Other doctors believe ear thermometers are reliable, and they are widely used in hospitals, on children and adults. For an accurate reading, the tip must be inserted very precisely and snugly into the ear canal. “If you aim it wrong, you’ll get a cooler temperature,“explains John Hyle, a spokesman for Thermoscan, the only ear thermometer sold to consumers. Squirming targets can be hard to hit.
Oenophiles were thrilled last year when University of Wisconsin researchers confirmed that two glasses of red wine every day could help prevent heart attacks. Last week the same medical team, led by John Folts, had good news for nondrinkers: they can probably get the same protection from consuming three times as much purple grape juice.
The beneficial ingredients are flavonoids, organic compounds in the skins, stems and seeds of grapes (as well as in some other fruits, vegetables and beer). The darker the wine or grape juice, the longer the grapes have been processed and the more flavonoids it contains. The compounds, composed of rings of carbon atoms, reduce the activity of platelets in the blood, which helps prevent clots that can clog arteries and cause heart attacks. The next step, says Folts, will be to pack the heart-friendly flavonids into a pill.
