Dear Friends,
Welcome to my March news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.
With warmest good wishes,
Dr Rosy Daniel
Health Tech Advances
This machine 3D prints bones for better, healthier implants
As a nurse in Denmark, Casper Slots got used to seeing the pain that ill-fitting artificial bone implants caused in patients. Some were left in permanent discomfort, or had their faces disfigured by “one size fits all” models. In 2012, he enrolled in a masters course in medical technology and welfare, where he met Martin B Jensen. They began work on a better solution, and in 2017 founded Particle3D, a startup with a single mission: printing bone.
Read the full Wired Article:
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/st-bone-printer
World’s first ‘smart’ yoga mat – YogifyFI
The world’s first interactive yoga mat which promises to reduce back pain, ease anxiety and help you lose weight has launched in Australia. YogiFi, a ‘smart’ exercise mat created by Indian technology company Wellnesys, is made with pressure sensors which record and provide real-time feedback on your posture, strength and flexibility to help you improve as you work out.
Read the full Daily Mail Article:
Turmeric Health Benefits
Turmeric May Improve Heart-Related Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
A study finds that Curcuma longa, more popularly known as turmeric, can alleviate certain symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, namely arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction, that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. The findings strengthen scientific evidence that turmeric, used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, has an important place in wellness and healing today. Curcuma longa (C. longa), commonly known as turmeric, is a plant native to South Asia. A source of a bright yellow spice and a member of the ginger family, it is used as a dye, as an ingredient in Asian dishes such as curry and as herbal therapy. Dubbed “the Golden Spice,” it has been used to alleviate the symptoms of digestive disorders and to treat a variety of ailments, including cancer and diabetes.
Read the full Green Med Info Article:
https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-may-improve-heart-related-symptoms-type-2-diabetes
Human Rights
Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies
Female genital mutilation (FGM) exacts a crippling economic as well as human cost, according to World Health Organization (WHO). “FGM is not only a catastrophic abuse of human rights that significantly harms the physical and mental health of millions of girls and women; it is also a drain on a country’s vital economic resources,” said Dr Ian Askew, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. “More investment is urgently needed to stop FGM and end the suffering it inflicts.”
Read the full WHO Article:
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-female-genital-mutilation-hurts-women-and-economies
DNA Sequencing & Cancer
Targeting cancer is about to get easier – thanks to DNA sequencing
The greatest knowledge of cancer genetics yet will help advance the field of precision cancer medicine – in which the genome of a patient’s tumour is sequenced, and drugs are designed to target its vulnerabilities. Cancer is a genetic disease that occurs when mutations in DNA cause cells to divide and grow uncontrollably. Some cancer treatments already target specific genetic mutations – Herceptin for HER2-positive breast cancer is a well-known example. But the majority do not, and the mainstays of cancer treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can damage healthy cells in the body as well as the cancerous ones. In many cases, a person’s cancer may not respond to a particular treatment at all.
Read the full Science Daily Article:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200205132330.htm
Green Fashion
Do you have it in green? The living fabrics that can help clean the air
Mushroom, pineapple and algae: it sounds like the topping for a rather unusual pizza. In fact, they could be the crucial ingredients in the wardrobe of the future as growing numbers of designers try to create fashion that doesn’t harm the environment. Examine a garment’s care label and you may find that it was made out of pineapple stalks or cactus leaves, or a tote bag was woven with thread made from banana trees. From mushroom leather to algae T-shirts, the search is on for alternative materials with smaller carbon footprints. And the latest result are carbon-negative clothes made with algae that absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
Read the full Guardian Article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/08/fashion-living-garments-suck-carbon-from-air
To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.
Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust
Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com