health

Vitamins And Supplements For A Muscular Healthy Body

2009-05-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

by: Brad Spears

Alot of people out there want to increase the muscle size fast or just want to cut the fat and be alot healthier and in shape. Well there is always the healthy diet and the natural nutrition of foods, but alot of poeple out there don't have the patience to wait for there body to change. They want fast and quick results. Thats where vitamins and supplements come into play. Supplements are gonna significantly increase the muscle growth or the fat loss. If you are just wanting to stay healthy,then your simple vitamin A,B,C,D and E are always gonna be your main factor there. Those vitamins are pretty cheap as well. Im gonna talk more about the body building and recovery supplements here though. First there are WEIGHT GAINERS or just PROTEIN SHAKES most of these consist of whey protein mainly its concentrate with some isolate to. These are really good to pack on muscle fast. Alot of them also contain creatine in them and also L-glutamine which is really good for putting on muscle fast. They help you get a high amount of quality calories without having to stuff yourself with loads of food. This is one of the best supplements when looking to really build lean muscle mass. Another main thing you want to take is Multi Vitamins and Mineral Packs. These are needed by your body to be able to operate at a maximum level. These vitamins enhance the actions of proteins that cause change in your body such as muscle building,fat loss and more energy to get you through the day or your workouts. These are great supplements to go along with your whey protein. They both work together to give you amazing results faster then someone just eating a regular diet. They also insure your brain recieves the correct signals from the body, balance of fluids and muscular contractions. Next the 3rd main thing is CREATINE. This supplement is a metabolite produced in the body composed of three amino acids, L-methionine,I-arginine and L-grycine. When you are taking the supplement creatine and it reaches your muscles it is then converted into phosphocreatine, which then is used to regenerate your muscles ultimate energy adenosine triphosphate. With this supplement you will be HUGELY increasing your muscle mass growth , because it pushes water inside the muscel cell and enlarging it. By taking CREATINE you will see big results in less then no time. Now the recovery section here L-glutamine supplement .. This is an amino acid in the muscle cells. When your muscles get tired or stressed this is released from them. So when you train really hard in the, this is what happens. Take this supplement to increase the muscular recovery. This makes it so you can train more and harder and still give your muscles the recovery they need. You simply must take this supplement/vitamin when trying to add serious muscle mass. For all you healthy kids out there here is a list of all the vitamins for our bodies to be able to function properly. Vitamin A Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Rioflavin) Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Biotin Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K

Universal Health Coverage is Here Now (The Feds Just Don't Know Where To Look)

2009-05-22T00:38:00.001-07:00

by: Harris Deitch

Greetings, Fellow Americans! I have sold health insurance for over 28 years and know what people want and need, which differs by age group. One problem we all face is paying for medical services with after-tax dollars. This must end for regular insurance (PPO) as it already has for Health Savings Account (HSA) insurance. So a $35 co-pay in a PPO plan will in reality cost someone around $50 in gross earnings to pay the $35 fee depending on tax bracket. You can include prescriptions, tests, hospital care, maternity, non-prescription medicines, bandaids, dental expenses, eye wear and related costs and much more. All of which are payable with after-tax dollars except for HSA plans. Almost all doctors are on some sort of PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan. They have a contract lowering their usual fee 40%. So if a doctor usually charges $80 as a show-up fee, the final cost to the patient will be 60% of that or $48. In an HSA, and hopefully all insurance, this is paid with pre-tax dollars thereby reducing the real cost to about $36 depending on tax bracket. This is about the same as the PPO co-pay with no administrative expenses for the insurance company thereby reducing premiums. Therefore I suggest all medical expenses regardless of plan be paid with pre-tax dollars with no maximum and indicated on Line 25 of the 1040. So, if this year's maximum contribution is $5900, it should stay the same for all plans with medical expenses being deducted out of the account. The exception being if medical expenses are more than $5900 for the year, which should be allowed. Let's look at some numbers. If in 2009 someone puts $5900 into his medical account, but only uses $1900. This leaves $4000. If in 2010, that same person has medical expenses of $20,000 he would use up the $4000 plus add $16,000 more. Therefore when he files his 2010 tax return, he would claim a deduction of $16,000 over and above all other deductions. The alternative would be to make no medical claims in a year and let the money accumulate until age 65. At this point all the unclaimed medical expenses for this person would be deducted from his account tax-free. All future medical expenses are tax-free. All other deductions are as ordinary income. Here's the plan: clinics need to be placed in retail stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Wal-Green's, Costco and others. In addition most towns have emergency drop-in clinics. The clinics are not hospitals, but are staffed by professional doctors and nurses. So if someone should happen to use a Wal-Mart clinic, they may get their prescriptions there and maybe buy some food or other items? So? This is why Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the country. If there are no clinics nearby, than a local doctor or two can serve as well. All prescription charges should be exactly the same at all suppliers. All test samples such as blood, urine, PAP smears, etc. should go to Quest Diagnostics as their rates are 20% of regular rates. All monies in this account should be unattachable by the IRS or debtors or anyone else. We need to set-up a system based on gross income, not adjusted gross income that can be altered. For example, any family earning less than say $20,000 per year will get a RED CARD. This card has a magnetic strip on the back that is used to identify the person's signature and right forefinger print. If you want an annual pass to Universal Studios Theme Park, you must get a card and place your right forefinger on a device which records it on the magnetic strip. Then when you enter the park at a future date, you give the attendant the card and place your right forefinger on the device. A green light goes on admitting you to the park. We can do the same only enhancing the security with an electronic signature. When a Red Card person goes to a clinic, all the have to do is slide their card through the machine and place a finger on the device. This gives them free medical care. The clinic will charge the US its PPO rate. When the patient leaves, the clinic will send the data to the computer which will pay the clinic on the spot for services rendered. My podiatrist left the occupation because Medicare takes four or more months to pay him the fees. Now it is instantaneous. I have a feeling that the clinics will be thrilled to take a US PPO rate immediately rather than wait months. A clinic might charge someone $60. The US PPO fee will be $36 for the Red Card person who probably does not pay taxes in any case. Suppose someone makes from $20,000+ per year in gross income. This is a BLUE CARD person. That person can use the same clinics. However they will have to pay the clinic the US PPO fee directly. There are no charges to the government. Hospitals will give free coverage to all persons needing and wanting it. The hospital will pass the US PPO fee directly to the federal government and can be paid instantaneously as above. There will be one hospital per county as there mostly is now on the program. Should someone prefer to use their own doctors and hospitals, they may do so. After all this is America. People may purchase health insurance to cover their costs. All insurance should include complete medicals including colonoscopies like Blue Cross Anthem of NV and CO do before the family deductible. You can get a policy with them and get a complete medical exam for free the next day. Cool! The Uninsurables. Suppose Mrs. Jones has diabetes but no insurance. She is uninsurable with all companies. However, she should be allowed to join a local PPO just like an insurance company and pay the approximate $4/mo. fee. She can now enjoy using her own doctor @ 40% off as well as local ambulatory care facilities. She will even get a 40% discount at the local hospital of her choice or go to County for free. Prescriptions. Should someone make a fine living, they can pay prescriptions as usual. If someone is a Red Card, they can get free prescriptions. If someone is a Blue Card but with limited funds, they can pay 50% of the prescriptions with the Feds paying the rest. Money to pay for all of this. First, dispense with earmarks. That should net eight billion in the first year alone. Next add $1/pack for additional tobacco taxes. This will get many more billions. Add 10% to the price of all alcohol products. A simple 1% National Sales Tax can be created and added onto purchases. Our new Motto: Americans First. Thanks for listening! Harris Deitch

Warning! Values May Be Detrimental to Your Organization’s Health

2009-05-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

by: Pat Lynch

Do your employees complain of favoritism, or inconsistency in decision-making, or lack of fairness? If so, the problem – and the solution – may be your organization’s values. On its face, identifying values to guide workplace behaviors and decisions seems reasonable, productive, and highly desirable. Yet such values may, in fact, be detrimental to the organization’s health. In fact, unless managers go beyond merely identifying organizational values, unintended negative outcomes are likely to occur. The fact that values are subjective is the reason they may be detrimental to organizational health. Let’s take the value of integrity as an example. Each of us has a “picture” of what integrity looks like. That picture varies from person to person – and in fact, often is very fuzzy. We tend to think, “I’ll know integrity when I see it.” That’s not good enough: when the pictures vary, so do the judgments of who is acting with integrity and who is not. You and I could argue all day about whether someone has acted with - or without – integrity without reaching agreement because we’re arguing about a subjective concept. In order for us to resolve this argument, we have to agree on specific behaviors that demonstrate “integrity” so we have a more objective way of assessing the extent to which someone’s behaviors and decisions reflect this value. There are very real costs to the organization when employees perceive a disparity between stated values and actual behaviors. Based on this discrepancy, employees might conclude that management is inconsistent, unfair, and shows favoritism. They may experience feelings such as disillusionment, anger, betrayal, disappointment, confusion, and distrust. An organization that articulates values sets the expectation that its managers’ behaviors and decisions will reflect those values. What if this can’t happen because employees and managers define values differently? In addition to the above negative outcomes, we can expect low morale, decreased trust, and increased cynicism. We can maximize the likelihood that employees’ expectations will be met by identifying specific behaviors that indicate people are acting with integrity, having conversations around those behaviors, and distinguishing clearly between desirable and undesirable behaviors. For example, I would characterize people as acting with integrity when they engage in the following behavior: - Do what they say they’ll do. - Tell the truth. - Make decisions based on stated criteria (e.g., staffing, promotions). - Hold themselves accountable for their behaviors. - Hold others accountable for their (others’) behaviors. - Admit their mistakes and take responsibility for them. Once we have identified and communicated the behaviors represented by the value of integrity, we can have a productive conversation. NOW we’re getting somewhere! Here are nine steps to ensure that your organization’s values are not detrimental to its health: 1. Identify a few values that support the strategic goals and define them at the organization level. 2. Have managers and employees collaborate on personalizing those values – i.e., identify specific behaviors that demonstrate each value. Note: Examples of specific behaviors may change at different levels. All behaviors should be consistent with the organization’s definition of each value so there is alignment up and down the organization. 3. Communicate the behaviors through multiple media. 4. Incorporate the values and their respective behaviors into the performance management process – for managers as well as for employees. State what behaviors you WANT, rather than those you don’t want. 5. Ensure all systems support the values and do not punish desired behaviors (e.g., when teamwork is a value, rewards are based on team behaviors rather than on individual behaviors). 6. Provide training as necessary (e.g., how to identify relevant behaviors, how to evaluate behaviors, how to give and receive constructive feedback). 7. Reward/recognize people whose behaviors demonstrate the values. 8. Take corrective action when behaviors violate the values. 9. Ensure that managers consistently model the desired behaviors. What percent of your employees can identify your organization’s values? How many of those individuals can tell you what each value “looks like” in terms of their own performance? Unless you are able to answer nearly 100%, you may want to consider taking the above steps to improve the health of your organization!

