Optimal Essentials - Research

Curry chemical's ability to fight cancer put to the test

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 +0930

A chemical found in curry is to be tested for its ability to kill bowel cancer tumours in patients. Curcumin, which is found in the spice turmeric, has been linked to a range of health benefits. Studies have already shown that it can beat cancer cells grown in a laboratory and benefits have been suggested in stroke and dementia patients as well.

Now a trial at hospitals in Leicester will be investigating giving curcumin alongside chemotherapy drugs. About 40,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year. If the disease spreads around the body, patients are normally given a combination of three chemotherapy drugs, but about half will not respond.

Forty patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital will take part in the trial, which will compare the effects of giving curcumin pills seven days before starting standard chemotherapy treatment. Prof William Steward, from Leicester University, who is leading the study, said animal tests combining the two were "100 times better" than either on their own and that had been the "major justification for cracking on" with the trial.

He said: "Once bowel cancer has spread it is very difficult to treat, partly because the side effects of chemotherapy can limit how long patients can have treatment.

"The prospect that curcumin might increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy is exciting because it could mean giving lower doses, so patients have fewer side effects and can keep having treatment for longer.

"This research is at a very early stage, but investigating the potential of plant chemicals to treat cancer is an intriguing area that we hope could provide clues to developing new drugs in the future."

Joanna Reynolds, from Cancer Research UK, said: "By doing a clinical trial like this, we will find out more about the potential benefits of taking large amounts of curcumin, as well as any possible side effects this could have for cancer patients."

Oil linked to anti-ageing

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0930

AVOCADO oil may have anti-ageing properties like those attributed to olive oil, researchers say.

Fat pressed from the exotic fruit could be a potent weapon against conditions such as heart disease and cancer, it is claimed.

Avocado oil is similar in composition to olive oil, which is associated with unusually low levels of chronic disease in some Mediterranean countries.

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New research conducted in Mexico, the world's largest avocado producer, has demonstrated the oil's power to combat destructive rogue oxygen molecules.

These unstable ''free radicals'' wreak havoc in the body, triggering chain reactions that destroy cell membranes, proteins and even DNA. The phenomenon is one of the prime drivers of ageing and believed to play a major role in damage to arteries and cancer.

Oxygen-free radicals are natural waste products of metabolism but may be generated in greater numbers due to factors such as pollution, tobacco smoke and radiation.

One hot spot for free radicals is mitochondria, rod-like bodies in cells that act as energy power plants.

Experiments on yeast showed that avocado oil was effective against mitochondrial free radicals.

The findings were presented to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in San Diego, California

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/oil-linked-to-antiageing-20120422-1xf4o.html

Exercise Twice a Day Vital for Your Dog's Health

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 +0930

Just like people, dogs need to get daily exercise to stay healthy, a veterinarian says.

"Dogs should get exercise at least twice a day, generally around 15 to 20 minutes each session for small dogs and 30 to 40 minutes or more for large dogs," Susan Nelson, clinical associate professor at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University in Manhattan, said in a university news release.

The actual amount and type of exercise depend on the type of dog, its age and its health.

"It really depends on what the dog can do," Nelson said. "For short-legged or arthritic dogs, walking is good. Running is good for dogs that are bigger and are in good shape, but how much running to do depends on the dog and how in shape it is. You can't run a basset hound like you would a Great Dane."

Swimming can be a good for many dogs, especially those with joint-mobility problems. But make sure your dog can swim before you take him into the water.

Just letting Fido out to play on his own in a fenced-in yard isn't good enough, Nelson noted. Playing a game of fetch with a ball or flying disc are ways to give your dog a good workout.

Although exercise is important, don't let your dog overdo it.

"Some signs [of overdoing it] to look for include an obvious limp, if they are tugging on their leash and don't want to go forward, or if they start to lag behind," Nelson said. "In the warmer weather, watch out for overheating your dog. Signs include panting really hard; producing thick, ropey saliva; and getting a dark-red tongue. Taking water breaks along the way is a good idea."

Being an optimist 'may protect against heart problems'

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0930

Being cheerful may protect against heart problems, say US experts.

Happy, optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, a Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies - reported in Psychological Bulletin - suggests.

While such people may be generally healthier, scientists think a sense of well-being may lower risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Stress and depression have already been linked to heart disease.

The researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health trawled medical trial databases to find studies that had recorded psychological well-being and cardiovascular health.

This revealed that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appeared to be linked associated with a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases, regardless of a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight.

Disease risk was 50% lower among the most optimistic individuals.

'Not proof'

Dr Julia Boehm and colleagues stress that their work only suggests a link and is not proof that well-being buffers against heart disease.

And not only is it difficult to objectively measure well-being, other heart risk factors like cholesterol and diabetes are more important when it comes to reducing disease.

The people in the study who were more optimistic also engaged in healthier behaviours such as getting more exercising and eating a balanced diet, which will have some influence.

But even when they controlled for these factors and others, like sleep quality, the link between optimism and better heart health remained.

Although they looked at 200 studies, the researchers say this number is still not enough to draw firm conclusions and recommend more research.

Much of the past work on mood and heart disease has looked at stress and anxiety rather than happiness.

Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The association between heart disease and mental health is very complex and still not fully understood.

