7 Top Health Benefits of Tumeric

Turmeric contains an extensive variety of cell reinforcement, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic and calming properties. Tumeric are a pepper-like smell, sharp taste and a regular kitchen spice.


Here are the top 7 medical advantages of turmeric.

 SEVEN HEALTH BENEFITS OF TUMERIC

1.Relieves Arthritis

The calming properties in turmeric are extraordinary for treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid joint pain. Moreover, turmeric's cancer prevention agent property demolishes free radicals in the body that harm body cells. It has been found that those misery from rheumatoid joint inflammation who devour turmeric all the time encounter much alleviation from the moderate to gentle joint agonies and in addition joint irritation.


2. Recuperates Wound

Turmeric is a characteristic germ-free and antibacterial specialists and can be utilized as a powerful disinfectant. On the off chance that you have a cut or blaze, you can sprinkle turmeric powder on the influenced zone shield body from infection
 accelerate the mending procedure. Turmeric additionally assists repair with damageding skin and may be utilized to treat psoriasis and other provocative skin condition.

3. Controls Diabetes

Turmeric can be utilized as a part of the treatment of diabetes by serving to control insulin levels. It likewise enhances glucose control and expands the impact of prescriptions used to treat diabetes. Another noteworthy advantage is turmeric's adequacy in helping decrease insulin resistance, which may keep the onset of Type-2 diabetes. Be that as it may, when consolidated with solid meds, turmeric can bring about hypoglycemia (low glucose). It is best to counsel a medicinal services proficient before taking turmeric cases.


4. Counteracts Cancer

Turmeric can help counteract prostate tumor, stop the development of existing prostate disease and even wreck malignancy cells. Various analysts have found that the dynamic parts in turmeric makes it one of the best defenders against radiation-actuated cancers. It likewise has a preventive impact against cancer cells, for example, T-cell leukemia, colon carcinomas and bosom carcinomas.


5. Diminishes Cholesterol Level

Examination has demonstrated that essentially utilizing turmeric as a nourishment flavoring can decrease serum cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can prompt different health issues. Keeping up a fitting cholesterol level can forestall numerous cardiovascular maladies.

6. Insusceptibility Immune Booster

Turmeric contains a substance known as lipopolysaccharide, which aides empower the body's immune system. Its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties additionally help reinforce the immune system. As a immune booster, it helps to shield body from infection such as colds, influenza and cough. In the event that you get any of the above illness or flu virus, you can feel better sooner by blending one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of warm drain and drinking it once day by day.


7. Use to treat numerous diseases - It is likewise stacked with numerous solid supplements, for example, protein, dietary fiber, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. Because of every one of these variables, turmeric is regularly used to treat a wide mixed bag of health issues.


 Otherwise called curcuma longa, tumeric is an extremely regular herb. Regularly alluded to as the "King of Spices."

5 symptoms of heart attack

Nobody prays to have heart attack because is a very deadly sickness. Heart attack is not an sickness for only the rich but an illness that could affect anyone, young, old, rich or poor.

Like other sicknesses it has it own symptoms. Knowing the symptoms and ability to detect it early can help people to treat it early and reverse it.

The following are the five major signs or symptoms of heart attack.

5 symptoms of heart attack:

1. A dull pain, ache or "heavy" feeling in the chest

2. Mild discomfort in the chest that makes you feel generally unwell,

3. Pain that spreads to the back, arm or stomach pain that feels bad,

4. Indigestion and

5. Feeling light-headed or dizzy.


Additional information:

Read the report from BBC news after the cut on how a blood test can more than halve the number of people admitted to hospital with a suspected heart attack.....

The doctors say the rapid test, which looks for a chemical in the blood, would reduce stress for patients, save money and while hospital wards will also benefit because it will ease pressure on the wards.

Trials on 6,304 people, published in the Lancet medical journal, suggested it was 99.6%
accurate.

The British Heart Foundation said the test would produce faster answers without affecting
patient safety.

About one million people attend
A&E departments in the UK with
chest pain, only for most of them
to be sent home after a sometimes lengthy and anxious stay.

They have levels of troponin, a chemical released by damaged
heart muscle, tested when they are admitted and again 12 hours later.


The new test also looks for troponin, but can detect much
lower levels and needs to be done only once. So those given
the all-clear can go straight home.

13 steps to prevent cancer

The main 13 steps for counteracting cancer have been uncovered by new research which has found that one in three deaths from the malady can be avoided.

Research by cancer specialists in Australia found that 90% of all cancer tumor deaths were brought about by only five high-hazard components -
smoking, high exposure to the sun, body weight, awful eating regimen and alcohol/liquor.

