In laboratory tests, they found that a lectin called BanLec was as potent as two current HIV drugs. Lectins — sugar-binding proteins found in plants — can identify and attach to foreign invaders. By binding to the sugar-rich HIV-1 envelope protein gp120, BanLec blocks HIV’s entry into the body.

The finding, published in the March 19 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, suggests that BanLec could become a less expensive and highly effective new component of vaginal microbicides, according to the University of Michigan Medical School researchers.

“The problem with some HIV drugs is that the virus can mutate and become resistant, but that’s much harder to do in the presence of lectins,” study author Michael D. Swanson, a doctoral student in the graduate program in immunology, said in a news release from the school. “Lectins can bind to the sugars found on different spots of the HIV-1 envelope, and presumably it will take multiple mutations for the virus to get around them.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about HIV and women.

While some emergencies, like fires or hurricanes, may require you to evacuate, in others emergency officials will ask that residents stay put — or shelter in place — to keep safe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sheltering in place means to stay where you are and make the building as safe as possible to protect yourself.

Taking shelter can either be a short-term measure, such as going to a safe room for a brief time during a tornado warning, or long term, where you need to stay in your home for several days. In both instances, it’s important to follow a general set of procedures.

If you are recommended by officials to shelter in place, get inside as quickly as possible and tune into any radio or television that may have emergency updates. You may be advised to close and lock all exterior doors and windows, and to turn off air conditioning systems. In the event of a toxic chemical release, make sure to also close all vents, fireplace dampers and as many interior doors as possible.

When preparing for a disaster that requires sheltering in place, it’s important to select a room that will keep you the safest. While the room you choose may change depending on the specific type of disaster, most shelter rooms should be a large room with as few windows and doors as possible. Having access to a clean water source, like a bathroom or kitchen with a sink, is also a plus.

Once you’ve picked your shelter room, keep it stocked with an emergency kit. Your emergency kit should include:

• flashlight,
• battery-powered radio (with extra batteries for both),
• emergency food,
• bottled water,
• a first aid kit and
• a telephone or charged cell phone.
• Some games or books that will help you while away the time is also a good idea to include in your emergency kit

Also, don’t assume that emergencies will only happen when you are at home. Check with your office, workplace or school to find out where sheltering locations are, and offer to help if they don’t have one designated yet. You’ll be helping yourself, but also your community, be more prepared when it counts.

To get the best value from your health plan, you need to understand your different coverage options and how they work. Then you need to make a choice that’s based on your personal situation, such as whether you are single or married or have a chronic health condition.

First, it’s important to consider what you get when you purchase health insurance. Insurance helps protect you from high health care costs that you probably could not otherwise afford. It helps you pay for health care and ensures that you have
access to care when you need it. And research shows that having health insurance is closely tied to getting quality, timely care.

Many employers pay for most or some of the premium costs of insurance premiums for their workers. As a result, getting health insurance from your employer is typically cheaper than buying coverage on your own. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, found that the majority of uninsured American families who are not covered by health insurance at work couldn’t afford to buy health insurance.

Sorting Through Healthcare Options

Not all health plans pay for the same services or the same amounts for services. Different health plans may include different doctors, hospitals, and other care providers.

Health plans also vary in how much you will be required to pay before the insurance “kicks in.” Known as deductibles,  these out-of-pocket expenses are often an annual amount that is not covered by your health plan. Each you, it must be paid before the health plan will begin to pay for your family’s healthcare.

Co-insurance, another type of out-of-pocket expense, is the percentage of your health insurance bill that you must pay when you file a claim. This percentage is usually in addition to the deductible.

Many of the common health insurance plans today offer several choices for coverage, based on factors including cost, flexibility and how much of a role you want to play in managing and paying for your own health care.

These include:

• Preferred provider organizations (PPOs). These plans contract with doctors, hospitals, and other providers but typically do not manage your care. PPOs allow you to see providers outside the network, but you will pay more for your care if you do. These are the most common work-based health plans.
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Many of these plans focus on preventing diseases and staying healthy. If you join an HMO, you typically must receive all your care from network providers, except in medical emergencies. When you join, you pick a primary care doctor to manage your care. HMOs usually
  have copayments rather than deductibles or co-insurance.
• Point-of-service organizations (POS). These plans are a combination of a PPO and an HMO. POS plans have a primary care doctor who manages your care but allow you to seek care from doctors and hospitals that are not part of the plan. You pay more for seeking care out of network, however.
• Consumer-directed health plans. These newer health plans give  you more control over your own health care, both in choosing the care you receive and paying for it. They often require you to pay a substantial deductible (often $2,000 or more) before coverage starts, and are combined with a personal health savings account or another similar product that allows you to pay for care with pre-tax money.

