Mediterranean diet wards off asthma, allergy: study
Mediterranean diet wards off asthma, allergy: study
LONDON (Reuters) - Children of women who eat a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables while pregnant are far less likely to develop asthma or allergies later in life, Greek researchers said on Tuesday. And eating vegetables more than eight times a week, fish more than three times a week and legumes more than once a week seems to boost the protection, the researchers said in the journal Thorax.
!ADVERTISEMENT!FDA approves cloned meat, milk: newspaper
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration report finds that meat and milk from cloned animals is, for the most part, safe to eat, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said it had obtained a copy of a long-awaited, 968-page "final risk assessment," from the agency ahead of release.
Drug-resistant staph found to be passed in gay sex
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A drug-resistant strain of potentially deadly bacteria has moved beyond the borders of U.S. hospitals and is being transmitted among gay men during sex, researchers said on Monday. They said methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is beginning to appear outside hospitals in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Los Angeles.
"Natural" supplements caused cancer in 2 men: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two men seeking to boost sexual performance and grow bigger muscles instead ended up with advanced prostate cancer after taking "herbal" supplements, U.S. doctors reported on Tuesday. They said many supplements marketed as "safe" and "natural" could contain unknown and potentially dangerous ingredients, and noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has little authority to regulate them.
Minor leg injuries found can cause blood clots
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Ankle sprains, muscle pulls and other minor leg injuries may be a major but unrecognized cause of blood clots in the veins, researchers said on Monday. The risk of such clots lasts for about 10 weeks after a leg injury and may be due to damage to the blood vessel wall or the fact that even minor injuries may cause people to be less active, increasing the likelihood of clot development, the researchers said.
Most back mandatory health coverage: study
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - As health care generates debate in this year's presidential campaign, about 68 percent of Americans say individuals should be required to have medical insurance, with government help for those who cannot afford it, a survey released on Tuesday found. According to the survey by The Commonwealth Fund, an independent foundation working toward health policy reform, health insurance mandates were supported by 80 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of Independents.
New study blames Columbus for syphilis spread
CHICAGO (Reuters) - New genetic evidence supports the theory that Christopher Columbus brought syphilis to Europe from the New World, U.S. researchers said on Monday, reviving a centuries-old debate about the origins of the disease. They said a genetic analysis of the syphilis family tree reveals that its closest relative was a South American cousin that causes yaws, an infection caused by a sub-species of the same bacteria.
Solariums found to raise skin cancer risk in young
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Using a solarium to gain a suntan increases the risk of developing skin cancer by 98 percent if you are under the age of 35, with one visit heightening the chance of developing a melanoma by 22 percent, said an Australian study. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with one in every two people developing some form of skin cancer. About 1,600 Australians die each year from skin cancer.
Wyeth says court rejects thimerosal-autism link
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drugmaker Wyeth said a court in Maryland has granted the company's motion to exclude some expert witnesses from testifying that exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines can cause autism and rejected the compound's link to autism. In the alleged vaccine injury case, a judge has found that thimerosal in vaccines does not cause or contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, the company said in a statement.
Walking with pedometer spurs modest weight loss
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who strap on a pedometer and strive to walk more each day can probably expect to lose a modest amount of weight, a research analysis suggests. Pedometers are small devices usually worn at the waist that count the number of steps a person takes. People can use them during one long walk, or throughout the day to see how many steps they accumulate. A commonly recommended goal is to take 10,000 steps each day.
