Health News for Seniors: Beer fend off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases ♦ Antibiotics with diuretic can double risk of sudden death ♦ Compound found in grapes may help prevent memory loss

Beer compound could help fend off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

The health-promoting perks of wine have attracted the spotlight recently, leaving beer in the shadows. But scientists are discovering new ways in which the latter could be a more healthful beverage than once thought. It turns out that a compound from hops could protect brain cells from damage -- and potentially slow the development of disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Continue Reading

Commonly used antibiotics with diuretic can double risk of sudden death in older patients

The combination of the commonly prescribed antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole with the diuretic spironolactone, widely used for heart failure, more than doubles the risk of death for older patients, reports a study Continue Reading

Compound found in grapes, red wine may help prevent memory loss

A compound found in common foods such as red grapes and peanuts may help prevent age-related decline in memory, according to new research. Continue Reading

12/6/14 Health News; NZ BABY FOOD CONTAINED PESTICIDE ♦ 3-D mammography ♦ How red wine prevents cancer ♦ tobacco smoke bad for spinal cord injury

ANALYSIS: 30 PERCENT OF NZ BABY FOOD CONTAINED PESTICIDE RESIDUES

According to a recent analysis of a government study, New Zealand baby food contained nearly 800 times more pesticides than baby food in Europe. The analysis results and the perceived risks to New Zealand babies were presented Thursday to the parliament in Wellington by Dr. Meriel Watts of the Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa and Alison... Continue Reading

3-D mammography improves cancer detection in dense breasts

A major new study has found that digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3-D mammography, has the potential to significantly increase the cancer detection rate in mammography screening of women with dense breasts. Continue Reading

How red wine prevents cancer

'Alcohol damages cells and resveratrol kills damaged cells,' says a scientist who studied red wine and its relationship to preventing cancer. "Alcohol bombards your genes. Your body has ways to repair this damage, but with enough alcohol eventually some damage isn't fixed. That's why excessive alcohol use is a factor in head and neck cancer. Now, resveratrol challenges these cells -- the ones with unrepaired DNA damage are killed, so they can't go on to cause cancer. Alcohol damages cells and resveratrol kills damaged cells," he says.Continue Reading

Toxin from tobacco smoke could increase pain in spinal cord injury

A neurotoxin called acrolein found in tobacco smoke that is thought to increase pain in people with spinal cord injury has now been shown to accumulate in mice exposed to the equivalent of 12 cigarettes daily over a short time period Continue Reading