Upgrading Home Health With Home Care Equipment

2009-05-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

by: Dr. Rose Windale

Having weighed the options between extended hospital confinement and home health care, more and more households are now resorting to the latter when it comes to attending to the needs of an aging, infirm or convalescing family member. Such is the trend in the recent years as long-term hospitalization can tremendously deplete the family’s finances whereas home care is not only less costly but it can conscientiously cater to the health and personal needs of their relation as well. With the rising demand for home care, the industry concerned has synonymously enhanced and upgraded home health care equipment and services. The home care industry has devised novel and state of the art home health care equipment that enable those within the household to be directly involved in the health care maintenance of the patient. Such home health care equipment are essentially convenient and becoming all the more popular. These medical devices and gadgets are technologies that have been designed for home use and are especially devised to make home care more reliable and for home care patients to be at ease. Innovations in home health care equipment are basically intelligent devices which remarkably reduce the need for machine maintenance. With wireless internet connection now widely available, home health care equipment are now able to facilitate in providing more efficient and monitored services. Households have now opted to utilizing home health care equipment as they are generally convenient and entail less cost in health maintenance. Home health care equipment are geared towards teaching the patient and those in the household about self-monitoring pertaining to their condition through innovative devices and gadgets that are capable of giving indications and warnings. Thus, home care patients need not be confined in the hospital as there are technologies that could aid them in supervising their own conditions. The concept and invention of home health care equipment serve to make home care more efficient and reliable as the patient can have control and assistance on their health concerns within the premises of their own homes. Despite not being within the limits of a hospital, the patient’s safety and peace of mind are ensured. Due to the benefits of home health care equipment, sales have been steadily increasing in response to their demands and expediency. Home health care equipment are being developed to cater to various medical needs and conditions. Inventions such as heart monitors that can be readily connected to the computer are soon to be expected in the market. Home health care equipment such as these make it possible for the patient to check their own heart rates and vital signs and can be easily forwarded to their doctors through the internet. To be likewise included as one of the state of the art home health care equipment are toothbrushes with features capable of checking blood sugar and bacteria levels while brushing. This novel device can even come with a holder that can transmit data to the patient’s medical records. Home health care equipment to be anticipated in the near future are video devices designed for the purpose of telemedicine. Such video equipments offer high resolution audio and images and may include accessories like a blood pressure cuff, a thermometer and a stethoscope. Their attending health practitioner will then be updated via a monitor about the patient’s condition while the latter is restfully going about in the home.

Breast Health: An Informative Guide for Women

2009-05-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

by: James Pendergraft

The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that every year a total of 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more or less 40,000 of those diagnosed die. In 2005, the American Cancer Society estimated total risks of one for every eight woman for breast cancer. Many women do not even know that they have one until they reached the lateral stages, where most symptoms are detected. Breast health involves improving the conditions of the breasts and keeping them from damage like cancer. Why Do Women Develop Breast Cancer? The following are just some of the contributing factors that could lead to breast cancer for most women: a) Getting older b) Direct family history c) Genetics d) Breast lesions e) Distant family history f) Abnormal breast biopsy g) Excessive radiation h) Alcohol i) Weight j) Late or early menopause k) Race How Does One Detect Breast Cancer? The early stages of breast cancer are not painful. Some symptoms are detected later. These may include: a) A change in both the size and the shape of the breast b) Lump detection near the breast or underarm area c) Discharge and tenderness in the nipple d) Pitting and ridge in the breast e) Change in the feel and texture of the breast, areola, and nipples If ever such symptoms occur, a woman should immediately go and see her doctor. More often than not, the signs are not cancer, but it is still advisable to check with the doctor so that the problems will be treated and diagnosed as early as possible. When these symptoms show, the doctors would perform the following treatments, and physical exams are conducted for detection and confirmation: a) Clinical breast exam b) Mammography c) Ultrasonography Basing on the results of these exams, the doctor may decide whether or not further tests are required and if treatment is necessary. In such cases, the doctor needs to check the condition of the patient regularly.

Save Money on Health Insurance by Excluding Maternity Coverage

2009-05-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

by: Jesse Seagle

Maternity is one of the single biggest determinants on health plan cost when researching individual health insurance plans in the state of California. It's easy to see why when a simple delivery can run $10,000 and an uncomplicated C-section can run $20,000. Maternity is probably the only health care service you can actually plan on to some extent. No one plans for a broken bone. Health care costs have spiraled up over the last years primarily because of hospital based care and maternity is deeply dependent on such care. So if maternity is something you may need now or possibly in the future, it's probably best to stop reading. Be careful not to assume that you can get a non-maternity plan now to save money and switch in the future as you get closer to the need for maternity coverage. If your health changes or if you become pregnant, it might be impossible to switch to a plan that covers maternity. Let's look at some plans on the market for people who will definitely not need maternity coverage. First, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) type health plans have become pretty expensive in comparison with mid-level PPO options. The HMO plans usually cover maternity anyway which is partially why they are so expensive so we'll concentrate more on PPO plans which is were the market has been heading. PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans offer a full range of non-maternity health plans but on a practical sense, it comes down to really two ways of approaching health care needs. We will look at Anthem Blue Cross as an example since they are both a strong carrier and priced well. First, are we going for? Well, we want comprehensive coverage. This means we do not want to find big holes in our coverage later on relative to the other plans on the market. We also do not want the richest plans. When you're paying for your own health insurance, the annual premium difference between various plans is a major consideration if two plans differ by how they treat office copays and RX copays but the yearly premium difference is $1000. Considering by saving $1000 a year, pays for a lot of co-pays. Based on this, start by looking at these two suite of plans. Anthem Blue Cross Lumenos HSA plans (non-maternity option) or PPO $3500 HSA compatible health plan. This is a simple plan as far as health insurance is considered. Essentially, you have a high deductible for which all covered benefits are subject to. The Lumenos plans carves out some preventative benefit coverage which is very useful for those that require this. Either way, the theory is a high deductible to keep the cost down. Lumenos health plans are best suited for; First, Older individuals (since age is the primary driving force of cost). Second, people who are most interested in catastrophic health insurance to cover big bills. Third, those individuals that wish to take advantage of the the tax benefits of an HSA. The pricing tends to be some of the lowest on the market for comprehensive coverage. Keep in mind that the deductible for two or more people on one policy is double and cumulative for all family members on the policy. For example, if one person's deductible is $1500, a family's cumulative deductible would be $3000 and all family members are working towards the same deductible. Anthem Blue Cross Smart Sense PPO plans with no maternity coverage. The other suite of plans to compare is the Smart Sense PPO plans with Comprehensive RX. You have an option of deductible amount to choose from which drives the cost of the monthly premium. The major difference between these plans and the HSA plans mentioned above is that office copays and RX coverage is not subject to the main deductible. Also, the main deductible is per person with the Anthem Blue Cross Smart Sense plans while the HSA plans are cumulative deductibles. You can run your instant quote at http://www.getmymedical.com to research both the HSA compatible plans and the Smart Sense plans for comprehensive, non-maternity health insurance. Make sure to read through the brochures and please let us know if we can help in any way.

For Gout Pain- Have You Considered Natural Health?