"Although this study didn't look at the effects of stress, it does confirm what we already know which is psychological well-being is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, just like staying active and eating healthily.

"It also highlights the need for healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach to care, taking into account the state of someone's mental health and monitoring its effect on their physical health."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17733371

Taking dogs to work 'reduces employee stress'

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0930

Bringing pet dogs to work can reduce stress and make the job more satisfying for other employees, a study suggests. US researchers found those with access to dogs were less stressed as the day went on than those who had none.

The preliminary study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management looked at 75 staff. The researchers suggested access to dogs boosted morale and reduced stress levels, whether people had access to their own pets or other people's.

The study was carried out by a team of researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University who looked at a manufacturing company where people are allowed to bring their pets to work. They compared those who brought in their own pets, with those who had dogs - but left them at home - and staff who did not own pets. Over a week, the researchers compared employees' stress levels, job satisfaction and feelings about support from and commitment to the company.

Pooch power

Stress hormone levels were measured using saliva samples during the day. In the morning, there was no difference between the three groups. But during the course of the work day, stress levels appeared to decline for employees with their dogs present and increased for non-pet owners and dog owners who did not bring their dogs to work.

The researchers also noted that stress rose significantly during the day when owners left their dogs at home compared to days they brought them to work. Randolph Barker, lead study author and professor of management at the VCU School of Business, said dogs can make a positive difference in the workplace.

"The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms."

Prof Barker said having dogs around the workplace may contribute to employee performance and satisfaction. And he reported positive comments from employees such as "pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale", "having dogs here is great stress relief" and "dogs are positive; dogs increase co-worker cooperation."

Past research has shown that stress can contribute to employee absenteeism and burnout. It can also result in significant loss of productivity. Louise Lee, spokesperson at pet charity Blue Cross said they have always promoted the benefits of dogs in the workplace.

"We encourage our employees to bring in their well-behaved dogs where practical and we have seen similar results to the survey - a more enjoyable working environment, staff more likely to take regular breaks and a reduction in stress through stroking and petting dogs during the working day.

"The dogs themselves are also much happier as they are not being left at home for long periods of time."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17561272

Chocolate 'may help keep people slim'

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1030

People who eat chocolate regularly tend to be thinner, new research suggests.

The findings come from a study of nearly 1,000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of obesity.

It found those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.

Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients that may favour weight loss rather than fat synthesis, scientists believe.

Despite boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption was related to lower BMI in the study, which is published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The link remained even when other factors, like how much exercise individuals did, were taken into account.

And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The study found no link with quantity consumed.

According to the researchers, there is only one chance in a hundred that their findings could be explained by chance alone.

But the findings only suggest a link - not proof that one factor causes the other.

Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said: "Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight."

This is not the first time scientists have suggested that chocolate may be healthy for us.

Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart.

Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level.

And chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants which can help to mop up harmful free radicals - unstable chemicals that can damage our cells.

Dr Golomb and her team believe that antioxidant compounds, called catechins, can improve lean muscle mass and reduce weight - at least studies in rodents would suggest this might be so.

Mice fed for 15 days with epicatechin (present in dark chocolate) had improved exercise performance and observable changes to their muscle composition.

They say clinical trials are now needed in humans to see if this is the case.

But before you reach for a chocolate bar, there are still lots of unanswered questions. And in the absence of conclusive evidence, experts advise caution.

While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like chocolate now and again, eating too much might be harmful because it often contains a lot of sugar and fat too.

And if you are looking to change your diet, you are likely to benefit most from eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17511011

Obesity harms 'later brain skill'

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Being overweight in later life puts you at higher risk of brain decline, Korean research suggests.

A study of 250 people aged between 60 and 70 found those with a high body mass index (BMI) and big waists scored more poorly in cognitive tests.

The Alzheimer's Society said the research, in the journal Age and Ageing, added to evidence that excess body fat can affect brain function.

Lifestyle changes can help make a difference, it said.

The study looked at the relationship between fat levels and cognitive performance in adults aged 60 or over.

The participants underwent BMI - a calculation based on a ratio of weight to height - and waist circumference measurements, a scan of fat stored in the abdomen and a mental test.

Both a high BMI and high levels of abdominal fat were linked with poor cognitive performance in adults aged between 60 and 70.

In individuals aged 70 and older, high BMI, waist circumference and abdominal body fat were not associated with low cognitive performance.

The lead author of the study, Dae Hyun Yoon, said: "Our findings have important public health implications. The prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity, might be important for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia."

A spokesperson from the UK Alzheimer's Society said: "We have all heard how a high BMI is bad for our heart but this research suggests it could also be bad for the head.

"Although we don't know whether the people in this study went on to develop dementia, these findings add to the evidence that excess body fat could impact on brain function.

"One in three people over 65 will die with dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk.

"Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked can all make a difference."

Women who drink in moderation have reduced risk of a stroke

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1030

FOR those who fear alcohol is being lined up as the next public health bogeyman, take heart -- a study has found women who drink in moderation enjoy a reduced risk of stroke compared to those who never touch the stuff.

The US study of nearly 85,000 women found those who drank an average of 1.5 Australian standard drinks per day cut their risk of the most common type of stroke by 17 to 21 per cent compared to the non-drinkers. As the intake of alcohol increased, so did the stroke risk.

