Warfarin linked to increased bleeding in brain

A new study shows that people who take the commonly used blood thinning drug warfarin may have larger amounts of bleeding in the brain and increased risk of death if they suffer a hemorrhagic stroke. The study is published in the September 30, 2008, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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World Health Organization cautions against claims made by .

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an attack on advertisers who are claiming that an electronic cigarette - a battery-powered product usually made of stainless steel and resembling a real cigarette - is a safe or legitimate nicotine replacement therapy for smokers trying to quit.

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Casting new energy onto broken limbs

It's bad enough sitting through the weeks of agony in a cast while your broken limb slowly heals. The itching, the sweat, the inability to sleep in a normal position - or shower - makes it unbearable. Worse still is the period of healing after the cast is removed:

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Psychotropic Drug Use Soars in UK Teens

The number of children being treated with anti-psychotic drugs has drastically increased in the United Kingdom, according to a study conducted by researchers from University of London's School of Pharmacy and published in the journal Pediatrics

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Patent for making oxygen from light and water

Astronauts, submariners, miners, and those suffering from lung ailments take note: Innovation is coming to the rescue. A group of scientists from Battelle has earned a patent for generating oxygen in a process that mimics photosynthesis.

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Doctor offers organic medicine as alternative

Dr. Craig Koniver of Summerville thinks many patients have become frustrated with conventional methods of treating illnesses. Koniver runs Primary Plus Organic Medicine, which offers patients options in organic medicine. Many patients with ailments are going to doctors and getting prescriptions without considering alternative forms of treatment,

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ADHD drugs should be last resort: new guidelines

Drugs such as Ritalin should be a last resort for treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and should never be prescribed to kids of preschool age, new guidelines suggest. The new guidelines, issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the United Kingdom, recommend that parents and other caregiver

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Medical studies about drugs may be victims of spin,

Medical studies about drugs may be victims of spin, says reportDoes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have access to the data it needs to make informed decisions on approving drugs, or are drug companies cherry-picking the studies they publish to make their drugs look better than they actually are?

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Men are from Mars, women are from Venus

- when it comes to brainsThe comedians are right. The science proves it. A man's brain and a woman's brain really do work differently. New research from the University of Alberta shows that men and women utilize different parts of their brains while they perform the same tasks.

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Depressed women have more sex

Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, say depressed women have more sex than women who are mentally well.The researchers say depressed women have more sex regardless of whether they're in a committed relationship, from kissing and displays of affection, to foreplay and intercourse.

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The secrets of a long life? It's a long list

Economic disasters make the chances of receiving a decent pension increasingly remote but, even so, most people are keen to extend their lifespan. Britons want to emulate Americans so that in their seventies they will be leaping around tennis courts, plunging into the pool and playing 18 holes of golf.

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Age gracefully with good nutrition

Aging is a natural life process. However, research shows that certain foods may slow the process and postpone the inevitable. Specifically, foods containing antioxidants can help you look and feel younger.

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It reduces pain. It reduces illness. There is almost nothing

The young man was back in the hospital again. Flare-ups from his sickle-cell disease have put him there repeatedly over the years, and he’s only 25.

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A spoonful of sugar really DOES help the medicine go down

Mary Poppins sang its praises in the 1964 film and yesterday a scientist insisted she was right - a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. Experts discovered that infants who are given sugar feel less pain during injections than those who go without.

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U.S. Food and Water Supply Poisoned by Perchlorate

According to a report by the Organic Consumers Association, a toxic chemical that is a byproduct of rocket fuel is rapidly poisoning the food and water supply in the United States

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Why smiles can be better than Prozac

There seems to be a pill available to treat every condition these days, but when it comes to tackling depression and stress, the solutions could be simply to smile more, go dancing, throw out that copy of Heat magazine, and develop an appetite for kippers and seaweed.

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Tons of drugs dumped into wastewater

U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain, pumping contaminants into America's drinking water, according to an ongoing Associated Press investigation.

