Ginger Whingers Vindicated at Last!

Have any redheads reading this ever been accused of being wimps when it comes to feeling pain? Well, if the answer is yes, then read on because far from whinging, you have every reason to complain when pain hits.
Researchers in America have found that ginger-haired people are more than twice as likely to avoid going to the dentist than brunettes. This is due to the location of a gene found in redheads which is linked to lower pain tolerance.
A study of 144 people aged between 18 and 41, found that the 67 redheads in the group showed more apprehension when asked to fill in a survey measuring their dental care-related anxiety, when compared with the 77 dark-haired participants who had dark hair.
Lead researcher Dr Daniel Sessler explained: “Redheads are more sensitive to pain than people with other hair colours and will thus experience more discomfort during painful procedures. This can lead to dental care-related anxiety and dental care avoidance.”

Positive Women Have Good Hearts

Always look on the bright side of life if you want to give your heart a fighting chance of keeping healthy. According to research in America, women who see the glass half full as opposed to half empty have a nine per cent lower chance of developing heart disease.
A study of 100,000 women aged between 50 and 79 found that those with an optimistic outlook on life were less likely to die from heart-related diseases or have depressive symptoms. Women with a greater degree of ‘cynical hostility’ however, were shown to have an increased risk of premature death.
The study measured optimism levels by asking the women to agree or disagree with certain mission statements such as the uplifting ‘In unclear times, I usually expect the best’, or the negative ‘If something can go wrong for me, it will’.
It has long been thought that the best medicine is a good dose of laughter, so the results of this new study should come as no surprise.
However, getting people to suppress their pessimistic outlook on life is easier said than done, and it is now the challenge of doctors to see how best this can be achieved. But they may not have to look far. A study into smiling has found that people cannot resist mimicking a smile when they see someone looking happy. Facial muscles are automatically activated when the brain clocks a smile, and the reaction can even be triggered by words or thoughts.

 

Drink Beer for Strong Bones

It may not be the preferred drink for most women, but a new Spanish study has found that a glass of cold beer could stop bones from going brittle. A report in the medical journal Nature found that women who drink beer over wine were found to have stronger bones, leading to a reduced risk of suffering from osteoporosis.
It is usually red wine which receives all the accolades for its health-busting properties but in this case, it has been shown to do little to protect against the brittle-bone disease. Beer on the other hand contains high levels of silicon which it is thought slows down the thinning process which occurs in women of menopausal age and leads to bone fracturing and helps with the formation of new bone. Another magic ingredient, phytoestrogens, which are the plant versions of oestrogen, also helps keep bones healthy.
The study found that even a small glass of beer a day could make a real difference to bone health, with researchers stating: “Beer has been claimed to be one of the most important sources of silicon in the Western diet.”
Time, ladies, to put down those wine glasses and become a beer guzzler then!

 

Alcohol Blamed for Oral Cancer Increase

UK health experts have warned of an “alarming” rise in the number of men and women in their forties who have contracted oral cancer, and they say alcohol is the main cause.
According to Cancer Research UK, alcohol consumption in the UK has doubled since the 1950s leading to a 28% rise in male cases and a 24% rise for women. Cancers linked to alcohol misuse include lip, mouth, tongue and throat and there are 5,000 newly diagnosed cases every year, with 1,800 mortalities.
A Cancer Research UK spokesperson said the latest figures were “really alarming”, blaming continually rising drinking levels and smoking for the trend.
Unlike other cancers, oral cancer can be treated successfully if caught early enough, with the most common signs being mouth ulcers, sores or red or white patches in the mouth that do not disappear. Unexplained mouth or ear pain should also be investigated.

 

Fitness Tip

Eat beetroot to help improve stamina. The juice of the vegetable contains nitrate which has been shown to help people exercise for up to 16% longer.
Scientists are not quite sure how the process works, but tests on cyclists found that after drinking beetroot juice, they were able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes longer than normal. In real terms, serious trainers could be looking at knocking 2% off their best times. So go get some beetroot and start adding it into your diet!

 

Sins of the Father Not Repeated

Dads who were smacked as children are less likely to go on to smack their own children than mothers who have shared the same experience, a new US study claims.
A review of 1,133 young adult parents found interesting changes in parenting practices, most notably in the reluctance of new fathers to hit their children, even if they themselves had been hit as youngsters. It was found that second generation were mothers were more influenced by their mother’s parenting skills than men, so if they had been smacked as children they were more likely to repeat the practice with their own children. Only 28 per cent of fathers who had been smacked reported smacking their children, compared with 43 per cent of mothers.
The study concluded that ‘mothers are more the disciplinarians in the family than fathers are today”.