Wellington, Jan 16 : Doctors have slammed some of New Zealanders’ favourite natural health products as ineffective.

In the latest New Zealand Medical Journal Digest, doctors Shaun Holt and Sarah Jeffries and health psychologist Andrew Gilbey claimed colloidal silver, deer velvet, arnica and rescue remedy are a “waste of time and money” and sometimes harmful.

Wellington, Dec 28 : Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day may reduce risk of developing endometrial cancer by almost 25 per cent, a new study has suggested.

Originating in the lining of the uterus, endometrial cancer is one of the most widespread invasive gynaecological cancers.

Wellington, Aug 31- Dairy giant Fonterra has bought an Indian pharmaceutical firm as part of a joint venture with a Dutch dairy company.

Fonterra announced Wednesday that its 50-50 joint venture with Royal FrieslandCampina, DMV-Fonterra Excipients (DFE), had agreed to acquire ingredient manufacturer Brahmar Cellulose Private Limited (BCPL), based in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, reported Xinhua.

Wellington, Feb 10: When it comes to discussing weight issues, both sexes in a relationship often find it hard to address, but taking into consideration a partner's feelings can help make it easier.

When addressing such a problem as weight gain, partners need to ensure that the person in their life understands that they are doing it out of love, respect and care, Stuff. co. nz reported.

Wellington, Jan 17: A study has found that those who drank free milk supplied at schools have a reduced risk of bowel cancer.

Associate Professor Brian Cox and Dr Mary Jane Sneyd at Otago University revealed that they found a 30 per cent reduced risk of bowel cancer for those who took part in school milk programmes.

Wellington, Jan 13 : New research has suggested that people who roll their own cigarettes are more addicted than those who smoke the readymade variety.

Amy Lewis of the Victoria University has found that cigarettes contain a number of addictive elements within the tar, in addition to the commonly cited nicotine.

Wellington, Jan 13 : Smokers who prefer roll-your-own tobacco may be more intensely addicted to the habit than those who puff on readymade cigarettes.

Doctoral graduate Amy Lewis at the Victoria University in New Zealand investigated how tobacco smoke influences proteins involved in cigarette addiction.

Wellington, Jan 9 : More and more girls are joining the binge-drinking culture and ending up in hospital in New Zealand, it has been revealed.

A pilot programme in Wellington by the Ministry of Health has provided a better picture of the impact of the country''s drinking culture.

Wellington, Jan 2 : Forget sunscreens, the thing that can actually protect your skin from UV rays is broccoli juice, say scientists.

Scientists in the United States have been testing broccoli extract on human volunteers and mice, which showed their skin was protected against sunburn.

Broccoli contains sulforaphane, an antioxidant, which helps stop sunburn and tumour development.

Additionally, scientists in New Zealand have also suggested that extract from totara and manuka trees could act in a similar way to broccoli.

Wellington, Dec 16 : Kiwi nutrition experts have issued warning over the potentially harmful repercussions of a recently revived fad diet based on hormones from human placenta.

The diet involves a very low calorie intake combined with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone found in the placenta during pregnancy.

Wellington, Dec 2 : A new study has found that nurture rather than nature influences aggression in children.

The study compares genetically related and genetically unrelated children born to parents using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to examine the idea that depression and anti-social behaviour are primarily influenced by genes.

Wellington, Nov 27 : If you are pregnant, there are iPhone apps that can help you get through the process. And while it''s true that these apps don''t make the pain ago away, they do let you keep track of things and become more knowledgeable.

Pregnancy-related phone applications are an extremely handy pregnancy resource that can be used just about anywhere, reports Stuff. co. nz.

Wellington, Nov 21 : A new killer strain of superbug-New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-has reached New Zealand and up to four patients have contracted the bacterial gene since December last year.

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1, is found in E. Coli and Klebsiella bacteria, causing anything from urinary tract infections, high fevers and pneumonia to abdominal infections. In extreme cases, it can be fatal.

Wellington, Sept 8 : New research has indicated that making fatty foods and alcohol expensive will be a lot more effective in promoting nutrition and health than licensing controls and patient interventions.

The Australian research also indicated making fatty foods more expensive was more effective than focussing on educational campaigns to improve nutrition.

Wellington, July 9 : A New Zealand woman dying of cancer will be buried in a pink coffin decorated with 30 pairs of breasts, a newspaper reported Friday.

Pam Hermansen, 48, of Christchurch, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, told The Press it had been a major part of her life so she wanted breasts represented at her funeral.

Wellington, May 28 : Men in New Zealand are very much worried about their looks with hair loss, dandruff and weight gain being their three biggest concerns, according to a new survey.

In the Head & Shoulders Hair Retain Survey, 29 percent said that they were worried about having dandruff and 26 percent were concerned about losing their hair.

Wellington, May 26 : Eating healthy food despite not liking it may not be doing any good to your health, say researchers.

Because every person’s genetic make-up is unique, they do not derive the same benefits from the same foods.

Wellington, May 26 : Eating healthy food despite not liking it may not be doing any good to your health, say researchers.

Because every person’s genetic make-up is unique, they do not derive the same benefits from the same foods.

Auckland University is currently hosting a "nutrigenomics" conference for scientists and nutritionists from around the Asia Pacific region, where discussing how the research can be used to help people suffering from illnesses is taking centre stage.

Wellington, March 6 : Health experts have warned online shoppers to beware of internet-order medicines some of which have been found to contain everything from arsenic to bird droppings.

Wellington, Jan 19 : Cancer Society has advised motorists to wear gloves in order to reduce their risk of developing skin cancer during summertime.

Experts challenged the myth that glass protects against the sun''s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can cause malignant melanoma and other skin cancers.

According to them, plain, clear vehicle glass blocks only 37 per cent of UV-A radiation and long or frequent trips while being exposed to sun through side windows pose a huge risk.

The society says covering up with protective clothing may help.

Wellington - The giant New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra is frustrated over Chinese authorities' handling of contaminated baby milk formula that has made over 430 infants ill, its chief executive Andrew Ferrier said on Monday.

Wellington, Aug 20 : Concerns have been raised over Tori Spelling''''''''s after she was spotted sporting a hole in her chest.

Spelling, 35, was seen strolling around Beverly Hills with a deep cavity between her breasts.

According to the Sun, the actress had also admitted to having had breast augmentation surgery earlier this year, and having gone under the knife twice.

Wellington - New Zealand's advertising watchdog has slammed a promotion campaign for a brand of potato crisps, saying it encouraged children to eat the equivalent of a kilogram of fat, news reports said Wednesday.

Bluebird Foods included cards featuring famous rugby players in packets of the crisps and encouraged consumers to collect the full series of 50.

Wellington, June 12 : Acupuncture may be a powerful aid for people suffering from severe depression, according to a new study in Australia.

Wellington, May 24 : British doctors have warned that there has been a drastic increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among older men using Viagra, because it fuels extramarital affairs.

According to British health information, rates of sexual infections such as gonorrhea more than tripled in men between 45 to 64 years of age and for fold increase among teenagers.