The researchers said that it was possible that the antioxidants that chocolate contains could have a part in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, but the findings do not conclude that adding chocolate to a regular diet will aid people in losing weight. The total quantity of chocolate eaten did not have an effect, either.

The participants of the survey ranged from ages 20 to 85, ate chocolate two times per week on average and had an approximate body mass index of 28, which is considered to be overweight but not clinically obese.

People who ate candy more often were found to generally ingest more calories, including saturated fats, than those who ate less of it but still weighed less on average. The results revealed the same when gender and age were accounted for, alongside the amount of exercise done by the participants.

The leader of the research, Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California San Diego, said that the results found there to be 2.3 to 3.2 kg (5 to 7lb) difference between those who ate chocolate 5 times per week in comparison to those who didn’t eat any. It was, however, only based on how often they consumed chocolate and not the amount they ate that was tied to their weight.

A nutritionist from the Harvard Medical School, Eric Ding, said that one possible explanation for the findings is related to poverty, which has been linked to higher body weight. He claimed that poorer people tend to keep to the necessities when shopping for food and, as a result, don’t eat as much chocolate.

Another possible reason for the findings is that people use chocolate to reward themselves when they have lost weight, more than the chocolate actually being the cause of the weight loss.
Ding stated that because the study is rather small and doesn’t provide any solid evidence that chocolate can indeed cause weight loss, it is difficult for any lessons to be taken from it. He also said that the key for people who eat chocolate is to be mindful of calorie intake.

Golomb agreed that it is important to consider moderation and that the study doesn’t provide any support for people to consume a large amount of chocolate.

The new guidelines could include recommendations of spending two days per week free from alcohol.

The guidance was last reviewed in 1995 when concerns were raised about how the weekly “sensible limits” that were in place at the time could encourage binge drinking. Critics now say that the switch to a daily guideline falsely created an impression that drinking every day is healthy.

Recent statistics reveal that 19% of men and 12% of women regularly drink over twice the daily recommended limit and are classed as “binge drinkers”.

The Department of Health is considering a thorough review of the evidence on alcohol and associated health risks after hearing sufficient concerns from experts.

The current limits advise men to drink no more than two to three units per day, and women a lesser quantity of two to three units. The guidelines are being criticised for failing to highlight the importance of having regular drink-free days.

Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer, is considering introducing bespoke guidelines to apply to certain groups, such as older people, who may be more susceptible to the dangers of alcohol. Separate guidelines for pregnant women and younger people have already been produced.

Scottish guidelines already advise that people should abstain from drinking alcohol for at least two days per week and a panel of MPs recommended in a report published earlier this year that the rest of Britain should follow suit and advise the same. They also demanded clearer guidance on what constitutes “binge drinking”.

Improved living conditions, diets and advancements in medical care are the driving forces in the rise in life expectancy, which the pensions industry warns as a “huge challenge” for people saving for their retirement.

The state pension age is already set to rise to 67 for both genders by 2026 and ministers have said that many taxpayers may have to wait until they are 80 before they can claim a state pension as the age for claiming will continue to rise as people live longer.

Darren Philp of the National Association of Pension Funds said that while it is great that people are living longer, they face a huge challenge when it comes to saving for a longer pension. A report published last year revealed that half of the workers in Britain are not saving enough for their retirement and the number of employees paying into pensions in their workplace has reached its lowest level since the 1950s, the National Association of Pension Funds recently warned.

There were only 592 people over the age of 100 living in the UK in 1961. By 2010 there were 12,000 and this is expected to reach 455,000 by 2060, almost 40 times the number in 2010.

An expected third of the 826,000 babies currently under the age of one in the UK are will still be alive in a century’s time, according to the Office of National Statistics.

One in seven women and one in ten men celebrating their 65th birthday this year are likely to reach the milestone age, and half of women currently in their early 20′s will reach 100, with just under half of men the same age joining them.

An Office of National Statistics spokesman informed that the statistics are not certain and will depend on future health, political and environmental developments.

Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb calcium from food and a deficiency can cause problems with muscle functions and bone loss in adults and rickets in children, Arthritis Research UK has said.

Low levels of Vitamin D has also been linked to several other illnesses including a higher risk of contracting diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, muscle weakness and even breast and bowel cancer.

