Health & Fitness
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High blood pressure: a vegetable juice to beet it
In a study in the UK, 100 per cent of people suffering from acute high blood pressure saw it go down significantly within hours of drinking a cup of beetroot juice. Importantly, blood pressure remained lower up to 24 hours later. The research,...
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Lullabies and other music may help sick preemies
Singing or playing womb-like sounds in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may help slow the heart rate and improve sleep and eating patterns of premature babies, a study suggests. Researchers found infants who had respiratory distress or sepsis...
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'Nanosponges' could help fight MRSA
Microscopic sponges that circulate through the bloodstream mopping up toxins can overcome the superbug MRSA, studies have shown. The ball-shaped ‘nanosponge’, which is 3,000 times smaller than a red blood cell, soaks up dangerous chemicals and...
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Sharpen up your goals
Sitting in the hair salon due for my bi-monthly trim, awaiting my turn in the hot seat, I sifted through the various magazines and brochures on offer. The day’s news engaged me for a while, as did the faces and places spread over some of our more...
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Why are crisps so addictive?
Scientists are starting to unravel the mystery of moreishness – why some snacks seem impossible to eat in small amounts. It is the phenomenon that explains why it can be so difficult to dip into a crisp packet without polishing off all the contents.
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Body shape linked to disease
People with apple-shaped bodies have an increased risk of harmful high blood pressure in their kidneys, scientists have found. Individuals with fat concentrated around their waist were already known to be extra prone to kidney disease. But the...
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Two interlinked illnesses
Stephanie Fsadni finds out that diabetes and obesity are inextricably linked, as obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes. The best advice a doctor can give to prevent the onset of both conditions is to adopt a more healthy lifestyle before...
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Watching and weighting
Increased media usage among children and young people is fuelling higher obesity rates, according to consultant paediatrician and president of the Malta Paediatric Association Thomas M. Attard. Chances are that as you’re reading this, your child is...
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The extra burdens of obesity
In its work, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate comes across people who say: “My mum was really big and still lived until 83 with no problems!” Director Charmaine Gauci admits this can happen, but people also have to realise...
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Health and fitness tools for all
Facts and figures published in recent years have continued to paint a picture of alarmingly high inactivity and obesity levels in Malta when compared to other EU countries. However, little to nothing seems to be changing – particularly in terms of...
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Diabetic drivers
Many people may not realise that developing either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can also affect their performance behind the wheel. Stephanie Fsadni gets the lowdown from the first local study on the subject. A significant proportion of local...
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Raw fruit may not be linked to lower blood pressure
People who eat more raw fruits or drink juice do not necessarily have lower blood pressure, according to a new study that goes against previous evidence. Larger, more rigorous studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables does lower...
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A third of over-50s ‘lonely’
A third of people in their 50s or above, and almost half of those over 80, suffer from feelings of loneliness, a study in the UK has found. Women were also more likely to experience loneliness than men, the report released by the Office for National...
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Sleep sounds 'boosted memory'
Memories can be boosted during sleep by playing sounds synchronised with brainwaves, a study has shown. The technique was used to help 11 slumbering volunteers remember word associations learned the evening before. Scientists used stimulating sounds...
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Genetic link to childhood obesity
According to The Telegraph, researchers found that 30 per cent of the difference between the body weight of one child and another can be explained by their genes. The study, carried out by University College London studied a random sample of 1.7...
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Nutrient found in red meat may damage heart
A red meat nutrient sold as a supplement for weight loss and muscle growth may damage the heart and arteries, new research suggests. Capsules of L-carnitine are widely available in health food stores and online. They are advertised as a fat-burning...
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Regulators block magic mushroom trial
The world’s first clinical trial designed to explore using a hallucinogen from magic mushrooms to treat people with depression has stalled because of British and European rules on the use of illegal drugs in research. David Nutt, president of the...
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Bird flu outbreak no cause for panic
A strain of bird flu that has been found in humans for the first time in eastern China is not a cause for panic, the World Health Organisation said yesterday, as the number of people infected rose to 21, with six deaths. The WHO praised China for...
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World dengue fever infections triple – experts
Around 390 million people are infected each year with dengue fever – the world’s fastest-spreading tropical disease – more than triple the current estimate by the World Health Organisation, experts said. The new finding, based on several years of...
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Reflexology effective pain relief
Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers, according to a scientific survey. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have found that people felt about 40 per cent less pain, and were able to stand pain for about 45 per cent longer, when...
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