Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
4 Foods to Avoid for Good Health
The modern Western diet has many pitfalls to health. Four of the worst for your weight, energy levels, and mood are sugar, French fries, soft drinks, and diet foods. more...
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
About iHealthTube
http://www.iHealthTube.com iHealthTube is a video based site to watch and learn about the latest in natural health. We cover a variety of topics including: diet, weight loss, heart health, stress, sleep, women's health, brain and memory, and many more. Check out our profile to learn more about this great new site.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Kama Rani
Studies suggest that almost half of women in the United States suffer from one or more of four types of sexual dysfunction: low libido (hypoactive sexual desire), sexual arousal disorder, orgasmic disorder, and sexual pain disorder. Low libido is the most prevalent.
According to the Female Sexual Medicine Center at UCLA Medical Center, low not allowed drive may stem from emotional issues, relationship problems, inability to orgasm, decreased vaginal and clitoral sensitivity, lack of lubrication, hormonal imbalance, stress, lack of sleep, and many other reasons. The consequences of not treating this problem can be severe.
Ongoing friction in relationships due to sexual problems can lead to separation, unfaithfulness, and prolonged emotional duress for both partners. Many women fear sexual intercourse so much that they avoid male companionship and possible relationships. As the problem becomes ingrained in the psyche, possibilities for love and satisfying not allowed life are lost and replaced by loneliness, low self-esteem, and depression.
Thus far, Western medicine has not offered successful treatments for female sexual dysfunction. The psychological symptoms are being treated with aggressive prescription drugs. Unfortunately, this does not solve the problem and often results in unwanted and even dangerous side effects.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a woman sexually as strong as a horse and able to copulate for long and frequently with many husbands and partners." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various aphrodisiacs and tonic preparations for enhancing the reproductive capabilities and vigor of women while strengthening the body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana doctors combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help women reach their peak and overcome sexual concerns through safe, natural means.
more information:
http://www.kamarani.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
http://www.india-herbs.com/index.php?aff=dreddyclinic
According to the Female Sexual Medicine Center at UCLA Medical Center, low not allowed drive may stem from emotional issues, relationship problems, inability to orgasm, decreased vaginal and clitoral sensitivity, lack of lubrication, hormonal imbalance, stress, lack of sleep, and many other reasons. The consequences of not treating this problem can be severe.
Ongoing friction in relationships due to sexual problems can lead to separation, unfaithfulness, and prolonged emotional duress for both partners. Many women fear sexual intercourse so much that they avoid male companionship and possible relationships. As the problem becomes ingrained in the psyche, possibilities for love and satisfying not allowed life are lost and replaced by loneliness, low self-esteem, and depression.
Thus far, Western medicine has not offered successful treatments for female sexual dysfunction. The psychological symptoms are being treated with aggressive prescription drugs. Unfortunately, this does not solve the problem and often results in unwanted and even dangerous side effects.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a woman sexually as strong as a horse and able to copulate for long and frequently with many husbands and partners." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various aphrodisiacs and tonic preparations for enhancing the reproductive capabilities and vigor of women while strengthening the body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana doctors combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help women reach their peak and overcome sexual concerns through safe, natural means.
more information:
http://www.kamarani.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
http://www.india-herbs.com/index.php?aff=dreddyclinic
Monday, March 03, 2008
Ayurvedic Diet and Diet Consultations
We offer also per email a diet consultation, feel free to contact us for more details. Thank you.
Ghee
Ginger
Food combining
Food guidelines
General Principles
Eat to about 3/4 your capacity. Do not leave the table very hungry or very full.
Avoid taking a meal until the previous meal has been digested. Allow approximately 3 - 6 hours between meals.
Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere. Do NOT do work, read or watch TV during meal times.
In general, the diet should be balanced so as to include all six tastes. Specific recommendations may be found according to your constitutional type (see accompanying sheet).
Yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and buttermilk should be avoided at night.
Milk is generally not recommended to be taken along with a meal involving mixed tastes (i.e., vegetables, meats, fish, etc.). It may be taken with toast, cereals, or sweet tasting foods, or separated from the meal by about 20 minutes.
It is best not to cook with honey.
Take a few minutes to sit quietly after a meal before returning to your activity.
Ghee (Ghee Flyer)
Ghee is one of the most valuable foods and medicines known. Ghee may be used in place of butter (it does not cause cholesterol unless there is already a history of high cholesterol).
It is an ideal cooking oil as it does not burn unless heated excessively. I makes a wonderful oil for massage and can serve as a base for herbal ointments (for burns, skin rashes, etc.). Ghee is good for all doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and is a specific for Pitta. Ghee can even be used for lamps (make wicks from a cotton ball).
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Ghee keeps indefinitely without refrigeration, as the elements which cause butter to spoil have been removed. Just remember to keep it covered and free from water or other contaminants.
Ghee is mad by cooking butter. It is important to use unsalted butter, available at most supermarkets. Raw unsalted butter (made from unpasteurized cream) is best, but this is difficult to obtain. Ghee is often called clarified butter, but this may be a misnomer.
Ghee requires a longer cooking time and the foam which rises to the surface during the cooking process is not skimmed off as may be done when clarifying butter.
It is convenient to make two pounds at one time, but in the beginning, you may wish to start with just one pound. Place the butter in a heavy saucepan, preferably one of stainless steel or glass. Melt the butter and continue cooking over moderate heat so that the butter just boils gently. Foam will rise to the surface, but this should not be skimmed off.
After fifteen or twenty minutes, the foam will have settled to the bottom where it will begin to form a sticky "cake". At this point, the Ghee must be watched carefully to avoid burning. It may be stirred occasionally with a clean, dry spoon, preferably of stainless steel.
When the Ghee begins to boil silently, with only a trace of air bubbles on the surface, it is done. Allow it to cool and then pour it carefully into clean containers (making sure that the sediment remains on the bottom of the saucepan).
Commercial Ghee is available at most Indian grocery stores, but the cost is greater than making your own and the quality may be uncertain. Many consider Ghee making to be a nice ritual, and while making it, pay careful attention to the process. Whether you add a "mantra" to your Ghee, making it mindfully will enhance its value for you.
Ghee
Ginger
Food combining
Food guidelines
General Principles
Eat to about 3/4 your capacity. Do not leave the table very hungry or very full.
Avoid taking a meal until the previous meal has been digested. Allow approximately 3 - 6 hours between meals.
Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere. Do NOT do work, read or watch TV during meal times.
In general, the diet should be balanced so as to include all six tastes. Specific recommendations may be found according to your constitutional type (see accompanying sheet).
Yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and buttermilk should be avoided at night.
Milk is generally not recommended to be taken along with a meal involving mixed tastes (i.e., vegetables, meats, fish, etc.). It may be taken with toast, cereals, or sweet tasting foods, or separated from the meal by about 20 minutes.
It is best not to cook with honey.
Take a few minutes to sit quietly after a meal before returning to your activity.
Ghee (Ghee Flyer)
Ghee is one of the most valuable foods and medicines known. Ghee may be used in place of butter (it does not cause cholesterol unless there is already a history of high cholesterol).
It is an ideal cooking oil as it does not burn unless heated excessively. I makes a wonderful oil for massage and can serve as a base for herbal ointments (for burns, skin rashes, etc.). Ghee is good for all doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and is a specific for Pitta. Ghee can even be used for lamps (make wicks from a cotton ball).
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Ghee keeps indefinitely without refrigeration, as the elements which cause butter to spoil have been removed. Just remember to keep it covered and free from water or other contaminants.
Ghee is mad by cooking butter. It is important to use unsalted butter, available at most supermarkets. Raw unsalted butter (made from unpasteurized cream) is best, but this is difficult to obtain. Ghee is often called clarified butter, but this may be a misnomer.
Ghee requires a longer cooking time and the foam which rises to the surface during the cooking process is not skimmed off as may be done when clarifying butter.
It is convenient to make two pounds at one time, but in the beginning, you may wish to start with just one pound. Place the butter in a heavy saucepan, preferably one of stainless steel or glass. Melt the butter and continue cooking over moderate heat so that the butter just boils gently. Foam will rise to the surface, but this should not be skimmed off.
After fifteen or twenty minutes, the foam will have settled to the bottom where it will begin to form a sticky "cake". At this point, the Ghee must be watched carefully to avoid burning. It may be stirred occasionally with a clean, dry spoon, preferably of stainless steel.
When the Ghee begins to boil silently, with only a trace of air bubbles on the surface, it is done. Allow it to cool and then pour it carefully into clean containers (making sure that the sediment remains on the bottom of the saucepan).
