Male contraceptive pill could be on the horizon with latest breakthrough

A major discovery by Australian researchers could finally bring a male contraceptive pill to fruition and give men more options to equip them and their partners against unwanted pregnancies. Currently condoms such as Durex and Skins for men or the oral contraceptive pill for women, Dianette, are just a few of the choices that are already presently available.

The latest developments follow other research conducted earlier this year by American experts who wanted to push through a male contraceptive pill as they said: “The lack of contraceptive alternatives for men is partially responsible for the high rate of unplanned pregnancies and contributes to the ethical, social and financial costs associated with abortions and deliveries to single mothers.”

Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne say that their findings mean that a pill could be produced that actually kills off the ability of sperm to swim efficiently, living them twiddling their thumbs instead of arriving at their unwanted destination! Furthermore, their findings could also shed some more light on potential factors behind male infertility.

In what seems to be common practice for laboratory tests these days, Lead researcher Professor Moira O’Bryan and her team chose mice to be their subjects for analysis. The team devised a mutation in a gene that is named ‘RABL2’. This gene works at transmitting protein fuel to the engine (known as the axoneme) in a sperm’s tail in mice.

This engineered mutation then led to a reduction in the size of sperm tails by 17% of their ‘normal’ size, and a 50% decrease in the production of sperm.

Most interestingly perhaps was that it was found these particular mice with the mutated gene were left infertile and their sperm were prevented from swimming or moving about anywhere.
Professor O’Bryan says, “They weren’t wriggling or going anywhere, they were just twitching. With this mutation, we get motors that don’t work properly. To be fertile, sperm need motility or swimming ability.”

O’Bryan worked together with fellow scientists from the University of Newcastle, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of Cambridge for the research. The next step now will be crafting a male contraceptive pill that will work to restrict the RABL2 gene instead of changing or damaging it forever.

Professor O’Bryan continued, “The challenge with developing the male pill isn’t rendering the sperm infertile but turning them back on again.”

The biggest hurdle it seems now for the scientists to overcome is the fact RABL2 is also located in other tissues such as those in the brain, kidneys and liver in lower concentrations. Therefore a male contraceptive pill would have to be constructed in a complex way that has an inhibitor specialised for the testes and will not affect other areas of the body.

Perhaps another hurdle to whether or not male contraceptive pills fully take-off, is if women actually trust the man to take it! This is a subject Medical Specialists Pharmacy looked at briefly in our story mentioned earlier. In addition, it is unknown just when a male pill will even be available. Various studies have been conducted in the last few years but it seems nobody has come forth with a definitive date of release. In the meantime, men could simply opt for the tried and test contraceptive method of condoms, which boast a 98% effectiveness rate. For women, the female birth control pill Dianette has an incredible 99% effective at fulfilling its purpose.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy, men are already spoilt for choice when it comes to their contraceptive needs. In regards to condoms, Durex and Skins in particularly have an impressive range of weird and wonderful condoms to suit his and her preferences. Some condoms are ultra-thin to the extent you can barely feel it, others are designed to have a ‘tingling’ effect for maximum pleasure, whereas there are also even condoms that come in luscious flavours such as chocolate. If all this isn’t enough, a Durex play vibration ring can be used in conjunction with a condom to add to the pleasure!
Make sure to keep checking the Medical Specialists website for further news, developments and the latest products. We are constantly updating our huge product base and in the next few weeks we will also hope to add Marvelon and Yasmin; two additional female oral contraceptive pills that can also help to fight acne.

Wrinkle-busting Botox may be used to combat hay fever

Almost precisely a month ago we delivered some exciting news for 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK and millions more around the globe when we reported how a new vaccine was in development that could directly hit the immune system, providing effective relief. This is on top of already currently available treatments such as Loratadine tablets, Nasonex nasal spray, Prevalin and Alomide allergy eye drops.

Now it seems that hay fever sufferers could be offered even more options to treat their symptoms, which occur when the immune system (the body’s defence system) overreacts to allergens, which in turn results in the release of histamine which in turn causes inflammation, itchy reddening or itchy eyes and sneezing. Although hay fever sufferers are worse hit during the spring and summer period, those who have allergic reactions to cats and dogs can find themselves in misery throughout the year when they come into contact with these animals.

