Categories
News on Health & Science

NEW Research Explains 61% of Multiple Sclerosis Cases

 

[amazon_link asins=’B01IDP3S8E,1936303361,1118175875,1683090292,0977344649,1583335544′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3a32aee5-f58e-11e6-a94c-b390345fc19e’]New research shows that low levels of sunlight, coupled with glandular fever, could increase your risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). This could be one reason that MS tends to be more common away from the equator.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

The study suggested that low levels of sunlight could affect how your body responds to infection. Vitamin D deficiency could be another possible link.

BBC News reports:
“The researchers found that by just analyzing sunlight, they could explain 61 percent of the variation in the number of MS cases across England. However when they combined the effect of sunlight and glandular fever, 72 percent of the variation in MS cases could be explained.”

REMEMBER: When the American Cancer Society, or dermatologists, tell you that you should be avoiding the sun at all costs, they are dead wrong.

You may click to see :
*Harvard study finds high vitamin D intake may cut multiple sclerosis risk
*Multiple Sclerosis: blaming the sunshine :
*Too Little Sunshine Raises Risk of MS :http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/21/too-little-sunshine-raises-risk-of-ms/

Resources:
BBC News April 19, 2011
Neurology April 19, 2011;76(16):1410-4

The HealthAGE April.19,2011

Posted By Dr. Mercola

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Positive thinking

Healing Gardens

[amazon_link asins=’B001KYS87M,0471192031′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c856d2aa-f0ec-11e6-86fb-adf12718134c’]

Hand in Hand with Nature ………
Time spent in nature’s embrace is a soothing reminder of the fact that we also are products of the natural world’s ingenuity. We feel at home in a quiet forest and are comforted by the pounding surf of the seaside. In both the sunny meadow and the shaded waterfall’s grotto, stress and tension we have long retained melts away. Finding opportunities to reconnect with nature to enjoy its healing benefits can be difficult, however. Planting and tending a garden allows us to spend time with Mother Nature in a very personal and hands-on way. We work in tandem with nature while gardening—honoring the seasons, participating in the life cycle of various organisms, experiencing the unique biorhythms of our environments, and transcending all that divides us from the natural world. As we interact with the soil, we are free to be ourselves and reflect upon meditative topics. Fresh air invigorates us, while our visceral connection to the earth grounds us.

Though you may plant a garden to grow food or herbs, or for the pleasure of seeing fresh flowers in bloom, you will likely discover that the time you spend working in your plot feels somehow more significant than many of the seemingly more important tasks you perform each day. Whether your garden can be measured in feet or is a collection of plants in pots, tending it can be a highly spiritual experience. You, by necessity, develop a closer relationship with the soil, seeds, water, and sunlight. Nurturing just a single plant means cultivating a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that permit it to thrive. A true healing garden is simply one where you feel comfortable plunging your hands into the earth, lingering over seedlings and plants to observe their growth. And yes, even caressing and talking to plants. Creating beauty through the creative use of space, and giving yourself over to awe when you realize that you have worked hand in hand with nature to give birth to som! ething, is truly wonderful.

The partnership that is formed when you collaborate with Mother Nature through gardening is wonderful in that it provides you with so many opportunities to be outdoors. You will be reminded of not only your connection to the earth but also of your unique gifts that allow you to give back to the earth.


Source:
Daily Om

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
News on Health & Science

Lack of Vitamin ‘D’ Linked to Cognitive Decline

[amazon_link asins=’B00GB85JR4,B0179785OO,B00JGCBGZQ,B004U3Y8OM,B0032BH76O,B004TBXGS4,B004XLRTUQ,B00EDU4K6I,B0037LOLKY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e3bd1918-5fa6-11e7-a652-55e1ee254969′]

Researchers have for the first time identified a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment in a large-scale study of older people.
The study looked at almost 2,000 adults aged 65 and over. As levels of vitamin D went down, levels of cognitive impairment went up. Those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to be cognitively impaired.

One problem faced by older people is that the capacity of their skin to absorb vitamin D from sunlight decreases as they age.

Sources:

Eurekalert January 22, 2009

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology December 10, 2008

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Featured

Sun Power

[amazon_link asins=’B00CPGMUXW,B01ARI17NI’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e738b898-3b86-11e7-bc03-3f216903d34a’]

Mankind knows that the sun is the centre of the universe and that it sustains life. But some ancient civilisations were a little confused: did the sun go around the earth? Or was it the other way around? All of them (the Chinese, Aztecs, Greeks, Romans and Indians) respected the sun and had elaborate rituals to appease its mighty power. Many of these movements were later incorporated into exercise forms, to be performed early in the morning clad in scanty clothing as the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon.
….CLICK  &  SEE THE PICTURES
The sun emits light with varying spectra. The UVB (the B band of ultra violet rays) stimulates the production of vitamin D. These rays are maximal at sunrise and sunset, when the sunlight hits the body at an angle, and not when the sun is directly overhead. The beneficial rays are also screened out by window panes, clouds, fog and smog. This is why exercise is best performed outdoors and at such times.

