From Ann

Guardian 11.4.05 "WHEN FOOD MAKES MEDICINE KILL, NOT CURE"
Doctors will be told to check patients' diets before prescribing
powerful drugs. Medical drugs "are already toxic by their very nature"
& could become more toxic when interacting with other prescribed
drugs. Some patients are on as many as 10 drugs. Drugs can also
interact with foods.
Warfarin can react with green vegetables. Its efficacy is reduced by
ice cream & avocados etc. People prescribed Statins should not drink
grapefruit juice. Antibiotics' efficacy is reduced by milk & dairy
products. People on Lithium should not vary their salt intake. As
many as 200 medical drugs may be affected by food. The Food Standards
Agency & Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency met to discuss this.
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D. Mail 11.4.05 "WHY ZINC MAKES YOUNGSTERS SMARTER"
A daily supplement of 20mg of zinc 5 x a week can boost classroom
performance, memory recall, reactions & increased attention spans,
compared with children receiving 10mg or less. The change was seen
after 10-12 weeks. Zinc is essential for normal growth, wound healing
& immune system. Many of today's diets are low in zinc. Soils are
depleted of zinc because of chemial fertilisers. The US research was
led by Dr. Jamed Penfold from Grand Forks Human Nutrition Centre in N.
Dakota. 111 girls & 98 boys were doubled-blind tested. He says the
Recommended Daily Amount of zinc of only 10mg may need to be revised.
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D. Mail "FOUR DIE AFTER MRSA HITS GT. ORMOND STREET"
4 children aged 3 or under have died at Gt. Ormond Street Children's
Hospital after being diagnosed with MRSA. They are among 20 babies &
toddlers found to have the superbug at this hospital. 357 children
aged 3 & under were infected with MRSA in the last 5 years at Gt.
Ormond Street.
Ann