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News on Health & Science

Breast Cancer Resources

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List of resources on the Web where you can get more information on breast cancer :-

American Cancer Society
This site provides information to patients on cancer treatment, early detection and prevention, as well as information on a variety of services available to cancer patients and their families.

American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
AICR has information about cancer prevention, particularly concerning diet and nutrition. The site offers research updates, recipes, and free brochures and publications.

Cancer 411
Cancer 411 represents the combined efforts of two organizations: The Rory Foundation and The Joyce Foundation. Their goal is to put cancer patients, their families, and doctors in touch with the critical information they need as quickly as possible, through articles, Webcasts, listings of clinical trials, and other information.

Cancer Net
This site offers the most current information from the National Cancer Institute, including statistical data, treatment options, and clinical trials information.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
This organization fights to eradicate breast cancer by funding national grants, education, and screening and treatment programs. Its site offers information about breast cancer and Komen fundraising events throughout the U.S.

People Living With Cancer/ASCO
This site offers information to cancer patients, families, and health care professionals, including disease summaries, news stories, events, and discussions on most major cancers.

OncoLink
Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, OncoLink is a comprehensive, well-organized source of cancer information for patients and health care professionals.

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
Y-ME’s site includes general information about breast cancer for women and men who have the disease, as well as their family members and loved ones. Some of the information is also available in Spanish.

From: The National Cancer Institute

As published in Reader’s Digest

Categories
WHY CORNER

Why is some hair straight and some curly?

KnowHow team explains: Hair is curly or straight, depending upon the number of disulphide bonds between the hair proteins found in the hair shaft. The greater the number of links, the curlier is the hair, and the fewer the links, the straighter the hair.

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Hair is primarily composed of keratin, a protein that grows from sacs called follicles. Cells in the follicle generate keratin and various other proteins that become a part of the hair shaft. These proteins contain sulphur atoms and when two of these atoms pair up and bond, they form a disulphide bond. If the two sulphur atoms in the same protein are at a distance and join to form the disulphide bond, the protein will bend.

The amount of humidity in the air not only makes for what some call a “bad hair day”, but also alters the degree of curliness or straightness of hair. High humidity forces water back into the hair fibre, acts on its protein structure and forces the hair shaft to return to its original structure.

People can alter their hair to force it into a straight or curly state, but only on a temporary basis. When a straight-haired person gets a “permanent wave” — or “perm” — he or she is chemically forcing the making of strong disulphide bonds. The wave does not stay permanently because new hair, which is straight, grows in as the perm grows out. Similarly, those with curly hair may chemically alter their hair to give it a straighter appearance but this, too, is a temporary solution.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

Categories
Herbs & Plants Herbs & Plants (Spices)

Caraway

Botanical Name: Carum carvi
Family:    Umbelliferae
Genus:    Carum
Species:C. carvi
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Apiales

Common Names:Caraway,Meridian fennel, Persian cumin

Other Names:
carvies (Scottish), wild cumin, Roman cumin, Persian caraway

Habitat :Caraway is native to western Asia, Europe and Northern Africa.The plant prefers warm, sunny locations and well-drained soil.

Description:
Caraway or Persian cumin (Carum carvi) is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and western Asia and Northern Africa, the Mediterranean and much of Europe. It falls into both categories of herb and spice, as it is the seeds that are used primarily, but if you grow it yourself , the leaves and the root are also edible. Caraway has been found in food dating back to 3000 BC making it one of the oldest cultivated spices. The Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with caraway to ward off evil spirits. It was also used as a food and a medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome. A Greek physician, Dioscorides prescribed oil of caraway to young ladies to rub into their skin and restore a healthy glow. Julius Caesar’s army ate a bread made of caraway root (chara). During the middle ages the use of caraway spread up from the Arabian pensinsula and into Northern Europe. Old herbal legends describe caraway’s power to keep things from getting lost or stolen. It was used in an ancient love potion, and it was also believed that if you tucked some into your possesions they would be protected from theft. As well it is known to be attractive to fowl and is used to keep chickens and pigeons from straying