The new treatment option bizarrely comes in the form of a Botox nasal gel remarkably, and now Australian scientists are currently preparing to carry out the first trial of its kind. Botox is mostly associated with celebrities who are willing to fork out thousands of pounds in their effort to beat the aging process. As well as a wrinkle-fighter, Botox may also be useful as a weapon against the inconvenient and troublesome symptoms of hay fever.

The Botox gel will be applied to the skin on your nose with the help of a cotton bud, where it will work by penetrating the skin to reach the nasal cavity. According to Philip Bardin, a professor at the Monash Medical Centre, the botulinum toxin could offer relief for hay fever sufferers by blocking nerve endings in the nasal passage, decreasing inflammation and preventing the onset of symptoms.

For the forthcoming study, Professor Bardin is optimistic about recruiting around 70 patients with hay fever and what is a common practice in these experiments; half of the subjects will receive the tested treatment (i.e. the Botox) and the other half will be given a placebo. The study is being initiated after preliminary trial earlier this year showed that the therapy does indeed provide relief from symptoms.

Here is what Professor Bardin had to say on the promising new treatment: “Botox works for three months and then its effects are broken down and the nerves regenerate. So if this works, maybe it’s gel into the nose every three months – or once a year for people who have seasonal allergic rhinitis – and, hopefully, no more sneezing.”

Dr Stephen Till from King’s College London, acknowledged the exciting breakthrough, saying: “This new vaccine is potentially applicable to far larger numbers than the existing one.”

However, the good news doesn’t end there. It seems even asthma sufferers could find themselves better off after a therapy of Botox. Professor Bardin has also released preliminary details of an experiment where a group of asthma patients with severe symptoms were injected with Botox into their larynx in an effort to alleviate muscle spasms. He claims that 80% of the asthma patients responded to the treatment and showed improve symptoms. The next step will be similar to the hay fever trial, involving a much bigger selection of patients, with both a Botox and placebo therapy being tested.

Of course, nobody knows for sure when or if Botox will be given the go-ahead for certified hay fever or asthma treatment as any potential health risks will have to be assessed first. In the meantime, Medical Specialists Pharmacy provides a huge range of products and medications to help both hay fever asthma sufferers, all at great prices. We have all of the previously mentioned hay fever treatments (Loratadine, Nasonex, Prevalin and Alomide), in addition to a huge range of asthma inhalers.

If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

There is a lot of fungus among us – Are you prepared?

When you hear the word ‘fungus’, you may immediately think of a mushroom. This wouldn’t be a major surprise – after all, a mushroom is one type of fungus. However, there are other types of fungi, and they are present in every one of us.

In particularly, they are known as dermatophytes and yeasts; groups of fungi that are usually quite harmless to us. However problems arise when fungi multiply from small spores in the air. The spores can either be inhaled or they can come into contact with your skin. Therefore, a fungal infection (also known as a ‘mycosis’), will often begin either in the lungs or on the skin.

Fungal skin infections typically affect the skin because thrive on keratin, a particular protein that in in our skin, hair and nails. Fungal infections in humans can differ drastically in their severity from common, mild superficial infections such as athlete’s foot and thrush (both vaginal and oral) to more dangerous life-threatening diseases such as invasive aspergillosis.

Here are some common types of fungal skin infections that you need to be aware of:

. Athlete’s foot

The name shouldn’t fool you; anyone can get the itchy condition known as athlete’s foot, which also goes by the aliases tinea pedis or ringworm of the foot. Symptoms to be aware of include: blisters, itchy skin, flaky and red skin and the appearance of white cracks – especially between the toes. It is commonly transmitted in moist areas where people usually walk around barefoot. Hazardous areas include around swimming pools, public showers and changing rooms. Walking barefoot can result in you getting the fungus of athlete’s foot or by using a damp towel that has the fungus on it. These are precise reasons why parents will usually tell their children to always make sure to wear sandals or appropriate footwear when showering in in public place. As the fungi thrive in a moist environment, make sure you keep feet and footwear as dry as possible and do not share towels with others. Also do not wear tight shoes that cause result in sweaty feet.  For treatment and prevention of athlete’s foot, most people opt for Daktarin 2% cream. Daktarin belongs to a collection of medicines known as ‘antifungals’, effectively working to eradicate the fungus responsible for the infection and also some of bacteria that may be there as well. Not just for feet though, the cream can help with infections that appear on the groin, hands, outer ear and scalp.

