Boots has opened its first drive through chemist on the site of a former McDonald's outlet. The chemist aims to fill prescriptions in under two minutes whilst customers wait at the window. It is targeting busy mothers and commuters who need to pick up their drugs quickly. Whilst drive through chemists are common in the US, they are relatively new here in the UK. This branch in Colchester will run as a pilot. If it is successful Boots are likely to  open other branches across the UK.

This article suggests that garlic could lower blood pressure as effectively as drugs. It is based on a study in which scientists monitored patients who were given a daily dose of powered garlic. They found that there were significant blood pressure falls among the patients and that those who had the greatest drop had the higher blood pressure readings to begin with. In some cases the effects were similar to those achieved by common anti blood pressure drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of microwave heat packs after an elderly died whilst using one. Doreen Ghiloni had used a heat pack called a Hottie rather than a traditional hot water bottle. Heat packs are heated in the microwave and are made to slowly release heat over a period of time. In this case the item caught fire in her bed and it is thought she was overcome by the fumes. Firs investigators in West Yorkshire have dealt with six other incidents involving heat packs in the past year and Mrs Ghiloni's family are now campaigning for the instructions of the packs to be changed to try and prevent any further accidents.

Not surprisingly it has been found that cows that eat outdoors produce healthier milk. A study showed that milk from cows that graze outside on grass and clover contains more antioxidants and vitamins than milk from conventional dairy farmers. Its not rocket science cows are meant to eat grass.

This article suggests that some brands of vegetarian sausages and burgers contain more salt than the meat equivalent. Researchers found that some vegetarian burgers contain six times more salt than a meat burger with others containing as much salt as five packets of crisps. Fry's Vegetarian Traditional Sausage contained 2.8g of salt, more than four times the pork equivalent meaning that just two sausages would provide the recommended daily intake for an adult. Other leading brands also fared quite badly in the test.

Waitrose have recalled organic eggs from one of its suppliers after fears they could be contaminated. It is thought that the chickens had eaten lead shot. The affected eggs are Blacktail Columbian organic eggs with the code OUK20137 stamped on them. Other organic eggs from Waitrose are not affected. Customers who have purchased the eggs are advised to return them for a refund.

Scientists are trialling a drug that could cure sleep apnoea syndrome. The condition causes people to stop breathing during sleep and also causes them to snore heavily. The pill called BGC20-0166 has so far been successful and had shown a 40% reduction in symptoms of people who have taken part in the trial.

The Food Standards Agency has called for a ban on six artificial colours because they cause mood swings. Tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura read (E129) have been linked to hyperactivity in a study carried out by Southampton University. The researchers estimated that 30% of hyperactivity disorder would be prevented if compaies removed these colours from their products. The colours are found in products such as Sherbet Lemons, Minstrels, M&Ms, Cadbury’s Crème Egg, Haribo Jelly Beans and Irn Bru.

Six cough syrups are being removed from sale after five children from overdoses. The medicines regulator has warned that the medicines should not be given to children under the age of two and has ordered that the products can be sold only under the supervision of a pharmacist until the labels are changed. The six medicines are Asda Children’s Chesty Cough Syrup, Boots Chesty Cough Syrup 1 Year Plus, Boots Sore Throat and Cough Linctus 1 Year Plus, Buttercup Infant Cough Syrup, CalCough Chesty and Bell’s Children’s Chesty Cough.

Japan has banned imports of mozzarella over the recent toxin scare. Carcinogenic dioxins have been discovered at several farms in Campania and there are fears that the herds of water buffalo could be ingesting poisons from illegally dumped rubbish. Japan has impounded all mozzarella from Italy. This follows similar action from South Korea which banned the cheese after 29 toxic samples were found.

Eight buffalo herds in the Naples area have been quarantined on the suspicion that their milk could be contaminated. The animals have been grazing on land where toxic industrial waste has been dumped illegally by criminals. The milk produced by the buffalo herds is now being tested for dangerous levels of dioxin. Although only a fraction of the herds in the region have been affected sales of Neapolitan mozzarella have declined by nearly 50% following the scare. The Government says consumers would need to eat large quantities of mozzarella over a period of several months for their health to be affected.

Scientists have revealed that carbonated drinks are behind a rise in cases of gout. A study of 46,000 men found that men that drank more than two cans of fizzy drink a day were 85% more likely to get gout compared to those who had one fizzy drink a month. The risk also increased with men that drank five to six fizzy drinks a week.

I read this article which makes the claim that diet drinks could actually make you put on weight. Researchers in the USA have found that artificial sweeteners such as those contained in diet drinks make it harder for people to regulate their intake of food and can lead to over eating. The findings come after a study was carried out on some rats. Rats given a low calories yogurt gained more weight and body fat that those given a surgery version. The researchers say that the study could help to explain why obesity levels and the use of artificial have both increased.

