Immune molecule regulates brain connections

The number of connections between nerve cells in the brain can be regulated by an immune system molecule, according to a new study from UC Davis. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, reveals a potential link between immunity, infectious disease and conditions such as schizophrenia or autism.

Sex,Coffee,Smog Can All Trigger Heart Attack

A major analysis of data on potential triggers for heart attacks finds that many of the substances and activities Americans indulge in every day -- coffee, alcohol, sex, even breathing -- can all help spur an attack.

Because so many people are exposed to dirty air, air pollution while stuck in traffic topped the list of potential heart attack triggers, with the researchers pegging 7.4% of heart attacks to roadway smog.

But coffee was also linked to 5% of attacks, booze to another 5%, and pot smoking to just under 1%, the European researchers found.

Among everyday activities, exerting yourself physically was linked to 6.2% of heart attacks, indulging in a heavy meal was estimated to trigger 2.7%, and sex was linked to 2.2%.

Double benefit from a combination of broccoli and broccoli sprouts

Study after study continues to show that eating broccoli helps to prevent and treat cancer. And a new study out of the University of Illinois (U of I) says that combining broccoli with broccoli sprouts nearly doubles the cruciferous vegetable's anti-cancer effects.

"Broccoli, prepared correctly, is an extremely potent cancer-fighting agent -- three to five servings a week are enough to have an effect," said Elizabeth Jeffery, a U of I professor of nutrition that worked on the study. "To get broccoli's benefits, though, the enzyme myrosinase has to be present; if it's not there, sulforaphane, broccoli's cancer-preventive and anti-inflammatory component, doesn't form."

Bad genes cause Alzheimer's replaced by omega-3

(Healthy Life)Scientists tend to describe their research and findings with facts and figures only, leaving out any emotion. But Prof. Daniel Michaelson of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology has uncovered something so potentially groundbreaking he called it "exhilarating" in a statement to the press.

What news could have this scientist so excited? A diet high in omega-3s, the fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon as well as walnuts, appears to significant block the negative effects of the APOE4 gene -- the "bad" APOE gene found in 50% of all Alzheimer's patients and in about 15% of the population. Having the APOE4 gene greatly ups your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, a dreaded and deadly form of dementia affecting about five million Americans.

Colostrum helps treat leaky gut syndrome

(Healthy Life)Heavy-training athletes, and runners in particular, often suffer from "leaky gut syndrome," a condition in which bowel health becomes damaged due to increased permeability of gut lining. But a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology has found a viable solution -- bovine colostrum.

Newborn heart muscle can grow back by itself

Healthy life "In a promising science-fiction-meets-real-world juxtaposition, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that the mammalian newborn heart can heal itself completely.
Researchers, working with mice, found that a portion of the heart removed during the first week after birth grew back wholly and correctly – as if nothing had happened.
"This is an important step in our search for a cure for heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the developed world," said Dr. Hesham Sadek, assistant professor of internal medicine and senior author of the study available online in the Feb. 25 issue of Science. "We found that the heart of newborn mammals can fix itself; it just forgets how as it gets older. The challenge now is to find a way to remind the adult heart how to fix itself again."

Hundreds of medical professionals arrested

[Healthy Life]"Representing the largest medical fraud case in history, federal authorities have arrested more than 100 doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals for allegedly swindling hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal Medicare program. The violators, who were busted in nine different U.S. cities, are said to have fraudulently billed Medicare for sometimes millions of dollars for simple procedures, and even for procedures they never even performed.

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears and Other Ear Noise) next

How is tinnitus evaluated?

A medical history, physical examination, and a series of special tests can help determine precisely where the tinnitus is originating. It is helpful for the doctor to know if the tinnitus is constant, intermittent or pulsating (synchronous with the heart beat, referred to as pulsatile tinnitus), or is it associated with hearing loss or loss of balance (vertigo). All patients with persisting unexplained tinnitus need a hearing test (audiogram). Patterns of hearing loss may lead the doctor to the diagnosis.

The Best Way to Cleanse and Lose Weight

Healthy Life:
Want to clean up your diet, detox your body, improve your complexion, and lose a few extra pounds?

Looks like it’s time for a cleanse. And there are several different ways to do it.

