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ENERGY DRINK SAD EFFECT

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Energy drinks are labeled wrong. They don’t energize you – they stimulate you. Research shows that beyond a brief caffeine high, there are actually no health benefits to energy drinks. In fact, the combination of different chemicals is likely to do more harm than good, especially for children. Some of the unwelcome side effects of the drinks include elevated heart rates, hypertension , anxiety , headaches and interrupted sleep patterns. A recent study by the University of Miami suggests even more serious outcomes, such as heart palpitations , strokes and sudden death . Listen, I know it’s hard to believe that something that looks like soda could cause any of these symptoms. But let’s look at the facts here: Energy drinks have three to five times the amount of caffeine as regular sodas do. They also include a number of unregulated herbal stimulants and natural blends like taurine , guarana , creatine and B-vitamins . And a lot of the time, they don’t even...
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Red chilli may kill

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Image copyright SPL A man who ate the world's hottest chilli pepper in a chilli-eating contest ended up in hospital after experiencing "thunderclap" headaches. The 34-year-old man had eaten one Carolina Reaper chilli in the contest in New York State . The "crushingly painful" headaches came on in the next few days. His experience has been published in the  BMJ Case Reports  as it is the first case to be associated with eating chilli peppers. The doctor who reviewed his case has warned anyone eating hot chilli peppers to seek medical attention immediately if they experience sudden onset headaches. ADVERTISEMENT "Thunderclap" headaches are caused by the sudden tightening of the vessels that supply blood to the brain, a condition known as reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCSV). Why hot chillies might be good for us Is the chilli pepper friend or foe? Immediately after eating at the contest, the man experienced dry ...
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Insecticide coating effective against mosquitoes

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A new method of applying insecticide to netting has proved 100% effective against some strains of mosquito , an international study reports. The electrostatic coating allows the netting to carry much higher doses of insecticide. In experiments, the coating killed off many more mosquitoes than usual. Dutch researchers, writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say this could help control diseases such as malaria . Insecticide resistance in mosquitoes has become a significant problem in many parts of the world where malaria is endemic. It is thought that water-based spray insecticides and bed nets, which often contain low levels of insecticide, don't always kill the mosquitoes, allowing them to develop resistance. In this study , researchers from the Netherlands used a charged surface, originally developed for trapping airborne pollen , and applied insecticide to it. ...
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Huge Reduction in Malaria Cases & Why?

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The World Health Organization is reporting a huge fall in the number of cases of malaria . It has long been one of the world's biggest killers so what has changed and is eradication now a possibility? What is malaria? Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium which initially hides in the liver before going into the bloodstream and infecting the red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. The parasites breed and burst out of red blood cells every 48 to 72 hours and each eruption of parasites is accompanied by a bout of fever, chills and sweating. The parasites are spread from person to person by mosquitoes when they drink blood. A single bite from the high-pitched whining insects is all it can take to become infected. How much have cases fallen? In 2000, there were 262 million cases of malaria infection and 839,000 people died. The latest report by the World Health Organization and Unicef said malaria death rates had fallen by 60% and the cases...
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The amazing science behind fatal snake bites

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Snake venom is deadly, with as many as 100,000 people worldwide dying each year from snake bites. The World Health Organization has added 'snakebite' to its list of neglected tropical diseases , but what is the real scale of the problem it faces against such a vicious venom? Terrifying toxins Snake venom is made up of several hundred proteins which all have a slightly different toxic effect on the human body. One snake's poison may not be like another's, even if they are from the same species. But, on the whole, there are two main ways snakes make us suffer - by attacking the circulatory system (ie. the blood) and/or the nervous system. Haemotoxic venom goes for the bloodstream. It can trigger lots of tiny blood clots and then when the venom punches holes in blood vessels causing them to leak, there is nothing left to stem the flow and the patient bleeds to death. Other venoms can increase blood pressure, decrease blood pressure, prevent bleeding or c...
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Cartilage growing to rebuild body parts 'within three years'

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Patients needing surgery to reconstruct body parts such as noses and ears could soon have treatment using cartilage which has been grown in a lab. The process involves growing someone's cells in an incubator and then mixing them with a liquid which is 3D printed into the jelly-like shape needed. It is then put back in an incubator to grow again until it is ready. Researchers in Swansea hope to be among the first in the world to start using it on humans within three years. "In simple terms, we're trying to grow new tissue using human cells," said Prof Iain Whitaker , consultant plastic surgeon at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital . "We're trialling using 3D printing which is a very exciting potential modality to make these relatively complex structures. "Most people have heard a lot about 3D printing and that started with traditional 3D printing using plastics and metals. ...
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Blood pressure drugs rethink urged

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More lives could be saved if doctors considered giving blood pressure drugs to all patients at high risk of heart disease - even if their blood pressures are normal, a study suggests. The report calls for a move away from current guidelines which recommend pills only be prescribed if blood pressure is above a certain threshold. But experts acknowledge lifestyle factors also have an important role to play in bringing blood pressures down. The study appears in the Lancet . High blood pressure has long been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke . Current guidelines - issued by England's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - suggest patients should only take medication when their bloo...
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