Heart Attacks, Cancer and strokes. Preventative approaches | Stock Discussion Forums

SiliconInvestor

register

Sponsor

register

Coffee Shop | Heart Attacks, Cancer and strokes. Preventative approaches

Previous 10 | Next 10

From: calgal	3/19/2012 2:51:29 PM
	of 24459

hursday, March 15, 2012 12 Health Benefits of Sea Salt Sea salt is naturally obtained from the ocean waters. It is collected at high tides into large ponds, where it is then left to evaporate naturally by the sun and wind. What is left behind is the salt and minerals from the sea, which is known as sea salt. http://refreshingnews9.blogspot.com/2012/03/12-health-benefits-of-sea-salt.html Although it is best to naturally obtain your salt from plants, sea salt nevertheless, can offer you many health benefits. These include better organ functions, a healthier looking skin and many others. Listed are 12 health benefits that sea salt can offer you: Bones and Teeth Keeps the Bones Firm. 27% of the salt stored in the body is stored in the bones. The salt along with water helps to keep the bones strong and healthy. But when the body lacks salt, it takes it from the bones, which then can lead to bone diseases like osteoporosis. Teeth. Sea salt contains the necessary minerals to help strengthen and remineralize weak and unhealthy teeth. Muscle Regulator Prevents Muscle Spasms. Sea salt helps to distribute nutrients to the muscle cells so that they can function better. It helps the body to absorb more potassium, which is a muscle regulator. Thus it helps to relax muscles and thereby prevent muscle spasms and cramping. Good for the Heart. Sea salt has been shown to not only regulate the heart rhythm, but it can also help to reduce high blood pressure when combined with water. If you find yourself with an irregular heartbeat you may want to try drinking a glass of water with a little bit of salt to help your heart beat normal again. Thus you can reduce the risk of a heart attack. Natural Antihistamine Allergies. Sea salt is a natural antihistamine, which helps to reduce inflammation and mucus buildup. It also helps to strengthen the immune system so that your body will not over-react to foreign particles that enter your body through the air you breathe. Helps With Asthma. Sea salt has also shown to help with asthma. It helps to clear the airways and lungs of mucus and phlegm so that you can breathe normal again. To take advantage of this benefit simply drink a few glasses of water, then sprinkle some sea salt on your tongue. Mental Health Good for the Brain. Sea salt is extremely good for the brain, as it helps to draw toxins away from the brain cells. Thus you will be able to think more clearly, retain your memory and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, salt helps to maintain the communication between the brain and the rest of the body by maintaining the electrolyte levels in the body. Helps Cure Depression. Sea salt is a natural substitute for lithium, which is a common drug used to treat depression. It naturally helps to reduce stress, controls mood swings and overall calms the body and mind without any side effects. Good for the Kidneys Sea salt is very good for the kidneys, as it is able to help clean the body of harmful acids through the urine. Thus it can help to prevent and dissolve kidney stones. Regulates Fluid Levels Sea salt naturally helps to regulate fluid levels in the body, and thereby it helps to prevent fluid retention and dehydration. Helps Control Drool When the body lacks salt and water, it produces more saliva in order to lubricate the foods while chewing, swallowing and digesting. Thus you may find yourself in a pool of drool from time to time when you wake up in the middle of the night. If it goes on for a prolonged period of time, then you may also find yourself developing a double chin, due to the fact that the salivary glands are being overworked. Helps with Sleeping Sea salt is a natural sedative which helps you to fall into a deep sleep at night. All you need to do is drink a glass or two of water and then sprinkle some salt on your tongue. But don’t use sea salt without water, as that could lead to a nosebleed.

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read

To: LindyBill who wrote (18865)	3/19/2012 10:38:50 PM
From: Pogeu Mahone	of 24459

