Categories
News on Health & Science

Study links heartburn drugs to broken hip

Taking such popular heartburn drugs as Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec for a year or more can raise the risk of a broken hip markedly in people over 50, a large study in Britain found.

The study raises questions about the safety of some of the most widely used and heavily promoted prescription drugs on the market, taken by millions of people.

The researchers speculated that when the drugs reduce acid in the stomach, they also make it more difficult for the body to absorb bone-building calcium. That can lead to weaker bones and fractures.

Hip fractures in the elderly often lead to life-threatening complications. As a result, doctors should make sure patients have good reason to stay on heartburn drugs long term, said study co-author Yu-Xiao Yang of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

“The general perception is they are relatively harmless,” Yang said. “They often are used without a clear or justified indication for the treatment.”

Source:The Times Of India

Categories
Suppliments our body needs

Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)

[amazon_link asins=’B00LFBMOGG,B00GBQ3K54,B01LZG8CW4,B008NC7QQS,B001LF39MY,B0014GRONK,B007Y9CF7Q,B000GFPD6K,B01MR5K7D5′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3cdb6c72-08eb-11e8-8067-89ea0cc70915′]

What is ALA? Why do we need it?
Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid that comes from plants. It is considered an essential nutrient, and is used as a source of energy by the body….click & see

ALA is considered a “parent” fatty acid; it is converted by the body into omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oils. Omega-3 fatty acids perform a number of regulatory functions in the body, including heart rate; blood pressure; immune response; and breakdown of fats. Essential fatty acids such as ALA are also used to make brain and nervous tissue.

Small studies have shown that ALA may prevent coronary heart disease and stop artherosclerosis. Other researchers have begun studying ALA’s anti-inflammatory and immunologic effects for conditions such as migraine headaches and depression. Currently, ALA is used to reduce cholesterol levels, treat allergic and inflammatory conditions, and fight autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lupus.

How much ALA should I take?

There is no recommended daily allowance of ALA. However, a healthy diet should include less saturated fats and more essential fatty acids. Before taking ALA supplements, discuss the situation with your health care provider.

What are some good sources of ALA?
The following foods and oils are good sources of ALA:

Foods: Flax seeds, margarine (if based on canola or soybean oil), mackerel, pumpkins, salmon, walnuts

Oils:
Canola oil, flaxseed oil, linseed oil, soybean oil

What can happen if I don’t get enough ALA?
As previously stated, there is no recommended daily allowance of ALA. If you have questions or concerns, talk with your health care provider about ALA and ALA supplements.

What can happen if I take too much? Are there any side-effects I should be aware of?
ALA supplements are usually high in calories; excess amounts may lead to unwanted weight gain. Flaxseed oil (a source of ALA) may increase the body’s need for vitamin E. Make sure to talk with your health care provider for more information.

Source:ChiroFind.com

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Cough

[amazon_link asins=’B01GJS8M74,B014SHBE2S,B009NTEYLK,B002CQUFX2,B000R4LPDU,B012ROWNS8,B00JRJKKFA,B00IO2C5DQ’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’834fa676-e920-11e7-9da1-9d79f875a056′]

It’s one of the most common medical complaints, and each year millions of people — up to 10% of the population by some estimates — seek their doctor’s help for it. Often, however, using one or two natural treatments may be all that’s necessary to get relief from a bothersome cough.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Symptoms
A cough is really a symptom — usually an indication of a respiratory infection or irritation of the throat, lungs, or air passages.

When to Call Your Doctor
If cough persists day and night, is exhausting, or is accompanied by shortness of breath, chest pain, weight loss, wheezing, or severe headache.

What It Is
Despite its seemingly unhealthy sound, a cough is actually a vital bodily function. Even though you may not realize it, you probably cough once or twice every hour to clear your throat and air passages of debris. Coughing causes trouble only when an environmental substance or an illness makes you hack uncontrollably. Coughs can be dry and nonproductive, meaning they bring up no fluids or sputum; or they can be wet and productive, expelling mucus and the germs or irritants it contains.

