Foods That Fight Erectile Dysfunction

Can you certain nutrients boost your sexual performance? Find out which foods may prevent erection problems — and how they work.



Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Troubles

Having type 2 diabetes and trouble sleeping create the ultimate catch-22: You need sleep to stay healthy, yet the condition makes it hard to get a good night's sleep. Here's some help.

Sleep is important for everyone, but it’s especially important when your body experiences changing blood sugar levels and other symptoms of type 2 diabetes. “Sleep deprivation causes changes in the effectiveness of the body's control of appetite, which can lead to weight gain, higher blood sugar, and increased resistance to insulin,” says Richard Castriotta, MD, director of the division of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Diabetes and sleep

Although sleep is very important when you’re experiencing symptoms of type 2 diabetes, you may find you can’t sleep when you need it most. One explanation for the problem seems to be the connection between diabetes and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that’s characterized by periods of halted breathing while you’re asleep, which wakes you up repeatedly throughout the night, leaving you fatigued and not well rested in the morning.

Both type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea are health concerns that are linked to obesity, so experts have long recognized a connection between the two. But only recently has it been realized how closely these conditions are tied to one another. “There’s much more interrelation between the two conditions than we thought,” says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, a physician in the Cleveland Clinic’s department of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. “In fact, one may actually contribute to causing the other, and vice versa. Recent studies have shown that sleep apnea actually increases insulin resistance, hunger, and other type 2 diabetes symptoms,” Dr. Hatipoglu says. “Other studies have shown that treating sleep apnea also improves the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.”

Other Sleep Issues You Might Face

Another problem that disrupts sleep is frequent urination, a common symptom of type 2 diabetes. You can’t sleep if you have to keep getting up to go to the bathroom. Hatipoglu says this problem is usually tied to high blood pressure, which is also common with type 2 diabetes. As your blood pressure goes up throughout the night, the need to urinate increases. “If this occurs more than once a night, we view it as an issue that needs to be treated,” Hatipoglu says.

Having type 2 diabetes may also lead to other disorders that make it harder to sleep. “In addition to sleep apnea, people with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS), as well as neuropathy and pain-associated sleep disruption,” Dr. Castriotta says. “RLS causes difficulty falling asleep because of strange feelings in the legs beginning in the evening before sleep. PLMS may cause either sleep-maintenance insomnia (difficulty staying asleep) or a feeling of non-refreshing sleep and daytime sleepiness due to slow, rhythmic limb movements during sleep.”

Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The first step in managing your sleep problems with type 2 diabetes is to see a doctor or a sleep specialist. Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening problem that needs medical attention to remedy. Frequent urination and other sleep-depriving issues should also be treated by a medical professional.

In addition to talking to your doctor and seeing a sleep specialist, here are some additional strategies you can try if you have type 2 diabetes and can’t sleep:

  • Reduce your caffeine intake. Caffeinated beverages can keep you up at night and increase the urge to urinate throughout the night. If you can’t cut caffeine out entirely, Hatipoglu recommends to at least eliminate your intake in the afternoon and evening.
  • Curb the use of electronics in the bedroom. Television is a no-no in the bedroom, as it will keep you up when you need to be focusing on resting. Watch TV in another room, and turn it off at least an hour before you want to nod off. Try reading a book or listening to relaxing music instead.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and calm. Removing all light from the room, using light-blocking curtains, and outfitting your bed with appropriate bedding helps to create an atmosphere that is conducive to sleep.
  • Create a regular bedtime schedule. Hatipoglu says you need to train your body to get a good night’s sleep. One of the most important ways you can do this is to create a scheduled bedtime and stick to it as closely as possible each night. You can incorporate things into this routine that get your body ready for bed, such as having a few sips of relaxing chamomile tea, meditating, or doing deep breathing exercises before you close your eyes.

Sleep issues are a troubling side effect of type 2 diabetes that can leave you feeling tired all the time. By taking these steps and working with your medical team, you should be able to have sweet dreams every night.

