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Retailers selling an unlicensed tanning nasal spray which has potentially serious side effects could face jail following legal action by a government watchdog.

Action by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) means the owners of ubertan.com and two other sellers could face a maximum two-year prison sentence.

Manufacturing products containing the compound melanotan II is not illegal, but selling them and advertising them is. Nine different retailers are under investigation.

Warning: Action by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned against using Ubertan (not pictured)

There is no evidence to suggest the spray is safe or that it works and the MHRA forced the company to close its UK-based website and warned the public against using the product earlier this month.

The spray is designed to produce a glowing tan after seven to 10 days and was being advertised and sold illegally in UK gyms, beauty salons and online for about £40 a bottle.

Tests carried out on the product revealed it contained an unlicensed compound called melanotan II, which is similar to a hormone that increases the production of melanin in the skin, causing it to darken.

Side effects include nausea, migraines, dizziness and enhanced libido.

Woman inhaling nasal spray. Ubertan is a nasal spray designed to produce a tan after seven to 10 days

An MHRA spokesman said it was now seeking to target 'all melanotan products,' according to the Guardian.

He told the newspaper: 'The MHRA continues to monitor retailers advertising and selling this unlicensed medicine and will take the appropriate action in order to safeguard public health.

'We have investigated nine different retailers of Ubertan, six of which have complied following urgent notices dispatched to them. We have three cases currently ongoing.'

Al Zabiela, 56, owner of Al’z Gym in Oldham, has used nasal sprays containing the compound.

He said when the brochure arrived it looked professional and 'above board.'

He told the newspaper: 'But it didn’t really work at all, so that was it.'

Earlier this month, head of the MHRA's medicines borderline section David Carter said: 'Putting your health on the line just in order to get a tan is just really not worth the risk.

'None of these products have been clinically tested and as a result there is no way of knowing just how serious the side-effects could be, or the impact on your health.

'If you have this product at home do not use it again, throw it in the bin.

'And if you have used it and you have concerns then speak to your GP.'

Bevis Man, from the British Skin Foundation, also said earlier this month: 'People may think that these products are a safe alternative to sunbeds and sunbathing because it doesn't require exposure to UV light, but the truth is that because we know so little about them, it's probably best to stay away until we find out more.

'All medicines that are used in the UK have to be licensed by the MHRA.'

When Lisa Watt woke from a two-week coma to find she had suffered brain damage in a horror car crash, her once promising future looked bleak.

The 22-year-old suffered a broken pelvis and a fractured spine in the smash but after her bones healed, the brain damage plunged her into a dark world of confusion and despair.

Miss Watt had memory loss and became deeply depressed and feared her life would never be the same again.

Just as she was beginning to regain hope, she was involved in a second car crash which shattered any confidence she had left.

Lisa Watt with partner Chris Davidson and their daughter Alba

But the determined student returned to university and vowed to complete her degree in social work, so she could help brain-injured people cope with stress and depression.

When she proudly graduated from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen last month, she was watched by Chris, 24, and their three-month-old daughter Alba.

Miss Watt said yesterday: 'I have learned the importance of hope and staying positive and being prepared to accept support.

'I want others to understand there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

'Because of what I have been through myself I would like to work with people with acquired brain injury.'

Lisa with her parents Lesley and Kenneth on her graduation day

Miss Watt's nightmare began when she woke from the coma in hospital two weeks after the crash in May 2009.

After eight weeks intensive care and rehab, she began to wrongly convince herself that everything was fine.

Miss Watt, of Banff, Aberdeenshire, said: 'I had no memory of the crash or the day before and I was telling myself that I was okay.

'I was in denial and thought that there was nothing wrong with me, even though my concentration and confidence were gone.'

She went back to university but it wasn't long before her life unravelled and had to take time out because of the depression.

Counselling helped but as she was about to start her course again she was involved in another car smash on icy roads late at night.

Miss Watt said: 'I didn't suffer any injuries but I really hit rock bottom. I was not in a good place at all mentally, but with the support of my family and friends I started the long process of getting better.'

She told of her mixed emotions over graduating. She said: 'I was very nervous all morning. However, walking up on to the stage was just such an overwhelming feeling.

'I was delighted to share my big day with my family members, who have helped me through so much.

'Doctors said parts of my brain would never heal and that other parts would take over. Graduating just goes to show what ambition can do to people.'

She also thanked the 'excellent' staff at Robert Gordon University for their support. dailymail.co.uk

A product claiming to ‘triple the power of the sun’ for the ultimate tan might scare off health-savvy consumers - but it attracted thousands of sun worshippers to try and buy the cream.

More than 14,000 people attempted to order the product online, who were completely unaware that the website advertising the ‘miracle’ cream was actually a hoax created by a skin cancer charity.

The spoof website offering Sunny 3 cream in the UK was designed to highlight the damaging, life-threatening effects of binge tanning to a 15-24 year old audience, who view sunburn as a natural part of the sun-tanning process.

Hoax: The spoof website offers Sunny 3 tanning cream which 'triples the power of the sun'

When potential customers logged on to purchase their Sunny 3 tubs for £7.99 or £12.99, they were instead sent emails filled with skin cancer information.

Free sample! The website offers samples Sunny 3 tubs

The website claims: ‘Sunny 3 has taken over Sweden where tanners are hosting night tanning parties through their day lit nights.

‘Now Sunny 3 is available in the UK so you can tan deeper and darker than ever before.’

After boasting that it ‘triples the power of the sun wherever you are in the world’, the site says its cream is made from Kladj Plant extract, ‘which increases the skin’s ability to absorb sunlight’.

Fake customers are also shown in videos promoting the product, which have been viewed by over 250,000 people.

The spoof product was an idea created by skin cancer charity Skcin and advertising firm McCann Worldgroup to raise awareness for the preventable disease.

The charity ran a fake news story in a UK tabloid earlier this month, which drove readers to a YouTube clip promoting the product.

