STANDARD TIMES PRESS SIERRA LEONE MENTHOL CIGARETTES:HARDER TO STOP PAGE

No, menthol cigarettes are not less dangerous than the other ones! On the contrary. According to a study covering 1,500 smokers who were monitored for fifteen years, they are just as harmful and in fact make it more difficult to stop smoking.
That is the conclusion arrived at by Dr Mark Pletcher and his team at the University of California in San Francisco. Having monitored a cohort of smokers between 1985 and 2000, they noticed that in relation to people who smoked menthol-flavoured cigarettes, more of them were still likely to be smoking after fifteen years.
According to Pletcher, “menthol is associated with a decreased desire to stop smoking”. As for those who had nevertheless attempted to stop, “they were twice as likely to start again than the other smokers”. And then, as confirmed by the authors, these cigarettes are not any less toxic for the lungs and arteries.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & RISK OF STROKES:THE SAME FIGHT!
High arterial blood pressure and strokes are closely linked. And it’s not a question of age! Discreet high blood pressure symptoms do not mean that the disease is benign. On the contrary, in fact:
• High blood pressure is benign. False. High arterial blood pressure has serious consequences: cerebro-vascular, cardiac and kidney complications. It is the main risk factor in strokes, which leave survivors with dramatic side-effects: hemiplegia, language problems, undermining of intellectual functions. Strokes are the third main cause of death in France. One in every five patient dies within the following month;
• High blood pressure is caused by ageing. True and False. It is true that blood pressure rises with age because the blood vessels become more rigid. However, young people can have high blood pressure too! The main causes are an excessively salty diet, water retention, smoking and diabetes;
• There is a ringing in my ears, so I must have high blood pressure. False. Buzzing in the ear, spots before the eyes, headaches, dizziness and fatigue often have nothing to do with high blood pressure! On the contrary, it is a silent, stealthy disease. Be careful;
• Moderate, temporary high blood pressure is not serious. False. There is no such thing as a “little” high blood pressure. When it is moderate but chronic, it alters the walls of vessels, promoting the formation of atheromae which block them. This causes ischaemic stroke;
• My blood tension is too high: I must go on a diet. True. A balanced diet helps to combat blood pressure. It is recommended that you reduce your intake of fats and salt, and opt for fruit, vegetables and fish. If you are overweight, a slimming diet is strongly advised. If these dietary changes are not enough, your doctor will prescribe medicine to lower your blood pressure;
• Physical exercise helps against high blood pressure. True. Practising a regular physical activity helps to maintain normal blood pressure. No need to become an athlete: thirty minutes’ walking each day is enough;
• Strokes are rare. False. Strokes are all too frequent: 120,000 new cases each year in a country like France. One every four 4 minutes;
• A stroke cannot be avoided. False! There are many risk factors: high blood pressure, smoking, excess alcohol, cholesterol, the combination of the pill and smoking for women, diabetes, obesity and certain cardiovascular diseases. A healthy lifestyle is essential, but not always enough. Have your blood pressure checked by your doctor and follow his treatment: these are two essential rules.

GMOs ARE ATTACKING!
“Genetic contamination (of food) has taken on an international dimension”, says Cap 21, the ecologist party chaired by Corinne le Page. Germany, France, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden... GMOs are to be found everywhere.
The entire food chain is apparently affected. Traces of genetically modified organisms have thus been discovered in China, in infant food for babies! The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has found evidence too. In Nicaragua, “almost all” the corn meal and cereals it produces contain GMOs.
“Since last January, at least 140,000 tonnes of contaminated rice were exported to Europe”, states Cap 21. Pasta and rice sold in supermarkets in Germany, France and the United Kingdom apparently contain an insecticide (Bt protein), which can cause allergies. It is becoming difficult not to consume GMOs!
Hence the alarm cry by Cap 21. “They may be present in the food chain today and consumed by millions of people, even babies”. Moreover, the European Union is preparing to authorise the placing on the market of three types of genetically modified colza (canola) produced by the German company, Bayer. “This authorisation could turn out to be a disaster because of the very high risks of dissemination”.
Cap 21 is therefore calling for “the introduction of completely independent expertise to evaluate the risks of GMOs”. And the withdrawal from the market of all contaminated products. The ecological party is also supporting an open letter addressed to health monitoring bodies in every country.

THANKS TO THE BEES
Did you know that honey has loads of health benefits? You’ve been told so plenty of times. Now for the first time, scientists tested the effects of regular consumption on 25 volunteers, with mouth-watering results!
The food of the gods since Antiquity, people have always used honey to sweeten their food. It was even used as a medicine for a long time. Its effect on sore throats is well-known. Heidrun Gross at the University of California in Davis wanted to find out more. She asked 25 people to take four tablespoons of honey each day for a month.
She then took blood tests which showed the existence of a direct link between the consumption of honey and the presence of polyphenols in the blood, in other words antioxidants. These polyphenols, which are also found in fruit and vegetables, chocolate and red wine, help reduce cardiovascular risks and certain types of cancer. In spite of this, don’t forget that however good and healthy honey is, it should be consumed with moderation

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