However, the study found that the women had to be drinking more than 3.8 standard drinks per day, or nearly double the Australian recommended limits, before their stroke risk began to exceed that faced by those who never drank.

Health experts admit the findings, produced by researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, are likely to provide ammunition for those resisting calls for tougher health warning labels on alcoholic drinks.

Last year, Australian health groups called for a range of information labels, with specific warnings to include that "drinking any alcohol can harm unborn babies, damage young developing brains and increase the risk of cancer".

Previous studies have suggested alcohol might prevent cardiovascular events, but most of the evidence has focused on men having a lower risk of heart attacks, and the implications for stroke have previously been less clear.

Also, some previous studies that found male drinkers had fewer heart attacks have been criticised by anti-alcohol campaigners on the grounds that the studies were flawed by including within the group described as "non-drinkers" a subset of people who were former alcoholics and had only given up drinking on doctors' orders because their health was very poor.

The latest study, which followed the women for more than 25 years and was published in the US journal Stroke, got around this problem by showing the protective effect of alcohol even after excluding women likely to be these "sick quitters" _ the more than 3000 who said they had greatly decreased their intake and no longer drank.

Alcohol expert Paul Haber, professor of addiction medicine at the University of Sydney, said the findings only applied to very moderate drinking, and warnings were still appropriate because data suggested many Australians drank far higher amounts.

"Even that low level of drinking is associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of breast cancer, which is well documented, of approximately 10 per cent," Professor Haber said.

Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, said the study found a "very limited benefit for light drinkers, and no effect for moderate drinkers, so it should not be construed as a reason for . . . drinkers to increase their drinking".

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/women-who-drink-in-moderation-have-reduced-risk-of-a-stroke/story-e6frg8y6-1226302143591

Sleep quality 'improves with age'

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1030

The belief that older people tend to suffer worse sleep may be false - in fact the reverse may be true, according to US researchers. A telephone survey of more than 150,000 adults suggested that, apart from a blip in your 40s, sleep quality gets better with age. Those in their 80s reported the best sleep, says the study in Sleep journal.

A UK sleep researcher said while poor health could affect sleep, it was a "myth" that age alone was a factor. While universities have equipment which can measure sleep duration and disturbance in study volunteers, this does not always match the volunteer's own opinion on their night's rest. The research, conducted by the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, instead focused on asking large numbers of randomly selected people about their sleep. They were also asked about their race, income, education, mood and general health.

While being depressed or having health problems was linked to poor sleep quality, once the researchers had adjusted the results to compensate for this, a distinct pattern emerged. Instead, they found that complaints about poor sleep quality fell as age rose, with the lowest number of complaints coming from the over-70s.

The only exception to this trend was middle age, where sleep quality was poorer. Dr Michael Grandner said the original reason for setting up the study was to confirm the precise opposite - that sleep quality declined in old age.

He said: "These results force us to re-think what we know about sleep in older people - men and women." He suggested that it was possible that older people were sleeping worse, but simply felt better about it.

"Even if sleep among older Americans is actually worse than in younger adults, feelings about it still improve with age." Professor Derk-Jan Dijk, Professor of Sleep and Physiology and Director of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre, said the study was "interesting". He said: "We have got to get away from all these myths about ageing - many people are very content with their sleep."

However, he said that asking people for their subjective opinion about sleep patterns could produce answers that were dependent on their mood at the time. "If you are angry because your boss didn't give you a pay rise, your perception of sleep quality may be very different from someone who is feeling generally content."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17209448

Women have rare egg-producing stem cells

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1030

WASHINGTON (AP) — For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they'll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they've discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.

If Sunday's report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they're getting older.

"Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There's much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs," said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Tilly's previous work drew fierce skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings.

A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, said Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

"This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it's giving us some new directions to work in," said David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas' Center for Reproductive Sciences. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, "I'm less skeptical," he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General's reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbor some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

But do they exist in women? Enter the new work, reported Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine.

First Tilly had to find healthy human ovaries to study. He collaborated with scientists at Japan's Saitama Medical University, who were freezing ovaries donated for research by healthy 20-somethings who underwent a sex-change operation.

Tilly also had to address a criticism: How to tell if he was finding true stem cells or just very immature eggs. His team latched onto a protein believed to sit on the surface of only those purported stem cells and fished them out. To track what happened next, the researchers inserted a gene that makes some jellyfish glow green into those cells. If the cells made eggs, those would glow, too.

"Bang, it worked — cells popped right out" of the human tissue, Tilly said.

Researchers watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish. Then came the pivotal experiment: They injected the stem cells into pieces of human ovary. They transplanted the human tissue under the skin of mice, to provide it a nourishing blood supply. Within two weeks, they reported telltale green-tinged egg cells forming.

That's still a long way from showing they'll mature into usable, quality eggs, Albertini said.

And more work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly's work with great interest.

But if they're really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn't contribute much to a woman's natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern's Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients' fertility. Today, Woodruff's lab and others freeze pieces of girls' ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They're studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

Further down the road, he wonders if it also might be possible to recharge an aging woman's ovaries.

