How Much Have You Learned From This Column in 2007?
16 Nov 2007
Do I get an A for being a good teacher, or an E for effort? This week let’s see how smart you are in answering these true and false questions. If anyone gets 100 percent they can write next week’s column!
A beer contains 100 calories, has no cholesterol, tryglcerides and is low in sodium. Over 20 world studies show that moderate drinkers live longer than either teetotalers or excessive drinkers.
Fluoridation of water decreases the sperm count and testosterone levels in males. Montreal doesn’t use fluoridation, Toronto does. That’s one reason Montreal males are better lovers! Now 98 percent of European countries do not add fluoride to their water supply.
3- Astronauts living in a gravity-free atmosphere are more likely to develop osteoporosis (weak bones). To help prevent this problem astronauts are taking the Juvent 1000 vibrating platform with them in the next space shuttle.
Arctic char contains more vitamin D than any other fish. Oysters are highest in vitamin B 12 and iron and you can’t beat tuna for its high potassium content. And if you’re looking for magnesium to protect your heart against fatal cardiac arrhythmia, order tuna or crawfish.
4- The InterceptCS Prevention System is a new revolutionary product, the only one that prevents cold sores (herpes labialis) from occurring, and does not require a doctor’s prescription.
Sudden death in young healthy athletes is sometimes difficult to explain. But a common reason is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy when the heart’s muscle becomes abnormally thick.
6- Viagra is a well known drug that treats erectile dysfunction. But studies show that Viagra may help those suffering from lung disease and also make it easier to climb Mount Everest.
7- Rare steaks can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis. But ordering a steak "blue" can have a beneficial effect on the heart as it preserves coenzyme Q10 which improves cardiac function. Studies show that patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs can lose up to 40 percent of coenzyme Q10.
8- It’s a no-brainer that those who drink a bottle of scotch a day are more likely to develop degeneration of the liver (cirrhosis). But it’s also possible to develop this condition from becoming excessively obese. Pathologists examining these livers say they cannot tell the difference between the patient who drank too much and the one who gained too much weight.
9- Peaches are 100 X more contaminated with pesticide residues than onions.
10. Anusitis, an irritation of the anal area is a diagnosis that’s often missed by doctors.
Due to new legislation Living Wills are no longer of any value.
If you have sudden abdominal pain it’s a good idea to take a laxative in case it’s just the result of constipation.
Mammography is more accurate in diagnosing breast cancer than the Pap smear is in diagnosing cancer of the cervix.
Studies show that vitamin C has no effect in removing cholesterol deposits from retinal arteries.
Patients who have a shoulder replacement require more time in hospital than those who have a hip or knee replacement.
Eating beef from organically raised animals is less likely to be contaminated.
Studies of 90,000 women at The Mayo Clinic show that the use of annual high-intensity MRI’s along with a Ca-125 blood test is a sure way of detecting early ovarian cancer.
Bariatric surgery is a new operation to treat cancer of the stomach with a five year survival rate of 85 percent.
A report in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, not noted for reporting trivia surprised doctors by publishing a photo of Oscar, now a cat celebrity. Oscar has become famous by using his acute sense of smell to diagnose malignant melanomas often missed by doctors.
25 years ago two percent of patients over 50 years of age who underwent hip or knee surgery died of a heart attack following the operation. Today due to improved surgical technique, better anesthesia and the early mobilization of patients this does not happen.
The first 10 are true the last 10 false.
