Alternative HealthZine » Health News

Robot to Help the Blind

Rob — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:40:35 +0000

Scientists at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a robot to help them easily test advances for the blind.

The robotic machine on wheels will enable them to test out artificial retinas and change the chips in them to see the results. Doing this will spare any humans having to be involved at early stages of the trial – which would obviously involve unpleasant surgical operations.

More detail at Gizmag.

Robot to Help the Blind is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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EU Now Attacks Vitamins

Rob — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:48:35 +0000

I have previously referred to the problems with the EU and herbal medicines. Another issue we have with the EU is their proposed legislation over nutritional supplements. – vitamins, minerals, amino acids, chondroitin, and similar supplements.

Basically, manufacturers want to manufacture them up to a certain strength; and people want to take them. However, the EU is legislating (under pressure from the pharmaceutical lobbg no doubt) to ensure that only supplements much weaker than this can be sold on the market legally.

I expect, surprise, surprise, that the stronger supplements will be made by drug companies and made available on prescription.

Here is an articles I’ve written concerning the restriction of UK nutritional supplements by the EU.

EU Now Attacks Vitamins is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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EU Bashing UK – Again

Rob — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:41:27 +0000

Many in the UK are very worried that the EU is about to punish the UK alternative health industry again – just as it has with herbal supplements.. This time the target is nutritional supplements.

On herbs, EU action has determined that companies – including small ones – will have to fork out £50,000 per product for the total costs of licensing a herbal product. This act will remove hundreds of products fromt the UK market in 2011. Now the EU is having a go at vitamins, minerals and similar supplements.

In the UK nutritional supplements with a fairly high potency are generally available, and are popular with consumers. Indeed, I take them myself. The pharmaceutical industry, seeing this, has pressured the legislature such that these products are going to be harder and harder to get – unless made by drug companies. Surprise, surprise.

Too many of our fundamental freedoms are being curtailed by being in the EU. I think the only answer is to get out. At least we can get action then by lobbying our own government – not having to try and influence 25 countries with a whole host of agendas.

Full article.

EU Bashing UK – Again is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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UK Herbal Industry To Be Decimated The vibrant UK herbal industry has been sold down the...

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UK Herbal Industry To Be Decimated

Rob — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:17:07 +0000

About 6 years ago the UK manufacturers’ national trade body set up a herbal committee. The aim was to help establish a framework for manufacturers of herbal supplements to safeguard consumers and to make certain they could manufacture herbal products for long into the future.

After a few months the Department of Health told them not to waste their time; an EU Directive on herbal medicine was on the horizon and anything which was decided by this committee was irrelevant.

Voted on by pharmaceutical companies, moulded by drug law, the Directive was incorporated into UK law in 2005 and will bite in 2011. It’s full name is: ‘The Herbal and Medicinal Products Directive’ – or THMPD.

It will make 75% or more of herbal products on the UK market illegal. The licenses required will be horrendously expensive and beyond the reach of most companies.

There is NOTHING which can be done to stop it.

Change Of Direction

Companies involved will have three choices:

Go out of business. I know of at least three company owners who are talking of retirement. They are sick and tired of the hassle of constantly battling against the authorities.
Start selling products which other people have licensed. Someone licenses a product – almost certainly a single herb, such as valerian. Costs them £50,000 in total. They can then sell it to other manufacturers to sell on. Small manufacturers end up having a small range of boring single-herb products – the same as everyone else’s. Large manufacturers – such as drug companies – can afford to license whatever they think they can make money out of.
Diversify. Extend the range of herbs which fall under food law and so don’t need a license. Add in other products which are under food law – eg bowel flora, omega 3 oils, ’superfood’.

Who Can I Lobby?

Some people want to lobby the authorities. I applaud that; but I have been lobbying for 6 years. I am having dinner with a leading UK MEP tonight who has written letters on my behalf.

You feel you are doing something – but it gets nowhere. That has been the sum total of the last 6 years of many hours of energy.

