Healthier Matters » Health

The benefits of red wine

health girl — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:31:31 +0000

The common belief is that alcoholic drinks will have drastic and fatal effects on your body. Liver diseases and other intestinal problems are a direct result of excessive intake of alcohol and millions of people suffer because of their bad drinking habits.

It is well documented that wine or, more specifically, red wine can do good to your body. The red wine is known to improve the “good cholesterol” while lowering the “bad cholesterol” at the same time. Red wine – if drunk responsibly can prevent heart attacks in middle aged people by 30-50%.

Red wine also contains antioxidants which are known to have various benefits to everyone. The reasons for all these benefits and blessings are the main components of red wine: grapes. The skin of the grapes contains flavonoids and resveratrol.

Red wine may be good for your health but this doesn’t mean that an increased intake of this drink is a must. Men should only consume two glasses of red wine while women should drink no more than one glass every day.

To those who are not keen on drinking alcohol every day, there is always an alternative: grape juice, tea and apple juice can provide the antioxidants one can find in white wine.

Cappella – Sideguard Coronary Sidebranch Stent

health girl — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:51:46 +0000

Capella Inc. has recently released a device with an efficient stent as well as highly accurate delivery system. Properly called Sideguard Coronary Sidebranch Stent and Delivery System, is a smart device that will ease bifurcation procedure in the artery.

Sideguard’s method of delivery is actually very simple. The stent is covered in a sheath while being placed in the patient’s arteries. Once in place, the delivery system’s balloon inflates which will allow the stent release. The sheath covering the stent is also released as the balloon inflates. This will ease removal of the delivery system without disturbing the stent which is now effectively placed in the artery. The stent itself has been proven to be remarkable and useful in coronary bifurcation treatment. It’s a self expanding device which adapts to the ostium. The stent from Capella Inc. is also known for its elasticity because of the high nitinol content. Nitinol is a form of nickel titanium that has the ability to be compatible with a person’s body.

The combination of easy stent delivery with a self expanding system will definitely ease treatment of coronary bifurcation problems. Capella Inc. has certainly created a device that can easily work with medical professionals while improving safety during operation.

Bananas prevent HIV infection

health girl — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:20:34 +0000

Researchers from the University of Michigan are making bold statements on fighting HIV. According to recent findings, lectins released from bananas could help prevent worsening conditions of patients suffering from this life-threatening disease. In fact, the lectins found in bananas could be processed to be as potent as the available treatments on the market.

The research was led by Michael D. Swanson who proposes that the component naturally released from bananas can easily prevent the development of HIV because it has a different approach. Current treatment for HIV is very challenging because the virus mutates and adapts to the created cure. But lectin can prevent the mutation by freezing sugars that will help virus mutate. To properly tag the component released in bananas, they called it BanLec.

Although a lot of research is made to find the cure or prevention for HIV and AIDS, BanLec is seen to have great potential and use in the future.

Because it comes from plants, the can be easily manufactured or mass produced. Thus, the medicine can be accessed anywhere and would not be as expensive compared to the current treatment.

The researchers are not yet pushing for mass production but they have provided a forecast on its efficiency. BanLec can be best used for those in early stages on HIV. Although its efficiency is not necessarily applicable to those in advanced stages, the researchers claimed that this effort can still save millions of lives. Since medical technology has already made it possible to detect HIV at an early stage, BanLec can be used by millions around the world.

McKeowns Solicitors – specialist clinical negligence advice

health girl — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:31:20 +0000

Medical negligence is basically an omission made by a general practitioner, a specialist doctor or a hospital that resulted into a worsening condition for those who sought medical care. The condition suffered by the patient was caused by omissions on medical care or substandard quality of service provided by the health institution or the doctor. Medical negligence can also be used against other health professionals such as dentists, nurses and even on medical products.

When medical negligence is experienced, the patient has the right to file a claim. Those who committed a serious mistake during a medical process should compensate the victim simply because they have caused additional suffering instead of providing a cure.
Because claims on medical negligence are a complicated legal process, it is important to consult a solicitor and seek their advice for the claim. Medical negligence is not an easy claim so a lawyer that has experience and knowledge regarding these cases. McKeowns Solicitors Ltd. in St Albans offer specialist clinical negligence advice.

Medical negligence doesn’t mean you have to file a claim if you feel worst than before. Talk to your doctors first regarding this problem and let them explain the situation. If you feel that their explanation is not enough or they have hidden something, seek the lawyer’s assistance immediately to properly file a claim.

Aloe vera for health and beauty

health girl — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:24:54 +0000

Aloe vera can be considered as an “underrated” medicinal plant because it is a very potent plant not only as a beauty product but also for medicinal use and some of its uses were even scientifically proven.
As a beauty product, aloe vera is often associated to hair treatment. It is often considered as a natural conditioner as it moisturizes the hair and scalp. Aloe vera is also one of the most popular natural remedies for treating burnt skin. There are oil-based burn treatment products sold in pharmacies which are predominantly made from aloe vera.

Aside from treatment for various skin conditions such as burns and wounds, the plant can even be used for heartburn. Drinks based on aloe vera are highly recommended for those seeking alternative treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increase in blood sugar and removal of acid in the stomach.

Aloe vera is a tropical plant but can be grown in any country in the right condition. It is even considered an ornamental plant because of its unique look. A few pots of aloe vera at home can be very useful for the entire family.

