By Wendy Williams THEY have long feared that a mobile phone mast has been causing cancer in their village. Now the residents of Benajarafe have scored a massive victory by having it removed. After a two year battle, Vodafone has been ordered to take down the controversial transmitter. The locals are adamant that the mast, [...]

THE Mediterranean diet, long renowned for its health benefits, could actually add three years to your life. According to researchers the diet – high in fruits, vegetables, fish and wholegrain cereals – provides a rich source of anti-oxidants that prevent cancer, heart disease and can even slow the ageing process. Indeed scientists from Sweden’s University [...]

CHILDREN given energy drinks are piling on the pounds because they are not active enough to burn off the extra calories, doctors have warned. The news comes as it emerged that Spain has the world’s fastest growing market for energy drinks, with a growth of 13 per cent in just five years. The medics insist [...]

OLIVE oil can help prevent strokes for pensioners, a study suggests. Researchers followed 7,000 people aged 65 and over, in three French cities for at least five years. They found that those who used the Andalucian staple in their cooking were at a lower risk of a stroke than those who never used it. The [...]

A PARASITE that can cause cirrhosis and anemia has infected 400 people in Spain. Unknown in Europe until recently, the fasciolasis infection is transmitted by eating wild vegetation infected by the parasite. Previously only thought to affect lifestock, cases of human fasciolasis have rocketed from 2,500 in 1990 to 17 million today, according to the [...]

SPANISH scientists have discovered that a heart attack could be worse in the morning than at any other time of day. Researchers at Madrid’s Carlos III University analysed data from 811 heart attack patients treated between 2003 and 2009. Interestingly they found that damage caused by heart attacks is likely to be worse if they [...]

WITH peak asparagus season well under way the experts have given us another good reason to eat this Spring green. Researchers in India have discovered that asparagus actually contains a powerful natural antibiotic that fights bacterial and fungal infections. The study tested extracts from the plants on microbes taken from the mouths of oral cancer [...]

SPAIN is to be taken to court over its refusal to give expat pensioners free medicine. The European Commission is bringing the case to the European Court of Justice insisting that the country is discriminating against pensioners from northern Europe. Under EU law, pensioners residing here should be allowed to use their European Health Insurance [...]

ALMOST 85 per cent of Spanish women do not want a third child because of the difficulties of balancing work and family responsibilities. A study by the Fundacion Accion Familiar found nearly half of Spain’s working women have no children, while a quarter have only one child. Only 20 per cent have two children and [...]

IT has long been hailed as one of the world’s healthiest food regimes. But the Mediterranean diet is dying out in Spain at least, according to a new report. The Spanish Food and Nutrition Safety Agency (AESAN) has found that Spaniards are swapping olive oil, fresh salads and vegetables in favour of fast food, sweets [...]

IT is not just fun in the sun… it is good for your health as well. The British medical establishment insists that living in the sun can help to ward off certain cancers. While the dangers of sunburn are acknowledged by everyone – Mediterranean countries fare better than their northern counterparts as regards prostate, colon [...]

THE European Parliament has approved a new law allowing patients to receive medical care in another EU country. The new legislation, which will be adopted by all member states by 2013, has only one condition; that the treatment and costs would normally be covered in their own country. Any objections to treatment must be justified [...]