. Nail infections

Fungal infection of the nails is surprisingly more common than you think. It is believed that it will effect roughly between 3 and 8 out of every 100 people in the UK during some point of their lives. In fact, around half of all nail problems are down to fungal infection. Many types of fungus cause nail infections such as the previously mentioned athlete’s foot, which usually makes it way to the toenails. In addition, ‘candida’ is a yeast that can cause a skin infection commonly around the fingernails. Even worse is that you may get a nail infection after a toenail infection has already been established and you scratch at it. A nail infection is noticeable when the nail appears thickened and discoloured (a greeny-yellow colour), often initially painless. Without treatment such as Curanail 5% nail lacquer, the nail will look ghastly and may even crumble away eventually. Curanail contains amorolfine, which is clinically proven to kill a variety of fungi. Amorolfine works by stopping the production of ergosterol, an essential component of the fungal cell membrane. Without ergosterol, the cell membrane breaks down and the fungi are destroyed.


. Thrush

Thrush is an infection caused by a yeast-like fungus named ‘Candida albicans’.  Common in women, it is believed that three out of four women will have thrush at some point in their life. A lot of women have candida fungus in their vagina without experiencing any symptoms from it. There are ‘friendly’ vaginal bacteria as well as hormones in vaginal secretions that both keep the candida under control. The problems begin when this natural balance is disturbed and the candida begin to multiply. Thrush develops for several reasons which may include:  if you are pregnant, taking certain antibiotics, undergoing chemotherapy, use bathroom products that may cause irritation of the vagina, have diabetes, or have a weakened immune system.  Some people who have thrush may not even be aware of it due to the fact symptoms do not always show. For women, thrush may be spotted via a vaginal examination for a cervical screening test. However, for both genders, typical symptoms include pain when passing urine, a thick discharge and irritation such as itching. A popular and greatly effective treatment for vaginal and penile thrush is Canesten Oral and Cream Duo – A single, fast-acting Canesten Oral capsule, to help clear the infection and a tube of Canesten 2% thrush cream to immediately cool the external symptoms.

There are certain steps you can take to reduce your chances of catching a fungal skin infection or stop it from spreading, such as:

. Keep your body, nails, hair and scalp clean and dry, preventing the ideal conditions for fungus to grow in.

. Do not share towels, shoes, combs or other items of clothing with others that could be carrying fungi, and always be sure to change your socks on a daily basis.

. When you are in any damp communal areas; wear clean flip-flops or plastic shoes. Examples of such places include: showers, saunas and swimming pools.

. Wash clothes and bedding on a regular basis to remove any potential fungi.

. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy hope you now feel more equipped to understand what exactly a fungal infection is and how to spot them should you ever develop one. Fortunately we have all three products mentioned earlier available to purchase from our chemist shop; Daktarin 2% cream (for athlete’s foot), Curanail 5% nail lacquer (for nail infections) and Canesten Oral and Cream Duo (for thrush). We are constantly adding products to our massive range of prescription medications and chemist shop items, so make sure to regularly check the Medical Specialists website for the latest products and exciting offers.

Animal owners warned they could pass the flu to their pets

With the weather starting to change as we approach the winter months, temperatures are noticeably dropping, scarves and gloves are being dusted off for use and unfortunately many of us will be struck down with colds and influenza.

If you are unwell then there is a good chance you will possibly want to get cosy in front of your fire and cuddle up to your pet dog or cat, however – think again. Scientists in the United States are now claiming that humans could pass on their flu infection to our furry friends. Though the risk is relatively small, they say that awareness needs to be raised about the generally unknown condition ‘reverse zoonosis’, but it has caused some degree of concern amongst health experts and veterinarians.

Influenza is a respiratory illness, more serious than a typical common cold. People are at risk of getting the flu throughout the year, but are more at risk during the winter months, hence where the name ‘seasonal flu’ is spawned from. The symptoms of the condition include aching muscles and joints, coughing, fever, headache and a sore throat. Flu can be so debilitating that often the sufferer is confined to their bed for a few days due to exhaustion.

In the UK alone there are an estimated 600 deaths annually due to complications arising from seasonal flu. This figure can skyrocket to about 13,000 fatalities during an epidemic, such as the swine flu outbreak of 2009.