2009-05-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

by: Joe Barton

What do you do for gout pain? This may be the question of the year because more and more people are diagnosed with gout each year. And unfortunately, doctors' treatments for this painful form of arthritis have not gotten any better over the past 30 years. If you see a doctor for gout, you will probably walk away with an expensive painkiller and the advice to 'stay off your feet'. And if you are anything like me, this is probably not the advice or treatment you were hoping for. Fortunately, there are other options like simple natural health tips. What is Natural Health? Natural health is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to heal your ailments. In the case of gout, you can use simple remedies and lifestyle changes which help flush the cause of gout… uric acid. What is uric acid? When your body is unable to flush uric acid normally, it will deposit itself between joints (like your big toe). When this happens gout symptoms will result like inflammation, swelling, redness, and sharp pains. Fortunately, uric acid crystals can easily be dissolved and flushed with the proper eating habits and natural health remedies. Here are some secrets your doctor should have told you. For Gout Pain… Try Natural Remedies 1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to flush the uric acid plus it will also dilute the uric acid. 2. You should also try one of the oldest and most miraculous remedies available… apple cider vinegar is a great way to cure gout. All you need to do is add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and drink up. You can add honey for the bad taste. 3. Cherries are naturally proven to reduce uric acid levels. 4. Baking soda is also a simple yet effective remedy that works to dissolve and neutralize uric acid. It has also been said that baking soda can naturally dissolve the uric acid crystals between the joints. You should take a half teaspoon of baking soda and add it to a glass of water. 5. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and leafy greens can also be helpful. These are high in natural vitamin C and bioflavonoids that reduce inflammation. 6. Exercising will help your body run more efficiently and also help flush the uric acid. 7. Eating healthier foods is also important. Gout was once called the king's disease because it affected so many kings who ate lavishly. Let that remind you to keep your diet simple. Cure Gout in 2 Hours Flat Imagine curing gout permanently in 2 hours flat! Imagine learning how to prevent gout and lose weight and keep it off! If you are looking for researched, step by step remedies, please check out our Gout Remedy Report that is 100% guaranteed.

Blog for Women – A Healthy Approach In Women’s Life

2009-05-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

by: Grace Enderlein

Women are particularly burdened with stress because we tend to take everything on ourselves; children, husbands, work, volunteering in our community, and more. The obligations seem to be never ending. The good news is, this is what makes women so special – our nurturing nature that makes us put others first. The bad news is that we always put ourselves last. Another characteristic that makes us exceptional is our ability and need to communicate. We call and visit to talk and listen. We write in our journals, write letters and email. Blogs for women are of particular help, because countless other women are right at our fingertips. It is a wonderful platform to be heard, to listen, and to give and get advice. Reaching out helps us to be our best selves, and helps us deal with our own issues. What are some things that we learn about coping with our stress from blogs for women? We hear it over and over again from women with experience and the experts – take time for you, and this will help keep anxiety levels low. Unfortunately, it is not only our stress and emotional levels being affected, it is our physical health. Our foundation is self love and self care. When we get caught up in everything else, we forget about ourselves. Taking care of you should be on our “to-do” lists as an obligation. What kinds of things can women do to combat stress? Not everyone has the time or the means to take a vacation or go to a spa, so it can be simple, everyday things that we can fit into our real-life schedules. If you only have a minute, some deep breathing, stretching, or even meditation and prayer can help calm your nerves. Walking and exercise are excellent ways to feel renewed and clear your mind. You can call a friend, take a bath, or read a wonderful book or a lighthearted magazine. Maybe you have an interest in a subject, and you can take a class to further your knowledge in it. It is ok if it is something frivolous or impractical that does not have anything to do with your profession or every day life; it is something for you to enjoy. Don’t forget that it is ok to say no to volunteer work if you are overextended. Spending fun time with your children and spouse is a great stress reliever. Play a game, bake some cookies, and no homework and no TV! Some quiet bonding is beneficial for everyone involved. Most importantly, appreciate yourself, don’t dwell on the bad, and be your own best friend. After all, everyone else is counting on you, so you need to be at your best.

Top 5 Health Mistakes Women Make

2009-05-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

by: James Pendergraft

There are instances when women visit their doctor’s office for a checkup, yet after the process, these women would still feel lost and misunderstood. Ladies, have you ever encountered this situation? If you are unaware of it, yes, it could happen and most of the time this could be prevented. Women would feel voiceless and paralyzed once they are inside the doctor’s office. Even women who are well bred and with promising careers suffer from this problem. These mistakes should not be taken for granted—especially because it involves health care. Here are the five mistakes that most women are guilty of: 1. Women don’t question doctors. Women do not ask their doctors the right questions. It is natural for most women to feel intimidated, especially if the doctor is a male. The difference in power and authority often makes a woman vulnerable and child-like. If you are in such a state, it is best to take someone with you who would ask the necessary questions, especially those questions that you are afraid or embarrassed to ask. You could also talk to your doctor afterward and tell him the things you did not understand about what he just told you. The doctor may have been using jargons while he was talking to you. It is just right that you speak up and tell him so. That way, he could slow down and explain to what’s going on. 2. Women tend to over-research. It is more likely for women to search and look up health information online. This method might have benefits, but it is not altogether the best. Women are more inclined to make themselves believe that they have health problems when in fact they don’t. If you are among such women, it is advised that you narrow down all your researches and instead focus on the main and more important points. Then with the organized information you have, ask your doctors anything that bothers you. This is more coherent than having a lot of printouts, and it saves you time. 3. Women tend to over-research. It is more likely for women to search and look up health information online. This method might have benefits, but it is not altogether the best. Women are more inclined to make themselves believe that they have health problems when in fact they don’t. If you are among such women, it is advised that you narrow down all your researches and instead focus on the main and more important points. Then with the organized information you have, ask your doctors anything that bothers you. This is more coherent than having a lot of printouts, and it saves you time. 4. Women interpret their own symptoms. It is normal for the women to just neglect the facts, interpret their conditions, and make their own diagnosis. This could put their health at risk. It is good for you to just state the facts and let the doctors do their job. Let them have their own interpretations and diagnosis. But if you have questions, don’t hold back. There are times that you are probably right, but it is still best to trust in the professional’s interpretation. 5. Women don’t trust their intuition. This is considered the mother of all mistakes. As said earlier, if you think that the doctor’s interpretation is incorrect, step up and tell him or her so. After all, it is your health at risk here.

Corporatization Of Healthcare In India: The Liberalization Effect

2009-05-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

by: Dr. Shikha Suman

One of the most significant trends emerging in the wake of liberalization is the new vigour of the entry of corporate hospitals and multinationals in the health care scenario. The reason for this new tempo is the potential that India offers to NRIs and multinationals. With the current ratio of population to all types of beds being 1300: 1, it has been estimated that there is a huge demand–supply gap which may require nearly 3.6 million beds to overcome it. Taking into account the requirements of primary and secondary health care, the shortfall is estimated to be around 2.9 million beds. In tertiary health care, the gap may be somewhere around 20% of the above total, which amounts to some 0.58 million. With investment costs per bed per year (including land, building, equipment, support system and medical consumables) ranging from Rs 0.7 million to Rs 3.5 million depending upon the nature of specialty, the resource requirements are enormous. Further, from a survey conducted by the Confederation of Private Sector Initiatives in Health Care, it is estimated that against a requirement of 60 000 super-specialty beds each year, only 3000 multi-specialty beds are being planned in India, which may cost around Rs 7200 million over the next 3 years. Growing NRI investment in the hospital industry Realizing the need, the potential for profit and from a desire to develop the States of their original domicile, many NRIs from the USA and UK have taken interest in the development of health care diagnostics or super-specialty hospitals in their hometowns. Between August 1991 and August 1997, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth US$100 million (about Rs 3600 million) in the Indian health care sector. The major chunk of this FDI (Rs 1160 million) goes to Delhi, helping in the development of a super-specialty hospital and diagnostic cen tres. Other places in the country to benefit from this NRI investment include Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Bhuwaneshwar in Orissa (Rs 30 million), Calcutta in West Bengal (Rs 80 million) and Bangalore in Karnataka (Rs 0.6 million). These investments in States other than Delhi are mostly focused on diagnostic centres and bring with them high-tech care, advanced medical technology and trained Indian medical manpower. This is partly halting and reversing the brain-drain of medical personnel. Hospital has become a corporate entity Health care is thus emerging as a blue-chip industry and in recent years has attracted the investment of both domestic and foreign companies. Unlike the earlier image of the private sector, which mainly focused on nursing homes and polyclinics, the new market orientation is towards super specialty care. In this regard, although the pioneering efforts were made way back in 1983 by a group known as Apollo, a number of other companies have now entered the market. Notable among the latter include successful domestic and foreign companies like CDR, Wockhardt, Medinova, Duncan, Ispat, Escorts, Mediciti, Kamineni, Parkway, Jardine, Nicholas and Sedgwick.9,10 The entry of so many such companies has added towards corporatization of the healthcare industry with a focus on high profit-margin, super specialty and diagnostic care. Mostly these companies have expanded their network in India’s major metropolitan towns. Increasing participation by multinationals Given the rising cost of health care in the last 5 years, the foreign companies are aiming to capture the potential of the health insurance market for nearly 135 million people in the upper-middle income segment of the population who can afford private health care. Against an estimated potential health insurance market of between Rs 6500–275 000 million, the present annual health insurance premium market by the General Insurance Corporation and its subsidiaries is merely Rs 1000 million, covering just 1.6 million people. In view of the possible opening of the market to multinationals, many foreign companies have already taken preliminary steps, such as setting up their representative offices or entering into ties with Indian companies. These companies aim to devise health insurance schemes suited to the Indian situation, to improve coverage by incorporating payments for general physicians (GP), medical tests and specialist charges, and containing costs through appropriate controlling systems. Besides health insurance, the high-tech, medical, electronic equipment industry has been the other area to attract investment by multinationals following liberalization. This is due to the high-tech nature of modern diagnostics, which is based largely on foreign technology having a high obsolescence rate of around 5 years and thus high replacement needs. In general, a reduction on import duties on individual components, and high rates of import duties (up to 31–37%) on high-tech finished products (like CT scanners), have together encouraged multinationals to assemble the imported components in India. Consequently, of total imports of medical equipment (Rs 4500 million), more than half (Rs 2800 million) comprise locally assembled medical electronics (like X-ray, ultrasound, CT scanners, patient monitoring equipment, etc.), with the remainder constituting other electronic medical products (like sterilizers, endoscope accessories etc.).

