Montel Williams, Emmy Award-winning television personality and patient activist, recently said he was impressed with Israel’s liberal attitude toward medical marijuana, and he believes the U.S. could learn a thing or two from the Jewish state.

The activist was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999 and has since been an outspoken advocate of medical marijuana to relieve pain caused by the disease.

From news.yahoo.com:

The former host of the popular long-running talk show “The Montel Williams Show” is in Israel on a fact-finding mission to learn about its medicinal cannabis practices. He is meeting with legislators, scientists and physicians.

At the height of his TV career, Williams was one of the most recognizable faces in America alongside fellow daytime TV hosts Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue and Geraldo Rivera.

“We need to get out of the dark ages and into the new ages,” he told The Associated Press. “Not every patient can use cannabis, but for those who can — why deny it?”

Itay Goor-Aryeh, the head of the pain management unit at the Sheba Medical Center in central Israel, said certain doctors in Israel can approve cannabis prescriptions and disperse them to patients.

An Earth-observing satellite will be launched after a five-year delay to test new technologies aimed at improving weather forecasts and monitoring climate change.

“We’ve already had 10 separate weather events, each inflicting at least $1 billion in damages,” said Louis Uccellini of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

From news.yahoo.com:

The satellite will lift off before dawn Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aboard a Delta 2 rocket that will boost it into an orbit some 500 miles (800 kilometers) high.

The space agency already has a fleet of satellites circling the Earth, taking measurements of the atmosphere, clouds and oceans. But many are aging and need replacement.

The latest — about the size of a small school bus — is more sophisticated. It carries five different types of instruments to collect environmental data, including four that never before have flown into space.

The information will “help us understand what tomorrow will bring,” whether it’s the next-day forecast or long-term climate change, said Andrew Carson, the mission’s program executive at NASA headquarters.

The number of teenagers who have undergone weight loss surgery on the NHS has more than trebled in only a period of three years.

Teenagers as young as 14 are having gastric bands fitted with a cost of £7,000 a time despite the fact that warnings have been issued about the procedure not always effective.

From Dailymail.co.uk:

Last year, 34 teenagers underwent procedures such as gastric band fitting and stomach stapling on the NHS – up from ten in 2007.

In total, 210 under-25s had weight-loss surgery last year. It marks a near four-fold increase since 2007, when only 52 operations were carried out on this group.

But there are concerns that many of these expensive ‘quick-fix’ procedures don’t work.

Gastric band surgery involves fitting a band near the top of the stomach, restricting the amount of food that can move down into the lower part. The top part of the stomach fills up quickly, making the patient feel full.

Susan Ringwood, chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat, told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, which obtained the figures:  ‘Having a gastric band fitted is a very serious operation that has long-term, permanent consequences, yet we know young people are not always being given this information and that is very concerning.’

Men with prostate cancer could halve their risk of dying if they are given hormone therapy as well as radiotherapy, according to a recently concluded research.

It was found by the study that hormone therapy reduces the levels of male hormones that can boost the growth of tumours.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

“[This] is an important trial, and has two clear messages for current clinical practice. First, it confirms that NADT significantly reduces mortality after radiotherapy for high-risk prostate cancer, and is a standard of care,” the Telegraph quoted Chris Parker from London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, as saying.

“Second, it helps to resolve the uncertainty regarding NADT duration, and strongly suggests that men receiving NADT should have at least six months’ treatment,” added Parker.

In the new research, a team from Australia and New Zealand looked again at results of a trial involving 802 men with locally advanced prostate cancer, some of whom were only treated with radiation and others who also received either three or six months’ worth of hormone therapy.

The researchers looked at the patients 10 years on and found there was an 11 per cent death rate among those who had the six-month NADT treatment combined with radiotherapy, compared with 22 per cent who just had radiation.

The study has been published in The Lancet.

Scientists have claimed that a traditional remedy made from foxgloves can lower the risk of prostate cancer by a quarter.

Digoxin, the drug, is already used for treating congestive heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.

From Dailymail.co.uk:

Scientists from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found digoxin lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 24 per cent among the 47,000 men tested.

But they warn the results do not prove digoxin, whose side-effects include nausea, headaches and male breast enlargement, prevents the disease.

Professor Elizabeth Platz said: ‘We realised that combining our laboratory and epidemiologic approaches could reduce the possibility that results on the candidate drugs might be due to chance.

‘Adding the epidemiology study to the drug screen step provided an assessment of the drug’s potential activity in people.’

According to the Cancer Discovery journal, researchers say Digoxin could help to combat prostate cancer by stopping the growth of the disease.