The swine flu was a new variant of the common H1N1 virus (responsible for the majority of flu cases) and was so deadly partly because people didn’t have much of an immunity to it as it had not previously been discovered in humans or pigs. The pandemic was curbed to a massive extent with the wonder medication Tamiflu, which prevents influenza virus from spreading inside the body and helps to ease or prevent the symptoms arising from the influenza virus infection.

It is also the H1N1 flu strain that is being seen in human to pet transmissions. Christiane Loehr, an associate professor at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that ever since the 1970s experts have been aware that cats are at risk of catching the flu and in the year 2000 it became apparent that dogs could get it as well. Despite this, there was incredibly little in the way of reported instances of such occurrences happening.

Approximately 80 to 100 million households in the U.S. have a cat or dog, and 20 million in the UK. With such a high number of pets, researchers warn it may be best to distance ourselves from our pets when we next get struck down with symptoms of the flu.

The first confirmed case of a fatal human to cat transmission happened in Oregon in 2009 says Professor Loehr, with the pandemic H1N1 virus being the culprit. The cat’s owner had become seriously unwell from the flu and had to be taken to hospital. Whilst in hospital, her cat also became ill with the flu and subsequently died due to pneumonia caused by the H1N1 virus.

Since this tragic event, health experts have witnessed 13 cats and one dog with pandemic H1N1 infection during 2011 to 2012 that came about from human transmission. Even some pet ferrets have been found to be infected and a few died.

Professor Loehr is currently conducting further research into reverse zoonosis. She says, “We worry a lot about zoonosis, the transmission of diseases from animals to people. But most people don’t realize that humans can also pass diseases to animals, and this raises questions and concerns about mutations, new viral forms and evolving diseases that may potentially be zoonotic. And, of course, there is concern about the health of the animals. It’s reasonable to assume there are many more cases of this than we know about, and we want to learn more. Any time you have infection of a virus into a new species, it’s a concern, a black box of uncertainty. We don’t know for sure what the implications might be, but we do think this deserves more attention.”

Revealed: the everyday pills that could cause you to suffer hair loss!

The reasons behind hair loss can be many and varied. They range from genetic predispositions to hair loss, hormones, nutrition, physical activity, chemicals and stress. However, now according to a report by scientists at the University of Melbourne, drugs for blood pressure, acne, depression and even common painkillers can contribute towards hair loss. On top of this they claim other drugs can turn a brunette into a redhead, or make straight hair curly.

Many medications can result in premature hair loss and most of them list it as a side effect. Chemotherapy is the most obvious medical treatment that causes temporary premature hair loss, but others, such as antidepressants and those used for mood disorders and seizures can also affect hair growth.

Professor Sam Shuster, Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at Newcastle University said, “The cause of hair loss or change is often unknown, but you must always consider the effects of drugs, when drugs do affect the hair.”

In many cases, medications are thought to affect hair by interfering with its growth cycle, which has three distinct stages. In the growing period which lasts between three and five years on the scalp, hair grows by around 1cm a month. That’s followed by a shorter two week stage, known as the intermediate phase, where the hair follicle is prepared for releasing the hair.

In the final three month phase the telogen phase or resting phase, the hair stops growing and eventually falls out. After three months, the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Fortunately this happens randomly all over the scalp, if it didn’t, the hair would be shed in clumps.

Some drugs used for epilepsy and other disorders such as migraines have been linked to hair loss and they may even make hair curly.One of the drugs, sodium valproate, has been reported in various studies to cause hair loss in between 3 and 10 per cent of patients. In one of the latest studies, which involved more than 200 patients at Razi Hospital in Iran, 3.5 per cent of patients given sodium valproate experienced hair loss or curling. Another study found hair loss in 7 per cent of patients receiving divalproex, a combination of sodium valproate and valproic acid.

These drugs can trigger hair to fall out prematurely in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. This normally lasts three months, with the hair naturally shedding at the end of this time, but for some reason antidepressants seem to make hair fall out at the beginning of this phase instead. Fluoxetine better known as Prozac is the most commonly reported antidepressant to cause hair loss.

Increased hair loss occurs up to one year after the start of medication and stops when therapy ends. Tricyclic antidepressants, which include imipramine, amitriptyline and doxepin, may occasionally cause hair loss, found the Australian study, which is due to be published in the journal Dermatologic Clinics. However, according to Professor Shuster, “Patients with this problem should not panic; this type of hair loss is reversible.”

