"Studies Find Flu Vaccine and Antiviral Drugs Fall Far Short" New York Times, 22 Sept 2005

Studies show that flu vaccines have "only a modest effect in the elderly...   In people over 65 the vaccines are apparently ineffective" in preventing influenza and pneumonia, though they due reduce fatalities.

"RSI may cause sick worker syndrome"
Guardian, 26 Oct 2005

"There could be more to repetitive strain injury than meets the eye: scientists say the nerve damage caused by repetitive motion could be a cause of 'sick worker' syndrome and such symptoms as poor performance, fatigue and depression.
   RSI is an umbrella term for disorders ... (c)aused by highly repetitive movements such as typing, it affects some 450,000 workers in Britain. ...
   Ann Barr and Mary Barbe of the College of Health Professions at Temple University in Philadelphia studied the early changes in nerves caused by repetitive activities. They found the injuries are caused by the action of proteins called cytokines, which help start the inflammation. The proteins appeared in rat models of RSI within three weeks.
   As the injury progressed, more cytokines were produced at the inflammation site. The researches found unexpected links between the production of cytokines and the rat's psychosocial responses. 'At three weeks, even before the rats experienced pain from their wrist injuries, we watched them self-regulate their work behaviors,' Dr. Barr said. 'With inflammatory proteins in the bloodstream, they began to slack off.' After five to eight weeks, many of the rats curled up and slept between tasks.
   The researches said people who took days off work owing to undefined symptoms or slowed down their work rate may be suffering from the effects of the raised cytokine levels. A low-grade depression may also set in. As the proteins appear soon after nerve damage first happens, when actual pain is rare, many people might not make the connection between the 'off' feeling and possible RSI. It could takes months before the nerve damage is bad enough to be noticed.
   Dr. Barbe said 'Cytokines are self-protective. This undefined feeling of malaise may be telling the body to take some time off to heal, before things get worse.' "

Soy and Osteoporosis

Eating soy prevents bone fractures in postmenopausal women. A large study of more than 24,000 women suggests that soy protein is especially helpful to bone health in the first few years of menopause. The study found that the more soy a woman ate, the less likely she was to break a bone. Within 10 years of menopause high soy consumption was associated with a 50% reduction in the risk for bone fracture.
   The 25 grams of soy protein per day recommended by the American Heart Association and the FDA as a heart disease preventive would be "more than enough to assure protection against fracture" said Dr. Shu. "The consumption level of women who were in the top 20% in our study is equivalent to two cups of soy milk per day, or three-quarters of a piece of tofu." (What size is "a piece of tofu"? 28 grams is a ounce. So we are looking at less than a quarter of a quarter pound. A small piece, than, will due.)

New York Times 20 Sept 2005

"An antibiotic used to treat ear infections in infants may be linked to damage in permanent teeth."
New York Times, 18 Oct 2005

Amoxicillin, used for middle ear infection in infants and toddlers, "appeared to be related to a disorder [fluorosis] that damages tooth enamel, ranging from small white spots to pits and brown stains."

"Baby who died was fed on diet of raw vegetables"
Guardian, 22 October 2005

"The vegan parents of a baby who died after being fed a diet of liquidised raw vegetables and wheatgrass had four other children who resembled 'starving Ethiopians...', a Miami court heard..."

This report alarms me. Till now I've believed that a raw, or "live" food diet is the healthiest. Oops! There is, of course, the biased temptation just to skip this, leave this out - but I guess I'd best research raw food and children.

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