Calculator devised that can predict childhood obesity risk at birth

Scientists at Imperial College London claim they have constructed a formula that could predict a new-born baby’s chance of becoming obese as they get older. The calculator is available online for anybody wishing to test it out, with researchers hoping that parents analyse the results seriously and take positive steps now to help avoid weight creeping onto their child in future years.

The need for such a formula could be due to the fact that an alarming 17% of boys and 15% of girls aged between two to 15 in England are currently in the obese category of body mass index (BMI) classification. If your BMI is between 30 and 40, you would be considered obese. Although the online calculator has targeted how babies will develop in the future, a survey published this year unearthed damning statistics showing just over a quarter of all adults (26%) in England are obese.
The Researchers from Imperial College London studied 4,032 Finnish children all born during 1986 and also analysed information extracted from two other studies; one involving 1,503 Italian children and another that included 1,032 U.S. children.

It was initially considered if an obesity risk could be determined by studying genetic profiles. Accurate predictions were not able to be found though using the tests on this theory. In fact it was estimated that only about one in 10 cases of obesity is a direct result of a rare gene mutation that influences a person’s appetite. Instead, it was found that simple non-genetic factors could be used such as if the child’s mother smoked or not and the baby’s birth weight.

Prof Philippe Froguel from Imperial College London, led the study and he and his team managed to refine obesity risk factors to just six pointers which they say together can provide an accurate reading of a child’s chance of becoming obese.

The first question requests both parent’s BMI as many health experts argue that children of overweight adults are more likely to become overweight as well due to picking up bad dietary habits.
Next, the calculator asks for how many people are in the household as it is believed that single-parents have less time to spend properly taking care of their child and thus the child has a higher chance of becoming obese.

Following questions then ask for the mother’s professional category, if the mother smoked during her pregnancy and finally the birth weight (in kg) is required to be entered.
The calculator was used on the children in Finland, Italy and the US, and was found to be a fast and credible method of producing an obesity risk.

Prof Froguel said that prevention methods held the key to tackling the problem as once a child has become obese, they usually find it difficult to drop the extra weight. He said: “The equation is based on data everyone can obtain from a new-born, and we found it can predict around 80% of obese children. Unfortunately, public prevention campaigns have been rather ineffective at preventing obesity in school-age children. Teaching parents about the dangers of overfeeding and bad nutritional habits at a young age would be much more effective. The message is simple. All at-risk children should be identified, monitored and given good advice, but this costs money.”

Publishing their findings in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers stated they believed parents could be provided with more information about breastfeeding – a factor linked to a reduced risk of a baby becoming obese later in life. They also said the time spent watching television should be greatly reduced and parents should avoid giving their children fizzy drinks. Ironically only two days ago Medical Specialists Pharmacy actually reported on many of the health dangers associated with such drinks.

If you have already become an adult and gained weight though, it is not too late to lose the extra lbs. and feel the benefits. There are so many reasons to lose excess weight if you are overweight or obese. It is absolutely not something you should consider to begin in the future, start today! The health benefits include:

. You will find it easier to breathe.
. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greatly reduced.
. Blood pressure decreases.
. Improved mobility, with less aches and pains.
. Lowers cholesterol levels.
. Decreases the risk of sudden death from a stroke or heart disease.
. Weight loss and being in good health promotes better sleep and waking with more energy.
. Weight loss can improve fertility.

As well as countless medical reasons why it is a danger to be overweight or obese, weight loss will improve your confidence levels and boost your wallet as you gain the willpower to give up spending money on expensive fatty meals and treats.
With Christmas rapidly approaching and many of us will probably gain weight over the coming month, now more than ever is the time to act!

Luckily, at Medical Specialists we have proven effective weight loss treatments such as Xenical and the recently introduced XLS-Medical Fat Binder. In conjunction with a healthy diet, they can help you drop the additional pounds and begin to reap the massive rewards from doing so. XLS-Medical can even be obtained today without the need for a prescription or doctor’s consultation. You can find out more information regarding both medications from the obesity section of the Medical Specialists website.

Brave housewife with PCOS grows her facial hair for Movember

A woman, who has battled hirsutism as a result of abnormal levels of male hormone testosterone, has appeared on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ as her ‘Movember’ charity bid comes to an end.  Movember is a month-long annual event primarily involving men being challenged to grow-out their facial hair. It aims to raise awareness and funds for men’s health; in particularly prostate and testicular cancer.

