EDITOR'S LETTER Welcome to our new-look Vital Health! It's a rather depressing fact but, as we grow older, we become more susceptible to a number of medical conditions. Early detection can aid full recovery and look at the various health checks you need at various stages of life to ensure you remain healthy on the inside. It's hard to avoid picking up a cold in winter and we investigate a range of remedies - what works, what doesn't and what can't hurt. Our skin can make a beating this season from harsh wind and the drying effects of artificial heating. Nature holds they key to healthy-looking skin. And, because your pets deserve to look good too, we have tips for a make-over for your four-legged friends. Speaking of the future, it's 30 years since the world's first test tube baby was born and advances being made in the world of fertility treatmand and look at what to expect in the next 30 years. We've also got some great ideas on how to educate your children by introducing them to live arts, as well as the lowdown on the vitamins kids need in their diets. Enjoy the read! Susan Muldowney Editor HEALTHY PEOPLE FOR A HEALTHY WORLD National Pharmacies is pround to announce our first community health nurse in Victoria. National Pharmacies' community health nurses conduct health screenings in all our 56 pharmacies, allowing consultation with 300-400 customers per week. Results are available immediately and can be forwarded to your doctor as a courtesy. At all times privacy and confidentiality are maintained in a professional manner. "This is a major step forward forour Victorian operations". National Pharmacies managing director Jim Howard explains. "Having a community health nurse based in Melbourne allows National Pharmacies members further access to quality healthcare screenings, advice and services. It also allows National Pharmacies to now extend our health and weelbeing services to our members and hthe public in Victoria." Click here to June's Health Screenings schedules.   ^ Back to top National Pharmacies really delivers National Pharmacies is proud to announce that a new home delivery service is now available through all pharmacies in metropolitan Adelaide and Victoria. Available from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) for a small fee starting at just $4,80 for members and $6,00 for non-members, customers can now purchase all their pharmacy needs with the convenience of having everything delivered to their front door. When you place an order before 4pm, National Pharmacies guarantees same day delivery, with all deliveries taking place between 4pm-6:30pm. However, someone must be at home during this period, as we are unable to leave items unattended at your doorstep. For more information on the National Pharmacies home delivery service, please contact your nearest National Pharmacies store.   Something on Saturday Now in its 31st year, Something on Saturday is underway until Saturday 30 August 2008, with 28 performances scheduled. In 2007, many shows sold out within weeks of the program's release so we recommend you purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. To kick- start Something on Saturday on 24 May, participants enjoyed a free show to coincide with the beginning of Reconciliation Week. Held in The Banquet Room at the Adelaide Festival Centre, the show the children with Thukeri, an ancient Ngarrindjeri dreaming story about the tale of bony bream fish. Children were then invited to participate with traditional clap-sticks, boomerangs, traditional puppetry and music. National Pharmacies has a proud tradition of supporting the Adelaide Festival Centre's Something on Saturday program, enabling children to enjoy live performances as well as workshops and interactive activities. Look out for the 2008 program at your local National Pharmacies store now, or visit www.adelaidefetivalcentre.com.au for more information. ^ Back to top Red Nose Day On Friday 27 June, the ever-popular SIDS and Kids Red Nose Day will once again take place and National Pharmacies is proud to be involved by selling merchandise in all our pharmacy and optical stores. Red Nose Day has been held annually on the last Friday in June since 1988 and is the primary fundraiser for SIDS and Kids. Now in its 21st year, Red Nose Day has raised funds to assist in providing the following vital services and programs: 24 hour, 365 days a year crisis outreach and ongoing bereavement support for families and the community following the sudden and unexpected death of an infant or young child from 20 weeks gestaton to six years. SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping Program, an evidence-based health promotion campaign that offers practical advice to parents and health professionals about how to best reduce the risks of SIDS and sleep accidents. Research into causes and prevention of sudden and unexpected death in the perinatal period and infancy. To get involved in Red Nose Day, please visit www.rednoseday.com.au or purchase Red Nose Day merchandise from any National Pharmacies store during June. ^ Back to top

ARTICLES Things you didn't know about the liver: 1 - It weighs around 1.5kg in the average adult. 2 - It performs more than 500 differnet functions in the body, including processing nutrients from food and metabolising fat. 3 - It filters more than a litre of blood per minute, removing potentially harmful toxins. Source: www.immunesupport.com   HEALTHWATCH Mineral Facts Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and it is essential to good health, yet many of us do not get enough of it in our diets. Did you know... Our body uses magnesium for energy production, regulating blood sugar levels and blood pressure, as well as for maintaining correct muscle and nerve function. New research, published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, suggests an increased magnesium intake could reduce the risk of developing gall stones by 28 per cent in males. Regular magnesium supplements have been shown to reduce PMS symptoms of pain and bloating in women by 40 per cent. The symptoms of magnesium deficiency include tiredness, irritability, headaches, stress and muscle cramps. Good sources of magnesium incude green vegetables, beans and whole grains, and supplements are widely available. Why flu loves winter Scientists have long wondered why influenza spreads more in winter than in other seasons and new research from the National Institutes of Health in the US may have the answer. Influenza viruses coat themselves in a fatty material that hardens and protects them in cold temperatures. This coating melts in the respiratory tract, allowing the virus to enter cells and infect them. Warm outdoor temperatures melt the protective coating and, unless it is inside a living person or animal, the virus perishes. This is why the flu tends to thrive in the cold. Tea for 2 Drinking black tea might help us fight diabetes, according to new research out of Scotland, Scientists from Dundee University have identified certain compounds in tea, known as theaflavins and thearubigins, that have the ability to mimic insulin and could potentially assist in preventing or treating Type 2 diabetes, where the body fails to produce enough insulin. Incidence around 53 per cent since 1996. Although it is exercise, Type 2 diabets acconts for 85 to 90 per cent of all diabetes cases. Researchers hope their discovery will lead to new treatments but stress that more research is needed. The study appears in the February 2008 issue of Aging Cell. Berry Good They taste and they're not only good for you, they're good for your unborn baby too. One big serve (about 250g) of strawberries contains more than half the Recommended Dietary Intake of folic acid, which helps to prevent neutral-tube defects in unborn babies. But the goodness doesn't stop there. Strawberries are also rich in zinc, which is needed for healthy sperm, and people with eczema, asthma or hay fever could profit from the berry's high quercetin content, which can help alleviate allergies and reduce the need for steroid cream or antihistamines. These hard-working berries are great for your skin because of their ageing antioxidants, which improve circulation and help to protect agains sun damage.   Out of freezer Many people have been giving frozen vegetables the cold shhoulder for too long in the belief that fresh is always best. But in a boon for time-pooor cooks across Australia, research is now suggesting that some frozen vegetables may in fact be higher in certain nutrients, such as vitamin C, than their fresh counterparts. The reason is that "fresh" vegetables often lose some of their nutritional value by the time we eat them, whereas those destined for the freezer are snap frozen very soon after picking, which slows thhis nutrient depletion. Eyes on the future The chance of suffering vision loss triples every decade after the age of 40 but you can still enjoy good vision into old age if you look after your eyes. The Centre for Eye Research Autralia recommends that you: Don't smoke, as this can cause cataracts and macular denegeration. Eat a diet high in antioxidants, such as fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables, as this can help reduce the risk of glaucoma. Avoid exposing your eyes tolong periods of direct sunlight, which can cause cataracts. Have your eyes tested every two years, or annually if you are over 50. ^ Back to top