Study: Exercise can lead to female orgasm, sexual pleasure March 19, 2012 in Other Enlarge This is researcher Debby Herbenick. Credit: Indiana University Findings from a first-of-its-kind study by Indiana University researchers confirm anecdotal evidence that exercise -- absent sex or fantasies -- can lead to female orgasm. While the findings are new, reports of this phenomenon, sometimes called "coregasm" because of its association with exercises for core abdominal muscles, have circulated in the media for years, said Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. In addition to being a researcher, Herbenick is a widely read advice columnist and book author. "The most common exercises associated with exercise-induced orgasm were abdominal exercises, climbing poles or ropes, biking/spinning and weight lifting," Herbenick said. "These data are interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event, and they may also teach us more about the bodily processes underlying women's experiences of orgasm." The findings are published in a special issue of Sexual and Relationship Therapy, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the area of sex therapy and sexual health. Co-author is J. Dennis Fortenberry, M.D., professor at the IU School of Medicine and Center for Sexual Health Promotion affiliate. The results are based on surveys administered online to 124 women who reported experiencing exercise-induced orgasms (EIO) and 246 women who experienced exercise-induced sexual pleasure (EISP). The women ranged in age from 18 to 63. Most were in a relationship or married, and about 69 percent identified themselves as heterosexual. Here are some key findings: About 40 percent of women who had experienced EIO and EISP had done so on more than 10 occasions. Most of the women in the EIO group reported feeling some degree of self-consciousness when exercising in public places, with about 20 percent reporting they could not control their experience. Most women reporting EIO said they were not fantasizing sexually or thinking about anyone they were attracted to during their experiences. Diverse types of physical exercise were associated with EIO and EISP. Of the EIO group, 51.4 percent reported experiencing an orgasm in connection with abdominal exercises within the previous 90 days. Others reported experiencing orgasm in connection to such exercises as weight lifting (26.5 percent), yoga (20 percent), bicycling (15.8), running (13.2 percent) and walking/hiking (9.6 percent). In open-ended responses, ab exercises were particularly associated with the "captain's chair," which consists of a rack with padded arm rests and back support that allows the legs to hang free. The goal is to repeatedly lift the knees toward the chest or toward a 90-degree angle with the body. Herbenick said that the mechanisms behind exercise-induced orgasm and exercise-induced sexual pleasure remain unclear and, in future research, they hope to learn more about triggers for both. She also said that study findings may help women who experience EIO/EISP feel more normal about their experiences or put them into context. Herbenick cautioned that it is not yet known whether such exercises can improve women's sexual experiences. "It may be that exercise -- which is already known to have significant benefits to health and well-being -- has the potential to enhance women's sexual lives as well." The study did not determine how common it is for women to experience exercise-induced orgasm or exercise-induced sexual pleasure. But the authors note that it took only five weeks to recruit the 370 women who experienced the phenomenon, suggesting it is not rare. "Magazines and blogs have long highlighted cases of what they sometimes call 'coregasms,'" Herbenick said. "But aside from early reports by Kinsey and colleagues, this is an area of women's sexual health research that has been largely ignored over the past six decades." Provided by Indiana University ( news : web)

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read \| Read Replies (1)

To: Pogeu Mahone who wrote (18867)	3/20/2012 12:29:16 AM
From: ponokee	of 24459

Health Canada warns two prescription drugs have risk of 'high-grade prostate cancer' Postmedia NewsMarch 19, 2012 5:02 PM Health Canada is warning that two prescription drugs, one used to treat male hair loss and the other for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, may be associated with an increased risk of developing “high-grade prostate cancer.” Photograph by: Handout , CNS OTTAWA — Health Canada is warning that two prescription drugs, one used to treat male hair loss and the other for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, may be associated with an increased risk of developing "high-grade prostate cancer." Known as "finasteride" and "dutasteride," the prescription drugs are in use for men only and are not approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in Canada. High-grade prostate cancer is a rare but aggressive type of prostate cancer that grows and spreads more quickly than low-grade prostate cancer, Health Canada said in a release on Monday. It called the increased risk "very small." Propecia is used to treat male pattern hair loss. Proscar, Jalyn and Avodart are used for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. Health Canada added new warnings to Canadian drug labels for the two prescription drugs: Finasteride is available under the brand names Proscar (five mg finasteride) and Propecia (one mg finasteride) and their generic equivalents. Dutasteride is available under the brand names Avodart and Jalyn. According to Health Canada, the new warnings come after a review of two large international clinical trials that showed long-term daily use (over four years) of finasteride (five mg) and dutasteride in men aged 50 years and older "was associated with a small but statistically significant increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer." Although Propecia (which contains one mg of finasteride) was not included in the trials, a potential risk has not been ruled out, it said. More information can be found at: www.health.gc.ca/medeffect http://www.canada.com/health/Health+Canada+warns+prescription+drugs+have+risk+high+grade+prostate+cancer/6326549/story.html#ixzz1pcVtthFV

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read \| Read Replies (2)