The following are the13 top steps to prevent cancer

1. Stop/avoid smoking - we are not strange to the popular cigarette advert which says 'smokers are liable to die young.' This is because smoking causes tar build-up in the lungs and DNA alteration and estimated to cause about 15,558 cancer deaths a year.

2. Avoid exposure to too much sun - Though we get vitamin D from the sun but too much exposure to the sun is not healthy. This is because avoiding the melanoma that comes with overexposure to harmful UV rays, could help to avoid being one of the
7,220 people who die from the cancer that too much melanoma causes.

3. Eat less red meat- A diet that is low in red meat can help to prevent bowel cancer. Accordingly, a 30 grams meat size a day is recommended for men, and 25 a day recommended for women.

4. Go for high fibre food - Foods high in fibre can make our bowels healthier. According to study, processed foods in developed countries appear to be causing higher rates of colon cancer than diets in continents such as Africa with high bean and pulse intake.

5. Fruit and vegetable consumption is a must - Two servings of fruit and three
servings of vegetables a day were given as the magic number
for good diet in one research.
Overall, it was estimated that poor diet causes 7,000 cancer deaths a year.


6. Avoid being overweight and obese - you should try and watch your weight. Too much weight and obesity (fat) could open up an enabling environ for cancer. Accordingly, overweight and obesity, linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, is estimated to cause 3,917 cancer deaths a year.

7. Treat infection promptly- please, make sure you treat any infection promptly because infections are also among the factors that causes cancer.
Infection was linked to 3,421 cancer deaths a year. Most infections can be prevented by vaccinations and regular check-ups. For instance, human papilloma virus - which can cause cervical cancer in women - and hepatitis.

8. Avoid/drink alcohol moderately- Totally avoiding alcohol or cutting back on it could reduce the risk of cancers such as liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and
mouth cancer caused by alcohol and which are leading to 3,208 deaths yearly.

9. Exercise regularly- regular exercise can help to reduce chances of one developing cancer because during exercise our heart will pump very well. Low heart pumping - less than
one hour's exercise a day - is
directly leading to about 1,800 cancer deaths yearly. Lack of exercise will allow us to have
 lower immune functions and higher hormone levels, which are cancer causing factors.

10. Be careful with hormone replacement therapy - The one which is used to relieve
symptoms of the menopause in
women, accounted for 539 deaths from (mainly breast) cancer in Australia last year. Although, it prevents 52 cases of colorectal cancers.

11. Breastfeed for minimum of 12 months - Insufficient breastfeeding can cause cancer.
Breastfeeding for 12 months could prevent 235 cancer cases a year.

12. Be careful with Oral contraceptives - It was recorded that oral contraceptives like the
Pill, caused about 105 breast
cancers and 52 cervical cancers - although, prevented about 1,440 ovarian and uterine (womb) cases of cancer last year.

13. Taking aspirin also prevented 232 cases - Though aspirin is not yet recommended as a formal treatment against the risk of cancer it prevented 232 colorectal and oesophagal cancers cases in the Queensland in a year. The reason why aspirin is yet not formally recommended is that too much of it can also cause strokes.

5 health benefits of potatoes

Potatoes are very essential for our health yet many people are ignorant about the numerous benefits of potatoes to our body and health. People prefer to buy yam instead of potatoes and this is not good enough. The following are the 5 possible health benefits of consuming potatoes.

5 reasons potatoes are good for you

1. Potatoes Will Help Balance Your Weight:

It is advisable to add potatoes as part of a weight loss regimen.

A University of California, Davis
study found that potatoes can really help in reducing weight.
Food that are less in calorie are the best for our health  and weight. Therefore, a group of scientists measured the effects of a reduced-calorie diet  that included eating five to seven servings of potatoes per week over a period of 12 weeks. Participants were assigned to three groups and all three groups lost weight because it’s
reducing total calories that count, not sidelining a specific food, when it comes to weight loss.


2. Potatoes Will Help You Stay Full-

Do you know that potatoes can help you feel fuller than you might with some other carbohydrate foods? Do you know that potatoes are more than twice as filling as whole
grain bread, more filling than fish, steak and all the fruits and vegetables? If you don't know, now you know.
 A medium potato has just110 calories and no fat, but can really full your stomach and give you the needed energy to carry on your daily activities.  This is due to the fact that potato has
about 2 grams of filling fiber and
3 grams of protein.
Surprisingly, one study
revealed that boiled potatoes scored the highest mark on a “satiety index” of all foods.

