By Nigel Praities
Our roundup of health news headlines on Friday 15 October.
As a serious medical magazine we steer clear of sensation and dubious stories based on celebrities.
So, as we review the newspapers this morning we will resist the stories on Baroness Thatcher missing her 85th birthday party at 10 Downing Street because of flu (they went ahead anyway); the Chicken pox scare on Strictly (ooh I thought that Tina O'Brien was going to win).
Instead we will focus on the serious hard-hitting news that a daily dose of watermelon could cut the risk of stroke. The catch? You would have to eat one and a half of them to gain any benefit.
Egyptian mummies have yielded their ‘final secret' according to the Daily Telegraph – they hardly ever got cancer. The findings suggest that cancer is a ‘man-made disease caused by the excesses of modern life such as pollution, poor diet and lack of exercise'.
Lastly we have news that scientists have discovered how to get a natural tan without the risks of sun damage. US researchers have discovered the ‘switch' in mice that makes their skin produce more melanin. Now, that could be useful if you were going to go on a murine version of Strictly…
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know, and we'll update the digest throughout the day...
Daily Digest - 15 Oct 2010