Commercial Ghee is available at most Indian grocery stores, but the cost is greater than making your own and the quality may be uncertain. Many consider Ghee making to be a nice ritual, and while making it, pay careful attention to the process. Whether you add a "mantra" to your Ghee, making it mindfully will enhance its value for you.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Harnessing the Mind to Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome
(HealthDay News) -- When drugs and dietary changes don't provide relief from the pain, bloating and other unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, patients may want to try a different approach.
Recent studies show that using one's own thoughts in a process called cognitive behavioral therapy may help ease symptoms. Likewise, using hypnosis to visualize the pain and imagine it seeping away can be a powerful treatment strategy, too.
"Research indicates that the probability of achieving benefits is excellent with either approach, even for patients who haven't improved from standard medical care," said Olafur S. Palsson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
As many as 45 million Americans may have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders reports. Sixty percent to 65 percent of IBS sufferers are women.
In addition to pain and discomfort, people with IBS experience chronic or recurrent constipation or diarrhea -- or bouts of both. While the exact cause of the condition isn't known, symptoms seem to result from a disturbance in the interaction of the gut, brain and nervous system, according to the foundation.
Doctors generally advise patients to avoid certain foods that may exacerbate symptoms. Several different medications may be recommended for relieving abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation. But these approaches don't always provide adequate relief.
"For some people, medications and dietary changes are the perfect match, but most of our patients -- the great, great majority of patients -- have not responded to medications and dietary changes," said Jeffrey M. Lackner, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York, and a behavioral medicine specialist whose research focuses on gastrointestinal disorders, particularly IBS.
For many patients, cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses the power of the mind to replace unhealthy beliefs and behaviors with healthy, positive ones, may be the answer. But, Lackner observed, very few facilities around the country specialize in this type of treatment.
Recognizing this, he and his colleagues set out to devise and test a treatment program that IBS patients could administer themselves.
Seventy-five women and men were divided into three groups. One group was placed on a "wait list" for 10 weeks while they monitored their symptoms. Another group received the standard treatment of 10 cognitive behavioral therapy sessions over 10 weeks. The third group had once-a-month therapy sessions over four months and practiced relaxation and problem-solving exercises at home.
Not surprisingly, people on the wait list did not do well at all, while those in the 10- and four-week sessions showed significant improvement. "They said at the end of treatment they had achieved adequate relief from pain and adequate relief from bowel problems, and a significant proportion of patients said they improved their symptoms," Lackner explained.
While more studies are needed, the findings suggest that traditional and self-administered cognitive behavioral therapy both provide adequate relief and improve symptoms, said Lackner, who first reported the findings at large meeting of GI professionals.
Hypnosis may be another option. A pair of Swedish studies presented at that same meeting found that patients who received "gut-directed hypnotherapy" had significant improvement in symptoms compared with those who did not receive this intervention.
Hypnosis treatment has been reported to improve symptoms of the majority of treated IBS patients in all published studies, noted UNCs Palsson.
For patients who've tried the diet-and-drug regimen to no avail, Palsson said he would recommend either of these two psychological treatments.
"If a patient's main goal is substantial relief of bowel symptoms, hypnosis is probably the better choice," he said, for the research literature strongly suggests that it improves the gastrointestinal symptoms far more reliably.
On the other hand, he added, if a patient wants to cope better with the illness or improve mental well-being, then cognitive behavioral therapy is equally good or perhaps even the better treatment option.
More information
For more on treating IBS, visit the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Recent studies show that using one's own thoughts in a process called cognitive behavioral therapy may help ease symptoms. Likewise, using hypnosis to visualize the pain and imagine it seeping away can be a powerful treatment strategy, too.
"Research indicates that the probability of achieving benefits is excellent with either approach, even for patients who haven't improved from standard medical care," said Olafur S. Palsson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
As many as 45 million Americans may have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders reports. Sixty percent to 65 percent of IBS sufferers are women.
In addition to pain and discomfort, people with IBS experience chronic or recurrent constipation or diarrhea -- or bouts of both. While the exact cause of the condition isn't known, symptoms seem to result from a disturbance in the interaction of the gut, brain and nervous system, according to the foundation.
Doctors generally advise patients to avoid certain foods that may exacerbate symptoms. Several different medications may be recommended for relieving abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation. But these approaches don't always provide adequate relief.
"For some people, medications and dietary changes are the perfect match, but most of our patients -- the great, great majority of patients -- have not responded to medications and dietary changes," said Jeffrey M. Lackner, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York, and a behavioral medicine specialist whose research focuses on gastrointestinal disorders, particularly IBS.
For many patients, cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses the power of the mind to replace unhealthy beliefs and behaviors with healthy, positive ones, may be the answer. But, Lackner observed, very few facilities around the country specialize in this type of treatment.
Recognizing this, he and his colleagues set out to devise and test a treatment program that IBS patients could administer themselves.
Seventy-five women and men were divided into three groups. One group was placed on a "wait list" for 10 weeks while they monitored their symptoms. Another group received the standard treatment of 10 cognitive behavioral therapy sessions over 10 weeks. The third group had once-a-month therapy sessions over four months and practiced relaxation and problem-solving exercises at home.
Not surprisingly, people on the wait list did not do well at all, while those in the 10- and four-week sessions showed significant improvement. "They said at the end of treatment they had achieved adequate relief from pain and adequate relief from bowel problems, and a significant proportion of patients said they improved their symptoms," Lackner explained.
While more studies are needed, the findings suggest that traditional and self-administered cognitive behavioral therapy both provide adequate relief and improve symptoms, said Lackner, who first reported the findings at large meeting of GI professionals.
Hypnosis may be another option. A pair of Swedish studies presented at that same meeting found that patients who received "gut-directed hypnotherapy" had significant improvement in symptoms compared with those who did not receive this intervention.
Hypnosis treatment has been reported to improve symptoms of the majority of treated IBS patients in all published studies, noted UNCs Palsson.
For patients who've tried the diet-and-drug regimen to no avail, Palsson said he would recommend either of these two psychological treatments.
"If a patient's main goal is substantial relief of bowel symptoms, hypnosis is probably the better choice," he said, for the research literature strongly suggests that it improves the gastrointestinal symptoms far more reliably.
On the other hand, he added, if a patient wants to cope better with the illness or improve mental well-being, then cognitive behavioral therapy is equally good or perhaps even the better treatment option.
More information
For more on treating IBS, visit the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Kama Yogi
YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE! Maintain It Through Proven Ancient Practices for Sexual Enhancement! CHARAKA, THE AUTHOR OF ANCIENT AYURVEDIC TEXTS, WROTE . . .
"The healthy life has three main pillars - a balanced diet, mental hygiene, and a healthy not allowed life. " Kama Yogi's Powerful Techniques Give Significant, Invigorating, and Enduring Results! If you want to enjoy extraordinary not allowed and reduced chance of low not allowed drive and lack of vigor, vitality, and raw sexual energy, there is proven help available.
India's men and women have been reaping the powerful benefits of YOGA for the past 5,000 years!
The 63-page Kama Yogi eBook with 165 color photographs offers a set of ancient spiritual practices geared towards the attainment of sexual vigor, improved vitality, and increased libido. It will help you: Intensify Your Orgasms. Elevate Your not allowed Drive. Enhance Your Sexual Pleasure. Harden & Prolong Your Erections.
Acquire Flexibility for Lovemaking. Satisfy Desires & Be Fulfilled. Kama Yogi is a product of: 5000 years of Yogic wisdom. Tantra and Kundalini principles. Proven Yoga postures. Time-tested Meditation techniques.
Focus on physical & spiritual sexuality.
http://www.kamayogi.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
"The healthy life has three main pillars - a balanced diet, mental hygiene, and a healthy not allowed life. " Kama Yogi's Powerful Techniques Give Significant, Invigorating, and Enduring Results! If you want to enjoy extraordinary not allowed and reduced chance of low not allowed drive and lack of vigor, vitality, and raw sexual energy, there is proven help available.
India's men and women have been reaping the powerful benefits of YOGA for the past 5,000 years!
The 63-page Kama Yogi eBook with 165 color photographs offers a set of ancient spiritual practices geared towards the attainment of sexual vigor, improved vitality, and increased libido. It will help you: Intensify Your Orgasms. Elevate Your not allowed Drive. Enhance Your Sexual Pleasure. Harden & Prolong Your Erections.
Acquire Flexibility for Lovemaking. Satisfy Desires & Be Fulfilled. Kama Yogi is a product of: 5000 years of Yogic wisdom. Tantra and Kundalini principles. Proven Yoga postures. Time-tested Meditation techniques.
