Another reason to indulge in the sweet delights of chocolate without being racked by guilt. New research shows that regular consumption of little chocolate not only reduces the odds of succumbing to cardiovascular disease and stroke, but has a significant effect on high blood pressure as well.
Dr Brian Buijsse, a nutritional epidemiologist at the German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany, who led the research, stated, "The good news is that chocolate is not as bad as we used to think, and may even lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The bad news, at least for some of us, is that the amounts that are needed to benefit from these effects appear to be quite low."
Guys, here's something to consider the next time you ogle an attractive woman: Your desirous gaze may be reducing her capacity to think.
That's the startling implication of a research paper titled "My Body or My Mind," recently published in the European Journal of Social Psychology. It suggests some women who are objectified by men internalize this perception and think of themselves as "a sexual object to be scrutinized." For reasons that are not entirely clear, this process appears to undermine their cognitive ability.
Calcium has received an enormous amount of attention. It's likely that every woman reading this article has been told by her doctor to get enough calcium. If asked what role calcium plays in health, nearly every woman would answer that calcium is necessary for strong bones. But what about magnesium? Did you know that this mighty mineral may be even more essential for health?
Magnesium and calcium work together, but magnesium may actually play a more important role. It controls the entry of calcium into each and every cell--a physiological event that occurs every time a nerve cell fires! When it comes to building healthy bones, magnesium is as important as calcium and vitamin D are! Without adequate magnesium, too much calcium gets inside the cell. This causes cramping and constrictions in ways you might never consider.
Toxic chemicals produced when foods are cooked in certain ways encourage oxidation and inflammation in the body, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), produced when food is fried, grilled, dried, smoked or pasteurized, have been linked to increased oxidation and inflammation in the body. These conditions are well-established risk factors for a number of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and other age-related health problems.
"Even though the AGEs pose a more immediate health threat to older adults, they are a similar danger for younger people, including pregnant women and children, and this needs to be addressed," researcher Helen Vlassara said. "AGEs are ubiquitous and addictive, since they provide flavor to foods. But they can be controlled through simple methods of cooking, such as keeping the heat down and the water content up in food and by avoiding pre-packaged and fast foods when possible. Doing so reduces AGE levels in the blood and helps the body restore its own defenses."
Between 200,000 and 300,000 hip replacement operations are performed each year in the U.S., mostly in people over the age of 60. However, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), five to 10% of these procedures are in patients younger than 50 -- including women of childbearing age. Now comes a disturbing report that suggests women who have the metal-on-metal type of artificial hip joint and become pregnant could be putting their unborn babies at risk.
A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center recently presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons held in New Orleans revealed that expectant mothers with metal-on-metal hip implants pass metal ions to their offspring during pregnancy. The ions, it turns out, result from wear and tear as well as from corrosion as the parts of the artificial joint, called prosthesis, rub against one another.
Dr. Joshua Jacobs, professor and chairman of orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center, and his research team investigated three women who had metal-on-metal hip implants and gave birth two to six years after their surgeries. Blood samples from the mothers as well as umbilical cord blood samples were obtained at the time of delivery and tested for blood serum concentrations of titanium, nickel, cobalt and chromium. The researchers used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, a highly sensitive technique that can detect even minute amounts of metals in biological samples.
A recent study published in the journal Science has concluded that the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, also known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was caused by the widespread use of synthetic antibiotic drugs which began in the 1960s.
Scientists analyzed 63 samples of MRSA that originated from a bacterium lineage called ST239 that is responsible for a large percentage of MRSA outbreaks in hospitals all over the world. The samples, which researchers collected over a 20-year period between 1982 and 2003, mostly came from North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
The team identified a pattern of mutations throughout the course of the strain's evolution that illustrated its tendency to develop resistance to antibiotics. Utilizing a technique developed by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire that traces bacterial genetic codes, scientists were able to pinpoint the origins of the strain back to 1960s Europe, a time when widespread antibiotic use was just beginning to take hold in mainstream medicine.
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Retail giant Wal-Mart has announced plans for an ambitious "green rating" system, an easy to understand score giving consumers an idea of the ecological footprint of every product sold in Wal-Mart stores.
Wal-Mart said it will gather detailed information from all 100,000 of its suppliers about the environmental impact of their practices, including air pollution, carbon footprint, packaging and water use. Although the store will rely on producers for this information, the retailer made it clear that there will be no opt-outs allowed, and that it will look poorly on companies that refuse to participate.
The goal is to synthesize complex scientific data into the environmental equivalent of a nutrition label, revealing the social and ecological impact of each product at a glance. According to Wal-Mart, this system could then be adopted by other retailers.
The FDA boosts Big Pharma sales and eliminates natural remedy competition. A current example is the FDA's ban on ear candle production while allowing osteoporosis drugs with dangerous side effects to continue in the market place leading to - more easily broken bones! A recent ABC expose' showed how a leading osteoporosis drug caused more bone problems for a decade. Ear candle therapy has been around longer with far fewer complaints.
What Ear Candling Is
Its efficacy for minor ailments varies from user to user. There are those who swear by them, and those who ask "is that all there is to that?"
An ear candle is an inexpensive, hollow tube made of paper and wax, usually bees' wax. The tube is held upright in another person's ear who's lying on his or her side. The top of the tube is lit with a flame and held there for a few minutes. It's safe with a second person administering. But if one tries to go it alone, it could be risky!
Bronchiectasis is a rare condition where the airways leading to the lungs become damaged. The result of bronchiectasis is enlargement of the bronchial tubes, loss of elasticity, scarring, and destruction of cilia instrumental in protecting the lungs from dust, bacteria, and excess mucus. With these protective mechanisms disabled, severe chronic infections result. Bronchiectasis leads to serious health conditions, such as respiratory failure and congestive heart failure. Although the medical profession can offer no answers other than prescribing the strongest antibiotics available, there are natural remedies that can play a role in reversing this condition.
Bronchiectasis usually starts with a serious infection or respiratory condition that damages the airways. The onset is not sudden and may take years to make itself known. A person who suffers from repeated lung infections is a prime candidate for bronchiectasis, as each infection plays a role in damaging the airways. It can, however, be caused by an underlying medical condition, such as cystic fibrosis in children.
Mucus plays an important role in helping to remove bacteria, dust, and other small particles from the lungs. When these body's defenses are injured, it is impossible for the mucus to clear, making a perfect environment for the accumulation of these foreign objects, a perfect breeding ground for infection.
Interest in the use of essential oils has enjoyed a massive revival in recent decades. Many of the more discerning amongst us have come to realize that our modern, fast and often frenetic pace of life is doing us harm. In addition, we worry about the amount of chemicals and additives being ingested by our bodies through foods, medications, toiletries and fragrances.
The formula used for healing natural oils is 100% natural and produced from the highest quality pure natural essential oils. These essential oils are organic at source, free from pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Contrary to the use of the word "oil", most essential oils are not really oily-feeling at all. Essential oils are highly concentrated and a little goes a long way which makes them very economical in use.
The use of essential oils is a great way to get back to a more natural lifestyle. Many essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied since ancient times and the claims and success of these medicinal properties have been upheld in modern studies. It is recognized that essential oils can affect the lipids of a cell membrane, as well as hormone levels, and can actually inhibit bacterial growth.
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