How To Peel A Potato Without A Peeler

Dawn Wells, better known as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, shows a unique way to peel a potato without a vegetable peeler!

Stain Repellent Chemical Linked To Thyroid Disease

A study has for the first time links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). It revealed that people with higher concentrations of PFOA in their blood have higher rates of thyroid disease.

PFOA is a very stable man-made chemical that excels at repelling heat, water, grease, and stains. It is used during the process of making common household and industrial items including nonstick pots and pans, flame-resistant and waterproof clothing, wire coatings, and chemical-resistant tubing. PFOA can also be formed by the break-down of certain other highly fluorinated chemicals used in oil and grease-resistant coatings on fast-food containers and wrappers and in stain-resistant carpets, fabrics, and paints.

Previous animal studies carried out by other scientists have shown that the compounds can affect the function of the mammalian thyroid hormone system. This system is essential for maintaining heart rate, regulating body temperature and supporting many other body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health.

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Are We Poisoned By Fumes In Airplanes?

Poisons in the air pumped into plane cabins and cockpits may be linked to brain damage. Scientists say that chemicals in contaminated air are connected to health problems being experienced by pilots.

Cabin crew have long blamed exposure to jet engine fumes for memory loss, tremors, lethargy and other symptoms of so-called aerotoxic syndrome.

Peter Julu, a consultant neurophysiologist at the Breakspear clinic in Hertfordshire, said his tests on pilots with memory loss leave no doubt that they were poisoned by fumes in the air used to pressurise cabins.

Half the air we breathe on-board is recycled but the rest is drawn from deep within the engines and cooled before being pumped into the plane. Faulty seals can lead to this ‘bleed air’ being contaminated with fumes from engine oil. Tests found organophosphates – toxic chemicals found in jet oil – in the blood and fat of pilots.

Dr Julu ran tests on 26 British, American and Australian pilots suffering from memory loss and other symptoms.

He found damage to the part of the brain that controls dozens of vital bodily processes including breathing and heart rate matched that seen in farmers exposed to organophosphates from sheep dip.

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Vegetables And Fruits Keep Brain Function Healthy

Researchers in Germany have found that individuals who with a high daily intake of vegetables and fruits have higher cognitive performance.

Subjects with a high daily intake (about 400 g) of vegetables and fruits had higher antioxidant levels, lower indicators of free radical-induced damage against lipids as well as better cognitive performance compared to healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts (< 100 g/day).

These findings are independent of age, gender, body mass index, level of education, lipid profile and albumin levels, all factors able to influence cognitive and antioxidant status. The relevance of the findings is also strengthened by the large sample that included 193 healthy subjects.

Further studies are planned that will include larger subject cohorts, patients with Alzheimer's disease at different stages and patients with mild cognitive impairment without dementia.

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Babies Fed Porridge Before They Reach Five Months Less Likely To Develop Asthma’

Babies fed porridge from an early age may be protected against asthma, according to new research.

The earlier infants are introduced to porridge, or other foods made from oats, the less likely they are to develop the respiratory condition, a study by Finnish scientists has concluded.

A team of scientists from Finland studied almost 1,300 children whose parents took part in a diet and lifestyle study between 1996 and 2000. They wanted to see if certain foods either raised the risk of asthma and hay fever, or reduced them.

The results showed babies fed porridge in their first few months of life were 64 per cent less likely to have chest problems as a toddler than those who did not eat it or who started later.

Animal and cell experiments suggest oats may affect the immune system and have anti-inflammatory properties.

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