Agency’s advice is that people should eat at least two portions of
fish a week, one of which should be oily. Fish and shellfish are rich
in protein and minerals, and oily fish is rich in long-chain omega 3
fatty acids, which reduce the risk of death from heart disease. Or if
you can’t stand fish, take a supplement of fish oils. More than one in three of us will develop cancer at some time in our lives. See how you can reduce your risk of cancer by taking some simple measures such as giving up smoking, eating healthily and protecting your skin in the sun. The Cancer Research newsletter - click on Cancer Research UK – provides a fund of information, including how to sell goods on eBay. And with Christmas is just around the corner, you could consider a donation instead of a gift. It’s all there on the website.
Men warned against buying prescription medicines on the internet
A warning to men against buying
prescription medicines on the internet
The survey, in which 500 people replied, revealed that: If these figures are an accurate reflection of the male population as a whole, between half and three quarters of a million men in the UK have bought drugs online in an attempt to improve their erections and sexual performance.
Some prescription drugs may be the underlying cause of erectile
dysfunction, so a visit to the GP is highly recommended as the first
port of call. Human beings need regular exposure to sunlight on their skin so that they can make vitamin D which is vital for health. Yet the British government advises the public to “cover up, keep in the shade”. This advice is mistakenly modelled on a programme developed in the tropical climate of Australia, says Oliver Gillie, director of the Health Research Forum and author of "Sunlight Robbery: Health benefits of sunlight are denied by current public health policy". Gillie claims that faulty calculations made by the National Radiological Protection Laboratory have misled UK government advisers into thinking that casual exposure of hands and face to the sun in the UK will provide sufficient vitamin D for health. In fact casual exposure does not provide enough vitamin D in the British Isles, and the majority of people in the UK have an insufficient level of vitamin in the blood, particularly in winter. Insufficient vitamin D at crucial times of life or for prolonged periods appears to increase the risk of several cancers, including breast and bowel cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis and many other chronic diseases including even tooth decay.
Health Research Forum is a not-for-profit organization, and
Gillie’s book is available free from:
www.health
Essential medical reference that's a must for every home. Published in association with the BMA, it includes comprehensive coverage of every important aspect of health and medicine, as well as user-friendly charts for at-a-glance information and easy reference. Also lists the best medical websites...
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand.
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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and winter blues About 2% of the adult population is affected by SAD, with 15% suffering from milder winter blues. Symptoms include depression, lethargy, loss of libido, carbohydrate craving and weight gain. Generally the result is all-round misery. However, light therapy has been helpful for many sufferers, producing a close match to natural sunlight, which can moderate the hormones that control symptoms of depression (melatonin / serotonin). And the good news is that new technology has resulted in smaller, yet even more powerful models. The company Outside In has launched a new product which, they claim, is the most powerful lightbox range yet. And another new product, the Litebook? is, say the makers, “an innovation in light therapy that works by delivering a specific spectrum of light at a peak wavelength to effectively restore the chemical imbalance in our bodies from the lack of natural light”. Information about SAD and winter blues from www.outsidein.co.uk, and details about the Litebook? and the benefits of light therapy from www.electronichealing.co.uk or call 08700 433 842. Who shouldn’t use light therapy? People who have recently had eye surgery (corrective, cataracts etc). If you are taking St. John’s Wort, reduce exposure time, as this herbal remedy causes an increased sensitivity to light. Anyone who is photosensitive shouldn’t use light therapy. And if you are suffering from major depression, see your doctor.
Is it safe to eat poultry and eggs? How about touching uncooked poultry meat? Would the virus be killed by cooking poultry properly? Why is the EU banning poultry meat and eggs from Romania, Turkey and other affected areas? Find out more on the Food Standards Agency website: www.foodstandards.gov.uk
And finally, when it comes to Christmas… Over-indulgence is a common cause of indigestion, but there’s no need to spend Christmas day rolling about in discomfort with a stomach that’s about to explode. Aloe Vera is the flavour of the month when it comes to easing indigestion.
Makers of Lily of the Desert’s Aloe Vera Whole Leaf Gel claim
that it improves digestion, whilst soothing and reducing any
inflammation of the digestive system. For further information on
Lily of the Desert products visit
www.wisofnature.com
In edition 68:- If you knew about flu you`d get the jab That's the message of this year's flu campaign There are drugs and other treatments to help improve the situation. Limit your consumption of liver says the Food Standards Agency Treatments might be more convenient for patients New herbal remedy aids short- term memory So you think heart attacks only happen to other people A new booklet to raise awareness of CDH Allergy UK are launching a new series of booklets, free of charge during Indoor Allergy Week starting November 14th.
Index to all previous Healthwise editions For books on Health visit the Amazon Family and Health Section. Don't forget if you buy books or videos from Amazon by linking from laterlife, you generate money for Charity.
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