KUALA LUMPUR: Seorang terpaksa manakala seorang lagi rela, tetapi situasi dihadapi tetap sama — dijual suami yang malas kerja tetapi mahu hidup senang, walaupun terpaksa makan hasil ‘duit lendir’.
Begitulah nasib dua wanita yang menjadi pelacur dan pelayan pelanggan (GRO) selepas mendirikan rumah tangga dengan lelaki dicintai yang kononnya sanggup hidup susah senang bersama-sama hingga ke akhir hayat.
Zulaika, 35, dan Amelia, 30, yang dipertemukan dengan Metro Ahad dengan pertolongan sumber yang pernah menggunakan khidmat kedua-dua wanita Melayu beragama Islam itu, menceritakan pengalaman masing-masing dalam dunia hitam penuh noda dan dosa. [sumber]
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Red Bull gives you wings - and heart trouble?
(Nigel Morton)
Does Red Bull give you more than just wings?
Red Bull may claim to “give you wings” but drinking too much of the popular energy drink may also lead to heart damage, a study suggests.
A study of 30 university students aged between 20 and 24 years old found that drinking just one 250ml sugar-free can of the caffeinated energy drink increased the “stickiness” of the blood and raised the risk of blood clots forming.
Using tests to measure blood pressure and the state of blood vessels around the body, the Australian researchers said that after drinking one can participants had shown a cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease.
Red Bull today emphatically denied that the drink, which is distributed to 143 countries worldwide, was dangerous. In a statement, it said that Red Bull had been proved safe by “numerous scientific studies”, and that it had never been banned from anywhere it had been introduced.
Scott Willoughby, of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide University, said that he was alarmed at the results, and suggested that older adults who already have symptoms of heart disease should refrain from drinking too much of the energy drink.
“After one can it seemed to turn the young individual into one with more of the type of profile you would expect to see with someone with cardiovascular disease,” he said. “People who already have existing cardiovascular disease may want to talk to their physician before they drink Red Bull in future.”
Previous studies have examined the effects of consuming Red Bull, one can of which contains 80mg of caffeine — around the same as a cup of filter coffee — and taurine, an amino acid commonly used in energy drinks.
An estimated 330 million litres of energy drinks were consumed in Britain last year, a market worth £1 billion. However Red Bull is banned in countries such as Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health fears.
Last year a research team from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit presented a paper to the American Heart Association suggesting that energy drinks may boost heart rates and blood pressure levels. The results, from a small study, prompted them to warn against consumption by those with cardiovascular problems.
Earlier this year a teenager from Darlington was sent to hospital after drinking eight cans of Red Bull. Paramedics reported that the 15-year-old suffered heart palpitations.
Last year a large study of American college students found that those who drank energy drinks mixed with alcohol during a night out were twice as likely to be injured or otherwise come to harm than those who consumed alcoholic drinks on their own.
Dr Willoughby said that he was prompted to conduct the study after recent reports of deaths in young people who had consumed large amounts of the energy drink before they died.
The high levels of caffeine in Red Bull was suspected to be a contributing factor in the death of a 40-year-old man in Oxford who suffered a fatal heart attack in April after collapsing at an Asda store where he worked. In 2007 an 18-year-old British basketballer died after consuming three cans of the drink, and in July 2001 and 33-year-old Australian man died of a heart attack after drinking a pitcher of Red Bull and vodka.
“There was enough anecdotal evidence to catch my attention,” Dr Willoughby said. He added that previous studies had shown caffeine and taurine to have an effect on blood platelets and heart function, sometimes with beneficial results, such as boosting endurance while exercising.
But, he added, “maybe there’s something quirky about the effect of the combination of the two in the drink which is causing this reaction, this is what we need to look at next.”
The results shocked the 30 students, some of whom drank up to eight cans a night to help them stay awake to study, and many now refuse to consume the energy drink again. Dr Willoughby said he now aims to extend this preliminary study to a larger group of students to verify the results.
Linda Rychter, a spokeswoman for Red Bull in Australia, said that the report would be assessed by the company’s head office in Austria. “The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range,” she added.
Red Bull, which has the catchphrase “Red Bull gives you wings”, was created in Austria in the 1980s. The company last year sold 3.5 billion cans of the drink in 143 countries. Cans of Red Bull already carry health warnings advising customers not to drink more two cans a day. [source]
Got Burned yet? Dangers of Sunburn
Do you spend a lot of time in the sun? No one tries to deliberately get sunburned, but it’s all too easy to overdo it. Overexposure to the sun can cause more than just temporary discomfort. It can also cause permanent changes, including premature wrinkling and aging of the skin, DNA damage, cataracts, and even some types of skin cancer.
Fair-skinned people are the most susceptible, but that doesn’t mean that darker-skinned people are safe from the sun, especially in tropical or subtropical climates.
You may experience a higher risk of sunburn when you indulge in your favorite outdoor activity, too—high altitude activities like mountain climbing or skiing, or sports that don’t involve a lot of protective clothing like surfing or boardsailing increase your exposure to ultraviolet light and thus increase your chances of burning. Time of exposure also matters. The mid-day sun is far more intense than later in the day or early in the morning. Also, spring and summer sun is more intense than fall and winter sun.
There are some less obvious things that will increase your risk of sunburn, too. Certain foods, such as limes, parsnips, celery and figs contain psoralens—chemicals that sensitize the skin to sunlight. If you eat psoralen-containing foods before spending a day in the sun, you are much more likely to get a severe sunburn.
Some drugs sensitize the skin to the sun also. The most common is the antibiotic tetracycline, and its close relatives like doxycycline. Certain diuretics, acne medicines and oral contraceptives may also increase your susceptibility to sunburn.
The best thing you can do about a sunburn is prevent it from happening. When possible, avoid mid-day sun exposure, especially in the spring and summer. Protective clothing, including wide-brimmed hats, can help minimize exposure. If you can’t avoid spending time in the sun, use a good sunscreen.
Sunscreens with a protective factor of 15 or greater (SPF 15) are best. Ultraviolet B rays (UVB) cause most sunburn, and PABA-containing sunscreens protect well against UVB. Some people cannot tolerate PABA. PABA-free sunscreens containing benzophenones and cinnamates work well also. PABA doesn’t block ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation. UVA rays cause skin reactions from drugs or psoralens. TO protect against the sun when eating a psoralen-rich diet or taking sun-sensitizing medication, use a sunscreen with benzophenones.
Sunscreen is most effective when you apply it at least half an hour before you go out in the sun. This gives the active ingredients time to bind to the stratum corneum (a layer of your skin). After swimming, or just sweating a lot, you should reapply the sunscreen.
Common as it is, there really aren’t many ways to effectively treat sunburn. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like aspirin can reduce redness if taken within the first 24 hours. Cool water compresses may help, and feel soothing. Topical medications with ‘caine in the name should be avoided as they may cause allergic sensitization. In fact, if you’ve managed to get sunburn, there is one proven treatment… time. [source]
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