Holistic Health News: A Licensed Naturopathic Doctor Explains the Link Between Allergies and Asthma

2009-05-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

by: Dr. Eric Lewis, ND

Western VS Alternative Medicine: What Are the Options When You Are Living with Allergies and Asthma? According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA: http://www.AAFA.org) asthma affects more than 20 million Americans (approximately 1 in 15), and over 50% of asthma cases are related to allergies. Combined, more than 60 million Americans suffer from asthma or allergies. Western medicine provides a number of helpful solutions for people suffering from asthma. The most common are: 1. Fast acting, short duration inhalers contain a bronchodilator to open up airways quickly when an asthma attack is in progress. They are often referred to as rescue inhalers. 2. In recent years corticosteroid inhalers have become a common conventional treatment. Corticosteroids effectively reduce inflammation in the lungs and often times are paired together with a long acting bronchodilator. In addition to inhalers many asthma and allergy specialists seek to identify various allergens with allergy tests. Then they often prescribe allergy medications or shots to help reduce allergic reactions that may lead to lung inflammation and airway constriction. Holistic Medicine and a Naturopathic Doctor’s Approach to Allergies and Asthma As a naturopathic doctor I have both personal and professional experience dealing with allergies and asthma. I have struggled with allergies and asthma since childhood and at one time was prescribed nine different medications to mange my symptoms! I believe firmly that Western medicine has a lot to offer, especially to manage emergency situations, but holistic medicine and natural treatments also have an important role to play. Holistic Health Considerations Asthma can have many underlying causes. Asthma is an inflammatory condition that affects the airways. The lungs have an increased amount of reactivity to triggers that cause constriction of the airways and mucus production. Allergies are one of the most common triggers. In order to create a holistic health solution for asthma patients with allergies I must evaluate all of the internal and external environmental triggers. First I speak with the patient about potential external environmental triggers. Do they have sensitivities to dust mites, pet dander, molds, chemicals, etc? Even poor air quality can be a trigger. The AAFA recently released their annual list of Top 10 Worst Cities for Asthma. Six out of ten are in the Southeastern United States. Next, I evaluate the internal environment of the patient. I examine the patient’s constitutional strengths. I consider nutritional factors, as well as hormonal balance, and identify if the patient requires a body detoxification program. Naturopathic Treatments for Asthma and Allergies Important nutrients are often deficient in people who have asthma. Essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are often needed in order to strengthen the respiratory system and the body as a whole. Herbal medicine can also be recommended to clear mucus, reduce congestion and tonify the lungs. In my holistic health and naturopathic practice I also use Electrodermal Screening to identify allergens and desensitize patients to them. This is a fairly uncommon treatment, but has excellent results. This natural treatment helps patients remove triggers such as fragrance allergies, seasonal allergies and mold allergies. Common Food Allergies Related to Asthma Many people do not know that living with allergies can make their asthma symptoms much worse and more difficult to manage. Common food allergies are often triggers for children and adults suffering from asthma. Electrodermal Screening can also help identify common food allergies like wheat allergies, gluten allergies and milk allergies. This is why, as a naturopathic doctor, I place high value on the relationship between asthma and nutrition. Dairy and wheat allergies have been shown to aggravate inflammation in susceptible individuals, which makes asthma symptoms worse. With proper nutrition, herbal medicines, allergy desensitization and supplements, people with asthma can see a great reduction in the number of asthma symptoms or attacks. This holistic health approach combined with conventional treatments can improve quality of life for even some of the most serious asthmatics. You may find with more natural treatments that reliance on an inhaler decreases over time as the body becomes healthier and functions at a more optimal level. When Western medicine and naturopathic approaches are combined, patients with asthma have the opportunity to improve quality of life and overall health.

Discovering The Health Benefits Of Garlic

2009-05-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

by: LaMarion Ziegler

Benefits of Garlic! A more detailed account of what garlic does for various organs in the human body. If garlic had been created in the laboratory instead of by nature, it would probably be a high-priced prescription medicine. A Common Saying everyone knows. That's just how good it really is. Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it's been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds. In fact, garlic has been used medicinally for at least 3,000 years, but until relatively recently its benefits were considered little more than folklore. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nov. 28, 1990;264:2614), the therapeutic roles of garlic have been described in more than 1,000 scientific studies. Cooking with garlic Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. The following is a more detailed account of what garlic does for various organs in the human body: 1. Protection of the liver from toxic substances: Garlic activates the cells of the liver and thereby protects the liver from toxic substances; it also rejuvenates a tired liver and promotes its normal functioning. 2. Improvement of blood circulation: When allicin is heated in the process of cooking the garlic, a substance called "ajoene" is formed. This substance has a suppressive effect on thrombi and blood cholesterol, so it is effective for the treatment of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. 3. Regulation of stomach function: Allicin promotes the secretion of gastric juices by stimulating the mucous membranes of the stomach; furthermore, it combines with proteins which can reduce excessive activity of the stomach. In addition, allicin reglates the functioning of the stomach by activating the large intestine and thus cure both constipation and diarrhea. 4. Promotion of insulin secretion: Allicin combines with vitamin B1 (thiamine) to activate the function of the pancreas and thus promote insulin secretion. As a result, garlic is effective in the prevention or the cure of diabetes that is caused by a lack of insulin or by the defective functioning of the pancreas. 5. Normalization of blood circulation: Because it stimulates the brain nerves and controls the workings of the heart at a constant level, garlic stabilizes blood pressure. It is also capable of dissolving cholesterol and fatty substances inside blood vessels and therefore refreshing cells and the blood inside the body. Today, there is worldwide scientific evidence to support the many health benefits that can be derived from the daily consumption of garlic. * Extensive tests on humans have concluded that a regular intake of garlic can: * Lower total cholesterol (but raise the good-type HDL cholesterol) * Produce more "natural killer" cells in the blood that will tackle infections and tumours * Lower blood pressure * Reduce the risk of blood clots (that are responsible for most heart attacks and strokes) * Destroy infection causing viruses and bacteria Garlic is classified as both an herb and a vegetable. It can be found in products ranging from ice cream to dry rubs; the versatility of this herb is seemingly endless. Tips for cooking with garlic: 1. Before cooking, remove the exterior skin of the clove. There are many ways to do this: strike the bulb with the broad side of a kitchen knife, use a rubber garlic rolling tube, soak the garlic in lukewarm water for 30 minutes or dip the cloves into boiling water for 30 seconds. 2. After skinning the garlic, select a cooking method that will result in the appropriate flavor. It can be sautéed to create a nutty, savory taste; poached to create a mild flavor; oven-roasted to bring out the nutty flavor with a caramelized quality; fried to create a crisp exterior; or grilled to create a soft, smoky flavor. 3. Garlic is very sensitive to heat and will burn easily, especially when sautéing. Expose the garlic to heat just until the oil sizzles and then remove it. When cooking garlic with onions, start the onions first. They will take longer to cook. Benefits of Garlic: Cancer Prevention Indeed, the first scientific report to study garlic and cancer was performed in the 1950s. Scientists injected allicin, an active ingredient from garlic, into mice suffering from cancer. Mice receiving the injection survived more than 6 months whereas those which did not receive the injection only survived 2 months.

Travel Health and Travel Insurance

2009-05-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

by: Mark James

You probably have health insurance in Australia, right? So, shouldn’t you make sure that your health and emergency medical costs are also covered when you travel abroad? Travel health insurance covers your medical costs when you travel overseas. Your Australian health cover and Medicare are unlikely to cover you for overseas travel and medical costs overseas can be a lot higher than those you are used to in Australia. Even if you don’t have regular health insurance at home, you should consider travellers’ insurance to cover you for a medical emergency or accident. The reality is that even normally healthy people often get sick or even worse on holiday. Ever noticed how as soon as the pressure comes off and you get to relax, you come down with the flu or worse? Overseas holidays for Australians generally start with a reasonably long flight. Flying is a great way to pick up a disease before you even reach the resort’s poolside bar! Having arrived at your holiday destination, there is, of course, the usual risks of a climate you are not used to and local food - again, food poisoning is not just a cliché; it can result in a serious medical emergency if you get unlucky. Often, your average holidaymaker gets into trouble when they go from a sedentary office job in real life to deep sea diving or skiing on holiday. It seems that we all feel invincible on holiday, and in some cases, the joy of the moment overcomes common sense safety precautions. Or our unfit body is just not up to our athletic ideals! Plus, things do sometimes work differently overseas; for instance, how many tourists have ended up in the hospital because they forget, just for a minute, that they are driving on the wrong side of the road? It’s particularly easy to forget if you hire a scooter, as is commonly done in the Pacific and some Asian countries. Scooters don’t have an offset steering wheel to remind you that you should be keeping right on the road! Travel health insurance can help if the worst happens while you are overseas. For most people, it won’t happen, but just because you have never had an accident or a serious illness at home doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you at some point. You should not assume that it can’t happen to you on holiday – unfortunately, it can. Being ill or injured on holiday is bad enough, but you don’t want to return home to a lifetime of debt to pay off the bills! A good travel health insurance policy is a small price to pay for peace of mind. It will cover you not just for serious medical assistance, but also for English-speaking assistance if you need advice for a condition that is worrisome. Is it a bad cold or malaria? If the worst happens, it will pay for the MediVac home too. If that skiing accident resulted in a broken leg - you may need a first-class seat to get home - travel insurance will normally pay for that too. Travelling is great fun generally, but sometimes, it’s a bit tough on your health. That’s why travel health insurance is a must have for your packing list.

