cris' posts with tag: health
From Nelfa, for my online buddies- 1. NO BREAKFAST. People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blodd sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. 2. OVEREATING. It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. 3. SMOKING. It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer's disease. 4. HIGH SUGAR CONSUMPTION. Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. 5..AIR POLLUTION. The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency. 6. SLEEP DEPRIVATION. Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells. 7. HEAD COVERED WHILE SLEEPING. Sleeping with head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging the brain. 9. LACKING IN STIMULATING THOUGHTS. Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage. 10. TALKING RARELY. Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain. The main causes of liver damage are: READ MORE>
Stress and hair loss: Are they related?Yes, extreme emotional or physical stress can trigger two types of hair loss. The most common type of stress-induced hair loss is telogen effluvium. In this condition, severe stress — such as due to illness, injury or surgery — causes large numbers of hairs to stop their growing phase and shift into a resting phase. Two to three months later, the resting hairs suddenly start falling out. In such cases, your hair eventually grows back within six to nine months. Intense stress can also trigger a type of hair loss called alopecia areata. In this condition, white blood cells attack the hair follicle, which stops hair growth. Within weeks, the affected hair falls out. With alopecia areata, hair loss usually starts as a small round patch but may eventually spread to the whole scalp — and sometimes to body hair as well. Your hair may grow back. But treatment may be necessary. If you have questions or concerns about hair loss, consult a dermatologist. Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).MORE:Baldness, whether permanent or temporary, can't be cured. But hair loss treatments are available to help promote hair growth or hide hair loss. For some types of alopecia, hair may resume growth without any treatment. Read the Article>
MAYO CLINIC: Consuming fewer calories is often the most effective way to lose weight. Still, an increase in physical activity is an important part of any weight-loss program. And walking is a great way to get started. For motivation, do the math: To lose 1 pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. If you cut 250 calories from your daily diet, you could lose that pound in about two weeks. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn another 150 calories a day. Make that 60 minutes of brisk walking and you could burn about 300 calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker the pace, the more calories you'll burn. Keep it up and you'll walk your way to a healthy weight. Better yet, walking can help you keep the weight off for good. READ the Article>MORE ABOUT EXERCISE: Aerobic exercise: What 30 minutes a day can do
Why Loneliness Is Bad for You by Samir S. Patel
Feeling lonely can make you sick. Doctors have long known that loneliness is associated with cardiovascular problems, viral infections, and higher mortality. What they didn’t know is how this feeling begets illness. A study in the September issue of the online journal Genome Biology suggests that loneliness actually affects the very core of our bodies—our genes. In a small population of patients, researchers surveyed more than 20,000 genes using DNA microarrays to compare how the genes of lonely and nonlonely individuals express themselves in molecular processes and, ultimately, in personal health. They found that gene expression is different at 209 sites in chronically lonely people and that many of those changes fit a pattern of elevated immune activation, inflammation, and depressed response to infection. “We now have a molecular framework for understanding the relationship between social experience and physical health,” explains the study’s lead author, Steve Cole of UCLA. The study found that loneliness desensitizes the glucocorticoid receptors, cutting off the immune control and anti-inflammatory effects of cortisol, a stress-related hormone that also helps regulate the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. The depressed cortisol response concurs with the known effects of loneliness and provides a potential target for treatment. This study—the first to link feelings with genomewide changes—is “in some sense groundbreaking,” says Emma Adam, an associate professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University. “It fills in the black box.” According to John Cacioppo, an author of the study and a psychologist from the University of Chicago, the work suggests that loneliness is a warning sign, much like physical pain. “This very process of feeling bad because of disconnection contributes to what it means to be human,” he says. “It makes us care for other people and want to reconnect when we’re disconnected.” SOURCE: DiscoverMagazine
Cloned Hamburger, Anyone? by Apoorva Mandavilli Meat and milk from cloned cattle, pigs, and goats are safe to eat, the Food and Drug Administration has declared, setting the United States on course to become the first country to approve such products. The agency’s draft risk assessment says food from clones can safely be marketed without any labels to distinguish it. In an article in the journal Theriogenology last January, agency scientists analyzed dozens of studies—many of them from cloning companies Viagen and Cyagra—and concluded that meat and milk from clones showed no “nutritionally or toxicologically important differences” from products now consumed. But some advocacy groups aren’t buying it. “We’re very concerned,” says Charles Margulis, spokesman for the Washington-based Center for Food Safety. “We don’t think there’s really enough science to show that clones are safe.” Along with other groups, the center collected 140,000 comments on the proposal to send to the FDA, which is declining further comment until it has reviewed the public response.Source: DiscoverMagazine
Chocolate's Dark Secret. From religious elixir to lover's treat to health food? The new truth about chocolate.
By Kathleen M. Zelman, LD, MPH, RD
WebMD Feature xxx Q: Are all chocolates good for you? A: Chocolate lovers, rejoice -- but be savvy about chocolate's health perks. Chocolate really can be good for you, but not all chocolate is created equally. If you're after health benefits, forget the chewy, caramel, marshmallow or cream-covered chocolates and look for solid dark chocolate. Q: Why is dark chocolate a better choice than white or milk chocolate? A: The health benefits of chocolate come from flavonoids, a type of phytochemical found in the cacao bean. Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa than white or milk chocolate. And the more cocoa a chocolate product contains, the richer its health-promoting content. Q: What are the health benefits of dark chocolate? A: Research has shown that when dark chocolate is part of a healthy lifestyle, it can improve heart health, blood pressure, reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol, and increase blood flow to the brain. It may also improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, reducing diabetes risk. Q: Is chocolate really an aphrodisiac?READ MORE>
Common chemicals in your bodyThe Oregon Environmental Council tested blood and urine samples from 10 Oregonians for a suite of common chemicals considered to be toxic or potentially toxic, for a report scheduled for release via the OEC Web site on Sunday. The chemicals included: Phthalates; Bisphenol A (BPA); Organophosphate pesticides;
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs); Methylmercury; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); etc. There are in our cosmetics, food conatainers, inside our houses, food we eat, in our clothes, etc.
Learn more: http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2007/11/common_chemicals_in_your_body.html
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