3. Potatoes Are High In Potassium:
Potatoes are found to be rich in more potassium than a Banana.

Low potassium in the body is one of the major causes of heart diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to be eating potato on a regular basis because a medium potato (with skin) contains more potassium
(620mg) than a banana. We need around 4,700 mg of potassium everyday, this we can get through regular consumption  of potatoes. Potassium is identified to help in controlling blood pressure as it help to balance the level of sodium in the body.

 Potassium is known for transmitting nerve
impulses or signals, and in helping muscles contract.

4. Potassium Is High In Vitamin C-
Potatoes are so rich in vitamin C that they contained almost half of the daily needed level of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is known to help limit cell damage in the body, helps to build collagen for healthy skin.

5. Potatoes Are Good Source of Iron:

Iron is needed for oxygen transportation throughout the body as well as proper body cell functioning.

In fact, a medium potato is said to be filled with about 6% of the recommended daily iron intake.
Therefore, if you don't eat meat because of one reason or the other, you are advised to turn to eating potatoes to replace the iron you should be getting from meat.

10 health benefits of ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)

10 health benefits of ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)

Ganoderma lucidum is an herb that belong to the mushroom family. It is considers by some doctors, herbalist and medical scientist as the 'king of herbs.'
It is known to perform the following functions to the human body:

1. Oxygenates the body and boosts stamina - Recently, i found out that lack of oxygen is one of the causes of cancer. That is why it is recommended to be drinking enough water and fruits, so that there will be enough oxygen as this will help to prevent someone from having cancer. We also need stamina to carry on the daily activities. All these could be possible through the consumption of ganoderma lucidum.

2. Consumption of ganoderma lucidum help in the strengthening and boosting of the immune system. Poor immune system is the major cause of diseases and sicknesses. Diseases and infections will be able to enter our body if our immune system is weak. The immune system is like the army that suppose to defend our body from external forces such as virus, bacteria and other foreigners that could affect our health.

3. Ganoderma lucidum help to strengthens our body organs for the elimination of toxins. Toxins are one of the major cause of illness. Too much toxins in our body can lead to the malfunctioning of the kidney and the liver which could cause major health problem. For instance, inability of the kidney to eliminate creatine could lead to serious health problem.

4. Ganoderma lucidum help to provide us with the needed energy and vitality. We need energy to carry on, to live. Those who never lack energy and vitality in their entire life will not understand how energy and vigor is important in our life. Some people are spending huge amount of money to get that daily energy to tackle daily activities and to move on with life.

5. Ganoderma lucidum also help to boost brain power and function. Life is meaningful to us because we have good brain and we are meaningful to the people around us because our brain power and function is still good. Therefore, there is nothing bad in consuming ganoderma lucidum regularly to keep our brain power sharp and okay always.

6. Ganoderma lucidum also improves blood circulation in the body. As we know, blood is the essence of life. Without blood we cannot be alive. Also, improper flow of blood will cause major health problem and swollen in some part or organ of the body. Consuming ganoderma lucidum will aids proper and easy flow of blood to and fro in our body thus keeping us from illness.

7. Ganoderma also reduces allergies and inflammation. Allergies are foreign substance which our body system did not want. One of the symptoms of allergies is inflammation of some parts of our body. For instance, if i consume certain substances my lip will swell up. That means those substances are allergies to my body. That swell up is called inflammation which may be internal or external. Inflammation is caused by many factors apart from allergies. However, ganoderma lucidum will keep our body from allergy reaction and inflammation.

8. Ganoderma lucidum also improves the quality of sleep. I found out lately that lack of sleep is one of the major causes of illness. Lack of sleep will bring down our immune system. And if our immune system is down, our body will be expose to foreigners that are poisonous and harmful to our health. By increasing the quality of our sleep, ganoderma lucidum will protect us from a lot of diseases.

9. Ganoderma lucidum also improves and promote a healthy digestive system. Our digestive system is very vital for our well being. One of the things that virus, bad bacteria, bad microbes and others do is to attack our digestive system. If our digestive system is down, we will lose appetite and when we cannot eat properly, it will be hard for our body to get the needed vitamins and nutrients to fight the disease from our body. Therefore, consumption of ganoderma is recommended for better digestive system and better health.

10. The last benefits of ganoderma lucidum i want to mention here is balancing of PH level. Unbalanced PH level is also one of the major causes of our sickness. If our PH level is balance, we will not fall sick and will recovered from sickness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problem and a lot of other sickness. I highly recommend ganoderma lucidum for consumption since it will balance our PH level. In my future post, i will write on some of the things we can do to have a better PH level naturally.

