Health tips-4 hours of TV a day 'raises heart risk'

I cant just believe this, rather no one can believe this "4 hours of TV a day 'raises heart risk". Scientists have found that spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen dramatically increases the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets.

Study data show that people who devote more than 4 hours each day on screen-based entertainment like watching TV, using the computer or playing video games, are more than twice as likely to have a major cardiac event that involves hospitalization, death or both compared to those who spend less than 2 hours a day.

The research also suggests metabolic factors and inflammation may partly explain the link between prolonged sitting and the risks to heart health.

These associations were independent of traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, BMI, social class, as well as exercise.

The study included 4,512 adults who were respondents of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey. A total of 325 all-cause deaths and 215 cardiac events occurred during an average of 4.3 years of follow up.

The study has been published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.--ANI

Health tips-Green tea best for fighting cancer, dementia

Scientists were astounded at how effectively compounds within the drink, once they reached the gut, protected cells from attack, reports express.co.uk.

The green tea not only battled against toxins that allow plaques to build up in the brain, which lead to Alzheimer's, but it also stopped cancer cells from dividing.

The research by Newcastle University was carried out only on cells in a laboratory but scientists insist this provides an insight into how the tea will work in our bodies.

Ed Okello, from the university's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, said: "What was really exciting about this study was that we found, when green tea is digested by enzymesin the gut, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer's development than the undigested form of the tea."

"In addition, we found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of the tumour cells which we were using in our experiments," he added.

The only problem with the results is the huge amounts of green tea should be drunk to gain the same effects.

But Okello pointed out : "There are many factors that together have an influence on diseases such as cancer and dementia - a good diet, plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle are all important."

"But it's fair to say that at least one cup of green tea every day may be good for you and I would certainly recommend it," he added.--IANS