This was also supported by product reviews on beauty blogs and a sustained Twitter and Facebook campaign, including Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattinson tweeting her followers about it.

She tweeted: 'Right guys... U no I love me tan so iv decided 2 try a new tanning product called @triplesYourTan.. I'll let you know how it goes x.'

Rates of Skin cancer have doubled in the past decade and the disease kills seven people a day in the UK.

Simon Hill of McCann said: ‘It was designed to engage those most at risk and those most difficult to talk to via conventional advertising.’

WATCH THE SUNNY 3 SPOOF VIDEO BELOW:

Dailymail.co.uk

Patients referred to hospital by their GPs are being refused treatment by panels of nurses, according to new research.

One man was even denied a hip replacement - although his hip was constantly dislocating.

Doctors have criticised NHS trusts for hiring non-doctors to overrule the decisions of more qualified GPs.

Discord: Nurses have been overruling GPs' referrals and denying patients hospital treatment (file photo)

An investigation by Pulse magazine found that several trusts are are using nurses, podiatrists and physiotherapists to determine whether referrals made by GPs are appropriate.

The 'referral management centres' which review referrals by doctors have proved controversial after it emerged they block some GPs' referrals to save cash.

The treatments denied to patients included hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, allergy care, IVF and tonsillectomy.

Five - NHS Bournemouth and Poole, NHS Hertfordshire, NHS Manchester, NHS Oldham and NHS Plymouth - said they used non-doctors to assess GP referrals.

NHS Oldham, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital (pictured), hires nurses for its 'referral management centres'

NHS Manchester uses two podiatric nurses and a non-medical prescriber with a diploma in podiatric medicine to triage GP referrals for vascular conditions.

In NHS Oldham, more than a third of its staff screening GP referrals in ophthalmology, diabetes, urology and musculoskeletal conditions are non-doctors, according to the study.

GP Dr Andrew Mimnagh, from Merseyside, told Pulse he knew of instances elsewhere where 'patients had come to harm from not being referred'.

He said: 'Nurses assess patients according to rigid criteria and do not have the experience to make flexible decisions in the same way a doctor can.

'In one case, a patient was rejected for a replacement hip operation by a nurse at a referral centre despite the fact his hip was dislocating. According to the nurse's criteria, he wasn't reaching a high enough pain threshold because he already had an artificial hip that cured the pain.

'Nurses do not have the knowledge to know when they are out of their depth.'

A spokesperson for NHS Oldham said: 'Nearly all GP referrals go through a referral gateway, run by local GPs.

'There are some areas where we've had multidisciplinary teams in place for some years. They are people with the appropriate clinical skills and experts in that specialty.'

Heart attack sufferers could be offered help from a very unexpected source - bear bile.

A synthesised compound also found in the digestive fluid is already used to reduce cholesterol production and dissolve gallstones.

Now scientists from Imperial College London believe ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) could also help prevent abnormal heart rhythms.

A compound naturally found in bear bile - ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) - could help prevent heart attack sufferers having to endure abnormal heart rhythms

The substance is often used in traditional Chinese medicines - but the way it is collected from bears has been criticised as cruel.

Dr Jill Robinson MBE, Founder and CEO, Animals Asia Across Asia said: 'An estimated 14,000 bears are being kept in tiny cages, starved and dehydrated, and milked for their bile.'

Laboratory tests have revealed that synthesised UDCA is just as effective.

The chemical works on non-beating heart cells called myofibroblasts.

These cells can interfere with how electrical signals travel across the heart in both foetuses and people who have had heart attacks, causing dangerous abnormal heart rhythms.

However, the compound prevents this happening by altering the electrical properties of the cells.

One in 200 pregnant women are treated with UDCA to treat the bile condition obstetric cholestasis

Study leader Dr Julia Gorelik, from the National Heart and Lung Institute, said: 'These findings are exciting because the treatments we have now are largely ineffective at preventing arrhythmia in patients who develop an abnormal heart rhythm after a heart attack.

'Our results from the lab suggest that UDCA could help the heart muscle conduct electrical signals more normally.

'We're hoping to set up a clinical trial to test whether these results translate to patients with heart failure.'

The compound is already used to treat a condition called obstetric cholestasis, which affects around one in 200 pregnant women in the UK and is linked to a higher risk of arrhythmia and sudden death in the foetus.

UDCA lowers the levels of harmful bile acids which build up in the mother's blood in the disease and can pass into the infant through the placenta.

Co-author Professor Catherine Williamson from the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, said: 'Our study suggests that it is the appearance of myofibroblast cells that make the foetus vulnerable to arrhythmia in obstetric cholestasis.

'We think that targeting these cells could be an important new approach for preventing abnormal heart rhythm, not just in the foetus, but also in people who have had a heart attack.'

The study appears in the journal Hepatology.

Bear bile is often used in traditional Chinese medicines - but the way it is collected has been criticised as cruel. However, laboratory tests revealed that synthesised UDCA is just as effectivewww.dailymail.co.uk

Girls should be required to buy a sports bra as part of their school PE kits to prevent breast pain, scientists said today.

Dr Joanna Scurr, an expert in breast movement at the University of Portsmouth, said that young girls risk 'long-term sag' by wearing normal bras during games lessons.

She is spearheading a campaign to make the lingerie a mandatory piece of kit in the same way mouthguards are for hockey and rugby.

Bra benefits: Treadmill tests have revealed breasts move both side to side and up and down during exercise, putting strain on the tissue

Dr Scurr said: 'Many young women don’t understand the implications of making the wrong choice when it comes to breast support.

'Our research demonstrates that the correct bra reduces breast movement and associated pain and may reduce the risk of long-term breast sag.

'Giving girls the right information at an early age can improve their body image and even encourage greater take-up of sport at school.

'Mouthguards are a compulsory part of PE kit for schoolchildren when playing hockey and rugby and I want to see sports bras for girls become the same.'