Dogs capable of sniffing out prostate cancer

They're known as man's best
friend; but dogs could soon also
be their greatest ally in the fight
against prostate cancer. Britain's
National Health Service recently
approved a trial for dogs capable
of sniffing out prostate cancer in
the hope that it could show up
inaccuracies in the current PSA
(prostate specific antigen) test.
Fantastic sense of smell
It's long been known that a
dog's remarkable sense of smell
can detect minute odours known
to be associated with many
cancers which are understood to
be linked to volatile organic
compounds produced by
malignant cells.
"Dogs have got this fantastic
sense of smell – three-hundred
million sensory receptors, while
humans have only five million. So
they're very, very good at finding
minute odours. What we now
know is that cancer cells that are
dividing differently have different
volatile organic compounds –
smelly compounds – that are
associated with the cells.
And dogs with their incredible
sense of small can find these in
things like breath and urine,"
said Dr Claire Guest who co-
founded charity Medical
Detection Dogs in 2008 to train
specialist dogs to detect human
diseases.
She added that the dogs' ability
to sense chemical changes has
been known throughout history
but overlooked by modern
medicine: "What dogs are doing
is actually revisiting a way in
which diagnosis has been done
centuries ago. It was understood
then that different volatiles – or
smelly compounds – could be
involved with changes in our
body and may in fact enable
someone to make an accurate
diagnosis.
Almost instant detection
But this has been very much
forgotten. What the dogs are
doing is finding the odours from
bio-chemical changes in our
body and this is opening a new
way of diagnosing diseases and
conditions in the future."
Medical Detection Dogs gained
approval from Milton Keynes
University Hospital for further
trials, after initial testing showed
trained dogs can detect prostate
tumours in urine in 93 percent of
cases. The charity says dogs
undergo training for a period of
about six months, after which
they can reliably identify urine
with traces of cancer cells in it. At
the charity's facility the dogs do
the rounds, sniffing a machine
that holds eight urine samples.
When they detect the sample that
contains cancer cells, they either
stop and sit down by it, bark or
lick the bottle to indicate they can
smell the cancer. Dogs are initially
rewarded when they detect any
urine scent, and then later only
rewarded when they successfully
identify cancer cells in urine
samples.
Dr Guest says dogs can detect the
scent of cancer almost instantly,
meaning they could potentially
check many more samples than a
human could possibly do.
A hunt game
"These dogs have the ability to
screen hundreds of samples in a
day; it's something they find very
easy, they enjoy their work. To
them it's a hunt game – they find
the cancer," she said.
For Dr Guest, it was this "game"
that potentially saved her life. In
2009 her Labrador Daisy made
her aware that she was suffering
from the early stages of breast
cancer when she began to
nudge Dr Guest's chest. Daisy,
now 11 years old, is one of the
dogs taking part in the trials in
Milton Keynes.
According to the charity, there
are strong reasons for such a
study. Prostate cancer is the most
common cancer in men in the UK,
and the second most common
cause of cancer death.
The current PSA test involves
analysing a blood sample for a
specific protein produced by the
prostate gland, an elevated level
of which could indicate prostate
cancer and require a biopsy to
be carried out. But the test has a
high "false positive" rate
meaning many men may
undergo the invasive procedure
unnecessarily, and many general
practitioners are reluctant to use
it.
The scientists hope that dogs
could provide a second line
cancer screening service that
demonstrated a low false
positive rate and higher
accuracy. And if dogs can be
proved to be a reliable screening
tool, a test could eventually be
developed that is far superior to
the PSA test.
An electronic nose
While the current trials are
focused on training dogs to
accurately detect prostate cancer
in urine samples, Rowena
Fletcher from Milton Keynes
University Hospital says dogs'
unique skill could make them a
valuable resource for doctors in
detecting many more diseases.
"A lot of different diseases could
carry a chemical signature, and
then really the dogs could be
used potentially to look at any
other diseases which also had a
chemical signature," she said.
While many dog-lovers may think
it would be nice to have a dog in
every doctor's surgery to screen
for cancer, ultimately that is not
practical. Instead the scientists
hope their research will lead to
the invention of an electronic
nose that will mimic that of a
dog's.
"Ultimately we hope to use the
information that the dogs
produce to actually develop an
electronic nose. So eventually you
could have a machine that sits on
your consultant's desk, you'd put
the urine sample in it and it
would tell you if it was positive
or negative. That would be the
ultimate aim," added Fletcher.
However, a viable "electronic
nose" is still many years away,
with no technology able to get
close to the sniffing power of
man's four-legged friend.
"The problem the electronic nose
scientist has is that currently
their sensitivity is well below the
dog. A dog can find parts per
trillion; we had an electronic
nose working alongside the
dogs recently and they were
unable to find anything below
parts per million," said Dr Guest.
- Reuters

Genetic differences may affect lung cancer in smokers

According to a medical research (an MRC funded
study) by UK medical scientists, smokers who survive into old age may
hold key to lung health.