The new research was funded largely by the National Institutes of Health. Tilly co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

http://news.yahoo.com/report-women-rare-egg-producing-stem-cells-211218811.html

Big meals in 'memory loss' link

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1030

A link between memory loss and a high calorie diet has been suggested by researchers in the US.

They were investigating mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be an early sign of dementia.

Research, presented at a conference, claimed a high calorie diet was linked to having twice the risk of MCI, compared with a low calorie diet.

Alzheimer's Research UK said a healthy lifestyle was known to help protect against dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment has become increasingly interesting to researchers as it may help predict who will go on to develop dementia, such as Alzheimer's.

A team at the Mayo Clinic in the US has investigated the effect of diet in 1,233 people aged between 70 and 89. None had dementia, but 163 were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment.

The patients were divided into low calorie intake (600 to 1,526 calories a day), middle (1,526 to 2,142.5) and high (2,142.5 to 6,000) and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment was compared.

The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. They showed no difference in the low and middle groups, however, the high intake group had more than double the incidence of MCI.

Researcher Dr Yonas Geda said: "We observed a dose-response pattern which simply means; the higher the amount of calories consumed each day, the higher the risk of MCI."

The study cannot say that a high calorie diet causes MCI, people who are cognitively impaired could end up eating more food or there could be another factor involved which increases the risk of both.

It has also not yet been published in a peer-reviewed academic journal.

But Dr Geda did suggest there was potential for therapy: "Cutting calories and eating foods that make up a healthy diet may be a simpler way to prevent memory loss as we age."

Dr Marie Janson, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said the findings were interesting, and fitted in with "the bigger picture of a healthy lifestyle preventing Alzheimer's in later life".

She said it was "difficult" to work out what a mechanism linking calories and cognitive impairment would be.

But she added: "We know that age is one of the greatest risk factors for dementia, but adopting a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet and regular exercise, is beneficial in protecting against dementia along with a number of other chronic diseases."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16984624

Best friend benefits mind, body, study finds

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1030

A best friend can help children deal with negative experiences, a new study suggests.

"Having a best friend present during an unpleasant event has an immediate impact on a child's body and mind," said study co-author William Bukowski, a psychology professor and director of the Center for Research in Human Development at Concordia University, in Montreal. "If a child is alone when he or she gets in trouble with a teacher or has an argument with a classmate, we see a measurable increase in cortisol levels and decrease in feelings of self-worth."

In conducting the study, researchers asked 55 boys and 48 girls from grades 5 and 6 in Montreal to record their feelings and experiences in a journal over the course of four days. The children's levels of cortisol -- the stress hormone -- were also monitored in regular saliva tests.

The study, recently published in the journal Developmental Psychology, found that cortisol increased and self-worth decreased when a child had a negative experience. However, with a best friend present when trouble struck, cortisol levels and feelings of self-worth changed less.

The researchers noted that what happens during childhood can affect people as adults, including having feelings of low self-worth.

"Our physiological and psychological reactions to negative experiences as children impact us later in life," explained Bukowski in a university news release. "Excessive secretion of cortisol can lead to significant physiological changes, including immune suppression and decreased bone formation. Increased stress can really slow down a child's development."

The study's authors said previous studies have also shown that having friendships can help protect people from bullying, exclusion and other forms of aggression.

http://news.yahoo.com/best-friend-benefits-childs-mind-body-study-finds-140405405.html

Green tea drinkers show less disability with age: study

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1030

(Reuters) - Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.

Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.

For the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older.

Yasutake Tomata of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and his colleagues followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 or older for three years.

They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability," or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.

Specifically, almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.

"Green tea consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors," Tomata and his colleagues wrote.

The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people spry as they grew older.

Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education, lower smoking rates, fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness.

They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on.

But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a lower disability risk, the researchers said.

People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.

Although it's not clear how green tea might offer a buffer against disability, Tomata's team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts seem to boost leg muscle strength in older women.

While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K, which means it could interfere with drugs that prevent blood clotting. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/wXuZbl

http://news.yahoo.com/green-tea-drinkers-show-less-disability-age-study-011448028.html

Fried food 'fine for heart' if cooked with olive oil

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Eating fried food may not be bad for the heart, as long as you use olive or sunflower oil to make it, experts say. They found no heightened risk of heart disease or premature death linked to food that had been cooked in this way.

But the investigators stress that their findings, from studying the typical Spanish diet in which these "healthy" oils are found in abundance, do not apply to lard or other cooking oils. So traditional fry ups should not be the order of the day, bmj.com reports.

When food is fried it becomes more calorific because the food absorbs the fat of the oils. And experts know that eating lots of fat-laden food can raise blood pressure and cause high cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease.

For the study, the researchers at the Autonomous University of Madrid surveyed 40,757 adults about their diet. The participants were asked about what types of food they ate in a typical week and how that food was prepared and cooked. None of the adults had any sign of heart disease at the start of the 11-year study, but by the end of it 606 heart disease events and 1,134 deaths had occurred.

When the researchers looked at these heart events in detail, they could find no link with fried food in the diet. This, they believe, is down to the type of oil the food is cooked in.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Michael Leitzmann from the University of Regensburg in Germany said: "Taken together, the myth that frying food is generally bad for the heart is not supported by available evidence.

"However, this does not mean that frequent meals of fish and chips will have no health consequences.