Dr Scurr’s research into the effect of sport on breast health is being run in conjunction with Sweatshop, the UK’s largest independent running retailer.

Sweatshop women’s wear buyer Amanda Brasher said: 'Sex education is part of the national curriculum and there appears to be plenty of information on sexual education and health but breast health and the issues associated with this are largely neglected.

'We are excited to be working with the university to help de-mystify the subject and encourage girls to feel more confident about their bodies.'

The University of Portsmouth and Sweatshop will deliver educational workshops on breast health to five schools in the UK as a pilot scheme starting in September.

The researchers recently hosted a workshop for teenage girls taking part in a television programme where they witnessed demonstrations of how breast movement is researched in the laboratory.

The youngsters watched as models with sensors attached to the breast area ran on treadmills placed side by side.

Dr Scurr said: 'Experiments like these demonstrate clearly that breasts move up and down, and also side to side and in and out.

'Graphically the picture is shown as a figure-of-eight and crucially, breasts move as much during slow jogging as they do at maximum sprint speed.

'This makes wearing a sports bra as important if you jog slowly as if you run at faster speeds.

'Pain and discomfort is not linked to the size of a woman’s breasts.

'An A-cup woman could be prevented from doing sport just as much as a woman with FF-cup breasts.

'The right support can make a difference and our challenge now is to communicate that to young women nationwide and we hope to achieve that by taking the Breast Health Education Programme into schools.'

The campaign will be featured on Channel 4’s Sex Education Show tonight.www.dailymail.co.uk

A 40-year-old father has become the first person in the UK to receive a total artificial heart that will enable him to go home.

Matthew Green had been critically ill, suffering from end-stage failure of both chambers of his heart. This meant his organ struggled to pump blood around his body and left him on the brink of death.

But today he was preparing to return home after undergoing the ground-breaking surgery at Papworth Hospital, near Cambridge.

The operation: Mr Green was fitted with an artificial heart that will serve the role of both ventricles and heart valves

Doctors at the hospital have previously implanted a total artificial heart but this is the first time a patient has been well enough to leave hospital and go home.

The operation - which has also been completed successfully in the United States and parts of Europe - could help cut transplant waiting times in the future.

He said: 'Two years ago I was cycling nine miles to work and nine miles back every day but by the time I was admitted to hospital I was struggling to walk even a few yards.

'I am really excited about going home and just being able to do the everyday things that I haven't been able to do for such a long time such as playing in the garden with my son and cooking a meal for my family.

'I want to thank all the wonderful staff at Papworth Hospital who have been looking after me and who have made it possible for me to return home to my family.'

In the long term he hopes to return to his job as a research scientist for a pharmaceutical company.

He said: 'My movement will still be limited but at least I can return home to be with my family. That means the world to me.'

During a six-hour operation last month, surgeons replaced Mr Green's damaged heart with the device which will serve the role of both ventricles and heart valves.

It provides a blood flow of up to 9.5 litres, eliminating the symptoms and effects of severe heart failure.

The Syncardia total artificial heart is powered by a 'freedom portable driver', worn like a backpack or shoulder bag.

The transplant team at Papworth, led by Steven Tsui, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and director of the transplant service, underwent training in Paris and was assisted by Latif Arusoglu, an expert total artificial heart surgeon from Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.

Mr Green suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathia, a heart muscle disease which results in arrhythmia, heart failure and sudden death.

Mr Tsui said: 'At any point in time there may be as many as 30 people waiting for a heart transplant on our waiting list at Papworth, with one third waiting over a year.

'Matthew's condition was deteriorating rapidly and we discussed with him the possibility of receiving this device, because without it he may not have survived the wait until a suitable donor heart could be found for him.

'The operation went extremely well and Matthew has made an excellent recovery.

'I expect him to go home very soon, being able to do a lot more than before the operation with a vastly improved quality of life, until we can find a suitable donor heart for him to have a heart transplant.'

The Papworth Hospital is currently the only centre in the UK that is allowed to implant the Syncardia device.

UK first: The transplant team at Papworth Hospital implanted the revolutionary device in a six-hour operation last month

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'For some patients with severe heart failure transplantation is their only hope of long-term survival, but donor hearts are not always available.

'Previous versions of the mechanical heart have supported only the left side of the heart - the side that does most of the work - but the total mechanical heart replaces both sides and so can be used for anyone with severe heart failure.

'Patients with mechanical hearts must remain permanently linked to a power supply via tubes that pass through the skin, which is a potential source of infection.

'With this artificial heart, the power supply is small enough to fit in a shoulder bag so patients can walk around and go home.' dailymail.co.uk

Children are becoming increasingly intolerant of drinking by their peers, and fewer are taking drugs or smoking, figures reveal.

They show a dramatic drop in alcohol use among youngsters, potentially signalling the rise of a clean-cut generation that is turning away from the excesses of binge-drinking adults.

The proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds in England who had tried alcohol fell to less than half between 2009 and 2010 – down from 51 per cent to 45 per cent.

End of a binge drinking era? Children are becoming increasingly intolerant of drinking by their peers, and fewer are taking drugs or smoking, figures reveal

Data from the NHS Information Centre shows a continuing downward trend since 2003, when almost two-thirds had tried alcohol. The proportion of youngsters drinking alcohol in the week before the study halved, from a peak of 26 per cent in 2001 to 13 per cent in 2010.

But of those who did drink in 2010, six out of ten said they consumed more than four units in the week.

Just under a third said it was fine for someone their own age to drink alcohol once a week, compared with 46 per cent in 2003.

Some 11 per cent thought it was acceptable to get drunk once a week, down by almost half from 20 per cent in 2003.

Overall, 27 per cent of pupils surveyed had smoked at least once, down from 44 per cent in 2001, while 18 per cent had tried drugs at least once – down from 29 per cent in 2001.