What Causes It
When an irritant enters your respiratory system, tiny cough receptors in the throat, lungs, and air passages begin producing extra mucus. This action stimulates nerve endings and sets in motion a sequence that culminates with the forceful expulsion of air and foreign material through the mouth — the cough. A variety of factors can trigger this reaction. Bacteria or viruses — such as those that cause the flu or the common cold — lead to an overproduction of mucus, which initiates a cough reflex (particularly at night, when sinuses drain and set off tickly coughs). Asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, and environmental pollutants — such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, or perfume — are other culprits.

How Supplements Can Help
Natural cough remedies can be used in place of typical drugstore cough medicines. There are two primary goals in treating a cough: The first is to subdue the cough reflex, especially when a cough causes pain or interferes with sleep; the second is to thin the mucus, making it easier to bring up so the irritant can be flushed from the body.

What Else You Can Do
Drink lots of water, warm broth, tea, and room-temperature fruit or vegetable juice to help thin the mucus.
Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten the air.
Don’t smoke and avoid contact with irritating fumes or vapors.
The herb plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is an effective cough remedy. However, the FDA warns that many products claiming to be plantain actually contain digitalis, a substance that can cause heart abnormalities. Avoid products labeled “plantain” unless the botanical name is given. And don’t confuse either type of plantain with the banana-like fruit Musa paradisiaca.

Supplement Recommendations

Slippery Elm
Marshmallow
Licorice
Horehound

Slippery Elm
Dosage: As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Comments: Use 1 tsp. dried herb per cup of hot water.

Marshmallow

Dosage: As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Comments: Use 2 tsp. dried herb per cup of hot water; can blend with slippery elm.

Licorice

Dosage: 45 drops tincture or 1 cup tea 3 times a day.
Comments: Add tincture to water or to herbal cough teas. Or steep 1 tsp. dried herb in hot water with slippery elm or marshmallow.

Horehound
Dosage: As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Comments: Use 1 or 2 tsp. dried herb per cup of hot water. Can be taken alone or with other herbs listed.

CLICK TO READ

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Source:Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs

Categories
News on Health & Science Therapies

Laughter, the best medicine

Laughter by David Shankbone

Image via Wikipedia

[amazon_link asins=’0393326845,0735273928,0544077741,B0759YY6TG,1507816030,0983463913,B0051Y02T4,B003EEMW5U,1456561804′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f4b19055-e012-11e7-a2c2-47f13c728428′]

If Dr Madan Kataria has his way, all IT and BPO offices in Bangalore(INDIA)will have a laugh room soon. “Instead of taking coffee and cigarette breaks, the employees will take a laughter break. It gives an equally good high, says Kataria, who runs a School for Laughter Yoga in Mumbai. (India)

Kataria is not joking. Last month, he conducted research with 30 employees in two Bangalore-based IT firms to determine the effects of laughter therapy on people suffering from work stress. We measured the stress levels of the employees before and after a laughter yoga session, says Kataria. The researchers found that stress levels reduced significantly after an hour of laughs and yogic exercise.

Kataria is still tabulating the findings of the research. Once that is done, he plans to float a proposal to start laughter yoga sessions in software firms — known for erratic hours and work stress.

Kataria believes a good guffaw a day keeps the doctor away. Laughter is a natural cure for many ailments like asthma, gastric ulcers and certain sexual disorders, he says. It helps asthmatics because laughter improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood, explains Kataria. If you laugh uninhibitedly, it clears all pent-up negative emotions and helps keep the mind clear, boosting the immune system and relaxing the body, adds the laughter yoga proponent.

At a time when medical drugs and self-help literature rule, Bangalore boasts of 160 laughter clubs ” the highest in any Indian city, according to B.K. Satyanarayana, founder, Bangalore Laughter Clubs. As work related stress is on the rise in Bangalore, more and more people are heading to laughter clubs. People are realising the benefits of a simple hearty laugh, says Satyanarayana. He adds that on an average, each club has over 50 members.

Daylight is yet to break as people start streaming into an open area near Ulsoor Lake, in the heart of Bangalore. The mostly middle-aged members of the local laughter club start the session at 6 am sharp. It takes off with a prayer which is followed by a Namaste laughter — that is, laughing with folded hands.

The one-hour session is a mix of yoga and laughs. Each yogic exercise – which includes pranayam, kapalabhati and bhastrika — is followed by stimulated laughter, each of which have names like ‘one meter laughter’, ‘forgiveness laughter, ˜break dance laughter and the ˜AK-47-without-a-bullet laughter.