You can go on a raw food diet, taking in nothing but raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. You can go on a juice fast, taking in nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juices. You can try the Master Cleanse (not recommended).

Tracking disease from outer space

By watching colors change on photographs of the Earth's surface, scientists can figure out, months or even years ahead of time, when a disease might flare up and become a serious hazard.

Traditional methods for following the spread of disease are hard work, according to biologist Denise Dearing of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She studies hantavirus, an untreatable rodent-borne virus that has infected more than 560 people in the United States since it was discovered in 1993. It's fatal in about half the cases. To keep tabs on the disease, "we had been going out and surveying mouse populations," Dearing said. But catching the mice, testing their blood, and microchipping them for future reference was difficult and time-consuming.

Research a potential drug for brain diseases

Scientists who examined more than 10,000 chemical compounds during the last year in search of potential new drugs for a group of untreatable brain diseases, are reporting that one substance shows unusual promise. The early positive signs for so-called prion diseases come from research in laboratory mice and cell cultures, they say in a report in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears and Other Ear Noise)

"Healthy Life"
What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that eventually resolves. Rarely, however, tinnitus can represent a serious health condition.

It is not a single disease, but a symptom of an underlying condition. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder. In almost all cases, only the patient can hear the noise.

10 Reasons Why the Primal Diet is Wrong

Healthy Life :
The foundation of Mark Sisson's primal diet (lots of fatty meat, some vegetables, nuts and seeds, limited fruit, and no cereal grains) is that we should eat what our ancestors ate. According to him, this means lots of meat and fat and very few carbohydrates. These are the foods that our ancestors thrived on and these are the foods that we thrive on today.

Gout Pain lost by 4 ways

Healthy Life:
Gout is a very painful form of arthritis that mainly affects middle aged men but can also affect women in the same way. It usually attacks the big toe but can spread to other joints of the body such as the knees, the wrists, the elbow and the ankles just to name a few. Gout has often been described as being one of the most painful forms of arthritis that someone can have.

Find strength in the turmeric

Foods that have an incredible array of health benefits that go well beyond just their nutrient value are considered `super-foods.` Turmeric is an herb native to Southeast Asia that is a true super-food shown to have remarkable healing and anti-inflammatory properties that are just now being discovered.

Recognize early prostate cancer

Healthy life
This Article Could Save Your Life, Please Forward to Everyone You Know with Prostate
Extended Article: Original short version was printed in the newspaper August 9 – 14th, 2009
My father and brother both died of prostate cancer. I am still fine, but at age 45, I want to do everything I can now to avoid prostate cancer. Truthfully, I am terrified. I’m a faithful reader, and I value your opinion. Can you give me more information? –M.M. Phoenix, Arizona
Answer: Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages, and most common cause of death from cancer in men over 75. Since the article you are currently reading is posted to my website (and not printed in the paper) I don’t have word limits (so I have more space) and I can elaborate on all the key points.

Top 10 Foods for WOMEN'S HEALTH

Healthy Life
By Dr. Ariel Policano
As a leading naturopathic physician with a special focus on women's health, Dr. Policano has over 15 years of experience using raw foods and superfoods to treat a wide variety of conditions. Having worked with health afflictions ranging from fatigue to breast cancer, she has crafted a definitive list of foods to emphasize in your diet for hormonal health, vibrant skin and healthy heart and bones:

Cellphone affect changes in brain activity

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have found that less than an hour of cellphone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the phone antenna, raising new questions about the health effects of low levels of radiation emitted from cellphones.

“The study is important because it documents that the human brain is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by cellphones,” Dr. Volkow said. “It also highlights the importance of doing studies to address the question of whether there are — or are not — long-lasting consequences of repeated stimulation, of getting exposed over five, 10 or 15 years.”

The researchers, led by Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, urged caution in interpreting the findings because it is not known whether the changes, which were seen in brain scans, have any meaningful effect on a person’s overall health.

Healthy lifestyle changes that bring many benefits

Lifestyle changes - such as getting more exercise, time in nature, or helping others - can be as effective as drugs or counseling to treat an array of mental illnesses, according to a new paper published by the American Psychological Association.

