Health Related articles updated on daily Basis.

[Night_Hawk]

Even blowing nose could trigger stroke
(IANS)

7 May 2011
LONDON - Something as simple as drinking coffee, getting angry or even blowing your nose can trigger a deadly stroke, says a study.
Seemingly harmless activities like drinking a can of cola or jumping when you are surprised - all trigger a sudden increase in the blood pressure.

This can lead to a sub-arachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke which is fatal for more than half of victims, reports Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Some 8,000 people in the UK suffer subarachnoid haemorrhage every year and it is most common in the middle-aged, particularly women, according to the Daily Mail.

The study by Dutch scientists identified eight everyday activities and bodily functions that are likely to increase the blood pressure suddenly and risk this type of stroke.

It occurs when a weakened blood vessel surrounding the brain bursts and damages brain tissues.

Between 10 and 15 percent of victims die before they reach hospital, and 50 percent are dead within a month.

Experts from the University Medical Centre in Utrecht in the Netherlands, surveyed 250 patients who suffered this type of stroke.

All were asked questions such as whether they had drunk coffee, cola, been exercising or blown their nose an hour before the stroke, or if they remembered being startled or angry.

Scientists were able to estimate how much each activity increased the risk of the stroke.

Lead researcher Monique Vlak said: All of the triggers induce a sudden and short increase in blood pressure, which seems a possible common cause for aneurysmal rupture.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Are some BP drugs easier to take?
(Reuters)

1 May 2011
When it comes to treating high blood pressure, people may be more likely to stick with certain types of medication than others, a new study suggests.
In an analysis of 15 past studies, researchers found that on average, people were less likely to adhere to prescriptions of diureticsa long used and cheap class of blood pressure drug sometimes referred to as water pillsthan to relatively newer medications.

Patients were most likely to stick with angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBsa group of drugs that includes names like valsartan (Diovan), candesartan (Atacand) and losartan (Cozaar).
Coming in second were ACE inhibitors, which include ramipril (Altace), lisinopril (Prinivel, Zestril) and captopril (Capoten).
Overall, diuretic users were about twice as likely to stop taking their medication as ARB users, researchers report in the medical journal Circulation.
The various classes of blood pressure drugs differ in how they work and in their side effects. And that could be one reason that adherence differs, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Ian M. Kronish of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
However, a researcher not involved in the study said the findings do not necessarily mean that a person will stick with an ARB longer, or that those drugs should be a first choice for treating high blood pressure, said Dr. Niteesh K. Choudhry, of Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
In fact, Choudhry noted in an interview, national guidelines recommend diuretics as a first-line medication for high blood pressure, based on large-scale clinical trials showing their effectiveness.
To me, that data still reigns supreme, said Choudhry, who wrote an editorial published with the study.
These findings dont support abandoning what were doing now, he added.
For the study, Kronish and his colleagues combined the results of 15 studies looking at peoples adherence to their blood pressure prescriptions. Most of the studies defined adherence according to whether people persistently filled their prescription over the study periodwhich in most was a year.
On average, 65 percent of ARB users stuck with their medication, versus 58 percent of ACE inhibitor users and 51 percent of diuretic users. Another class of drug, beta-blockers, had the lowest adherence, at 28 percent.
When the researchers weighed other factorslike patients age, race and incomeboth diuretic and beta-blocker users were about twice as likely to stop taking their medication as ARB users were.
Choudhry said it is plausible that diuretic users could be more likely to quit because of the medications themselves.
The drugs mode of actionhelping the body get rid of water and saltmeans frequent bathroom trips, and some people may be bothered by that.
In addition, Choudhry said, diuretics are older blood pressure drugs, and some patients (and doctors) perceive them as not as good as the newer ARBs and ACE inhibitors.
But we know from large-scale studies that people do just as well on diuretics as they do on other drugs, Choudhry said.
Nearly a decade ago, a huge clinical trial known as ALLHAT found that diuretics were more effective than other blood pressure medications at preventing heart failurewhich was key in making them a first-choice drug for high blood pressure.
Choudhry said that a range of factorsfrom price to side effectscan affect any one persons ability to stick with a blood pressure medication.
ARBs, for instance, are more expensive than other drugs, while ACE inhibitors can cause a chronic, bothersome cough.
These are legitimate concerns, Choudhry said, and they are precisely the type of thing you need to bring up to your doctor.
But people should not stop taking their medication on their own. Its very important to take the medication you are prescribed, Choudhry said. If you are having trouble, talk with your doctor.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Lifestyle, diet have no effect on Alzhiemer’s
(Reuters)

10 May 2011
CHICAGO - There is no strong evidence that any dietary or lifestyle changes can reduce a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a U.S. government panel said on Monday.
Experts called together by the National Institutes of Health examined scores of studies about whether diet, exercise, nutritional supplements and chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension affect a person’s risk of getting the fatal, brain-wasting disease.
They found some signs that diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking could raise the risk of Alzheimer’s.
And they found that eating a Mediterranean-type diet — high in healthy fats, fruits and vegetables — and taking folic acid, cutting back on alcohol and keeping the brain and body fit appear to lower the risk.
But in every case, the evidence was not strong enough to say for sure, the panel found.
“Although numerous studies have investigated risk factors and potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, significant gaps in scientific knowledge exist,” Dr. Martha Daviglus of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Neurology.
“Currently, firm conclusions simply cannot be drawn about the association of any modifiable risk factor with Alzheimer’s disease, and there is insufficient evidence to support the use of any lifestyle interventions or dietary supplements to prevent Alzheimer’s,” the panel wrote.
Old age remains the most reliable known risk factor for the disease, which afflicts 26 million people worldwide.
People with a specific variant of the apolipoprotein E or APOE gene are also at greater risk.
The U.S. panel called for large-scale, long-term, population-based studies and clinical trials to evaluate what, if anything, can be done to slow or stop its progression.
In the meantime, the experts said older people and those with Alzheimer’s in their family should keep active and do all they can to maintain good health.
“Until more conclusive results are available, individuals should continue to aim for a physically and mentally active and healthy lifestyle and prevention of the well-known major risk factors for chronic diseases,” they wrote.
The Alzheimer’s Association said significant increases in federal funding for disease research were needed to conduct the studies called for in the NIH panel’s report.
“It is clear that there is a relationship between heart health and brain health, and this relationship needs further research so that we can make definitive recommendations,” the group said in a statement.
“Nonetheless, even now with the preliminary evidence that we have, this connection is another good reason to live a healthy lifestyle that is beneficial for your heart health such as controlling your cardiovascular risk factors — your blood pressure, blood sugar, and body weight.”
Policy-makers and drug companies are working furiously to find ways to prevent Alzheimer’s as the Baby Boom generation heads into old age.
Of the 5.4 million Americans with the disease, an estimated 4 percent are under 65, 6 percent are 65 to 74, 45 percent are 75 to 84, and 45 percent are 85 or older.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...2011/May/health_May16.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Health Benefits of helping
Samineh I. Shaheem

