A glass of red wine a day helps people with diabetes control their blood lipid levels, The Independent reports this morning.
Apparently a study found that among a group of people with type 2 diabetes who followed a Mediterranean diet, those allowed a 150 ml glass of red wine each night had higher levels of ‘good’ cholesterol than those who drank white wine or mineral water.
Lead author Professor Iris Shai, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, said: ‘This first long-term large scale alcohol trial suggests that initiating moderate wine intake, especially red-wine, among well-controlled type 2 diabetes patients, and as part of healthy diet, is apparently safe and decreases cardiometabolic risk.’
Elsewhere, the BBC reports on a scanner that can be used on a smartphone to quickly detect the presence of parasites in blood samples – a development hailed as a breakthrough for treatment of tropic diseases by experts. The technology means people can be quickly screened for river diseases such as elephantiasis, so speeding up their treatment.
Professor Simon Brooker from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine commented: ‘I think it’s one of the most fundamental advances in neglected tropical diseases in a long time.’
Children as young a six are suffering body image problems and starting dangerous dieting, according to an alarming report in The Times.
A study of 300 six- and seven-year-olds at Leeds schools found heavier pupils reported dissatisfaction with their bodies and start unhealthy diets to compensate.
The study came as another from the World Health Organisation showed one in four children under five in the UK is overweight or obese – a rate second only to Ireland’s across 28 countries studied.
But experts warned that children who try to diet will end up compromising their diet a time when they need a enough nutrients for growth and development.
Mary George, from eating disorder charity Beat, said: ‘With so much dialogue surrounding us daily on body shape and size it is little wonder that children as young as six are picking up on this. Using terms like greedy or lazy helps no one.’
