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Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel have discovered a genetic glitch that makes certain smokers up to ten times more likely to develop lung cancer than others.
According to a study published in the US Journal of the National Cancer Institute, some smokers have less ability to repair smoking-related damage to DNA. Unrepaired DNA can trigger cancer.
Scientist focused on an enzyme called OGG that normally “deletes” the parts of DNA damaged by the toxic molecules in tobacco smoke and developed a blood test to measure OGG activity. Smokers with the genetic risk factor were found to be 5 to 10 times more likely to develop cancer than smokers with normal DNA repair activity.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Are there GOOD and BAD carbs?
TRADITIONALLY , starches (think bread or rice) were considered “good” because they take longer to digest than the simple sugars in sweets – the so called “bad” sugar. But more recent research has shown that certain starches, such as those you find in processed breads and most commercial breakfast cereals, offer little nutritional advantage over simple sugars.
Our bodies convert these starches to glucose at such high speed that in terms of the “sugar high” you get from them you may as well be eating pure sugar. You should never also assume that ‘wholemeal’ means unprocessed. Instead, look for bread that contains whole grains.
Why are some carbs less fatening?
In theory, all carbs should be equally fattening. But the body doesn’t use all carbs in the same way. For example, the unfermentable carbohydrates in celery fibre don’t get digested in the stomach. Instead, along with the other fibre-based carbs, they “slip through” the body’s digestive system before they can turn into love handles.
The proportion of carbs in a food also has a bearing on how ‘fattening’ the food is. So fruits such as apples, with their high water content, do less damage to your hips than an equal weight of sweets, cereal or pasta.
Our bodies convert these starches to glucose at such high speed that in terms of the “sugar high” you get from them you may as well be eating pure sugar. You should never also assume that ‘wholemeal’ means unprocessed. Instead, look for bread that contains whole grains.
Why are some carbs less fatening?
In theory, all carbs should be equally fattening. But the body doesn’t use all carbs in the same way. For example, the unfermentable carbohydrates in celery fibre don’t get digested in the stomach. Instead, along with the other fibre-based carbs, they “slip through” the body’s digestive system before they can turn into love handles.
The proportion of carbs in a food also has a bearing on how ‘fattening’ the food is. So fruits such as apples, with their high water content, do less damage to your hips than an equal weight of sweets, cereal or pasta.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Good night readers..
Just before you head to your slumber..
There’s something I would like to share..
What does a good night sleep means to you?
Sleeping from pm to am and to pm?
If this is your answer.. pls think again..
A good night sleepmeans waking up rested and energized. A healthy adult needs between six – eight hours of sleep, according to Dr Ravi Seshadri, a sleep expert and clinical director of MD Specialist Healthcare at the Paragon Medical Centre in Singapore. However, too much sleep in adults may cause several health disease.
The amount of sleep takes to rejuvenate varies from person to person. Therefore, is not the length of sleep is important but the quality of sleep is the factor. After a prolonged period of losing sleep, it turns to sleep debt and recovery will take much longer than the actual hours lost. Losing a couple of hours of sleep for several nights is enough for you to recover.
Do you know how many people have sleep troubles?
Let me tell you, a recent AC Nielsen poll found that 40percent of Asians go to bed only after midnight. According to Gallop International’s World-wide Sleep Index M’sians Sleep only 6 hr n 36min.
Dear Readers,
Do you know how important is a good night sleep? Sleep is imperative to maintain your health. Without it, you might increase a array of health problems, including stroke, obesity, diabetes and etc. not getting enough sleep can also compromise your immune system. Immune system works best when you’re asleep. This is when your natural killer cells are produced (part of immune system).
Insufficient sleep may affect 3 hormones that can contribute to obesity. 1st, leptin, an appetite suppressing hormone found in our fat and its levels are regulated during sleep. Then, there’s ghrelin, which triggers appetite and increases with deprivation. Our bodies then produce more of the stress hormone cortisol, which increases fat storage.
Tips for a better sleep
- make sure your room is quiet and your bed is comfortable.
