News
Fish oil supplements are beneficial
03.12.08
Fish oil supplements are beneficial – so says the Health Supplements Information Service, who have hit out at negative coverage about fish oil supplementation last week in the Sunday Times.
Dr Pamela Mason (scientific advisor to the HSIS) notes; “Research shows that two out of three people in the UK, so the majority of adults, do not eat the two portions of fish a week that is recommended by the Food Standards Agency either because it doesn’t fit in with their lifestyle or simply because they don’t like fish, especially oily fish. As a result, there is a huge percentage of the population who are missing out on their vital Omega-3 weekly intakes. Fish oil supplements can therefore provide a valuable way of bridging the nutritional gap for those people; whose diets may be lacking in the essential nutrients provided by fish, including those whose intake is erratic.”
But why are fish oil supplements so useful?
Pamela continues; “Oily fish is rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly EPA and DHA. EPA can help with heart health and circulation, and may help to discourage the formation of blood clots. DHA is important in infant development. Omega-3 is also associated with supporting cognitive function in children, and mental function in all age groups.”
But are people really achieving levels which are beneficial to health? The Food Standards Agency increased the earlier recommendation of 200 mg daily to 450 mg of Omega-3 PUFA, principally EPA and DHA. This is equivalent to the recommendation to eat two portions of fish, of which should be oily, a week. However, only just over one quarter of adults (27 per cent) eat oily fish at all.
Food for thought?
From: Health Supplements Information Service
Lung cancer breakthrough
03.12.08
Can lung cancer be beaten? One way to tackle it full force is to look for a gene which could suppress the tumour, thus protecting the body from developing lung cancer. Now it seems that research funded by the British Lung Foundation has done just that – identifying LIMD1 – a tumour suppressing gene which could pave the way for possible new treatments and early screening techniques.
Lead researcher Dr Tyson Sharp and his team together with his US collaborator Dr Greg Longmore, set out to examine if loss of the LIMD1 gene correlated with lung cancer development.
To do this the University of Nottingham team examined lung cancer tissue from patients with lung cancer and compared it to healthy lung tissue. They found that the LIMD1 gene was missing in the majority of lung cancer samples indicating that the presence of the LIMD1 gene protects the body against lung cancer.
Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said, “This is very exciting research which could lead to the development of early screening techniques and treatments for lung cancer. We are very proud to have made this breakthrough possible”.
Kids' fitness
03.12.08
Children will take the recommended amount of exercise they need each day if it is combined with video games, new academic research has revealed.
An independent study at the University of Cumbria found that nine in every ten
youngsters want to play video games at the same time as exercising. The games
reduce the boredom of exercise.
Fifty children aged 11 and 12 were asked to use exercise equipment combined with
video games.The children could play their games only while they maintained movement on the
fitness machines. If they stopped exercising, the games paused.
Researcher Jack Tyson said: " Only one in five of these children was achieving the recommended one hour a dayof moderate physical activity, while three-quarters of them played video games
for more than one hour a day."
Today, the Clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, Dr David Haslam, hailed the findings: "This study begins to show that by providing more novel opportunities, it is possible to increase a child's activity in a painless and effective way."
From: University of Cumbria press information, and Gamercize.
Worried sick?
03.12.08
A survey of 1,000 UK adults commissioned by CS Healthcare has found that nearly 40% – equivalent to 19 million* adults - worry about their health every day, with a further 30% worrying at least once a week.
When asked about the severity of their concern, over a third of adults said they were in a “mild” or “constant” state of anxiety about their health, while nearly 600,000 adults are so worried about being unwell that they could not sleep at night.
The CS Healthcare survey questioned which illnesses people worried most about.
More than half of all respondents said cancer was their greatest fear. The second most feared condition was heart attack amongst over 15% of respondents, although this was much higher amongst men (21.6% versus 9.5% of female respondents) and those between 35 and 44 (19%). Interestingly, twice the number of respondents between 18 and 34 most feared diabetes (over 6%) than those over 35. While only 1.4% of the overall population fear STIs, this increases to 4% for the 25-34 age bracket.
From: CS Healthcare Research Summary, 27th November
Got IBS? Reach for the peppermint
03.12.08
Research led by doctors at the University of Canada and published in the British Medical Journal has shown that peppermint oil significantly improves the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
(IBS). The research used results from a number of studies carried out
over the past 60 years into the treatment of the condition, and
showed that 40 per cent of sufferers experienced a significant
improvement after using peppermint oil.
IBS affects up to one in five people in the UK, and can cause a
variety of uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing conditions,
including abdominal pain or cramping, bloating, gas, constipation and
diarrhoea. Problems can be mild or severe, but sufferers should
consult their doctor before choosing a treatment, as these symptoms
can sometimes be a sign of more serious bowel conditions.
Peppermint preparations have been used for many years to
help with digestion.
From:Lexis PR, Nov 08