"The study suggests that specific aspects of frying food are relevant, such as the oil used, together with other aspects of the diet."

Mediterranean diets have long been hailed as healthy, being packed full of low-fat, high-fibre fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh fish. And numerous studies have shown a balanced diet such as this can cut the risk of illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

Victoria Taylor, a senior heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Before we all reach for the frying pan, it's important to remember that this was a study of a Mediterranean diet rather than British fish and chips. Our diet in the UK will differ from Spain, so we cannot say that this result would be the same for us too.

"Participants in this study used unsaturated fats such as olive and sunflower oil to fry their food. We currently recommend swapping saturated fats like butter, lard or palm oil for unsaturated fats as a way of keeping your cholesterol down and this study gives further cause to make that switch.

"Regardless of the cooking methods used, consuming foods with high fat content means a high calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease. A well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and only a small amount of high fat foods, is best for a healthy heart."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16691754

Pomegranate seed oil doesn't cool hot flashes: study

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Women taking pomegranate seed oil, marketed as an alternative remedy for menopausal symptoms, got no more relief from hot flashes than women taking a pill containing sunflower oil as a placebo, according to an Austrian study.

The study, in which women took the pomegranate seed oil -- which is rich in plant compounds called phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen -- twice a day, was the first clinical trial of the remedy and appeared in the journal Menopause.

As many as 85 percent of women experience hot flashes -- a sensation of heat, often accompanied by sweating, rapid heartbeat and anxiety -- many times a day before, during or after menopause.

"In postmenopausal women, pomegranate seed oil does not significantly reduce hot flashes within a 12-week observation period, but further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effect," wrote lead researcher Leo Auerback at the Medical University of Vienna.

His team followed 81 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 60. All the women experienced a minimum of five hot flashes a day, and had gone at least 12 months since their final menstrual period.

Each participant kept a diary of menopause symptoms and took two 30-milligram capsules of pomegranate seed oil or placebo pills daily for 12 weeks. At the start and the end of the study period, the researchers also tested their hormone levels.

At the beginning of the study, women in the treatment group reported having an average of 11.1 hot flashes a day, and women in the placebo group reported 9.9 hot flashes each day, on average.

After 12 weeks, the women taking pomegranate seed oil saw a nearly 39 percent reduction on hot flashes, to 6.8 per day, while women in the placebo group saw a drop of nearly 26 percent, to an average of 7.3 a day.

The 13 percent difference between the effects seen in the two groups was too small to credit pomegranate seed oil with any real benefit, the researchers said.

The study found no differences between the participants' hormone levels before and after the 12-week treatment, although the women on pomegranate seed oil did report a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality and related symptoms.

The researchers added that the marked drop in hot flashes seen in both groups was likely attributable to a so-called "placebo effect" -- a trend seen in most studies of treatments for menopausal symptoms that include a placebo control.

"Like most herbal remedies, there is no clear evidence that it is effective at reducing menopause symptoms," said Silvina Levis, who specializes in geriatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida but did not take part in the study.

Previous research has found that soy supplements and red clover extract, which also contain phytoestrogens, are not effective at reducing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes.

The current study was funded by German herbal supplement maker PEKANA, which also supplied the supplements.

Currently, only hormone therapy -- medications containing synthetic estrogens -- is approved for the treatment of hot flashes in the United States. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/xId2Ki

(Reporting from New York by Lindsey Korkel at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies and Ron Popeski)

http://news.yahoo.com/pomegranate-seed-oil-doesnt-cool-hot-flashes-study-025541355.html

Fibre and whole grains 'reduce bowel cancer risk'

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Eating more cereals and whole grains could reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, a BMJ study says.

Researchers from Imperial College London found that for every 10g a day increase in fibre intake, there was a 10% drop in the risk of bowel cancer.

But their analysis of 25 previous studies found that fruit and vegetable fibre did not reduce risk.

A cancer charity called for more detailed research on the quantity and type of fibre to eat.

Eating fibre and whole grains is known to help protect against cardiovascular disease, but experts say that any link with colorectal cancer is less clear because studies have not had consistent results.

Reviewing the results of all previous observational studies in this area, researchers in London, Leeds and the Netherlands analysed data provided by almost two million people.

Their conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, is that increasing fibre intake, particularly cereal fibre and whole grains, helps prevent colorectal cancer.

Whole grains include foods such as whole grain breads, brown rice, cereals, oatmeal and porridge.

Dagfinn Aune, lead study author and research associate in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Imperial College London, said their analysis found a linear association between dietary fibre and colorectal cancer.

"The more of this fibre you eat the better it is. Even moderate amounts have some effect."

Adding three servings (90g per day) of whole grains to diets was linked to a 20% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, researchers said.

Cancer Research UK data shows that the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the UK is estimated to be one in 14 (6.9%) for men, and one in 19 for women (5.4%).

However, the study said there was no evidence that fibre in fruit and vegetables played a part in reducing risk.

A previous study which showed a reduction in risk with high intake of fruit and vegetables suggests that compounds other than fibre in fruit and vegetables could account for this result, said the authors.

They also said that the health benefits of increasing fibre and whole grains intake was not restricted to colorectal cancer.

"It is also likely to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and possibly overall mortality," the researchers said.