- Get up and go to bed at the same time everyday.
- Limit your caffeine consumption and nicotine use.
- Eat dinner atleast 2 – 3hrs before bedtime- it’s more difficult to fall asleep during night if your body is still breaking down the food you ate. However, a light snack before bedtime may be helpful.
- Exercise regularly. Physical activity done early in the day may promote deeper, better quality sleep. Too vigorous exercise just before bedtime may delay sleep.
If you have trouble getting sleep or staying asleep:
- Don’t toss and turn for longer than half an hour – get up and do something calming such as reading.
- Develop a relaxing presleep ritual – have a glass of warm milk or herbal tea or take a warm bath.
- Get treatment for any medical problems that may contribute to sleep troubles, such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
There’s something I would like to share..
What does a good night sleep means to you?
Sleeping from pm to am and to pm?
If this is your answer.. pls think again..
A good night sleepmeans waking up rested and energized. A healthy adult needs between six – eight hours of sleep, according to Dr Ravi Seshadri, a sleep expert and clinical director of MD Specialist Healthcare at the Paragon Medical Centre in Singapore. However, too much sleep in adults may cause several health disease.
The amount of sleep takes to rejuvenate varies from person to person. Therefore, is not the length of sleep is important but the quality of sleep is the factor. After a prolonged period of losing sleep, it turns to sleep debt and recovery will take much longer than the actual hours lost. Losing a couple of hours of sleep for several nights is enough for you to recover.
Do you know how many people have sleep troubles?
Let me tell you, a recent AC Nielsen poll found that 40percent of Asians go to bed only after midnight. According to Gallop International’s World-wide Sleep Index M’sians Sleep only 6 hr n 36min.
Dear Readers,
Do you know how important is a good night sleep? Sleep is imperative to maintain your health. Without it, you might increase a array of health problems, including stroke, obesity, diabetes and etc. not getting enough sleep can also compromise your immune system. Immune system works best when you’re asleep. This is when your natural killer cells are produced (part of immune system).
Insufficient sleep may affect 3 hormones that can contribute to obesity. 1st, leptin, an appetite suppressing hormone found in our fat and its levels are regulated during sleep. Then, there’s ghrelin, which triggers appetite and increases with deprivation. Our bodies then produce more of the stress hormone cortisol, which increases fat storage.
Tips for a better sleep
- make sure your room is quiet and your bed is comfortable.
- Get up and go to bed at the same time everyday.
- Limit your caffeine consumption and nicotine use.
- Eat dinner atleast 2 – 3hrs before bedtime- it’s more difficult to fall asleep during night if your body is still breaking down the food you ate. However, a light snack before bedtime may be helpful.
- Exercise regularly. Physical activity done early in the day may promote deeper, better quality sleep. Too vigorous exercise just before bedtime may delay sleep.
If you have trouble getting sleep or staying asleep:
- Don’t toss and turn for longer than half an hour – get up and do something calming such as reading.
- Develop a relaxing presleep ritual – have a glass of warm milk or herbal tea or take a warm bath.
- Get treatment for any medical problems that may contribute to sleep troubles, such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
Myths and Facts About Organ Donation
There’s something I would personally share with all readers about some myths and rumours about organ donation. I believe there are lots of people out there would love to help, but they are not sure about their question in mind. I believe these are some common myth that restricted people from being an organ donor.
Myth 1 – Doctors won’t try to save your live if they know you are a donor.
Fact 1 - False, the medical staff trying to save lives is completely different from the transplant team. The question of organ donation will arise only after all efforts to your life have been exhausted.
Myth 2 – People can still recover from brain death.
Fact 2 - People can recover from comas, but not brain death. Both are not the same. Brain death is final.
Myth 3 – I am too old to donate organ.
Fact 3 - People of all ages can donate organs and tissue. Physical condition, not age, is important factor in determining if organs can be used.
Myth 4 – Organ donation will disfigure me and delay my funeral
Fact 4 - False, the organ are removed in sterile operation undertaken by skilled surgeons. The donor is treated at utmost respect and dignity. When the procedure is finished, the wound is closed just like ordinary operation. The entire process is done quickly to preserve the organ and will therefore not delay a funeral.