Health And Wellness

2009-05-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

by: Charlotte Kerver

Wellness refers to a healthy balance of Mind, Body and Spirit resulting in a feeling of well-being. Health and Wellness emphasize on a state of entire being and its ongoing development. Natural Treatment involves natural methods to treat, avoiding any form of conventional medicine. Natural Healing often referred to as alternative, complementary or integrative medicine, covers healing philosophies that focus on treating the root cause of a disease symptom. A Holistic Healer works on the pretext that a discomfort is due to some kind of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual imbalance. He or she helps the body in healing itself by providing alternative natural health remedies, referred to as Holistic Healing. Alternative Medicine involves therapies which are a substitute to conventional medical treatments. Complementary Medicine involves therapies used in conjunction with conventional medical treatments. Naturopathy, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, prayer, mental healing, art, music and dance therapy, herbs, vitamins, dietary supplements, natural substances, chiropractic, osteopathic manipulation and massage, therapies that use energy fields like Bio-field therapy, Qigong, Reiki, and therapeutic and healing touch, are some examples of these therapies. Alternative Medicine Chicago is a typical search used for individuals living in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs – where their search results often focus on the importance of a good diet, sufficient exercise, and other lifestyle adaptations to achieve and maintain good physical, mental and emotional health. When alternative medicine is used with conventional medicine in a fully coordinated approach to patient care, this is referred to as Holistic Healthcare. These therapies bring together the best of all traditions and put increased emphasis on prevention by stimulating the body’s natural healing potential. Holistic Healing practitioners like Massage therapists, Psychic guides and Motivational Speakers, employ resources like networking, advertising, client-healer relationships etc to expand their clientele and grow their Holistic Businesses. There are also sites online connecting wellness seekers to holistic, complementary and alternative healthcare providers of their choice, one example being www.ChicagoHealers.com, which focuses on prevention, education and connecting wellness seekers with experienced holistic healers in the Chicago and surrouding suburbs. Holistic Healing Schools train interested individuals in Natural Health programs for healing. Participants will often learn energy and intuitive healing approaches that they can then use in their individual life and approaches may also include the intake of healthful natural elements like fresh air, sunlight, proper diet, pure water and the regulation of exercise and rest. A Health Retreat helps revitalize the mind, body and soul in a comfortable and serene, naturally secluded environment. These retreats help reducing the diverse effects of stress, on-going fatigue and eventual ill health, by providing various kinds of rescue remedies like Yoga, Meditation, personalized Massage etc. A Health Retreat Program can last for weeks, or as short as a weekend. Holistic Getaways have the aim of enabling you to “Relax, Revive, Revitalize And Rejuvenate" These getaways or vacation spots provide a sense of enjoyment and lasting rejuvenation to the visitors.

3 Tips To Healthy Blood Glucose Levels

2009-05-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

by: Gerhard van Staden

Though diabetes is a tough and unforgiving condition, it does not always need to be a Mt. Everest in your life..... Treatment depends on a number of different factors including but not limited to the signs and symptoms of the diabetes, the type of diabetes as well as the severity and age. Treatment usually includes some medical treatment, but depends mostly on lifestyle changes. Losing excess weight also helps the body to use insulin more efficiently, thus stabilizing the blood sugar level. Can we naturally regulate our blood sugar levels? There is a great deal of evidence that suggest with the correct chosen herbal and homeopathic remedies and supplements we can both prevent and keep signs and symptoms of diabetes under control. Herbal remedies, dietary supplements and the correct lifestyle changes can eliminate the need for prescription medication and can also aid in the prevention of organ and tissue damage associated with uncontrolled diabetes. Tips for coping with Diabetes 1. Exercise regularly as your chances will be 50 natural, non-addictive herbal remedy formulated by a team of health experts. Insulate Plus has been used for many years to safely support pancreatic health and to promote systemic balance in the endocrine and circulatory system. In combination with a healthy lifestyle and diet which excludes excess sugar, unhealthy fats, stimulants, artificial preservatives and colorants, Insulate Plus supports the healthy functioning of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas which is responsible for insulin production. Insulate Plus can be used consistently without serious side effects or compromising health. Diabetonic Diabetonic helps maintain stable, normal sugar levels and act as a tonic for the liver and pancreas. Diabetonic is a combination of three, cellular-supporting tissue salts selected for their tonic effect on the blood system and pancreas. This combination of tissue salt remedies can be used regularly to naturallymaintain blood sugar within the healthy limits in a general capacity to promote systemic balance in the circulatory system, pancreas and liver, as well as in conjunction with other natural remedies to maintain therapeutic effectiveness. Tissue Salts, also called cell salts or biochemic salts, are composed of minerals hich occur naturally at a cellular level in our bodies and all organic matter on earth, such as plants, rocks and soil. There have been twelve essential tissue salts identified as important components of all body cells and without which, true health is not possible. Each tissue salt plays a different, yet vital role in maintaining cellular health in the organs and systems of the body. Making sure that all the cells of capillary walls, veins and arteries are supported also means that the bio-availability of all supplements, remedies and even nutrients in your diet is also enhanced as they are absorbed into the bloodstream, thereby maximizing all your health efforts. And, because our tissue salts are naturally occurring in the body and manufactured to ensure safe, yet optimum potency, they are safe to use for all ages (from infancy to old age) - as well as during pregnancy! Vizu-All Plus Vizu-all Plus is a natural remedy for maintaining the health of the visual and circulatory system. It can be used consistently to safely support visual health and encourage circulation to the eyes while promoting overall systemic and immune system health. Vizu-All Plus supports the healthy functioning of the eye, thereby helping to maintain routine visual health both day and night, as well as encouraging blood flow to the optical nerve and surrounding tissues. Vizu-All Plus can make all the difference, without compromising health and without serious side effects. It supports the healthy functioning of the eye to maintain routine visual health both day and night, as well as encouraging blood flow to the optical nerve and surrounding tissues. The ingredients in Vizu-All Plus have been selected for their ability to help support circulatory and tissue health, particularly of the feet and hands, while encouraging the maintenance of healthy blood flow to the brain to prevent age-related absent-mindedness and to support healthy levels of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Conclusion Regulating and maintaining a normal blood glucose level is possible without the use of modern medicine and other toxins. It will however require a complete lifestyle change, requiring the sufferer to eat healthy, monitor their blood glucose level daily and engage in exercises. Combined with the natural remedies, this lifestyle change will promote health of the pancreas, liver, circulatory system, visual system as well as overall systemic health.

Healthy Eating – Eating Healthy On A Budget

2009-05-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

by: Dominic Milner

Healthy Eating is extremely important in order to have the best quality of life and eating healthy on a budget is a lot easier than you have ever though. Whether you live alone or are married with six kids you can still look after yourself through your diet. In today’s society with food being so cheap and obtainable even those that have a high salary are downgrading for the cheaper alternative. As we are in a recession right now our trips to the local McDonalds have been replaced by eating at home, which I bet has devestated most kids. Just because you want the whole family to eat healthy doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have our treats once in a while. If we don’t have our treats the cravings will get way too strong and we would end up wasting time and energy on binge eating. If you like to have a Mcdonalds and the budget now stops you from doing this create it yourself at home. For what it costs you at McDonalds for just one of you can cover the cost for four of you if made from scratch at home. Make homemade cheeseburgers with chunky chips and make your own sauce to go with it so that you all feel extra special. Or when your next down the supermarket and the chicken pieces are on offer take the opportunity to purchase it and make your kids some homemade nuggets and they will love you forever for it. There is a lot of salt in a McDonalds and this is not good for you but if you make it yourself from scratch you can control exactly what they eat. It is so much nicer to know what goes into your product that you sit down at the table and eat when you go to McDonalds you really don’t have a clue what is in it and this can be worrying sometimes. Kids also adore making homemade milkshakes so why not take the plunge and make some with the kids that they would normally have at McDonalds and include extra fruit in it to make it extra healthy. This is just an idea about adopting a healthy diet and still enjoying the food that a fast food establishment offers now I have given you some great ideas with McDonalds imagine what you could do with the other places you like. Enjoy some home cooked KFC or a wonderful pizza that the kids have personally decorated that looks better than the ones on offer at PizZa Hut. Remember the ideas are amazing you just have to put them into practice!

Why Eat Healthy?

2009-05-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

by: Dominic Milner

Eating healthy is very important in order to sustain a good quality life. If we didn’t eat healthy we would be prone to lots of illnesses and would run the risk of gaining excess weight and joining the obesity crowd. We are all allowed our bad times though and I don’t believe there is such a thing as the perfect healthy person. Even if you have stuck to healthy living for the past twenty years what about during your teen years and you visited McDonalds once a week. I know I was one of their regulars and without the teenage population I very much doubt that they would be surviving during this current recession! Healthy eating should be practiced on the whole though. I know you hear about it in the media on a daily basis and get sick to the back teeth of it but eating your five a day of fruit and vegetables is an amazing place to start. Growing up in Leeds, England my grandparents wouldn’t hear of me going without my fruit and vegetables. The majority of my friend’s parents and grandparents had allotments. This meant that from a very young age we were given lots of seasonal produce that we grew up loving. My wife’s Granddad had a lovely allotment and to this day she still loves eating lots of raw carrots when she gets the munchies and is much better than sneaking a cream filled bun out of the fridge. As a result of our upbringing we both adore fresh fruit and vegetables. This we believe helps us have a healthy lifestyle and we very rarely catch a cold or suffer from illnesses in general. Neither of us have had a single tummy bug since our son was a couple of months old and he will be eight this year. Through embracing a good diet along with regular exercise we are able to enjoy playing with our son for hours in the park or on the beach without feeling over tired or out of breath like many kids are. If you constantly eat the wrong foods you run the risk of other problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Also you will have great levels of energy and actually enjoy getting out of bed in the morning.