Siobhain Fletcher 36, from Leek, Staffordshire, suffers from a condition known as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and has had to try and fight excessive facial hair growth since she was 17-years-old when she noticed whiskers beginning to grow on her upper lip region. During the next few years the hair growth began to worsen and Siobhain found herself having to trim whiskers from her lip and chin almost daily.

Over the next five years she became deeply distraught about her problem and cruel comments from others left her unable to leave the house for the majority of the time.

Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning, she explained that a friend’s participation in Movember had inspired her to use her condition positively instead of feeling depressed about her situation. She says “It helps people get checked for prostate and testicular cancer, and hopefully people will, instead of going to a funeral, be going to a remission party.”

Retracing the distressing few years that led up to her joining charity appeal, she said: “I had such low self-esteem. I used to clip it off with scissors, and dress very androgynously. I got stared at a lot and got mistaken for a man. It took its toll. Even though I was pretty, I didn’t feel like that…The only time I left the house was to go and see my horses. They don’t care what you look like, as long as you’ve got food.”

Siobhain tried various hair-removal methods such as waxing and electrolysis, but found no success through either. With her having very sensitive skin, the hot wax ended up removing both her hair and skin.  Electrolysis also proved unsuccessful as it can only remove around 10 to 15 hairs at a time and Siobhain’s facial hair is quite thick. She says: “It didn’t work – the hair grows up my cheeks as well. It was like trying to fell a tree in a forest.”

After continued problems with excessive hair growth in addition to finding herself unable to conceive, Siobhain finally decided to seek medical help and get some answers as to why she was experiencing these symptoms. In 2000 she was formally diagnosed with PCOS, which also causes irregular periods, weight gain, acne and hair loss from the head.

Polycystic ovaries are comprised of many harmless cysts, around 8mm each in size at the very most. Only half these numbers of cysts are found in regular ovaries. Both the follicular cysts and the eggs inside them are underdeveloped and in most cases of PCOS, ovulation cannot occur due to the follicles being incapable of emitting eggs.

The condition affects millions of women in the UK and its exact cause is still unknown but is believed to run in families, with history of high cholesterol and diabetes being contributors. So what are the options to women like Siobhain who cannot afford expensive laser hair removal treatment and will not receive this through the NHS?

Well, there are many inexpensive treatments to help with hirsutism, such as contraceptive pills like Dianette or Yasmin, as well as non-hormonal therapy in Spironolactone.

The combined oral contraceptive pill Yasmin, suppress androgens (male sex hormones) through the drospirenone inside the tablets. Yasmin has also been shown to maintain or even lose weight and just like Dianette, is incredibly effective at combating skin problems such as acne. Dianette and Spironolactone are also anti-androgens. Dianette contains a special hormone called ‘cyproterone acetate’ and is often prescribed to help regulate periods, reduce hair growth, reduce acne and is an excellent contraceptive. Unlike Dianette, Spironolactone is a non-hormonal treatment and thus does not work as a contraceptive method. However, Spironolactone has been used for over 20 years as an anti-androgen in the treatment of acne and hirsutism, being the most widely prescribed medication for these problems in the USA.

If you are still confused as to which treatment is most suitable for you, why not visit the ‘Women’s Health’ section on the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website. Here you can find out plenty of information about these medications and many more.

Daily fizzy drink intake linked to aggressive prostate cancer

As if there weren’t enough reasons to give-up sugary fizzy drinks, a new Swedish study has perhaps added another persuader to this. In addition to helping to rot teeth and adding extra inches to your waistline due to the massive sugar content, there have been studies to emerge this year that have found that fizzy drinks can have even more detrimental effects to health. For instance, in February it was revealed in an Australian study that soft drinks could result in an increased danger of developing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


Then in June, high levels of the dangerous colouring agent 4-methylimidazole (4-MI)  were found in cans of Coca-Cola in numerous countries around the world, a chemical shown in tests to be connected to cancer within some animals. Past research has also linked brittle bones, heart attacks, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, muscle weakness and even paralysis as possible dangers from the long-term heavy consumption of such drinks.

The new study, conducted by scientists at Lund University in Sweden, has found evidence that shows men who consume just one solitary 300ml soft drink each day  - less than a standard 330ml can – could be at a 40% higher risk at developing serious forms of prostate cancer; the most prevalent type of cancer in UK males. This is in comparison to men who refrain from drinking soft drinks.
Prostate cancer develops in the prostate – a gland in the male reproductive system. In the UK alone there are an estimated 36,000 to 40,000 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and there are about 250,000 men currently living with the disease. It tragically claims the lives of over 10,000 men in the UK every year.