19 March 2011
There is a very strange feeling accompanying many people at the moment.
Enthusiasm and excitement have somewhat left our sides, being reluctantly replaced by a cocktail of challenging emotions which could be described as reflective, numb, poignant, disbelief, in a state of shock or feeling generally anxious due to the many atrocities and unfathomable incidents that have recently afflicted millions of people around the world.
These emotions have a more intrusive cousin, called helplessness, which can eventually cause us to spiral into a feeling of uncontrollability and unpredictability. As we switch channels, view pictures, read different headlines and watch image after image of innocent people suffering, we too can become frantic and overwhelmed and might experience a desensitisation.
As with everything in life, there are always two sides to every situation, no matter how horrific or devastating it may be. One young lady working in a charity organisation in Dubai recently said, The only positive thing I can focus on during these times is the way everyone comes together to help. Not just people from that country but so many others from all over the world join together to show their compassion and human spirit.
Along with compassion and togetherness, theres a third element associated with communities recovering from calamities and that is the act of helping. In other words trying to give back and engaging in acts of generosity, no matter how small or significant, instead of remaining silent and paralysed by the degree of devastation others are going through.
Our ability to feel the pain of others and identify with what they are going through is not only one of the most important cohesive components of our communities, but also the main motivating factor of why so many people actually step forward to help.
Positive Effects of Helping

A number of scientific studies show that acts of kindness result in significant health benefits, both physical and mental, for those who perform them.
One of the most famous studies conducted by Luks concluded, Helping contributes to the maintenance of good health, and it can diminish the effect of diseases and disorders both serious and minor, psychological and physical.
The volunteers in Luks study testified to feeling a rush of euphoria, followed by a longer period of calm, after performing a kind act. This feeling, which Luks calls helpers high, involves physical sensations that strongly indicate a sharp reduction in stress and the release of the bodys natural painkillers, the endorphins. This initial rush is then followed by a longer-lasting period of improved emotional well-being.
Helpers High helps fight against so many stress related health issues. The list of what Luks calls the ills that helping helps includes:
Obesity
Sleeplessness
Acid stomach
Headaches and backaches
Depression
Colds and flu
Arthritis
Lupus
Asthma
Faster recovery from surgery
Cancer

What accounts for these health improvements? Apparently while engaging in acts of generosity, a combination of factors contribute to better health, such as the possibility of strengthening immune-system activity, reduction of the incidence of attitudes like chronic hostility or anger that negatively arouse and damage the body and regaining a sense of controllability over our lives.
Aside from catastrophic events, there are many individuals who continually live a generous and purposeful existence, by helping disadvantaged members of different societies. One very important initiative rewards and recognises such people. The Spread Some Inspiration with Philadelphia Cream Cheese campaign invites women living in the GCC to share stories of their positive contribution to society on www.phillyarabia.com. Spread Some Inspiration is an open forum for women to either submit their own stories or nominate stories of other women who spread feelings of joy, love and hope through their efforts in community relations and charity. A panel of judges comprising three exceptional women from the GCC will shortlist the three most compelling stories, and the public will be invited to vote for the one story that has inspired them the most.
So the next time you have one of those moments of contemplation, to give or not to give, think not only about the positive effect it will have on the other, but also the rush of euphoria and sense of pride you will feel when engaging in an act of generosity.
Samineh I Shaheem is an author, an assistant professor of psychology, currently lecturing in Dubai, as well as a cross-cultural consultant at HRI. She appears on numerous radio programmes and conferences and has studied and worked in different parts of the world, including the USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, and the UAE. Please forward your thoughts to [email protected]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Painkillers increase death risk in heart attacks
(IANS)

10 May 2011
LONDON - Taking popular painkillers like Ibuprofen could kill people who have suffered a heart attack, researchers say.
Scientists looked at patients who had previously had a heart attack and started consuming the prescription drugs.

They found the use of the tablets, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), was associated with a 45 percent increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack within as little as one week of treatment

The risk went up to 55 percent if treatment with the tablets extended to three months, the Daily Mail reports.

Study lead author Anne-Marie Schjerning Olsen, a research fellow at Copenhagen University, said: Overall, NSAID treatment was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death.

Our results indicate that there is no apparent safe therapeutic window for NSAIDs in patients with a prior heart attack, added Olsen.

NSAIDs are commonly used and are associated with increased cardiovascular risk in people with heart disease or those at high risk.

In the current study, researchers investigated if the duration of prescription NSAID treatment influenced the cardiovascular risk among heart patients.

Among 83,697 heart attack survivors (average age 68; 63 percent men), 42.3 percent had a least one prescription for an NSAID.

The most common NSAIDs prescribed were Ibuprofen (23 percent) and Diclofenac (13.4 percent).
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[Night_Hawk]

Coffee mooted as a breast cancer prevent-er

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

More than five cups a day appeared to offer some protection

Women who drink lots of coffee may cut their risk of developing one type of breast cancer, according to a new study, but experts are urging caution.
The Karolinska Institute findings are based on nearly 6,000 women and suggest drinking more than five cups a day halves a woman's risk.
But cancer experts say the evidence is not proof enough and women should instead focus on leading a healthy lifestyle to cut their cancer odds.
They say the findings need confirming.
The Swedish researchers are now doing more studies to dig deeper into the coffee question.
Their initial findings suggest that coffee cuts the risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer called oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer.
Aggressive cancer Around one in four women diagnosed with breast cancer will have oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer, which is often resilient to drug treatment and requires intensive chemotherapy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13352074#story_continues_2 Start QuoteThis study does not provide firm evidence that drinking lots of coffee can help reduce the risk of breast cancer as it relied on people with cancer remembering how much coffee they drank years ago
Yinka Ebo of Cancer Research UK
In the study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research, post-menopausal women with and without breast cancer were asked about lifestyle factors and coffee consumption.
The findings revealed the association between higher coffee intake and lower risk of breast cancer.
Research Professor Per Hall said: "We were surprised. But the result was clear. When we looked more closely the more aggressive form of cancer - the oestrogen-receptor negative - was reduced by over half, meaning half as many women who drank lots of coffee were diagnosed with this cancer."
But he said what is not clear is why coffee might be having this effect.
"We just don't know what might be behind this association. There are so many different compounds in coffee that it could be any one of them that could be having an effect."
The other problem is the study rests on the women reliably recalling how much coffee they drink, and there is no record of what type of coffee they consumed - espressos, cappuccinos or decaf?
Until more work is done, Professor Hall says he would not advise women to up their coffee consumption, especially since too much coffee can have side effects.
Yinka Ebo of Cancer Research UK, said: "This study does not provide firm evidence that drinking lots of coffee can help reduce the risk of breast cancer as it relied on people with cancer remembering how much coffee they drank years ago.
"Previous research on coffee consumption and breast cancer risk has produced mixed results, and the authors of this new study acknowledge that further work will be needed to confirm the findings."
He said there was good evidence, however, that women who are physically active, consume little or no alcohol and keep a healthy weight after the menopause are at lower risk of breast cancer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13352074

 

[Night_Hawk]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Sugar helps antibiotics work better
(IANS)

13 May 2011, 9:13 AM
Just a spoonful of sugar can impart that killing edge to antibiotics against infections.
Researchers found that glucose and fructosetypes of sugar found in plantsmake deadly bugs behind chronic infections more vulnerable to drugs.
Sugar can improve the effectiveness of antibiotics against infections, say researchers.