The NHS Information Centre said analysis of the data shows the fall in drinking among children in 2010 was ‘greater than expected’, and may be the start of a new trend.

Its chief executive, Tim Straughan, said: ‘Our figures point to an increasingly intolerant attitude among young people in today’s society when it comes to the use of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

‘As well as a reduction in the percentage who say they partake in these behaviours, a shrinking number think that drinking and drunkenness is acceptable among their peers.’

Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said: ‘These figures are a hopeful sign that things may be moving in the right direction.

‘They confirm that young people are not at the mercy of their urges and physical appetites, but are capable of exercising self-control and behaving in a responsible way.

‘More responsible attitudes to alcohol and drugs will lead to improvements in the general physical and mental health of young people and lower rates of youth crime.

‘They will also result in less casual sexual activity which, in turn, will be reflected in lower rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among young people.’

Colin Shevills, director of Balance, a peer support charity for alcohol abusers, said the overall drop in teenage drinking was encouraging.

He said: ‘Our young people are setting us an example at a time when almost half of men and a third of women admit to drinking above the Government’s recommended limits’.

However, he pointed to worrying trends, including that girls now appear to be drinking more than boys and that the proportion of spirits being drunk is on the increase.

÷ Lethal dance drug mephedrone is now as popular as cocaine among young people, worrying figures revealed last night.

More than one in 25 teenagers and young adults – nearly 300,000 people – admitted using the drug, also known as M-Cat or Meow Meow, last year, making it the second most popular drug among those aged 16-24.

The British Crime Survey, which covers England and Wales, also showed a rise in cannabis use and a staggering 25 per cent increase in ketamine use.

Hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery and removal of tonsils are among a list of ‘non-urgent’ operations being rationed by the cash strapped NHS in a bid to drive down costs by billions.

Two thirds of England’s Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are now limiting treatments they deem to be of ‘low priority’ in efforts to save over £1million each, an investigation has revealed this week.

According to responses from 111 PCTs to a Freedom of Information Act request, the survey by health service magazine GP shows that 64 per cent of PCTs have now introduced the rationing policies and 35 per cent have expanded their lists of restricted procedures for 2011/2.

David Cameron, left, and Nick Clegg meet Andy Sarton as he recovers from a hip replacement op at Guy's Hospital, London. Today it has been revealed that two thirds of PCTs are cutting back on 'non essential surgery' of this sort

On average, PCTs expected to save £1,051,000 through restricting procedures they deemed ‘non-urgent’, of ‘limited clinical value’, ‘low priority’ or ‘cosmetic’.

A man undergoes a cataract operation: On the NHS the treatment is being rationed

Some PCTs have also cut funding for IVF procedures. Birmingham PCT is reducing operations in gastroenterology, gynaecology, dermatology and orthopaedics and Nottingham City has policies in place weed out procedures which are primarily cosmetic and have relatively ‘small health benefits’. Bassetlaw has placed restrictions on procedures for adults with cosmetic value only.

Of the PCTs, 55 have revealed policies that restrict GP referrals for interventions that they class as non-urgent.

A third have introduced new management schemes to filter out inappropriate referrals for low priority treatments.

In the last year 35 per cent of PCTs have added procedures to lists of treatments that they no longer fund because they deem them to be non-urgent or of limited clinical value.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, lead negotiator for the British Medical Assocation’s (BMA) General Practitioners Committee, SAID that the government needed to decide on a consistent set of national standards of ‘low priority’ treatments to help remove postcode lotteries.

‘The problem with different low-priority thresholds is that they are often drawn up on the basis of local interpretation of evidence,’ he said. ‘Ultimately that is not fair to patients.’

He added: ‘Patients and the public recognise that with limited resources we need to make the maximum health gains and so there needs to be prioritisation. What is inequitable is that different PCTs are applying different thresholds and criteria.’

The BMA as a body has ‘growing concerns’ about the rationing decisions in the NHS.

A spokeswoman said: ‘This is something that has been an issue for a long time. Decisions like this should be made based on good clinical evidence focusing on the impact on patient care.

‘Blankets bans on procedures in different areas is unhelpful. Every patient should be treated individually on clinical grounds.

‘The patient should be the priority and decisions should be made on what is clinically best for them.

‘Rationing like this is a growing concern and we need to keep a close eye on it.’

A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘The NHS will receive £12.5billion in funding over the next four years. There is no reason why patients should not receive the care or operations that are clinically right for them.’

He added: ‘Decisions on the appropriate treatments should be made by clinicians in the local NHS in line with the best available clinical evidence. There should be blanket bans because what is suitable for one patient may not be suitable for another.’ dailymail.co.uk

It is medicine’s holy grail, eluding doctors and scientists for centuries.

But remarkably, the cure for the common cold could be no more complicated than a mineral supplement.

Taking high doses of zinc can cut the length of colds by almost half, according to research. The evidence emerged from the combined results of 13 trials which tested the ability of zinc lozenges, which dissolve in the mouth and are widely available, to fight off colds.

Atchoo! But zinc supplements could help shorten the symptoms of the common cold

Three of the studies showed taking daily doses of zinc acetate higher than 75 milligrams – seven times more than is generally recommended – as soon as symptoms began, shortened colds by an average of 42 per cent.

Five others, using other types of zinc salt at doses greater than 75mg, resulted in a 20 per cent reduction. But five studies of doses lower than 75mg showed no benefit at all.

Zinc supplements can cause side effects such as a bad taste in the mouth, stomach upsets and nausea in some people. But the researchers found no evidence that the lozenges caused any long-term harm. In the EU, the recommended daily dose of zinc is 10mg for adults.

Zinc supplements: The mineral's health benefits have long been known, but its effects on the common cold have not been clear until now

Zinc is important for the immune system and eating too little in the diet is known to increase the risk of infection. The latest findings confirm research at Cardiff University’s Common Cold Centre into whether non-medical remedies are effective.