The Icecreamists restaurant in London’s Covent Garden plans to serve up breast milk ice cream and says people should think of it as an organic, free-range treat.

The breast milk concoction, called the “Baby Gaga” is priced at a hefty 14 pounds ($23) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers’ forum Mumsnet.

Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.

Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realised how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns.

“What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother’s milk in an ice cream? And for me it’s a recession beater too — what’s the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash,” Hiley said in a statement.

“I tried the product for the first time today — it’s very nice, it really melts in the mouth.”

Icecreamists founder Matt O’Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavours at the shop.

Metamucil and Dr. Michael Roizen, Chairman of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic and host of the upcoming PBS series, “Younger You,” have suggested things you need to do to lower your cholesterol.

The things will help in reducing the level of cholesterol to a considerable extent.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

Take Psyllium

The first, and one of the simplest tips, is to get more fiber in your diet – but not just any kind, because not all fibers work the same way. Viscous soluble fiber like psyllium fiber, the natural dietary fiber found in Metamucil, is proven to help lower total and “lousy” LDL cholesterol because it forms a thick gel that traps and helps remove some cholesterol, bile acids and waste in the gut. This is why I recommend my patients supplement low fat, low cholesterol diets with 7 grams of soluble fiber from psyllium daily, as in Metamucil.

Wear a Pedometer and Increase Daily Activity

You’d be amazed to see how many extra steps you can take in one day — grab a pedometer and watch the numbers roll as you make simple changes for your health and take the stairs, walk to work, or stroll around the neighborhood to increase your physical activity for better heart health. Tracking your progress throughout the day can be great inspiration to keep going, and walking is a simple and easy type of exercise to help lower cholesterol!

In addition to that, it is best to exercise with a friend so that motivation, encouragement, and a friend to lean on are always beside you.

A recently concluded study has suggested that the best way to kick start your day feeling healthy and positive is by making love in the morning.

The research suggested that adults who make love first thing in the morning apparently not only feel more upbeat for the rest of the day but also have a strong immune system.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

“Having sex in the morning releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin, which makes couples feel loving and bonded all day long,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Debby Herbenick, an American research scientist and sex advice columnist, as saying.

Dr Herbenick, author of the book Because It Feels Good, added: “It makes you stronger and more beautiful too: Morning sex can strengthen your immune system for the day by enhancing your levels of IgA, an antibody that protects against infection.

“And it releases chemicals that boost levels of oestrogen, which improves the tone and texture of your skin and hair.”

Other studies suggest that the benefits do not end there. A study at Queens University in Belfast found that having sex three times a week could halve the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Research from Nottingham University also revealed that men who kept up a regular sex life in their 50s were also at lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Moreover, morning sex can improve the quality of hair, skin, and nails.

The Daily Mail has reported that a couple have been able to become proud parents with fertility astrologer after failing with spiritual healing, feng shui, acupuncture, organic diets, and a host of herbal remedies.

Astro-fertility has helped Mandy and Mark Parry to become a proud parent after four-miscarriages and six failed IVF-treatments made them depressed.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

‘Though I was sceptical, I was also desperate,’ says Mandy. ‘I don’t even read my horoscope and Mark thought it was a complete waste of money. But when you want a baby as badly as I did, you will consider anything.

‘Since Violet was born I feel intoxicated with happiness. I still can’t quite believe she’s here. All of my -scepticism has melted away.’

Astro-fertility works on the assumption that there are only two or three times a year when a woman can become pregnant and go on to successfully give birth.

Those windows are particular to each woman based on her and her partner’s time and place of birth and the alignment of planets at those moments.

It is only when the position of those planets is replicated that a woman can conceive.

‘It sounds like nonsense. But we’d exhausted all other options so I thought ‘Why not’,’ says Mandy, a secondary school teacher.

The news may provide great sense of relief to many couples who have been unable to become parents due to medical or other complications.

Drinking up to a pint of beer a day is good besides being good for reducing the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, according to doctors.

It was claimed by the involved doctors that moderate consumption of beer could even help people lose weight if combined with a healthy diet.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

“In this study we banish myths. We know that beer is not to blame for obesity,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Lamuela as saying.

Beer contains folic acid, vitamins, iron and calcium, which the study claims provide a ‘protective’ effect on the cardiovascular system.

The subjects who regularly drank moderate amounts of beer were less likely to suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure, and had a lower body fat content.

The researchers from Barcelona and Madrid suggested women should drink two small glasses of beer a day while men should drink three, combined with a healthy diet and exercise.

Beer provides the same health benefits attributed to moderate consumption of wine, as per Doctors Ramon Estruch and Rosa Lamuela from Barcelona and Madrid.