Such infections often occur when bacteria shut down, making antibiotics ineffective against them, reports the journal Nature.
Over time, the bugs, known as persisters, return to life, causing patients to relapse, according to the Daily Mail.
Boston University scientists tested the effects of drawing the bacteria out of their hibernation using sugar. They found stimulating the bugs with sugar renders them vulnerable to antibiotic attack.
Testing the strategy on Eschericia coli (E. coli) bacteria, a common cause of urinary infections, the researchers were able to eliminate 99.9 percent of persisters in just two hours.
Without sugar, the drugs they used had no effect. The team now plans to examine whether sugar additives can help fight tuberculosis

 

[Night_Hawk]

People with diabetes at higher risk for cancer
(Reuters)

13 May 2011
NEW YORK - People with diabetes are at higher risk for certain cancers than those without the blood sugar disease, including colon and pancreatic cancer for men and breast cancer for women, according to a US study.
Based on a telephone survey of nearly 400,000 adults, the study whose findings appear in Diabetes Care found that 16 out of every 100 diabetic men and 17 out of every 100 diabetic women said they had cancer.
That compares to 7 per 100 men and 10 per 100 women without diabetes.
The significant association between cancer and diabetes does not surprise us, said Chaoyang Li, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, George, the lead author.
Li told Reuters Health that other studies have also found a link between diabetes and cancer, although there is no proof that one causes the other.
According to the CDC, nine percent of US adults have diabetes.
After taking into account things such as age, race, smoking and drinking habits, the researchers concluded that diabetic men and women were 10 percent more likely to have had a cancer diagnosis of any kind.
Compared to people without diabetes, diabetic men were more likely to report having colon, pancreas, rectum, urinary bladder, kidney or prostate cancer. Diabetic women had more cases of breast cancer, leukemia or a type of uterine cancer.
For men, the greatest increase in risk was for pancreatic cancer, with 16 per 10,000 cases among diabetics and just two per 10,000 among non-diabetics. a four-fold difference after other factors are taken into consideration.
Womens risk of leukemia also rose sharply. One per 1,000 women without diabetes said they had been diagnosed with the blood cancer, compared to three per 1,000 women with diabetes.
The study is just a snapshot of peoples medical history and does not follow them over time.
It shows theres a substantial pool of American adults who have diabetes and cancer, said Fred Brancati, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The authors rightly point out that these two conditions go together beyond chance alone, so it pays to think about them together.
Brancatis own research has shown that the risk of death from cancer among diabetics is about 40 percent higher than among non-diabetics.
Li said its still unclear why diabetes is tied to cancer. High blood sugar levels or excess blood insulin a hormone that helps ferry suger into the cells might increase the risk, but that has not been proven.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Do bedbugs carry superbugs?
(Reuters)

12 May 2011
CHICAGO - Researchers in Canada have found bedbugs carrying antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a surprise finding because scientists had thought the pests were not capable of spreading infections.
The study was done by a team in a poor corner of Vancouver, where both bedbug infestations and strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria are increasing.
Dr. Marc Romney, a medical microbiologist at St. Pauls Hospital/Providence Health Care in Vancouver, decided to see if the two were related.
Romney and colleagues removed five of the pests from the clothes and skin of infested patients and tested them.
They found bedbugs carrying two types of drug-resistant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
I was a little surprised. Historically, bedbugs have not been associated with infections, Romney said in a telephone interview.
He said scientists have tested bedbugs to see if they carry blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis or HIV. But so far, they have not been reported to carry infection.
Infestations of the bloodsucking bugs, which can cause severe itching, have made a comeback in cities such as Paris and New York in recent years.
Romney said the strain of MRSA they found requires skin to be somewhat compromised, and he thinks the bedbugs are providing that as people scratch their bites.
Maybe the bedbugs bite is breaking down the patients skin, he said.
He said that some of these pests may be carrying MRSA and going from individual to individual.
The data are preliminary, but it suggests maybe there is an association, Romney said.
Even though they cant carry hepatitis B and HIV, maybe they can carry resistant bacteria.
Maybe it is yet another factor that could be responsible for this large increase in resistant bacteria in inner cities in North America, he said.

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[Night_Hawk]

First human lung stem cell identified
(AFP)

11 May 2011
WASHINGTON US researchers said Wednesday they have identified for the first time human lung stem cells that are self-renewing and could offer important clues for treating chronic lung diseases.
Previous studies have shown researchers were able to create lung cells using human embryonic stem cells, but this lung stem cell was isolated using surgical samples of adult human lung tissue.
This research describes, for the first time, a true human lung stem cell, said Piero Anversa, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital and co-author of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The discovery of this stem cell has the potential to offer those who suffer from chronic lung diseases a totally novel treatment option by regenerating or repairing damaged areas of the lung.
The finding qualifies as a true stem cell because it renews itself; can form different types of lung cells like bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessel cells; and when injected into a mouse it could be isolated and removed and used to treat another mouse with the same results, the study said.
These are the critical first steps in developing clinical treatments for those with lung disease for which no therapies exist, said co-author Joseph Loscalzo, chair of the BWH department of medicine.
Further research is needed, but we are excited about the impact this discovery could have on our ability to regenerate or recreate new lung tissues to replace damaged areas of the lungs.
Stem cell therapy on lung diseases has long been elusive because the lung is a highly complex organ with a variety of cell types that can renew at different rates, experts say.
Lung disease is the third leading killer in the United States after heart disease and cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...2011/May/health_May21.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Blood pressure drug wards off muscle loss
(AFP)

11 May 2011
WASHINGTON A common blood pressure drug may also prevent muscle loss that comes with age and inactivity, US researchers said on Wednesday.
The promising results seen in mice have led researchers to begin organizing clinical trials in humans, said the study by scientists at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Using 40 mice that at 21 months old were considered geriatric, researchers found that when they immobilized a leg muscle and treated the subjects with losartan, no muscle mass was lost after three weeks.
Mice who did not receive the drug lost 20 percent of their muscle mass in that time period.
When we saw that the loss of muscle fibers was completely prevented by losartan therapy, it was quite mind-blowing, said Ronald Cohn, an assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology in the JHU McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine.
They also tested how mice recovered from muscle injury while using the drug.
After injecting a chemical toxin into a shin muscle and comparing results after 19 days, mice who took the drug had about 15-20 percent scar tissue compared to untreated mice who formed 30-40 percent.
Researchers said that if the findings can be replicated in humans, the drug could help prevent muscle loss that accompanies aging. People over 50 lose on average one to two percent of their muscle mass per year.
It could also help prevent atrophy that comes from injury, such as wearing a cast while a broken bone heals, or from prolonged inactivity such as in patients who are bedridden or astronauts who spend time in zero gravity.
The goal of the investigation was to find a way to prevent a bad situation from getting worse in the case of old muscle thats injured or not used, said Cohn.
As pleased as we were to see that losartan therapy in mice had a positive effect on muscle regeneration, we were most surprised and excited by its striking prevention of disuse atrophy.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...2011/May/health_May22.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Heart Trouble? 18 Herbal Remedies to Avoid
Herbal remedies and heart drugs can be a dangerous mix.

Millions of Americans and People around the world take herbal remedies for ailments ranging from high cholesterol to depression. Though widely viewed as safe, these products can cause serious interactions in people taking prescription drugs for heart problems.

A 2010 report by Mayo Clinic researchers listed more than 25 herbal products that can be dangerous for heart patients on medication. The following guide to herbal products that heart patients should avoid was prepared using data from the report, as well as from the National Institutes for Health and the Natural Standard Research Collaboration.
Garlic

• What it is: A member of the onion family, available commercially as an oil, extract, or pill (in addition to its natural state).
• What it's used for: To lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as blood pressure. Also used as a blood thinner and to combat atherosclerosis.
• The risk: Garlic's blood-thinning properties can increase the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin, an anti-clotting drug commonly prescribed to people with heart-rhythm disorders, and to people who have had heart attacks or heart-valve replacements.

