Dark Chocolate May Sweeten the Way to Health

Dark chocolate isn’t a health food, but eating it appears to bring down blood pressure in people with hypertension, researchers said yesterday.

Dark chocolate can be included as part of a healthful diet in patients who have hypertension.

The researchers, writing in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, are not urging people with high blood pressure to run out to the nearest chocolate shop but delicious dark chocolate may be the exception to the rule.

The researchers are more interested in a component of the chocolate called flavonoids, which have been shown to have health benefits. In addition they reported that to all the pleasurable sensations associated with the sweet, it may also help lower blood pressure by an average of 10 percent while improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

(more…)

Rise in heat-related deaths in Phoenix

Temperature is rising in New York, Chicago, elsewhere and many are feeling the heat, with Arizona getting the brunt of it. Temperatures in Phoenix have reached 110 degrees for nine days straight and on Sunday, the city hit a temperature of 116 degrees, an all-time record.

According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Arizona faces the worst rate of heat-exposure deaths among all U.S. states. Exposure to prolonged high temperatures can cause various heat-related illnesses, ranging from mild cramps to heat exhaustion or death.

The rise in heat-related deaths prompted the mayor to ask for water donations, mainly to help the homeless.

For the first time in years, homeless shelters opened their doors during the day to offer respite from the blistering sun, which has delivered above-average temperatures every day since June 29. Police began passing out thousands of water bottles donated by grocery stores, and city officials set up tents for shade downtown.

(more…)

Base-closing committee add bases to the list

Oceana Naval Air Station was added to the yesterday list of military bases across the country that may be closed or shrunk. Oceana, a Navy “master jet base,” hosts F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets that are deployed aboard aircraft carriers.

The vote on Oceana by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission put a second Hampton Roads facility on the list, in addition to the Army’s Fort Monroe. The region, in southeastern Virginia, has the largest concentration of U.S. military in the world. Some 15,000 people work at Oceana, including civilians.

Commission said the residential growth around Oceana has increased the risk to people living in the area.

(more…)

Apple may start selling iPod that play digital videos

According to news reports, Apple Computer Inc. may soon start selling an iPod that plays digital videos. There were reports that the firm is negotiating with recording companies to license their music videos.

Apple is now looking for the next big thing to complement its hugely successful online iTunes Music Store and iPod portable music player.
It has been in talks with EMI Recorded Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

But the Representatives for all five firms refused on Monday, a person familiar with the talks confirmed Apple approached and said no deal has yet been struck on selling music videos on the same service.

By autumn Apple may start selling new iPods that can play video.

Roger Kay, president of industry research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates said “Video iPod, it’s a big hole and an obvious one in Apple’s lineup,”

(more…)