Hair loss has been reported among women who stop taking the Pill after long term use. One theory is that this is because some oral contraceptives, particularly progesterone based pills, contain compounds called anti-androgens. These lower levels of testosterone and thus lower the risk of hair loss in women, who may be susceptible. But when these women stop taking the Pill, the protection ends.

When asked, leading UK Trichologist David Bailey said, “Women with hair loss who wish to take the pill, should try Dianette as it contains an anti-androgen which can stop this. If they do not wish to take the pill, spironolactone is often prescribed. Women who are already on Dianette should be careful if they wish to come off it. They could switch to Marvelon or Yasmin, or spironolactone it they do not wish to take a hormone based therapy. Either way, they should really discuss it with someone who knows all about hair and these types of treatments.

High blood pressure drugs have also been linked to hair thinning. The Melbourne researchers say two particular beta blockers, metoprolol and propranolol; have been shown to lead to reversible hair loss. Another group of drugs used for blood pressure, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, may also be associated with hair loss. The drugs seem to cause the hair to shed prematurely in the resting phase.

Small studies have linked painkillers to hair loss. A recent report from the New Zealand government described hair loss as a possible complication, affecting less than one in 100 users. A small U.S. study based on a sample of 21 people using ibuprofen found that 15 patients reported thinning or loss of hair. Once the medication is discontinued, hair loss reduces over eight to nine months.

However, Professor Shuster cautions that, “Patients should never stop taking the drugs without consulting their GP. They can be switched to other drugs, if appropriate, or the dose can be reduced. In other cases, patients can be reassured the effects are unlikely to be permanent.”

Professor Shuster said, “When drugs do affect the hair, the change is usually mild and reverses when the drug is stopped. So you may want to tolerate the change, because of the important effect the drug is having in restoring your health.”

So it seems that many everyday pills we take can contribute in some small way to hair loss, however as has already been stated the benefits these drugs offer us often far outweigh the possible side effects. Prescribed medicines should never be stopped without first consulting your GP. Also worth bearing in mind is that the side effects can often be temporary and reversible.

However there are effective treatments available to treat female hair loss such as Dianette, spironolactone, or even Regain lotion for women, and Regaine (minoxidil) foam and lotion and Propecia (finasteride) both of which are clinically proven to treat male hair loss. These can be obtained from Medical Specialists Pharmacy, after an online consultation with one of our doctors.

Radical new Symprove drink could help millions win the fight against IBS

Today we at Medical Specialists Pharmacy are thoroughly delighted to offer a brand new, revolutionary treatment option for the estimated 12 million people in the UK who are caused misery by the painful and inconvenient stomach condition, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some of the most common symptoms for sufferers include highly discomforting stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea or constipation, or sometimes even bouts of both.

The IBS treatment in question is a non-dairy, gluten-free probiotic food supplement produced by Symprove Ltd, named simply ‘Symprove’. Those with sharp memories will recall that we first mentioned about this fantastic IBS treatment way back in May. In fact, its effectiveness at combating the common stomach and bowel complaint is so exceptional that even national media has picked up on Symprove, subsequently being featured in newspapers such as the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, as well as HELLO! magazine.

Therefore the opportunity to offer our patients this brilliant solution to help with IBS was one we could not refuse, and proudly working together with Symprove Ltd, we now have the delicious 500ml mango and passion fruit flavoured version in stock and available from the Medical Specialists chemist shop for the low price of £19.93.

So, what exactly is Symprove you may wonder, and how does it work? Well, it is a water-based barley drink that is taken once daily – ideally prior to breakfast. With every batch produced being independently tested to ensure the highest standard of quality, each 50ml serving contains approximately 10 billion live bacteria.

However, here is where it gets interesting; Symprove’s 4 species of live bacterial cultures (L. rhamnosus, planatarum, acidophilus and E. faeciumbacteria), are fully alive and activated from the moment Symprove is swallowed. What sets Symprove apart is the fact that unlike other everyday probiotic products, the probiotics within Symprove manage to reach the gut and get to work in a mere 20 minutes without triggering the digestion process.  This may sound strange and something you would expect and want to happen. However with other probiotics, digestion results in stomach acid and bile salts being released in order to break down food. The stomach acid means that probiotic bacteria struggle to survive in this environment and any that do, will be ineffective inside the gut.