Saw palmetto

• What it is: The fruit of the palmetto tree (a type of palm tree), available as a capsule, liquid, or tea.
• What it's used for: Primarily used to fight the urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate gland, saw palmetto is also used to combat hair loss, chronic pelvic pain, and decreased sex drive.
• The risk: Increases the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin.

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Gingko

• What it is: The extract of the leaves of the ginkgo plant (also known as the maidenhair tree), sold as a capsule or tea.
• What it's used for: Ginkgo is mainly used to improve memory and prevent dementia (including Alzheimer's disease), but it has also been used to treat asthma, ringing in the ears, sexual dysfunction, and leg pain caused by poor circulation.
• The risk: Increases the risk of bleeding associated with aspirin and warfarin.

Echinacea

• What it is: The roots and herb of the echinacea plant, dried or extracted and sold as a capsule, tea, or juice.
• What it's used for: To prevent colds and flu and boost the immune system.
• The risk: Can increase the risk of liver damage associated with statin medications, niacin, and fibrates, all of which are prescribed to lower cholesterol.

St. John's wort

• What it is: A yellow-flowered plant, Hypericum perforatum, that is sold as a capsule, tea, or liquid extract.
• What it's used for: Primarily used to treat depression and anxiety, St. John's wort is also used as a sedative in sleep disorders.
• The risk: Affects how the body absorbs dozens of prescription medications and may diminish the efficacy of statins, beta-blockers (a class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and heart-rhythm disorders), and calcium-channel blockers.

Green Tea

• What it is: The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Usually steeped in water, but also available as a capsule or extract.
• What it's used for: To lose weight, improve mental alertness, lower cholesterol, and prevent cancer.
• The risk: Green tea contains vitamin K, which can counteract the effect of warfarin.

Alfalfa

• What it is: A plant in the pea family, the dried leaves of which are ground up and sold as capsules.
• What it's used for: To lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and to reduce the plaques caused by atherosclerosis.
• The risk: Increases the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin.

Ginger

• What it is: A root, often used in cooking, that is also processed and sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: Ginger has been used for centuries to treat various stomach ailments (such as nausea, diarrhea, and stomachache). It is also used to treat joint and muscle pain.
• The risk: Increases the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin.

Billberry

• What it is: The dried extract of the bilberry fruit, which is very similar to the blueberry. Sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: Bilberry is used to treat problems associated with poor circulation, most notably varicose veins and venous insufficiency, in addition to diarrhea, skin problems, eyestrain, and menstrual cramps.
• The risk: Bilberry may improve blood circulation, but it can also increase the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin.

Fenugreek

• What it is: A seed (often ground into a powder) that has been used since the days of ancient Egypt and is available in capsule form.
• What it's used for: Fenugreek has been used for a wide range of ailments, including digestive problems, hot flashes, and a lack of breast milk. More recently, it has also been used to lower cholesterol.
• The risk: Increases the risk of bleeding associated with warfarin. Fenugreek can also lower blood sugar, which can cause complications for diabetics.

Ginseng

• What it is: An herb, native to Asia, that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is now sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: To boost energy, stamina, and the immune system. Also used to lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
• The risk: When overused, ginseng can actually increase blood pressure and can diminish the effect of warfarin.

Grapefruit juice

• What it is: The juice cartons in the supermarket, right next to the orange juice.
• What it's used for: To lose weight and to promote heart health.
• The risk: Grapefruit juice interferes with an enzyme that is essential for properly absorbing medications including statins and calcium-channel blockers, which intensifies the effect of those drugs. A single glass of grapefruit juice more than doubles the amount of calcium-channel blocker available to the body, research has shown.

Aloe Vera

• What it is: The pulp of the aloe vera plant.
• What it's used for: In addition to its familiar use as a lotion and salve, aloe is taken orally to treat serious health conditions including arthritis, epilepsy, diabetes, and asthma.
• The risk: Aloe vera can cause a drop in the blood's potassium level, which in turn can lead to heart-rhythm problems (arrhythmias), as well as complications in heart patients taking the drug digoxin.

Black cohosh

• What it is: The extract of the root of the black cohosh plant, Actaea racemosa. Sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: Black cohosh is mainly used to assuage the symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats), but it has also been used to treat joint and muscle pain.
• The risk: Like St. John's wort, black cohosh may interfere with certain prescription medications, including statins, beta-blockers, and calcium-channel blockers. It also carries a risk of liver damage.

Hawthorn

• What it is: A flowering shrub related to the rosebush.
• What it's used for: The fruit of the hawthorn shrub has been used to treat the symptoms of heart disease for hundreds of years, while the leaf and flower are also used to treat heart failure.
• The risk: Hawthorn has been shown to strengthen the contractions of heart muscle, which may interact negatively with prescription heart-failure medications.

Yohimbe

• What it is: An extract of the bark of the Pausinystalia yohimbe tree (also known as yohimbine or yohimbe bark).
• What it's used for: As an aphrodisiac, and to treat erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men.
• The risk: Yohimbe increases heart rate, and can both raise and lower blood pressure, potentially causing complications in people with heart problems.

Licorice root

• What it is: The dried extract of the root of the licorice plant, sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: Licorice root is used to treat ulcers and other stomach ailments, bronchitis and sore throat, and some viral infections.
• The risk: It can raise blood pressure. Like aloe vera, it can also cause a dangerous drop in blood potassium levels.

Butcher's broom

• What it is: The extract of the shrub Ruscus aculeatus, also known as butcher's broom. Sold as a capsule.
• What it's used for: To improve ailments associated with poor circulation, such as varicose veins, venous insufficiency, and leg cramps.
• The risk: Butcher's broom can interfere with the action of alpha-blockers, a class of drug that is prescribed to lower blood pressure.

And many more...
These aren't the only herbal products heart patients should be wary of.
Angelica, capsicum, fumitory, gossypol, Irish moss, kelp, khella, lily of the valley, ephedra, night-blooming cereus, oleander, and strophanthus can all interact negatively with heart medications.
Heart patients taking medication—and everybody else, for that matter—should check with their physician before taking a dietary supplement.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100261390&page=1

 

[Night_Hawk]

12 Foods With Super-Healing Powers
Whole foods that help fight disease.
Nikki Jong, Caring.com contributing editor
1: As part of a healthy diet, whole foods play a significant role in helping our bodies function optimally. There are hundreds of extremely nutritious whole foods, but the dozen on this list do more than contribute healthy nutrients—they help you heal. In fact, every food on this list boasts multiple healing effects, from fighting cancer to reducing cholesterol, guarding against heart disease, and more. Eat these super-healing picks and start feeling pretty super yourself.



Kiwifruit

This tiny, nutrient-dense fruit packs an amazing amount of vitamin C (double the amount found in oranges), has more fiber than apples, and beats bananas as a high-potassium food. The unique blend of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in kiwifruit helps protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. Kiwifruit's natural blood-thinning properties work without the side effects of aspirin and support vascular health by reducing the formation of spontaneous blood clots, lowering LDL cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Multiple studies have shown that kiwifruit not only reduce oxidative stress and damage to DNA but also prompt damaged cells to repair themselves.

