SIRC Media Watch Archive
Panics and Scares – July 2004

Apple a day may poison children. Children who eat an apple or pear a day may be exceeding the pesticide safety threshold because of residues on the fruit, according to research. Guardian

U-turn puts WI cake back on menu. A Women's Institute's cakes are back on the menu at an Essex hospital after a ban on their treats was lifted.Members of a local WI group had been told their cakes could pose a health risk to patients at Saffron Walden Community Hospital. But Uttlesford Primary Care Trust has now overturned the ban after examining the issue in "greater depth". BBC

WI cakes a health risk, says hospital. A hospital has banned cakes baked by a Women's Institute because of fears they could present a health risk to elderly patients. Radwinter WI in Essex supplied 12 cakes a month for patients at Saffron Walden Community Hospital. However, hospital administrators halted the supply because they could not guarantee their safety. Guardian

Broccoli plus tomato staves off cancer. A combination of broccoli and tomatoes eaten together may become the latest strategy in the fight against cancer. Researchers have found that eating the vegetables at the same time was better at preventing prostate tumours than consuming them separately. It was also found to be even more successful than a new anti-cancer drug that is being developed. Times.

Dogged search for clear-cut vision. It seems like a case of the visually impaired leading the blind. Tests in guide dogs which have recently completed or are still in training suggest that just under one in seven of them is shortsighted. Guardian.

Staying fat can make you blind. Obesity has emerged as one of the biggest health threats ever to face the NHS. We all know being overweight raises the risk of heart disease and strokes. But it can also lead to blindness, depression and cancer, warns Dr Ian Campbell of the National Obesity Forum. The Sun.

Warning: nicotine seriously improves health. Nicotine could soon be rehabilitated as a treatment for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as hyperactivity disorders. Research shows that the chemical that has addicted millions to smoking has a powerful impact on brain activity in patients who suffer from psychiatric and degenerative disorders. Observer.

A coffee can make you forgetful. A cup of coffee each morning may wake you up, but a new study suggests caffeine might hinder your short-term recall of certain words. Caffeine made it harder for people to find a word that they already knew – the "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon. BBC.