News Updates

Light Beer Vs. Regular Beer
Smokers' Addiction can be swift
Human Life Span Increasing

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Light beer is usually about one-third lower in calories than regular beer, with about 100 calories per 12-ounces compared to regular beer's 145 calories. The difference in calorie content comes mainly
from reduced carbohydrates but is also the result of a somewhat lower alcohol content.

Don't confuse light beer, however, with low-alcohol or alcohol-free beers. Light beer may be a good
choice for weight control, but don't let the "light" label persuade you to drink more than usual.

For overall health, experts concur with the American Institute for Cancer Research's recommendation on limiting alcohol. Men should drink no more than two standard drinks a day, and women no more
than one. Twelve ounces of beer counts as one drink.

Smoker's Addiction Can Be Swift

How many puffs does it take to get hooked on cigarettes? It could be a lot fewer than you think. A
University of Massachusetts study published in the British journal Tobacco Control finds that signs
of nicotine addiction can begin a few weeks — and in some cases a few days — after starting smoking. In the study, researchers tracked the smoking habits of 681 12- and 13-year-olds in
Massachusetts starting in 1998. Over the course of the study, 95 kids said they had started smoking at least one cigarette a month. The researchers found that 60 of the smokers exhibited signs of nicotine addiction, including cravings, needing to smoke more for the same effect, withdrawal symptoms and loss of control over the amount they smoked and the duration of smoking,
The Associated Press reports. A quarter of these started to show the signs of addiction within two weeks of starting to smoke. Several even said they experienced symptoms within days of starting smoking. The researchers also found that kids did not have to smoke on a daily basis to experience signs of becoming addicted to nicotine. This is a departure from the common assumption that addiction comes from smoking lots of cigarettes over a long period of time, the AP says. The researchers say their study may shed light on the biology of nicotine addiction, including a possible genetically-linked susceptibility. They theorize that smokers may fall into three categories: those who
become addicted very quickly, those who develop an addiction gradually over time, and those who appear to be able to smoke intermittently or lightly without becoming addicted. The researchers say it could also be that adolescents may be more sensitive to nicotine than older people and so become addicted more quickly.
For more on smoking cessation, go to: http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/EMDSC000/22017/22017.html

Human Life Span Increasing

The belief held by many scientists that the human life span ends at 120 years has been called into question by a new study published in the journal 'Science'. Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley have concluded that human life expectancy has steadily risen for more than a century and shows no signs of leveling off, the report which was published on Thirsday, said. "We have shown that the maximum life span is changing. It is not a biological constant," said UC Berkeley associate professor of demography John Wilmoth. "Whether this can go on indefinitely is difficult to say." (Courtesy 'The New Indian Express' Sept. 30th, 2000)