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On the move

Dear reader,

Tinyplanet has packed its bags and its moving to a new domain. Come and visit at www.tinyplanetblog.com.

Chocolate guilt

Not only do chocoholics have to worry about their health and weight, now they have ethical reasons to fret.

According to Nina Brenjo of Alertnet, cocoa exports from the Ivory Coast are funding both the nation’s government and rebels.

Alright, it was Brenjo quoting the Financial Times. But her blog’s where I found the story.

Kidneys

Turns out the Dutch TV show featuring three people competing for a dying woman’s kidney was a hoax. The trio, who knew it was all an illusion, really do need a transplant but the programme was made to highlight the lack of organ donors (the “dying woman” was an actress).

Have I ever told you I hate reality television?

Scientist becomes science

The man who helped discover the molecular structure of DNA has become the first person to receive his own personal genome map. It apparently shows that James Watson, 79, has variances that are cancer-inducing.

While the procedure cost E750,000, the price will probably plummet to about E750 in the fullness of time. This may still sound pricey, but seeing as it could show what illness you are predisposed — thus allowing you to anticipate and potentially catch such conditions early — it may be worth every cent.

No indication on when it’ll become a common part of healthcare, but definitely something to keep an eye on.

Beverage of the gods

A while back I posted on the glory that is coffee, and how it can cut the risk of diabetes. But wait, there’s more!

Canadian researchers now say it can reduce the risk of gout. Now, gout may sound like an old-fashioned kind of ailment, but this article points out it affects about six million people in the US. What made me laugh is that for years people at risk of developing the painful joint condition — which is caused by uric build-up in the blood — were told to avoid coffee!

The study team found drinking four or five cups a day can cut the risk by 40%, while drinking up to six cups can make it 50-60%. Decaf seems to work just as well, while tea does feck all.

Unfortunately, study author Dr Hyon Choi says the drink isn’t a treatment, but adds there’s no need to cut down if you have the condition already.

Animals are people too

An orangutan in Malaysia is undergoing cataract surgery, in what is the first such operation on a great ape.

Aman, 19, went under the knife for just over two hours earlier today at a wildlife centre in Borneo. He’s expected to recover quite well but there’s no guarantee he’ll have perfect vision again. According to reports, such surgery has been carried out on animals like dogs but never on an orangutan.

Such a sweet little story.

My poor brain

The days are starting to melt into one another. I’ve always been affected by insomnia in some shape or form, but it seems to have become worse in the last few weeks. Switching off is nigh on impossible unless I run myself into the ground, and then I’ll sleep for two hours and be awake for 36. I’m starting to feel like a walking zombie

I knew I was right

Coffee, that (occasionally) sweet nectar of the gods, goddesses and their little babies, is good for you.

Admittedly I’m a touch biased. I love quality coffee and at thus stage should probably own shares in Gusto’s little subsidiary cafe outside the Examiner’s offices. But now I have science to back up my claims of caffeinated magnificence!

An experimental conference in Washington DC has heard claims that coffee can help ward off type-2 diabetes and even cut the risk of certain cancers.

That’s according to Dr Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health (not to be confused with the Whole F’N Show), who stresses “it’s not like we’re promoting coffee as the new health food and asking people who don’t like coffee to drink coffee for their health”.

Another delegate, Dr Lenore Arab of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said there’s evidence coffee may protect against colon, rectal and liver cancer. However, there’s evidence it may increase the risk of leukemia and stomach cancer.

More research is needed, although about 400 studies have been carried out on the substance, with more than 20 on the diabetes-preventing effects alone.

Dr van Dam, incidentally, has largely ruled out caffeine as the wonder element, as both regular and decaf seem to have the same great effects.

Is it wrong that I have a hankering for a mocha right about now?