How to Choose a Health Plan that Works for You

Health insurance can protect you from hefty medical expenses that can easily bankrupt you if an accident or illness strikes. It also lets you pay for access to quality and timely care.

Carefully read all of the materials you get during open enrollment season and don’t be shy about asking questions. Understand how each plan works, learn what it does and does not cover, and consider the quality of care. You may want to make a list so that you can easily compare health plans and coverage side by side.

To get the best plan at the right price to fit your needs, consider this:

• Avoid basing your decision only on the premium. Lower premiums typically mean care comes with higher out-of-pocket costs through deductibles, co-insurance, or co-payments. If you’re young and healthy, low premiums may be a good fit, but if you havea health condition or are older, it may not be. Review all potential
  costs before choosing your health plan.
• Understand what a plan covers. Read the materials you receive with the following questions in mind: What type of doctor visits, surgeries, and hospital care are covered? Is there a drug benefit? If so, how much does it cover and what will it cost you? Are dental and eye care covered? Are there limits on what you pay
  or what the plan will pay for?
• Review last year’s coverage and care costs. Determine if it was a typical year, what your out-of-pocket costs were, and if it was a good plan for you after all.
• Find out if your doctor, hospitals, and other providers are in your health plan’s network. Decide if you are willing to see other providers, and if you aren’t how much it will cost you to go out of the plan’s network for care?
• Look for ways to save money under the plan. Check to see if you can get cheaper prescription drugs if you order them by mail. If you have diabetes or another chronic illness, find out if the plan lowers copayments on medicines to keep your condition in check. Some plans even offer cash or incentives for you to get checkups or join disease management programs.

Picking the right health plan takes some time and effort. Even if you don’t have a choice of plans, you need to know how your plan works. Asking questions and checking out your options isn’t only good for your health, it can be good for your wallet too.

The health benefits of strawberries include eye care, proper brain function, and relief from high blood pressure, arthritis, gout and heart diseases.

Common names: strawberry, wild strawberry, eastern strawberry

Latin name: Fragaria

Health Benefits of Strawberries

All fruits, and especially berries are rich in antioxidants. While antioxidants can be obtained from other types of produce, there’s evidence that strawberries are particularly potent in this department. Did you know that more colorful fruits and vegetables contain higher amounts of antioxidants? Choose the reddest strawberries you can find for more intense antioxidant properties — and the brighter berries will also have the best taste and highest nutrient density.

Another strawberry compound — C3G — could help with weight management by regulating appetite and increasing fat-burning.

There are also health benefits of strawberries when it comes to oral care. Strawberries help strengthen the gums and heal bleeding gums. The powerful red fruit also helps to prevent oral cancer and can even help whiten teeth. Don’t have you’re toothbrush? To removing tartar from your teeth by rubbing them with strawberry slices.

Nutritional Benefits

Strawberries also contain a wide range of nutrients. Vitamin C heads the group, but they’re also strong in vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, iodine and copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Strawberries contain phenol, a phytonutrient that is believed to protect cells and prevent organ system damage.

Strawberries are also the top berry source of the antioxidant quercetin, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s by protecting brain cells from oxidation. Researchers found that strawberry-supplemented diets slowed and even reversed brain decline in some studies.

Additional health benefits of strawberries include:

• Cardiovascular Health: people who regularly eat strawberries have lower cholesterol levels and lower amounts of C-reactive protein, which can cause inflammation of the blood vessels.
• Digestive Health: One cup of strawberries has nearly 15 percent of an adult’s recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber.
• Eye Health: Eating three or more servings of fruit per day may lower a person’s risk of age-related macular degeneration by 36 percent.
• Joint Health: People who consume food rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, are three times less likely to develop inflammatory polyarthritis.
• Brain Health: Strawberries may prevent age-related decline in cognitive function, according to the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
• Inflammatory diseases: Strawberries may lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a signal of inflammation in the body, which is linked with increased risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as flare-ups in rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Strawberry Side Effects

It has be suggested that food containing high amounts of polyphenols heighten a body’s cancer fighting and anti-aging abilities, but lower one’s innate survival abilities since all cells weaken. Depending on one’s condition, it may be of more benefit to eat only small amounts of strawberries.

Strawberries are also among the “dirty dozen” — the 12 foods where pesticide residues are most frequently found. Consider buying organic strawberries whenever possible.

Despite their sweet flavor, strawberries are naturally low in calories, making them a healthy choice for desserts or a sweet afternoon treat.

Calorie, Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Strawberries

1 cup whole strawberries:  Calories – 46, Fiber – 2.9 grams, Carbohydrates – 11.1 grams

According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, back pain is the most common condition for which adults use alternative medicine. Patients with back pain turn to alternative medicine to decrease pain and improve quality-of-life. Alternative therapies used for back pain include chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, massage, yoga, relaxation techniques, meditation, acupuncture, and herbal supplements.