The Swedish study involved tracking 8,000 healthy men who were aged between 45 to 73 years of age for an average of around 15 years.  All the men were in perfect health at the beginning of the study and were continually quizzed about their dietary preferences, including soft drink intake.
At the close of the study, the researchers compared the diets of the men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer against that of the healthy men, and subsequently established a link between intake of sugary drinks and the potentially fatal disease.

Isabel Drake, Lund University researcher, commented on the study findings and said: “Among the men who drank a lot of soft drinks we saw an increased risk of prostate cancer of around 40 per cent.”
Their investigation also established some link between a less severe type of prostate cancer and large amounts of rice and pasta, cakes and biscuits, and sugary breakfast cereals that were in the subject’s diet.

However, before people start to panic and banish these foods from their diet completely, Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, attempted urged caution in interpreting the study findings and said:  “We cannot be certain whether any particular dietary pattern has a significant impact on a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer but it is highly unlikely that any single food source will lead to an increased chance of developing the disease.” In addition, Drake also stressed that more research would be required to fully prove any definite links between dietary choices and prostate cancer.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include: having to urinate more frequently, difficulty beginning to urinate, a feeling that your bladder has not been fully emptied and a weak flow of urine. If you are suffering with any symptoms similar to these you should visit your own GP as soon as possible for a check-up. The earlier prostate cancer is spotted – the better chance of treatment being effective and a full recovery can be made. If it is not prostate cancer then you may be one of 2.4 million men in the UK suffering from a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. Also known as an enlarged prostate gland, it can be treated through the use of effective medication such as Flomax Relief, which eases the symptoms associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of a BPH. Flomax works by relaxing muscles in the prostate gland, relaxing the muscles in the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body).  This allows urine to travel more comfortably through the urethra, making it easier to urinate. Flomax is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy chemist shop priced at just £8.75 for 14 capsules, or £15.95 for 28.

Contagious ‘winter vomiting bug’ hits UK; hospitals forced to close wards

An outbreak of norovirus or ‘winter vomiting bug’ as it is more commonly known, has left thousands suffering across Britain and forced an incredible 45 hospitals to shut down wards in an attempt to stop the winter bug from spreading any more than it already has – an increase from last year when 33 hospitals closed down certain wards for similar reasons.

Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital has closed four of its wards and is warning visitors to stay away, with four members of staff off-sick with the virus. Other hospitals that have experienced outbreaks of the winter vomiting bug include Solihull in the West Midlands, East Surrey Hospital, Weston General Hospital in Weston-Super-Mare, and Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire.

Figures published from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that the number of confirmed reports of Norovirus is up a massive 52% on the same period last year in what is a five-year high. So far there have been 1,975 confirmed cases since July. This is in comparison to 1,301 at the same time in 2011.

HPA expert John Harris however said the increase could be because of better detection techniques in labs. He commented: “Everyone can help to minimise the risk of outbreaks at their local hospital by not going if they have the typical symptoms of a norovirus infection.”

Norovirus is primarily a winter pathogen, hence the ‘winter vomiting bug’ name, but infections and outbreaks can occur during any time of the year. Symptoms include a sudden onset of vomiting – which may be projectile and/ or diarrhoea that is usually quite watery in nature. The virus is highly contagious and easily spread by contact with an infected person – usually via the hands through touching the same doors or stair rails as somebody who has the virus.

Unfortunately there is no cure, but it will usually run its course after a few days. If you contract norovirus you should drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated, take paracetamol for aches and pains, consume foods that are easily digestible and stay at home until your symptoms subside due to Norovirus being contagious.

An estimated 600,000 to 1 million people in the UK fall ill with Norovirus every year. If you do not want to become part of this statistic then there are a number of things you can do to try and both prevent contracting the virus, and stop it from spreading. For example, avoid sharing towels and flannels, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the toilet as well as prior to preparing meals, use a bleach-based household cleaner to disinfect any surfaces or areas that may be contaminated and wash all clothing and bedding at risk separately from other items.

Speaking on television regarding the outbreak, Daybreak’s Health Editor Dr Hilary Jones said that Norovirus is ‘very bad news’, adding: “Although it’s not hugely a life-threatening it is the most common form of gastroenteritis in adults in the UK.”