There seems to be a debate going on at the moment between doctors and ministers regarding whether GP’s should extend opening hours. The government is pushing for longer hours because it says it will meet patient demand. Doctors, however, say that longer hours could affect patient care during the day. I think most people would agree that doctor’s surgery should be open at least one evening a week or perhaps a Saturday morning. There is nothing more frustrating than to arrange to take time off from work to see a doctor especially if the appointment is for something routine like a check up. Often the time taken amounts to half a day by the time you have travelled to and from the doctor’s surgery and this is usually time that your boss at work will require you to make up elsewhere.

I read this article that suggests some coffee sold by high street chain can contain a third of the recommended daily calorie intake. The article highlights coffee such as Starbucks large white chocolate mocha which contains 628 calories. In comparison a medium mocha with whipped cream from Caffe Nero contains 326 calories and a medium mocha flake from Costa Coffee contains 297 calories. Whilst this may seem a lot, all of these coffee brands contain whole milk, chocolate and cream so personally I would expect them to have a high calorie content.

Despite it being well publicised that McDonalds food is unhealthy sales are up in Britain. They are now selling more burgers than at any time since they arrived in Britain 34 years ago. Last month there were an amazing 88 million visits to McDonalds. This figure is up nearly 10 million on the previous year.  Although the McDonald’s menu has changed to include healthier options such as smoothies and wraps the most popular choices are still the traditional products such as burgers, fries and ice creams.

NHS dental fees rose last year although the number of patients dropped. The amount paid by patients rose by £60 million last year, which is up 15% on the previous year. Figures show that patients paid £16.91 each in NHS dental charges in 2006/2007 compares to £14.58 the year before. This article suggests that people now have less access to NHS dentistry, that there are fewer resources and higher charges.

Several of the UK’s supermarkets have announced they will phase out the sale of battery eggs. The decision has come because of consumer concerns over the impact of cheap food on animal welfare. Sainsbury, Morrisons and the Co-op will phase out the sale of eggs from battery hens. Marks and Spencer and Waitrose have already stopped selling eggs from battery hens. Sainsbury expect to end the sale of eggs from battery hens by next year. The Co-op has similar plans and Morrisons will phase them out by 2010. Tesco are reducing the shelf space for eggs from caged hens but have not yet announced a ban.

Despite often being unhealthy ready meals are still very popular. In fact sales of ready meals have trebled in the past decade. Sales of Chinese, Indian and Thai meals have risen within the past five years with fast food sales growing by 73% between 1995 and 2005. Despite this more than 60% of people surveyed still cook at least one meal a day from scratch.

There is always a lot in the news about celebrities battling with drug addition. The most recent story involves Brittany Spears who was released from hospital today after being admitted two days ago allegedly for being under the influence of an unknown substance. Whilst incidents like this are widely publicised I often wonder where ordinary people go to get help when they have a drug addition problem. I was looking at this website for a drug addition treatment center that provides drug free rehab.

They are called DrugRehab.net and are one of the oldest drug rehab companies in the United States. Their rehabilitation program involves a four stage process starting with a complete sauna based detox program to cleanse the body of drug residuals so that the person no longer experiences the adverse effects of the drugs they have taken. The second phase includes a course of therapies which are designed to help the addict learn self control and focus on real life goals. Stage three addresses issues of self esteem and aims to cure the need for drugs. The final stage then works on helping the former addict back into society and helping them to lead a drug free life. Their results certainly look impressive with 76% of  their graduates going on to remain drug free and becoming productive members of society.

According to this article energy saving light bulbs could trigger migraines and even seizures in some people. The Migraine Action Association has said that the flickering and the low intensity of the light do trigger migraines in many of their members. There have also been warnings from epilepsy charities about the increased risk of seizures from energy saving bulbs. With the government pledging to prevent the sale of the conventional light bulbs within the next four years this could be worrying for sufferers of both conditions. As a migraine sufferer myself I have replaced most of the bulbs in my house with energy saving bulbs and so far have suffered no migraines. It might be prudent for the government to research this issue further before going ahead with an outright ban.

I read this article the other day that suggests the chicken you buy from the supermarket could actually be months old. It suggests that a lot of poultry sold in supermarkets is actually imported from places like Brazil and Thailand and can often be weeks or even months old. The article also suggests that meat in products like ready meals could have been thawed and frozen several times. I find this particularly worrying as I tend to buy meat and then freeze it to use later in the month thinking it is fresh. I am starting to wonder if I am putting my health at risk through relying on the supermarkets to provide me with food that is fresh. The Food and Farming Minister is now backing a campaign to clarify the labelling rules so that customers do not buy a product made from thawed meat that they think is fresh.