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Successful Natural Treatment for Autism. A Progress Report

CA, September 10, 2008 - Parents of autistic children are being trained in a simple, non-drug based, procedure that activates the alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway in their children. The parents act as clinical investigators and openly document the changes observed during and after the therapy

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Your walk may reveal more than you think

A woman's stride indicates how easily she can orgasm, researchers claim.The way a woman walks might be giving away a lot more about her than she knows, a new study says.

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Hydrogen Vehicles Coming Soon ? Two Million Could Be On Road

A transition to hydrogen vehicles could greatly reduce U.S. oil dependence and carbon dioxide emissions, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council, but making hydrogen vehicles competitive in the automotive market will not be easy. While the development of fuel cell and hydrogen production technology over .....

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THE AMAZING MIND READER

YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THIS. SEE IF YOU CAN WORK IT OUT.IT REALLY IS QUITE SIMPLE

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World's largest-ever study of 'near-death' experiences.

The AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study is to be launched by the Human Consciousness Project of the University of Southampton - an international collaboration of scientists and physicians who have joined forces to study the human brain, consciousness and clinical death

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tobacco caused 2.4mill cases of cancer in the US in 5 years

The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. reveals some shocking figures.The CDC report says in the five year period between 1999 to 2004, tobacco was responsible for 2.4 million cases of cancer in the U.S.

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Hold the Spinach, Hold the Lettuce the FDA Wants to Nuke Our Veggies

