A new study has found that lycopene – found in tomatoes – protects against cancer only when the entire fruit is eaten rather than when taken as a dietary supplement. One study found that rats fed on tomato powder developed fewer cancers than their counterparts, which were given pure lycopene (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2003; 95: 1578-86).
PARENTS WHO KILLCould vaccines be the true culprits?Parents may be being wrongly imprisoned for infanticide when there is a genuine medical reason for their children’s deaths.
Dr Harold Buttram reviewed 25 cases of shaken baby syndrome (SBS), and found that all the babies had been vaccinated around 12 days earlier. Buttram believes that their injuries were a result of vaccine-induced encephalitis and points to reports of raised intracranial pressure after the DPT vaccine (Townsend Lett Docs, 2003; 243: 72-8).
RED WINEThe secret weaponIt’s not the alcohol in red wine that’s good for the heart – it’s the polyphenolic compounds, which are not found in all alcoholic drinks.
A new study has confirmed that red wine polyphenols can protect LDL cholesterol against oxidation (which leads to the production of free radicals), inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells and enhance endothelial nitric-oxide synthase activity, which improves the health of the heart and blood vessels (Am J Clin Nutr, 2004; 79: 123-30).
HEART DISEASEWho’s really at risk?Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago tested a group of 3308 young adults to determine whether impatience, competitiveness, hostility, depression and anxiety had any effects on a person’s chances of developing hypertension.
The scientists found that hostility was the only trait that dramatically influenced hypertension. Depression had a slight effect, while impatience had none at all (JAMA, 2003; 290: 2138-48).