UK researchers have
identified genetic differences
which affect smoking behaviour,
and the predisposition of both
heavy smokers and non-smokers
to suffer poor lung health.

The research found that people with health or good gene may have
healthy lung even if they smole till old age but their lung will be
healthier if they were non-smoker.

3 health benefits of blueberries

3 health usefulness of Blueberries


Blueberries are delicious little berries with dim blue skin. The following are the three health benefits of blueberries.

Group commended President Jonathan for signing the National Tobacco Control Bill

Auwal Rafsanjani, CISLAC
Executive Director of The National Tobacco Control Bill
Coalition has commended
President Goodluck Jonathan on behalf of the group ( comprising the
Civil Society
Legislative Advocacy Centre,
Environmental Rights Action/
Friends of the Earth Nigeria, and
the Nigeria Tobacco Control
Coalition) for
signing the National Tobacco
Control Bill, labelling it an
extraordinary public health
legacy.

"We salute the courage of
President Jonathan in signing
this bill into law, ignoring
overtures by the tobacco
industry to frustrate every effort
to enact a comprehensive
tobacco control legislation in
Nigeria," he said.

Meanwhile, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Director
Corporate Accountability
Campaigns, noted that more
work needs to be done in
ensuring that every Nigerian is
protected from the harmful
effects of tobacco.

"This bill is however providing
Nigeria the necessary framework
for action both at the local, state
and national levels," Mr.
Oluwafemi said.
"Tobacco is major public health
challenge and it is a welcome
relief that Nigeria has finally join
the league of nations that have
taken proactive steps to protect
their citizens."

Also, Gbenga Adejuwon, Project
Manager, NTCA, urged
government to immediately
provide mechanisms that will ensure smooth
implementation of the
Tobacco
Control Law which include ban of
smoking in public places, ban of sale of
cigarette in single sticks, ban of
sale of tobacco products to
minors, ban of
tobacco advertising sponsorship
and promotion, mandatory warning
messages on cigarette packs
among others.

"We want to thank Mr. President
for signing the bill into law," Mr.
Adejuwon said.
"The immediate action should be
on implementation. We want to
see the Ministry of Health rising
up to the occasion by leading all
stakeholders for effective
implementation of the law.
"The National Tobacco Control
Law is aimed at regulating the
production, sale, marketing and
consumption of tobacco
products in Nigeria."

Obesity in adolescence have been linked to bowel cancer risk

Obesity in adolescence have been linked to
bowel cancer risk.

According to a study,
being overweight in
adolescence can lead to a
greater risk of bowel cancer
later in life.

The research was conducted using nearly
240,000 Swedish men whom are followed for 35
years.

The analysis, which was published in the
journal Gut, revealed that teenagers that are overweight later in life
have twice
the risk of bowel cancer and this is even more riskier in
obese teens.

Read the full report as published by BBC health after the cut...

The World Cancer Research Fund
said the link between obesity
and cancer was "strong".
Bowel cancer is the third most
common cancer in the world,
with nearly 1.4 million new cases
each year.
Processed red meat and
abdominal fat have been linked
to the disease.
'Accelerated growth'
The participants in the study
were aged between 16 and 20 at
the start.
The overwhelming majority were
a normal weight, but 6.5% were
overweight and 1% were obese.
There were 855 cases of
colorectal cancer in the study.
However, the results showed not
all weights were affected equally.
Those who were obese were
2.38 times more likely to have
developed a bowel tumour.
The study, led by Orebro
University Hospital in Sweden
and Harvard University, said:
"Late adolescence marks the
transition from childhood to
adulthood and is a period of
accelerated growth, especially
among men, thus this period
may represent a critical window."
"It is important that we
understand the role of exposures
in childhood and adolescence in
the development of colorectal
cancer.
"In fact, the strong association
observed between adolescent
obesity and early-to-mid-life
colorectal cancer, coupled with
the increasing prevalence of
adolescent obesity, may shed
light on the increase in colorectal
cancer incidence among young
adults," he added.
'Strong evidence'
Rachel Thompson, from the
World Cancer Research Fund, said
the evidence suggested that
obesity was a risk factor for
bowel cancer.
"This finding is interesting
because it gives an indication
that bowel cancer risk might be
affected by our lifestyle habits
throughout the life course," she
said.
"In some ways, research into the
relationship between factors like
obesity and cancer risk is still in
its infancy.
"It will be interesting to see if
further research emerges in the
future to back up the apparent
relationship between body
fatness in youth and later-life
cancer risk."

