Breakfast and heart attacks

For those who always skip breakfast, drink at least a glass of orange juice.stay healthy! :) You've heard many times that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Now, recent research confirms that one of the worst practices you can develop may be avoiding breakfast. Why?

Because the frequency of heart attack, sudden death, and stroke peaks between 6:00 a.m.and noon,with the highest incidence being between 8:00 a.m.and 10:00 a.m.

What mechanism within the body could account for this significant jump in sudden death in the early morning hours? We may have an answer. Platelets, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or plaque buildup in the artery lining. It is in the morning hours that platelets become the most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency.

However, eating even a very light breakfast prevents the morning platelet activation that is associated with heart attacks and strokes.

Studies performed at MemorialUniversity in St.Johns,Newfoundland found that
eating a light, very low-fat breakfast was critical in modifying the morning platelet activation. Subjects in the study consumed either low-fat or fat-free yogurt, orange juice, fruit, and a source of protein coming from yogurt or fat-free milk).

So if you skip breakfast, it's important that you change this practice immediately in light of this research. Develop a simple plan to eat cereal, such as oatmeal or Bran Flakes, along with six ounces of grape juice or six ounces of orange juice, and perhaps a piece of fruit.

This simple plan will keep your platelets from sticking together, keep blood
clots from forming, and perhaps head off a potential heart attack or stroke.

Senna Leaf

If any of you are taking any weight loss preparation that gives you intense bowel cramps and pain beware. It most likely contains senna leaf, a herbal laxative.

I was offered a product to market and upon finding that it contains senna leaf (though not listed on the label), I turned it down. It has the same trade names as an existing preparation in the market -TC Plus and Maxlim which also contains senna.

Review
Senna is an ingredient that is primarily used to help with constipation.

Extended use of this product has been linked to colon weakness and it has not been recommended for those who have certain abdominal or digestive ailments.

With continued and prolonged use, the bowels get sluggish. You see there are certain receptors that senna stimulate and once it is sensitised to senna, without senna the bowels do not empty, become sluggish. This is called the "lazy gut syndrome".

Curry offers colon cancer treatment

An ingredient of turmeric has been found to block the activity of a hormone that is a cause of bowel cancer.

A team from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) found that, by using cell cultures, curcumin (the active ingredient of turmeric) blocks the production of a protein by the hormone neurotensin that speeds up the growth and spread of cancer cells.

UTMB surgery professor B Mark Evers said: "We found that in colon cancer cells, neurotensin increases not just the rate of growth but also other critical things, including cell migration and metastasis."

The fact that all that can be turned off by this natural product, curcumin, was really remarkable."

The study, published in the current issue of Clinical Cancer Research, shows curcumin works by dampening signals to the neurotensin, so making it less effective.

Professor Evers added: "Our findings suggest that curcumin may be useful for colon cancer treatment, as well as potential colon cancer suppression, in cells that respond to this gastrointestinal hormone, neurotensin."

Short intense exercise as good as endurance training

For all you busy souls out there:

Short bursts of exercise can bring the same results as traditional endurance training, a new study has found.

Researchers from McMaster University monitored two groups of students, one cycling up to two hours a day continuously at a moderate rate and one riding a series of 30 second bursts at to speed.

Over two weeks one group exercised for a total of 10.5 hours and the other just 2.5 hours, but both groups showed similar improvements in exercise performance.

Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University, said: "The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar improvements in muscle health and performance induced by two such diverse training strategies."

He added: "Short bursts of intense exercise may be an effective option for individuals who cite 'lack of time' as a major impediment to fitness."

However, the study published in the Journal of Physiology warns this type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation.

Weightlifting 'could cause eyesight loss'

Just as well i don't do heavy weights, just light ones for toning.

Regular weightlifting could result in the loss of eyesight as a result of developing glaucoma, researchers have warned. In a study published in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology, researchers from the Institute of Specialised Ophthalmology in Brazil suggest that holding your breath whilst lifting heavy weights temporarily increases the pressure within the eye (Intraocular pressure).

Normal-tension glaucoma, where damage to the optic nerve results in loss of eyesight, is known to occur as a result of frequent changes in intraocular pressure.

In the study, weightlifters aged between 18 and 40 were asked to perform repetitive weightlifting exercises while their eyeball pressures were measured.

It was found that when these exercises were performed and the subjects held their breath, and increase in pressure of 25 per cent was recorded in almost all of them.

A smaller pressure increase was also noted even when subjects did not hold their breath.

Doctors have advised that weightlifters should try continuous breathing throughout to minimise the pressure changes and prevent eye damage.

Health benefits of mandarin oranges revealed

Eating mandarin oranges could significantly reduce the risk of developing serious conditions including liver cancer, heart disease or suffering a stroke, Japanese researchers have claimed. In two separate studies, a high consumption of mandarin oranges or their juice seemed to be associated with lower rates of certain serious conditions.

In the first study carried out by Kyoto's University of Medicine, drinking mandarin orange juice was found to reduce rates of liver cancer in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, who are usually prone to the disease.