Symprove is successful at travelling straight through the stomach without triggering digestion, meaning its probiotics are able to reach the gut and then establish a more healthy balance of  ‘normal bacteria’. It is the existence of ‘bad’ pathogenic bacteria that initially causes digestive and other problems. Symprove’s revolutionary method of fighting the symptoms of IBS means that the bacteria are not freeze-dried like many other products out there. Basically with its ‘Unique Delivery System’, the bacteria are ready to start working from the moment they pass your lips!

At Medical Specialists we fully understand that IBS can be a deeply distressing condition to live with, especially when trying to manage it whilst at your job. Many underestimate the psychological impact that IBS can have from trying to cope with the pain and discomfort. It is even thought that three out of every four people who suffer from it, will have at least one bout of depression, with half experiencing some varying degree of anxiety. You should not let it control your quality of life though, and with appropriate treatment you can live a normal and happy life. In addition to Symprove, there are other available options to help with the symptoms of IBS such as Buscopan IBS relief, Imodium and Mebeverine. All are available from the stomach and bowel area of the Medical Specialists website.

Obesity is linked to thousands of cancer cases each year

Last week Medical Specialists Pharmacy delivered the fantastic news to everybody around the World that we now have XLS-Medical Fat Binder in stock, available to buy at just £38.99 at this incredibly low introductory price. The news it seems has come at the perfect time as the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has warned that there are over 22,000 cases of cancer in the UK each year that are directly the result of people either being overweight or obese, and they can be avoidable if people remained at a healthy weight.

The WCRF’s information was amassed via a report from the charities own ‘Continuous Update Project’ (CUP), which investigates all the latest cancer prevention research studies. The researchers involved in the project say that 63% of all Brits are either overweight, meaning they have a body mass index (BMI) that is higher than 25 or obese, with a BMI over 30. The BMI reading is an estimate of a person’s body fat based on both their height and weight.

However, according to the WCRF, this extra body weight is massively increasing the risk of a whole host of deadly cancers including: bowel, breast, gall bladder, kidney, oesophagus, pancreatic and womb cancer. Added to the risks of different cancers, there are also numerous other chronic diseases that are connected to excess body weight. Possibilities of coronary disease, heart attack, joint problems and kidney failure are just a few of the serious health risks those overweight or obese people may find themselves experiencing.

According to CUP, around one in five (18%) of the 123,000 weight-related cancer cases in the UK can be avoided with necessary action such as adopting simple healthy lifestyle changes, saving a staggering 22,000 lives each year.

The figure of 22,000 includes 7,752 cases of breast cancer, 5,753 incidents of bowel cancer and 2,978 womb-related cancers. In addition, it is estimated that 1,257 cases of pancreatic cancer may be caused by being overweight.  To give a better insight into the severity of the issue, according to figures from Cancer Research UK, in 2011 there were in excess of 320,400 people diagnosed with cancer. Clearly something needs to be done to halt the trend, and fast.

Professor Alan Jackson, professor of human nutrition at the University of Southampton and chairman of the CUP panel, spoke on the latest report and said, “A significant number of cancer cases could be prevented by people maintaining a healthy body weight. Through keeping levels of body fat low, a lot of people will avoid getting cancer in the first place – forestalling the pain and anguish associated with the disease.”

Last year academics from Oxford University estimated that 134,000 instances of cancer could have been prevented through lifestyle changes. Smoking still seems to be the biggest killer, accounting for a huge 61,000 of the cases, followed by obesity at 17,000. The academics stressed although their calculations were ‘conservative’, there is a good chance that obesity contributes to a number of different cancers.

After the estimates were published by the academics, Dr Rachel Thompson, of the WCRF, said: “We hope this helps to raise awareness that cancer is not simply a question of fate and that people can make changes today that can reduce their risk. Thousands of cases of cancer in the UK could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, being regularly physically active and eating a plant-based diet without too much salt, alcohol or red and processed meat.”

Before their latest findings were published, WCRF previously warned that the number of Brits who get any form of cancer is likely to double by the year 2050 unless something is done to stop the problem.

As you saw earlier this year, weight loss surgery such as having a gastric band fitted, is probably not the best option for those carrying a little extra baggage due to the dangerous health risks. Also, many people who go under the knife actually end up piling all the lost weight back on eventually anyway. Perhaps the way forward is by adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet in conjunction with a scientifically proven weight loss aid such as XLS-Medical or the prescription medication Xenical. Both are available today from Medical Specialists at incredibly low prices.