Last Updated: 08/04/2011
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2011 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Toxins Found in Brand-Name Clothes

Traces of toxic chemicals harmful to the environment and to human health have been detected in products made by 14 top clothing manufacturers, Greenpeace said Tuesday.

Samples of clothing from top brands including Adidas, Uniqlo, Calvin Klein, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste, Converse, and Ralph Lauren were found to be tainted with the chemicals, known as nonylphenol ethoxylates, the watchdog said at the launch of its report "Dirty Laundry 2."

Greenpeace campaigner Li Yifang said that nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), commonly used as detergents in industries including the production of natural and synthetic textiles, were detected in two-thirds of the samples the group tested.


Read more: Toxins Found in Brand-Name Clothes
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Never Fear Cancer Again

"Cancer is an out-of-control epidemic, and conventional treatments don't work," says Raymond Francis, an MIT-trained scientist and chairman of The Project to End Disease. The reason that the "war on cancer" is a failure is that conventional treatments only treat the symptoms and side effects of cancer and not the biological process that causes it in the first place, Francis tells Newsmax Health. He says you can prevent cancer from ever developing in your body to begin with, and he maintains that even if you already have it, you can turn it off — regardless of the type you have — and regain your health.

Story continues below video.


Read more: Never Fear Cancer Again
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Bad Economy Pushing Americans to Buy Cheaper Food

Kimberly Reed, executive director of the International Food Information Council Foundation, tells Newsmax that price rather than taste is increasingly becoming a major factor Americans consider when they shop for food.

Reed’s foundation is a Washington-based organization that provides information on food safety, healthy eating, and nutrition.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Reed explained the origins and goals of her group.

“Twenty years ago, we recognized that there was a need for a science-based organization to help consumers, health professionals, and journalists get the facts about food and understand important topics ranging from obesity and energy balance to the latest food safety disaster.


Read more: Bad Economy Pushing Americans to Buy Cheaper Food
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New drug could cure nearly any viral infection

Researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Lab have developed technology that may someday cure the common cold, influenza and other ailments.

Wiki image
Anne Trafton
MIT

Most bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin, discovered decades ago. However, such drugs are useless against viral infections, including influenza, the common cold, and deadly hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.

Now, in a development that could transform how viral infections are treated, a team of researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory has designed a drug that can identify cells that have been infected by any type of virus, then kill those cells to terminate the infection.

In a paper published July 27 in the journal PLoS One, the researchers tested their drug against 15 viruses, and found it was effective against all of them — including rhinoviruses that cause the common cold, H1N1 influenza, a stomach virus, a polio virus, dengue fever and several other types of hemorrhagic fever.

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Colon cleansing: Not so healthy, analysis says

It has been touted as a natural way to improve your heath and cleanse the soul. But doctors are now finding the procedure known as colon cleansing can cause dangerous side effects.

Colon cleansing, technically known as colonic hydrotherapy or colonic irrigation, is a popular treatment, usually performed at spas. It often involves the use of chemicals in the body and in hydrotherapy, the colon is flushed with water through a tube inserted in the rectum.

But oral home remedies are also available and have become popular, especially over the Internet. Now researchers from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. say there's no evidence any of these colon cleansing treatments work and, in fact, when used improperly can cause cramping, kidney failure and in some extreme cases, death.

"There can be serious consequences for those who engage in colon cleansing whether they have the procedure done at a spa or perform it at home," says the lead author, Dr. Ranit Mishori, a family medicine physician at Georgetown University School of Medicine. "Colon cleansing products in the form of laxatives, teas, powders and capsules... tout benefits that don't exist."

Mayo doctor is no fan of cleanses

Although colon cleansing has been around for centuries as a way to rid the body of unwanted toxins, the American Medical Association determined in the early 1900s that the procedure was invalid; there was no evidence to show the methods worked. And even though there still remains no solid evidence these products do what they claim, colon cleansing has been making a comeback, mainly because manufacturers claim it also helps people lose weight.