These studies also showed zinc may shorten the duration of symptoms. More than 200 viruses are capable of causing the common cold, which is why it is almost impossible to gain complete immunity.

Colds strike an average of 930,000 Britons on any day in winter. People typically suffer at least 200 colds over their a lifetime – amounting to around two to three years of coughing and sneezing.

The idea that zinc lozenges might be effective against colds stems from an accidental observation in the early 1980s. Doctors saw that the cold of a three-year-old girl with leukaemia vanished when she dissolved a zinc tablet in her mouth.

Since then a number of studies have looked at zinc’s effects on colds, with inconclusive results.

The latest findings, reported in the Open Respiratory Medicine Journal, point to mixed results caused by hugely different doses in the previous studies. The researchers, led by Dr Harri Hemila, of the University of Helsinki in Finland, wrote: ‘Many trials with daily zinc doses of over 75mg have found significant reduction in the duration of colds.

‘Since a large proportion of participants remained without adverse effects, zinc lozenges might be useful as a treatment option for the common cold. More research is needed to find optimal compositions and treatment strategies.’

Zinc deficiency is very common, with less than half of Britain’s population eating even half the recommended daily allowance.

It is not stored in the body, although can be found in tissue and bones. It aids the immune system, helps wounds heal, is important for proper taste and smell, and vital for male fertility. It may slow sight loss caused by age-related macular degeneration.

Rich sources include shellfish, lamb, liver, steak, pumpkin seeds and wholegrains. dailymail.co.uk

A man who knowingly gave a woman HIV, and may have infected seven others, has been jailed for four years.

His victim only found out that she had caught the virus after she read his text messages.

Zimbabwean Nkosinati Mabanda, 44, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm. The court had heard that he showed a 'blasé attitude' towards HIV.

Nkosinati Mabanda, 44, has been jailed for four years after giving a woman HIV

His victim, a woman from Darlaston in the West Midlands, discovered he was HIV positive after finding a text from his secret fiancee on his mobile phone.

The two women began to talk and his fiancee advised the victim to get an HIV test. The test came back positive and Mabanda was immediately reported to police in April 2009.

However, he was later remanded in custody after the case was adjourned due to new information. A woman had seen his photograph in a newspaper and contacted police to state he had started an unprotected sexual relationship with her while out on bail.

The woman was tested for the virus and was found not to have contracted it.

Mabanda pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm at Wolverhampton Crown Court, pictured

Mabanda, of no fixed address, told detectives he had sex with seven more women, but they have so far been impossible to trace.

He was also handed an anti-social behaviour order which prohibits him from engaging in sexual activity with any person without first disclosing his HIV status to that person.

After his release, details of the sentence will be passed to the Home Secretary, who will consider whether Mabanda should be deported.

Speaking after sentencing, superintendent Jan Thomas-West said: 'The particularly disturbing element of this case is Mabanda's blatant disregard towards his victim and his various other partners.

'Mabanda told officers that he had had sex with nine women in the UK and that seven of them had not known he was HIV positive. Unfortunately, these women were impossible to trace.

Virus: Mabanda may have passed HIV on to seven other women who had unprotected sex with him

'He seems to have shown no regard for the health of others or the potential life sentence he may have passed on to anyone who had sex with him. I am pleased that Mabanda has received a significant custodial sentence.'

In a statement released by the police, his victim said: 'I am pleased with the sentence given to Mabanda today and that the judge recognised the seriousness of what he has done.

'I feel a combination of anger and relief. Anger at what he has done to me and potentially other women and relief because he has been punished for his actions.

'I think he should have been given life because that's the sentence he has given to me.

'What he did has had a devastating impact and will affect me every day for the rest of my life, but now I want to move on.

'If anyone else recognises him because of the media coverage and they have been infected, they should go to the police and I will be there for them.' dailymail.co.uk

Three quarters of mums wouldn't know how to treat anaphylactic shock in their child

Three out of four mums don't know what to do if their child suffers a severe allergic reaction to a wasp sting, new research warns.

Findings reveal that three quarters (76 per cent) of mums wouldn't know how to treat anaphylactic shock if their child experienced it, while over two thirds (66 per cent) worry about the threat posed by wasps during the warm summer months.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign advises parents to call 999 immediately to seek medical help, keep the child calm, lie the patient down with their feet raised to increase blood flow to the hear and, if the patient is going to vomit, turn them onto their side and into the recovery position until an ambulance arrives.

Over four fifths (82 per cent) of 500 mums surveyed by pest control firm Rentokil also said that they'd deliberately avoid a wasp hotspot so as not to put their kids in danger.

Mumsnet co-founder Carrie Longton said: 'Wasps are a real anxiety for parents, particularly with the added worry of an allergic reaction if a child hasn't been stung before.

'It's great to have some practical advice on avoiding wasps and, more importantly, what to do if you do get stung, hopefully leaving us free to enjoy the holidays with one less cause for stress.'

The research findings come as Rentokil reports a 13 per cent increase in wasp related enquiries on the same period last year, with this spring's unseasonably warm weather blamed for the explosion of wasp nests.

Mumsnet founders Carrie Longton, left, and Justine Roberts. Carrie said: 'Wasps are a real anxiety for parents.'

Warning of the risks, Rentokil has launched UKWaspWatch - an online interactive map that allows people to log sightings of wasps across the UK and help establish where any wasp hotspots are. For every sighting logged, Rentokil will donate 20p to allergy charity The Anaphylaxis Campaign.

Savvas Othon, spokesperson for Rentokil said: 'As a parent, I understand why wasps make people nervous as they can be unpredictable. The trick is to avoid staying in areas where wasps may cluster such as around ice cream vans or rubbish bins in picnic areas.

'Wasps do get more aggressive towards the end of the summer as there are no developing larvae for them to feed and they tend to seek out just carbohydrates. It makes sense to encourage your children to be extra vigilant when eating carb-packed snacks around this time.'

