Mood lighting: Janice and her husband Carl use candles at night as she says electromagnetic fields give her chest pains She cannot watch television, listen to the radio or boil the kettle to make a cup of tea. So severe is Janice Tunnicliffe’s sensitivity to electricity that even her neighbours have had to stop using wireless internet. The mother-of-two spends her evenings playing board games by candlelight, avoiding switching on lights or using fridges, freezers, computers and mobile phones. Mrs Tunnicliffe, 55, claims a course of chemotherapy during treatment for cancer left her with a rare...

Healthy: Chemicals found in cooked tomatoes could be effective as statins in fighting cholesterol They are common ingredients found in millions of kitchen cupboards. But pasta sauces and pizza toppings could add much more than a tasty tomato flavour to a family’s favourite meals. Scientists said that cooked tomatoes can have the same benefits as statins for patients battling against high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. Read more…

Key to long life? People who are too happy die younger than their more downbeat peers, researchers have claimed People who are ‘too happy’ die younger than their more downbeat peers, claims new research. A study which followed children from the 1920s to old age showed that people who were rated ‘highly cheerful’ by teachers at school died at a younger age than their more reserved classmates. This was because people who were too happy were more likely to suffer from mental disorders such as bipolar, making them less fearful and more likely to take risks that increase the...

Tasty treat, but hard to eat: Waitrose has launched a range of sandwiches wrapped in salad leaves rather than bread Whether it’s white or brown, wholemeal or sourdough, you can generally reckon that your supermarket sandwich will feature bread in some shape or form. Not any longer. Waitrose is selling breadless butties containing a mere 125 calories – ideal for those trying to cut the carbs as the bikini season approaches. Read more…

By Daily Mail Reporter Epidemic: The genetic breakthrough could help the 62 per cent of Britons who are overweight or obese The ‘master switch’ gene which causes obesity has been identified, scientists have claimed. The DNA is thought to be what controls other genes found in the body’s fat cells. Researchers said the breakthrough could help treat obesity-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Scientists have already identified a gene called KLF14 as being linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but until now they didn’t know what role it played. The...

Doctors and public health officials have been telling us for years that eating too much sodium can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke by raising blood pressure to unsafe levels. So how to explain a new study that suggests low salt intake actually increases the risk of dying from those causes? The study, which followed 3,681 healthy European men and women age 60 or younger for about eight years, also found that above-average sodium intake did not appear to up the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) or dying of a heart attack or stroke. Read more…

(Reuters) – One out of every 38 children in South Korea may have autism, a surprisingly high number based on a new research approach that suggests autism is a global problem that is significantly underdiagnosed, researchers said on Monday. The estimate, which translates into 2.64 percent of children, is far higher than the estimated 1 percent rate seen in studies in the United States and Europe. The study is the first to estimate autism in South Korea, and while the study needs to be confirmed, it suggests autism may be more common than previously thought. “Are we surprised? Yes,”...

Older adults may be taking “excessive” doses of thyroid medication that puts them at increased risk of fractures, Canadian researchers have found. Hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid gland – is more common in women than men. Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, sluggish bowels and slower mental functioning. Patients are typically diagnosed in early or middle adulthood using a blood test, and prescribed levothyroxine, a synthetic form of thyroid hormone. Although the need for the medication diminishes with age, prescribed doses often remain unchanged, according to a study published...

Permits funding of research using human embryos The Obama administration can continue to fund research that uses human embryonic stem cells, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday, ending months of uncertainty for scientists. The ruling from the US Court of Appeals in Washington reverses a lower court’s injunction that had halted new federal funding for several weeks last year. “I am pretty excited about it,’’ said Dr. Leonard Zon, director of the stem cell program at Children’s Hospital Boston. Read more…

Ottawa appealed a court ruling giving the Canadian government 90 says to reform its marijuana laws before growing, possessing or smoking pot becomes legal. TORONTO, Canada — Canada’s federal government is appealing a court ruling that would make the possession and smoking of marijuana legal in the province of Ontario. An Ontario judge on Apr. 11 struck down key aspects of Canada’s marijuana laws, triggering a 90-day countdown when growing, possessing or smoking pot will become legal. The ruling gave the federal government three months to either reform the drug laws or appeal the ruling...