The vibrant UK herbal industry has been sold down the river by the EU at the prompting of the pharmaceutical industry – one of the largest industries in the world. They are laughing on the sidelines.

The only real way forward is to leave the EU – which would happen if we had a referendum (slim chance). If we left, we could at least lobby our own government. Lobbying the EU is a complete waste of time – we are a small lone voice against herbal regulation. The other EU countries are compliant as herbal freedom is something they have not enjoyed for centuries.

Natural Product Online coverage

UK Herbal Industry To Be Decimated is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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EU Now Attacks Vitamins In the UK, manufacturers want to make supplements up to...

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Lose Weight With Interval Training

Rob — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:03:12 +0000

The exercise method called interval training is the best way to lose weight – better than cardio (aerobics), better than weight training..

So why is it so little known compared to those other two methods?

Could be that the UK and US governments recommend cardio for everyone 3 times a week for 30 minutes.

But if you want to stay healthy, if you want to lose weight and if, for that matter, you want to avoid a heart attack, interval trainng. is better than cardio by far.

Cardio carried out without interval training actually makes your heart and lungs smaller – which is a bad thing.

If you want to stay healthy; keep your heart healthy; lose weight; tone up your abdomen see this site about interval training and weight loss.

Obviously don’t eat rubbish too

Lose Weight With Interval Training is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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Interval Training – Best Exercise

Rob — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:55:05 +0000

Interval training. is the type of training which enabled Bannister to break the four minute mile. It is used by Special Forces in various countries to keep them fit and lean. It is better than cardio and better than weight training. It will take off weight faster than anything.

So why do we know so little about it?

Here is a useful site which goes into interval training in some detail. It also give a couple of short – but effective – workouts.

Interval Training – Best Exercise is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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Texting and Kid’s’ Health

Rob — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:41:18 +0000

In 2007 57 billion text messages were sent. Scientists in a recent study checked whether this enormous amount of texting was affecting kids’ health.

The conclusion was that on some of the tests, the kids who texted more were faster – but less accurate.

People worried about the effects of radiation from so much texting need not be concerned. When texting, the phone transmits only one three hundredth of the radiation as when making a mobile phone call.

However, the scientists were worried about the effects of predictive text. The technology which completes your words after a few keystrokes is blamed for sloppy spelling.

Predictive text has also created a new slang; people are saying a thing is ‘book’ when it is actually ‘cool’ for example. They might also be stuck in a ’steve’ (queue) or going out for a ‘riot’ (pint).

Next, the study will look at the effect of texting on primary school children.

Texting and Kid’s’ Health is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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Men Getting Weight Obsessed

Rob — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:36:24 +0000

Men are following women towards becoming obsessed with crash dieting and weight loss. pills.

The poll, by a UK insurance company found that half of men said they were ‘desperate’ to slim.

By comparison, only one in eight men are concerned about heart disease – which kills the majority of them.

These men should get interested in interval training as part of a healthy lifestyle. This will both trim them down – and give them abs like rock – as well as reducing their chance of developing heart disease.

Men Getting Weight Obsessed is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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Danni and Botox Part Company

Rob — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:51:08 +0000

Danni Minogue has ‘given up Botox’ – at 38 years of age.

Photo experts say she has definitely received help around the mouth and eyes. And Ms Minogue has been quite open about using Botox..

As a judge on TV’s ‘X Factor’ she received comments that her facial expression was wooden.

Ms Minogue said she had seen the comments and while she had done Botox in the past, she: ‘was not using it now’. She said: ‘For the X Factor it is actually quite useful to be able to have facial expressions.’

Hmmmh.

Danni and Botox Part Company is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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Redheads Feel More Pain

Rob — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:57:26 +0000

In a study, redheads. – defined as those with the MC1R gene – were twice as likely to avoid going to the dentist. because of the pain involved.

In a previous study it was found that redheads required more dentists’ anaesthtic to dull pain.

The study recommended that dentists pay particular care to the needs of their red-headed patients.

Question: Are you a redhead? Does this chime with you? Leave a comment.

Redheads Feel More Pain is a post from: Alternative HealthZine

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