Focus on physical & spiritual sexuality.
http://www.kamayogi.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Childhood Diabetes Boosts Risk for Kidney Problems
(HealthDay News) -- As more and more American children are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, another serious problem is threatening their health.
Children and teens diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are five times more likely to develop kidney disease later in life than those who develop diabetes as adults, a recent study found.
The findings underscore the importance of preventing -- or at least delaying -- the onset of type 2 diabetes, doctors say.
"Since the development of diabetic kidney disease is strongly dependent on the duration of diabetes, developing diabetes in youth leads to a high risk of kidney disease in early- to mid-adulthood," said study author Dr. Robert G. Nelson, a staff clinician with the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
"For example," he said, "a 15-year-old person with 10 years of type 2 diabetes has the same risk of kidney disease as a 55-year-old with 10 years of type 2 diabetes."
Diabetes is becoming increasingly prevalent among children and teens, largely due to the obesity epidemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that among new cases of childhood diabetes, up to 43 percent are type 2 disease.
While type 2 diabetes can affect children of any race or ethnic group, it's more common among non-white individuals, the CDC reports. The Pima Indians of Arizona currently have the highest recorded rates of diabetes in the world, at 50.9 per 1,000 individuals, according to the CDC.
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure. Initially, small amounts of albumin, a blood protein, begin to leak into the urine. As the amount of albumin in the urine increases, the filtering function of the kidneys begins to decline. It may take 15 to 25 years for kidney failure to occur. Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics have higher rates of kidney failure from diabetes, the NIDDK said.
Nelson and his colleagues examined the relationship between a person's age at the onset of diabetes and the likelihood that they would have "end-stage renal disease," or kidney failure.
The study, published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on data collected over four decades from more than 1,800 members of the Pima and closely related Papago Indian tribes. The researchers compared people who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 20 with those who developed the disease between ages 25 and 55.
Breaking down the numbers by age range, people who developed type 2 diabetes before age 20 were eight times more likely to experience kidney failure between 25 and 34 than those diagnosed after 20. And the younger diabetics were four times more likely to have kidney failure between the ages of 45 and 54 than those diagnosed at an older age.
Dr. Pascale H. Lane is a diabetic neuropathy specialist and associate chairwoman for research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics. She believes that patients and parents of children with diabetes need to be aware of the potential complications of type 2 diabetes and ways to minimize the risk.
"Nephropathy [kidney failure] may be prevented by strict control of blood sugar levels and by not smoking," Lane said. "Diagnosing and treating high blood pressure early and aggressively may also prevent or slow the development of this kidney disease."
Efforts also need to focus on preventing type 2 diabetes in children through lifestyle changes that emphasize weight loss and increased exercise, Nelson added.
"The explosion of obesity in children and adolescents is a cause for great concern and must be reversed," he said. "Calorie-dense fast foods must be replaced by healthy alternatives provided in reasonable portions, and hours of TV watching must be replaced by activities that require exercise."
More information
Visit the National Kidney Foundation for more on diabetes and kidney disease.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Children and teens diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are five times more likely to develop kidney disease later in life than those who develop diabetes as adults, a recent study found.
The findings underscore the importance of preventing -- or at least delaying -- the onset of type 2 diabetes, doctors say.
"Since the development of diabetic kidney disease is strongly dependent on the duration of diabetes, developing diabetes in youth leads to a high risk of kidney disease in early- to mid-adulthood," said study author Dr. Robert G. Nelson, a staff clinician with the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
"For example," he said, "a 15-year-old person with 10 years of type 2 diabetes has the same risk of kidney disease as a 55-year-old with 10 years of type 2 diabetes."
Diabetes is becoming increasingly prevalent among children and teens, largely due to the obesity epidemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that among new cases of childhood diabetes, up to 43 percent are type 2 disease.
While type 2 diabetes can affect children of any race or ethnic group, it's more common among non-white individuals, the CDC reports. The Pima Indians of Arizona currently have the highest recorded rates of diabetes in the world, at 50.9 per 1,000 individuals, according to the CDC.
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure. Initially, small amounts of albumin, a blood protein, begin to leak into the urine. As the amount of albumin in the urine increases, the filtering function of the kidneys begins to decline. It may take 15 to 25 years for kidney failure to occur. Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics have higher rates of kidney failure from diabetes, the NIDDK said.
Nelson and his colleagues examined the relationship between a person's age at the onset of diabetes and the likelihood that they would have "end-stage renal disease," or kidney failure.
The study, published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on data collected over four decades from more than 1,800 members of the Pima and closely related Papago Indian tribes. The researchers compared people who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 20 with those who developed the disease between ages 25 and 55.
Breaking down the numbers by age range, people who developed type 2 diabetes before age 20 were eight times more likely to experience kidney failure between 25 and 34 than those diagnosed after 20. And the younger diabetics were four times more likely to have kidney failure between the ages of 45 and 54 than those diagnosed at an older age.
Dr. Pascale H. Lane is a diabetic neuropathy specialist and associate chairwoman for research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics. She believes that patients and parents of children with diabetes need to be aware of the potential complications of type 2 diabetes and ways to minimize the risk.
"Nephropathy [kidney failure] may be prevented by strict control of blood sugar levels and by not smoking," Lane said. "Diagnosing and treating high blood pressure early and aggressively may also prevent or slow the development of this kidney disease."
Efforts also need to focus on preventing type 2 diabetes in children through lifestyle changes that emphasize weight loss and increased exercise, Nelson added.
"The explosion of obesity in children and adolescents is a cause for great concern and must be reversed," he said. "Calorie-dense fast foods must be replaced by healthy alternatives provided in reasonable portions, and hours of TV watching must be replaced by activities that require exercise."
More information
Visit the National Kidney Foundation for more on diabetes and kidney disease.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Radiancio
Just as human instinct drives us toward survival, physical beauty is programmed into our brains as a means of staying alive and furthering our family line.
Nature has given us impulses that drive us towards procreation. Every creature, from the lowest organism to the most complex, desires not allowed. Dogs are attracted to each other’s smells.
Peacocks are attracted to each others’ plumages. Human beings are attracted to many things about each other – one of which is physical beauty.
Physical attractiveness can have very real effects. When a person is seen as attractive or unattractive, a whole set of assumptions are brought into play.
Many have asserted that certain advantages tend to come to those who are perceived as being more attractive, including the ability to get better jobs and promotions, receiving better treatment from authorities and the legal system, having more choices in romantic partners and therefore more power in relationships, and marrying into more successful families.
A survey conducted by London Guildhall University of 11,000 people showed that those that subjectively describe themselves as physically attractive earn more than others that describe themselves as less attractive. Less attractive people earned, on average, 13% less than more attractive people, while the penalty for being overweight was around 5%.
Both men and women use physical attractiveness as a measure of how 'good' another person is. Men often tend to value attractiveness more than women.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans published in 2004 by Rutgers University, evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher discovered that there were clear differences in male and female brains, during the early intense stages of falling in love.
Men, on average, tended to show more activity in two regions in the brain: one was associated with the integration of visual stimuli, and the second was with penile erection. Conversely, women in these early stages exhibited increased activity in several regions of the brain associated with memory recall.
Although it is said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", studies have shown that there are many universal or near-universal qualities which make men and women attractive. These qualities usually fit into one or more of three categories: Indicators of general good health. Indicators of reproductive fitness.
Healthy nails and thick, "lustrous" hair. Features that include a clear complexion and healthy, youthful-looking skin. A hair and its follicle make up one of the most complex and interesting systems in the body. Scientists are just now beginning to identify the key cells, proteins, hormones and genes that control the growth, loss, and regeneration of hair.
While inherent genetic coding is decidedly a factor in hair loss, other factors exist that accelerate the process, including stress, diet, pollution, and hygiene. Gradual buildup of residue from commercial hair care products and environmental toxins, along with a diet high in animal fats, prompts an over-secretion of sebum.
The sebum soon becomes oxidized and is transformed into a waxy substance clogging the follicle entrance. In time, the impacted sebum and other debris makes its way deep within the follicle, inhibiting the absorption of nutrients and impeding the growth of healthy hair. Stress contributes to this problem by causing tightness in the scalp, which inhibits blood circulation to this area. A chemical reaction takes place between an enzyme called 5-Alpha reductase and androgens present in the impacted sebum.
This results in the formation of a powerful hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT binds to the follicle entrance, which eventually sends a message to the hair follicle to shut down. The result: thick and healthy hair begins to grow thin and weak, eventually dying altogether. Nails can be very attractive and serve many important functions. Women, more often than men, place a great deal of importance on how their nails look and spend a considerable amount of time and money on them.