The FDA has just announced that food producers may now start zapping lettuce and spinach with just enough ionizing radiation to kill E. coli
The muckety-mucks at the FDA have decided, in their infinite wisdom, to use the American public as guinea pigs in an ongoing human experiment to find out the long-term effects of the consumption of irradiated food. In spite of the FDA's insistence that eating food treated with just a wee bit of ionizing radiation is safe, Public Citizen (a consumer watchdog group founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 for the purpose of protecting health, safety, and democracy) believes otherwise (understatement) and is trying to get the word out to consumers about the lies that are being told to the trusting American public.While many people may not be aware of it, the irradiation of food has been going on in the United States for a long time. Rather than using something like a skull and crossbones, food that has been irradiated is supposed to be marked with the radura symbol, which looks like a happy, little green flower. It's not surprising that many people wouldn't even notice this, and those that do might make the mistake of thinking the product is healthy.Of course, makers of frozen foods like pizza and lasagna and such that use irradiated spices aren't even required to mention this on the box at all. (What's a little bit of ionizing radiation amongst friends?) Moreover, consumers of irradiated food served in restaurants, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes are not given any sort of warning whatsoever.Much of What is Irradiated Isn't LabeledFood isn't the only thing being irradiated. According to Food Technology Service Inc., (FTSI), items that are commonly sterilized with gamma radiation include pharmaceuticals (another reason to get off those meds), medical devices, medical disposable products, saline, cosmetics and toiletries, packaging, laboratory equipment, herbs and spices, produce, meat and poultry, animal feed, and documents. According to an article at PharmTech.com, drug makers have used gamma radiation to sterilize pharmaceuticals for more than forty years.Irradiated Food Unsafe to EatPublic Citizen maintains that irradiated food is not safe to eat. According to their Q & A's on irradiated foods, "Irradiated food has caused a myriad of serious health problems in laboratory animals that ate irradiated foods, including premature death, fatal internal bleeding, a rare form of cancer, stillbirths and other reproductive problems, mutations and other genetic damage, organ malfunctions, stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies." A review of the studies demonstrates that this is absolutely correct. TrueHealth.org has compiled a list of some interesting studies for those who wish to confirm this information. FoodIrradiationInfo.org also has quite a bit of information on the studies that have been conducted in this area. How an organization like the FDA which is supposed to be looking out for public health can ignore all of these studies is just beyond belief.Public Citizen also reports that the studies show that irradiation can cause the formation of Unique Radiolytic Products (URPs), including cyclo-butanones, which were found to promote cancer and genetic damage in rats. Cyclo-butanones were also found to cause genetic and cellular damage in both human and rat cells. Since cyclo-butanones are a radiation byproduct of palmitic acid, a type of fat that is found in most all foods, there is definitely cause for concern.Additionally, irradiation is responsible for the formation of free radicals, which most people know is not a good thing. That's not all. Public Citizen reports that irradiation can also form chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects such as benzene, toluene, and methyl ethyl ketone. Sounds yummy -- not!Irradiation Doesn't Solve Sanitation IssuesWith apologies to those with weak stomachs, Public Citizen also reports that irradiation does not "remove the feces, urine, pus, vomit and tumors often left on beef, chicken, and lamb after processing in filthy and inhumane slaughterhouses." Since the government allows companies to use conveyor belt speeds that allow the processing of carcasses at the speed of 300 per hour for cows and 100 per minute for chickens (check out TheMeatrix.com), things are getting worse and worse. Cheeseburger, anyone?Irradiation Destroys More Than Just the Nasty StuffIn addition to creating all of the nasty stuff, irradiation destroys things like the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. In fact, "up to 80 percent of vitamin A in eggs and half of the beta carotene in orange juice" is destroyed, according to Public Citizen. Cooking the food only serves to amplify the nutrient loss, in many cases. Of course, the irradiation can also destroy the beneficial microorganisms that help to prevent botulism and the ones that create odors which signal that a food has gone bad.Irradiated Food Tastes, Smells and Looks TerribleFood that has been irradiated doesn't taste as good as fresh food, either. Consumer Reports notes that cooked irradiated meats (beef, chicken) taste and smell like singed hair. Public Citizen equates the smell of irradiated beef to that of a wet dog and notes that it makes onions turn brown and eggs turn runny. Yuck. Who would want to eat food that smells, tastes and looks terrible with all sorts of health risks?Follow The Money TrailThe answer, of course, is that nobody should want to eat this kind of food. There's usually an answer to be found if one follows the money trail. So, who stands to profit by the irradiation of foods and vegetables, other than the people who get paid to irradiate it?According to an article at FoodIrradiationInfo.org, the nuclear establishment wants to be able to use nuclear waste for food irradiators. This would allow them to spread the nuclear waste widely, rather than having to worry about the cost and problems of disposing of it all in one place. Their idea is to use leftover radioactive cesium for food irradiation; however, since this stuff is water soluble, it could be a real disaster in any community where a spill occurs. Therefore, in addition to all of the ill health effects caused by eating irradiated food, there are other kinds of health dangers to consider, as well.Better, Safer, Cheaper SolutionsOf course, the FDA wants everyone to believe that there is no other way to protect the poor, helpless people with weak immune systems from getting sick except to irradiate lettuce and spinach. This is just complete and utter nonsense. It is ridiculous to endanger the health of an entire nation to serve the needs of just a few people. One obvious solution is for people with compromised immune systems to simply cook their food.Tersano Lotus Sanitizing SystemHowever, there is something called the Tersano Lotus Sanitizing System, currently available at Amazon.com, which uses ordinary tap water to sanitize food in just a few seconds for a fraction of a penny. The FDA and USDA know about this machine, because they have approved it for food sanitation. It kills 99.9 percent of: E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus aureus (Listeria), and K. Pneumonia.According to Amazon.com, here's how it works: "The lotus patented Oxyshield technology infuses cold tap water with an extra oxygen atom, creating a natural sanitizer. By passing air through 4,500 volts of electricity, the lotus system splits oxygen molecules into atoms and forces this extra atom to combine and form super-oxygen, or ozone. The third oxygen atom becomes the sanitizing agent, a natural oxidant -- which kills bacteria and viruses, and neutralizes pesticides." Hmm... sure sounds a little safer than irradiation, not to mention cheaper and much more practical. Oh, but wait -- then the nuclear industry wouldn't be able to use peoples' dinner plates to dispose of their radioactive materials.Take ActionSo, what can consumers do about this food irradiation problem? Well, the best solution is, of course, to grow as many vegetables at home as possible. If that's not possible, buy vegetables directly at local farmers' markets. Even though food that has been irradiated is supposed to be labeled if it is bought as a separate item, don't count on it. Trust no one. Be very suspicious of imported fruits and vegetables. Naturally, don't purchase any foods that contain the radura symbol.Beware of Pasteurized FoodAlso, be very suspicious of any food that is "pasteurized." There is a big difference between food being irradiated and food being pasteurized, but some groups are pushing to be able to label irradiated food as pasteurized, according to a government document. In fact, Public Citizen reports that they have "filed false advertising complaints with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission against two meat companies -- Omaha Steaks and Huisken Meats -- that have either used the phrase 'electronically pasteurized' or outright failed to mention in their advertising material that their products have been irradiated."Consumers should also tell their local school boards that they don't want their children being served irradiated food, and provide information about how easy it is for companies to sneak things like irradiated spices into food service products. Consumers should also tell their local grocers that irradiated products are unacceptable and prepare fact sheets about irradiation to distribute at grocery stores and PTA meetings. Flyers can be placed on peoples' cars parked in shopping center parking lots. Consumers should certainly call the FDA and complain (1-888-INFO-FDA) constantly. Don't forget to call and write to let lawmakers know about this, too.Bad Science at the FDAThe bottom line is that the FDA used only 7 studies to make their determination that irradiated food is "safe" to eat, according to Public Citizen. This is a complete joke (only it's not too funny), given that there have been over 400 studies. Of the 7 studies they used, only three were published in peer-reviewed journals. In two of the studies, the doses of radiation used were far below what is currently allowed by the FDA. (Better science than this can be seen in middle school science fair projects.) Moreover, three of the studies used were written in French, and the FDA has no translations.Act NowThe time to act is now. Let the FDA know that there are much better ways to ensure the safety of the food supply other than irradiation. Allowing farmers to use human sewage for irrigation probably doesn't help matters much, either. It is common for the government to come up with solutions that try to solve an immediate problem (i.e. people getting sick from unsanitary food) without looking at the bigger picture which, in this case, is peoples' long-term health. The intelligentsia of society needs to stand up and make their voices heard, because the great minds of our time clearly aren't working at the FDA.