The Health Hazards In Using Sodium Hydroxide

2009-05-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

by: Jo Alelsto

Sodium hydroxide is one of the most dangerous chemicals. It is one of the strongest alkaline, known as caustic soda or lye. It is white, odorless and non-volatile in aqueous solutions. It is not readily flammable. However, it is a highly reactive substance. It forms an exothermic solution with water, evolving heat which may ignite combustible materials nearby. Its reaction with other metals yields hydrogen gas which ignites in the presence of oxygen. Moreover, this substance is extremely corrosive. This compound is found in many manufacturing plants. It is used in the following industrial purposes: manufacture of soaps, detergents and cleaning agents; processing of cotton and production of rayon and cellophane; processing of petroleum and natural gas; manufacture of pulp and paper; and various other chemical processing like pH control and acid neutralization. This chemical is also found in textile processing, vegetable oil refining, water treatment, manufacture of glass, preparation of adhesives, and stabilization of sodium hypochlorite. It is used in the processing of aluminum and degreasing of metals. This compound is either used in industries as a pure solid substance or in solutions with water at varying concentrations. It may be found with impurities like sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, and metals like iron and nickel. This chemical is known in chemistry to be one of the most dangerous substances that must be handled with extreme caution. This alkaline substance does not form vapors but may form aerosol dust which can be inhaled. Reports from cases of inhalation of caustic soda suggest that this compound has the ability to irritate the respiratory tract lining. A lung injury known as pulmonary edema or the accumulation of fluid in the lungs may happen. Workers exposed to a hot mist of this compound in unventilated area will experience tightness of chest, difficulty in breathing, and cough. This is due to the body’s defense mechanism against the irritant. There was a reported case of a man who sustained severe pulmonary injury due to inhalation of aerosol containing the substance. This happened when water was poured onto sodium hydroxide pellets. This compound is very corrosive that it should not come in contact with any part of the body. During skin exposure, the substance causes severe burning, ulceration and scarring. One of the dangers of skin exposure is that the chemical tends to destroy deeper layers of the skin until it is washed off. The extent of injury depends on the length and amount of exposure. Another thing which must be guarded is the possibility of eye contact because the chemical can penetrate deep into the eyes. One of the most obvious symptoms of eye injury due to exposure is damage on the cornea accompanied by clouding and loss of normal vision. This could progress to eye disorders like glaucoma and cataract. The ulceration and clouding in the eye may continue resulting to permanent blindness. Accidental ingestion of the alkaline may result to even more serious conditions. The substance is likely to corrode anything in its path. Thus, severe burns in the mouth, throat, esophageal lining, and gastric lining may happen. This could be accompanied by vomiting and loose bowel movement. In severe cases hemorrhage and perforation may occur, which leads to death. These, however, are results of initial and acute exposures. Chronic exposure is one thing that concerns most workers in industrial plants where sodium hydroxide is introduced and utilized. Continual skin contact causes the skin to become dry, cracked, and inflamed. Chronic respiratory exposure may cause serious obstruction in the airway. A research was conducted to determine whether the inorganic base is responsible for cancer. Individuals who were frequently exposed to it were called in for the study. There is a speculation that the alkaline causes cancer of the esophagus to individuals who have accidentally swallowed it. However, the cancer does not develop until more than ten years from exposure. The same cancer tissue growth has been noticed in areas of the skin that suffered previous burns. But experts believe that the cancerous growths have been due to the damage to the tissue and formation of scar and not directly caused by chemical exposure.

About The Author
Jo is a content writer for ‘ReAgent Chemical Services Ltd’ (http://www.reagent.co.uk), an established UK stationed chemical company that produces, has a supply of and distributes an enormous range of high quality chemical. If your business is seeking superior quality chemical product for instance Sodium Hydroxide or has other industrial compound requirements for applications similar to chemical syntheses, analytical purposes and cleaning then take a look at ReAgent Chemical Services Ltd.

Effects Of Lack Of Sleep On Your Health

2009-05-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

by: Kathy Joyce

Sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing, and a lack of it make you feel stressed, out of sorts and unable to concentrate properly. The first question you should ask yourself is what is keeping you awake at night. Most people who experience problems sleeping have anxieties and worries. This could be anything from relationship problems, health, finances or problems at work. Tension builds up in the body making it much harder to relax. It's easy to find yourself lying awake in bed feeling tense and continually looking at the clock as you try and sleep. If you do finally get off to sleep you may well find yourself waking up at frequent intervals, unable to get back to sleep again. External noise such as traffic or dogs barking can also keep you awake. Some people are more sensitive than others to noise. Even the sound of your partner snoring and grunting in their sleep can stop you from sleeping. Often the only solution is to get ear plugs, or make sure that you keep the bedroom windows closed to lessen the sound of any outside noise. Light can also keep you awake. Your brain releases a hormone called melotonin during the hours of darkness to help induce sleep. If there is any light entering your bedroom then it could well stop this hormone from being produced making it harder to sleep. If you work shifts and need to sleep during daylight hours you could try and get melatonin in supplement form. Also wearing a sleep mask may help, as well as having heavy curtains or blinds at the window. Insomnia sufferers wake up many times during the night and this can prevent you from entering the restorative deeper stages of sleep. During sleep we go through several cycles from light sleep when we are still aware of our surroundings to deep sleep when we are completely relaxed and this deeper stage is when we dream. Cell renewal and repair as well as fighting infections takes place during deep sleep. If your sleep is continually interrupted then you won't benefit from the deeper stages of sleep and as a result your immune system will be weakened and your skin may look tired and sallow. You will be more susceptible to colds and viruses and if you get a cold it may take longer to go away. Sleep apnea is a condition that occurs during sleep as a result of obstructions in the airways. This blockage is caused by tissue such as the uvula, tonsils and adenoids which flop down into the throat during sleep. This can completely block the airways for up to a minute during which time you stop breathing. Your body has an inbuilt mechanism that wakes you up if you stop breathing, and although you may not be aware that you have woken many times during the night you won't experience the benefits of deep sleep. There are many reasons why you may not be getting enough sleep including physical as well as emotional. Stresses and anxieties have a habit of entering your mind as you try and fall asleep at night. There are many effects of lack of sleep including problems with concentration. You will be much more likely to have an accident driving, or make mistakes at work. If you are studying for exams your mind won't be so able to take in information and store it. You will feel drained and suffer from daytime drowsiness. You may feel more emotional than usual and have a much lower threshold for anger, as well as be much more likely to develop minor illnesses such as colds. A more dangerous side effect of poor sleep is high blood pressure which could lead to a stroke or heart attack. Tensions in the body from a lack of deep restorative sleep could cause aches and pains. If you are very tense and stressed you could try a very effective relaxation technique which may well send you to sleep before you have finished the exercise. First lie down on the bed and loosen your clothing so that you are in a relaxed position. Make sure you are comfortable and rest your head against a pillow. Breathe in slowly and deeply and then exhale. Tense and relax each group of muscles in turn from your feet up to your neck and head. Tense for about 8 seconds then completely relax, This exercise does work as I have tried it and can never finish it. This could also help to lower your blood pressure.

High Cholesterol - Its Prevention and Other Important Review to Be Familiar

2009-05-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Twinton

Good cholesterol is required by our body parts. The good cholesterol will assist you digest fat well. Yet, don’t have too high cholesterol. It will not bring you any good at all. It does so since the high cholesterol level will make you at risk of other worse diseases, such as are heart attack and stroke. What is more to identify about this one? Take a look at the information here!

Even unusual hormones would not be produced if it were not for cholesterol. It is merely high cholesterol, and more predominantly high levels of bad cholesterol that can cause heart risks. In medical term the bad cholesterol is recognized as hypercholesterolemia.

High Cholesterol Levels Required Being Controlled

Additionally, the body can achieve some of its cholesterol through the foods that we consume. Yet, the majority of cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver. In case you consume animal foods or saturated fats and even Trans fats, you would danger of having high cholesterol levels.

Yet, high cholesterol merely becomes a severe concern when the levels of bad cholesterol become too high. It does so since the high level of high cholesterol could cause unusual heart diseases, including strokes and heart attacks.

Bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol is a type of cholesterol that will cause non-dissolved fats to be deposited inside the arteries. This causes the arteries to narrow. Hence, it prevents sufficient blood from reaching numerous parts of the body including the heart, which in turn may cause the heart to stop functioning. At the end it leads to a heart attack, or even a stroke.

If you have an unhealthy foods, smoke, live without sufficient exercise, obese, or have old age, you must be cautious of having high cholesterol. It will then grow into much dangerous diseases if you don’t control it well.

Other reasons for high cholesterol levels from the bad cholesterol are specific medical conditions of which diabetes is a good instance. It can also take place due to obstructive disease of the liver as too chronic kidney failure.

To bring high cholesterol levels down to controllable levels, it is sometimes essential to take drugs. Yet, there are also some other natural remedies available that can prove to be efficient for controlling your cholesterol well. Factually, the better choice as far as bringing high cholesterol levels down to normal is utilizing non-prescription means.