Nails reflect an individual's personal and health habits - good or bad. Aside from their cosmetic appeal, nails serve many important functions. They help us pick up and manipulate objects, and they protect and support the tissues of the fingers and toes. Most importantly, nails often reflect our general state of health.
Nail problems usually increase throughout life and affect a high number of the elderly. This is due to the susceptibility of the nail to fungal infections, its increased thickness with age, circulation problems, and the use of medications. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. Most doctors will check the nails carefully during physical examinations.
Major illness will cause a deep horizontal groove to form in the nails. Discoloration, thinning, thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, clubbing (convex), flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction or poisoning, local injury, and other illnesses in the body. Nails can become extremely thick, loose, or degenerated.
They can also be infected with fungus which can come from dirty socks, certain types of aggressive exercise, walking barefoot, and exposing one's feet in a moldy environment. Our largest organ is our skin.
Others see our skin and assess our mood, physical state, and attractiveness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and more easily damaged. When this effect intensifies, the skin decreases its ability to heal itself. Sagging skin is caused by the fall in elasticity. Skin also receives less blood flow and lowers glandular activity.
Your skin supports its own ecosystems of microorganisms, including yeasts and bacteria, which cannot be removed by any amount of cleaning. In general, these organisms keep one another in check and are part of healthy skin. When the balance is disturbed, e.g., by antibiotics which kill bacteria, there may be an overgrowth and infection by yeasts. The human skin has many other important functions such as:
Protection: Your skin is an anatomical barrier between the internal and external environment in bodily defense. Sensation: Your skin contains a variety of nerve endings that react to heat, cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.
Heat regulation: Your skin contains a blood supply far greater than its requirements which allows precise control of energy loss by radiation, convection, and conduction. Dilated blood vessels increase perfusion and heat loss while constricted vessels greatly reduce cutaneous blood flow and conserve heat.
Control of evaporation: Your skin provides a relatively dry and impermeable barrier to fluid loss. Loss of this function contributes to the massive fluid loss in burns cases. Storage and synthesis: Your skin acts as a storage centre for lipids and water, as well as a means of synthesis of vitamin D and B by action of Ultra Violet energy on certain parts of the skin.
This synthesis is linked to pigmentation, with darker skin producing more vitamin B than D, and vice versa. Excretion: The concentration of urea is 1/130th that of urine. Excretion by sweating is at most a secondary function to temperature regulation. Absorption: Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into the epidermis in small amounts. Skin is an important site of transport in many other organisms.
With such diverse roles, it is no wonder that the skin is subject to constant attack and can be afflicted by numerous ailments. The skin is the barrier between the world and our own body, between the outer and inner environment. There are many elements in the outer environment that can cause inflammation or breakouts.
There is now no questions that these accumulated toxins are behind nearly every disease, symptom, injury, and malfunction of the body. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical molecules and participate in unwanted reactions, causing tissue damage, and destructive effects on the human body.
Free radicals attack protein, lipid, and nucleic acids and lead to a reduction in their respective functions, thereby decreasing cell function, and finally causing organ failure. The road to disease can be paved with a slew of toxins and free radicals that can bind to enzymes at a cellular level and inactivate them so that the cell no longer functions optimally. When toxins are not eliminated, they are reabsorbed back into the liver.
The liver works by filtering toxins directly as well as altering them so that they can be removed during the various stages of detoxification. The liver filters toxins from about 1 liter of blood every minute. Some of these endotoxins (produced in the body), exotoxins (from outside the body), and wastes are sent to the kidneys or the colon. Other toxins, made up of compounds that are difficult for the liver to filter, must be broken down with enzymes so that they can be removed.
A properly functioning liver is vital to your health. Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to health and aesthetics. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of physical rigors." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations for enhancing the condition of your hair, nails, and skin while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to address the native inhibitory causes that affect hair, nail, and skin growth while helping both men and women reach their peak health and beauty through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in Radiancio along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your health and beauty needs!
more information: http://www.radiancio.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Nature has given us impulses that drive us towards procreation. Every creature, from the lowest organism to the most complex, desires not allowed. Dogs are attracted to each other’s smells.
Peacocks are attracted to each others’ plumages. Human beings are attracted to many things about each other – one of which is physical beauty.
Physical attractiveness can have very real effects. When a person is seen as attractive or unattractive, a whole set of assumptions are brought into play.
Many have asserted that certain advantages tend to come to those who are perceived as being more attractive, including the ability to get better jobs and promotions, receiving better treatment from authorities and the legal system, having more choices in romantic partners and therefore more power in relationships, and marrying into more successful families.
A survey conducted by London Guildhall University of 11,000 people showed that those that subjectively describe themselves as physically attractive earn more than others that describe themselves as less attractive. Less attractive people earned, on average, 13% less than more attractive people, while the penalty for being overweight was around 5%.
Both men and women use physical attractiveness as a measure of how 'good' another person is. Men often tend to value attractiveness more than women.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans published in 2004 by Rutgers University, evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher discovered that there were clear differences in male and female brains, during the early intense stages of falling in love.
Men, on average, tended to show more activity in two regions in the brain: one was associated with the integration of visual stimuli, and the second was with penile erection. Conversely, women in these early stages exhibited increased activity in several regions of the brain associated with memory recall.
Although it is said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", studies have shown that there are many universal or near-universal qualities which make men and women attractive. These qualities usually fit into one or more of three categories: Indicators of general good health. Indicators of reproductive fitness.
Healthy nails and thick, "lustrous" hair. Features that include a clear complexion and healthy, youthful-looking skin. A hair and its follicle make up one of the most complex and interesting systems in the body. Scientists are just now beginning to identify the key cells, proteins, hormones and genes that control the growth, loss, and regeneration of hair.
While inherent genetic coding is decidedly a factor in hair loss, other factors exist that accelerate the process, including stress, diet, pollution, and hygiene. Gradual buildup of residue from commercial hair care products and environmental toxins, along with a diet high in animal fats, prompts an over-secretion of sebum.
The sebum soon becomes oxidized and is transformed into a waxy substance clogging the follicle entrance. In time, the impacted sebum and other debris makes its way deep within the follicle, inhibiting the absorption of nutrients and impeding the growth of healthy hair. Stress contributes to this problem by causing tightness in the scalp, which inhibits blood circulation to this area. A chemical reaction takes place between an enzyme called 5-Alpha reductase and androgens present in the impacted sebum.
This results in the formation of a powerful hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT binds to the follicle entrance, which eventually sends a message to the hair follicle to shut down. The result: thick and healthy hair begins to grow thin and weak, eventually dying altogether. Nails can be very attractive and serve many important functions. Women, more often than men, place a great deal of importance on how their nails look and spend a considerable amount of time and money on them.
Nails reflect an individual's personal and health habits - good or bad. Aside from their cosmetic appeal, nails serve many important functions. They help us pick up and manipulate objects, and they protect and support the tissues of the fingers and toes. Most importantly, nails often reflect our general state of health.
Nail problems usually increase throughout life and affect a high number of the elderly. This is due to the susceptibility of the nail to fungal infections, its increased thickness with age, circulation problems, and the use of medications. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. Most doctors will check the nails carefully during physical examinations.
Major illness will cause a deep horizontal groove to form in the nails. Discoloration, thinning, thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, clubbing (convex), flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction or poisoning, local injury, and other illnesses in the body. Nails can become extremely thick, loose, or degenerated.
They can also be infected with fungus which can come from dirty socks, certain types of aggressive exercise, walking barefoot, and exposing one's feet in a moldy environment. Our largest organ is our skin.
Others see our skin and assess our mood, physical state, and attractiveness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and more easily damaged. When this effect intensifies, the skin decreases its ability to heal itself. Sagging skin is caused by the fall in elasticity. Skin also receives less blood flow and lowers glandular activity.
Your skin supports its own ecosystems of microorganisms, including yeasts and bacteria, which cannot be removed by any amount of cleaning. In general, these organisms keep one another in check and are part of healthy skin. When the balance is disturbed, e.g., by antibiotics which kill bacteria, there may be an overgrowth and infection by yeasts. The human skin has many other important functions such as:
Protection: Your skin is an anatomical barrier between the internal and external environment in bodily defense. Sensation: Your skin contains a variety of nerve endings that react to heat, cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.
Heat regulation: Your skin contains a blood supply far greater than its requirements which allows precise control of energy loss by radiation, convection, and conduction. Dilated blood vessels increase perfusion and heat loss while constricted vessels greatly reduce cutaneous blood flow and conserve heat.