The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on 20–30 cm stems. The main flower stem is 40–60 cm tall, with small white or pink flowers in umbels. Caraway fruits (erroneously called seeds) are crescent-shaped achenes, around 2 mm long, with five pale ridges.

click to see the pictures.…...(01)....(1)..…(2)……...(3)...(4).………………………
Cultivation and uses:

Caraway is a biennial that takes two years for full life cycle, after it produces seeds it dies off. It can reach a height of 30-80cm with foliage that is frilly like the foliage of carrots. It has a thick root, similar to a parsnip and hollow fluted stems. The clusters of small flowers can be white, yellow or green. It is an easily grown plant that prefers a well drained soil and a sunny spot. After it flowers, the seed produced are brownish in colour, are ribbed and slightly cresent shaped. It resembles cumin and the two are often confused in Asia. It is commercially cultivated all over Europe as well as in Turkey, India and North African. Dutch caraway is considered to be of high quality and Holland is one of the largest producers.

The fruits, usually used whole, have a pungent, anise-like flavor and aroma that come from essential oils, mostly carvone and limonene. They are used as a spice in breads especially rye bread. Caraway is also used in liquors, casseroles, and other foods, especially in Central European and Scandinavian cuisine, for instance sauerkraut. It is also used to add flavor to cheeses such as havarti.

The roots may be cooked as a root vegetable like parsnips or carrots.

In one of the short stories in Dubliners by James Joyce, a character eats caraway seeds to mask the alcohol on his breath.
Culinary Uses
Caraway seeds can hold their flavour for months stored in airtight containers and kept away from light. It is suggested to add seeds after a dish is cooked, as a long simmer may turn the flavour bitter. It has a sweet warm aroma with a flavour similar to aniseed and fennel. It figures prominently in the cuisines of Germany, Austria, eastern Europe and Scandinavia. It seems to have a special affinity for apples, pork and sausages.The spice seems to counter act the fattiness of pork, duck and goose. It is an essential taste in sauerbraten, sauerkraut and rye bread. Smoked and skimmed milk cheeses from Austria, Germany, Hungary Holland and Scandinavia contain whole seed. There are medieval recipes for caraway flavoured cheese that are still in use today. (Dutch cheese). There are many liquers are flavoured with caraway (Kummel, Akuavit gins and Schnapps). It can also be used in cakes cookies, soups, omelets, rice and pasta dishes, cheese spreads and vegetable dishes. In Elizabethan times it was used to flavour bread, cakes and fruit, particularly apples. It was popular with english tea in a seedcake, similar to a pound cake served warm with butter. Caraway seeds were customarily chewed to freshen breath. The essential oil extracted from caraway is used to flavour liquers, mouthwashes, toothpastes and chewing gums

Medicinal Properties and Uses
The primary medical benefit of caraway is its effect on digestion. It is a carminative which means it helps with gas and digestion. It is helpful to chew caraway seeds after a heavy meal. It has been used for colic as it is a light sedative and it can be used to settle a queasy stomach (antispasmodic).Akvavit and several liqueurs are also made with caraway, and a tisane made from the seeds is good for colic, loss of appetite, digestive disorders and to dispel worms. Caraway seed oil is also used as a fragrance component in soaps, lotions, and perfumes.

Caraway water is well known for its carminative effect, particularly for babies.  This property of the seeds has been known and used from ancient times until today.  Caraway is also used as a flavoring for children’s medicines.  It is a good digestive and stomachic.  Other properties it is believed to have are: antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, appetitive, emmenagogic, expectorant and galactagogic (stimulates the secretion of bile).   It was used in cases of dyspepsia, diarrhoea and even hysteria.   Dioscorides is quoted as recommending pallid girls to take a tonic of caraway oil.  Modern researchers have discovered that two chemicals (carvol and carvene) in caraway seeds soothe the smooth muscle tissue of the digestive tract and help expel gas.  Antispasmodic, which appear to be present in caraway, soothe not only the digestive tract but other smooth muscles, such as the uterus, as well.  Thus, caraway might relax the uterus, not stimulate it.  Women may try it for relief of menstrual cramps.  For a pleasant-tasting infusion that might help aid digestion, relieve gas or menstrual cramping, use 2-3 teaspoons of bruised or crushed seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes.  Drink up to 3 cups a day.  If you prefer a tincture, take -1 teaspoon up to three times a day.  Low-strength caraway infusions may be given to infants for colic and gas.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Help taken from:www.theepicentre.com and en.wikipedia.org

