If you have an upset stomach, don't drink a glass of flat coke or lemonade it will only make it worse.
Health officials say the remedy is nothing but an old wives tale, and anyone suffering from a stomach ailment or bug should instead be rehydrating with a non-sugary drink.
People living near a farm that uses pesticides are up to six times more likely to suffer from Parkinson's disease in later life.
Children are especially vulnerable, and face the highest risk of developing the degenerative disease, although anybody under the age of 60 could face a risk that is between four and six times greater than for someone living in an urban area.
A herb from the Middle East kills pancreatic cancer cells and can slow the cancer's progress, scientists have announced this week.
The herb, thymoquinone, an oil extract that is derived from the herbal seed Nigella sativa, has significantly reduced 67 per cent of pancreatic cancer tumours in one animal trial, researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have announced.
A broken heart isn't just a condition conjured up by romantic novelists it's a real medical complaint.
Its correct medical term is Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and it mimics most of the symptoms of a heart attack. And just like the broken heart of the novels, it happens after some stressful and upsetting event.
The condition was first recognised by Japanese researchers around 15 years ago, and now researchers at the Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital in America have shed new light on it after studying 70 patients with the complaint.
Older people, and especially women going through the menopause, should take vitamin D supplements to reduce their risk of bone fractures.
Overall, people should start supplementing with 400 IUs of vitamin D every day once they reach retirement age of 65, researchers from the University Hospital in Zurich say.
There's further evidence this week that our oral health can affect our entire body and also, it seems, that of the unborn child.
Babies in the womb can be infected by the mother's poor oral health, as the bacteria can pass through the blood stream and amniotic fluid, a new study has discovered.
Popular shampoos, conditioners and soaps are a major cause of eczema, and around 2 per cent of the whole population could be allergic to the toiletries.
The culprit seems to be the fragrance, linalool, which is used in most toiletries, washing-up liquids and household cleaners. It could be responsible for many cases of eczema, and it could also be affecting the overall health of others who are allergic to the chemical.
Powerful stimulant drugs such as Ritalin work for only the first few months on children with ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder).
At best, the good effects last for 14 months, at which point the drugs should be stopped, a major new study has concluded.
The MTA (Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD) tracked 485 children for eight years, and those who were still taking a stimulant drug at the end of that period were showing the same levels of inattention and hyperactivity as those who had never taken a drug. Most of the children had taken the drugs for only the first 14 months, and had then stopped.
Living near a power line can increase your risk of Alzheimer's and senile dementia, a major new study has confirmed this week.
People who live within 54 yards, or 50 m, of a power line more than double their risk of a neuro-degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's compared with people who live at least 600 m from a line.
The time you live near a power line also determines the risk level. Living within close proximity of a line for 15 years or longer doubles your risk compared with someone who has lived close to a power line for less than five years.
These findings are based on a study of 4.7 m people living in Switzerland.
(Source: American Journal of Epidemiology, 2008; doi: 10.1093/aje/kwn297).
A broken heart isn't just a condition conjured up by romantic novelists it's a real medical complaint.
Living near a power line can increase your risk of Alzheimer's and senile dementia, a major new study has confirmed this week.