L.G. Vishwanath Shetty, who anchors two clubs in R.T. Nagar, Bangalore, says his club members have mastered 40 ways of laughing. “One meter laughter is when you laugh at a stretch. Forgiveness laughter is when you hold your ear lobes and laugh looking at someone, as if to say that you have forgiven and forgotten,” explains Shetty.

Newcomers to the club admit it is not easy to laugh for no reason. Madhav Swamy, who recently enrolled at a laughter yoga club, says he initially felt odd when he was asked to break into peels of laughter for no reason. “I felt awkward,” says Swamy. But I gradually grew out of my inhibitions. Watching 50 people bend backwards and laugh heartily is very infectious, he adds.

B.K. Satyanarayana feels laughter is a much-needed medicine in a world that is turning into a dreadful place to live in. Unhappy news and negative thoughts abound today. We are trying to break the seriousness of life and alleviate stress through laughter clubs, he says. Satyanarayana calls laughter the easiest form of meditation.

The physical benefits of laughter are an added plus-point. More than 70 per cent of all illness has some relation to stress. These include high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, insomnia, migraine, anxiety, allergies and peptic ulcers, says Kataria.

Researchers have found that laughing increases the count of antibodies present in the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory passages. This means that people who laugh a lot catch fewer colds and chest and throat infections. Also, a laugh a day strengthens the human body’s immune system by increasing the count of natural killer lymphocytes, a type of white cell and raising the level of antibodies, he adds.

Laughter is also an effective pain killer, claims Kataria, adding, “Laughing increases the level of endorphins which is a natural pain killer. So it reduces the pain from migraine, spondilitis and arthritis.

There is good news for those who want to look good. Laughter tones up facial muscles and increases blood supply to the face and thus gives it a glow. Laughing can make you look younger, claims Kataria, adding, “But the biggest benefit of laughing is the bonhomie it creates among people. If people laugh together, they bond better and shed ill will.

Clearly, laughter therapy is no laughing matter
.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

Zemanta Pixie
Categories
Healthy Tips

Heart-Healthy Advice You Need

[amazon_link asins=’0767921682,B00EI5YIBA,0307888029,1623157455,1977999441,0307407616,1583333002,1455528064,1592335403′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7616f25d-1193-11e8-8515-ffe782c56967′]

Whether you’re at high risk for heart trouble or you’re trying to control early-stage heart disease, here are some simple lifestyle changes you can make.

CLICK  & SEE

Exersise and Eat Right.
Simple lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk of heart disease. If you’re at high risk or you’re trying to control early-stage heart disease, here are some important preventive steps — involving diet, exercise, medical options, supplements and lifestyle — you can take.
Diet
Think international. People who eat a traditional Mediterranean or Asian diet appear to have lower rates of heart disease than those who eat a typical American diet. Incorporate elements of these diets into your healthy eating plan.

Eat heart-smart foods. Choose foods that can reduce cholesterol and improve heart health, such as fruits (apples, avocados, dried fruits, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, corn, lima beans, onions), seafood (clams, mussels, oysters), fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon and bluefish), soy, nuts and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Cut the fat. To keep your cholesterol level down, limit the amount of fat you eat, especially saturated fat. Your total fat intake should be no more than 30% of your daily calories. Focus on low-fat alternatives to red meat, such as fish or skinless chicken or turkey. Eating fish several times a week can cut your risk of heart attack by as much as half. Lower your intake of dairy fats by switching to low-fat or skim varieties. Or try soy milk — soy protein can lower cholesterol.
Spice it up. If you have high blood pressure, cut your sodium intake. In fact, researchers now think that even people whose blood pressure is within normal range should cut back on sodium. Avoid processed foods, which contain a lot of sodium, and ease up on salt at mealtime. But don’t settle for bland fare. Add flavor with salsa, curry, peppers, or garlic. Eating one to three cloves of garlic a day has been shown to reduce blood pressure and possibly lower cholesterol.

Add rough stuff. Soluble fiber — plentiful in fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains — prevents arterial plaque buildup. Studies show that eating three or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke by 25% or more. In one study, eating cooked dried beans daily lowered LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, by 20% in just three weeks. Other research showed that a diet high in whole grains can cut a woman’s risk of dying from heart disease by up to 15%. And dozens of studies confirm that eating oats has a cholesterol-lowering effect.

