HEALTH NOTES

SALMONELLA bacteria can do much greater harm than a few days of food poisoning, and may permanently damage your DNA. Scientists at Cornell University, New York, found that some types of salmonella damaged human DNA, which could lead to long-term health consequences. Lab-grown human cells were infected with four types of food-poisoning salmonella and all caused permanent damage to the cell’s DNA. The author of the study, published in the journal mBio, said the effect on cells was like skin becoming sunburned leaving it with the potential for skin cancer.

GARDENING can reduce risks of depression and heart disease. Researchers at the University of Tokyo reviewed 22 scientific studies examining the effects of gardening on health from all over the world, and a majority reported that gardening led to a reduction of the risk of depression and anxiety and lower body mass index. The researchers say these effects may be thanks to physical exercise and the psychological effects of being outside in nature.

The team, whose findings appear in Preventative Medicine Reports, concluded that gardening could be prescribed to the public by governments and health organisations.