In consequence, you should consider switching to a diet, in which you merely eat low fat foods or even fat free foods. Additionally, you will also need to exercize regularly and keep your weight under control if you realistically wish to keep bad cholesterol levels at tolerable levels.

At the end, having high cholesterol should not give you any trouble. You still could control it well by living in a healthier way of life. For auxiliary and better article rmation, ask for your phsycian’s advice so that you get a better health examination as well as living healthily.

Thus, does the above-mentioned information still not satisfy your need in knowing about high cholesterol? Explore more the suitable information herein!

Zodiac Signs And Fitness, Your Sun Signs Can Give You Some Helpful Hints

2009-05-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

by: Mayur Deshpande

The fitness craze seems to have caught with everyone, be it a celebrity or just a face in the crowd. All are doing it that is sweating it out in the gym, the pool or the nearby stadium. On dinner tables they prefer to talk rather than eat. An interesting development indeed, but what's depressing is that many of these people aren't happy doing what they are. Get close and you will notice their face muscles held taut during the morning walk, a smile from them would but be an impossible dream, they are in fact cursing themselves for being blessed with a prosperous life (no prosperity, no evil temptations to binge, right?) Giving up exercise isn't an answer either... That leaves us with no option but to get involved. And how do we get involved? Simple, just by finding an interesting activity, something that sounds play and not work. Confused still? Here's some good news; your sunsigns can give you some helpful hints. Aquarius : Tennis, basketball, trekking may sound interesting for them; the secret is that these people cannot work alone and love to have lot of people around, at least most of the time. Another major need for Aquarians is to improve their circulation. So ideally they should pursue activities like running, swimming, dancing etc which strengthen their breathing capacities. And more...they get the desired results like excellent metabolism, raised immunity levels, glowing looks etc. One warning though; these people are never happy settling down to routine. So even at a gym they have to be doing different kinds of exercises on different days to keep their motivation levels high. Pisces : The fitness fight is a difficult one for Pisceans since they love to eat. It would be better if they keep away from pessimistic friends as they absorb the negativity a bit too fast and give up. One consolation though, Pisceans are excellent visualisers and they could motivate themselves towards greater fitness using this skill. Since this is the sign of the fish, majority take to water activities swimming, surfing, rowing with great delight. Others would at least love to run by the beach. Fishes are also famous for graceful movements, so yoga would also suit fine. They also love to dare and may pursue horse-riding, dancing, skating, swimming often. All outdoor games, be it run and chase, cricket, kho kho will also agreed upon as long as they are challenging. Though the gym is not the right place for them, Pisceans could be inspired by some great music and well designed exercise clothes. Even the promise of a relaxing sauna bath or a shower would motivate them to spend some more time at the treadmill. Dance being a great passion, step aerobics, aerobic dancing or even an evening at the disc will easily receive a "Let's Go" from them. Aries : These people love to get over things fast and also get immediate results. Unfortunately exercise doesn't happen that way. Human body has got its limitations just like anything else. One advantage for these people is that they are always on the move and therefore do not put on weight easily. Arians would do better by exploiting their strength, endurance, confidence and drive in tough activities like martial arts, wind surfing, football, basketball, gymnastics, boxing, skipping etc. Iron being their metal, even weight lifting would suit fine for them. While at the gym they should get into some strenuous activities to get rid off the stress. However a major hitch is that these people consider everything as a challenge and don't learn to take it easy. Taurus : Bulls belong to yet another group that adores good, sorry rich food and lots of rest. No wonder they find it tough to fight the battle of the bulge. Typical Taureans don't love to work hard at the gym or the tennis court, they would rather walk or go cycling by the country side. They may choose swimming, not at the pool but the nearby stream. Nature is a greatest temptation for them since it relaxes them. City dwellers should carry walkmans to the gym and listen to some inspiring music while working out. That releases the stress of keeping fit. If this isn't enough, the promise of a neat aromatherapy massage at the end may inspire them to do a few more pushups or abdominal crunches. For those reluctant Taureans, family members could provide a gentle push by persuading them to take the kids out to play or at least walk the dog. Tennis is out since it calls for quick movements but a Taurean will take up the gardening work happily. Gemini : These people are basically restless, so staying fit should be an easy game for them. They love change and flexibility. Gymnastics, cycling, swimming, aerobic dancing should be instant choices with them. Geminis may also settle for tennis, badminton, Frisbee since they love to work with a partner. These games also give them time and space to chat. Brisk walk is yet another activity these people wouldn't mind. Breathing is one area these people have to improve upon, since good breathing refers to strength. Aerobics or jogging can be pursued for better results. Slow activities like yoga aren't for them but they would probably fare well at dance, gymnastics, basketball, or tennis since movements aren't as slow. One negative quality in Geminis is stress bingeing. They have to find a way to release excess stress and ensure they are calm before arriving at the dining table. If they cannot find something nice, they could even bite into an apple or guava to get their nerves in order. The sign of the twins demands variety. A rigid exercise routine is out for them. Let them check out their choices and modify their schedule as they want. Cancer : Water relaxes them; Cancerians simply love water sports like swimming, sailing, wind surfing and rafting. Even running on the beach would do for them as long they can keep in touch with water. Hard driven exercise programs are out for these people. These sensitive souls need something more gentle, say stretching exercises. Water calisthenics would be best since it will soothe their nerves and strengthen them even more. Cancer being the sign of the born nurturer, they love to cook, feed and eat really good food. A slight caution against good food will help them to stay in better shape. Leo : They love to exercise but have to be pampered and persuaded, kings afterall. Hence these people would work better under a personal trainer. Music is a great passion with them, so they would find aerobic dance interesting. These people like to have friends around but would love to be the focal point at health clubs. They are also competition lovers and spiritedly take part in basketball, tennis, golf or even power sports like kickboxing. Last but not least, lions need to stretch a lot to feel better. Yoga, calisthenics, power walking would help them in this regard. Lions also shine well with a little sunshine. Naturally they don't find winter sports like skiing, a great pleasure. Instead they would prefer to go cycling or horseriding in warmer climates. Virgo : These busy bees hate to rest. No wonder they don't find staying fit a great bother. Their only problem would be time but definitely not laziness. They would love to work out the stress and fat at the nearby gym rather than lie down looking at the stars. Virgos will however need the slow and balanced movements of yoga or meditation to cool down. This is the class of strong men/women; endurance sports like hiking, cross-country skiing, long-distance running are made just for them. A word of advice though, Virgos should not drive themselves so hard in the fitness race, but instead exert a little caution at the dining table. Yes, a balanced diet is what they need to get better and faster results. Let them have a nice meal and go for a walk or a bicycle ride. Libra : He/she is the true party lover. But what these people forget is to rest. It would help if they remember that sleep is an important part of the fitness regime. Librans love to exist in pairs (think of the two pans in a weighing scale); no wonder they love to have a gym buddy. You will find libran husbands pulling their wives or friends along to the pool or the squash court. Activities like squash, basketball, volleyball, dancing or sailing that calls for a partner would be fine with them. Another important requirement for these people is to get their muscles strong and flexible. Golf, ball room dancing, gymnastics would help them achieve this need. One warning though, they may get a little carried away with all that socialising and forget to exercise! Scorpio : These highly ambitious people demand some strenuous activities to help them release pent-up stress. They can take up boxing, long distance running or even the punching bag game. They would take up tennis or squash, but their partners' better give quick responses. Sometimes these people desperately need to be left alone to do some quiet thinking. Therefore working out alone in the gym is ok with them. Left alone, they peddle faster and that too non-stop at the stationery cycle and even race faster on the treadmill. This way they would burn both fat and stress quick enough! Of course they would need some relaxing activities like deep breathing or slow jogging to cool their ruffled nerves after a challenge. Sagittarius : They love sports and also love to be outdoors most of the time. Any game is okay say kho kho, volleyball, cycling, skating; Saggis possess both inclination and speed. At the gym, these true extroverts will need some pals to get motivated. They are great travel lovers; horseriding, rowing and rock climbing would be some of their preferred activities. Calisthenics may help them to keep their body flexible and strong enough to withstand stress. One major warning though, these people will have to get over inertia to turn their exercise regimen a success. Else, they would keep coming up with new excuses until a really good reason or pal drags them to the gym. Capricorn : These people again thrive on change and make adjustments almost immediately. Ideally, their fitness schedule should include a variety of activities, say jogging on Monday, swimming on Tuesday, lifting weights on Wednesday, so on and so forth. Capricorn being an earth sign, these people need to be in constant touch with the ground. Activities like hiking, rockclimbing, golf would suit them fine. However they should be doing some stretching and weight lifting exercises at least now and then, to keep their bodies strong and agile. Whatever they do, these people should always remember that they are doing them for self-improvement and not for competing with others. This will ensure that they don't overdo! Sound advice, but... These guidelines are based on gener al observations. Exceptions may always be found.

