A recent study performed by a team at Microsoft concluded that people are searching the internet for health related information and diagnosing themselves; often with inaccurate diagnoses. For example, someone with a headache could think that they have a tumor, after online investigation.

515 employees at Microsoft were surveyed and about one third of them confirmed that they “escalated” their searches after an initial diagnosis to explore more serious, and rare, aliments.

It’s important to remember that online medical advice should not replace the advice of your physician. Experts say if you are concerned about your health, go see a doctor.

To read the story from BBC News, visit here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7758183.stm

Recently, it has come to the nation’s attention that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may be causing the obesity epidemic sweeping across the United States. The popularity of the last blog entry on HFCS was astounding. It seems as though everyone is searching for the truth on this sugary stuff, so I thought another posting with a little scientific proof would be helpful.

Findings in a supplemental issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition say that there is no evidence that the syrup makes you gain more weight, when compared with other sugars. However, that does not mean that is not a contributing cause. It is widely used in soft drinks and processed foods, which largely make up the typical American’s diet.
It has been established that HFCS does not make you gain more weight than any other sugar. However, evidence suggests that there is a link between this sugar and kidney disease and heart disease.. More research still needs to be done on the topics, before any definite conclusions can be made.

To read the full article on the findings, please visit the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/6/1716S?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=hfcs&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

To learn more about the campaign promoting HFCS, please visit:

http://www.hfcsfacts.com/