Control of evaporation: Your skin provides a relatively dry and impermeable barrier to fluid loss. Loss of this function contributes to the massive fluid loss in burns cases. Storage and synthesis: Your skin acts as a storage centre for lipids and water, as well as a means of synthesis of vitamin D and B by action of Ultra Violet energy on certain parts of the skin.
This synthesis is linked to pigmentation, with darker skin producing more vitamin B than D, and vice versa. Excretion: The concentration of urea is 1/130th that of urine. Excretion by sweating is at most a secondary function to temperature regulation. Absorption: Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into the epidermis in small amounts. Skin is an important site of transport in many other organisms.
With such diverse roles, it is no wonder that the skin is subject to constant attack and can be afflicted by numerous ailments. The skin is the barrier between the world and our own body, between the outer and inner environment. There are many elements in the outer environment that can cause inflammation or breakouts.
There is now no questions that these accumulated toxins are behind nearly every disease, symptom, injury, and malfunction of the body. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical molecules and participate in unwanted reactions, causing tissue damage, and destructive effects on the human body.
Free radicals attack protein, lipid, and nucleic acids and lead to a reduction in their respective functions, thereby decreasing cell function, and finally causing organ failure. The road to disease can be paved with a slew of toxins and free radicals that can bind to enzymes at a cellular level and inactivate them so that the cell no longer functions optimally. When toxins are not eliminated, they are reabsorbed back into the liver.
The liver works by filtering toxins directly as well as altering them so that they can be removed during the various stages of detoxification. The liver filters toxins from about 1 liter of blood every minute. Some of these endotoxins (produced in the body), exotoxins (from outside the body), and wastes are sent to the kidneys or the colon. Other toxins, made up of compounds that are difficult for the liver to filter, must be broken down with enzymes so that they can be removed.
A properly functioning liver is vital to your health. Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to health and aesthetics. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of physical rigors." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations for enhancing the condition of your hair, nails, and skin while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to address the native inhibitory causes that affect hair, nail, and skin growth while helping both men and women reach their peak health and beauty through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in Radiancio along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your health and beauty needs!
more information: http://www.radiancio.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Thursday, December 13, 2007
PMS Lite
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is characterized by uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms that occur before the onset of your menstrual period. An estimated three out of every four menstruating women experience some form of PMS.
About 5% of women experience symptoms that cause severe impairment. PMS may start at any time during the years that a woman menstruates. Once it begins, the symptoms often continue until menopause.
PMS is more likely to trouble women between their late 20s and early 40s and it tends to recur in a predictable pattern. The physical and emotional changes that are experienced with PMS may vary in intensity with each menstrual cycle. Cyclic changes in hormones are believed to be a precursor to PMS because its symptoms appear with hormonal fluctuations and disappear with pregnancy and menopause. Fluctuations of serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter), are the cause of mood swings during PMS.
Insufficient amounts of serotonin may contribute to other symptoms of PMS, such as fatigue, food cravings, and sleep problems. Occasionally, some women with severe PMS have undiagnosed depression, though depression alone does not cause all of the symptoms associated with PMS. Stress may also aggravate PMS.
Western medicine relies on pharmaceuticals to counteract symptoms related to PMS. Unfortunately, these drugs do not address underlying causes and often result in dangerous side effects. And natural pills only provide fleeting, inconsistent results. Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago.
Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature. India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and holistic medicines to enhance your physiological and psychological capabilities and composition while strengthening the mind and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help you reach your peak and minimize the symptoms of PMS through safe, natural means.
Results: The precise combination of natural ingredients in PMS Lite along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your gynecological concerns!
more information: http://www.pmslite.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
About 5% of women experience symptoms that cause severe impairment. PMS may start at any time during the years that a woman menstruates. Once it begins, the symptoms often continue until menopause.
PMS is more likely to trouble women between their late 20s and early 40s and it tends to recur in a predictable pattern. The physical and emotional changes that are experienced with PMS may vary in intensity with each menstrual cycle. Cyclic changes in hormones are believed to be a precursor to PMS because its symptoms appear with hormonal fluctuations and disappear with pregnancy and menopause. Fluctuations of serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter), are the cause of mood swings during PMS.
Insufficient amounts of serotonin may contribute to other symptoms of PMS, such as fatigue, food cravings, and sleep problems. Occasionally, some women with severe PMS have undiagnosed depression, though depression alone does not cause all of the symptoms associated with PMS. Stress may also aggravate PMS.
Western medicine relies on pharmaceuticals to counteract symptoms related to PMS. Unfortunately, these drugs do not address underlying causes and often result in dangerous side effects. And natural pills only provide fleeting, inconsistent results. Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago.
Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature. India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and holistic medicines to enhance your physiological and psychological capabilities and composition while strengthening the mind and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help you reach your peak and minimize the symptoms of PMS through safe, natural means.
Results: The precise combination of natural ingredients in PMS Lite along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your gynecological concerns!
more information: http://www.pmslite.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Overweight Kids Often Become Obese, Unhealthy Adults
(HealthDay News) -- Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to be overweight or obese adults and more likely to suffer early heart disease and death, two new studies conclude.
The first, out of Denmark, found that large children, especially boys, are at an increased risk of coronary heart disease as adults.
The second, based on a computer model, found that overweight adolescents are more likely to end up with heart disease and even dying in early adulthood.
"Teenage and childhood weight does matter," said Dr. Thomas R. Kimball, a pediatric cardiologist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "This is not a problem of middle-aged adults. This is a problem that we have to face as a society in our children."
"When you see a shift at this level across the entire population, it really suggests that this is a major public health problem and requires intervention that really needs to be reinforced at every level of policy makers, every level of institutions," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, lead author of the computer modeling study.
"This is more than just a problem of overweight adolescents and their parents. It's a problem that requires really a concerted effort at federal, state, local policy levels to reinforce the availability of healthy foods for kids and the availability of physical activity. We really want to prevent obesity before it starts," said Bibbins-Domingo, who is assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics and the Robert Wood Johnson Harold Amos Medical Faculty Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco.
Both studies are published in the Dec. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The overweight and obesity crisis is reaching epidemic proportions around the world. In the United States, federal statistics estimate that 9 million adolescents (17 percent of the population) are overweight and 80 percent of overweight adolescents grow up to be obese adults. Childhood obesity rates have tripled since 1970.
Worldwide, children are becoming heavier at younger and younger ages. In the United States, 19 percent of kids between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight.
Being overweight or obese puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other ills.
The first study looked at a group of almost 277,000 Danish children -- all schoolchildren in Copenhagen -- from 1930 to 1976.
Out of that initial group, more than 10,200 men and 4,300 women were identified whose childhood body-mass index (BMI) data were available and who had received a diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) or died of CHD as adults.
Boys with a higher BMI at 7 to 13 years of age and girls with a higher BMI from 10 to 13 years of age had a higher risk of a heart disease event in adulthood, the researchers found.
The authors used as an example a 13-year-old boy who weighs 11.2 kilograms (24.6 pounds) more than average boy his age. He now has a 33 percent increase in the probability of having a coronary event before he turns 60, the Danish team said.
"It's scary," Kimball said. "We knew that if you're an overweight kid, you're at a higher risk to be an overweight adult. This study goes a step further. It's proving that you have an increased risk of cardiovascular events as early as 25 years of age."
The second study projected the number of overweight adults based on the number of overweight adolescents in 2000.
Using a computer model, it predicted that up to 37 percent of men and 44 percent of women will be obese when these people -- now teenagers -- turn 35 in 2020.
This could result in up to 5,000 additional deaths from heart disease and 45,000 heart attacks, cardiac arrests and related events by 2035 among this group of young adults. It would raise the death toll from obesity-related coronary heart disease by 19 percent.
"To some extent, we're not surprised. We know it's not good to be overweight at any age but we were really struck by the magnitude of this increase," said Bibbins-Domingo. "We're modeling a young adult population 35 to 50 years. These are people who should be working and raising families, not worrying about heart disease, and we're suggesting more will be hospitalized for heart attacks, will need chronic medication to manage high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and many more will actually die before the age of 50."
More information
To learn more about the government's We Can! Program regarding childhood obesity, visit the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
more discussion: Forum· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
The first, out of Denmark, found that large children, especially boys, are at an increased risk of coronary heart disease as adults.
The second, based on a computer model, found that overweight adolescents are more likely to end up with heart disease and even dying in early adulthood.
"Teenage and childhood weight does matter," said Dr. Thomas R. Kimball, a pediatric cardiologist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "This is not a problem of middle-aged adults. This is a problem that we have to face as a society in our children."
"When you see a shift at this level across the entire population, it really suggests that this is a major public health problem and requires intervention that really needs to be reinforced at every level of policy makers, every level of institutions," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, lead author of the computer modeling study.
