Does "brushing your teeth" really "reduce your risk of throat cancer"?

Hi Readers,

Check this out! Many people know that the media can distort or 'embellish' different news stories. In fact, after taking a look at Mail Online's headline "

Why brushing your teeth could reduce your risk of throat cancer by MORE THAN one-fifth, study finds

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5143405/This-everyday-habit-reduce-risk-cancer.html#ixzz50QWMhWhF

 

I was curious to find out what there was to be said on this topic - certainly by the NHS' "Behind the Headlines".

https://www.nhs.uk/news/cancer/can-keeping-your-teeth-clean-protect-against-oesophageal-cancer/

The confusion and conflict between "correlation and causation" instantly springs to mind after reading this article - and certainly there are many problems with extrapolation of data.

I urge everyone to take a look at the behind the headline analysis carried out by the NHS, especially when they act as a myth-buster for many of the shock-headings given by the media.

- Geeker

MyGCSE: Yummy Digestion!

Hi Readers!

It's been suggested to me through the survey (http://haemobloggings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/survey.html), that I should provide some content to help with exams for GCSE students!

So today's new post is on GCSE Biology for the Edexcel Exam Board (which has been the most requested).

 First up, is the Digestive System:

Food is moved down the digestive system by peristalsis - the squeezing motion of food being pushed down the gut by the muscles.

 

Mouth

•  The teeth chew food into a bolus for an increased surface area for the enzymes
• Saliva moistens
• Salivary enzymes chemically digest
• Salivary amylase breaks down starch to glucose

Oesophagus

•  Muscular tube which contracts in waves
• Squeezes food to the stomach by peristalsis (but you already know what that is, smarty pants)

Stomach

•  Muscular bag with Hydrochloric acid and enzymes
• Proteins are digested (the acid provides optimum pH for enzymes)
• Microbes are destroyed

Pancreas

•  Makes digestive enzymes and releases them into the small intestine

Liver

• Produces bile

Gall bladder

• Stores biles
• Salts to emulsify fats to again, increase the surface area
• Neutralises stomach acids 

Small intestine

•  Contains lots of digestive enzymes
• Most of the large insoluble food molecules are broken down to soluble molecules which are absorbed by the blood through the villi

Large Intestine

•  Undigested food
• Water and minerals are absorbed into the blood
• Main function: push faeces to rectum
• Faeces are then egested from the anus

Rectum

•  Where faeces is stored

Anus

•  Egests faeces

More next time about enzymes and the villi!

But for now, here's some more information about the digestive system (just don't peak at next week's :D) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_edexcel/common_systems/digestionrev1.shtml

- Geeker