Fruit snacks are saturated with more sugar than sweets

Fruit snacks 'contain more
sugar than sweets'

Many supposedly "healthy" fruit
snacks aimed at children
contain more sugar than
sweets, says a campaign group.
Action on Sugar looked at 94
products on UK sale, such as
coated dried fruit, and found a
third contained three or four
teaspoons of sugar and 85%
were more sugary than Haribo
Starmix sweets.
Child health experts said the
findings were frightening.
The industry pointed out that
most of the snacks had no added
sugars, and those that did were
clearly labelled.
Action on Sugar said that parents
should give their children fresh
fruit and vegetables instead of
processed fruit snacks.
And it called on food
manufacturers to stop adding
unnecessary sugars to fruit-
based snacks while labelling
them as contributing to "one of
your five a day".
Katharine Jenner, campaign
director at Action on Sugar, said:
"Parents find it hard enough to
know what 'healthy' is without
food manufacturers confusing
matters with misleading claims.
"Whole, unprocessed fruit is
healthier than processed fruit
snacks and fruit juice drinks, as it
contains vitamins, minerals,
water and fibre, and does not
cause the devastating tooth
decay we see in young children
today."
A child would have to eat an
entire punnet (240g) of
strawberries to take in the same
number of grams of sugar as in
some processed fruit snacks.
Colin Michie, chairman of the
nutrition committee at the Royal
College of Paediatrics and Child
Health, said the findings were
"stunning" and "frightful".
"None of us needs sugar in our
diets at all. It is all completely
unnecessary.
"Fruit contains fibre, which we all
need to function properly, but in
these snacks the benefits of fruit
have been sacrificed by covering
them in yogurt and other sugary
coatings."
How much sugar in processed
fruit snacks?
The Fruit Factory Sports Mix-
Ups (5x18g) - 81g of sugar
per 100g* or 3.6 teaspoons**
of sugar per serving
Tesco Yogurt Coated
Strawberry Fruit Bites (25g) -
70.1g of sugar per 100g or
4.4 teaspoons of sugar per
serving
Fruit Bowl Fruit Flakes
Raspberry Rush (25g) - 69g of
sugar per 100g or 4.3
teaspoons of sugar per
serving
Whitworths Sunny Raising
Coated Custard Raisins (25g) -
68.6g of sugar per 100g or
4.3 teaspoons of sugar per
serving
Organix Goodies Organic Fruit
Gummies strawberry and
apple (12g) - 67.2g of sugar
per 100g of the snack or 2
teaspoons of sugar per
serving
*Haribo Starmix contains 47g of
sugar per 100g
**One teaspoon of sugar is equal
to four grams of granulated
sugar

For full article visit www.bbc.com/news/health-32914999

Betel Nut And Your Health

                                 

                                                      Betel nuts


The name betel comes from the betel-pepper plant. Though the nut and the betel – pepper plant are unrelated but the name was derived from the betel –pepper plant because betel chewers usually wrap a piece of areca fruit in betel – pepper leaf, together with a little mineral lime.

Therefore, betel nut is actually the tropical, fleshly fruit of the areca palm (betel palm), usually found in the Southeast Asia and the pacific.

Health hazards of chewing betel nut

The lime promotes the release of alkaloid stimulant which can make chewers  wanting to chew more and more of the nuts thus making chewing of betel nuts their second nature.

Many chewers spit repeatedly because spices, tobacco or sweetness are usually added in the preparation to make the taste better. This makes the color to be blood –red, stimulates the production of saliva and this result to frequent spitting.

Consistent chewing of betel nut can give the teeth a brownish – red staining. It can also result to various mouth disease such as oral submucous fibrosis and gum disease.

                                           

                            Betel nut chewer with stained tooth                      Betel nuts

                                                                Image from Google search

Chronic betel nut chewing can lead to serious medication complications such mouth cancer known as oral squamous cell carcinoma and cardiovascular disease.

Chewing betel nut can disrupt or damage the DNA of an unborn baby. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid the chewing of betel nut so as not to disrupt the development of the fetus.

Chronic chewer of betel nut usually exhibit such cholinergic (altering of the state and function of the central nervous system and the neurotransmitters) symptoms such as sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, frequent salivation, excessive tearing etc.