This is not the first high-profile outbreak of norovirus seen this year however. Only six months ago, Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported how the virus had spread aboard the luxury cruise ship ‘Boudicca’. In that instance, 170 of the 828 passengers ended up falling ill leading to a huge fumigation process before the ship could resume its journey to the Canary Islands.

Scotland aims to become a completely smoke-free country

Perhaps David Cameron’s coalition government could take the lead from Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and his Scottish National Party as the latter and his SNP have set themselves the bold target of making Scotland a smoke-free country. Plans were first made almost thirty years ago to make Glasgow a city free of smoke by the start of the new millennium. Unfortunately this never materialised though.

However, Scotland would appear to be at the forefront in their attempts to stamp-out smoking and back in 2006, the efforts of the then First Minister Jack McConnell, led Scotland to becoming the first UK country to introduce a smoking ban, forbidding smoking in all enclosed public spaces such as restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shopping centres, etc.

In spite of initial doubts about the ban, it has since proved to be an overwhelming success both in Scotland and in England since its introduction here in 2007. Hospital admissions for numerous smoking-induced health conditions such as asthma and heart problems have both been declining in recent years. In addition, it is believed that 10% decrease in premature births across Scotland is also connected to the ban.

Since 2006, the Scottish ruling on smoking has not completely had the desired effect sadly. Despite some health benefits being evident, the number of people actually giving up the unhealthy habit for good has not increased as much as the government would have liked. In fact, figures show that there has only been in excess of 2% more people stubbing-out for good.

This has resulted in SNP ministers yesterday outlining their plans to publish a timetable at some point in the New Year on their goals and possible new legislation that aims to make the country smoke-free. No date or further detail though has been revealed on specifically how they intend to go about this difficult task.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “The strategy will focus on prevention, protection and cessation and will also include both a review of smoking-cessation services and ambitious targets for reducing smoking across Scotland.”

The plans though show at least prove that the Alex Salmond administration is one of the most impressive anti-smoking governments in the world. The only other countries who also share Scotland’s belief that smoking is a serious issue are New Zealand and Finland who have set smoke-free target date of 2025 and 2040 respectively. New Zealand’s government also recently announced a whopping 40% increase in tobacco taxes, due to be implemented in the next four years.

You may be wondering though what constitutes a country actually becoming ‘smoke-free’. Well, the generally accepted definition is when less than 5% of the population are smoking. Estimates say that the percentage of adults in Scotland smoking has decreased from 25.7% 2006 to 23.3% in 2011. Although the number is moving in the right direction, the SNP clearly have their work cut-out to reach their target which could easily take decades judging from comments from John Watson, director of policy at anti-tobacco charity Ash Scotland. He said: “For somebody born next year, let’s try and achieve the target by the time they reach 18 or 21, so we are looking ahead to the next generation living their lives free from tobacco.”

Professor Gerard Hastings, of Stirling University’s Centre for Tobacco Control Research, suggested how the aim could be realised, urging ministers to limit the ‘distribution networks’ for tobacco.  Professor Hastings highlighted the supermarket giant Sainsbury’s who recently stopped the sale of tobacco from sale at six of its supermarkets. This came after the Scottish Government’s health levy on business rates paid by large stores who sell cigarettes and alcohol.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we applaud the efforts of the Scottish Government to encourage a nationwide curbing of smoking. Millions of lives will be saved, hospital admissions will drop drastically, secondhand smoking will decrease in addition to asthma rates and cardiovascular diseases, and money will be saved for consumers as cigarette prices go up as well as millions of pounds will be saved by NHS Scotland; vital as budgets become tighter.

We are pleased to be able to offer smoking cessation medication to all new and existing patients. Champix is a prescription medication that can be obtained following an online consultation with one of our GMC registered doctors. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack, a small price when it comes to your long-term health. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.

National HIV testing week begins today

England’s first ever National HIV testing week gets underway today all around the country, in what is a massive nationwide campaign primarily aiming to encourage people to get tested who may be at risk of HIV; People from African communities and gay or bisexual men. However, the number of people who don’t belong to either of these groups is increasing every year and it is clear that awareness needs to be raised about the potentially deadly condition.