Of 30 patients drinking the juice every day, not one was found to have developed the cancer after a year, compared with nearly nine per cent of those patients who did not receive the juice.

In another study by Japan's National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, an investigation found that those who reported consuming large numbers of mandarin oranges tended to have chemical markers in the blood associated with a lower risk of liver disease, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can lead to heart disease and blood clots that can cause stokes.

Source:NetDoctor

GoldXlim

I personally lost 6kg in 6 weeks (4kg in the first 4 weeks) taking GoldXlim.

Available at:

KL/Selangor:

Good Health Pharmacy (Pusat Bandar Puchong); AA Pharmacy (Bangsar); Farmasi Apple Green (Shah Alam); Brightcare Pharmacy (Damansar Utama); Eenaat Pharmacy (Sri Gombak); Farmasi O’Care (Pandan Jaya); Farmasi Segar (Taman Segar); Farmasi Sri Petaling (Sri Petaling); Farmasi Sri Mulia (Tmn Mulia, Tmn Midah); Sihat Pharmacy (Bandar Sri Permaisuri); Green Park Pharmacy (Desa Aman Puri, Saujana Utama II); Unipharm Pharmacy (Subang Jaya); Gerak Utusan Pharmacy (Jln Ipoh); Notss Pharmacy (Kota Kemuning); Farmasi Dinamik (Banting); OUG Pharmacy (OUG); Kok Lian Pharmacy (Tmn Kok Lian); Vycan Pharmacy (Sri Rampai); Healthlane Family Pharmacy (Sentul, Kepong Baru, Tmn Melati, Tmn Melawati, Segambut, Sungai Buloh, Majlis India, Desa Jaya, Shah Alam, Jinjiang, Indah Perdana, Desa Petaling); be pharmacy (Puchong); Farmasi Balakong (Balakong); Life Spring Pharmacy (Klang); Daily Care (Setapak); Farmasi Serdang (Seri Kembangan)

Penang/Perlis/Kedah

Megakulim Pharmacy (Kulim); Sri Rambai Pharmacy (Bkt.Mertajam); Healthcare Pharmacy (Komtar); YW Cheah Pharmacy (Pulau Tikus); Vision Pharmacy (Parit Buntar); Vcare Pharmacy (Butterworth); VeCare Pharmacy )Sungai Dua, Prai);

Perak

Unicare Pharmacy (Ipoh); Farmasi Menglembu (Menglembu); E Pharmacy (Pasir Putih); Metta-care Pharmacy (Taiping)

High protein diet linked with weight loss

Researchers have produced evidence supporting the view that high protein diets reduce hunger and so help people lose weight.

According to a study conducted by nutrition experts at University College London, increased amounts of protein in the diet have the effect of boosting levels of a hormone in the intestine involved in the regulation of hunger.

The hormone, known as PYY, appears to signal fullness to the brain, resulting in a lessening of appetite.

The study conducted tests on both humans and mice, linking protein intake with PYY levels, and PYY to feelings of hunger. It was also found that when low levels of PYY were artificially induced in mice, this tended to lead to obesity.

Although the research provides an explanation for why high protein diets such as the Atkins diet can be effective in reducing weight, the researchers instead suggest that smaller increases in the amount of protein consumed might be a healthier alternative.

Currently, it is estimated that around 16 per cent of the average diet is protein, with the researchers suggesting that increasing this to 20 per cent could aid weight management.

Antioxidants in fruits

An Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score is a test tube analysis that measures the antioxidant levels of food and other chemical substances. If a food has a high ORAC score, then it means the food is high in antioxidants. The antioxidant’s strength is its ability to eliminate oxygen free radicals. With the ORAC score, a higher score means the food is better at helping us fight diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Foods with a high ORAC score may be able to protect cells and their components from oxidative damage. Oxygen radicals are chemicals that form naturally inside the body through the process of oxidation. Everyday functions such as digestion and physical activity produce oxygen radicals. Daily exposure to polluted air, rancid food and oxidizing radiation from the sun and electrical appliances also contribute.

Orange juice 'effective for kidney stones'

Orange juice is more effective as a treatment for kidney stones than other citrus drinks, researchers have claimed.

Previous research has shown drinks such as orange juice and lemonade, which contain sour-tasting citric acid, are effective in reducing the rate at which new stones develop in patients suffering recurrent kidney stones.

However, a new study, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggests that orange juice is significantly more effective than other drinks.

Orange juice was found to increase levels of citrate in the urine, preventing the crystallization of uric acid and calcium oxalate, which are common ingredients in kidney stones.

However, lemonade was not found to have the same citrate-boosting effect despite containing citric acid.

The researchers suggest that other constituents of the drinks could have an impact of the effectiveness of citric acid.

Kidney stones develop as a result of over-concentrated urine, which is filtered through the kidneys, depositing minerals. Over a long period of time, these minerals may bind together to create stones which cause great discomfort.