Health and the National Press

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Richard
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Health and the National Press

Post by Richard »

Two newspapers are the main culprits; DM and DE.

examples...
Drink 3 Coffees a day to avoid this
Two glasses of Red Wine to avoid that
Brussel Sprouts prevent this

One exact one..

'Jelly made of alcohol could help kill off cancer: Implant releases ethanol to destroy tumour cells'

Now call me old fashioned, but as long as you're not smoking 40 cigarettes a day, eating 5 Fast Food Burgers or consuming half a bottle of Gin every evening, our health is generally down to normal wear and tear or genetical ?

In other words, if we're not abusing our body, what we get is what we get and seeking medical advice quick enough, most things can to some extent be controlled or making things a bit easier for ourselves.

But these mad front page health headlines really do make my blood boil !!

Maybe that's it, don't buy or read the papers with such headlines and we'll probably live longer !!!

Then there's the virus scares, usually the same two Newspapers; 'thousands will perish' 'A&E's put on emergency level' etc. etc. I think 150,000 were supposed to die of one flu bug about 3 years ago. I think they put 30 deaths down to the Virus.

Oh., and TV Companies who make documentaries about deformed bodies etc.

Richard
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lancashire lass
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by lancashire lass »

Newspaper headlines are meant to be punchy to get you to buy and read them - another typical headline is "killer storm" and every summer and winter we have headline weather predictions which rarely pan out.

As for the examples for what to eat and drink, this is actually serious research on specific nutrients and if you want, their "side effects" whether good or bad. It's not meant to be selling newspapers but study the effects of what foods can do for you so is taken out of context. Statistics have shown that groups of people from different countries live longer than others or have fewer particular ailments like heart disease, hence part of that research is looking at particular diets. So a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, fresh fruit and veg, olive oil etc has been seen as better than a diet high in saturated fats (sausages, red meat, butter)

So drinking a glass of red wine is not the wine itself but the consumption of particular nutrients - in red wine, a group of chemicals in question are called flavonoids (red wine has significantly more than white wine) Tomatoes and any fruit with red or purple skins and flesh are usually high in them too - flavonoids are known to be antioxidants. An OXIDANT damages cells and in particular DNA, so eating foods high in an ANTIOXIDANT will help to reduce the risk of cancers and signs of ageing - but just like eating a lot of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C won't stop you catching an infectious cold, it will help you to get over it a little more quickly. Most young healthy people don't bother too much what they eat but if you have a family history of certain diseases, then sometimes it is worth taking a look at foods which are good or bad for your health.

The "cabbage" family (Brassicas including cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, kale, cabbage) are full of good things like iron, vitamins and minerals not found in other vegetables but which we really need to stay healthy. A "superfood" is one that has all the best qualities for nutrition - there is evidence in research on eating Broccoli raw or lightly steamed has really shown a reduced risk of cancer so not just a news headline.

Richard wrote:'Jelly made of alcohol could help kill off cancer: Implant releases ethanol to destroy tumour cells'


I found the link to the Daily Mail ...

well, having a picture fruit flavoured jelly in the middle of a serious article implies if you EAT jelly laced with alcohol it will kill off cancer - er, not quite the same thing at all {rofwl} The gel in particular will be a tiny capsule which is MEDICALLY INSERTED INSIDE THE TUMOUR so is a serious procedure.

Richard wrote:Now call me old fashioned, but as long as you're not smoking 40 cigarettes a day, eating 5 Fast Food Burgers or consuming half a bottle of Gin every evening, our health is generally down to normal wear and tear or genetical ?


That's where the "normal wear and tear" and "genetics" can be reduced (that is, can extend your mobility and improve well-being or reduce the risks) if you make a few changes to your diet - so someone with high blood pressure could benefit from eating meals with garlic and / or celery and fish rich in Omega 3 oils (as part of their diet and lifestyle changes as advised by the doctor) or if you have high cholesterol, eating more foods high in soluble fibre such as oats and legumes (eg baked beans) and eat less foods high in saturated fats like butter, will help to reduce the risk of artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and stroke.
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Meanqueen
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by Meanqueen »

lancashire lass wrote:

As for the examples for what to eat and drink, this is actually serious research on specific nutrients and if you want, their "side effects" whether good or bad. It's not meant to be selling newspapers but study the effects of what foods can do for you so is taken out of context. Statistics have shown that groups of people from different countries live longer than others or have fewer particular ailments like heart disease, hence part of that research is looking at particular diets. So a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, fresh fruit and veg, olive oil etc has been seen as better than a diet high in saturated fats (sausages, red meat, butter)

So drinking a glass of red wine is not the wine itself but the consumption of particular nutrients - in red wine, a group of chemicals in question are called flavonoids (red wine has significantly more than white wine) Tomatoes and any fruit with red or purple skins and flesh are usually high in them too - flavonoids are known to be antioxidants. An OXIDANT damages cells and in particular DNA, so eating foods high in an ANTIOXIDANT will help to reduce the risk of cancers and signs of ageing - but just like eating a lot of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C won't stop you catching an infectious cold, it will help you to get over it a little more quickly. Most young healthy people don't bother too much what they eat but if you have a family history of certain diseases, then sometimes it is worth taking a look at foods which are good or bad for your health.