Swine Flu - How To Protect Yourself Quickly & Easily

2009-05-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

by: Simon Doderer

The guidelines state: INFORM / THE HIGHEST LEVEL / BASIC HYGIENE SOLUTIONS Swine Flu: The current issue of the swine flu, this is caused by an Influenza A type virus. This determines the characteristics, such as shape and make up of the virus. Byotrol from Northern Environmental kills this type of virus. It is the infections that are caused by the swine flu virus that are difficult to control/treat. Byocare Handmousse used on hard surfaces or hands kills the virus it does not treat the disease. Byotrol helps ‘prevent’ and protect – EN1500 with 30 minute and 16 hours control! This may not be as direct proof as we like but we can be very confident that Byotrol is effective against flu virus Below are some guidelines on our website – I have highlighted in red several of the many key features whereby simple, back to basic measures underpinned by the Byotrol Technology can help. Swine Flu - Byotrol Publishes Guide Lines To Help Businesses 27th Apr 2009 Pandemic Flu Policy & Contingency Plan 1. INTRODUCTION A Swine Flu ( influenza) pandemic has the potential to severely affect UK Business, employees and their families, and requires specific planning over and above that made for disasters It is recommended the planning focuses on: • Raising employees awareness of the threat of a pandemic and testing staff preparedness: • Maintaining health surveillance and hygiene measures: • Producing action plans that are specific to each of the business’s locations, taking into account local healthcare provision and regulatory systems governing drug licensing and stockpiling : and • Enhancing protection for high risk and vulnerable employees. 2 Background Pandemic influenza (flu) is a type of influenza that occurs every few decades and which spreads rapidly to affect most countries and regions around the world. Unlike the “ordinary” flu that occurs every winter in the UK, pandemic flu can occur at any time of year. Pandemic flu is much more serious than “ordinary” flu. As much as a quarter of the population may be affected – possibly more. Pandemic flu is likely to cause the same symptoms as ordinary flu but the symptoms may be more severe because nobody will have any immunity or protection against the particular virus. Swine influenza or “Swine Flu” is a contagious disease caused by mutation in influenza A viruses. Swine Flu - How To Protect Yourself Quickly & Easily 3 Planning for a PANDEMIC 3.1 The CEO should be the business’s designated pandemic coordinator and a pandemic response team from across the business should be set up and trained in clearly defined rolls. 3.2 The functions of the pandemic response team includes • Maintaining the team’s own awareness of global developments in Swine Flu (including guidance on containment strategies and vaccines) • Developing training and awareness materials for the business • Briefing the Management Board • Ensuring links are maintained with external stakeholders in planning for a pandemic flu (e.g. suppliers, customers and where relevant the Public) PANDEMIC RESPONSE Working practices and social distancing • Employees who are fit to return to work following an absence due to pandemic flu (and who have therefore developed immunity to the disease) might be considered for high-risk, essential roles. • The company should establish flexible working policies, enabling line managers to agree home working, different shift patterns, or relocation to a site more local to the employee’s home where appropriate. • Employees will be required to work at least one metre away from colleagues to ensure social distancing and managers will reconfigure work-site layouts to enable this to take place • Other social distancing responses are likely to include: o Absolutely no shared use of Telephones and mobiles o Advising employees to avoid face-to-face meetings and to use telephone and internet services instead, where possible o If this is not possible, meeting only in a large room and maintaining a distance of at least one metre between participants o Advising employees to avoid crowded places (lifts) or heavily populated gatherings (e.g. sporting events) o Advising employees to avoid travelling at busy periods on public transport • Essential workers who are totally reliant on public transport may be offered dedicated transport to and from work Infection Control • During a pandemic the business should seek to reduce the overall and specific risks to members of staff by taking appropriate infection control actions (e.g. strengthening guidance on hand washing, unnecessary contact such as hand shaking and isolataion of any member of staff with symptoms such as coughing) • Basic health protection advice including the following guidance: o Avoid close contact o Staying at home when sick or sickening o Covering completely with disposable tissues mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing sanitising hands afterwards o Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth • Additional protection measures will be taken to ensure that influenza does not spread through contaminated objects and surfaces, such as handles, railings and counters. Surfaces touched by hands will be cleaned at least daily using Byotrol products. • Staff with flu-like symptoms will be required to stay at home until the symptoms disappear and will be allowed in the workplace only in extreme circumstances • Staff developing symptoms at work will be accommodated in a designated isolation room while arrangements are made to transport them home. Precautions will be introduced for all those entering and leaving this room. • Swine Flu - How To Protect Yourself Quickly & Easily Staff at risk of developing influenza-related complications (e.g. pregnant workers and those with compromised immune systems) will be reassigned from high-risk work sites and locations in the event of a pandemic. Business and personal travel • Only essential business travel should be considered during a pandemic and procedures for approving travel need to be tightened, requiring authorisation from a senior manager • The pandemic response team should monitor travel plans and new procedures for notifying employees’ location during periods of business travel will be introduced in the event of a pandemic • Staff required to visit pandemic-affected areas on business will be provided with appropriate health advice and personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, Byotrol based handwipes) and employees will have the right to refuse to travel to such areas • Staff visiting affected areas for non-business purposes during a pandemic may need to be required to stay away from work for a period of quarantine on unpaid leave. 3.3 Goods services and functions of the business that are essential to its operations and survival will be defined and the Business will: • Carry out devolution planning: i.e. plan which services can be carried out by other sites: • Develop an order of succession: i.e. plan which services can be carried out by personnel other than those who normally given the task and train non-essential back-up staff to perform essential tasks • Stockpile small quantities of essential supplies, materials and equipment • Ensure that maintenance plans are up to date to guarantee that all equipment essential to the business’s operation is capable of sustained operation in the event of a pandemic • Prepare time lines for how long it will be possible for the Business to carry out its essential functions without critical supplies, personnel and equipment • Produce forecasts of employee sickness absence during a pandemic flu • Put in place policies to enable flexible working (e.g. home- working ) in the event of a pandemic flu: • Put in place a pandemic response team that will take steps to heighten awareness of the Business infection control procedures, particularly provisions covering hand hygiene: • Provide specific training for all employees and students on personal, workplace and family protection and actions to take as a pandemic develops; • Prepare employee support services, including grief counselling and psychiatric care ; • Ensure that adequate supplies of infection control materials (Byotrol mousse for hand hygiene, surface sprays, wipes, gloves and masks) are held in preparedness for a pandemic. The Byotrol hand hygiene programme is just one element of our ‘Hygiene Revolution’ whereby we can challenge and manage the Critical Control Points within food processing / preparation / service: Floors / Food Contact surfaces / Hands Product offering: Hand Hygiene / Skin care Unit Pack End user unit price Byocare Mousse 50ml 30 x 50ml £2.99 Byocare Mousse 600ml 12 x 600ml £8.50 Byocare Mousse 5L - re-fill 4 x 5L £16.00 Swine Flu - How To Protect Yourself Quickly & Easily FOOD MANUFACTURING For Food-processing, food-preparation and food-service there are complex hygiene issues such as:  Food preparation: deli, bakery, on site food prep: sandwiches etc Floors: HD Food Safe Degreaser/ food contact surface Byosan, Cleaner Sanitiser + (Ready for use), Byowipe (Byosan liquid inside)  Food storage, display and check out – floors, shelving, check-out conveyors Broad spectrum usage: Byowipe – kills and protects / multi surface usage  People ‘hands’: one of the major contributing factor for food spoilage and pathogens – some statistics claim upto 80% can be attributed to poor hand hygiene (General public: circa 40% of men and 20% of women do not wash their hands after using the toilet) (Catering workers: circa 50% do not wash their hands prior to preparing food) Byocare – hand hygiene programme: soap, sanitiser, dispensers, training programme Prepared by Simon Doderer – http://www.nenviro.com with content from Byotrol PLC. Call 0800 808 7887 or email Info@nenviro.com

Green Tea and Its Relation to Promoting Periodontal Health

2009-05-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

by: Zyra Robinson

Since ancient times, green tea has been popular in Asian cultures like China and Japan. It is their beverage of choice because of its medicinal benefits. Its popularity has surged in the western hemisphere largely because of its proven ability to treat ailments such as headaches and depression. Dentist Burbank supports the scientific research regarding green tea and its health benefits. It has proven effective in fighting cancer, lowering high cholesterol levels, dealing with cardiovascular problems, ensuring immune infection, and preventing arthritis, among others. What makes green tea special is that it is rich in catechin polyphenols (epigallocathechin gallate or EGCG), which is an effective antioxidant. Green tea is known to prevent cancer and weight loss. It also inhibits abnormal formation of blood clots. Dental Burbank believes that the study published by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) about green tea consumption should be taken seriously. Given the close links between dental health and overall health, it has been found that green tea also helps promote healthy teeth and gums by fighting periodontal diseases. According to Dentists Burbank, there are lots of information regarding the study done before by Japanese researchers when they analyzed 940 men focusing on their periodontal health. They found out that people who drank green tea regularly obtain good periodontal health. There were three indicators examined regarding periodontal diseases. When green tea was consumed during the study, it was discovered that the periodontal pocket depth, attachment loss of gum tissue and bleeding on probing of the gum tissues (three indicators) decreased its potential on having periodontal disease. According to Cosmetic Irvine, the research has shown that the catechin, which is an antioxidant in green tea, helps promote good periodontal health. Catechin interferes in the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria. Because of this type of antioxidant, there is less chance of getting chronic inflammatory disease (periodontal disease) that affects gums and bones that support the teeth. DDS Irvine agreed with what Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, President of the AAP and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, when he said: "That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea - something already known to possess certain health-related benefits." Green tea helps promote periodontal health and prevents diseases closely associated with in periodontal diseases. This is because green tea interferes with our body's response to periodontal bacteria. There are, however, concerns regarding the harmful effects of drinking green tea because it also has caffeine. Although it contains caffeine, which sometimes lead to insomnia (the only negative side effect reported), the caffeine content in tea is relatively small. Coffee, on the other hand, has more caffeine in its content compared to tea. Tea, therefore, is safe to drink. This is a beverage that is easy to find. It gives a lot of health benefits not only to our overall health but also to our dental health.