"If this method were the key to weight loss, it would be amazing. But there is no evidence that this helps people lose weight,” says Mishori. "Manufacturers don't describe how it works. The statements are a little empty. They say it will enhance your immune system, up your metabolism, give you energy. It’s all pretty vague. Some people swear by it, but it could be a placebo effect. And companies can make these claims, because the federal government doesn't regulate their products."

Not expecting miracles, but I love my cleanses

According to the report released this week in the Journal of Family Practice, Mishori and her colleagues examined 20 studies published in medical literature over the last 10 years.

Investigators noted while these reports showed little evidence of colon cleansing benefits, there were a number of side effects reported following the use of these cleansing methods. Those effects included cramping, bloating, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte imbalance and renal failure. And in some cases, ingredients in these remedies were toxic.

"Some herbal preparations have also been associated with aplastic anemia and liver toxicity," Mishori said.

Researchers also noted that many of the "spas" that offer colon cleansing have no trained clinicians and even organizations such as the National Board for Colon Hydrotherapy and others who promote colon cleansing require technicians who perform professional colon cleansing to have little more than a high school diploma.

"When you flush your colon out with a hose, it's like giving yourself an enema on steroids. You shouldn't put things up there that really don't belong there," stressed Mishori. "Imagine 60 liters of water going through your colon. The stress it puts on the system, and the hose, if not used correctly, could puncture the organ."

As for the home remedies, Mishori says there's no need for them. "We poop and pee for a reason. If you are a healthy person, the body does it for you."

When asked what was the best way to cleanse the body, Mishori was quick to respond.

"Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly," she stressed, "Get six to eight hours of sleep and see a doctor regularly. But no one wants to do that," she said with exasperation. "But they'll use a hose to flush themselves out! The use of these methods are unhealthy. And what's scary is we only examined the cases that were reported to hospitals and doctors. Imagine all the people who are using these products and methods and have side effects and never go to the hospital. We don't know about them. The numbers could be staggering."

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Childrens Car Seats Contain Chemicals

More than half of children's car seats sold in the United States contain hazardous chemicals, according to a study published Wednesday by a nonprofit environmental group.

Sixty percent of 150 car seats tested by the Michigan-based Ecology Center were found to contain chemicals that can be harmful to human health such as bromine and chlorine, which points to the presence of polyvinyl chlorate (PVC).

Studies in lab animals have found that bromine-containing flame retardants can permanently affect the developing brain, while PVC has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration as a known human carcinogen.


Read more: Children�s Car Seats Contain Chemicals
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

pH Levels and Cancer, Alkaline and Acidic Foods

TruthisTreason.net – Kevin Hayden

The human body is an amazing machine. One of the most important functions of this vessel is its ability to regulate its own acidity levels to a very fine degree. Cells will only function normally within relatively narrow limits of pH. The body regulates its pH by constantly adjusting physiological processes, such as kidney and lung function.

However, the foods you eat can play a role in increasing or decreasing body pH, and some foods can be more alkalizing than others. An acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body’s pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing cancer, among many other diseases.

Definition..... Click for More>>>>

The coming war on vitamins

A consumer walking down the aisle of a local drugstore can choose from a wide variety of supplements, vitamins and nutrients for his or her particular needs. Whether it’s a pill to treat a specific ailment, nutrients and minerals to supplement a deficient diet or vitamins tailored to age and gender to promote long-term health, supplements provide significant benefits to the consumers who rely on them. Yet if Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, and the Food and Drug Administration have their way, many of these products will disappear.

Earlier this month, Mr. Durbin and the FDA released proposals for a time-consuming and costly approval process for vitamins and nutritional supplements. The proposals would force companies to pull these products off the shelves for months, if not for good, and significantly raise prices, making the remaining supplements expensive and harder to find. While it isn’t a direct ban, regulatory hurdles such as these are a means by which government bureaucrats get in the way of individuals’ ability to make their own decisions about their health care.

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Consolidation of seed companies leading to corporate domination of world food supply

(NaturalNews) Throughout the history of agriculture across the globe, farming has always been a diversified sector of the economy. Small, self-sustaining, family farms were the order of the day in most cultures. Even as small farms grew larger and more specialized over time, many of them still saved seeds or purchased them from other farmers, which kept control of farming in the hands of the people.