The government has recommended using supplements of Vitamin D for children under the age of five and pregnant women, who are the most at risk, along with breast-feeding women and those above the age of 65.

Dr William Marshall, a biochemist and clinical director of pathology at The London Clinic, said that Vitamin D is important for a healthy immune system and helps maintain general good health and growth.

Dr Marshall also informed that levels below 25 nanomoles per litre of plasma are considered clinically deficient and that the ideal Vitamin D level is 75. Anything that lies between is less than ideal and supplements are advised to help raise them to a healthy level.

According to Dr Marshall, the British sun is only strong enough to make Vitamin D from the end of March until September, between 11am and 3pm, and experts say that the key is to make as much Vitamin D as possible in the summer months, as the body can store it for later use.

The medical director of Arthritis Research UK, Alan Silman, said that people should go out for a few minutes each day – 15 minutes is enough – when the sun is out and expose their arms and face to the sunshine. He also warned that it is important, however, to not allow any overexposure and to avoid letting the skin go red or burn, particularly on days with strong sunshine. He urged those with sensitive or fair skin to be more careful.

17 firms, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Subway, Mars and Coca-Cola have signed up to the new government scheme to cut calories and help tackle obesity, but the crackdown has been criticised by some for not including many of the fast food chains around Britain. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King and many other popular chains were all left out of the scheme.

Charlie Powell, of the food campaigner Sustain, has labelled the scheme a “smoke-and-mirrors” deal. He stated that it was all well and good to launch new products with reduced calories, but added that the companies should be committed to permanently reducing calories across all of their ranges.

Terry Jones, a representative of the Food Manufacturers Federation, however, said that companies were committed to making changes and that by 2013/14 many of the companies are aiming to have taken 30% of calories out of some of their products.

Under the new scheme, there will be a cap of 250 calories on every chocolate bar made by Mars and Coca-Cola has said that it will reduce calories in a selection of its soft drinks by 30% by 2014.

Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said that over 75% of the UK’s retail market has signed up the take the pledge and that everyone – from individuals to all public and private organisations, government or otherwise – has a role to play if five billion calories are to be cut from the national diet. He stated that this step is only the beginning of what needs to be a bigger and broader commitment from the country’s food industry.

The study included 2,600 smokers who had called the NHS helpline. They were split into four groups with differing levels of support, yet the results showed no significant difference between those offered the standard help and those offered the extra support or free patches.

The leader of the study, Professor Tim Coleman, said that the results have shed useful light on the use of telephone helplines to assist smokers wanting to stop, and highlighted just how difficult it is for most smokers to break the addiction. Remarking that free patches and telephone counselling doesn’t work, Coleman said that other ways of using quitlines need to be found.

The study concluded free patches and intensive phone counselling was no more effective than standard help and support offered by the NHS. Only 17.7% of those offered the free patches were successful in quitting, while 20.1% of those not offered managed to kick their habit.

In 2010/11 £84.3 million was spent by the NHS on England’s Stop Smoking Services, almost half a million more than the year before and £60 million more than was spent ten years ago.

While the number of people looking to quit smoking has increased threefold over the last ten years, the success rate has slipped. The success rate of those trying to quit smoking is currently at 49%, the same as the year before, but down 4% from 2001/02.

A large quantity of packs from a batch of 40,000 manufactured by Wockhardt UK Ltd are believed to contain 30mg/500mg co-codamol tablets instead of the intended 8mg/500mg usually sold over-the-counter.

Co-codamol is the generic name for pills containing codeine and paracetamol and is a popular painkiller.

Wockhardt is recalling the batch and people are being urged to check any tablets they may have. The correct, lower strength tablets are marked with on the side of them, while the high-strength, prescription only pills are marked with CP on one side and CCD30 on the other.

While the pills contain the same amount of paracetamol, they contain higher dosages of codeine than intended. Patients can develop a tolerance to and dependence on codeine with prolonged usage, and anybody who has taken more codeine than intended could be at higher risk.

Leyla Hannbeck, of the National Pharmacy Association has said that people who have taken the stronger tablets unknowingly could experience increased side-effects including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness, light-headedness and urine retention.

