Cancer patients should not avoid exercise; they can and should find ways to be physically active both during and after treatment, according to U.S. guidelines. Exercise improves cancer survival.
Source: Science Daily June 1, 2010

To hear pharmaceutical companies tell it, statin drugs are "miracle" medicines that have prevented millions of heart attacks and strokes. But a recent study published in the British Medical Journal tells a completely different story: For every heart attack prevented by the drug, 2 or > people suffered liver damage, kidney failure, cataracts or extreme muscle weakness as a result of taking the drug. Statin drugs, in other words, harm far more people than they help. Highly deceptive advertising implies that statin drugs help everyone who takes them. However, statin drugs only "work" on about 2.7% of those who take them. Yet they cause serious damage in about 4.4% of those who take them. From the point of view of pharmaceutical companies, they have the added benefit of causing other diseases that often result in yet more drugs or medical procedures being prescribed. Kidney dialysis is a multi-billion-dollar business all by itself.

People who get vitamin K from food may have a lower risk of developing type 2 Diabetes. Both vitamins K1 and K2 were related to a lower Diabetes risk, but the relationship was stronger with vitamin K2, which people get mainly from meat, cheese and eggs. Vitamin K is well known for the important role it plays in blood clotting but it also helps fight cancer, improve bone density, prevent heart disease, stave off varicose veins and lower your risk of Diabetes. K1 is found in dark green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet, eg. collard greens, spinach, salad greens, kale, broccoli and Brussel sprouts. The best natural source of vitamin K2 is derived from an ancient Japanese food called Natto which is made from fermented soybeans.
Sources: Reuters May 27, 2010; Diabetes Care April 27, 2010.

The Food & Drug Administration in the USA has mandated that proton pump inhibitor heartburn medications must carry a label warning of increased fracture risk of the hip, wrist and spine. This group of drugs include Prevacid, Prilosec and Nexium. The FDA suggests those taking these drugs should consult with their doctors & those using such drugs over-the-counter, limit their use to no more that three 14-day periods a year.
Alternatives include: restore your gastric balance and function with probiotics (good bacteria); test for Helicobacter pylori infection; modify your diet to eliminate hot spices & curries, carbonated drinks, caffeine, alcohol, all nicotine products, processed foods & sugars; slow your eating down, chew your food more, relax and reduce your stress, seek help with herbal medicines.
Source: FDA May 25, 2010.

Health experts are urging pregnant women in Tasmania to take iodine supplements to lessen the chances of their children developing low IQ's because of poor brain and nervous system development. The Director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor, says most Tasmanians are iodine deficient because of low levels in soil and water. He has written to all health practitioners around the state asking them to encourage expectant mothers to take an iodine supplement of 150mcg every day. This is also important for all women wanting to conceive or suring pregnancy in Australia as well so ensure your pregnancy multivitamin is adequate.
Source: ABC News 15/06/2010.

San Fransisco is set to require mobile phone makers to warn customers that mobiles are bathing them in radiation. The law requires makers of mobile phones to display in stores details of the levels of radiation emitted by different handsets in the same way that restaurants show the number of calories in food and drinks. Failure to comply will incur a $US300 ($347) fine. In particular, shoppers must be shown estimates of how much of the radio wave radiation from each mobile phone model is absorbed into the body of the person using it.
Source: SMH Wednesday, 16 June, 2010.

Fat in Japan? You're not just unhealthy, you're breaking the law. In Japan, already the slimmest industrialised nation, people are fighting fat to ward off dreaded metabolic syndrome and comply with a government-imposed waist-line standard. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of health risks, including stomach flab, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that can lead to cardiovascular (heart) disease and diabetes. Concerned about rising rates of both in a greying nation, Japanese legislators last year set a maximum waistline size for anyone age 40 and older: 85 cms for men and 90 cms for women.
Source: SMH Friday, June 18, 2010.

The Harvard-based research published recently in the Journal of Paediatrics demonstrates a link between Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and organophosphate pesticides. Those children with more pesticide exposure measured in their urine were more likely to have ADHD. "These findings support the hypothesis that organophosphate exposure, at levels common among US children, may contribute to ADHD prevalence. Prospective studies are needed to establish whether this association is causal." Organophosphate pesticides act by interfering with the transmission of signals in the nervous system, hence the effects on brain development, cognition & mood. Obviously the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables cannot be underestimated.

A recent randomised, placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of omega-3 oils (n-3 PUFA) in patients with diagnosed chronic heart failure. Results showed Omega 3 oils provide protection for patients with CHF by reducing inflammatory responses.
Source: Zhao YT, et al. Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid therapy on plasma inflammatory markers and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. J Int Med Res 2009 Nov-Dec;37(6):1831-1841.

Glucosamine is an anti-inflammatory glucose derivative known for its benefits in arthritis. In this study, researchers investigated whether its anti-inflammatory action could be of use in the treatment of harmful inflammation in the pulmonary system (lungs). They found it does have a therapeutic role in respiratory inflammatory disorders.
Source: Wu YL, et al. Glucosamine regulation of LPS-mediated inflammation in human bronchial epithelial cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2010 Jun 10;635(1-3):219-226.