Seeing red. Drinking alcohol in moderation raises HDL, or “good,” cholesterol and “thins” the blood, reducing the likelihood of clots that can cause heart attack and stroke. Red wine offers additional benefits. Its dark pigments are rich in bioflavonoids that prevent the oxidation of LDL, making it less likely to stick to artery walls. Research showed that people who drank two 8-ounce glasses of red wine a day were 40% less likely to have a heart attack than those who didn’t imbibe. But don’t overdo it — too much alcohol raises your triglyceride level (and high triglyceride levels are linked to coronary artery disease and untreated diabetes in some people). And if you have an alcohol problem, the harm far outweighs any potential benefit. Other good sources of bioflavonoids: black and green tea, onions, kale and apples.

Exercise
Work your heart. The best preventive medicine for your heart is aerobic exercise. It reduces high blood pressure and atherosclerosis by widening the blood vessels. Plus, it raises “good” cholesterol levels. Choose an activity that works the large muscles of your legs and buttocks (like brisk walking or bicycling), and strive to reach your target heart rate for at least 15 to 20 minutes, three or four times a week.

An (up)lifting idea. An American Heart Association (AHA) survey found that lifting weights a few times a week can improve heart health in some people. That’s because stronger muscles can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Having more muscle tissue also raises your metabolism, which helps control your weight. But don’t skip the brisk walk. The AHA recommends pumping iron in addition to aerobic exercise.

Be flexible. Flexibility exercises like yoga not only help keep your joints limber but also help cut the production of stress hormones that can contribute to heart disease.

Evaluate Your Heart Health
Medical Options
Schedule a checkup. Until age 65, you should have your blood pressure checked at least every other year. At age 65, you should have it checked at least annually. Most doctors also recommend a yearly cholesterol screening if you have high cholesterol or other heart-disease risk factors. Your doctor may also recommend electrocardiography (an ECG) to evaluate your heart health. While you’re there, ask about a simple blood test for a substance called C-reactive protein. According to Harvard researchers studying 28,000 healthy women, this test helped predict heart attack risk better than cholesterol tests.
An aspirin a day? People with existing heart disease may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy, which may prevent heart attacks. The dosage ranges from part of an aspirin (80 mg) to one aspirin (325 mg) daily. Ask your doctor what’s right for you.

Depressurize. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease. If diet and exercise can’t control it, blood-pressure medication can help.

Deal with diabetes. People with diabetes, most of whom are adults with the type 2 form of the disease, are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or stroke. Controlling the disease is often just a matter of losing extra pounds, exercising regularly and following a heart-healthy diet.
Don’t ignore depression. One study found that depressed people were 1.7 times more likely to develop heart disease and that depressed men were nearly three times as likely to die from it. See your doctor for help.

Supplements
Consider folate and vitamin B6. These vitamins lower elevated levels of homocysteine, a substance in the blood that may raise your risk of heart disease. A daily intake of more than 400 mcg of folate and 3 mg of B6 appears to reduce the risk of heart disease in women.

Go fish. Fish oil capsules contain omega-3 fatty acids, which act as anticlotting agents. Check with your doctor before taking them to avoid interactions with other medications.
Get garlic. Garlic capsules offer the health benefits of garlic without odor. Choose pills that supply 4000 mcg of allicin and take 400 to 600 mg a day.

Lifestyle
Rein in your rage. Don’t get mad — it’s bad for your heart. A study of nearly 13,000 people found that those who were quick to anger were almost three times more likely to have heart attacks than their cooler-headed peers.

Stay trim. Being even slightly overweight can increase your blood pressure and put you at greater risk for heart disease. Follow a heart-smart diet and make exercise a priority.
No ifs, ands, or butts. According to the American Heart Association, you can cut your risk of death related to heart disease by 50% by kicking the smoking habit. After three smoke-free years, your risk of heart disease is the same as that of a lifelong nonsmoker.

Time out. Minimize stress, a risk factor for heart disease. Try meditation or visualization or yoga. Prayer may also help. Take brisk walks with a friend; your conversation may add extra stress relief.
Getting away is good for your heart. Researchers found that men between ages 35 and 57 who took a yearly vacation were one-third less likely to die from heart disease than their stay-at-work colleagues.

Source  :Readers Digest

css.php