From: Pogeu Mahone	3/20/2012 2:02:54 PM
	of 24459

The authors are the confused! ----------------------- Confused About High Cholesterol Foods? From eggs and meat to popcorn and chocolate, if you're not sure what will or won't raise your cholesterol, you're not alone. Here's the scoop on common foods and how they affect your cholesterol levels. By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH If you’re watching your diet in order to lower your cholesterol, it may surprise you that controlling cholesterol is actually more about controlling the kind of fats you eat, not the level of dietary cholesterol in your food. In moderation, eggsdon’t do much to thwart cholesterol levels, but buttery popcorn might. “Dietary cholesterol in food can increase blood cholesterol, but the biggest culprit is saturated fat,” says dietitian Joan Salge Blake, RD, a clinical associate professor at Boston University and author of Nutrition and You. That’s the kind of fat that stays solid at room temperature. The most obvious sources of saturated fatare fatty meats and full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, butter, and cream. But saturated fat can also hide in unlikely places. The good news is, there are low- a nd no-saturated-fat options for almost all of these foods to reduce your fat intake and, in turn, your cholesterol. Bad for Cholesterol or Not? Here are the most-questioned foods when it comes to high cholesterol: Cheese. Full-fat cheese delivers a saturated fat wallop in a concentrated package — just a small 1-ounce cube has about 100 calories, most of them from artery-clogging saturated fat. “Choose the reduced, low-fat kind,” advises Blake, who adds that cheese is still a healthy food source of calcium and shouldn’t be banned completely. Look for no-fat cheese that’s 3 grams of fat or less per serving; low or no-fat cottage and ricotta cheeses can substitute for cream cheese on your bagel. And while you’re making these swaps, replace full-fat milk and yogurt with no-fat or 1 percent, and use cholesterol-lowering olive oil instead of butter. Eggs. Once labeled bad-cholesterol raisers, eggs are now considered a relatively healthy choice — within limits. A recent study of 40 adults with high cholesterol showed that the cholesterol from one egg a day doesn't hurt or help heart health. Anything more than one a day probably isn’t a good idea, however. Egg substitute — made from egg whites — would be a healthier choice if you’re craving a big omelet. “The cholesterol is in the yolk,” explains Blake. One egg contains about 186 milligrams of dietary cholesterol , which is just over half of the 300 mg daily limit. Of the benefits, Blake says, “eggs are versatile, inexpensive, a good source of protein, and can be included in any meal of the day.” Egg whites, on the other hand, you can eat in just about unlimited quantities. They contain no cholesterol and only about 15 calories each. Meat. You don’t have to lose your taste for red meat to lower cholesterol. A daily small serving — about 5.5 ounces — of lean beef can lower bad LDL cholesterol by about five percent, according to a small study that compared the effects of different amounts of red meat in the diets of 36 people with high cholesterol. Taking a varied approach to protein makes the most sense, says Blake: “Two fish meals a week has been shown to reduce heart disease risk," she says. Always stick to healthy portion sizes — you need just 5 to 7 ounces of protein a day. Coconut oil. You may know someone who swears by coconut oil. But the trendy vegetable-based oil is a poor choice for people who are watching their cholesterol. Blake points out that coconut oil, though it sounds healthy, it actually one of the oils that is high in saturated fat. She recommends almost any other vegetable or nut oil, such as cholesterol-lowering olive oil. Other good choices are safflower, canola, and peanut. “I like to switch them up,” she says. Buttery popcorn. Popcorn is a totally innocent victim in this scenario, says Blake, who likes it air-popped as a healthy snack. But if you slather it with real butter or use a commercial product with fake butter, chances are it’s going to up your cholesterol. Sprinkle on your own herbs or spices to add flavor power to plain popcorn. And if you do buy microwave popcorn, check the ingredients label because some brands have saturated fat, even if they’ve removed the trans-fat. Chocolate. Dark chocolate in small amounts (about a half-ounce) is actually good for your heart: Studies show that flavonoid-rich cocoa (a key ingredient in chocolate and hot chocolate) lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and raises “good” HDL cholesterol. But, cautions Blake, “chocolate is not a food group.” Chocolate is a high-calorie food that has both saturated and unsaturated fat, so don’t overindulge. Soda. Already in trouble for contributing to excess weight, sugar-sweetened beverages may increase cholesterol, too, according to research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. An analysis of health information and soda consumption from 18,770 adults in Norway found that the more sodas people had, the higher their LDL (bad) cholesterol and the lower their HDL (good) cholesterol. Sometimes, says Blake, simple changes are the best strategy to improve your cholesterol levels. For the latest news and information on living a heart-healthy lifestyle, follow @HeartDiseases on Twitter from the editors of @EverydayHealth. Last Updated: 03/13/2012