She advised anybody who suspects they may have the wrong tablets to take them to a local pharmacy to be exchanged for the correct ones.

It has been reported that 38,929 packs may contain the higher dosage of codeine and anybody who thinks they may have taken the wrong tablet and feels unwell should contact their GP immediately.

The study found that as well as reducing the chances of getting the disease, the pills also prevent it spreading and experts believe that is strong enough that doctors may be advised to prescribe it to sufferers of the disease in the future.

Not only is aspirin a possible prevention of cancer, but it is also beneficial in treating and preventing other illnesses, too.

A study followed 386 women for ten years and 22 of them developed depression after the age of 50. Almost a third of the women who did not develop depression were taking aspirin. Experts believe that depression and inflammation are closely linked, and that because aspirin is an anti-inflammatory, it can play a part in keeping depression at bay.

Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, doctors believe that aspirin can have an effect on both dementia and heart disease; with dementia being an inflammation of the brain and heart disease an inflammation of arteries that supply the heart.

When a study of 3,000 people was conducted in Utah, the results suggested that it could decrease the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by 23%.

Some studies into heart conditions revealed that taking aspirin can reduce the chance of cardiovascular problems – including stroke, heart attack and heart disease – by up to 44%.

It has also been proven than aspirin can help in cases of acne due to the salicylic acid it contains. By mixing a tablet with water and rubbing the solution onto the skin, pimples will be dried out, making spots disappear more quickly. It has a similar effect on dandruff as it is a mild anti-fungal tablet. Crushing two tablets and mixing them with shampoo will help rid dandruff if it is left to settle on the scalp for two minutes before being rinsed out.

The British Pregnancy Advisory’s former medical director – Vincent Argent – has branded doctors’ approach to completing necessary paperwork as “lax” and has said that the practice is common at an NHS hospital where he used to work.

The law states that adoptions must be certified by two doctors unless the situation is an emergency. This requirement was criticised in 2007 with concerns that abortions could be unnecessarily delayed.

There is no legal requirement, however, for doctors to have to actually see the women they are signing for, only that they have seen and assessed the clinical information pertaining to the case. This information is often taken by another doctor or nurse.

Argent said that one colleague he worked with used to sign forms in bulk so that one signature was already on the forms without any patient’s name. Whenever he or another doctor then saw the patient, the second signature would be added.

The revelation comes as the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley warns, following unannounced inspections to abortion providers, that licenses will be withdrawn from those not abiding by the law.

Lansley has said that he was shocked and appalled by the findings, which go against the rules set in the Abortion Act, and that the process of signing certificates for women whom the doctor does not know is illegal.

He went on to state that abortions should not be taken lightly and said the Abortion Act is in place for a reason – to safeguard women prior to an abortion taking place – and that the right checks and balances should be in place.

20% of around 250 clinics assessed were found to be “non-compliant” with regulations and the law. One doctor has already been suspended and two more have had conditions added to their license to practice. The Care Quality Commission will be revisiting those clinics where practices are raising concern.

Scientists at the University of Reading have discovered that drinking just 100g of beetroot juice can significantly lower the blood pressure in the short term, lasting up to 4 hours, and even 13 hours in some cases.

Bread enriched with either white or red beetroot has proven to have a similar effect.

Studies conducted in the past had revealed that drinking 500ml of beetroot juice could reduce blood pressure over 24 hours. The more recent study was undertaken to find whether or not the same results could be achieved from a smaller dose which would be easier to drink.

While the study consisted only of 39 people, Victoria Taylor – Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation – says that the findings do support earlier research associating the consumption of beetroot juice with lowering blood pressure.

The reduction in blood pressure is accredited to the high nitrate content that beetroot possesses. When ingested, nitrate becomes nitric oxide, a molecule which helps increase blood flow and, in turn, keeps blood pressure down.

The study also looked at the possible impact of betalains, the pigments found in beets that are responsible for the deep red colouring. The research concluded that white beetroot, which contains no betalain, had the same effect on lowering blood pressure.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, increases the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, two of the leading causes of death in the United Kingdom. A third of under 65′s and at least 10 million people suffer from high blood pressure without realising it as there are no noticeable symptoms.