He added 'We're just going into the peak of the wasp season and this can be a concern when planning summer activities, particularly if children suffer from allergic reactions to stings. Our advice is that prevention is better than cure; helping children know how to reduce the risks of being stung is vital.

'This can be something as seemingly obvious as not disturbing a wasps' nest as they can contain up to 5,000 wasps by the end of the summer and are incredibly dangerous if provoked. This research shows there is a real need for parents to understand more about anaphylaxis so they can treat any reactions quickly and effectively.'

Dr Shuaib Nasser, Consultant in Allergy, Addenbrookes NHS Trust Hospital, Cambridge and member of The Anaphylaxis Campaign Clinical and Scientific Advisory Panel said: 'While just 0.5 per cent of the population suffers an acute allergic reaction to wasp stings, we always advise simple precautions to minimize any risks.

'If you or your children suffer a severe allergic reaction after a bee or wasp sting it is important to seek medical help immediately and then ask your GP to refer you to an Allergy Specialist.' dailymail.co.uk

In the shade: Sue Riddell had her ear amputated because of skin cancer -now the nurse avoids the sun

From 14 years old, Sue Riddell was using tanning salons four times a week and sunbathing up to 15 hours a day, without protecting her ears.

When she noticed a tiny scab on her right ear, she first blamed it on her hair straighteners.

But it turned out to be a stage-two melanoma, and surgeons had to amputate her ear to save her life.

She said: ‘I couldn’t believe such a small area of skin on the ear could risk my life.

‘I got cancer because I loved the sun too much. On holiday I would be the first on the sunbed in the morning and the last to leave at night.

‘I rarely used sun cream and when I did I never thought to put it on my ears. I just didn’t think of cancer.’

Mrs Riddell, a hospital theatre nurse from Harborne, Birmingham, now has a prosthetic lobe made out of rubber, which is clipped on to two titanium brackets which are screwed into her skull.

Mrs Riddell used to go on four beach holidays a year with husband Philip, 60, a GP, and two sons Nathan, 19, and Matthew, 22.

Sun worshipper: Sue Riddell used to spend up to 15 hours a day sunbathing

She said: ‘We’d go anywhere hot like Spain, Portugal, Corfu, the Maldives and Australia. I loved the sun and being outside on holiday. I had no idea it was killing me.

‘I just thought having a tan was healthy and I felt great after a day in the sun.’

But when she went back to work in July 2009 a colleague pointed out the scab on her ear.

Mrs Riddell then went to see a GP who told her just to keep an eye on it. But by September the scab was still on her ear and she underwent a biopsy.

Fake ear: Sue Riddell's new ear (right) and how it looks without her prosthetic

She said: ‘The GP told me: “I’m very sorry, it’s melanoma. You have cancer and I’m sorry but it might have spread.”

‘I couldn’t believe it. I just crumpled in my chair. I know as a nurse how serious it is and I just thought to myself, “I’ve killed myself by sunbathing”.’

Mrs Riddell was referred to University Hospital Birmingham where, on November 19, 2009, she had an operation to remove the ear. Weeks later she was given the all clear.

And last March Mrs Riddell had her artificial ear fitted which was moulded to look exactly like her old one, including an ear piercing.

She has to go for tests every three months to make sure the cancer has not returned.

‘I almost lost my life because I didn’t cover up,’ she said.

‘Getting a tan is just not worth risking your life.’ dailymail.co.uk

Cats may be spreading brain cancer to their owners, scientists warned last night.

They have linked a parasite that breeds in cats’ stomachs with brain tumours in people.

While they can’t prove that our feline friends are to blame, they say that properly researching the link could spare some people from developing the deadly disease.

Danger to their owners? Scientists have found a link between brain tumours and a parasite that is found in both cats' stomachs and humans

Brain cancer, in its various guises, claims more than 3,500 lives a year in the UK alone, and its causes are largely unknown.

The parasite in the frame – Toxoplasma gondii – is carried by around a third of the world’s population deep inside their brains and has been linked to personality changes, in people as well as animals.

The parasite, which infects up to 34 per cent of Britons, has a complicated lifecycle but can only breed inside cats, which then pass their microscopic eggs, spreading the infection.

Pregnant women are already advised not to empty cat litter trays, as the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies, and now it seems the health risks may extend to other people.

French scientists collected global data on brain cancers in men and women and compared it with figures on T. gondii infection rates.

Mind bender: The parasite is carried by 34 per cent of British people, and can have an affect on personality. It can also be fatal to unborn babies

This showed brain cancer rates to be highest in countries where the parasite was most prevalent – even when other factors such as income were taken into account.

The scientists, led by Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, said: ‘We feel our results are sufficiently strong to propose that T. gondii potentially increases the risk of brain cancer in humans.’

The parasite has already been linked to brain tumours in animals.

There is also other evidence that T. gondii has effects on the brain leading to changes in behaviour.

Infected rats are known to lose their fear of cats, making it more likely that they will be killed and eaten.

This is good from the parasite’s point of view, as it speeds its passage into the cat gut, allowing it to breed and eventually spread.

The parasite may also sway human behaviour, with research suggesting it turns men into aggressive, jealous ‘alley cats’, while transforming women into ‘sex kittens’.

Other research has pointed to a strong link between T. gondii and schizophrenia.

Chief causes of infection in humans are consuming undercooked meat, especially lamb, pork and venison, and ingesting water, soil or anything else contaminated by cat faeces.

The scientists behind the latest study acknowledged that they hadn’t proved that cats are spreading brain cancer but added: ‘Clearly, further research is necessary to determine the proximate links between T. gondii and different types of brain tumours and to investigate a mechanism of action.

‘Establishing a link between T. gondii and brain cancers could open the door to potential means to reduce cancer risk.’ dailymail.co.uk/fiona Macrae

A baby boy has defied the odds to be born as the country’s most premature twin.

