Britain’s health watchdog has called for a total ban on use of trans fats, which are used overwhelmingly in the processed food industry, as they increase the risk of heart disease and strokes.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which also called for a reduction in salt intake, wants Britain to eliminate the use of dangerous trans fats like Denmark, Austria and states of New York and Philadelphia in the US.
“Trans fats are industrially produced fats that are often used to increase the shelf life of a product, but have no known health benefits,” the health watchdog added.
It also recommended that processed food manufacturers should reduce the levels of saturated fat in all food products. The reduction in salt levels and ban on trans fats in processed food and takeaways will dramatically reduce the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease, NICE said.
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‘Listening to iPod for an hr could damage your hearing’
London, June 22: Cranking up your iPod or MP3 player even for an hour daily can cause irreparable damage to your hearing, a new study has claimed.
Scientists in Europe have shown that listening to music on headphones for an hour can have a temporary impact on people’s hearing because of the damage caused to the hair cells in the outer ear. Participants in the study had their hearing tested and were then asked to listen to pop or rock music for six one hour long sessions using two different types of headphones and at varying volumes, the Daily Telegraph reported. —PTI