Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests -

Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests - 



Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study from Europe suggests.

In the study, people who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda daily were 18 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period compared with those who did not consume soda. And people who drank two sodas daily were 18 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who drank one; those who drank three sodas daily saw the same risk increase compared with those who drank two, and so on.

The results held even after the researchers took into account risk factors for Type 2 diabetes such as age and physical activity levels, body mass index (BMI) and the total daily calorie intake.

The findings agree with earlier studies in the United States, which found daily soda consumption increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent.

However, the study found only an association, and cannot prove soda consumption causes Type 2 diabetes. It's possible other factors not accounted for by the study influenced the disease risk. In addition, participants answered questions about their diet just once at the study's start, and it's possible they changed their diets over time, the researchers said.

The researchers analyzed information from about 12,000 people who developed Type 2 diabetes between 1991 and 2007, and a randomly selected group of about 15,000 people, most of whom did not develop diabetes. All participants were taking part in a larger study looking into the interaction between diet, environmental factors and the risk of cancer and chronic diseases conducted in eight European countries.

People who drank one or more glasses of sugar-sweetened soda a day were about 30 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who drank less than one glass a month.

Because the link between sugar-sweetened soda and Type 2 diabetes was independent of BMI (an indicator of obesity level) and calorie intake, this finding suggests that other factors, such as the spike in blood sugar people experience when they drink soda, may play a role in the risk, the researchers said.

People who drank diet soda were also at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes during the study compared with those who drank no soda. However, when the researchers took into account participants' BMI and total energy intake, the increased risk disappeared. This finding suggests that the link between diet soda and diabetes risk was driven by participants' weight: People who are obese, and thus already at risk for Type 2 diabetes, tend to report higher consumption of diet drinks.

Healthy food choices (such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables), daily exercise and weight loss can help prevent Type 2 diabetes, or slow the progress of the disease in those with prediabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The new study is published today (April 24) in the journal Diabetologia.

Pass it on: Consumption of sugar-sweetened soda is linked to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Read more - 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/25/can-of-soda-diabetes-a-day-risk_n_3154464.html

Koala chlamydia: The STD threatening an Australian icon -

Koala chlamydia: The STD threatening an Australian icon - 


The koala is unique to Australia and is an important symbol of the country. But numbers are plummeting and the survival of koalas is under threat. One of the reasons is the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.

One of the most common places to find koalas in Australia these days is in the hospital.

About 50 miles (80km) north of Brisbane, at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, a female koala is under a mild anaesthetic.

"She's quite an old girl - I think she's over 10 years," says veterinary surgeon Amber Gillett.

The koala is called Penny. Gillett puts some ultrasound gel in Penny's pouch and looks at the ultrasound machine.

She's checking her bladder for symptoms of chlamydia.

Outside the clinic are a series of open-air enclosures. These are the "koala wards" - and they are pretty much full all-year round.

Last year, Gillett and her team treated about 300 koalas for chlamydia - and so far, 2013 has been a busy year too.

Read more - 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22207442

Syrian "Incursion" Imminent? Hints From Current US Naval Positions -

Syrian "Incursion" Imminent? Hints From Current US Naval Positions - 


Following the dramatic change in rhetoric from Washington over the past 24 hours regarding Syrian "Weapons of Chemical Destruction", the phrases "Middle East" and "geopolitical risk" are suddenly back in the same sentence on the lips of those sitting around trading desks, leading to a powerful jump in the oil complex where Brent is having its best day in four months, and WTI in give.

Yet the feasibility of an armed conflict with Syria, which Russia has made very clear in the past is a strategic ally in the region aside, is the probability of an incursion truly imminent? For that we go to Stratfor's latest weekly update of US naval assets, which shows that if indeed Obama is planning to do a flyover showing off his Nobel Peace prize above Damascus, there will be a waiting time of at least several weeks as there is nothing in the immediate Syrian offshore vicinity to provide the necessary naval support.

It appears that the 5th Fleet only has CVN-69 Eisenhower in the vicinity of Bahrain, as well as one big deck amphibious ship, the Kearsarge keeping an eye on the Straits of Hormuz. Assuming both ships are tasked to supervise any missions involving Syria that would leave Iran and the Straits of Hormuz unguarded, which is why we doubt this would happen. In fact, it is more likely that CVN 75 and 77, which are currently under way in the Atlantic, will be redirected to the east Mediterranean to provide the necessary air cover should operation "Liberating the Syrian Al-Qaeda funded Rebellion" be a go.

Read more - 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-04-25/syrian-incursion-imminent-hints-current-us-naval-positions

Gang leader impregnated 4 and "corrupted" 13 female prison guards while running contraband scheme in jail -

Gang leader impregnated 4 and "corrupted" 13 female prison guards while running contraband scheme in jail - 

A Maryland gang member is accused of running a scheme to smuggle contraband into prison by "corrupting" 13 female prison guards from behind bars, four of whom he impregnated.
A federal indictment says Tavon White has been charged in the plot to smuggle drugs, cell phones and other contraband into the Baltimore jail and other corrections facilities, along with the prison guards, six of his fellow inmates and five others with gang ties who allegedly operated outside the jails.
The indictment also says the ring involved sex between the inmates and guards, which led to four of the officers becoming pregnant by White, the leader of a jailhouse gang called the Black Guerrilla Family. 
White is accused of "corrupting" the female officers through personal and sexual relationships and other bribes and convincing them to join his ring, Fox Baltimore reports. 
MyFoxDC.com reports the ring became increasingly brazen and confident over time, with White quoted as saying: "You understand me? This is my jail. I am dead serious, I make every final call in this jail." 
White was being held at the Baltimore City Detention Center awaiting trial on a charge of attempted murder at the time.
The gang members and the corrections officers have been charged with conspiracy, drug possession and distribution and money laundering.


Read more: - 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/25/gang-leader-impregnates-4-maryland-prison-guards-authorities-say/?test=latestnews

Nose picking: Go ahead and eat it — it could be good for you -

Nose picking: Go ahead and eat it — it could be good for you - 


If you don’t like gross things, this story is snot for you.
An associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan is trying to get more students interested in science by looking at the health benefits of picking your nose and eating it.
Scott Napper says nature pushes us to do different things because it is to our advantage to have certain behaviours, to consume different types of foods.
Napper says mucous traps germs and stops them from getting into our body, but if we consume that mucous, it could help train our immune system by exposing it to the germs.
So he says when children have the urge to pick their nose and eat it, parents shouldn’t get upset.
Napper says he hopes to conduct a study where some type of molecule is inserted in people’s noses and then half the participants pick their nose and eat it and the other half don’t.
“I think the challenge would be getting volunteers to participate in this experiment,” he says with a laugh. “Especially if you didn’t know which group you were going to fall into.”
Napper also says making science more humorous and fun keeps students interested and engaged.
“I don’t try to convert them all to biochemistry. My goal is always if I can teach you one thing that you’re going to tell somebody else about outside the scope of this class, then I’ve prompted you to think a little bit, to question these things and I think with this example, it probably succeeded in that.”
Napper has two young daughters and says the idea of letting them pick their noses, even if in the name of science, didn’t go over well with his wife.
“Yeah, she’s of a different opinion,” he says. “She’s more toward training them to be little ladies.”

Read more - 

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/04/25/nose_picking_go_ahead_and_eat_it_it_could_be_good_for_you.html