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Appendicitis

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The appendix is a small outgrowth of tissue forming a tube-shaped sac attached to the lower end of the large intestine. Inflammation of the appendix presents itself in acute and chronic forms and affects both the sexes equally.Appendicitis is when your appendix becomes blocked and inflamed. The appendix is a small pouch attached to your large intestine, whose function is not well known. This disease accounts for about half the acute abdominal emergencies occurring between the ages of ten and thirty.

click to see the pictures

Symptoms:
Pain in centre of abdomen, discomfort in abdomen
Appendicitis usually begins with a sudden pain in the centre of the abdomen. The pain may be preceded by general discomfort in the abdomen, indigestion, diarrhoea, or constipation. Gradually, the pain shifts to the lower right side, and is usually accompanied by a fever varying from 38 oC to 39 oC.

The symptoms of appendicitis vary. It can be hard to diagnosis appendicitis in young children, the elderly, and women of childbearing age.

Typically, the first symptom is pain around your navel. The pain initially may be vague, but becomes increasingly sharp and severe. You may have reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever.

As the inflammation in the appendix increases, the pain tends to move into your right lower abdomen and focuses directly above the appendix at a place called “McBurney’s point.”

If the appendix ruptures, the pain may lessen briefly and you may feel better. However, once peritonitis sets in, the pain worsens and you become sicker.

Abdominal pain may be worse when walking or coughing. You may prefer to lie still because sudden movement causes pain.

Later symptoms include:

Fever
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Diarrhea
Chills and shaking

Causes of Appendicitis:
Appendicitis is initiated by the presence of an excessive amount of poisonous waste material in the caecum. As a result, the appendix gets irritated and inflamed. Inflammation and infection are caused by certain germs which are usually present in the intestinal tract.

click to see the picture

click to see the pictue of acute appendicitis

Signs and tests
With appendicitis, pain increases when the abdomen is gently pressed and then the pressure is suddenly released. If peritonitis is present, touching the abdomen may cause a spasm of the abdominal muscles. A rectal examination may identify abdominal or pelvic pain on the right side of your body.

Doctors can usually diagnose appendicitis by your description of the symptoms, the physical exam, and laboratory tests alone. In some cases, additional tests may be needed. These may include:

Abdominal ultrasound
Abdominal CT scan
Diagnostic laparoscopy

Note: In December 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration recalled a drug used during some imaging tests after reports of life-threatening side effects and two deaths. The drug, called NeutroSpec, is used to help diagnose appendicitis in patients ages 5 and older who may have the condition but do not show the usual signs and symptoms.


Modern Treatment:

For uncomplicated cases, a surgical procedure caflled an appendectomy is performed to remove the appendix soon after the diagnosis. An appendectomy can be done as an “open” procedure, where fairly large surgical cuts are made in your abdomen. The surgery can also be done as a laparoscopic procedure, which uses a camera and small incisions.

If the operation reveals that the appendix is normal, the surgeon will remove the appendix and explore the rest of the abdomen for other causes of your pain.

If a CT scan reveals an abscess from a ruptured appendix, the patient may be treated and the appendix removed later, after the infection and inflammation have gone away.

Expectations (prognosis)
If your appendix is treated before it ruptures, you will probably recover rapidly from surgery. If your appendix ruptures before surgery, you will probably recover more slowly, and are more likely to develop an abscess.

Complications
Peritonitis
Abscess
Fistulas
Wound infection

Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you develop abdominal pain in the lower right portion of your belly, or any other symptoms of appendicitis.

Homeopathic Treatment for Appendicitis

Home Remedies for Appendicitis:
Appendicitis treatment using Green Gram
Green gram is a proven home remedy for acute appendicitis. An infusion of green gram is an excellent medicine for treating this condition. It can be taken in a small quantity of one tablespoon three times a day.

