Red Meat Increases Risk of Cancer (27th February, 2011)

Health authorities in Britain have advised against eating too much red meat. The British
government has issued a set of red meat guidelines which caution against eating more than 500
grams a week, or 70 grams a day. This is the equivalent of two beef burgers. Scientists say that
eating more than this increases the risk of getting colon and bowel cancer. The new limits are
down on the 90 grams a day recommended in 1998. Researchers think people who eat a lot of
meat like lamb, beef, ham and bacon have a higher risk of cancer. A 2005 European study found
people who ate about 160 grams of red meat a day increased their bowel cancer risk by one third
compared to people who ate little meat. People have around a one in 19 chance of developing
bowel cancer in their lifetime.
Experts told people the new guidelines did not mean people had to abandon red meat. The head
of health information at Cancer Research U.K. said: "This doesn't mean people have to become
vegetarian, but if you're having a steak every day, that's probably not helping. Scientists are
unsure as to why red meat increases the risk of colon cancer. They suspect that ham, the pigment
that gives meat its color, damages the cells in the digestive system and the lining of the colon. A
World Cancer Research Fund official said: "Following simple diet and lifestyle advice can help
protect against cancer. Red meat can be part of a healthy balanced diet. It is a good source of
protein and vitamins and mineralsBut people who eat a lot of red and processed meat should
consider cutting down.
Shopping Carts Covered in Bacteria (5th March, 2011)
A new study into the hygiene of supermarkets has found that shopping carts are dirtier than the
stores bathrooms. Microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona conducted
research on the handles of 85 carts in four American states. He reportedly found bacteria from
human waste on the handles of 72 per cent of them. "That's more than you find in a
supermarket's toilet," Dr Gerba said. He explained: "That's because stores use disinfecting
cleaners in the restrooms. Nobody seems to routinely clean and disinfect shopping carts."
Further, half of the carts in Dr Gerbas study tested positive for E. coli bacteria, a nasty germ that
can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and serious infection.

Professor Gerba is known as Dr Germ because of the number of studies he has done on
bacteria and everyday objects. His previous studies warned of bacteria on reusable shopping
bags, airplane seat-back trays, ground-floor elevator buttons, water fountain toggles, computer
keyboards, iPads and playground equipment. He said just about anything touched by children has
a high chance of contamination. He advised people to wash reusable shopping bags after use,
otherwise theyll become full of bacterial swamps. He added: Its like wearing the same
underwear every day. Gerba said the best way to avoid getting sick from shopping trolleys is to
wipe the handle with a disinfectant cloth and wash your hands often.
Meditation Better Than Pain-Killers (10th April, 2011)
Meditation can be better at relieving pain than the best pain-relieving drugs, according to a new
report published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The study into the effects of the mind and pain
was led by Dr Fadel Zeidan in the USA. The research looked at a technique called focused
attention, which is a form of meditation where people focus their thoughts only on their
breathing. Dr Zeidan said: This is the first study to show that only a little over an hour of
meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain and pain-related brain
activation. Zeidan added: We found a big effect - about a 40 per cent reduction in pain
intensity and a 57 per cent reduction in pain unpleasantness.
The study involved a group of volunteers who had never meditated before. They attended four
20-minute classes to learn about focused attention. Before and after the meditation training, the
researchers examined the participants brain activity using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
During the scans, a heat device was placed on their leg to create pain. The MRI scans showed
that after the meditation training, pain felt by every volunteer decreased from between 11 to 93
per cent. Zeidan compared these results to medicines, saying: Meditation produced a greater
reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain
by about 25 per cent.
Wrinkles Give Clues To Bone Condition (6th June, 2011)
A new study shows that the depth of the wrinkles on a womans face could hold important clues
about the health of her bones. The research was conducted by the Yale School of Medicine in the

USA. It involved 114 women ranging in age from their late 40s to early 50s. Lead researcher Dr
Lubna Pal looked at the relationship between skin wrinkling and bone mineral density. Dr Pal
assessed wrinkles at 11 different places on the face and neck. She also checked skin rigidity on
the forehead and cheeks. Pal said: "For the older patient, her bigger concern is what is happening
to her skin. The clinician's concern is what is happening to her bones. Our question was, can we
fine-tune the patient to get a sense of the bone issues?"
Dr Pal says the study shows a definite connection between the thickness of a womans bones and
the depth of her wrinkles. She said women who had the deepest wrinkles were far more likely to
have thinner bones. Having less dense bones means you have a greater chance of suffering from
hip and other fractures. These are common causes of non-disease-related death in older people.
The research suggests that instead of spending money on anti-aging and anti-wrinkle creams,
women should invest in a bone density screening. Dr Judith Turgeon said: "The cost of a fracture
would far outweigh the cost of a screen like this." It might even be the case your worry lines will
decrease if you know you have strong bones.