Concerns are emerging that governments around the world may have wasted billions of dollars and even put people at risk by stockpiling Tamiflu to treat influenza.

A landmark study published on Wednesday in the Cochrane Library, a collection of databases that publishes high-quality research that helps to inform health-care decisions, found no clear evidence that Tamiflu, the brand name of the drug oseltamivir, prevents the spread of influenza or flu complications and suggested that it could even interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines.

But even more worrisome, according to the authors, is the fact that drug maker Roche continues to hold back valuable data from public scrutiny. They are calling on health regulators to demand access to the unpublished data in order to get the full picture on whether Tamiflu works and is safe.

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* Unclear why certain foods might have protective effect
* Fruit, vegetables, fish and pulses shown to be beneficial

A Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish can almost halve the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to new research.

The study revealed healthy eating habits slashed the risk of the incurable brain disorder by up to 46 per cent.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Neurology, support earlier studies suggesting diet could have a key role to play in preventing a disease which affects 120,000 people in the UK.

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Just looking at a picture of delicious food makes you hungry, experts have discovered.

They also claim that the mouthwatering images may be part of the reason for Britain’s growing obesity epidemic – and that people trying to lose weight should avoid looking at them.

Researchers in Germany have revealed it only takes a picture of tempting food to cause a change in the level of hormones that control our appetite.

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We’re always being told that the best way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. But escalating obesity figures in Britain are testament to the fact that dieting isn’t that simple.

This week scientists renewed their attack on the calorie-counting process, criticising it for being too complicated.

With low-fat and low-sugar foods regularly masking more calories than their unadulterated counterparts, and some supposedly healthy foods (such as muesli, cereal bars, even salads) packing more calories than chocolate and cakes, it’s not surprising we’re confused — or that so many diets fail.

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If you’re a woman trying to lose weight by following a low-calorie diet, eating a snack between breakfast and lunch could undermine your progress.

That’s the take-away message from a new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. In the year-long study, mid-morning snackers saw their pounds come off much more slowly than women who ate a healthy breakfast but did not snack before lunch.

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An early clinical trial of a hepatitis C vaccine has shown “promising” results, according to researchers at Oxford University.

Designing a vaccine has been difficult as the virus changes its appearance, making it hard to find something to target.

Writing in Science Translational Medicine, researchers say their trial on 41 patients shows it is possible.

The Hepatitis C Trust said the findings were very promising.

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This may be the first time you’ve heard of it, but diets rich in choline may help protect your brain from the affects of ageing.

The nutrient from the B vitamin family is found in foods like chicken, eggs and saltwater fish as well as legumes such as kidney beans.

Researchers at Boston University found people who got plenty of choline in their diets performed better on memory tests and were less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia.

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Wouldn’t it be nice to get the benefits of a vigorous workout without having to sweat.

Some years ago, Clinton Rubin, a biomechanical engineer at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, set out to develop a non-drug treatment that could mimic the bone-building action of exercise. His research resulted in a compact platform, called the Juvent 1,000, that produces tiny up and down vibrations. Simply stand on the device, and the shaking motion is supposed to make muscles contract and put tiny stresses on the skeletal structure, leading to bone-building activity – just like real exercise.

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Most weight-watchers know that the best way to shed pounds is to combine a healthy diet with exercise, rather than just rely on one or the other.

However, scientists still know little about the relationship the two factors have with each other.

Now a review from Harvard University has found that starting a fitness regime first could be the key to tackling obesity.

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Health Canada contends that a maximum intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is safe for healthy adults – an amount found in about three small (8 ounce) cups of coffee.

Women of childbearing age should limit caffeine intake to 300 milligrams per day as some evidence suggest that heavy caffeine intakes increase the risk of miscarriage.

During pregnancy, I advise women to consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day.

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