Appendicitis treatment using Fenugreek Seeds
Regular use of tea made from fenugreek seeds has proved helpful in preventing the appendix from becoming a dumping ground for excess mucus and intestinal waste. This tea is prepared by putting one tablespoon of the seeds in a litre of cold water and allowing it to simmer for half an hour over a low flame and then strained it. It should be allowed to cool a little before being drunk.

Appendicitis treatment using Vegetable Juices
Certain vegetable juices have been found valuable in appendicitis. A particularly good combination is that of 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice. This combined juice can be taken twice daily.

Appendicitis treatment using Buttermilk
Buttermilk is beneficial in the treatment of chronic form of appendicitis. One litre of buttermilk may be taken daily for this purpose.

Appendicitis treatment using Whole Wheat
The consumption of whole wheat, which includes bran and wheat germ, has been found beneficial in preventing several digestive disorders, including appendicitis. The bran of wheat can be sterilised by baking after thorough cleaning. This sterilised bran can be added to wheat flour in the proportion of one to six by weight. Two or three chapatis mane from this flour can be eaten daily for preventing this disease.

Appendicitis diet
Fasting and nothing except water
At the first symptoms of severe pain, vomiting, and fever, the patient should resort to fasting and nothing except water should enter the system.

Fruit juices and All-fruit diet
Fruit juices may be given from the third day onwards for the next three days. Thereafter the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for a further four or five days.

Well-balanced diet
After this tightly regulated regimen, he should adopt a well-balanced diet, consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Other Appendicitis treatments:
Half litre of Warm-water enema
When the first symptoms of pain, vomiting, and fever occur, the patient must be put to bed immediately, as rest is of the utmost importance. A low enema, containing about half a litre of warm water, should be administered once every day for the first three days to cleanse the lower bowel if it can be tolerated with comfort.

Hot compresses and abdominal packs of wet sheet strip
Hot compresses may be placed over the painful area several times daily. Abdominal packs, made of a strip of wet sheet and covered by a dry flannel cloth bound tightly around the abdomen, should be applied continuously until all acute symptoms subside.

Three litres of warm-water enema
When the acute symptoms subside by about the third day, the patient should be given a full enema containing about three litres of warm water, and this should be repeated daily until all inflammation and pain have subsided.

Avoid constipation
In other words, the patient of appendicitis should adopt all measures to eradicate constipation. Once the waste matter in the caecum has moved into the colon and is then eliminated, the irritation and inflammation in the appendix will subside and surgical removal of the appendix may not be necessary.

IT IS ALWAYS ADVICED TO CONSULT A DOCTOR AND TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION FOR ACUTE APPENDICTIS CASES.

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.
Sources:www.healthline.com AND www.home-remedies-for-you.com

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Categories
Healthy Tips

How to Get the Calcium We Need

Adults who shrug off their calcium needs miss out on protective benefits — against broken bones, heart attacks, and cancer.

Calcium, the body’s most abundant mineral, plays a critical role in bone health, but it does much more than that. Calcium permits cells to divide, regulates muscle contraction and relaxation, keeps the heart beating and the brain working, plays an important role in the movement of protein and nutrients inside cells, helps control blood pressure, and is essential for blood clotting. Calcium also seems to protect against heart attacks and certain types of cancers.

“We evolved from the ocean, and the ocean is a high-calcium bath,” says Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, dermatology, and physiology at Boston University Medical Center. “Living organisms used calcium for all types of purposes because it was readily available. But now that we’re on land, the lack of calcium in our environment poses a serious risk.”

The body maintains its blood calcium level at any expense, Holick says. So if you’re not absorbing enough calcium from what you eat to satisfy your body’s requirement, you’ll steal it from your bones.