But today everything has changed, as large chemical and agribusiness firms have acquired or merged with seed companies and other agricultural input companies. They have successfully gained a foothold on genetically-modified (GM) crops with transgenic traits.

These primary factors and several others have facilitated a crescendo towards the global domination of agriculture by corporations, and thus the world's food supply.

The dismal state in which we find ourselves today did not come overnight, of course, but it did pick up rapid speed after the introduction of GM crops in the mid-1990s. Since that time, multinational corporations like Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta have seized a significant amount of control over the global seed industry, which has greatly limited agricultural diversity and freedom.

The ability to patent both seeds and seed traits has also added injury to insult, as the ability to obtain natural or heirloom seeds is becoming increasingly difficult, and many farmers feel they have no choice but to go with the flow.

Professor Philip H. Howard from the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University published a study in 2009 entitled Visualizing Consolidation in the Global Seed Industry: 1996 - 2008 that analyzes the trend in agriculture towards corporate dominance.

The report, which was featured in a special issue of the journal Renewable Agriculture, provides both an extensive data analysis of agriculture's dramatic transformation over the past several decades, as well as a highly-informative visual analysis of this truly shocking hostile takeover situation.

Over half of Alzheimer's cases may be preventable, say researchers

Over half of all Alzheimer's disease cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes and treatment or prevention of chronic medical conditions, according to a study led by Deborah Barnes, PhD, a mental health researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

Analyzing data from studies around the world involving hundreds of thousands of participants, Barnes concluded that worldwide, the biggest modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease are, in descending order of magnitude, low education, smoking, physical inactivity, depression, mid-life hypertension, diabetes and mid-life obesity.

In the United States, Barnes found that the biggest modifiable risk factors are physical inactivity, depression, smoking, mid-life hypertension, mid-life obesity, low education and diabetes.

Together, these risk factors are associated with up to 51 percent of Alzheimer's cases worldwide (17.2 million cases) and up to 54 percent of Alzheimer's cases in the United States (2.9 million cases), according to Barnes.

"What's exciting is that this suggests that some very simple lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and quitting smoking, could have a tremendous impact on preventing Alzheimer's and other dementias in the United States and worldwide," said Barnes, who is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

The study results were presented at the 2011 meeting of the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris, France, and published online on July 19, 2011 in Lancet Neurology.

Barnes cautioned that her conclusions are based on the assumption that there is a causal association between each risk factor and Alzheimer's disease. "We are assuming that when you change the risk factor, then you change the risk," Barnes said. "What we need to do now is figure out whether that assumption is correct."

Senior investigator Kristine Yaffe, MD, chief of geriatric psychiatry at SFVAMC, noted that the number of people with Alzheimer's disease is expected to triple over the next 40 years. "It would be extremely significant if we could find out how to prevent even some of those cases," said Yaffe, who is also a professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at UCSF.

###

The research was supported by funds from the Alzheimer's Association, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the UCSF School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging.

SFVAMC has the largest medical research program in the national VA system, with more than 200 research scientists, all of whom are faculty members at UCSF.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

What's in Your Meat?

The Agriculture Department wants consumers to know when there's less chicken in their chicken.

A proposed rule aimed at food companies would require that poultry and other raw meats be labeled appropriately when they're plumped up by added solutions such as chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, salt, or water. The practice of adding those ingredients is common, but many consumers don't know about it.

According to USDA, about one-third of poultry, 15 percent of beef, and 90 percent of pork may have added ingredients — about 40 percent of all raw, whole cuts of meat. The rule does not apply to ground beef, which may have other added substances.


Read more: What's in Your Meat? USDA Calls for Clearer Labeling
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Dr. Brownstein: 5 Lifestyle Changes for Prostate Health

Prostate cancer is a concern for most men, and with good reason — more than 190,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, according the American Cancer Society. But there are steps men can take to keep their prostate gland healthy, and try and minimize cancer risk, Newsmax Health contributor Dr. David Brownstein says.

