Health (Page 61)

Khunaoy/Shutterstock Everybody knows that consuming too much salt is bad for your health. But nobody ever mentions the potential impact of the other condiment in the cruet set: black pepper. Does it have an effect on your health? Certainly, people through the ages have thought so. Black pepper, the dried berries of the Piper nigrum vine, has been part of traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine for thousands of years. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that it has “carminative” properties – that is, it relieves flatulence. And in traditional Chinese medicine, black pepper is used to treat epilepsy. Modern science suggests that black pepper does indeed confer health benefits, mainly as a result of an alkaloid called piperine – the chemical that gives pepperContinue Reading

A photo shows damages from conflict areas in the Hostomel region, as Russian attacks on Ukraine continue, on April 03, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. Metin Aktas | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The World Health Organization on Thursday condemned Russia’s more than 100 attacks on health-care facilities and transport vehicles, including ambulances, in Ukraine over the last six weeks — in violation of international humanitarian law.  Some 73 people have been killed and 51 injured, including health workers and patients, in the attacks, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We are outraged that attacks on health care are continuing,” Tedros said at a joint news conference in Washington. D.C., with U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra to mark World HealthContinue Reading

Triff/Shutterstock For decades, growth charts have been used by paediatricians as reference tools. The charts allow health professionals to plot and measure a child’s height and weight from birth to young adulthood. The percentile scores they provide, especially across multiple visits, help doctors screen for conditions such as obesity or inadequate growth, which fall at the extremes of these scores. Meanwhile, it is possible to measure brain development with imaging technologies such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT). The development of these technologies has led to a wealth of research on how the brain changes, and each year, millions of clinical brain scans are performed worldwide. Despite this progress, there are few measures that are usedContinue Reading

China’s smartphone market could decline in the second quarter as the country experiences a resurgence of covid cases, analysts said. But Apple could fare quite well, the analysts said as it continues to attract users in the high-end of the market. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s recent surge in Covid cases threatens to hurt sales of handsets in the world’s largest smartphone market if it’s not contained, but U.S. giant Apple could still hold up well, analysts told CNBC. On Wednesday, China reported more than 20,000 Covid infections with the majority in the mega city of Shanghai. Authorities there have imposed strict lockdown measures in the city, threatening logistics and consumer spending. Neil Mawston, executive directorContinue Reading

Blood is red and there is no debating that, right? Wrong. Crabs, lobsters, spiders and octopuses all have blue blood. There are even tales of the blue people of Kentucky. The term “blue blood” has been used since 1811 to describe royal families and the nobility. Having pale skin was once a sign of higher social standing, showing the royalty and nobility did not need to spend their time outside with the likes of the working class, such as farmers. They could, instead, take their leisure indoors away from the Sun’s rays. This gave them a paler complexion, which made the veins beneath the surface of the skin more visible, showing a blue tint. But the blood in veins isn’tContinue Reading

Exmouth RNLI volunteers were tasked to a report of an out of control vessel causing danger off Exmouth earlier today. At 12.08pm today Monday 04th April 2022, the crew of Exmouth RNLI inshore lifeboat D-805 George Bearman II were tasked by H.M. Coastguard to attend to a report of a rigid inflatable boat that was drifting out to sea about 200 metres off Exmouth seafront. The assignment followed a series of 999 calls to H.M. Coastguard and the situation verified by Exmouth National Coastwatch Institution. The vessel appeared unmanned and weather / tide conditions were overcast and cold with light winds and a strong current.  The charity’s lifeboat, commanded by Helm, Roy Stott, and crew Ed Thomas and Guy Munnings,Continue Reading

Delayed onset muscle soreness – better known as DOMS – is a common experience for many who exercise. Branislav Nenin/ Shutterstock “No pain, no gain” is a commonly used expression when it comes to getting in shape. It may also be why many of us think that you need to feel sore after a workout to know that you’ve done enough. There are many reasons why your muscles might get sore after a workout. But, contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need to feel sore in the hours or days after exercise to know you’ve had a good workout. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the scientific term to describe the sore and tender feeling our muscles have afterContinue Reading

Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust is thrilled to celebrate 35 years since the first emergency helicopter service began in Cornwall – and the UK. In 1987, Cornwall was the first county in the UK to launch an air ambulance helicopter, a vital service that has proven time and time again its importance in such a rural destination. Now, 35 years on, the crew are tasked to around 1,000 emergency missions every year, with more than 31,000 under their belts since the service was first launched. In 2021 alone, Critical Care Paramedics were called to 1,092 patients in need, attending everything from medical emergencies to trauma-related incidents across the county and beyond. Now, as the service enters its 35th year, the charityContinue Reading