Advertisement
Advertisement

MEDI WATCH

Jason Sankey

Juice dents dementia

Drinking fruit or vegetable juice every other day may help ward off Alzheimer's disease, according to preliminary results of a 10-year study of more than 1,800 elderly Japanese-Americans. Those who drank juice more than three times a week were more than 75 per cent less likely to develop the dementia, and those who drank juice once a week were 16 per cent less likely. The results are far from conclusive, and the researchers aren't sure what type of juice may be best or why, healthday.com reports. Team leader Qi Dai of Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, says the apparent link may be due to strong antioxidants in the peel or skin called polyphenols.

Obesity weighs on natural order

This is the first generation in history where many children may die before their parents, because of what's being described as a global obesity pandemic, with one billion people estimated to be overweight - more than the number of undernourished. The claims were made in opening statements to an international conference in Sydney that ended on Friday. The potential ramifications of obesity were compared to bird flu and global warming. A speaker said evolution may be partly responsible - as diets based on low-quality, processed food can produce symptoms of malnutrition, triggering the body to store fat.

Bionic visionaries

Australian researchers working on a bionic eye that they hope will put guide dogs out of business have successfully stimulated limited vision in people with a rare genetic blindness, AFP reports. The technique, similar to that used for cochlear implants to restore hearing, uses a tiny video camera attached to a pair of glasses and electrodes on the surface of the eye that send a current to the retina, which signals the brain. It won't restore sight, but Minas Coroneo from Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital says the bionic eye may eventually enable blind people to navigate a room without bumping into things. 'The aim is getting seeing-eye dogs back to being just pets,' he says.

Needles to say

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for lower-back pain, according to a German study of more than 11,500 people. More than half of those given acupuncture and routine care over three months reported improved back function, compared with about one in five who were given only routine care. Although acupuncture is more costly than normal treatments, researchers at the Charite University Medical Centre in Berlin say it's cost-effective, considering the results.

Stem cells to save soccer stars

Leading English soccer players are freezing stem cells from the umbilical-cord blood of their babies in the hope that they'll be able to use them to treat cartilage and ligament problems. The Sunday Times reports that at least five players have stored blood with a commercial stem-cell bank. 'As a footballer, if you're prone to injury, it can mean the end of your career,' it quoted one as saying. 'So, having your stem cells - a repair kit, if you like - on hand makes sense.'

Making bad habits worse

The amount of nicotine in cigarettes has risen by 10 per cent since 1998, according to an analysis of reports by US tobacco companies - potentially making it harder for smokers to quit. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health study found that the amount has risen significantly, regardless of brand. Massachusetts is one of the few states that require manufacturers to reveal such information, AFP reports.

Junk-addict George's clean genes

California's oldest person, George Johnson, wasn't much of a one for health food - he practically lived on sausages and waffles. Johnson died on August 30 at the age of 112, baffling researchers at the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'All of his organs were extremely youthful,' says group founder L. Stephen Coles, who was present at a post-mortem examination. 'They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60. Clearly his genes had some secrets.' If so, no one will be inheriting them: Johnson and his wife, Ida, who died in 1992 at the age of 92, had no children.

Jason Sankey is a tennis professional

Post