May 2008
Monthly Archive
Some Fats Deserve Change of Heart
Posted by admin on 30 May 2008 | Tagged as: Diseases, Diet
Fewer than half of Americans realize there are two types of dietary fat that actually help their hearts, a new survey shows.So, while many have heeded the warnings about the cardiovascular dangers of trans fats and saturated fats, the American Heart Association (AHA) now thinks people need to pay more attention to the cardiovascular benefits conferred by polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Continue Reading »
Historical or traditional use of goldenseal
Posted by admin on 29 May 2008 | Tagged as: Herbal Medicine, Herbs
Goldenseal is native to eastern North America and is cultivated in Oregon and Washington. It is seriously threatened by over-harvesting in the wild. The dried root and rhizome are used in herbal medicine. Continue Reading »
Big Increase Reported in Intestinal ‘Superbug’ Infections
Posted by admin on 28 May 2008 | Tagged as: Health Trends, Diseases
The number of Americans hospitalized with the dangerous intestinal superbug Clostridium difficile has been increasing by more than 10,000 a year, and the germ was a factor in nearly 300,000 hospitalizations in 2005, more than double the number in 2000, a new study says. Continue Reading »
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful for weight loss and obesity
Posted by admin on 24 May 2008 | Tagged as: Weight Control
About two-thirds of the adult U.S. population is overweight. Almost one-third not only exceeds ideal weight, but also meets the clinical criteria for obesity. In the 1990s, rates of obesity more than doubled, and are currently rising by over 5% per year.
Excess body weight is implicated as a risk factor for many different disorders, including heart disease, diabetes, several cancers (such as breast cancer in postmenopausal women, and cancers of the uterus, colon, and kidney), prostate enlargement (BPH), female infertility, uterine fibroids, and gallstones, as well as several disorders of pregnancy, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension.
The location of excess body fat may affect the amount of health risk associated with overweight. Increased abdominal fat, which can be estimated by waist size, may be especially hazardous to long-term health. Continue Reading »
Passion Flower: Use and Benefits
Posted by admin on 20 May 2008 | Tagged as: Herbal Remedies
Passion flower is a climbing vine renowned for its beautiful white flowers with purple, blue, or pink calyx crown blooms. The plant is native to North, Central, and South America. While primarily tropical, some of its 400 species can grow in colder climates.
The mystery of such a beautiful blossom emerging from an unassuming bud has been compared to the Passion of Christ. This inspired the plant’s name, which dates back to the 17th century.
The leaves, stems, and flowers are used for medicinal purposes. Continue Reading »
Nutritional supplements that may be helpful for seasonal affective disorder
Posted by admin on 18 May 2008 | Tagged as: Disorders, Supplements
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is an extreme form of common seasonal mood cycles, in which depression develops during the winter months.
How seasonal changes cause depression is unknown, but most of the research into mechanisms and treatment has focused on changes in levels of the brain chemicals melatonin and serotonin in response to changing lengths of exposure to light and darkness. Continue Reading »
Why take vitamin and mineral supplements?
Posted by admin on 16 May 2008 | Tagged as: Minerals, Vitamins, Supplements
Supplements may help healthy people for a number of reasons. They can help prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies when the diet is not adequate to provide all necessary nutrients. They can also provide amounts of nutrients larger than the diet can provide. Continue Reading »
Fat Alternatives and Fat Replacers
Posted by admin on 15 May 2008 | Tagged as: Substitutes, Fat
Fat substitutes promise to “let you have your cake and eat it, too,” but is it really true?
Fat substitutes include products similar to margarine, butter, or vegetable oil that have reduced fat and calorie content, and/or contain special properties that affect health. Continue Reading »
Cabbage: Health benefits and concerns
Posted by admin on 13 May 2008 | Tagged as: Health Benefits, Food
Cabbage is the matriarch of the cruciferous vegetable family, whose members are named for their cross-shaped (crucifer) flower petals. The cabbage family includes Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and other vegetables. The word cabbage itself derives from the French caboche, a colloquialism meaning “head.” Continue Reading »
Nutritional supplements that may be helpful for low back pain
Posted by admin on 10 May 2008 | Tagged as: Supplements, Back Pain
Three double-blind trials have investigated the effects of supplementing a combination of the enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin for seven to ten days on severe low back pain with or without accompanying leg pain. Eight tablets per day were given initially in all trials, but in two trials the number of pills was reduced to four per day after two to three days.
One of these trials reported small, though statistically significant improvements, for some measures in people with degenerative arthritis of the lower spine.People with sciatica-type leg pain had significant improvement in several measures in one trial, while another found the enzymes were not much more effective than a placebo. These trials included chronic low back conditions, so their relevance to acute LBP alone may be limited. Continue Reading »