Selcitra

Investigators in Israel report that mobile phones can spread dangerous infections in hospitals. In a 2002 study at Soroka University Medical Centre in Beer- Sheva, 124 hospital workers  were randomly tested for the germ Acinetobacter baumannii, a common (and deadly) source of in- hospital infections.

The bug, which can develop resistance to most available antibiotics and survive an dry surfaces for a long period of time, was found on 24 percent of the hands of those tested and on 12 percent of their cell phones.  Following the study , the medical centre banned its doctors and nurses from using mobile phones while on duty. They also advised the public to wipe down their phones with antiseptic on a regular basis.

A study released in the United States Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that tasty high fat “comfort foods” have a calming effect on the brains of chronically stressed rats. The researchers speculate that people may also be tempted to snack on chocolate cake and French fries in an effort to self- medicate.
Both rats and humans have similar stress- response systems, designed to create a state of hypervigilance and muster the quick energy needed for defensive actions. While this system normally shuts down when the threat is gone, constant high stress can override the shut- off system. In rats, symptoms of chronic stress include frantic wheel- running, compulsive eating, and a preference for high- fat foods.

Researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute in the United States have shown that polyphenols- compounds found in green and black tea- can block the cancer-causing effects of ultraviolet light. Conducted on mice, the research could one day lead to the development of topically polyphenols to supplement sunscreens.

A recent study in the American Archives of internal Medicine reports that people with diets high in water- soluble fibre have less chance of  developing heart disease. The study tracked nearly 10.000 people who were follower for an average of 19 years. People with high- fibre diets were found to have a 12 percent lower risk of heart disease than those with diets low in fibre.

The United States government will refashion its Food Guide Pyramid to encourage Americans- two- thirds of whom are overweight or obese- to eat less and exercise more. Developed in 1992, the Food Guide Pyramid offers a general guideline on how much from each of the five major food groups a person should eat per day. The new guide will take into account the fact that most Americans do not exercise regularly.