“Unfortunately, most men are susceptible to (prostate cancer),” says Brownstein, editor of “The Natural Way to Health” newsletter. “We have one in three men in the United States with prostate cancer today. It’s occurring at epidemic rates. It generally occurs in older men, but lately we’re seeing younger and younger men being afflicted with this.”

Story continues...Read more: Dr. Brownstein: 5 Lifestyle Changes for Prostate Health

Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Is Robotics Driving Prostate Surgeries?

After Wisconsin hospitals acquired robotic surgery technology, the number of prostate removals they performed doubled within three months, a new study shows.

By contrast, the number of prostate surgeries stayed the same at hospitals that didn't purchase the new $2 million technology.

The increase in such surgeries raises questions about whether more doctors at hospitals with robots are recommending surgery for men with prostate cancer, say the authors, instead of alternative treatments like radiation or "watchful waiting."


Read more: Is Robotics Driving Prostate Surgeries?
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

How To Appeal A Health Insurance Denial

Getting your health insurance claim denied can feel like insult added to injury, but if you take these steps you can get your claim "rehabbed," and get your money.

The NY Times Bucks blog interviewed Martin Rosen, whose business, Health Advocate, helps employees negotiate the tricky waters of their employer insurance. He offered these tips:

1. Double-check all the rules of your insurer's appeals process, especially deadlines.
2. Get all your documents ready and organized.
3. Call HR if you get insurance through your employer. They might become your advocate.
4. Ask your doc to write a "letter of medical necessity" and send it to the insurance company.
5. Make a log of all your calls when you contact the insurance company, including dates, times, whom you spoke to, what you talked about, and the length of the conversation.
6. Write down and refine your logical argument for why your claim should go through and refer to it when necessary throughout the process.
7. Keep checking on the status of your claim with the insurance company.

Have you ever had to dispute a health insurance denial? What methods did you use?

7 Steps in Appealing a Health Insurance Denial [bucks.blogs.nytimes]

From ConsumerReports.org:

Teflon Chemical Linked to Arthritis

High blood levels of a man-made chemical used in non-stick coatings were associated with a raised risk of arthritis in a large new study of adults exposed to tainted drinking water.

Researchers found that people with the highest levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in their blood were up to 40 percent more likely to develop arthritis than people with lower blood levels more typical of the general U.S. population.

Dr. Kim Innes of the School of Medicine at West Virginia University and colleagues used data on nearly 50,000 adults living in areas of Ohio and West Virginia where a chemical plant had contaminated water supplies with PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), both chemicals widely used in non-stick and stain-resistant coatings.


Read more: Teflon Chemical Linked to Arthritis
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Nanotechnology: Tracking food from farm to fork…and you right along with it

image source
Marti Oakley, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

I had come across an article in the Dairy Reporter last year, about the coming plans to insert nano-technology into food. In the article from DR: Nanotechnology in food: What’s the big idea? By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 26-Jul-2010 this observation was made:

“At IFT’s nanoscience conference last week, major industry players discussed how to avoid a rerun of the GMO debacle with consumers – with some saying that one solution could be to say nothing about introducing nanotechnology in foods and to do it anyway.”

We all have enough experience with today’s bio-pirates who are openly colluding with the USDA, FDA and anyone else in government, like “Dirty Harry” Reid NV (D), who single-handedly and unanimously cast the one vote needed to pass the fake food safety bill, to know that food safety and longer shelf life is most likely not what this technology is actually intended to do. As it is, most products on the shelves of stores now are so chemically laden and contain so much GMO that I doubt spoilage is an option. After all…can chemicals, pesticides and herbicides actually rot?

Most of what sits in our stores is not really food as we have known it. It is a stew of sorts; chemicals, additives, flavorings, colorings, enhancers, preservatives, aspartame, neotame, and stuff we can’t even identify along with residual hormones, vaccines, antibiotics, herbicides and pesticides. It has been irradiated, sprayed with viruses and now covered in ammonia. Reading any label for content makes one think you would be just as well off if you drank floor cleaner and it most likely might be a lot tastier although just as empty of nutrition.

