Foie gras, translated literally from French means "fatty liver" and is considered a delicacy by many. French cuisine, certainly, wouldn't be what it is without it. But it's also a highly controversial food, considered by many to be cruel to animals, due to the force-feeding of ducks and geese. However, the other concern is the nutritional value of liver that has been fattened up with a mash of oil and genetically modified poor quality corn. This is certainly a food to avoid for your health.
Source: Times Online April 22, 2010; Telegraph.co.uk April 16, 2010

It was found that those who report a great deal of boredom are more likely to be younger, to be women, to rate their health worse, to be in low employment grades and to report lower physical activity levels. They were also more likely to die from a cardiovascular (CVD) fatal event. Whilst some aspects of life may not be so easily modified (e.g. disease status or position in society), proneness to boredom, particularly in younger populations, could be indicative of harmful behaviours such as excessive drinking, smoking, taking drugs and low psychological profiles.
Source: Britton, A. & Shipley, M.J. Bored to death? International Journal of Epidemiology 2010;1-2 doi:10.1093/lje/dyp404

Your thyroid gland plays an important role in regulating your metabolism and energy use. There is growing evidence linking pesticides to thyroid problems. One study examines 16,500 women living in the US who were married to men seeking certification to use restricted pesticides. They found that 12.5% women had thyroid disease with 7% having underactive thyroids (hypothyroidism). In the general population, the rate of diagnosed thyroid disease ranges from 1 to 8%. The study found that organochlorine pesticide use was associated with a 1.2x > risk of hypothyroidism. Exposure to fungus killers 3x the chances of hypothyroidism. Maneb/mancozeb also 2x the women's risk of hyperthyroidism. The herbicide paraquat almost 2x the likelihood of hypothyroidism. Yet another example of how your environment can impact on your health.

Source: American Journal of Epidemiology.

With fears regarding terrorism rising, full-body scanners may soon be in airports all over the world. What then, about your exposure to radiation? At this stage, depending on the machine used, estimates are that you will be exposed to around 10 microRem of radiation per scan; equivalent to flying for two minutes at 30,000 feet.

Source: Wellbeing Magazine Vol 126

Aside from their general health benefits, animal studies have suggested that blueberries increase neuron-to-neuron communication in the brain, improve glucose use in the brain & are involved in memory function. So researchers tested the effects in humans: participants in their 70s who were showing early signs of memory loss had to drink 2 1/2 cups of blueberry juice daily for 12 weeks compared with placebo. Those who had drunk the blueberry juice showed improved paired associate learning & improved word list recall. There was also a trend toward reduced depressive symptoms & lower glucose levels. The results suggest that blueberries may be a way to ward off memory loss - if you can remember to take them.

Source: Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry

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Nutritional website on vegetables from France - excellent resource articles, nutritional content of vegetables, article on how to encourage children to eat vegetables etc.

Nanotechnology involves the use of tiny particles which can penetrate through a membrane that normally would not allow it to enter. Many cosmetics and skincare products are now using this technology to their advantage eg. to reduce a white film left on the skin surface or enhance aborption of certain ingredients. However, the concern is that there can be a build up of these chemicals in the body as the skin's previous protective barrier is constantly overrided. The effect of these chemicals or of other unwanted or toxic ingredients in the product can have damaging effects. Some specialists view them as so dangerous in fact, that they are becoming known as "universal asbestos".

The toxic cosmetic & skincare ingredients include known carcinogens such as:
- Ethylene oxide
- Dioxane
- Nitrosamines
- Formaldehyde
- Acrylamide

Check all your products that they do not contain these chemicals and avoid skincare products that use nanotechnology.

A long-term study of > 6,500 people in northern California found that those who wre overweight at age 40 were more likely to succumb to dementia in their 70s. A long-term study in Sweden found that, compared to thinner people, those who were overweight in their 40s experienced a more rapid, and more pronounced, decline in brain function over the next several decades. Consistent with this, the brains of obese people often show signs of damage. The obvious question is: can obesity-associated brain damage be reversed? No one knows the answer but a healthful diet and plenty of exercise, have repeatedly been shown to protect the brain.

Source: Panaxea - World Medicine www.panaxea.com

Computerised tomography (CT) medical scans cause at least 29,000 cases of cancer & 14,500 deaths in the United States every year, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers estimated that 3 yr old female receiving an abdominal CT scan has a 1/500 risk of developing cancer as a direct result. The risk decreases to 1/1000 by age 30 & 3/10 000 by age 70.

Rosaleen Parsons of the Fox-Chase Cancer Centre suggests that patients keep their medical records to avoid unnecessary repetition of tests & ask their doctor about alternatives to radiation-based scans.

Source: NaturalNews.com, Wed, April 21, 2010 by: David Guitierrez.

Source: www.usatoday.com