"This is more than just a problem of overweight adolescents and their parents. It's a problem that requires really a concerted effort at federal, state, local policy levels to reinforce the availability of healthy foods for kids and the availability of physical activity. We really want to prevent obesity before it starts," said Bibbins-Domingo, who is assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics and the Robert Wood Johnson Harold Amos Medical Faculty Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco.
Both studies are published in the Dec. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The overweight and obesity crisis is reaching epidemic proportions around the world. In the United States, federal statistics estimate that 9 million adolescents (17 percent of the population) are overweight and 80 percent of overweight adolescents grow up to be obese adults. Childhood obesity rates have tripled since 1970.
Worldwide, children are becoming heavier at younger and younger ages. In the United States, 19 percent of kids between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight.
Being overweight or obese puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other ills.
The first study looked at a group of almost 277,000 Danish children -- all schoolchildren in Copenhagen -- from 1930 to 1976.
Out of that initial group, more than 10,200 men and 4,300 women were identified whose childhood body-mass index (BMI) data were available and who had received a diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) or died of CHD as adults.
Boys with a higher BMI at 7 to 13 years of age and girls with a higher BMI from 10 to 13 years of age had a higher risk of a heart disease event in adulthood, the researchers found.
The authors used as an example a 13-year-old boy who weighs 11.2 kilograms (24.6 pounds) more than average boy his age. He now has a 33 percent increase in the probability of having a coronary event before he turns 60, the Danish team said.
"It's scary," Kimball said. "We knew that if you're an overweight kid, you're at a higher risk to be an overweight adult. This study goes a step further. It's proving that you have an increased risk of cardiovascular events as early as 25 years of age."
The second study projected the number of overweight adults based on the number of overweight adolescents in 2000.
Using a computer model, it predicted that up to 37 percent of men and 44 percent of women will be obese when these people -- now teenagers -- turn 35 in 2020.
This could result in up to 5,000 additional deaths from heart disease and 45,000 heart attacks, cardiac arrests and related events by 2035 among this group of young adults. It would raise the death toll from obesity-related coronary heart disease by 19 percent.
"To some extent, we're not surprised. We know it's not good to be overweight at any age but we were really struck by the magnitude of this increase," said Bibbins-Domingo. "We're modeling a young adult population 35 to 50 years. These are people who should be working and raising families, not worrying about heart disease, and we're suggesting more will be hospitalized for heart attacks, will need chronic medication to manage high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and many more will actually die before the age of 50."
More information
To learn more about the government's We Can! Program regarding childhood obesity, visit the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
more discussion: Forum· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Diets May Raise Cancer Risk for Poor, Urban Women
(HealthDay News) -- It can be difficult for women in America's inner cities to eat in ways that may help prevent cancer.
That's the conclusion of a Johns Hopkins University study that looked at the dietary habits of 156 black women living in 11 public housing communities in Washington, D.C.
The researchers found that about 61 percent of the women failed to meet more than one of the five dietary goals suggested to reduce the risk of developing cancer: adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables; low percentage of fat intake; moderate caloric intake; no alcohol consumption; and adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index, a measure of overall quality of diet.
Less than 1 percent met all five dietary goals, and only 15 percent reported eating at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a day.
"Many women drank soda, and ate convenience and prepared foods, even when they sat down with their families for a meal. Younger adults, especially, seem to lack the skills to build a well-balanced diet -- skills that our survey shows that older generations of women still possess," Ann C. Klassen, an associate professor in the department of health, behavior and society at Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.
The study was scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, in Atlanta.
"African-American women, in general, face a worse cancer incidence and mortality rate than most other ethnic groups, and poor African-American women are at an even greater disadvantage. Improving diet is one effective way to help women lower their risk for developing cancer," Klassen said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer prevention.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
That's the conclusion of a Johns Hopkins University study that looked at the dietary habits of 156 black women living in 11 public housing communities in Washington, D.C.
The researchers found that about 61 percent of the women failed to meet more than one of the five dietary goals suggested to reduce the risk of developing cancer: adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables; low percentage of fat intake; moderate caloric intake; no alcohol consumption; and adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index, a measure of overall quality of diet.
Less than 1 percent met all five dietary goals, and only 15 percent reported eating at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a day.
"Many women drank soda, and ate convenience and prepared foods, even when they sat down with their families for a meal. Younger adults, especially, seem to lack the skills to build a well-balanced diet -- skills that our survey shows that older generations of women still possess," Ann C. Klassen, an associate professor in the department of health, behavior and society at Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.
The study was scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, in Atlanta.
"African-American women, in general, face a worse cancer incidence and mortality rate than most other ethnic groups, and poor African-American women are at an even greater disadvantage. Improving diet is one effective way to help women lower their risk for developing cancer," Klassen said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer prevention.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Health Tip: Build Healthy Bones
(HealthDay News) - Osteoporosis doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging -- if you begin practicing healthy habits when you're young.
Here are some facts about osteoporosis, and suggestions to help prevent brittle bones, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
Here are some facts about osteoporosis, and suggestions to help prevent brittle bones, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
- Women who are or have been pregnant, who are breast-feeding, or who have had a hysterectomy are more likely to lose bone mass, putting them at higher risk of osteoporosis.
- Women who are menopausal or postmenopausal produce less estrogen than before, which weakens bones.
- Ideally, weight-bearing exercises should begin during the teen years, when the bones grow rapidly.
- It's never too late to start protecting your bones, which may continue to grow throughout your 20s, and even into your early 30s.
- Avoid smoking and excess alcohol, which weaken bones.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Mystic Sleep
Enjoy Consistently Good Sleep - Guaranteed! Try a Proprietary Formula for Healthy Sleep Based on Ayurveda - the Oldest and Most Holistic, Comprehensive Medical System Available.If you want to enjoy the best sleep possible and reduced chance of restlessness, mental exhaustion, insomnia, or delayed sleep-phase syndrome, there is proven help available.
India's men and women have been reaping the powerful benefits of Ayurveda for the past 5,000 years! Mystic Sleep is a natural supplement which facilitates restorative sleep by calming the mind and repairing damage from prolonged sleep imbalance.
It will: Induce Deep and Relaxed Sleep. Moderate Your Cardiac Rhythms. Engender a Sense of Tranquility. Normalize Your Sleep Physiology. Rebuild Your Immune System. Rejuvenate Your Mind and Body.
Mystic Sleep is a product of: 5000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom. Modern testing and research.
Breakthrough encapsulation technique. Laboratory-controlled potency.
Doctor-approved, carefully calibrated formula. mystic-sleep
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Health Tip: Before a Wart is Removed
(HealthDay News) - Before your doctor removes a wart, often by a freezing process called cryosurgery, there are things you can do to prepare for the procedure.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions:
- For two weeks, thoroughly clean the wart with soap and water each night. Once it is dry, apply a salicylic acid gel to the wart.
- Once the gel has been applied, cover the wart with a salicylic acid pad. Be sure the pad is large enough to cover the wart completely.
- Keep the pad on the wart for 24 hours. Repeat this process once daily until the removal procedure.
- If the wart becomes red and sore, discontinue using the gel and see your doctor.
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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Health Tip: Sledding Safely
(HealthDay News) - Sledding may be a long-anticipated part of a child's winter fun, but it also can lead to injuries.
Follow these safety tips to prevent accidents, courtesy of the National Safety Council:
Follow these safety tips to prevent accidents, courtesy of the National Safety Council:
- Before use of any sled or toboggan, parents should carefully inspect them for any broken parts or sharp pieces.
- Children who are 8 years old or younger shouldn't sled unsupervised.
- Dress warmly and in layers, including a hat and gloves.
- Sled only in wide-open areas that are far from lakes, roads and traffic.
- Don't sled down extremely steep hills.
- Don't sled in areas with trees, rocks, shrubs and other potential obstacles.
- Don't sled down a hill head-first -- always feet-first.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Health Tip: Preventing Dry Eyes
(HealthDay News) - Dry eyes can be triggered by aging, eyestrain, exposure to sun, wind or smoke, or injury.The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help soothe dry eyes:
Use artificial tears, or other moisturizing eye drops or ointments.
Avoid smoking, and exposure to secondhand smoke.
Avoid direct exposure to wind or air conditioning.
Use a humidifier in your home, particularly during the dry winter months.
Rest your eyes, and blink often.
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
Health Tip: When a Stomachache Requires Medical Attention
(HealthDay News) - While stomachache or abdominal pain are quite common and often harmless, these conditions sometimes can signal a more serious problem.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says the following symptoms require a trip to the emergency room:
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says the following symptoms require a trip to the emergency room:
- Very sharp, severe and sudden pain.