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read \| Read Replies (1)

From: LindyBill	3/20/2012 2:32:30 PM
	of 24459

"Just how bad for you is red meat? Heated health risk row sizzles on In more bad news for voracious carnivores, Harvard Medical School researchers have found that regularly chowing down on red meat decreases life expectancy by a considerable 12 percent. Scientists tracked the diets of 100,000 people over the course of almost 30 years and found that high consumption of red meat was associated with a higher mortality rate. "The study found that cutting the amount of red meat in peoples' diets to 1.5 ounces (42 grams) a day, equivalent to one large steak a week, could prevent almost one in 10 early deaths in men and one in 13 in women," reported Rebecca Smith for The Telegraph. The study findings have been welcomed and questioned in pretty much equal measure by the health commentariat. Meat is rotten. The Harvard study feeds into a long list of previous warnings about eating meat. If you weren't put off already, the Daily Beast kindly listed seven reasons why we really should avoid eating meat. It reminded that eating red meat can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, salmonella, e.Coli and even mad cow disease. The website reminded that red meat contain antibiotics, steroids, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and even "pink slime" (a goo made out of waste trimmings previously reserved for dog food and cooking oil). It's also bad for the environment (livestock, mostly cattle, account for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions). Finally, the site flagged up the inhumane treatment of animals in the food production industry, a problem highlighted in Mark Bittman's blog for the New York Times, which suggested we all read "Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight," which concludes that "our isolation from killing allows us to tolerate unimaginably cruel practices simply because we don't see them." Bittman argued that omnivores must recognise that "our way of producing and eating meat reduces not only slaughterhouse workers but all of us to a warped state." But we Brits love meat! Red meat is so central to national identity that "separating an Englishman from his roast beef was never going to be popular" sighed Jeremy Laurance, health editor at the The Independent. He reminded that the French call us "Les Rosbifs", and have done for about as long as we've been calling them "Frogs." Misleading statistics. Nicholas Lezard, a literary critic for the Guardian feared that the "understandable innumeracy" of the "extremely casual reader" may lead to the conclusion that "eating a portion of bacon a day gives you a one in five chance of dying that very day." After all, we are not being given all the facts. The only statistic Rowan Pelling really trusted in the Telegraph is that "being born gives a person a 100 per cent chance of dying," while Dr Phil Hammond, a GP and comedian writing in The Times pointed out that just because 99 percent of people involved in car crashes are wearing shoes, It doesn't mean shoes cause car crashes. Karin Klein in the Los Angeles Times ridiculed the "nonsensical finding" that carnivores are more likely to die, even in accidents: " the only way a hamburger is more likely to cause a fatal accident is if it's being held in one hand by a driver." Big Mac healthier than a roast beef dinner. Jeremy Laurance at The Independent said the latest report reinforces advice from a a government quango called The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which suggested that we should only eat up to 70 grams of red meat a day (about 500 grams a week). The paper measured the amount of meat in various meals and, somewhat surprisingly, concluded that the only one that did not exceed this rule was a McDonald's Big Mac "because the two "meat patties" it contains are so thin." An average portion of spaghetti bolognese contains 140 grams of red meat, and a sunday roast contains 90 grams. Today (14 March) is Steak and Blow-Job Day, the antidote to Valentine's Day. Defiant carnivores vs food cranks. The ongoing debate has thrown up some colourful stereotypes. Nicholas Lezard of the Guardian quoted George Orwell, who in The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) wrote: "The food-crank is by definition a person willing to cut himself off from human society in hopes of adding five years on to the life of his carcase; that is a person out of touch with common humanity." This is the kind of aspersion cast by The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council on the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), after the latter paid for a billboard campaign across America which warns "Hot Dogs Cause Butt Cancer." Gawker reported that the Council called the PCRM a "pseudo-medical animal rights group" with the goal of creating "a vegan society." Thin end of the wedge? Nicholas Lezard in the Guardian feared this may be "the thin end of a very nasty wedge" and pointed out that NHS trusts are already talking about barring treatment to smokers and the overweight. Next, their "disapproving gaze" may fall upon "imprudent eaters of red meat," he feared. David Devonshire in The Daily Mail forsaw a time when smokers are "joined on the pavement by office workers clutching illicit bacon butties." The dinner party effect: While Jeremy Laurance of The Independent suggested we eat more imaginatively, more like the peoples of the Mediterranean, with meat used "more as a relish than a main ingredient," Nicholas Lezard of the Guardian feared that the latest findings will inflict upon us "dreary" dinner parties where we will be served "either chicken, fish, or nuts ... or, if we are really lucky, a very small portion of grilled red meat, with all the fat cut off." More things that can kill you Deadly airborne bird flu virus Yoga (yes, really) Arsenic in apple juice?" periscopepost.com

