Health advocates are cheering California's new ban on the use of
trans fats in restaurant food by 2010 and in retail baked goods by 2011 -- an action that was strongly opposed by the restaurant industry. Their opposition was understandable on one level: Making foods with trans fats is cheaper. But that's where the argument for trans fats really starts and ends. Saving money is the only advantage -- and there are many serious disadvantages. |
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I never heard of conservative talk show host
Michael Savage before today. Since I've never listened to him, I can't comment on his overall worth as a commentator or a human being, but I'm intrigued by the
press attention that's being given to the uproar over his
remarks about autism. |
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An advisory panel to the US
Food and Drug Administration has concluded that the agency's strongest warning -- a black box on the label -- would not be in the best interests of patients taking 11 drugs prescribed for epilepsy and other health problems such as bipolar disorder and migraines. Although studies show the drugs are linked with higher incidences of suicidal thoughts, that side effect is relatively rare, the panel noted, and the risk that patients might be afraid to take drugs they need is too great. |
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New research shows that a man's age is a more important consideration in achieving a viable pregnancy than was previously believed. For women, loss of reproductive ability is defined by menopause, which usually takes place at about 50 years of age but can occur as early as 40 or as late as 60. Men, however, have been known to father children into old age. An Indian man reportedly
sired his 21st child at the age of 90 last year. |
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Magnets have been used for centuries to treat a variety of health problems, from joint pain to blindness to baldness. Most magnetic therapies have been discounted by conventional practitioners as unproven, at best. Now, researchers have strong evidence that electromagnetic pulses delivered to migraine sufferers in the very early stages of an attack may disrupt the brewing electrical storm in their brains and leave them pain-free. |
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The results of two new studies published in the prestigious
Annals of Internal Medicine are good news for coffee drinkers. After analyzing the records of nearly 130,000 individuals over a 20-year span, researchers concluded that it's ok to drink coffee -- even lots of it -- and it might even be good for your heart! |
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As health officials home in on the source of the tomatoes responsible for an outbreak of Salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people in the United States -- Florida and Mexico are the current suspects -- a wave of food hysteria seems to be sweeping the country. Some news outlets are running alarmist headlines with their coverage, such as
"Behind the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," or, simply,
"Killer Tomatoes." I suppose these headlines could be tongue-in-cheek, but if that's the case, I think they miss the mark. Salmonella just doesn't seem very funny. |
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A tiny eight-week study that compared St. John's Wort with a placebo for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, returned discouraging results. The researchers saw no benefit whatsoever for the 27 children who received the herb compared with the 27 who received the placebo. Still, proponents of St. John's Wort as a potential remedy contend that more study is needed, suggesting that a higher dosage might be effective. |
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