Kiwifruit are often prescribed as part of a dietary regimen to battle cancer and heart disease, and in Chinese medicine they are used to accelerate the healing of wounds and sores.

How much: Aim to eat one to two kiwifruit a day while they're in season, for the best taste and nutrition. California-grown kiwifruit are in season from October through May, and New Zealand kiwifruit are available between April and November.

Tips: Kiwifruit contain enzymes that activate once you cut the fruit, causing the flesh to tenderize. So if you're making a fruit salad, cut the kiwifruit last.

The riper the kiwifruit, the greater the antioxidant power, so let them ripen before you dig in.

2: Cherries

Cherries boast a laundry list of healing powers. For starters, they pack a powerful nutritional punch for a relatively low calorie count. They're also packed with substances that help fight inflammation and cancer. As if that weren't enough, in lab studies, quercetin and ellagic acid, two compounds contained in cherries, have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumors and even cause cancer cells to commit suicide—without damaging healthy cells. Cherries also have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Anthocyanin, another compound in cherries, is credited with lowering the uric acid levels in the blood, thereby reducing a common cause of gout. Researchers believe anthocyanins may also reduce your risk of colon cancer. Further, these compounds work like a natural form of ibuprofen, reducing inflammation and curbing pain. Regular consumption may help lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

In Chinese medicine, cherries are routinely used as a remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism (as well as anemia, due to their high iron content). Plus they're delicious.

How much: Aim for a daily serving while they're in season locally. And keep a bag of frozen cherries in your freezer the rest of the year; frozen cherries retain 100 percent of their nutritional value and make a great addition to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal.

3: Guavas

Guavas are a small tropical fruit that can be round, oval, or pear-shaped. They're not all that common, so they might be hard to find, depending on where you live. But if you can track them down, it's more than worth it. Guavas contain more of the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable, and nearly 20 percent more than tomatoes. Our bodies can't process much of the lycopene in tomatoes until they're cooked; the processing helps break down tough cell walls. However, guavas' cell structure allows the antioxidant to be absorbed whether the fruit is raw or cooked, and the whole fruit offers the nutrition without the added sodium of processed tomato products.

Lycopene protects our healthy cells from free radicals that can cause all kinds of damage, including blocked arteries, joint degeneration, nervous system problems, and even cancer. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of prostate cancer; in addition, men with prostate tumors who consumed lycopene supplements showed significant improvements, such as smaller tumors and decreased malignancy. Lycopene has also been found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, and research suggests that this antioxidant may also help protect against coronary heart disease.

This strange-looking little fruit is also packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants. Serving for serving, guava offers more than 60 percent more potassium than a banana, which can help protect against heart disease and stroke. In fact, the nutrients found in guavas have been shown to lower LDL and boost HDL cholesterol, reduce triglycerides, and lower blood pressure.

How much: Aim to eat fresh guavas as often as you can when you can find them in stores. They're not commonly available in the freezer section; and most guava juices are processed and sweetened, so they don't provide the same superior nutrition that the whole, fresh fruit does. One to two guavas a day is a good goal.

Tip: Opt for the red-fleshed variety if you can; both are loaded with antioxidants, but the red type has more than the white-fleshed apple guava.

4: Beans

Beans are a miracle food. They lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and insulin production, promote digestive health, and protect against cancer. If you think of fiber, protein, and antioxidants and immediately think whole grains, meat, and fruit, think again—beans offer all three in a single package.

An assortment of phytochemicals found in beans has been shown to protect cells from cancerous activity by inhibiting cancer cells from reproducing, slowing tumor growth. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that women who consumed beans at least twice a week were 24 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, and multiple studies have tied beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers.

Beans deliver a whopping amount of antioxidants, which help prevent and fight oxidative damage. In fact, the USDA's ranking of foods by antioxidant capacity places three varieties of beans (red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans) in the top four—and that's among all food groups. Beans are a great source of dietary fiber, protein, and iron. They also contain the amino acid tryptophan; foods with high amounts of tryptophan can help regulate your appetite, aid in sleep, and improve your mood. Many are also rich in folate, which plays a significant role in heart health. And depending on the type of bean you choose, you'll also get decent amounts of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1 and B2, and vitamin K. Soybeans are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In Chinese medicine, various types of beans have been used to treat alcoholism, food poisoning, edema (particularly in the legs), high blood pressure, diarrhea, laryngitis, kidney stones, rheumatism, and dozens of other conditions.

How much: Aim for a minimum of two servings of beans per week.

5: Watercress ;

Not only is watercress extremely nutritious, it's about as close as you can get to a calorie-free food. Calorie for calorie, it provides four times the calcium of 2 percent milk. Ounce for ounce, it offers as much vitamin C as an orange and more iron than spinach. It's packed with vitamin A and has lots of vitamin K, along with multiple antioxidant carotenoids and protective phytochemicals.

The nutrients in watercress protect against cancer and macular degeneration, help build the immune system, and support bone health. The iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to your body's tissues for energy. The phytochemicals in watercress battle cancer in three ways: killing cancer cells, blocking carcinogens, and protecting healthy cells from carcinogens. They've also been shown to help prevent lung and esophageal cancer and can help lower your risk for other cancers.

In Chinese medicine, watercress is thought to help reduce tumors, improve night vision, and stimulate bile production (improving digestion and settling intestinal gas). It's used as a remedy for jaundice, urinary difficulty, sore throat, mumps, and bad breath.

How much: Eat watercress daily if you can. In some regions, it's more widely available during the spring and summer, when it's cultivated outdoors. But since it can also be grown hydroponically in greenhouses, you can find it year-round in many grocery stores and at your local farmers market.

Tips: You can cook it, but watercress is better for you when you eat it raw. Tuck it into a sandwich in place of lettuce.

Toss it with your favorite vegetables and eat it in a salad.

Watercress is great in pesto—just replace the basil with watercress—and soups.

Use watercress as a wonderfully detoxifying ingredient in juice or smoothies.

6: Spinach;

You already knew spinach was good for you, but did you know just how good? Spinach protects against eye disease and vision loss; it's good for brain function; it guards against colon, prostate, and breast cancers; it protects against heart disease, stroke, and dementia; it lowers blood pressure; it's anti-inflammatory; and it's great for bone health. Spinach has an amazing array of nutrients, including high amounts of vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron.

A carotenoid found in spinach not only kills prostate cancer cells, it also prevents them from multiplying. Folate promotes vascular health by lowering homocysteine, an amino acid that, at high levels, raises the risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. Folate has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers and to help stop uncontrolled cell growth, one of the primary characteristics of all cancers. The vitamin C and beta-carotene in spinach protect against colon cancer in addition to fighting inflammation, making them key components of brain health, particularly in older adults.

Spinach is loaded with vitamin K (one cup of cooked spinach provides 1,111 percent of the recommended daily amount!), which builds strong bones by helping calcium adhere to the bone. Spinach is also rich in lutein, which protects against age-related macular degeneration, and it may help prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol buildup.

How much: Fresh spinach should be a daily staple in your diet. It's available in practically every grocery store, no matter where you live, it's easy to find year-round, and you'd be hard pressed to find a more nutritionally sound, versatile green. So do yourself a healthy favor and aim for a few ounces, raw or lightly steamed, every day.

Tips: Add a handful of fresh spinach to your next fruit smoothie. It'll change the color but not the taste. Conventionally grown spinach is susceptible to pesticide residue; stick to organic.