In fact, at the end of 2010 it was estimated that there are 91,500 people with HIV in the UK and approximately a quarter (22,000) are actually unaware they have the virus. That total comprises of around 40,100 gay men and 47,000 heterosexual men and women.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and it is a serious health condition that attacks our bodies natural defence mechanism against infections and disease – the immune system. The Health Protection Agency released statistics back in 2010 that showed 95% of those diagnosed with HIV in the UK had picked up the virus from sexual contact. Most commonly it is the failure to use a condom during sex which is the problem although sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia can also increase the risk of contracting HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay. Putting-off necessary critical treatment can prove fatal and it is thought that a person who is diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to someone who gets tested in good time. If left untreated or properly managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This is where the body is unable to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage to the immune system.
Therefore, National HIV testing week is vital to shed the stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS and encourage people to get tested if they think they might be at risk. There is no shame in coming forward to seek help and it could save your life.

The week is being pioneered by The Terrence Higgins Trust, a leading HIV/AIDS charity, in addition to HIV Prevention England (HPE). The HPE is a Department of Health- funded partnership of community organisations that aim to tackle HIV in England by targeting those most at risk of contracting the disease. Through the next seven days there will be numerous testing and awareness-raising events happening across the country.

Genevieve Edwards, director of health improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, stressed the importance of the need for such initiatives to fight HIV. She said in a statement: “There is a growing consensus that reducing undiagnosed HIV would firmly put the brakes on the spread of infection in this country. We’ve already seen other parts of the world make progress in reducing rates of undiagnosed and late diagnosed HIV, and that’s without healthcare systems as comprehensive as our own. It is now fully within our grasp to halt the spread of HIV, but we need more regular testing among high-risk groups to bring down rates of undiagnosed infection. National HIV Testing Week provides a great opportunity to encourage this, and we would welcome any organisation that wants to get involved.”

Even the London Mayor Boris Johnson took time out of his hectic schedule to give his backing to the campaign and urged people to come forward to seek help. Speaking earlier this week he said: “London is home to almost half of all people living with HIV in the UK, but a quarter of them are unaware they carry the virus. It is vital that people who might be at risk get tested, not only to reduce the risk of transmission to others, but to ensure they get the life-saving treatments that are available.”
The campaign will be focused on getting local authorities in England to promote HIV prevention schemes as a high priority. Also, work will be done to urge GPs and practice staff to keep their knowledge of HIV up-to-date so they are able to diagnose the condition more easily and recommend appropriate treatment.

HIV testing programmes will run up until Friday 30th November – the day before World Aids Day. Regular visitors to the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website will already have seen our ‘In The Press’ news section and be aware that for the last few years we have given away free condoms for a full week to any men buying erectile dysfunction products in support of World Aids Day. We are strong advocates for promoting better sexual health and already provide a wide range of medications to treat sexually transmitted infections such as herpes and chlamydia.

As mentioned earlier, the failure to wear a condom is the biggest cause of HIV being transmitted from person-to-person. Currently Medical Specialists have teamed up with the discount deal provider website ‘Mighty Deals’ to further help our patients in the current financial climate. We are currently offering a fantastic deal on Durex Performa condoms, slashing an incredible 70% off 72 individually wrapped Durex Performa condoms worth £60. For a limited time only we are able to offer this deal at an unbelievable ‘Mighty Price’ of just £18! So don’t delay and head to the deal page where you can find out exactly how to claim this incredible bargain!

No need to hold your breath anymore for a cure: CB12 is here!

With Christmas almost upon us – 32 days away to be exact – friends, family and work colleagues will soon be gathering together in what is a jovial time across Britain as the festive spirit takes over. As Christmas trees and decorations will be gracing homes and work offices, one particular Christmas decoration – mistletoe – will sometimes rather humorously be deliberately situated in a location by somebody who has earmarked out their crush for a romantic Christmas kiss.

However, perhaps an underestimated threat to this happening and certainly no laughing matter, is persistent bad breath. The condition is also known as ‘Halitosis’ and it can be a deeply upsetting and bothersome thing to live with for somebody who suffers with it. Even a simple thing as a kiss has to be strategised, with any attempt possible made to mask the odour from the other person. These attempts though such as soft mints or chewing gum, are often a futile and very short-term solution for bad breath.

Although most of us will experience short periods of bad breath, it is believed that up to 50% of people are suffering from persistent bad breath, which can be the result of numerous reasons. These can include lifestyle choices such as heavy smoking and alcohol consumption, in addition to eating certain heavily flavoured foods such as garlic or onions can leave an undesirable odour. Persistent bad breath may be a sign of poor oral hygiene such as not brushing your teeth regularly or even gum disease, and occasionally bad breath may be symptom of infection or illness, or could be an unwanted side effect from taking a particular medication. Nitrates taken for angina and some chemotherapy medications can affect a person’s breath.