- Fever along with your stomach or abdominal pain.
- Vomiting blood, or having bloody diarrhea.
- Soreness or tenderness in the abdomen.
- An abdomen that is hard and rigid.
- Inability to have a bowel movement, particularly if you are also vomiting.
- Pain in the chest, neck or shoulder.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness.
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Reflux Problems Not Limited to Adults
(HealthDay News) -- GERD can strike even the youngest person. Just ask Priscilla Dunstan.
When her newborn son screamed all day and night, relaxing only when she carried him upright in her arms, his doctor told her he had colic, a common condition among infants that tends to disappear by the age of 18 months.
But her baby didn't get better, because, as it turned out, he suffered from a more serious gastric condition that plagues adults, known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
"He kept on crying going into the four-month period. He was screaming all the time," said Dunstan, who lives in Balmain, Australia, a suburb of Sydney.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a normal physiologic process that can occur throughout the day in healthy infants and children. Most episodes are brief and are typically confined to the lower esophagus, explained Dr. Aeri Moon, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
However, GER can worsen and become GERD when the stomach's contents move into the upper esophagus. While its prevalence has been noted among adults in recent years, GERD is frequently overlooked in youngsters, despite the fact that it affects as many as 7 million children, according to the Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association.
"GERD is a serious problem. It's a big deal," said Moon, who treats children with the disease.
Moon and Dunstan spoke recently in New York City at the launch of the Voices of GERD program, in an effort to bring attention to the problem of pediatric GERD.
Almost half of babies under 3 months of age will have GERD-like symptoms, which include spitting up and gas. Often the condition can be confused with colic, Moon said, but these symptoms usually subside between the ages of 15 months and 18 months. During this time, as long as the baby is gaining weight and is happy and sleeping, parents needn't be alarmed.
"However, if your baby doesn't outgrow vomiting, or if he or she has begun to associate eating and pain and is starting is develop eating disorders," Moon said, it is time to seek a pediatrician's help to see if your child is suffering from GERD.
Other possible GERD symptoms in young children include irritability, excessive crying, poor sleep patterns, coughing, sore throat or even pneumonia.
Between 50 percent and 80 percent of GERD cases are caused by the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which separates the esophagus from the stomach and stays closed, except when someone swallows or burps. No one knows exactly why this muscle loses resiliency, allowing the acidic contents of the stomach into the upper esophagus, but coughing, having a lot of food in the stomach, pressure on the abdomen when trying to ease constipation, or obesity can all be contributing factors, Moon said.
Diagnosing GERD first involves eliminating other conditions with similar symptoms, such as testing for milk or food allergies, colic or inflammation of the esophagus, and finding out if there is a family history of GERD. Further tests include screening of the esophagus and a test that measures acidity in the esophagus.
If a young child has GERD, therapy includes introducing a dairy-free diet and/or a hypoallergenic baby formula. Overfeeding can also exacerbate the condition.
In older children, pediatricians recommend modifying the diet to avoid foods that trigger GERD symptoms. These include citrus drinks, chocolate, tomato-based foods, caffeine, spicy foods and peppermint. A child should also not lie down directly after eating.
There are also medications that can help control the disease, because they inhibit the production of acids, Moon said. In rare cases, surgery that wraps the top of the stomach around the esophagus to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter is recommended.
Dunstan's son, now 9, has controlled his GERD through a careful diet, she said. He avoids dairy products and spicy foods, and, fortunately, doesn't like tomatoes.
In her exhaustive efforts to find out what was causing her baby so much pain, Dunstan, an accomplished musician and opera singer with a photographic memory for sound, was able to identify patterns in her son's crying that led her to link his screaming to his eating habits and to uncover his gastric problems.
That led to more research on her part and to her discovery of what she claims are the five initial sounds that young children make before beginning to cry hysterically. Distinguishing these sounds allows a parent to anticipate the baby's needs, which both helps a troubled child and dramatically improves the bonding between a parent and child, Dunstan claims.
More information
The Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association explains more about pediatric GERD.
When her newborn son screamed all day and night, relaxing only when she carried him upright in her arms, his doctor told her he had colic, a common condition among infants that tends to disappear by the age of 18 months.
But her baby didn't get better, because, as it turned out, he suffered from a more serious gastric condition that plagues adults, known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
"He kept on crying going into the four-month period. He was screaming all the time," said Dunstan, who lives in Balmain, Australia, a suburb of Sydney.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a normal physiologic process that can occur throughout the day in healthy infants and children. Most episodes are brief and are typically confined to the lower esophagus, explained Dr. Aeri Moon, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
However, GER can worsen and become GERD when the stomach's contents move into the upper esophagus. While its prevalence has been noted among adults in recent years, GERD is frequently overlooked in youngsters, despite the fact that it affects as many as 7 million children, according to the Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association.
"GERD is a serious problem. It's a big deal," said Moon, who treats children with the disease.
Moon and Dunstan spoke recently in New York City at the launch of the Voices of GERD program, in an effort to bring attention to the problem of pediatric GERD.
Almost half of babies under 3 months of age will have GERD-like symptoms, which include spitting up and gas. Often the condition can be confused with colic, Moon said, but these symptoms usually subside between the ages of 15 months and 18 months. During this time, as long as the baby is gaining weight and is happy and sleeping, parents needn't be alarmed.
"However, if your baby doesn't outgrow vomiting, or if he or she has begun to associate eating and pain and is starting is develop eating disorders," Moon said, it is time to seek a pediatrician's help to see if your child is suffering from GERD.
Other possible GERD symptoms in young children include irritability, excessive crying, poor sleep patterns, coughing, sore throat or even pneumonia.
Between 50 percent and 80 percent of GERD cases are caused by the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which separates the esophagus from the stomach and stays closed, except when someone swallows or burps. No one knows exactly why this muscle loses resiliency, allowing the acidic contents of the stomach into the upper esophagus, but coughing, having a lot of food in the stomach, pressure on the abdomen when trying to ease constipation, or obesity can all be contributing factors, Moon said.
Diagnosing GERD first involves eliminating other conditions with similar symptoms, such as testing for milk or food allergies, colic or inflammation of the esophagus, and finding out if there is a family history of GERD. Further tests include screening of the esophagus and a test that measures acidity in the esophagus.
If a young child has GERD, therapy includes introducing a dairy-free diet and/or a hypoallergenic baby formula. Overfeeding can also exacerbate the condition.
In older children, pediatricians recommend modifying the diet to avoid foods that trigger GERD symptoms. These include citrus drinks, chocolate, tomato-based foods, caffeine, spicy foods and peppermint. A child should also not lie down directly after eating.
There are also medications that can help control the disease, because they inhibit the production of acids, Moon said. In rare cases, surgery that wraps the top of the stomach around the esophagus to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter is recommended.
Dunstan's son, now 9, has controlled his GERD through a careful diet, she said. He avoids dairy products and spicy foods, and, fortunately, doesn't like tomatoes.
In her exhaustive efforts to find out what was causing her baby so much pain, Dunstan, an accomplished musician and opera singer with a photographic memory for sound, was able to identify patterns in her son's crying that led her to link his screaming to his eating habits and to uncover his gastric problems.
That led to more research on her part and to her discovery of what she claims are the five initial sounds that young children make before beginning to cry hysterically. Distinguishing these sounds allows a parent to anticipate the baby's needs, which both helps a troubled child and dramatically improves the bonding between a parent and child, Dunstan claims.
More information
The Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association explains more about pediatric GERD.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Just Anticipating a Nap May Be Good for the Heart
(HealthDay News) -- A nap a day may keep the heart doctor away -- at least that's what recent research suggests. Now, a new British study reports that the first few minutes before you doze off might be an especially restful time for your heart.
Blood pressure dropped during those minutes but not when the study participants simply rested or stood for an hour, according to the study. But a co-author of the study cautioned that the findings shouldn't be enough to send anybody off for a midday snooze.
"Any extrapolation of the study results to the benefits of napping is a bridge too far," said physiologist Greg Atkinson of the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom.
Midday naps may boost heart health, at least according to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine that was the first to consider the influence of other factors like diet and exercise on the heart. Researchers looked at health records of 23,681 people in Greece and found those who napped at least three times a week for a half hour or more had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, compared with people who didn't nap.
While less extensive studies have not supported napping as good for the heart, people in Mediterranean and Latin American countries where siestas are popular do have lower rates of heart disease, the study authors noted.
For the new study, the researchers recruited nine healthy volunteers -- eight men and one woman -- who didn't routinely take afternoon naps. They went to a sleep laboratory on three afternoons after sleeping just four hours the night before.