Deep Sleep with Alpha MediPod

health girl — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:19:14 +0000

According to experts, the quality of sleep can be even more important than the number of hours we sleep. Our energy and productivity level during the day are vitally depending on getting enough sleep and thorough rest. Furthermore, studies have proven that the so called “power nap” is highly beneficial for stress management and increased concentration because our bodies find deep regeneration from a 20 minutes sleep, ideally 8 hours after we wake up, when we have a natural “low”.

Daily activity rhythms, however, can easily cause accumulated stress and sleep deficit which can lead to a state of chronicle fatigue or insomnia. Improving the quality of our rest might actually sound an impossible achievement when having busy daily routines.

For this reason, it is definitely worth taking a look at this innovative product, the Alpha-Medi Pod. It is based on a “mind-body” programme which is designed to put us in a state of deep relaxation and comforting sleep just with a touch of a button. With three different programmes, Power Nap, Deep Sleep and Relaxation, this match box designed pod could be the definitive solution for those with serious sleeping disorders but could also mean a dramatic improvement of life quality by giving you back all your energies and strength every time you wake up.

Natural Remedies against Coughs

health girl — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:26 +0000

With the winter season and spreading of viruses and bugs, coughing can become a very frequent symptom, often accompanied with viral infections such as influenza and bronchitis. When coughing, our body is trying to expell the mucus which is formed as a result of an infection in the respiratory ways.

If not thoroughly and adequately treated, coughs can be very disturbing and tend to persist for several days even in a minor form. However, before jumping on taking strong medecines, such as antibiotics, which many people tend to associate as an effective cure but are not indicated for coughs, there are numerous simple natural remedies that will do the job.

Onions are very good for coughs and can do a natural cough syrup. After they are chopped and turned into juice, mix them with honey. Otherwise, onion juice boiled with an equal quantity of lime juice, a single cup of water and some honey is also very good and to be taken three times a day to cure cough and cold.

Honey and grapes are in particular indicated for chesty coughs as an expectorant to clear the lungs and throat from phlegma. In the case of dry coughs, where mucus is more difficult to break, aliments such as aniseeds and almonds are very useful. Aniseeds can be taken as a hot tisane, whereas almonds can be soaked and ground with sugar and butter into a fine paste. Basil is also very effective, drank as tea or even simply chewed.

Other useful recommendations for coughs are to drink plenty of water and take very hot and steamy showers that are fluidizers for mucus. Also, for those who smoke, it is essential to avoid doing so when having a cough and staying away from smoking areas.

Our body’s bacteria map

healthier matters — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:29:17 +0000

There are two types of bacteria: the good and the bad bacteria. These bacteria can be found in and around our body and they play important roles to our physical functions. Recently, scientists came up with an atlas of the different bacteria living in different parts of our body. Some of these bacteria are good and helps us stay healthy while some are bad and makes us sick.

The scientists hope that their atlas of bacteria would help to aid in the clinical research. They hope that one day, it would be possible to identify which site of the human body would certain microbes be transplanted for health benefits.

The study shows that the community of bacteria varies on every person. The location as to where the community of bacteria is found also varies on every individual although patterns were discovered.

With trillions of microbes living on us and inside our body, these bacteria are important. Research was done over 3 months with several volunteers and they used the latest computer techniques and gene sequencing to create the bacteria map. They found out that there are some bacteria that vary even when taken from the same person. Also, some areas have less variation than others such as the armpits and at the soles of our feet. The least varied area is on our mouth cavity.

Researcher Dr. Ferrer said that there is still a lot more questions that needed to be answered. There will be more tests to be done to finalize the study.

Breast cancer awareness month

healthier matters — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:52:15 +0000

The month of October is the breast cancer awareness month. It is celebrated by giving out more information about how to take care of the breasts to avoid getting cancer. It’s an international campaign that occurs annually and is organised by several charitable institutions promoting breast cancer awareness.

The purpose of this isn’t only to increase the awareness of people with the danger signs of breast cancer and how to prevent it, but also to raise funds for more research about the disease. So in the future, better technology and treatment would be available and people with this form of cancer would have a much higher chance to get cured.

Millions of women get this kind of cancer while some men, although fewer than women, are inflicted with this disease every year. Breast cancer is now curable but only if it’s detected on its earlier stage. With the increased awareness, the organizers hope to get as many people aware of the signs and symptoms so they can ask for treatment before it’s too late.

Earlier detection is better than cure. Did you perform the regular breast examination on yourself to see if there’s any lump? If not, now’s the time to be reminded of it. When you feel a lump on your chest, go directly to the doctor and have it checked.

Your weight and life expectancy

healthier matters — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:46:07 +0000

It’s not surprising to know that people who are extremely overweight (obese) and extremely underweight die earlier than people of normal weight but findings also show that people who are overweight or are carrying some extra pounds more than normal actually live longer than those who are of normal weight. These are the findings that were published online by researchers which they entitled “Obesity”.

David Feeny, a PhD and coauthor of the said study said that it is quite a surprise to find out that those who are carrying a few extra pounds more actually have an advantage than normal weight people. He believes that perhaps the few extra pounds actually help the older people during the decline of their health but he does not advice people of normal weight to start gaining weight. He also added that the study only looks at the mortality and not with the quality of life that person has. Obese people have negative health effects such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

In their study, they study the relationship of BMI and the death rate of over 11,000 Canadian adults over the span of 12 years. They noticed through the research that people who are extremely underweight have the highest risk of death and the second highest are the extremely obese people. The overweight people are less risked than normal weight people based on their 12-year study.