There are many treatments for the management of back pain, and physicians differ widely in what they recommend. For acute low back pain, the guidelines point to spinal manipulation and conclude it has small-to-moderate, short-term benefit. For chronic low back pain, the guidelines list a number of therapies that have fair-to-good supporting evidence for moderate effectiveness, including acupuncture, massage therapy, progressive relaxation, and Viniyoga-style yoga.

Pain conditions, including low back pain, are some of hardest to treat. There is still a lot to learn about using alternative therapies for back pain. Talk to your doctor or chiropractor about alternative therapies for treating back pain to find out which treatments will work best with your specific pain.

Don’t travel if you are feeling under the weather or have a fever.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

If you can, avoid contact with sick people. That can be hard, especially on airplanes. So if you get stuck next to Sneezy Sam or Coughing Carol on the way home, ask the flight attendant if you can move to another part of the plane. You can cruise through security with handy travel-sized containers of hand sanitizer (3 ounces or less!), perfect for your plastic baggie.

More than 70 countries have reported cases of H1N1 flu. Are you jetting off to one of those destinations? If you are traveling internationally, stay up-to-date on the latest outbreak information. The best protection is to follow the simple tips on traveling safely and being prepared.

While you are out shopping, remember germs are everywhere and tough to avoid in the bustle of big public places. You can help prevent sickness by washing your hands often. This may, of course, make your hands feel dry. But before being tempted by sample lotions at the stores, beware: Pushing the pumps on lotions or perfumes can add germs to a clean hand. Ask a sales associate to apply samples for you, and be mindful of other ways you and fellow holiday shoppers can stay healthy.

Taking a few extra steps can help ensure you have happy, healthy holidays.

Green Tea For Health

All types of tea (green, black, and oolong) are produced from the Camellia sinensis plant using different methods. Fresh leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant are steamed to produce green tea.

Common Names — green tea, Chinese tea, Japanese tea

Latin Names — Camellia sinensis

The Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has a long history of use, dating back to China approximately 5,000 years ago. It has been used to treat everything from headaches to depression.

Green tea and green tea extracts, such as its component EGCG, have been used to prevent and treat a variety of cancers, including breast, stomach, and skin cancers.

Green tea and green tea extracts have also been used for improving mental alertness, aiding in weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, impaired immune function and protecting skin from sun damage.

The bacteria-destroying abilities of green tea can help prevent food poisoning, and also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque.

How is it Used: Green Tea for Drinking or Green Tea Vitamins

Green tea is usually brewed and drunk as a beverage. When brewing, use about one teaspoon of green tea per 5 ounce cup is and steep for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

Some people prefer to take a supplement rather than drinking pure green tea — usually because of taste preference or convenience. Green tea supplements come in capsule form. Since supplements are more concentrated. A single capsule  may contain the same amount of green tea as two to three cups of the beverage.

Types of tea are commonly graded depending on the quality and the parts of the plant used as well as how they are processed. Green tea extracts are sometimes used in skin products.

The Science of Green Tea

Laboratory studies suggest that green tea may help protect against or slow the growth of certain cancers, but studies in people have shown mixed results.

Some evidence suggests that the use of green tea preparations improves mental alertness, most likely because of its caffeine content. There are not enough reliable data to determine whether drinking green tea or taking green tea supplements can aid in weight loss, lower blood cholesterol levels, or protect the skin from sun damage.

Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized.

Green tea studies are underway to learn more about the components in green tea and their effects on conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Green Tea Side Effects and Cautions

Green tea is safe for most adults when used in moderate amounts.

There have been some case reports of liver problems in people taking concentrated green tea extracts. This problem does not seem to be connected with green tea infusions or beverages. Although these cases are very rare and the evidence is not definitive, experts suggest that concentrated green tea extracts be taken with food, and that people should discontinue use and consult a heath care practitioner if they have a liver disorder or develop symptoms of liver trouble, such as abdominal pain, dark urine, or jaundice.

Green tea. supplements and green tea extracts all contain caffeine. Caffeine can cause insomnia, anxiety, irritability, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, or frequent urination in some people. (Ounce for ounce, green tea has less caffeine than coffee.)

Green tea also contains small amounts of vitamin K, which can make anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, less effective.

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Two parallel studies were conducted, one for amoxicillin and one for cefaclor. In each study, 18 healthy women took a single oral dose of the antibiotic, with either water or cranberry juice cocktail. The procedure was repeated after a week, in a “crossover” design that allowed researchers to evaluate cranberry juice in each participant.

The drugs were tested at commonly prescribed dosages. Participants drank 8 ounces of cranberry juice or water with amoxicillin, 12 ounces with cefaclor; those who drank cranberry juice also drank it twice daily for 2 days before the treatment, to approximate real-life consumption. Researchers took blood and urine samples at 2-hour intervals for 6 to 8 hours after treatment, and then tested drug concentrations at each point.