7: Onions ;

Onions get a bad rap for their effect on the breath, but that's not the only part of the body where they pack a wallop. Onions contain potent cancer-fighting enzymes; onion consumption has been shown to help lower the risk of prostate and esophageal cancers and has also been linked to reduced mortality from coronary heart disease. Research suggests that they may help protect against stomach cancer. Onions contain sulfides that help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as a peptide that may help prevent bone loss by inhibiting the loss of calcium and other bone minerals.

Onions have super antioxidant power. They contain quercetin, a natural antihistamine that reduces airway inflammation and helps relieve symptoms of allergies and hay fever. Onions also boast high levels of vitamin C, which, along with the quercetin, battles cold and flu symptoms. Onions' anti-inflammatory properties help fight the pain and swelling associated with osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Onions are also extremely rich in sulfur and they have antibiotic and antiviral properties, making them excellent for people who consume a diet high in protein, fat, or sugar, as they help cleanse the arteries and impede the growth of viruses, yeasts, and other disease-causing agents, which can build up in an imbalanced diet.

How much: For all the health benefits onions provide, it would be ideal to eat one a day. However, if that's not doable for you, add a few onions to your weekly grocery list and try to eat a little bit every day. All varieties are extremely good for you, but shallots and yellow onions lead the pack in antioxidant activity. Raw onions provide the best nutrition, but they're still great for you when they're lightly cooked. And cooking meat at high temperatures (such as on a grill) with onions can help reduce or counteract carcinogens produced by the meat.

Tip: Onions should be stored at room temperature, but if they bother your eyes when you cut them, try refrigerating them for an hour beforehand.

8: Carrots ;

Carrots are a great source of the potent antioxidants known as carotenoids. Diets high in carotenoids have been tied to a decreased risk in postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. Conversely, diets low in carotenoids have been associated with chronic disease, including heart disease and various cancers. Research suggests that just one carrot per day could reduce your risk of lung cancer by half. Carrots may also reduce your risk of kidney and ovarian cancers. In addition to fighting cancer, the nutrients in carrots inhibit cardiovascular disease, stimulate the immune system, promote colon health, and support ear and eye health.

Carrots contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C, and an incredible amount of vitamin A. The alpha-carotene in carrots has shown promise in inhibiting tumor growth. Carrots also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which work together to promote eye health and prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. In Chinese medicine, carrots are used to treat rheumatism, kidney stones, tumors, indigestion, diarrhea, night blindness, ear infections, earaches, deafness, skin lesions, urinary tract infections, coughs, and constipation.

How much: Eat a serving of carrots each day if you can, and enjoy them year-round. Carrots are good for you whether they're raw or lightly cooked; cooking helps break down the tough fiber, making some of the nutrients more easily absorbed. For the best nutrition, go for whole carrots that are firm and fresh-looking. Precut baby carrots are made from whole carrots and, although they're convenient, they tend to lose important nutrients during processing.

Tips: Remove carrot tops before storing them in the fridge, as the tops drain moisture from the roots and will cause the carrots to wilt. Buy organic; conventionally grown carrots frequently show high pesticide residues.

9: Cabbage;

Cabbage is a powerhouse source of vitamins K and C. Just one cup supplies 91 percent of the recommended daily amount for vitamin K, 50 percent of vitamin C, good amounts of fiber, and decent scores of manganese, vitamin B6, folate, and more—and it'll only cost you about 33 calories. Calorie for calorie, cabbage offers 11 percent more vitamin C than oranges.

Cabbage contains high levels of antioxidant sulforaphanes that not only fight free radicals before they damage DNA but also stimulate enzymes that detoxify carcinogens in the body. Researchers believe this one-two approach may contribute to the apparent ability of cruciferous vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer more effectively than any other plant food group. Numerous studies point to a strong association between diets high in cruciferous vegetables and a low incidence of lung, colon, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancers.

Cabbage builds strong bones, dampens allergic reactions, reduces inflammation, and promotes gastrointestinal health. Cabbage is routinely juiced as a natural remedy for healing peptic ulcers due to its high glutamine content. It also provides significant cardiovascular benefit by preventing plaque formation in the blood vessels. In Chinese medicine, cabbage is used to treat constipation, the common cold, whooping cough, depression and irritability, and stomach ulcers. When eaten and used as a poultice, as a dual treatment, cabbage is helpful for healing bedsores, varicose veins, and arthritis.

How much: The more cabbage you can include in your diet, the better. A study of Polish women found that those who ate at least four servings of cabbage per week as adolescents were 72 percent less likely to develop breast cancer later in life than their peers who consumed only one weekly serving or less.

Tips: Try raw sauerkraut. It has all the health properties of cabbage, plus some potent probiotics, which are excellent for digestive health.

Use the whole cabbage; the outer leaves contain a third more calcium than the inner leaves.

Both are nutritional stars, but red cabbages are far superior to the white variety, with about seven times more vitamin C and more than four times the polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative stress and cancer.

10: Broccoli;

You'll find it difficult to locate another single food source with as much naturally occurring health-promoting properties as broccoli. A single cup of steamed broccoli provides more than 200 percent of the RDA for vitamin C (again, more than oranges), nearly as much of vitamin K, and about half of the daily allowance for vitamin A, along with plentiful folate, fiber, sulfur, iron, B vitamins, and a whole host of other important nutrients. Calorie for calorie, broccoli contains about twice the amount of protein as steak—and a lot more protective phytonutrients.

Broccoli's phytochemicals fight cancer by neutralizing carcinogens and accelerating their elimination from the body, in addition to inhibiting tumors caused by chemical carcinogens. Studies show evidence that these substances help prevent lung and esophageal cancers and may play a role in lowering the risk of other cancers, including gastrointestinal cancer.

Phytonutrients called indoles found in broccoli help protect against prostate, gastric, skin, breast, and cervical cancers. Some research suggests that indoles also protect the structure of DNA and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Extensive studies have linked broccoli to a 20 percent reduction in heart disease risk. In Chinese medicine, broccoli is used to treat eye inflammation.

How much: If you can eat a little broccoli every day, your body will thank you for it. If you can't swing it, aim for eating it as regularly as possible. Like many other vegetables, broccoli provides fantastic nutrition both in its raw form and when it's properly cooked. Cooking reduces some of broccoli's anticancer components, but lightly steaming it will preserve most of the nutrients. Broccoli is available fresh year-round in most areas, but if you can't find it where you live, frozen broccoli is a good substitute.

Tip: Steaming or cooking broccoli lightly releases the maximum amount of the antioxidant sulforaphane.

11: Kale;

Kale is highly nutritious, has powerful antioxidant properties, and is anti-inflammatory. One cup of cooked kale contains an astounding 1,328 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, 192 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, and 89 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. It's also a good source of calcium and iron.

Kale is in the same plant family as broccoli and cabbage, and, like its cruciferous cousins, it contains high levels of the cancer-fighting compound sulforaphane, which guards against prostate, gastric, skin, and breast cancers by boosting the body's detoxification enzymes and fighting free radicals in the body. The indoles in kale have been shown to protect against breast, cervical, and colon cancers. The vitamin K in kale promotes blood clotting, protects the heart, and helps build strong bones by anchoring calcium to the bone. It also has more antioxidant power than spinach, protecting against free-radical damage. Kale is extra rich in beta-carotene (containing seven times as much as does broccoli), lutein, and zeaxanthin (10 times the amount in broccoli). In Chinese medicine, kale is used to help ease lung congestion.