In effect, the body uses its bones as a calcium bank.
“It constantly takes calcium from the bone and supplies it to the blood to make sure that all of these essential functions can continue,” explains Bernard P. Halloran, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

When you eat a piece of cheese, drink a glass of milk, or take a calcium supplement, the calcium is digested in the intestine, where vitamin D stimulates its absorption.
It then travels through the body in your blood, where it. s constantly deposited and withdrawn from bone. “It’s as if we put a thousand dollars worth of calcium into the bone each day and remove a thousand dollars worth each day,” says Halloran. “The bone stays in a steady state, but a amount of calcium goes in and out of it.” This ensures that the body always has a source of calcium when it needs it..…click & see

We are Never Too Old
Many adults shrug off the need for adequate calcium and feel it’s not necessary since they’re no longer building bone, a process that ends at about age 30. “But if you continue to consume an inadequate amount of calcium, you’ll gradually erode your skeleton to the point where, one morning, you’ll break a bone when you get out of bed,” warns Halloran.

According to one researcher, if adults simply added one more glass of milk and a cup of yogurt a day, and either walked or participated in some other form of weight-bearing exercise for 30 minutes a day, they could substantially reduce the incidence of broken bones resulting from osteoporosis.

Because vitamin D plays a role in the body’s absorption of calcium, consuming a sufficient amount is also crucially important and simple. Milk has been fortified with vitamin D, so if you drink milk you’re getting enough. And, since your body makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s rays, 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight on your face and hands two to three times a week will take care of it. If you don’t drink milk and the weather is gloomy, take a multivitamin that includes vitamin D. But never use supplements of this single vitamin unless your doctor recommends them; too much vitamin D can be toxic.

Good Sources of Calcium
Although the optimal amount of calcium isn’t known, “enough” according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine, is 1,200 milligrams (mg) a day for adults over 50. The most readily available form of calcium is in dairy products.

But  we can get calcium from many other foods as well. Tofu, if prepared with calcium sulfate, is an outstanding source. Just one-quarter of a block gives you a substantial 553 mg. Don’t like tofu? Try whizzing it in a blender with some milk or juice, fresh fruit, and a bit of honey to make a nourishing and delicious smoothie. Leafy green vegetables, calcium-fortified fruit juices, canned sardines, and canned salmon with bones are all good sources. Even carrots and green peas contain calcium. To up your consumption of calcium in a way you won’t even notice, add dry milk to soups or sauces. Just one-quarter cup of dry milk provides 375 mg of calcium.

Debunking Myths
“Milk is a poor source.” Some people believe that drinking milk is not a good way to get calcium because the protein in it carries away the calcium in urine. “Here’s the story,” says Holick. “The body metabolizes the sulfur amino acids in protein and releases sulfuric acid. And that acid, which is excreted in urine, takes calcium along with it.” So it does have a marginal effect on bones. However, if you get enough calcium in your diet, you can more than offset any loss.

“Coffee saps calcium.” A while back, reports warned that drinking caffeinated coffee would leach calcium from bones. “But a nicely done study shows that the amount of calcium in the milk you put into your coffee is enough to make up for the minuscule amount of calcium lost,” Holick says.

“Calcium causes kidney stones.” In the past, people whose risk of kidney stones was high were told to limit the amount of calcium they ate because the stones are made from calcium salts. But current thinking has it that calcium from food actually decreases the risk of kidney stones.

The most important message about calcium is also the simplest: Make sure you get an adequate amount. You don’t have to count milligrams with every bite, but learn which foods are rich in calcium and make them a regular part of your diet. And, to guarantee that the calcium you eat becomes available to your body, get sufficient vitamin D, via the sun or in a multivitamin tablet.

How much calcium is in … ?
Both men and women over age 50 should be eating 1,200 mg of calcium a day. The chart below shows the calcium content of some common foods:-

Food………………….Amount…………………..Calcium
Yogurt..…………………….1 8-oz container……………….. 400
Low-fat milk..…………1 8-oz.glass………………………… 300 mg
Calcium-fortified juice…1 8-oz.glass………………….300 mg
Swiss cheese..…………1 1-oz.slice…………………………… 270 mg
Sardines with bones.……3 oz……………………………….200 mg
Broccoli….……………….1 cup………………………………………75 mg
Green beans.…………..1 cup………………………………………60 mg
Orange………………..1pce…………………………………………….50 mg

From New Choices (Reader’s Digest)

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