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  • 30/05/2005

cocoa harms: Cocoa-based chocolates have higher contents of harmful heavy metals (lead, cadmium and nickel) than milk-based chocolates and fruit flavour-based or sugar-based candies, according to a recent study at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai. The researchers led by Sudhir Dahiya looked at 69 brands of chocolates and candies available in Mumbai suburban areas.

mint drive: When you get ready for your morning drive to office, carry some peppermint or cinnamon with you. No, this is not about some superstition. The aroma of these spices will make your morning commute less frustrating and you more alert when behind the wheel, according to a study led by Bryan Raudenbush, an associate professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia. The study found drivers showed lower levels of frustration, anxiety and fatigue when exposed to peppermint and cinnamon scents.

The study builds on Raudenbush's past research that indicated the odours of peppermint and cinnamon serve as central nervous system stimulants.

diabetes reversed: Japanese scientists claim to have reversed diabetes in a 27-year old woman by conducting the world's first transplant of pancreatic cells from a living donor. The patient was suffering from diabetes for over a decade while the donor was her mother. The feat was achieved by a team of scientists from Kyoto University Hospital led by Shinichi Matsumoto. Neither woman suffered any complications and the recipient has not needed insulin for two months now.

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