Habitual chewing of betel nut can result to side effects such as excessive heart beat, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia etc.

Since those fond of chewing betel nut do so because of one reason or the other, betel nut definitely have it own benefits, health wise or not.

The habitual chewer will give one or more health benefits for the reason why they are chewing it. But the fact is that such claim by chewers cannot be scientifically or medically proved. Research also shows that the health hazards of chewing betel nut far outweigh any associated benefits.

What the news says about betel nut

“World wide, betel nut sales bring in billions of dollars”.

“The highest population of betel nut chewer is found in the East Africa, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, Papua new Guinea and Micronesia and they are about 10% of the world’s population.”

“Users often consider it harmless and report a sense of well – being and a warm sensation of the body …. Evidence has shown, however, that it is far from harmless“. – Oral Health 

“Papua New Guinea’s favorite chew, the betel nut, is killing at least 2000 people a year and is responsible for many health problems, according to the PNG Medical Society”. – Papua New Guinea’s post – courier.

“Taiwan’s rate of oral cancer – one of the Island’s top 10 causes of death – has nearly quadrupled in the past 40 years”. – The China post


Suggested articles for reading

 

About Diabetes Mellitus

The term " diabetes mellitus " was derived from the Greek word meaning " to siphon " and a Latin word which means " sweet like honey." For water passes through the person that has diabetes as if it were being siphoned from the mouth through the urinary tract and right out of the body and the urine is sweet with sugar.

The traditional method of testing for diabetes is to pour a patient's urine near an anthill. The urine will be filled with insects if sugar were presence.

In 2003, it was projected that the number of diabetes patients will doubled the then estimated 140 million patients world wide by the year 2025. Diabetes has been dubbed the silent killer because the symptoms often goes unrecognized as the person can have the illness a long time before it will be diagnosed.

 People don't die directly from diabetes rather most die from complications caused by diabetes such as pheripheral artery disease, nerve damage, stroke, heart disease, poor kidney function, eye disease ( retinopathy ) etc. Therefore, people with diabetes must take proper care of their body by adhering to doctors prescription and guidance.

But one thing people with diabetes should know is that it will not pose such harm - if they early recognize the seriousness of the disorder and submit to a program of treatment.

Diabetes and the young 

Diabetes is increasing among the youths at an alarming rate and this is caused by

1. Increased reliance on foods consumed outside the home

 2. Lack of physical exercise

3. Skipping of breakfast especially when going to school

4. And ultimately increased consumption of soft drinks, beers and fast foods.

How to control diabetes

In most cases diabetes cannot be reverted but it can be properly controlled and many patients who controlled their illness very well lived more than 50 years after their diagnosis.

Exercise

Diabetes can be genetically inherited. However, eating a balance diet combined with regular exercise can help to prevent the occurrence of the sickness even in genetically susceptible people. One research recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activities such as walking on most if not all days of the week especially among women. It is highly important for diabetes patients to be careful when doing exercise to prevent self-injured. Vigorous exercise that can damage the vascular system and nerve should also be avoided.  

Avoid fat and sugar

Everybody, both diabetic and non-diabetic patients should avoid consumption of fat. Excess fat in the midriff seems to pose more danger than fat on the hips. Foods rich in sugar should be directly avoided.

Oral medication

Oral medication include drugs that stimulate the production of insulin by the pancreas, slow down the increase of blood sugar or lower insulin resistance. Insulin cannot be taken orally as digestion breaks it ( being a protein ) down before it reaches the blood stream that is why insulin is taken as injection for now.  

Don't smoke

95% of diabetes-related amputations involve smokers for smoking damages the heart and circulatory system, and narrows the blood vessels.

Insulin therapy

Most diabetes patients don't like to use insulin because it is taken as injection amid other reasons. But it is vital to know that controlling diabetes should be the priority as this will reduce the risk of developing complications.
More advanced methods of insulin injection include the use of automatic injectors      that shot a needle into the skin painlessly, others are jet injectors

and infusers

that use a catheter that stays in place for some days. Another device is the insulin pump


              which is a programmable device that dispenses insulin through a catheter at a steady rate according to the body needs.  



Prepare for emergency

 It is recommended that people with diabetes should always have an identification card which indicate their diabetic status in case of emergency.  

Support from others

People with diabetes need the support of everyone around which includes family members, friends and colleagues. Family members in particular, should learn about diabetes. They should know how to read the mood, body weight, reactions and general appearance of a diabetic members of the family to know when there is a sugar signal. The patients also should keep learning about diabetes from journals, books, blogs like this one you are reading, health programs on radio and television and keep learning about your mood and appearances.

