Archive for October, 2008
Light drinking in pregnancy is not risky for babies
A new study suggests that light drinking during pregnancy does not increase baby’s risk of behavioral problems.
Researchers from the University College London specified ‘light drinking’ as not more than two drinks a week throughout pregnancy.
The study, which included 12,500 three-year-olds, found that there was a lower risk of some problems in children of such drinkers.
However, the experts are divided over whether this study is encouraging or can calm women into a false sense of security.
According to Government advice, pregnant women should avoid drinking during pregnancy and if they do choose to drink, they shouldn’t consume more than one or two units of alcohol in a week or two.
There is a well-established relation between sustained heavy drinking in pregnancy and health problems for the babies.
In some severe cases drinking can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or permanent damage to the growing fetus.
Purple Tomato Vs Red Tomato
A team of British scientists announced this week that they had developed a purple tomato with health-promoting properties. A team from the John Innes Centre, Norwich, produced the tomatoes by integrating genes of snapdragon flower, which is high in an antioxidant anthocyanin thought to have anti-cancer properties.
Anthocyanins, found in particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry, have been proven to help significantly slow the growth of colon cancer cells. They are also believed to protect against heart and age-related degenerative diseases, boost eyesight, and may help ward off obesity and diabetes.
The John Innes team is discovering ways to enhance the levels of health-promoting substances in common fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes already contain high levels of beneficial antioxidant compounds, such as lycopene and flavonoids.
Some tips to keep heart healthy
The first and foremost tip to keep heart healthy is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It’s a well known saying that we dig our graves from our teeth and similarly, it is said that we are what we eat. Healthy eating habits not only help to keep you heart healthy, but also prevent the risk of developing many other diseases. Choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way are two essential parts of a healthy eating plan.
- Here are some that can reduce the chances of a heart attack by 90 percent if you strictly follow them.A 30 minutes walk everyday can do a lot of good for your heart and overall health. You can do it alone or can find some supportive person to accompany you in this healthy activity.
- Do whatever it takes to get your blood pressure down to 115/75. You can maintain it with weight loss, decreasing sugar, salt and saturated fat in your diet and regular walk.
- Learn your HDL number and try to raise it to 50.It is more important for women to have high HDL. It can be easily increased with exercise, one drink a day and healthy fats like safflower oil and nuts. If you want to raise HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease inflammation, you need to include 30 grams of nuts in your daily diet. Nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and healthy protein. Raw, fresh and unsalted nuts have the most benefits.
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TV remotes, light switches etc, could serve as cold spreader
WASHINGTON – Is someone suffering from flu and cold in your house? Don’t touch the refrigerator door handle or TV remote control without precaution. A new U.S. study has fined out that, cold sufferers often leave rhinovirus there, where they can survive for two days or longer.
Doctors do not know how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces as opposed to, say, shaking a sick person’s hand, said Dr. Birgit Winther, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) who helped conduct the study.
For the study purpose, researchers gathered 30 adults presenting early symptoms of colds. Sixteen of them showed rhinovirus when tested, which is the major cause of colds. They were asked to point out ten places within their houses, they had touched 18 hours earlier and researchers used DNA tests in chase of rhinovirus.
“We found that commonly touched areas like refrigerator doors and handles were positive about 40 percent of the time” for cold germs, Winther said.
Spinning clock back on Sunday could reduce heart attacks
NEW YORK – Turning clock back on Sunday may have a good impact on heart health. Swedish researchers analyzed records of past 20 years and came to know that, the number of heart attacks dipped on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour, probably because people have one hour additional sleep.
But moving clocks forward in the spring showed adverse effect. There was a raise in heart attacks number, during the week after the start of daylight saving time, particularly within first three days of the week.
“Sleep — through a variety of mechanisms — affects our cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, who was not involved in the research. The findings show that “sleep not only impacts how we feel, but it may also affect whether we develop heart disease or not.”
They took advantage of Sweden’s comprehensive record of heart attacks to see if the sleep disorders and the body’s internal clock caused by a time change had any effect on heart attacks from 1987 to 2006. Overall, a week after “spring forward,” there was a 5 percent increase in heart attacks, with a 6 percent knock on Monday and Wednesday and a 10 percent increase on Tuesday.
Storing blood too long boosts infection risk
The researchers from Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey find that if donated blood is stored for too long, it can increase the chance of an infection.
According to the study, the risk of blood poisoning or pneumonia get double if the blood is stored for more than 29 days.
The researchers say that after two weeks in storage, red blood cells begin to undergo changes which cause the release of chemicals known as cytokines.
These chemicals can hinder immune function and if they are in high levels, they may make patients more susceptible to infection.
In their study, the researchers examined the rate of hospital infections in 422 patients along with the age of the received blood transfusion.
No health benefits without physical workout
Physical inactivity is a most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and most Americans are not physically active enough to gain any health benefits. Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or many other activities can help your heart. Whether it’s included in a structured exercise program or part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart.
According to the latest joint, AHA and American College of Sports has announced guidelines on physical activity which states, all healthy adults ages 18-65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week. You can also purchase, for sale: Bowflex, a home gym, to increase the intensity of your workout. However, there are additional guidelines for those 65 and older, or with chronic conditions or physical functional limitations (e.g., arthritis) that affect movement ability or physical fitness. All means of fitness increase your metabolic rate you should have to concentrate on low calorie diet as well, to achieve desired fitness level.
Massage – an ancient therapy
Overview
Massage is a “hands-on” technique in which skin, soft tissues and skeletal muscles of the body are influenced to improve health and well-being. Varieties of massage range from gentle stroking and kneading of muscles and other soft tissues to deeper manual techniques. Massage has been practiced as a healing therapy for centuries in nearly every culture around the world. It provides relieve to stressed muscle, reduce strain, and evoke feelings of calmness. Although massage affects the body as a whole, it particularly influences the activity of the skeletal muscle, circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.
The use of massage for therapeutic purposes has presented 4,000 years ago in Chinese medical literature and continues to be an important aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With the passage of time, development has made in the field of massage and new forms of massage such as Swedish massage, massage London, Tantric massage etc, have been introduced. Now, a significant number of doctors are practicing this manual technique.
Skin care products – Hard to choose
Many people forget that their skin requires the same care and attention as their internal organs. According to skin care reviews, skin care solutions provide protection against UV rays damage, atmospheric pollutants and free radicals, skin care solutions nourish and revitalize your complexion while shielding you from the aging and congested city life.
Skin Care Products
Walking into a store to purchase skin care products can be intimidating, whether you are shopping at a high end department store or at the local discount chain. How does a person know where to start, let alone what to buy? Please use the following articles to help you find out what may be the most help when shopping for skin care products and about obagi coupons.
Skin care products shopping tips
For you as a consumer in the billion-dollar cosmetic industry, lack of information is costly. Without accurate information, you are throwing your money away, because you are at the complete mercy of advertisers and marketers.
Chile health minister resigns over HIV error
Chile’s health minister Maria Soledad Barria resigned after a hospital failed to tell many patients that they had tested positive for HIV.
She said that Chile government was putting a lot of efforts to improve the health service and she didn’t want to be an obstacle.
Mr Barria also dismissed many staff members of the said hospital before resigning.
Barria was appointed as health minister in 2006 and she is also known as a close friend President Michelle Bachelet.
According to a government spokesman, President Bachelet has accepted Barria’s resignation and appointed the Deputy Health Minister, Jeanette Vega as a new health minister.
Ms Barria said that she was resigning so that those political accusations could be set aside that seek to throw mud at a system which was good.
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