Jacob McMahon’s chances looked bleak when his sister was born dead a day short of 22 weeks.

Doctors advised mother Sara Fisher, 25, to abort her surviving child because she was suffering from a serious infection that probably caused his twin’s death.

Jacob has only just been allowed home to join his mother Sara

She was told she must decide quicjkly, but then went into labour and gave birth at 23 weeks.

Weighing just 1lb 4oz – the same as an Apple iPad – Jacob faced a mammoth fight. It was 30 days before the first-time mother could hold her son and 75 more before she could give him a bath.

It means his admin worker mother and her partner Scott McMahon, 26, can finally start family life at home in Bradford.

Miraculous: Jacob survived after being born 17 weeks early

Although the baby has to be constantly attached to an oxygen supply to help his tiny lungs, he is going from strength to strength.

‘He’s getting bigger and stronger day by day and is basically like any other newborn,’ said Sara.

iPad: At his birth, Jacob weighed the same as Apple's tablet computer

‘It’s an amazing feeling to have him home. To me he’s not a record breaker, to me he’s just my baby.’ Miss Fisher’s waters broke at 16 weeks and she was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary at 20 weeks.

Scans up until the day before she was delivered showed the first twin, Emie, was alive. She was stillborn however and more bad news was to follow for the family.

‘After Emie was born the infection levels soared and I was starting to become unwell,’ said Miss Fisher.

‘The doctors told me their duty of care was towards me and they advised that unless the pregnancy ends then I could be very, very poorly.

‘We couldn’t believe it when doctors told us we had to consider abortion. We did not want to do that, but luckily that decision was taken away from us when I went into labour at midnight.’

She said Jacob quickly became ill following a frightening labour.

‘There have been several times that we thought he would not be with us,’ she added.

Jacob now weighs a healthy 7lb 3oz and is feeding from a bottle. His brain scans have been normal.

Doctor Sam Oddie said: ‘We are going to keep a close eye on him in the coming months and years.’

Newborn: Jacob is the most premature twin ever to have been delivered in Britain, though his sister Emie died at birth. dailymail.co.uk

Cheers: Women could soon be allowed an extra glass of wine a day

Guideline alcohol limits may be raised for the first time in 20 years.

MPs are to examine the evidence behind official advice that men should drink no more than four units a day and women three.

That is the equivalent of two pints of ordinary strength lager for men and a large glass of wine for women. The review could see drinkers granted one extra drink a day

The Commons science and technology committee will look at the situation in other countries, a number of which have more generous limits.

Italian and New Zealand guidelines allow for an extra bottle of wine a week while those for Spain, France and the Netherlands give an extra half bottle.

The Dutch and the Canadians make no distinction between the amounts recommended for men and women.

The safe limits were introduced in 1987 by the Royal College of Physicians in its first report on alcohol misuse. Setting the level at 14 units a week for women and 21 for men, the college warned excessive consumption could lead to liver disease, strokes, heart and brain disease.

But Dr Richard Smith, a member of the original working party on alcohol and a former editor of the British Medical Journal, admitted in 1997 that the figures were ‘plucked out of the air’ for lack of ‘any decent data’.

The Department of Health, which provides guidance on alcohol intake, also recommends pregnant women or women trying to conceive should not drink alcohol or if they do, no more than one or two units once or twice a week.

It advises parents that children should not drink until they are at least 15.

Sip slowly: How the UK recommendation compares

The committee will be looking at the ‘evidence base’ of these guidelines for a report later this year. The UK’s four chief medical officers will then have two months to decide whether their recommendations should be implemented.

The MPs will also look at official attempts to educate the public about alcohol abuse.

A Department of Health spokesman said an evidence review had backed up the guidelines, and that they were ‘constantly under review’ in the light of new evidence about alcohol consumption. Yesterday, doctors and charities welcomed the review.

Ian Gilmour, a liver disease expert and former president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: ‘I welcome the fact the committee is looking at this – it is good to have as much scientific rigour about this as possible.’

Sarah Wise of the British Liver Trust said: ‘I support the current guidelines but the units system can be confusing. Alcohol is much stronger than it was in 1987, when two units equated to one pint and one unit to half a pint.

‘These days super-strength lager can have more than three units per pint, and you can no longer get a 125ml glass of wine in most bars.

‘It is the right time to have a review. Alcohol-related hospital admissions have now topped one million a year and clearly we need to restore people’s confidence in the science behind the guidelines.’

Alcohol deaths doubled in England and Wales to 8,664 in 2009. dailymail.co.uk

When a nationwide study was launched to determine how happy UK residents are and what is most important to us, the results were largely unsurprising.

While parents said their priorities were their children, good health and a nice house, teenagers highlighted the most important things as mobile phones, The Only Way Is Essex, high heels and hugs.

As a result the findings of David Cameron's much-vaunted 'Well-being Index' were widely derided for being blindingly obvious.

But now the green light has been given for the ONS to draw up its first life satisfaction index by asking 200,000 people to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, their satisfaction, happiness, anxiety and belief that what they do in life is worthwhile.

Smiles all round: Despite it being the subject of mockery, David Cameron is pressing ahead with his wellbeing index to measure the nation's happiness

The ONS today vowed to press ahead and analyse the findings in an effort to tell politicians exactly how happy the nation is, with the first national well-being indicators set to be released in the autumn, followed by annual life satisfaction ratings in July 2012.

More than 34,000 people responded to the £2m scheme ordered by the Prime Minister in November.

Jill Matheson, from the Office of National Statistics, said today people had been 'definitely keen' to express their views on what makes life better.

David Cameron has said government should focus on quality of life

Good health, family and friends were considered important across all segments of society. Perhaps surprisingly, money was not ranked as vital to a happy life.

Those surveyed also revealed more specific examples of what made them happy.

One man said he would like to see better quality pies and chip butties, adding: ‘Cheese and tomato toasties, with ketchup on the side, white bread. Bacon sandwiches, actually sandwiches in general.’