How much: Like cabbage, the more kale you can eat, the better. A daily serving is ideal. Eat it as much as you can, as long as you can find it fresh at your local grocery or farmers market. In some areas, it's available all year; in others, it only makes an appearance during summer and fall.

Tips: Kale's growing season extends nearly year-round; the only time it's out of season is summer, when plenty of other leafy greens are abundant.

Steam or saut kale on its own, or add it to soups and stews. Cooking helps tenderize the leaves.

Kale is also a great addition when it's blended in fruit smoothies or juiced with other vegetables.

12: Dandelion;

The same pesky weed known for ruining lawns has a long history of being used as a healing herb in cultures around the globe. One cup of raw dandelion greens provides 535 percent of the RDA of vitamin K and 112 percent of the RDA for vitamin A. Dandelion greens are also a good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber, and potassium. Among all foods, it's one of the richest sources of vitamin A; among all green vegetables, it's one of the best sources of beta-carotene.

Dandelion has been used for centuries to treat hepatitis, kidney, and liver disorders such as kidney stones, jaundice, and cirrhosis. It's routinely prescribed as a natural treatment for hepatitis C, anemia, and liver detoxification (poor liver function has been linked to numerous conditions, from indigestion and hepatitis to irritability and depression). As a natural diuretic, dandelion supports the entire digestive system and increases urine output, helping flush toxins and excess salt from the kidneys. The naturally occurring potassium in dandelions helps prevent the loss of potassium that can occur with pharmaceutical diuretics.

Dandelion promotes digestive health by stimulating bile production, resulting in a gentle laxative effect. Inulin, a naturally occurring soluble fiber in dandelion, further aids digestion by feeding the healthy probiotic bacteria in the intestines; it also increases calcium absorption and has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels, therefore being useful in treating diabetes. Both the dandelion leaves and root are used to treat heartburn and indigestion. The pectin in dandelion relieves constipation and, in combination with vitamin C, reduces cholesterol. Dandelion is excellent for reducing edema, bloating, and water retention; it can also help reduce high blood pressure. On top of all that, dandelion contains multiple antidiarrheal and antibacterial properties.

In Chinese medicine, dandelion is used in combination with other herbs to treat hepatitis and upper respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The sap from the stem and root is a topical remedy for warts. Imagine—all this from a lowly weed!

How much: How much dandelion to incorporate into your diet boils down to two factors: availability and personal preference. Dandelion greens are considered a specialty item in some areas and therefore can be difficult to find. They also have a pungent taste, and people tend to love or hate the flavor. If you can find fresh dandelion greens and you enjoy the taste, make them a regular part of your diet.

Tips: Use the root in soups or saut it on its own.

If the raw leaves are too bitter for you, try them lightly steamed or sauted.


http://health.msn.com/health-topics...how.aspx?cp-documentid=100256169&imageindex=1

 

[Rana Tahir Mahmood]

Girl with tumour saved by toothbrush

Girl with tumour saved by toothbrush
May 16, 2011 at 23:43
Views (30833) | | 20 | | |


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By Emma Kemp, Yahoo!
A two-year-old girl diagnosed with a deadly cancer may have been saved by her 3 toothbrush.

Katie Lolley was found to have a rare eye tumour after a flashing light on the Tesco brush alerted her mother to an abnormal white reflection on her eye, reports The Sun.

Retinoblastoma is a rare, rapidly developing tumour which generally affects children under the age of six, and can treble in size in just ten days.

Medics say they had caught it just in time to save Katies life, and will reportedly perform an emergency operation to remove her eye.

"If it wasn't for that flashing toothbrush, we may never have seen the tumour - at least, not till it was too late, said Katies mother Rebecca, 29.

"We bought the brush because Katie liked the look of it. It has a bear on it called Billy, and when you press the button on the front, the light flashes for 60 seconds - which is how long kids need to brush for.

"When we got it home, we turned the bathroom lights out so Katie could try it. She loved it but, when I looked at her face in the dark, I could see the lights creating a strange white reflection in one eye. At that point, we decided to take her straight to the hospital."

The most common signs of the tumours existence are an abnormal pupil that tends to reflect light rather like a cat's eye, and a squint.

A white, distorted glow in the eye is often seen in photographs taken with a flash.

It was one of these photographs that saved another childs life in February.

Auxiliary nurse Samantha Rouse discovered her nine-month-old son Jacob had retinoblastoma when his eye appeared white in a photo she took of him.

Having been told by her GP that her son was perfectly healthy, she went back to her GP and insisted something was wrong.

Jacob, who had already lost the sight in his left eye at the time, was receiving chemotherapy and laser treatment every three weeks in a desperate battle to save the sight in his right eye.

Source: Yahoo News

 

[Night_Hawk]

Papaya - A Powerhouse of Nutrients!

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables can not be equated to that promised by nutritional pills and supplements. Nutrition experts advocate generous intake of fruits for optimum health as these food items are loaded with all the benefits. Fruits are goldmine of vitamins, minerals and fibre and are ideal to consume at least 4-5 servings in a day. Since they are in the natural form, account for largest part of water and 100% bad cholesterol free, its much easier for the body to process and absorb the vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit.
Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids, two classes of phytochemicals that scientists are studying extensively for their health-promoting potential. In addition, a new scientific base is emerging to support a protective role for this group of fruits and vegetables in prevention of cataract formation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diverticulosis, and possibly, hypertension.
Papaya is recommended to be one such pick from the group of Yellow and orange fruits, which promises abundant health benefits. It is a melon like fruit with yellow- orange flesh with dozens of small black seeds enclosed in skin that ranges in color from green to orange. Papaya has high nutritional benefits. It is rich in Anti-oxidants, the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies. Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.
This highly loved tropical fruit was reputably called The Fruit of the Angels by Christopher Columbus. In the 20th century, papayas were brought to the United States and have been cultivated in Hawaii, the major U.S. producer since the 1920s. Today, the largest commercial producers of papayas include the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Gluten refers to a group of proteins that are difficult for humans to digest. One group of proteins called gliadin is thought to do most of the damage to the intestinal lining. Glutenins are another group of proteins found in gluten and thought to be associated with autoimmune skin diseases and asthma. Gluten proteins are extremely resistant to intestinal digestion, despite grinding, cooking, processing and digestion.
Nutritive value of Papaya : Per 100 gm.

• 

  ​
• VITAMINS

o Vitamin A : 1,750 I.U
o Vitamin B : Thiamine 0.03 mg.
o Riboflavin : 0.04 mg.
o Niacin : 0.3 mg.
o Vitamin C : 56 mg.
o Also contains Vitamin E and K.

• MINERALS

o Calcium : 20 mg.
o Iron : 0.3 mg.
o Phosphorus: 16 mg.
o Potassium : 470 mg.