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Natural childbirth makes mothers more responsive to own baby-cry

A new study has found that mothers who delivered vaginally compared to caesarean section delivery (CSD) were significantly more responsive to the cry of their own baby, identified through MRI brain scans two to four weeks after delivery.
The results of the study, to be published today in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, suggest that vaginal delivery (VD) mothers are more sensitive to own baby-cry in the regions of the brain that are believed to regulate emotions, motivation and habitual behaviours.
CSD is a surgical procedure, in which delivery occurs via incisions in the abdominal and uterine wall. It is considered necessary under some conditions to protect the health or survival of infant or mother, but it is controversially linked with postpartum depression. In the US the occurrence of CSD has increased steeply from 4.5% of all deliveries in 1965 to a recent high in 2006 of 29.1%.
The critical capacity of adults to develop the thoughts and behaviours needed for parents to care successfully for their newborn infants is supported by specific brain circuits and a range of hormones. The experience of childbirth by VD compared with CSD uniquely involves the pulsatile release of oxytocin from the posterior pituitary, uterine contractions and vagino-cervical stimulation. Oxytocin is a key mediator of maternal behaviour in animals.
"We wondered which brain areas would be less active in parents who delivered by caesarean section, given that this mode of delivery has been associated with decreased maternal behaviours in animal models, and a trend for increased postpartum depression in humans," said lead author Dr. James Swain, Child Study Centre, Yale University. "Our results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions such as with caesarean section, which alters the neurohormonal experiences of childbirth, might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum."
The researchers also looked into the brain areas affected by delivery conditions and found relationships between brain activity and measures of mood suggesting that some of the same brain regions may help regulate postpartum mood.
"As more women opt to wait until they are older to have children, and by association be more likely to have a caesarean section delivery, these results are important because they could provide better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment," said Swain. "This work could lead to early detection of families at risk for postpartum depression and attachment problems and form a model for testing interventions."

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