Another urged the Government to provide ‘something half decent on TV'. Another said he enjoyed ‘looking at pretty girls’.

One contributor called for an end to the smoking ban, saying: ‘I would love to go out again and relax with a few pints and some cigarettes, relaxing with friends.'

Britain's first national well-being indicators will be published in the autumn, followed by annual life satisfaction ratings next July by which time 200,000 people will have been asked to rate how satisfied they are with their lives on a scale of one to ten.

OPERATION SMILE: WHAT MAKES US HAPPY IN THE UK

Big appetite: Food was a top priority for a large number of children when it came to being happy

Different groups of society were asked what brought them happiness. Some of the responses included:

CHILDREN: Cuddles with my mummy, chocolate mini-eggs, McDonald's, playing cars, school, running around with all my friends, Batman

TEENAGERS: Chocolate, tea, hugs, clothes (but having your own style), family, football, my iPod, jobs and education, friends, money, weekends, music, pets, sun, The Only Way Is Essex, Facebook, alcohol and bed

STUDENTS: To have enough money to live without worries, health, family, a Government that cares more about the environment and a person’s quality of life than money and 'big business'; world peace, alternative fuels and mortgage rates

ADULTS: Access to play groups, money, being a mum, a good life for children, a nice house in a lovely safe area, exercise classes, being appreciative of what you have

ELDERLY: Seeing grandchildren happy, local shops and village life, pensions, valuing what you have, education

The well-being index is an alternative way to examine our quality of life in Britain compared to more traditional economic methods like GDP.

Launching the project last year, Mr Cameron said: 'If your goal in politics is to help make a better life for people - which mine is - and if you know, both in your gut and from a huge body of evidence, that prosperity alone can't deliver a better life, then you've got to take practical steps to make sure government is properly focused on our quality of life as well as economic growth, and that is what we are trying to do.'

Ms Matheson said today: 'The response to the debate was huge and thoughtful.

'The UK public were definitely keen to tell us what is important to them and I am pleased that we have been able to give so many people a place to discuss what national well-being means on both a personal and national level.

'People of all ages highlighted the importance of family, friends, health, financial security, equality and fairness in determining well-being.' dailymail.co.uk

A 13-year-old girl who lost all four of her limbs to meningitis could be on the road to Paralympic glory next summer after becoming a gold-medal winning swimmer.

Danielle Bailey was just four-years-old when the bacterial illness left her fighting for her life.

She amazed doctors by pulling through but had to have both her arms and legs amputated.

Making a splash: Danielle won a gold medal at a junior championships just nine months after taking up swimming

Now, just a year after tentatively starting to swim, she could be on her way to sporting glory.

She has mastered all four main strokes under the close eye of instructor Chris Silverwood, and has slashed her times by up to half-a-minute in under six months.

Mr Silverwood said she was hitting times he would expect of an average able-bodied 16-year-old swimmer.

Danielle is categorised as an S4 swimmer within a disability classifications range from S1 to S15 with S1 applying to the most serious disabilities.

She won a gold medal less than nine months after starting swimming when she won the Disability Sports Events National Junior Swimming Championship in February.

If she repeats the performance at the ASA Youth National Swimming Championships next week - where she is swimming the S4 breaststroke alone because she's the only one to reach the qualifying time - she will be accepted on to the World Class Talent programme and be on the road to the Paralympics.

Winner: Danielle says she feels free when she swims

The talented schoolgirl said: 'I was nervous at the start but when I get in and start to swim I feel free. It's the best sport for me to do and makes me feel capable and independent.

'I've won lots of medals and I really, really enjoy it. My favourite stroke is the front crawl. It would make me really proud to one day be in the Paralympics.'

Proud mother Lindsay 29, of Otley, West Yorkshire, said: 'We've only just realised how good she is at swimming because she was so laid back and modest about it.

'She would just casually say 'I've won a race' or 'I've won a medal', and it wasn't until we spoke to Chris that we realised quite how talented she is.

'She's such a happy-go-lucky girl and she said she absolutely loved swimming, but it then became clear that she is at home in the pool and is brilliant at it.

'We don't want to put too much pressure on her at this stage talking about the Paralympics, but it is definitely something she is aiming for.'

Danielle lives with her mum, who is a forensic psychology student and father Trevor, 40, who is her full-time carer. The couple also have four other daughters - Tia, ten, Jamie-Lee, eight, Mya, seven, and three-year-old Summer.

Danielle swims three times a week for 90 minutes practising all four of the recognised strokes - breaststroke, backstroke, front crawl and the butterfly.

Danielle lost her legs and hands in 2002

In 2002 the youngster spent five months in hospital and doctors made the heartbreaking decision to amputate her legs below the knee to save her life. She then needed further operations to remove her knees and hands.

Harrogate Borough Council's swimming development manager Chris began giving her one-to-one coaching last June at the town's Hydro pool and has repeatedly been amazed by her natural ability.

He said: 'A year ago she was a novice swimmer and now she is a national youth level athlete. Her progress has been fantastic, especially when you consider her disability which is very severe for swimming, and her young age.

'There are only a handful of S4 swimmers in the country, for someone to swim with none of their limbs, and swim well, is extremely rare.

'At the start she did not know how to do the strokes but she seemed to move well through the water, and picked up all the skills very quickly.

'She swims with the same technique as an able-bodied swimmer although she does have to accentuate her movements because she hasn't got any legs.

'Between February and last month she knocked 30 seconds off her 50 metre backstroke time and she can now do world-class times. I can't speak highly enough for her. She always has a smile on her face and her enthusiasm is infectious.

'She also helps break down people's misconceptions. When they see her on the blocks ready to dive in alongside able-bodied swimmers they can't imagine how she can compete but she does, and wins.'

Danielle will be competing at the British Gas ASA Youth National Swimming Championships in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, next week. dailymail.co.uk