Without doubt though, the most common kind of bad breath stems from naturally-occurring bacteria present in our oral cavity and work at disintegrating bits of food inside the mouth. Food debris continually coming into contact with the bacteria, allows it to flourish and the anaerobic respiration of this bacteria will then generate repulsive ‘rotten egg’ smelling gasses, also known as volatile sulphur compounds (VCSs). The culprit VCSs include: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, Allyl methyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulphide.

This process of which will cause bad breath in all of us at some point, is referred to as ‘Endogenous bad breath’. Many people around the UK – including some doctors – believe that this bad breath is caused by digestive upsets or metabolic diseases like diabetes. However, scientists say that almost 90% of endogenous bad breath is actually caused by the bacterial build-up on the tongue.
In some cases, this type of bad breath may be treated through a simple process of cleansing the tongue thoroughly on a regular basis, known as ‘tongue scraping’; performed before or after you’ve finished brushing and flossing your teeth. Unfortunately, bacteria on the tongue can reproduce at a rapid pace and constantly produce VSCs.

Therefore, you might be wondering what can be done to fight these pesky VSCs that are causing undesirable breath. Well, the answer might lie with a revolutionary mouthwash that is currently flying off the shelves in countries all around the world. The mouthwash in question is named ‘CB12’, which may be familiar with those who have seen its adverts on television.

Most mouthwashes will simply mask the smell of bad breath for a very limited period of time and this is where CB12 is different. This unique long-lasting mouth rinse has been proven in clinical trials to be highly successful at preventing and neutralising bad breath for up to 12 hours. If that isn’t enough to get excited about, CB12 also contains fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.

After initially being launched in Sweden back in 2006, the wonders of CB12 have quickly spread around the globe and it has hit record sales. The brains behind CB12 is Dr Thomas Norlin, currently a leading implantologist at The Dental Spa in Shrewsbury, which is part of The Velvet Group, and Dr Norlin continues to act as a scientific advisor for CB12.

Dr Norlin first became interested in creating a product that would properly and efficiently fight bad breath way back in 2002, after becoming frustrated that existing products would only work to mask the odour through the use of various flavourings, and not actually get to the route of the problem.
This is what Dr Norlin explained in regards to VSC gases and what provided him with the motivation to develop the remarkable CB12 mouthwash: “The majority of VSCs are produced when protein remnants in the mouth break down into amino acids. The two amino acids that form the main substrate for the production of VSCs are cysteine and methionine. VSCs originate from food, such as a protein-rich diet, milk products and cheese. They also originate from blood, a dry mouth or anything that increases the number of germs, i.e. the amino acids. Certain bacteria have enzymes that break down these amino acids and the result is sulphurous gases, i.e. VSCs which consist of the gases hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulphide. Methyl mercaptan is the component of VSCs that causes the worst smell, even in very small quantities. We also know now that there is a correlation between VSCs and periodontitis. In other words, there are elevated levels of VSCs in deep gum pockets, so patients with gum pockets have higher levels of VSCs than other patients. Studies often measure only hydrogen sulphide and not methyl mercaptan to detect VSCs. In order to show the presence of methyl mercaptan a gas chromatography is required. The methyl mercaptan smells the worst and is more aggressive, also it is not neutralised as easily as hydrogen sulphide. With the development of CB12 there was one primary aim: to eliminate all gases and not just some of them. By using a gas chromatography as part of thorough research it has been proved and later published in several scientific journals that CB12 eliminates VSCs for a longer period and is more effective than any other product that exists on the market.”

He also states that recent studies recently carried out by the Microbiology Unit at West of England University, centred on a clinical comparison between CB12 and four other commercially available mouthwashes.  CB12 was found to be the best and most effective product.

If you are suffering from halitosis, why not try this miracle revolutionary product, and no longer will bad breath be a source of embarrassment or distress. CB12 is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy Chemist Shop priced at just £9.95 for a 250ml bottle of either two varieties. We fully empathise that the build-up to Christmas hinders everybody’s disposable income so that is why we are offering such a low price compared to the RRP of £14.59.

We have the CB12 Mint Menthol, for a strong and refreshing mint and menthol taste, or you can opt for CB12 Mild, which has a gentle mint flavour – ideal if you have a sensitive mouth or if you desire a softer mint taste.