Health Risks Energy Drinks Serious too Young[2]

The researchers reviewed previous research and surveys on energy drink use in children and adolescents. Findings showed that on average, U.S. teens consume about 60 to 70 milligrams of caffeine each day, with some consuming up to 800 milligrams daily. The authors noted that although most of the caffeine comes from soda, energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular. Among those countries that track adverse events associated with energy drink consumptions, there have been reports of incidents of agitation, liver damage, kidney failure, psychosis, and even a heart attack in a 23-year-old.

Health Risks Energy Drinks Serious too Young

Popular energy drinks including, Rock Star, Red Bull, and Monster Energy provide no value to health, are loaded with caffeine, and are potentially dangerous to children, teens and young adults. In fact, a new report recently published in the online journal Pediatrics pinpointed that nearly half of 5,448 caffeine overdoses in the U.S. reported in 2007 occurred among people under the age of 19.

Anise Essential Oil Health Benefits

Anise Essential Oil may not be the first aromatic oil that pops into your head when you think aromatherapy, but give it a chance. It really is a useful therapeutic oil.

The importance of laughing to keep youthfulness

Here is another alternative to antidepressant drugs in light and mild depression, - comedy and laughter. Can it be that easy?

Well, judge for yourself. An average child laughs about 300 times a day, and adult - only 17. Someone said that we grow old because we stop laughing.

oral sex is sex,and it can boost cancer risk

Here's a crucial message for teens: Oral sex carries many of the same risks as vaginal sex, including human papilloma virus, or HPV. And HPV may now be overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of oral cancers in America in people under age 50.

Secrets of sour taste

Scientists say they've made a surprising discovery on just how acidic foods make us pucker up.

First, some background: Acidic substances such as lemons and pickles evoke the sour sensation. The more acidic the substance, the more sour the taste.

Study of nutrition, Alzheimer’s links hampered by research approach

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Research is trying to determine whether Alzheimer’s disease might be slowed or prevented with nutritional approaches, but a new study suggests those efforts could be improved by use of nutrient “biomarkers” to objectively assess the nutrient status of elderly people at risk for dementia.
The traditional approach, which primarily relies on self-reported dietary surveys, asks people to remember what they have eaten. Such surveys don’t consider two common problems in elderly populations – the effect that memory impairment has on recall of their diet, or digestive issues that could affect the absorption of nutrients.

Parents Giving Children Alcohol - Lock Up The Liquor

Parents are giving their children alcoholic beverages at a much higher rate than most people realize. Some 709,000 youngsters aged 12 to 14 in the United States are drinking beer, liquor and other alcoholic beverages, a new federal study found. Drinking as a youth is a gateway to potentially lifelong alcoholism.

The Best Scents for Relieving Stress

Aromatherapy can be an effective way to relieve stress and promote a feeling of calm. Popular choices for this purpose include Lavender, Bergamot, Jasmine and Rose. All of these essential oils can help a person let go of their cares and worries and give them a chance to rest and regroup.

Lavender oil has a pleasant floral scent, and is easy to grow. When used as an Aromatherapy product, it helps to relieve stress. An individual who is feeling angry will find that they able to calm down and gain a better perspective when lavender oil is used for Aromatherapy.

Living A Normal Life With Asthma

Asthma is a condition that affects many people for their entire lives. For these individuals, they will have to grow accustomed to experiencing asthma attacks every so often. Though, dealing with asthma can be challenging for anyone, even those who have managed the condition for a long time.

The 5 Kinds of Essential Oils

There are a number of essentials oil related to the practice of aromatherapy, but some actually have a neutral scent. Let's take a look at 5 of the best essential oils, where they come from, their properties and healing benefits.

Gout Medications Can Make Patients Sick

So many gout sufferers take prescription medicine for relieving themselves of this immense pain. If the pain is too severe, medication might be required to give immediate relief so that the person can continue his normal everyday activities. But if they are continued for a long time, the medicine may cause so many unwanted side effects.

Creating A Healthy Detox

People today have bad eating habits and live stressful lives which leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. They are constantly putting unhealthy chemicals in their bodies which can make their health deteriorate rapidly. If this is happening to you, a healthy detox can be the best solution.