 Best practice to manage diabetes 

The best methods to manage diabetes is through proper diet and exercise. Some sufferers with type 2 diabetes has discontinue taken insulin therapy through restricted diet and good routine exercise.

Following your doctor prescribed diet and drug can help you to control your blood sugar. Know that there is no better way to control your blood sugar than proper diet, exercise along with regular intake of medicine.

Suggested articles for reading

4 things you should know about cancer

4 things you should know about cancer

1. The word ' cancer ' refers to abnormal growth of some cells in the body which later become destructive to the affected body organ. One dictionary define it as a serious disease in which growth of cells, also called cancers, form in the body and kill normal body cells.





                                                             picture of a cancer cell

2. What are the primary cause of cancer? 
 Cancers are caused by many factors which include

A. Hereditary
Some cancers are hereditary in nature while some are not. Example of hereditary cancer is breast cancer. About 10% of breast cancer run in the families. Which means that if a mother or relatives had breast cancer there is 10% probability that someone related by blood may develop breast cancer in due course. However, 90% of breast cancer cases is not hereditary.
A typical example of non hereditary cancer is cervical cancer.

B. Generator fumes
It is scientifically proven that long exposure to generator fumes can lead to cancer. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid consistent exposure or inhalation of generator fumes as constant inhalation lead to changes in cells located in the lungs which lead to lung cancer.

C. Diet
Cancers caused by diet are more common among the rich because it is usually associated with diets with high fats. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the intake of high fat diets along with junk food.

D. Smoking
Smokers will never agree with you that smoking could cause lung cancer. Some of them will be giving an example of an old man they know who is still alive despite that he is a chronic smoker. But it is
important to know that many factors determine whether a smoker will develop cancer or not. Some of the factors are : years of smoking before people develop cancer varies from one person to another, number
of sticks smoke per day, the gap between the smoking of each stick, the diet of the smokers, the type and quality of cigarette and the one I count as the most important is that the immune system of smokers
which differ from one another. Therefore, what can easily affect someone may not affect or take longer time to affect another.

                                                    smoking increase the risk of lung cancer

passive smokers
If you are not a smoker, you are also at risk if you are around those that smoke. Passive smokers such
As wives, friends and children of smokers can easily develop lung cancer than non passive smokers.
Wherefore, it is advisable not to stay around smokers. Don't allow smokers to smoke in your house or office. If your neighbor smokes and the fumes always reach you, tell him/her to change and report him to the police if he doesn't. The law prohibit smokers from smoking in public places. I could remember one day when one of my colleague was smoking. An elderly person who was passing by and who was once a smoker stopped and gave an illustration about how smoking can cause lung cancer. The elderly man took out a white handkerchief, collected the cigarette from my colleague, wrapped the handkerchief around the base of the stick, put it in my colleague mouth and told him to smoke. He took it back and showed us how the part of the handkerchief that serve as a sieve between the cigarette and the mouth had been darkened by the
fumes from the cigarette. He now said " with every smoke that is how your lung become darkened with fumes and this is what result into lung cancer."
He thought us a lesson I can never forget.

E. Other causes
Other causes of cancer are infectious such as in liver, bladder and cervical cancer. The infections are caused by enviromental degradation and exposure to ionizing radiation etc.

3. Prevention and cure for cancers
Chemotherapy
This is the use of drugs to confine and kill the cancer cells. It is significantly effective in the treatment of blood cancer.

Surgery
This is usually common and is the process of using surgical operation to eliminate and cure the cancerous cell

Radiotherapy is another method of treating cancer

Avoid constant eating of smoked fish and meat
My biological teacher once advised that it is better to avoid the habit of eating too much smoked fish and meat. He said the black color of smoked fishes and meats is carbon monoxide, which is the smoke from the fire and carbon monoxide is cancerous in nature. So, consistent eating of smoked fishes and meats could mean consistent intake of carbon monoxide

The use of hepatitis B vaccine can greatly prevent the development of liver cancer

Early screening and regular check up

Early screening and regular checkup are the best cure for cancer. This will lead to early detection of the cancer before it spread to other organs of the body.

4. Hope for cancer patients

All in all, there is hope for cancer patients because the rate of cancer death has been reduced to the barest minimum in medically advanced countries, especially in the USA.
Research is also ongoing on how to totally eliminate the deadly harm of this scourge called cancer.


SUGGESTED ARTICLES FOR READING

About diabetes mellitus