A recent stuy in the Journal of Gastroenterology found that those with regular vitamin C supplementation had half the gallstone prevalence than those who did not supplement with vitamin C. To read more, Walcher T, et al. Vitamin C supplement use may protect against gallstones, BMC Gastrolenterol 2009 Oct 8:9(1):74

UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation increases serum vitamin D. Previously it was thought that dark skinned people produced very little vitamin D in their skin from the sun as the melanin acts as a blockout. However, a study in the Joural of Dermatology Oct 8, 2009 found no differences in vitamin D increase after UVB exposure for both fair and dark skinned participants. They did find, however, that the higher the cholesterol of participants, the greater the increase in vitamin D.

New Zealand researchers found that children who watch television is a better predictor of obesity than what they eat or how much they exercise. The study found that 41% of the children who were overweight by age 26 were those who had watched the most TV.

A newly released study begun in 1987 measured height, weight, thigh, hip, waist circumference & body composition of subjects. After 13 years it was found people with thighs <45cm>60cm these benefits were lost. Bigger thighs, but not overweight, carry more muscle so are less likely to become insulin resistant and devleop diabetes.

When you exercise, happiness hormones are released by the body, giveing you a natural high. However, research at the University of Oxford shows that your pain tolerance is higher if you exercise with a friend or in a group, producing greater production of feel-good endorphins!

A surgeon has discovered that almost 100% of people with MS have a narrowing, twisting or outright blockage of the veins that are supposed to flush blood from the brain, allowing excess iron to accumulate in the brain. Zamboni called the vein disorder he discovered CCSVI, or Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency. Of all the patients upon whom they have performed endovascular surgery, there was a decrease in the number of new MS attacks, a big reduction in the number of brain lesions that define MS, and improved quality of life. Because the surgery freed the blood flow, the team have called the procedure "The Liberation Treatment." To read more, http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091120/W5_liberation_091121/20091121?s_name=W5

In the past five years, there's been an explosion of products marketed as "green" & good for the environment. But some of these green claims are far from accurate. Critics call the marketing practice "greenwashing" - a way to attract customers by labeling products as eco-friendly when they may not be. Examples include 1. Hyping what has been taken out of a product eg. One shaving cream product, for example, claims it has no CFCs -- chlorofluorocarbons. But CFCs were actually banned in 1978; if the product did contain CFCs, it would be illegal; 2. Not providing proof eg. a brand of drinking glasses claims recycled content - but fails to explain how much , or what the source is; 3. Environmental trade-offs, eg. One type of water bottle does use 30% less plastic than other bottles but the product is imported from overseas; 4. Self-made seals, from companies that put their own stamps on their packages instead of one awarded by a neutral third party eg.brand of cleaner has a green leaf seal but all it means is that the symbol has been put there by the company; 5. Products that are not up to environmental standards eg. One company advertised a refrigerator as Energy Star compliant, but then acknowledged it was not.

Extracts from green tea may prevent the formation of mouth cancers in people with risk signs of the disease, according to a new study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. To read more, http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/11/931

Swimming in a chlorinated pool may boost the odds that a child susceptible to asthma & allergies will develop these problems. Chlorinated pools irritate the airways of swimmers, exerting a strong additive effect on the development of asthma and respiratory allergies such as hay fever & allergic rhinitis. The impact of chlorinated pools on the respiratory health of children & adolescents appears to be much more important -- at least by a factor of 5 -- than that associated with second hand smoke. Pediatrics October 2009;124(4):1110-8

In USA numerous people have reported serious side effects after receiving the Swine Flu vaccination including the development of Guillian-Barre Syndrome which involves muscle paralysis and inability to walk. Swedish, Japanese, and Chinese health officials have also reported a number of serious side effects, including deaths of people who received the H1N1 vaccine. Among those inoculated so far, more than 1,200 have complained of side effects ranging from sore arms, rashes, and headaches, to anaphylactic shock and sudden drops in blood pressure. To read more, Time November 15, 2009, ABC News November 17, 2009, The Japan Times October 25, 2009,The Digital Journal October 28, 2009, NBC Washington News November 26, 2009
MSNBC November 12, 2009