From gunk to drink: the lifesaving new water bottle

The Guardian, 12 March
Water from Michael Pritchard’s fishtank certainly came straight from his garden pond. The green gunk looked and smelled like something which should never be ingested on any terms. ‘It’s got fish poo and everything in there.’ However, after pumping the questionable liquid through his lightweight, handheld water bottle, it came out crystal […]

The Perfect Wife of 1955 leaves men cold

The Daily Mail, 5 March
In 1955, being the perfect wife meant having dinner ready, a warming smile to greet your husband, and a ribbon in your hair. However, the classic Good Wife’s Guide of 1955 is well past its sell-by date when it comes to modern men and women. A survey in this year’s Daily […]

If you want more sex, do the dishes

The Times, 8 March
Most married men want to know how to get more sex. Well, the answer may dampen their excitement. Recent research suggests that doing the housework is the best way to rekindle the marital flame. Dusting, vacuuming, taking the rubbish out and even doing the washing up can lead to increased ‘chore-play’.
US studies […]

Colonic cleansing: absolutely fabulous

The Guardian, 4 March
When Edina from Absolutely Fabulous decides to lose weight, her daughter Saffy’s suggestion seems sensible: ‘Look, mum. All you’ve got to do is eat less and take a bit of excercise.’ Edina shoots back, ‘Sweetie, if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it.’ Somehow we all know what she means.
We […]

Anti-infection jungle frogs may cure diabetes

The Times, 3 March
The South American ‘paradoxical frog’, which dwells in the lagoons of the Amazon, could prove to be a lifesaver for millions suffering from diabetes. The frog has a slimy skin that secretes a substance able to stimulate the release of insulin, the hormone deficient in diabetes patients. It gets its name from […]

Polar bears in Scotland?

The Times, 8 March

Scientists are carrying out a DNA test on what may be the only polar bear remains ever discovered in Britain. The skull, found in caves in the Highlands in the 1920s, is now displayed at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Genetics experts from Trinity College, Dublin will analyse the skull […]

Placebos that do the trick

The Independent, 4 March
Placebos can be just as effective as anti-depressants. Five years ago, Italian researchers carried out tests on patients recovering from serious operations, needing morphine to dull their pain and diazepam to calm their nerves. Patients received their medicine automatically through intra-venous drips, but were not told when the drugs were being administered. […]

Anti-aging gene discovered

The Independent, 4 March
A study of centenarians has uncovered mutations in a gene that may lead to the development of anti-aging pills. Researchers looked at the hormone ‘insulin-like growth factor’, IGF-1, discovering that mutated genes affect longevity by producing a protein that interferes with cell response to IGF-1.

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesupplement.co.uk%2F2008%2F03%2F29%2Fanti-aging-gene-discovered%2F’;
[…]

Spring: a season of strokes

The Herald, 7 March
The risk of getting a stroke increases in spring, new research has found. In a study of Japanese adults who suffered strokes between 1988 and 2001, the risk of having a stroke in spring was one-quarter higher than it was in the summer in men, women, young and old alike. The study […]

Fizzy drinks may cause gout

The Times, 1st February
The risk of gout increases substantially with more than two cans of cola or lemonade a day, research has found. The inflammation and painful swelling of the big toe or lower limbs, which characterises gout, was the scourge of many in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the problem is still rife […]