• FAT : 0.1 gm.
• CAROHYDRATES : 10gm.
• PROTEIN : 0.6gm.
• CALORIES : 39

Reported Health Benefits of Papaya

• Papaya contains the digestive enzyme papain and therefore valuable for aiding digestion.
• The unique protein-digesting enzymes; papain and chymopapain have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns in addition to helping in digestion of proteins. The antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation.
• The ripe fruit is easily digestible and prevents constipation.
• Case studies indicate that this food taken alone for two or three days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.
• The juice of the papaya aids in relieving infections of the colon and has a tendency to break down pus and mucus reached by the juice.
• May help prevent cancer in organs and glands with epithelial tissue (ripe papaya). Papayas fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papayas folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer
• Prevents nausea (includes morning sickness and motion sickness)
• The seeds are antihelmintic, for expelling worms and they are given with honey. Chew and swallow two teaspoonfuls of seeds after each principal meal (three times a day).
• Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin E and vitamin A (through their concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients), three very powerful antioxidants.
• Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Coffee cuts risk of prostate cancer
(AFP)

18 May 2011, 8:24 AM
WASHINGTON - More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a major US study released Tuesday by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Men who drank six or more cups per day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the most lethal type of prostate cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of forming any type of prostate cancer compared to men who did not drink coffee, it said.
Even just one to three cups per day was linked to a 30 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.
Few studies have specifically studied the association of coffee intake and the risk of lethal prostate cancer, the form of the disease that is the most critical to prevent, said Harvard associate professor and senior author Lorelei Mucci.
Our study is the largest to date to examine whether coffee could lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer, she said.
The effects were the same whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated, leading researchers to believe the lower risk could be linked to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of coffee.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in US men, but it is not always deadly.
A blood test can detect it early, and the cancer can be graded on what is known as a Gleason score; the higher the score the more likely the cancer is to spread.
There are 16 million survivors of prostate cancer worldwide, and one in six men in the United States will get prostate cancer during their lifetime.
Risk factors are typically linked to Western high-fat diets, heredity, alcohol and exposure to chemicals.
The study examined 47,911 US men who reported on how much coffee they drank every four years from 1986 to 2008.
Over the course of the study, a total of 5,035 cases of prostate cancer were reported, including 642 fatal, or metastatic, cases.
The lower risk seen in coffee drinkers remained even after researchers allowed for other factors that typically boost risk and were more often seen in coffee drinkers than in abstainers, such as smoking and failure to exercise.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...h&xfile=data/health/2011/May/health_May34.xml

 

[Night_Hawk]

In pain? Crossing your arms may help
(Reuters)

20 May 2011, 7:17 AM
LONDON - Crossing your arms across the middle of your body confuses the brain and helps reduce the intensity of pain, according to research published on Friday.
Scientists from University College London (UCL) who reported the finding in the journal Pain said they think the reason for the phenomenon is conflicting information between two of the brains maps one for the body and one for external space.

In everyday life you mostly use your left hand to touch things on the left side of the world, and your right hand for the right side of the world, Giandomenico Iannetti of UCLs department of physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience, said in a statement about the research.
He said this means the brain areas that hold the map of the right body and the map of right external space are usually activated together, leading to very effective pain processing.
When you cross your arms these maps are not activated together anymore, he said, leading to less effective processing meaning that stimuli such as pain can perceived as weaker.
In the study, scientists used a laser to generate a four millisecond pin prick of pure pain in other words pain without touch on the hands of a group of eight participants. This was then repeated with arms crossed.
Participants rated their perception of the pain intensity, and their electrical brain responses were also measured using electroencephalography (EEG). Results from both participants reports and the EEG showed that the perception of pain was weaker when the arms were crossed.
Perhaps when we get hurt, we should not only rub it better but also cross our arms, Iannetti said.
The researchers hope their discovery could lead to the development of new drugs and therapies to reduce pain that exploit the brains way of mapping the body.

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[Night_Hawk]

Paralyzed man stands, steps after spine treatment
(Reuters)

20 May 2011
NEW YORK - A man left paralyzed after a car accident was able to stand and take steps after electrical stimulation of his spinal cord in what researchers described as a breakthrough in treating such devastating injuries.

Rob Summers, a 25-year-old former college baseball pitcher, can also move his hips, knees, ankles and toes and has regained some bladder and sexual functionality, researchers said on Thursday.
It opens up a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of these individuals ... but we have a long road ahead, said Susan Harkema, lead researcher of the study from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The results were published in The Lancet medical journal.
This is not a cure, and Robs not walking. ... Short of that, this approach may have impact in incremental ways, she said. Allowing people to just stand a few minutes a day can dramatically change their health.
Summers received continual direct electrical stimulation of the lower spinal cord, a process designed to mimic signals the brain normally transmits to initiate movement.
The researchers spent more than two years retraining Summers spinal cords neural networks to produce muscle movements, after which the electro-stimulation device was surgically implanted in his back.
The studys authors cautioned that more work needs to be done before the technique becomes standard practice.
But the results did herald optimism for paraplegics who otherwise have little hope for recovery. More than 5 million Americans live with some form of paralysis.
Harkema and her colleagues hope the finding will pave the way for some spinal cord patients, with the help of a portable stimulation unit, to stand and take steps using a walker.
Improvement of function

Geoffrey Raisman, professor of neural regeneration at University College London, said the case was interesting but noted it is not repair, but an improvement of function of tissue already surviving.
From the point of view of people currently suffering from spinal cord injury, future trials of this procedure could add one more approach to getting some benefit, Raisman said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the foundation named after Christopher Reeve, the actor best known for playing Superman who was left paralyzed after a riding accident. Reeve died in 2004.
A former Oregon State University pitcher, Summers was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 2006 when he was 20 years old. He went to check on gym equipment in his car and was struck by another vehicle. The driver was never found.
Summers, while paralyzed below the chest, did retain some feeling below the level of his injury, making it uncertain how the treatment would fare with more severe patients who have lost all sensation. He was also an athlete when he got hurt and potentially in better physical shape that most such victims.
Summers spent more than three years in Kentucky preparing for surgery. He is now able to stand, supplying the muscular push himself, and remain standing while bearing weight for up to four minutes at a time.
With the help of a harness and assistance from a therapist, he can make repeated stepping motions on a treadmill.
Now a resident of Los Angeles, Summers said the procedure changed his life.
For someone who for four years was unable to even move a toe, to have the freedom and ability to stand on my own is the most amazing feeling, Summers said. My physique and muscle tone has improved greatly, so much that most people dont even believe I am paralyzed.

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[Night_Hawk]

Tomatoes lower high Cholesterol and BP
(IANS)

19 May 2011
Want to be free of high cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)? Tomatoes can be a way out for you!
Tomatoes may be an effective alternative to drugs in lowering cholesterol and BP and in preventing heart disease.

A bright red pigment called lycopene found in tomatoes and to a lesser extent in watermelon, guava, papaya and pink grapefruit has antioxidant properties that are vital to good health.

Karin Ried and her colleague Peter Fakler from the University of Adelaide are the first to summarise the effect of lycopene on cholesterol and blood pressure (BP), analysing the collective results of 14 studies over the last 55 years.

Our study suggests that if more than 25 milligrams of lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce LPD (bad) cholesterol by up to 10 percent, says Ried, reports the journal Maturitas.

Tomatoes have high levels of lycopene, with half a litre of tomato juice taken daily, or 50 grams of tomato paste, providing protection against heart disease, according to an Adelaide statement.

Thats comparable to the effect of low doses of medication commonly prescribed for people with slightly elevated cholesterol, but without the side effects of these drugs, which can include muscle pain and weakness and nerve damage, says Ried.

Lycopene is better absorbed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes. As a supplement, lycopene is available in soft gelatine capsules or tablets.

Research shows that high lycopene consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, including hardened arteries, heart attacks and strokes, she adds.

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