Using My Health Record data for research could save lives, but we must ensure it's ethical
Aug 08, 2018 11:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Health
There has been considerable debate about the merits and risks of the My Health Record (MHR) scheme ranging from the deep inefficiencies in the current system, to privacy issues and control of data. There has been less...
Can food have negative calories? Nutritionist debunks the idea
Aug 08, 2018 11:39 am UTC| Health
Diets are everywhere, but could eating negative calorie foods, such as celery and grapefruit, help to boost weight loss? A calorie is a unit of energy, usually expressed as kilocalories (kcal) for the energy content in...
Could your gut microbes hinder your cancer treatment? A new first-in-human trial investigates
Aug 01, 2018 15:23 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Could the poop of some cancer patients hold the key to treating certain cancers in all people? What does cancer have to do with poop? In the past few years, researchers around the world, including us, have realized that...
Explainer: how competitive is South Africa's private healthcare sector
Aug 01, 2018 14:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
After a four and a half year probe initiated by South Africas Competition Commission, a panel of independent experts released their preliminary report into the countrys private health care market. The Conversation Africa...

Baby animals really do reduce your appetite for meat, say psychologists
Aug 01, 2018 14:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
The BuzzFeed video, Bacon lovers meet baby pigs is amusing to watch. With 14,493,383 views, you may have seen it. It depicts several young men and women waiting blissfully to be delivered a plate of mouthwatering bacon,...
Clamping the umbilical cord straight after birth is bad for a baby's health
Aug 01, 2018 14:51 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Clamping and cutting a babys umbilical cord as soon as it is born can be bad for its health. The World Health Organisation advises that clamping should be delayed for two to three minutes after the baby has been born, and...
The lifesaving power of gratitude (or, why you should write that thank you note)
Aug 01, 2018 14:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Gratitude may be more beneficial than we commonly suppose. One recent study asked subjects to write a note of thanks to someone and then estimate how surprised and happy the recipient would feel an impact that they...