The "cabbage" family (Brassicas including cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, kale, cabbage) are full of good things like iron, vitamins and minerals not found in other vegetables but which we really need to stay healthy. A "superfood" is one that has all the best qualities for nutrition - there is evidence in research on eating Broccoli raw or lightly steamed has really shown a reduced risk of cancer so not just a news headline.

Richard wrote:Now call me old fashioned, but as long as you're not smoking 40 cigarettes a day, eating 5 Fast Food Burgers or consuming half a bottle of Gin every evening, our health is generally down to normal wear and tear or genetical ?


That's where the "normal wear and tear" and "genetics" can be reduced (that is, can extend your mobility and improve well-being or reduce the risks) if you make a few changes to your diet - so someone with high blood pressure could benefit from eating meals with garlic and / or celery and fish rich in Omega 3 oils (as part of their diet and lifestyle changes as advised by the doctor) or if you have high cholesterol, eating more foods high in soluble fibre such as oats and legumes (eg baked beans) and eat less foods high in saturated fats like butter, will help to reduce the risk of artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and stroke.


I don't get upset by the newspapers covering health issues because it needs to be repeated. Yes, some of it is a bit pie in the sky, but a lot of it is backed up by research. I believe you are what you eat, as LL has highlighted. Personally I would rather not leave my health to chance so I take notice of everything that is written.

Take a look at Dr Rangan Chattergee, of Doctor in the House. He believes that you can make some diseases disappear by eating the correct diet. He says you can reverse type two diabetes by changing your diet. He is an ok doctor in my book.
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Ilona
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Richard
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by Richard »

hehe. I think though there's a lot of contradictions; one day such and such helps and another day it kills !!

Yes, a good walk every day if you are able and keeping to a relatively healthy diet certainly helps.

Remember when we all got a spoonful of Cod Liver Oil and Concentrated Orange Juice as children !!

On the food front, the Nation was at it's healthiest during WW2, simply because it was all good stuff we were eating.
I had 17 Great Uncles and Aunts and the youngest one to go was 84, three lived to over 100 !

Richard

PS. Very informative post Lassie.
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Mo
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by Mo »

Richard wrote:On the food front, the Nation was at it's healthiest during WW2, simply because it was all good stuff we were eating.

Or was it the unhealthy stuff we couldn't get
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lancashire lass
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:
Richard wrote:On the food front, the Nation was at it's healthiest during WW2, simply because it was all good stuff we were eating.

Or was it the unhealthy stuff we couldn't get


good point Mo! I think rationing meant people had to be creative - everyone got access to essential foods, and the grow your own campaign meant people got to eat lots more fruit and vegetables instead

Richard wrote:Remember when we all got a spoonful of Cod Liver Oil and Concentrated Orange Juice as children !!


thankfully a bit before my time )t' - cod liver oil being a good source of vitamin D meant children didn't grow up with rickets.

Richard wrote:I think though there's a lot of contradictions; one day such and such helps and another day it kills !!


Well, science is a lot more advanced and new research has discovered a lot more - for example coffee was bad because it was known that caffeine was considered a toxin. Now coffee is not the demon drink as caffeine is seen to have good effect on the brain and nerves which we didn't know about before. Of course, too much and it can still make the heart beat race ....

Richard wrote:PS. Very informative post Lassie.


you're welcome )t'
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Re: Health and the National Press

Post by albertajune »

I'm afraid that I find it all very confusing. I do or don't eat and drink certain things because different hospital consultants have advised me not to. Now it seems that their information is no longer always correct. Maybe we should go back to the old way of thinking, which was enjoy anything in moderation and eat and drink sensibly.

Yes, during the war years food was restricted to home cultivated but people also ate things like dripping which no one would eat today. Of course in those times most things were what we today call organic and not fed with hormones etc. That includes the fruit and veg and meat which was fed and allowed to grow normally. I do wonder how much of the way things are produced today gives us health problems.
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