At the lab, the volunteers did something different each afternoon. During one afternoon, they spent an hour resting, but not sleeping, in bed. On another afternoon, they had to stand for an hour. On the third afternoon, they napped for an hour.
The researchers measured the volunteers' pulse and blood pressure during the various tests. They reported their findings in the October issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
They found that blood pressure dropped during the typical 9.5 minutes of time between "lights out" and sleep by a small amount -- an average of 4.7 mmHg systolic and 3.6 mmHg diastolic.
"There is hardly any change in blood pressure during the nap period itself," Atkinson said, adding that those findings correlate with other research into nighttime sleep.
Atkinson cautioned, however, that the study didn't show that the minutes before sleep are actually good for the heart. Nor did the research consider the typical increase in blood pressure after nighttime sleep that has been linked to a higher rate of sudden heart attacks in the morning.
"The increase in blood pressure after waking from a daytime nap might be just as important as the pre-sleep reduction," Atkinson said. "We plan to study this in the future."
Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who's familiar with the study findings, said, "Whether napping will offer additional benefits to what is tried and true is unknown.
"Individuals interested in lowering their cardiovascular risk should focus on maintaining healthy blood pressure, healthy lipid [cholesterol] levels and healthy weight, and exercise and don't smoke," he said.
More information
To learn more about heart attacks, visit the American Heart Association.
Blood pressure dropped during those minutes but not when the study participants simply rested or stood for an hour, according to the study. But a co-author of the study cautioned that the findings shouldn't be enough to send anybody off for a midday snooze.
"Any extrapolation of the study results to the benefits of napping is a bridge too far," said physiologist Greg Atkinson of the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom.
Midday naps may boost heart health, at least according to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine that was the first to consider the influence of other factors like diet and exercise on the heart. Researchers looked at health records of 23,681 people in Greece and found those who napped at least three times a week for a half hour or more had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, compared with people who didn't nap.
While less extensive studies have not supported napping as good for the heart, people in Mediterranean and Latin American countries where siestas are popular do have lower rates of heart disease, the study authors noted.
For the new study, the researchers recruited nine healthy volunteers -- eight men and one woman -- who didn't routinely take afternoon naps. They went to a sleep laboratory on three afternoons after sleeping just four hours the night before.
At the lab, the volunteers did something different each afternoon. During one afternoon, they spent an hour resting, but not sleeping, in bed. On another afternoon, they had to stand for an hour. On the third afternoon, they napped for an hour.
The researchers measured the volunteers' pulse and blood pressure during the various tests. They reported their findings in the October issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
They found that blood pressure dropped during the typical 9.5 minutes of time between "lights out" and sleep by a small amount -- an average of 4.7 mmHg systolic and 3.6 mmHg diastolic.
"There is hardly any change in blood pressure during the nap period itself," Atkinson said, adding that those findings correlate with other research into nighttime sleep.
Atkinson cautioned, however, that the study didn't show that the minutes before sleep are actually good for the heart. Nor did the research consider the typical increase in blood pressure after nighttime sleep that has been linked to a higher rate of sudden heart attacks in the morning.
"The increase in blood pressure after waking from a daytime nap might be just as important as the pre-sleep reduction," Atkinson said. "We plan to study this in the future."
Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who's familiar with the study findings, said, "Whether napping will offer additional benefits to what is tried and true is unknown.
"Individuals interested in lowering their cardiovascular risk should focus on maintaining healthy blood pressure, healthy lipid [cholesterol] levels and healthy weight, and exercise and don't smoke," he said.
More information
To learn more about heart attacks, visit the American Heart Association.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Fish Safe for Pregnant Women to Eat
(HealthDay News) -- Since 2001, when U.S. health officials warned pregnant women to eat no more than 12 ounces of fish a week because of potential mercury contamination, many women have been confused, and fish consumption has dropped.
Now, a group of experts says that that warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was misguided. The potential problems caused by mercury pale in comparison with the harm caused to developing fetuses from a lack of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in many fish and are essential for brain development. Women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish a week, the group recommends.
"We found that the FDA/EPA advisory was scaring a large number of women away from eating any fish," said Dr. Ashley S. Roman, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Medical Center and a member of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. "Fish is an important part of a well-balanced diet during pregnancy."
The new recommendations were presented Thursday during a press conference at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C.
The coalition is a nonprofit group whose members include the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes, as well as federal agencies such as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"There is scientific evidence that fish leads to better outcomes in babies," Roman said. "It leads to better brain development, improved cognitive and motor skills, and some evidence suggests that it might reduce the risk of premature delivery and postpartum depression. Studies have shown that if you eat 12 ounces or more fish per week, you are doing better for your baby than if you eat less than that amount or no fish at all."
Not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids results in health risks to mothers and their children, Roman said. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which shows that 90 percent of women are eating less than the FDA-recommended amount of fish, confirm the women aren't getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, she added.
Another study found that the FDA/EPA warning caused 56 percent of pregnant women to limit their fish consumption to levels below beneficial amounts, out of fear that fish may harm their developing baby.
Roman said that women who want to become pregnant, are pregnant or are breast-feeding should eat a minimum of 12 ounces per week of fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, without fear. For women who can't eat fish, the researchers recommended fish oil supplements as a good alternative.
Eating fish is the best way to get the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Roman noted that selenium, a mineral found in some ocean fish, appears to protect against the harmful effects of mercury. "You have to look at fish as a whole, not at just one element in fish," she said.
One expert thinks that not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is more dangerous for an infant's health than the danger posed by trace amounts of mercury in some fish.
"There is a direct difference between these recommendations and the current FDA/EPA recommendations," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "This is a dramatic difference."
"Based on the data, I would agree with these recommendations," said Mozaffarian, who co-authored a 2006 study that endorsed fish consumption. "The evidence for the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in neuron development is at least as strong as the evidence for harm from mercury. Not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is dangerous in itself."
Another expert also agreed with the new recommendations.
"I think these researchers follow the science," said Dr. Gary J. Myers, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York.
The only time mercury in fish has been shown to be harmful has been in industrial pollution in Japan, Myers said. "There has never been another case reported anywhere else in the world related to fish consumption," he said.
More information
For more on fish and pregnancy, visit the American Pregnancy Association.
Now, a group of experts says that that warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was misguided. The potential problems caused by mercury pale in comparison with the harm caused to developing fetuses from a lack of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in many fish and are essential for brain development. Women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish a week, the group recommends.
"We found that the FDA/EPA advisory was scaring a large number of women away from eating any fish," said Dr. Ashley S. Roman, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Medical Center and a member of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. "Fish is an important part of a well-balanced diet during pregnancy."
The new recommendations were presented Thursday during a press conference at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C.
The coalition is a nonprofit group whose members include the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes, as well as federal agencies such as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"There is scientific evidence that fish leads to better outcomes in babies," Roman said. "It leads to better brain development, improved cognitive and motor skills, and some evidence suggests that it might reduce the risk of premature delivery and postpartum depression. Studies have shown that if you eat 12 ounces or more fish per week, you are doing better for your baby than if you eat less than that amount or no fish at all."
Not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids results in health risks to mothers and their children, Roman said. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which shows that 90 percent of women are eating less than the FDA-recommended amount of fish, confirm the women aren't getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, she added.
Another study found that the FDA/EPA warning caused 56 percent of pregnant women to limit their fish consumption to levels below beneficial amounts, out of fear that fish may harm their developing baby.
Roman said that women who want to become pregnant, are pregnant or are breast-feeding should eat a minimum of 12 ounces per week of fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, without fear. For women who can't eat fish, the researchers recommended fish oil supplements as a good alternative.
Eating fish is the best way to get the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Roman noted that selenium, a mineral found in some ocean fish, appears to protect against the harmful effects of mercury. "You have to look at fish as a whole, not at just one element in fish," she said.
One expert thinks that not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is more dangerous for an infant's health than the danger posed by trace amounts of mercury in some fish.
"There is a direct difference between these recommendations and the current FDA/EPA recommendations," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "This is a dramatic difference."
"Based on the data, I would agree with these recommendations," said Mozaffarian, who co-authored a 2006 study that endorsed fish consumption. "The evidence for the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in neuron development is at least as strong as the evidence for harm from mercury. Not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is dangerous in itself."
Another expert also agreed with the new recommendations.
"I think these researchers follow the science," said Dr. Gary J. Myers, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York.
The only time mercury in fish has been shown to be harmful has been in industrial pollution in Japan, Myers said. "There has never been another case reported anywhere else in the world related to fish consumption," he said.
More information
For more on fish and pregnancy, visit the American Pregnancy Association.
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