Type 2 diabetes in newly diagnosed 'can be reversed'

An extreme eight-week diet of 600 calories a day can reverse Type 2 diabetes in people newly diagnosed with the disease, says a Diabetologia study.

Newcastle University researchers found the low-calorie diet reduced fat levels in the pancreas and liver, which helped insulin production return to normal.

Seven out of 11 people studied were free of diabetes three months later, say findings published in the journal. Read More>>>>

Mother's milk: A secret weapon for everything

Motherhood in the FatherlandPhoto: DPA

Mother's milk: A secret weapon for everything

Yes, to cure all that ails that tiny tummy (and other mini body parts), mum's boobs have the answer.

To say that nursing is encouraged here in the Fatherland would be an understatement. Even the makers of formula acknowledge on their packaging that, “Breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby.”

There is even the government-funded German National Breastfeeding Institute (Nationale Stillkommission) whose responsibility is to ensure that all mothers have the facts and resources they need to successfully breastfeed.

Could you imagine if US First Lady Michelle Obama tried to implement something like that in America? She had enough troubles merely promoting the idea of breastfeeding. So many US blogs I read often talk about breastfeeding, but always with the caveat that “breastfeeding is the best choice for me and my family.”

But in Germany I have learned that breast milk cures more than just baby hunger. Six months in, I wouldn’t be surprised if I were told my chest contained the proverbial fountain of youth.

As Luisa went through her first growth spurt, she went through her first gas pains. Not to worry, my midwife said, and told me to offer her the breast. As the milk goes through her system, it would literally push the gas out the other end. Breastfeeding also relieves me of worrying about Luisa’s, ahem, “output”. As long as she was solely breastfed, anything was normal and I wasn’t to worry about it.

At four weeks, Luisa came down with a case of baby acne. I wasn’t about to swab her face with Clearasil, but I was concerned about this pile of bumps appearing on her smooth cheeks. What does my midwife recommend? Simply use Muttermilch as a cream and dab it on the worst spots as often as I liked. I’m not actually sure if it was the breast milk, but the acne cleared up within a week.

Breast milk also has healing properties. “Toe-curling pain,” was what one friend warned me to expect during the first 10 days of baby latching on to very sensitive spots to nurse. And as my nipples cracked, my toes curled.

But as we left the hospital, a doctor had reminded me that breast milk was an excellent nipple cream and “it’s safe for baby too,” she said with a smile.

Canadian Sara Read even discovered that breast milk could help with a stubborn umbilical chord. “My midwife told me to apply breast milk to Annika’s umbilical chord stub to help it come off,” she said, adding that she was sceptical at first.

“I only did it half-heartedly and when it wasn’t gone after a couple weeks, my midwife grabbed my boob, squeezed out some milk onto a q-tip, applied it to the umbilical stub and — pop! — within a matter of seconds she had worked it off with the milk-soaked swab.”

English mum Rachel Fox was told breast milk would help clear up her eldest child’s gooey eye.

“He had a sticky eye infection and [the midwife] had us squirting breast milk directly into his poorly eye," she told me. "I was quite shocked initially, but it did the trick. A few days later the infection was gone. Not a chemist in sight!”

Not just eyes, but ear infections can also be cured with a good squirt of the white stuff. In fact, breast milk is a great substitute for antibiotic ointment. Cuts and scrapes heal much faster with a little bit of Muttermilch applied to them. And when a baby’s sensitive bum goes red, there is no need to reach for creams with all sorts of chemicals; just rub on some breast milk, allow to air dry and carry on.

Adults with scrapes, cuts, burns, dry skin, acne and cold sores can also benefit from the application of breast milk. Allegedly warts, insect bites, chicken pox and eczema too.