"It is encouraging to know that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle could help protect you from the UK's second biggest cancer killer."

Yinka Ebo, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said the review added weight to the evidence that fibre protects against bowel cancer.

"It shows that certain sources of fibre, such as cereal and whole grains, are particularly important.

"Eating plenty of fibre is just one of many things you can do to lower your risk of developing the disease, along with keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, cutting down on alcohol, red and processed meat, and not smoking."

In an accompanying editorial in the BMJ, Professor Anne Tjonneland from the Danish Cancer Society, said whole grain products should be made more appealing to shoppers.

"To increase the intake of these foods in Western countries, the health benefits must be actively communicated and the accessibility of whole grain products greatly improved, preferably with a simple labelling system that helps consumers to choose products with high whole grain contents."

Cancer of the large bowel, also known as colorectal cancer, is a common form of cancer in developed countries - but occurs much less frequently in the developing world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15674998

Processed meat 'linked to pancreatic cancer

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden. They said eating an extra 50g of processed meat, approximately one sausage, every day would increase a person's risk by 19%. But the chance of developing the rare cancer remains low.

The World Cancer Research Fund suggested the link may be down to obesity. Eating red and processed meat has already been linked to bowel cancer. As a result the UK government recommended in 2011 that people eat no more than 70g a day. Prof Susanna Larsson, who conducted the study at the Karolinska Institute, told the BBC that links to other cancers were "quite controversial".

She added: "It is known that eating meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer, it's not so much known about other cancers." The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analysed data from 11 trials and 6,643 patients with pancreatic cancer.

It found that eating processed meat increased the risk of pancreatic cancer. The risk increased by 19% for every 50g someone added to their daily diet. Having an extra 100g would increase the risk by 38%. Prof Larsson said: "Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates. So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease." She recommended that people eat less red meat.

Cancer Research UK said the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in a lifetime was "comparatively small" - one in 77 for men and one in 79 for women. Sara Hiom, the charity's information director, said: "The jury is still out as to whether meat is a definite risk factor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed to confirm this, but this new analysis suggests processed meat may be playing a role." However, she pointed out that smoking was a much greater risk factor.

The World Cancer Research Fund has advised people to completely avoid processed meat. Dr Rachel Thompson, the fund's deputy head of science, said: "We will be re-examining the factors behind pancreatic cancer later this year as part of our Continuous Update Project, which should tell us more about the relationship between cancer of the pancreas and processed meat.

"There is strong evidence that being overweight or obese increases the risk of pancreatic cancer and this study may be an early indication of another factor behind the disease. "Regardless of this latest research, we have already established a strong link between eating red and processed meat and your chances of developing bowel cancer, which is why WCRF recommends limiting intake of red meat to 500g cooked weight a week and avoid processed meat altogether."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16526695

'Tell loved ones they are overweight this Christmas'

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Christmas may be a time of indulging for many, but health experts believe it is the perfect time to tell a loved one they are overweight.

The National Obesity Forum and International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk said it was important to be upfront because of the health risks.

Being overweight - particularly around the waist - increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

But a poll by the groups suggests too many people shy away from the issue.

The survey of more than 2,000 people found 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds would not tell a loved one they should lose weight because of a fear they would hurt the other person's feelings.

For those aged 25 to 44 it was just over a third, while for older people it was about one in four.

Men find it hardest to tell their partners, while women were more worried about bringing up the issue with a friend.

But with families and friends getting together up and down the country over the festive period, the experts believe there is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Prof David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: "Suggesting to someone that they should consider losing a few pounds may not be a comfortable conversation to have.

"But if someone close to you has a large waistline then as long as you do it sensitively, discussing it with them now could help them avoid critical health risks later down the line and could even save their life."

Dr Jean Pierre Despres, scientific director of the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, agreed.

"Start by encouraging someone close to you to make simple lifestyle changes such as becoming more active, making small alterations to their eating habits and replacing sugary drinks with water."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16275027

Strict diet could save brain from aging: study

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Eating less may keep the mind young, according to Italian scientists who reported Monday they have discovered the molecular process by which a strict diet may save the brain from the ravages of age.

The research, published in the US journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on a study of mice that were fed a diet of about 70 percent of the food they normally consumed.

Scientists found the calorie-restricted diet triggered a protein molecule, CREB1, that activates a host of genes linked to longevity and good brain function.

"Our hope is to find a way to activate CREB1, for example through new drugs, so to keep the brain young without the need of a strict diet," said lead author Giovambattista Pani, researcher at the Institute of General Pathology, Faculty of Medicine at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Rome.

Researchers have previously discovered that mice on diets showed better cognitive abilities and memory, less aggression, and tended to avoid or delay Alzheimer's disease. But they have not known exactly why.

"CREB1 is known to regulate important brain functions as memory, learning and anxiety control, and its activity is reduced or physiologically compromised by aging," said the study.

Mice that were genetically altered to lack CREB1 showed none of the same memory benefits if they were on a low-calorie diet as mice that had the molecule, and showed the same brain disabilities as mice that were overfed.

"Thus, our findings identify for the first time an important mediator of the effects of diet on the brain," Pani said.

"This discovery has important implications to develop future therapies to keep our brain young and prevent brain degeneration and the aging process."