As the sunlight falls on the skin, it helps the body manufacture vitamin D. In 30 minutes, around 3000IU (international units) of vitamin D is formed and absorbed into the body. Vitamin D is essential for calcium to enter our bones. This prevents rickets in children, and osteoporosis and osteomalacia in adults. Most people require only five minutes of exposure to obtain their daily requirements of this important vitamin.

Many people take vitamin D supplements or capsules of natural cod liver oil to prevent a deficiency. But these rarely contain more than 90IU while children require 200IU/day and adults 400IU/day.

Sunlight affects the pineal gland in the brain and exposure reduces the formation and release of a hormone called melatonin. An increase in melatonin levels leads to depression. That is why the “blues” set in (even in tropical countries) during winter when the days are shorter, or during the dark cloudy monsoon days. Post-natal depression too is aggravated in women confined indoors in dark rooms after childbirth.

Regular and longer exposure to sunlight elevates the mood naturally. People who walk or jog outdoors in daylight regularly have a more positive approach to life, less stress and better ability to cope. Roman gladiators were exposed to the sun regularly as part of their training. The trainers discovered that this toughened them mentally, and enlarged and strengthened the muscles, giving them an edge over their opponents.

Fretful children, who sleep poorly, build up fatigue and tension in their hapless parents. These children will sleep longer and more soundly if they are exposed to sunlight between noon and 4 p.m. in the veranda or some other shaded area.

Sometimes babies are jaundiced after birth. Whatever the cause, exposure of the affected unclothed baby to sunlight (UVB) for 10 minutes daily, early in the morning, brings down the jaundice. In severe cases (in intensive care facilities and nurseries), infants are exposed to artificial UVB lights for longer periods to produce the same effect.

The incidence of certain cancers, like those of the breast, prostate, reproductive organs and colon, is increased in individuals who are not regularly exposed to the sun.

The sun is a good antiseptic. Before the modern antibiotic era, fresh air and sunshine were used to heal wounds and treat tuberculosis.

Bed bugs can be eliminated by regular exposure of mattresses and linen to sunlight. This prevents human exposure to toxic chemical pesticides.

In resource-limited settings, where fuel is scarce and expensive, families often consume contaminated water without boiling it. This causes diarrhoea, eventually leading to chronic ill health and malnutrition. Exposure of the water to sunlight in transparent plastic drums for an hour significantly reduces the bacterial load and the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases.

Beneficial sunlight enters our body through our eyes. It has a profound effect on hormones, reproduction and our natural internal circadian (sleep) rhythm. The amount allowed inside is naturally adjusted (without sunglasses) by the pupils and according to the colour of our eyes. In Scandinavian countries where the sunlight is less the eyes are light coloured, allowing in more light, while the converse is true closer to the equator.

The ill effects of exposure to sunlight and the danger of developing skin cancer have been widely publicised. Skin cancer usually develops as a result of inappropriate exposure to excessive sunlight, usually around mid-day in lightly pigmented individuals. Too much of anything is bad, and the same is true of the sun too.

The sun is a boundless source of energy and health. We need to expose ourselves to its slanting rays regularly in the morning or evening, to keep our moods elevated, our muscles strong, our circadian rhythms intact and our body cancer free. It helps to start the day with a suryanamaskar, our very own traditional salute to the sun.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Positive thinking

Hand In Hand With Nature

Healing Gardens
Time spent in nature’s embrace is a soothing reminder of the fact that we also are products of the natural world‘s ingenuity. We feel at home in a quiet forest and are comforted by the pounding surf of the seaside. In both the sunny meadow and the shaded waterfall’s grotto, stress and tension we have long retained melts away. Finding opportunities to reconnect with nature to enjoy its healing benefits can be difficult, however. Planting and tending a garden allows us to spend time with Mother Nature in a very personal and hands-on way. We work in tandem with nature while gardening-honoring the seasons, participating in the life cycle of various organisms, experiencing the unique biorhythms of our environments, and transcending all that divides us from the natural world. As we interact with the soil, we are free to be ourselves and reflect upon meditative topics. Fresh air invigorates us, while our visceral connection to the earth grounds us.

Though you may plant a garden to grow food or herbs, or for the pleasure of seeing fresh flowers in bloom, you will likely discover that the time you spend working in your plot feels somehow more significant than many of the seemingly more important tasks you perform each day. Whether your garden can be measured in feet or is a collection of plants in pots, tending it can be a highly spiritual experience. You, by necessity, develop a closer relationship with the soil, seeds, water, and sunlight. Nurturing just a single plant means cultivating a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that permit it to thrive. A true healing garden is simply one where you feel comfortable plunging your hands into the earth, lingering over seedlings and plants to observe their growth. And yes, even caressing and talking to plants. Creating beauty through the creative use of space, and giving yourself over to awe when you realize that you have worked hand in hand with nature to give birth to som! ething, is truly wonderful.

The partnership that is formed when you collaborate with Mother Nature through gardening is wonderful in that it provides you with so many opportunities to be outdoors. You will be reminded of not only your connection to the earth but also of your unique gifts that allow you to give back to the earth.

Source:Daily Om

css.php