Myth 5 – organ donation is against my religion.
Fact 5 - all major religions support organ donation as a selfless, charitable act.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Slow down people… Appreciate life
Stress stress stress STRESS!!! With all the heavy load of jobs, running a hectic lifestyle.. made people stress. Not only adults in the working society, as well as kids these days, are also experiencing overloaded stress for kids.
Stress maybe common in today’s world, however, it may lead to chronic stress. Stress itself may subside after some time when a person relaxes. However, chronic stress is continuing constantly with stress. Chronic stress will lead to sharp rising of blood pressure, stiffen arteries, suppress a person’s immune system, heighten the risk of diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers have discovered that the sensation of being highly stress can rewire the brain in ways that promote its sinister persistence. The brain is a very resilient and plastic organ. Dendrites and synapses retract and reform, and remodeling can occur throughout life.
Nuno Sousa of the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute at the University of Minho in Portugal and his colleagues used rats to test the theory that when stress, the brain keeps us in the cycle over and over again. They said chronically-stressed rats lost their elastic rat cunning and instead fell back on familiar routines and rote responses. For example, compulsively pressing a bar for food pellets. On the other hand, the brain region is associated with executive decision-making and goal-directed behaviour had shriveled, while conversely, brain sectors linked to habit formation had bloomed.
Those chronically-stressed animals were then compared with non-stressed peers. The stressed rats had no trouble learning a task like pressing a bar to get a food pellet or a squint of sugar water, but they had difficulty deciding when to stop pressing the bar, as normal rats easily did.
This is similar to human. A normal working adult know when to work and when to rest, but for chronically stressed working adult, they wouldn’t know when to get some rest, they will only feel comfortable when they are working, therefore, they cant stop working, or keep themselves busy.
Stress maybe common in today’s world, however, it may lead to chronic stress. Stress itself may subside after some time when a person relaxes. However, chronic stress is continuing constantly with stress. Chronic stress will lead to sharp rising of blood pressure, stiffen arteries, suppress a person’s immune system, heighten the risk of diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers have discovered that the sensation of being highly stress can rewire the brain in ways that promote its sinister persistence. The brain is a very resilient and plastic organ. Dendrites and synapses retract and reform, and remodeling can occur throughout life.
Nuno Sousa of the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute at the University of Minho in Portugal and his colleagues used rats to test the theory that when stress, the brain keeps us in the cycle over and over again. They said chronically-stressed rats lost their elastic rat cunning and instead fell back on familiar routines and rote responses. For example, compulsively pressing a bar for food pellets. On the other hand, the brain region is associated with executive decision-making and goal-directed behaviour had shriveled, while conversely, brain sectors linked to habit formation had bloomed.
Those chronically-stressed animals were then compared with non-stressed peers. The stressed rats had no trouble learning a task like pressing a bar to get a food pellet or a squint of sugar water, but they had difficulty deciding when to stop pressing the bar, as normal rats easily did.
This is similar to human. A normal working adult know when to work and when to rest, but for chronically stressed working adult, they wouldn’t know when to get some rest, they will only feel comfortable when they are working, therefore, they cant stop working, or keep themselves busy.
Toxic Candles
Pampering yourself in a bath tub with nice scent of candles… how relaxing… but WAIT….
Think again, what are these candles made of?
A new study had revealed that these smoke produced by scented candles is laced with toxins that can linked to various disease, such as cancer, asthma and eczema. They also stated that odd candles is unlikely to do any harm, but we should avoid using them day after day in bathrooms and other poorly ventilated rooms.
Researchers from South Carolina State University burnt a range of candles in the laboratory, they collected and tested the substances given off. They found that candles made of paraffin wax are the most harmful as it release chemicals such as toluene and benzene.
However, Beewax and soy candles are safe from the health aspect, but they are much more expensive.
So, the next time you want to light up scented candles, make sure they are not harmful.
