News summary

Medics back vitamin E

Doctors and other health professionals in the US have reiterated their confidence in the safety and usefulness of vitamin E, after the release in November of a study that found elderly, ill patients taking it daily at doses of 400 International Units or more suffer a 6 per cent increase in mortality over those who do not. They say the Johns Hopkins researchers’ findings are not necessarily applicable to the general population, and are critical of the statistical method used – meta-analysis – in which the results of separate studies were combined.
HealthScout

Healthy eating scheme

The parents of young children in Devon and Cornwall are going to be the first in the country to benefit from a free fruit and vegetables scheme called Healthy Start. Under the scheme, which will include all pregnant girls aged under 18, members of eligible groups will receive vouchers to buy fruit and vegetables in local shops. Sally Hayes, a senior health promotion officer in Cornwall, says, “We are trying to encourage people to eat a balanced and varied diet and to make their own decisions about food and that is what this scheme is trying to do.” The consultation period in the south west runs until 26 April and is expected to be extended to the rest of England, and to Wales and Scotland early next year.
BBC News Online

Root “may have anti-cancer effect”

Research at King’s College, London, suggest that galangal, a ginger-like root used in Thai cuisine, may kill cancer cells and also protect healthy cells from carcinogens. Scientists say galangal extracts may reduce the incidence of breast and lung cancers, but study leader Professor Peter Houghton points out that more work is required on the subject.
Ananova