I found this website the other day that specialises in natural skincare. They specialise in skincare and beauty products that are usually found in spas, department stores and doctors offices. As well as offering well know brands they also offer their own product line which includes their exclusive skin dimensions products. The products include acne care, anti aging products and moisturisers. They also have a range of gift ideas including a great coffeeberry antioxidant kit which would be great for that post Christmas detox programme. They offer free ground shipping within the US and you also get free samples with every order. 

I was reading this interesting article about UK cosmetic surgery companies and how ethical they are. In the article a slim 27 year woman went to three London based companies for a consultation about Liposuction Surgery. The interesting thing about her case is that she probably didn’t need the surgery at all as at 5ft 9 and only 9 stone 5lb she was around her ideal weight. Two of the companies were prepared to do the surgery with only one recommending exercise rather than surgery. The article certainly makes an interesting read, and if you are considering cosmetic surgery you might want to go with Make Yourself Amazing, the company that advised against the surgery in this case.

Boots have added a new product to their range of “miracle creams”. The new body serum will be part of the same range as its already successful anti-aging face cream. The Protect and Perfect Body Serum is designed for the neck, arms and legs and has the same base as the face serum which has been proven to actually reduce wrinkles and is expected to sell out quickly.

If you are trying to eat healthier food but feel you need a bit of help you might want to try mysupermarket.co.uk In addition to their price comparison service they have now launched a service that allows you see nutritional information about your shop including the calories and fat and salt content. It then asks you if you want to switch any of the foods that are high in calories for a lower calorie alternative. They claim that using the service could knock around 4,000 calories off a families consumption.

There have been a number of incidents regarding Crocs shoes and escalators. The shoes which are known for their flexibility and grip can become caught in the teeth at the bottom or top of an escalator. In one incident mentioned in this article a young boy’s shoes became caught causing the name on his big toe to be nearly ripped off. The Washington Metro has even posted adverts warning riders about wearing such shoes on its moving stairways. In Japan, the government warned consumers last week that it has received 39 reports of sandals mostly Crocs or similar products getting stuck in escalators from late August through early September. There have other reports from other countries of similar incidents most of which have involved young children. It might be better not to let your children wear their Crocs when using the escalator.

Toymaker Mattel has issued another recall of some of its products. Around 850,000 toys are being recalled due to fears the paint contains dangerous levels of lead. The toys include seven Barbie products and three toys from the Fisher Price range. The full details of the recalled items are listed below.

J9485 Barbie Dream Puppy House
J9486 Barbie Dream Kitty Condo
K8606 Barbie Table & Chairs Kitchen Playset
K8607 Barbie Bathtub & Toilet Playset
K8609 Barbie Desk & Chair Bedroom Playset

Mars has issued a recall of some of its products after small pieces of rubber were found in them. The affected sweets include milk chocolate Maltesers with best before dates between 16 December 2007 and 6 January 2008 and revels in bags pouches and pots with dates between 16 December 2007 and 13 January 2008. Customers are being asked to return the packs for a full refund. Packs should be returned to: Maltesers Consumer Care, Unit 1, Hudson Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 1BS.

Taking too many painkillers for migraines can actually cause more headaches, suggests a new report. Dr Anne MacGregor, the director of research at the City of London Migraine Clinic said that a fifth of her clients have headaches caused by taking too much medication. The problem is caused by taking too much of a painkiller and the painkiller becoming less effective which then leads sufferers to need a stronger medicine. At the moment, only the strongest painkillers include a warning that over-use can worsen headaches. Aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not contain any warnings.

A new report has discovered a potential link between deodorants and breast cancer. The research comes because high levels of aluminium have been found in the breast tissue of cancer patients who have had mastectomies. There have been previous warnings that aluminium from deodorants can be absorbed through the skin, especially through shaved armpits. Once it has been absorbed through the body aluminium can mimic the hormone oestrogen and can be involved in the development of breast cancer.

Businesses selling takeaway meals may soon have to include a traffic light health label on their menus. The scheme which is being backed by the government would show how much salt and fat a product contained. For example a chicken tikka masala which has a high salt and fat content might have a red logo, whilst something healthier would have a green one. The system will be piloted in Liverpool with plans to introduce it elsewhere if it is successful.

I was looking around at cosmetic dentist services, mainly because my teeth are discoloured due to fluoride damage.  Unfortunately when I was growing up, my dentist suggested I had fluoride supplements as well as fluoride toothpaste and this combination as well as drinking water with fluoride in it, has left me with permanently yellow tinged teeth which I hate. One website that I came across was a San Diego cosmetic dentist and although it’s a little far for me travel to have the work done, it made me think that perhaps I should get a similar treatment done closer to home.

A recent survey suggests that customers are being misled about the salt content is food. The problem is with ready meals and other processed foods. Manufacturers of some products have been deliberately understating the portion sizes on food labels. This gives the impression that they have a lower salt content. One example given was a packet of chicken nuggets, where the salt content given for a portion weighing 15g, which is the equivalent of just one nugget.