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Eat strawberries, kill the cancer: Research London, June 25: Strawberries have the potential to reduce the risk of developing cancer, according to a new study. It is thought the complex chemicals in the fruit could slow down the progression of some forms of the disease. Researchers at the National Food Institute have tested over 200 varieties to examine their medicinal properties. And while all varieties have heath benefits it seems native species are the most beneficial, a report in the BBC said. "Strawberries have been found to contain a nice mixture of chemical compounds which gives them their flavour. When put on cancer cells they can slow the growth of these cells and even kill these cells", Richard Mithen, an honourary professor at the University of Nottingham, said. "We are now interested to know that when you eat a strawberry they can help to reduce the risk of contracting cancer", he noted. The most powerful chemical is Ellagaic acid, which is thought to activate the body's natural defences. Scientists hope the fruit may be particularly effective against stomach, colon and bowel cancer. They are also searching for a "super strawberry" which contains the largest amounts of beneficial compounds. This has led them to believe that wild strawberries, which still grow in fields and hedgerows, seem to be the healthiest. Long flights may cause a rare type of stroke (Go To Top) Washington, June 24: Air travel increases the risk of a rare type of stroke, a condition called pulmonary embolism, in which developing blood clots in leg veins can then enter the bloodstream and block an artery in the lungs. In some cases, the opening can allow the blood clot to enter the arteries of the brain, causing a stroke. According to a study in the June 24 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the type of stroke can occur in people who have a patent foramen ovale, or an opening between two chambers in the heart. The opening is present in about 30 percent of the general population. For the study, researchers examined all passengers over an eight- year period who had pulmonary embolism when they arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Of the 155 million passengers during that period, 65 people with pulmonary embolus were transported by a medical team. Of those, four people, or six percent of those with pulmonary embolus, had strokes. All four had patent foramen ovales. Patent foramen ovale is a known risk factor for stroke. No other cause of stroke was found in the four patients. All four were on flights lasting at least eight hours. Author Frederic Lapostolle, MD, of Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny, France, said that physicians should be aware that pulmonary embolism can lead to stroke, particularly after air travel, and should look for signs of the other condition in patients with one condition, as treatment may be different when both conditions are present. For prevention of clot-formation, travelers must take a walk, wear support stockings and avoid alcohol while drinking fluids in plenty to prevent dehydration. First human study reveals tea lowers cholesterol (Go To Top) Washington, June 24: The first human study testing the aflavin-enriched green tea has found that a tea product comprising green and black tea extracts effectively lowers cholesterol levels in people. The study included 240 men and women with high cholesterol levels in China. During the 12-week trial, participants, already on a low-fat diet, were randomly chosen to receive either a placebo or a 375 mg soft gel capsule containing green and black tea extracts enriched with the antioxidant theaflavin. "Personally, I was very surprised. I expected, if anything, a very slight cholesterol-lowering effect. But what we saw was a 16 percent reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol", said lead author Dr David J Maron, associate professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Tea is the second most widely consumed beverage worldwide. In the past, several epidemiologic studies had shown that tea consumption is associated with lower cholesterol. Experiments in animals have demonstrated that green tea, black tea and flavonoids derived from green and black tea lowers cholesterol. However, previous tea-drinking experiments in humans, as well as those experiments involving the administration of green tea extract, have failed to show any effects on cholesterol. -ANI |
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