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read \| Read Replies (1)

To: LindyBill who wrote (18872)	3/20/2012 4:55:51 PM
From: Pogeu Mahone	of 24459

Vitamin E No Help for Heart Failure Risk By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: March 20, 2012 Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Vitamin E supplements probably aren't doing anything to prevent the development of heart failure in women, an analysis of the Women's Health Study showed. After adjustment for potential confounders, taking 600 IU of vitamin E every other day was not associated with incident heart failure (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.21, P=0.59), according to Claudia Chae, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues. But because there were relatively few heart failure events during follow-up, a small-to-moderate effect of supplementation could not be excluded, the researchers reported online in Circulation: Heart Failure. "These results underscore the importance of focusing on other primary prevention measures proven to reduce the risk of future heart failure, including effective control of blood pressure and the primary prevention of coronary artery disease," they wrote, echoing statements from the American Heart Association on the subject. "Scientific evidence does not suggest that consuming antioxidant vitamins can eliminate the need to reduce blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, or stop smoking cigarettes," according to the association's website. In fact, although oxidative stress may be involved in the development of heart failure, antioxidant therapy has been associated with a greater risk of incident heart failure and hospitalization for heart failure among patients with vascular disease or diabetes in the HOPE trial and a nonsignificant elevation in heart failure risk among patients with a recent MI in the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. But no large trials have evaluated the use of antioxidant therapy for the primary prevention of heart failure. To explore the issue, Chae and colleagues turned to the Women's Health Study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin, vitamin E, and beta carotene for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The current analysis included 39,815 initially healthy women ages 45 and older at baseline (mean age 54.6). Over a median follow-up of 10.2 years, 220 women developed heart failure -- 106 randomized to vitamin E and 114 randomized to placebo. After adjustment for age and randomized aspirin and beta carotene treatment, supplementation with vitamin E was not associated with heart failure risk. The association remained after further adjustment for other risk factors, including interim MI, and limiting the analysis to definite heart failure cases only. In a pre-specified subgroup analysis, there was some evidence of a benefit for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (diastolic heart failure). "This finding should be interpreted with caution, since it was a subgroup analysis based on a relatively small number of heart failure cases, but it nevertheless merits further study," the authors wrote. If the finding "is confirmed in other prospective studies, then future randomized trials of antioxidant therapy in patient populations at high risk for diastolic heart failure may be warranted." Chae and colleagues speculated that differences among the patient populations might explain why there was a suggestion of harm from vitamin E supplementation in the HOPE and GISSI-Prevenzione trials. In particular, the current trial was a primary prevention study, whereas the other two were secondary prevention studies. In addition, the secondary prevention trials had relatively small populations of women and higher rates of heart failure. Doses and dosing regimens of vitamin E also differed between the trials. The authors acknowledged that the findings of the current study may not apply to populations beyond the healthy, middle-age, mostly white females who participated. Other limitations included the inability to assess the differential effects of vitamin E in women with or without valvular heart disease, possible variation in the measurements of ejection fraction, which were taken from medical records, and the self-report of heart failure events. The study was supported by the Elizabeth Anne and Karen Barlow Corrigan Women's Heart Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute. The authors reported that they had no conflicts of interest. Primary source: Circulation: Heart Failure Source reference: Chae C, et al "Vitamin E supplementation and the risk of heart failure in women" Circulation Heart Fail 2012.

Share	Recommend \| Keep \| Reply \| Mark as Last Read \| Read Replies (1)

Previous 10 | Next 10

Copyright/IP Policy

Copyright © 1995-2013 Knight Sac Media. All rights reserved.