Ps: paraffin wax is a byproduct of the petroleum
Think again, what are these candles made of?
A new study had revealed that these smoke produced by scented candles is laced with toxins that can linked to various disease, such as cancer, asthma and eczema. They also stated that odd candles is unlikely to do any harm, but we should avoid using them day after day in bathrooms and other poorly ventilated rooms.
Researchers from South Carolina State University burnt a range of candles in the laboratory, they collected and tested the substances given off. They found that candles made of paraffin wax are the most harmful as it release chemicals such as toluene and benzene.
However, Beewax and soy candles are safe from the health aspect, but they are much more expensive.
So, the next time you want to light up scented candles, make sure they are not harmful.
Ps: paraffin wax is a byproduct of the petroleum
Beware of Heartburn
A condition called Barrett’s oesophagus that results heart burn. This is where repeated exposure to stomach acid causes changes in the lining of the eosophagus (gullet) that can lead to cancer.
This condition follows the rule of 10s, which means one in 10 of the population has problems with heartburn (Britain), and will develop Barrett’s, and will go on to develop cancer of the eosophagus.
This abnormality that responsible for heart burn is a malfunction of the valve where the gullet joins the stomach – a problem that is particularly common in the obese and in people over the age of 35.
The stomach has a layer of slime that protects it against its own digestive juice, which are as strong as battery acid. But the eosophagus does not have such defense mechanism and if acid travels back through the defective valve (reflux) then it burns the delicate gullet lining, causing the characteristic symptoms of heartburn.
Reflux can happen without any symptoms but not for middle-aged man and women where they will experience discomfort behind his or her breast bone, oftn worse after meals or when lying flat in bed.
Barrett’s oesophagus is probably a defense mechanism and are thought to be the gullet’s attempt to protect itself. While the new lining may be more resistant to acid and it is also more likely to turn cancerous.
Cases
8000 cases of eosophagus cancer diagnosed in Britain every year, 70% will cause death within a year of diagnosis. This is due transition form Barrett’s to cancer is slow.
Test and Diagnosis
Currently, the only way to diagnose it is to do an endoscopy and directly visualize and biopsy suspicious looking areas. However, this method is not practical to everyone.
The Medical Research Council Cancer Cell Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge came up with a test known as the Sponge Test. This method is to swallow a capsule attached to a piece of string. After a few minutes the capsule dissolves to release a small sponge which can then be withdrawn and tested for the molecular features associated with Barrett’s. However, this test is still on trial.
This condition follows the rule of 10s, which means one in 10 of the population has problems with heartburn (Britain), and will develop Barrett’s, and will go on to develop cancer of the eosophagus.
This abnormality that responsible for heart burn is a malfunction of the valve where the gullet joins the stomach – a problem that is particularly common in the obese and in people over the age of 35.
The stomach has a layer of slime that protects it against its own digestive juice, which are as strong as battery acid. But the eosophagus does not have such defense mechanism and if acid travels back through the defective valve (reflux) then it burns the delicate gullet lining, causing the characteristic symptoms of heartburn.
Reflux can happen without any symptoms but not for middle-aged man and women where they will experience discomfort behind his or her breast bone, oftn worse after meals or when lying flat in bed.
Barrett’s oesophagus is probably a defense mechanism and are thought to be the gullet’s attempt to protect itself. While the new lining may be more resistant to acid and it is also more likely to turn cancerous.
Cases
8000 cases of eosophagus cancer diagnosed in Britain every year, 70% will cause death within a year of diagnosis. This is due transition form Barrett’s to cancer is slow.
Test and Diagnosis
Currently, the only way to diagnose it is to do an endoscopy and directly visualize and biopsy suspicious looking areas. However, this method is not practical to everyone.
The Medical Research Council Cancer Cell Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge came up with a test known as the Sponge Test. This method is to swallow a capsule attached to a piece of string. After a few minutes the capsule dissolves to release a small sponge which can then be withdrawn and tested for the molecular features associated with Barrett’s. However, this test is still on trial.
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