According to Marc Gordon, chief of neurology at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, the findings could shed new light on why some people who are obese in middle age encounter cognitive problems later in life.

"Mid-life obesity has been associated with late-life dementia. However, the physiological basis for this association remains unclear," said Gordon, who was not part of the study.

"These investigators have studied the effects of limiting caloric intake in mice, and have identified a biochemical pathway that may mediate at least some of the brain's responses to dietary restriction."

http://news.yahoo.com/strict-diet-could-save-brain-aging-study-202148422.html

Over 40% of cancers due to lifestyle, says review

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Nearly half of cancers diagnosed in the UK each year - over 130,000 in total - are caused by avoidable life choices including smoking, drinking and eating the wrong things, a review reveals.

Tobacco is the biggest culprit, causing 23% of cases in men and 15.6% in women, says the Cancer Research UK report.

Next comes a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in men's diets, while for women it is being overweight.

The report is published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Its authors claim it is the most comprehensive analysis to date on the subject.

Lead author Prof Max Parkin said: "Many people believe cancer is down to fate or 'in the genes' and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it.

"Looking at all the evidence, it's clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change."

For men, the best advice appears to be: stop smoking, eat more fruit and veg and cut down on how much alcohol you drink.

For women, again, the reviews says the best advice is to stop smoking, but also watch your weight.

Prof Parkin said: "We didn't expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer. And among women we didn't expect being overweight to be more of a risk factor than alcohol."

In total, 14 lifestyle and environmental factors, such as where you live and the job you do, combine to cause 134,000 cancers in the UK each year.

About 100,000 (34%) of the cancers are linked to smoking, diet, alcohol and excess weight.

One in 25 of cancers is linked to a person's job, such as being exposed to chemicals or asbestos.

Some risk factors are well established, such as smoking's link with lung cancer.

But others are less recognised.

For example, for breast cancer, nearly a 10th of the risk comes from being overweight or obese, far outweighing the impact of whether or not the woman breastfeeds or drinks alcohol.

And for oesophageal or gullet cancer, half of the risk comes from eating too little fruit and veg, while only a fifth of the risk is from alcohol, the report shows.

For stomach cancer, a fifth of the risk comes from having too much salt in the diet, data suggests.

Some cancers, like mouth and throat cancer, are caused almost entirely by lifestyle choices.

But others, like gall bladder cancer, are largely unrelated to lifestyle.

The researchers base their calculations on predicted numbers of cases for 18 different types of cancer in 2010, using UK incidence figures for the 15-year period from 1993 to 2007.

In men, 6.1% (9,600) of cancer cases were linked to a lack of fruit and vegetables, 4.9% (7,800) to occupation, 4.6% (7,300) to alcohol, 4.1% (6,500) to overweight and obesity and 3.5% (5,500) to excessive sun exposure and sunbeds.

In women, 6.9% (10,800) were linked to overweight and obesity, 3.7% (5,800) to infections such as HPV (which causes most cases of cervical cancer), 3.6% (5,600) to excessive sun exposure and sunbeds, 3.4% (5,300) to lack of fruit and vegetables and 3.3% (5,100) to alcohol.

Dr Rachel Thompson, of the World Cancer Research Fund, said the report added to the "now overwhelmingly strong evidence that our cancer risk is affected by our lifestyles".

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said leading a healthy lifestyle did not guarantee a person would not get cancer but the study showed "we can significantly stack the odds in our favour".

"If there are things we can do to reduce our risk of cancer we should do as much as we possibly can," he said.

Glyn Berwick, of Penny Brohn Cancer Care, which specialises in offering nutrition and exercise advice, agreed.

"We know from years of experience the positive impact that changing lifetsyles can have."

The president of the Royal College of Physicians, Sir Richard Thompson, said the findings were a wake-up call to the government to take stronger action on public health.

"The rising incidence of preventable cancers shows that the 'carrot' approach of voluntary agreements with industry is not enough to prompt healthy behaviours, and needs to be replaced by the 'stick' approach of legislative solutions," he said

The government said it was intending to begin a consultation on plain packaging by the end of this year.

Diane Abbott, Shadow Public Health Minister, said: "The government is failing on all the main public health issues.

"And the message from Labour, the Tory-led Public Health Committee, campaigners like Jamie Oliver and even some the government's own policy panels is clear: the government's approach to tackling lifestyle-related health problems is completely inadequate."

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: "We all know that around 23,000 cases of lung cancer could be stopped each year in England if people didn't smoke.

"By making small changes we can cut our risk of serious health problems - give up smoking, watch what you drink, get more exercise and keep an eye on your weight."

Warning on dangers of sleeping with baby

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

PARENTS should avoid sleeping with their babies for at least the first six months of the newborns' lives and health authorities must give new parents clear and consistent warnings of the risks involved, a coroner's court has heard.

Victorian Coroner John Olle said it was "startling" that young mothers were still being given information in hospitals advocating co-sleeping as a way of bonding with babies, when hospitals knew it was "anathema" to the baby's welfare.

"Lessons have not been learnt," he said, despite the deaths of 33 infants in Victoria since 2008 in circumstances where the babies were sleeping with parents.