The data showed that cranberry juice did not significantly affect either antibiotic’s oral absorption or renal clearance (i.e., how completely the body processed the drugs in the intestine and kidneys). Absorption took somewhat longer with cranberry juice, but the delay was small, and the total amount of antibiotic absorbed was not affected.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that cranberry juice cocktail, consumed in usual quantities, is unlikely to change the effects of these two antibiotics on urinary tract infections. They noted that the same may or may not be true of other antibiotics, or when people who take antibiotics also drink a large quantity of concentrated cranberry juice.

Li M, Andrew MA, Wang J, et al. Effects of cranberry juice on pharmacokinetics of beta-lactam antibiotics following oral administration. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2009 Jul;53(7):2725–32.

Additional Resources

• The Health Benefits of Cranberry
• Urinary Tract Infections (NIDDK)

Cranberries are the fruit from a native plant in North America. These red berries are used in foods and in herbal products.

Common Names — cranberry, American cranberry, bog cranberry

Latin Name — Vaccinium macrocarpon

Using Cranberry for Health

Cranberries are tart red berries that can be eaten and used medicinally. Historically, cranberry fruits and leaves were used for treating wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems.

Recently, cranberry products have also been used in the hope of preventing or treating urinary tract infections or Helicobacter pylori infections that can lead to stomach ulcers, or to prevent dental plaque.

Using cranberry can also act as a deodorizer for people that suffer from strong or odorous urine. Eating cranberries makes one’s urine more acidic, which creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria.

The Benefits of Cranberry

Cranberry is a good source of vitamin C and is also reported to have antioxidant and anticancer activity.

The compounds in cranberries include bioflavanoids, organic acids, carotenoids, and fiber.

Identified active phytochemicals in cranberries include proanthocyanidin oligomers, flavonol and anthocyanin glycosides and triterpenoids like ursolic acid, all of which have been found to inhibit cancer cell growth, either individually or in combination with one another.

How Is Cranberry Used

The berries are used to produce beverages and many other food products, as well as dietary supplements in the form of cranberry extract, teas, and cranberry vitamins in the form of capsules or tablets.

Cranberry Extract or Cranberry Vitamins?

The medicinal properties of cranberries can be obtained both from the whole fruit and from cranberry extracts. Cranberry doses usually range from 400-800 mg/day as a vitamin or extract or 8-16 fluid ounces of juice per day.

Cranberry Extract, usually made from cranberry powder, can be up to 20 times more concentrated than whole cranberries and doesn’t contain unnatural sweeteners like many juices.

The Science behind Cranberry

Some studies testing cranberry products for their ability to prevent urinary tract infections have shown promise. These studies have generally been small in size, and some were not randomized or controlled; therefore, the results are not conclusive.

Cranberry products have not been adequately tested to see if they can be used to help treat an existing urinary tract infection.

Research shows that components found in cranberry may prevent bacteria, such as E. coli, from clinging to the cells along the walls of the urinary tract and causing infection. However, the mechanism of action of cranberry is not fully understood.

NCCAM, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research are funding studies to understand cranberry home remedies and whether:

• Cranberry can prevent urinary tract infection
• Cranberry can prevent the formation of dental plaque

Side Effects and Cautions

Eating cranberry products in food appears to be safe, but drinking excessive amounts of juice could cause gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea.

Cranberry extract supplements are generally considered safe. However, anyone with a history of kidney stones should talk to a doctor before using cranberry extract as long-term use may increase one’s risk of developing a kidney stone.

People who think they have a urinary tract infection should see a health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Cranberry products (including cranberry extract and cranberry vitamins) should not be used to treat infection.

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Through its WHACK the Flu program, a community education effort sponsored by the City of Berkeley Public Health Division, officials are driving home the message that good hand hygiene habits are important for preventing the flu. The “WHACK” part of the program’s name is an acronym for a series of flu prevention tips for kids: Wash your hands; Home is for where you stay; Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; Cover your coughs and sneezes; and Keep your distance from people who are coughing or sneezing.

The program trains volunteers to perform a skit on the dangers of “Fred the Flu Germ” and explain all of the many places germs can be found, from noses, to hands and schools. Between giggles from the young ones, the skit shows how to cover mouths when coughing or sneezing and even includes a handwashing song that helps kids learn how long to wash.

The program, which is being used by the Berkeley school district as a preventive measure against H1N1, aka swine flu, leaves kids excited about washing their hands, singing the handwashing song and tickled by the notion that they can avoid the Fred the Flu Germ by whacking the flu.

Because it can be performed anywhere, WHACK the Flu has been used by health workers around the country. Free materials from the program — including the skit, teacher evaluation form and posters — are available online in both English and Spanish. Take a look and help school kids prevent flu in your community today.