Mr Olle said a hearing yesterday into the deaths of five of the babies was only a "small representative sample of a significant number I was confronted with when I first became aware of this horror".

The court heard that co-sleeping was most dangerous in circumstances where there was maternal smoking, where infants were placed on pillows, or were sleeping with adults other than the mother, where the mother was exhausted, or where there was alcohol or drug use, including prescription drugs.

Yeliena Baber, a pathologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, said that in four of the five cases, the babies had been exposed to smoke and in up to 70 per cent of sudden infant death syndrome cases, there was exposure to maternal smoking.

Dr Baber said major epidemiological studies suggested that sleeping in the same room as an infant could reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 per cent and this was recommended for the first six to 12 months of an infant's life, but that co-sleeping with parents was an "inherently dangerous environment".

But she said new parents were given conflicting literature by health services and professionals.

Dr Baber said the recommended sleeping environment for young infants was a cot with firm mattress, with no use of soft pillows or bumpers.

Preferred bedding was a sheet with lightweight blanket or blankets, which could be tucked in at the sides. The environment should be neither too hot nor too cold (about 16-18C) and well ventilated. The infant should be placed in a supine (face upwards) position rather than prone, or side-sleeping position.

A court study of 72 infant deaths from January 1, 2008, to December 31 last year found 33 deaths occurred while the babies were sharing a sleep surface.

Mr Olle's findings will be released on a date to be fixed.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/warning-on-dangers-of-sleeping-with-baby/story-e6frg8y6-1226209611191

Dreaming 'eases painful memories’

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Scientists have used scans to shed more light on how the brain deals with the memory of unpleasant or traumatic events during sleep.

The University of California, Berkeley team showed emotional images to volunteers, then scanned them several hours later as they saw them again.

Those allowed to sleep in between showed less activity in the areas of the brain linked to emotion.

Instead, the part of the brain linked to rational thought was more active.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, said it showed the links between dreams and memory.

Most people have to deal with traumatic events at some point in their lives, and, for some, these can produce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leaving them emotionally disturbed long after the event itself.

Mapping blood flow

There is significant evidence that the 20% of sleep in which we dream, also called REM sleep, plays a role in the processing of recent memories, and researchers believe that better understanding of this could eventually help PTSD patients.

The researchers recruited 35 volunteers, splitting them into two groups.

After showing them 150 images designed to provoke an emotional reaction, half were allowed a good night's sleep.

While inside an MRI scanner to map blood flow in the brain - a good way to work out which regions are most active - the volunteers were shown the images a second time.

Those who had slept properly had less activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with heightened emotions, and more activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region linked to more rational thinking.

The non-sleepers reported a far more emotional response to seeing the pictures again.

The scientists believe that chemical changes in the brain during REM sleep may help explain how the body makes this change.

Dr Matthew Walker, who led the study, said: "We know that during REM sleep there is a sharp decrease in norepinephrine, a brain chemical associated with stress.

"By reprocessing previous emotional experiences in this neurochemically safe environment of low norepinephrine during REM sleep, we wake up the next day, and those experiences have been softened in their emotional strength.

"We feel better about them, we feel we can cope."

Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Roderick Orner said that although sleep was believed by many to play a crucial role in the processing of traumatic memories, there were likely to be many other factors at work in PTSD patients.

He said: "In cases of more severe trauma, it may be just too difficult for the patient to process it during sleep, especially if the event has had a significant impact on that person's day to day life."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15862384

Eating canned soup 'poses a chemical risk'

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1030

People who eat canned soup should be aware that a chemical used to line the tin can leach into the food and end up in the body, say scientists.

Tests on 75 volunteers revealed the compound bisphenol A (BPA) was readily ingested and detected in large amounts in the urine, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports.

Past studies have linked high BPA levels with adverse health effects.

In the EU the chemical is already banned from baby bottles.

But it is still used in cans as a coating to prevent rusting and keep the food fresh. Some soft drink cans and bottles also contain BPA.

Dr Jenny Carwile, lead author of the latest study at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "We've known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use."

Her team asked the volunteers to eat either a freshly made 12oz serving of vegetarian soup or one out of a can once a day for five days.

After a weekend of rest, the groups switched over so that the fresh soup group now ate the canned variety and vice-versa.

Tests on their urine revealed detectable BPA in 77% of samples after fresh soup consumption and 100% of samples after canned soup consumption.

A serving of tinned soup a day appeared to increase BPA 20-fold.

The average concentration of BPA was 1.1 μg/L after fresh soup consumption compared to and 20.8 μg/L after eating soup from a tin.

The researchers say levels like these are "among the most extreme reported in a non-occupational setting".

The study did not look at what the health impact of this might be, but they say this warrants further investigation, even if rises might be temporary.

Fellow researcher Karin Michels said: "The magnitude of the rise in urinary BPA we observed after just one serving of soup was unexpected and may be of concern among individuals who regularly consume foods from cans or drink several canned beverages daily.

"It may be advisable for manufacturers to consider eliminating BPA from can linings."

The UK's Food Standards Agency said: "Our current advice is that BPA from food contact materials does not represent a risk to consumers but the agency will be looking at this study, as it would at any new piece of work, to see if it has any implications for our advice to consumers."

The North American Metal Packaging Alliance said that BPA is "highly unlikely" to affect health.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15834072