But back to Luisa’s runny nose. I’ve used my Muttermilch many times to clear up her little nose. While it’s effective, there is one problem: The application. I’ll leave you to think about the mechanics.

http://www.thelocal.de/lifestyle/20110708-36147.html

Low Testosterone Associated With Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome Contributes to Sexual Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Men With Type

  1. Christina Wang, MD1⇓,
  2. Graham Jackson, MD2,
  3. T. Hugh Jones, MD3,
  4. Alvin M. Matsumoto, MD4,
  5. Ajay Nehra, MD5,
  6. Michael A. Perelman, PHD6,
  7. Ronald S. Swerdloff, MD1,
  8. Abdul Traish, PHD7,
  9. Michael Zitzmann, MD8 and
  10. Glenn Cunningham, MD9

+ Author Affiliations

  1. 1Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California
  2. 2London Bridge Hospital, London, U.K.
  3. 3Robert Hague Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Barnsley Hospital, and the Department of Metabolism, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, U.K.
  4. 4Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, V.A. Puget Sound Health Care System, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
  5. 5Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
  6. 6Departments of Psychiatry, Reproductive Medicine, and Urology, NY Weill Cornell College of Medicine, New York, New York
  7. 7Department of Urology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
  8. 8Clinical Andrology/Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Clinics of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
  9. 9Departments of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, St. Luke’s–Baylor Diabetes Program, Houston, Texas
  1. Corresponding author: Christina Wang, wang@labiomed.org.

Men with obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes have low total and free testosterone and low sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG). Conversely, the presence of low testosterone and/or SHBG predicts the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Visceral adiposity present in men with low testosterone, the metabolic syndrome, and/or type 2 diabetes acts through proinflammatory factors. These inflammatory markers contribute to vascular endothelial dysfunction with adverse sequelae such as increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and erectile dysfunction. This review focuses on the multidirectional impact of low testosterone associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome and its effects on erectile dysfunction and CVD risk in men with type 2 diabetes. Whenever possible in this review, we will cite recent reports (after 2005) and meta-analyses.

Epidemiological studies of low testosterone, obesity, metabolic status, and erectile dysfunction

Epidemiological studies support a bidirectional relationship between serum testosterone and obesity as well as between testosterone and the metabolic syndrome. Low serum total testosterone predicts the development of central obesity and accumulation of intra-abdominal fat ( 1 3). Also, low total and free testosterone and SHBG levels are associated with an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, independent of age and obesity ( 1 3). Lowering serum T levels in older men with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy increases body fat mass ( 4). Conversely, high BMI, central adiposity, and the metabolic syndrome are associated with and predict low serum total and to a lesser extent free testosterone and SHBG levels ( 1 3, 5). Because obesity suppresses SHBG and as a result total testosterone concentrations, alterations in SHBG confound the relationship between testosterone and obesity.

Low total testosterone or SHBG levels are associated with type 2 diabetes, independent of age, race, obesity, and criteria for diagnosis of diabetes ( 6, 7). In longitudinal studies, low serum total and free testosterone …

Calorie Signs Not Improving Diners' Habits

Are calorie counts posted at your favorite eatery making you think twice about ordering an especially high-calorie dish?

If not, you apparently are not alone. Research conducted in areas of the United States where menu labeling has become law is showing that the calorie postings are not influencing healthier dining-out decisions by consumers, according to the Washington Post.


Read more: Calorie Signs Not Improving Diners' Habits
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Diabetes rate 'doubles' - Imperial College and Harvard research suggests

The number of adults with diabetes in the world has more than doubled since 1980, a study in the Lancet says.

Researchers from Imperial College London and Harvard University in the US analysed data from 2.7m people across the world, using statistical techniques to project a worldwide figure.

The total number of people with all forms of the disease - which can be fatal - has risen from 153m to 347m.

MORE>>

Do Government Health Mandates Intrude on Individual Rights? Read more: Do Government Health Mandates Intrude on Individual Rights?

Are the government’s efforts to enforce healthier health habits among its citizens a matter of nanny government run amok or common sense approaches to public health issues?

In recent months federal health officials have issued an array of warnings and mandates designed to encourage the public to quit smoking, eat less salt, read menu calorie counts, and consume more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This, officials say, is all in an effort to save lives and cut skyrocketing healthcare costs related to combating heart disease, obesity, diabetes, lung cancer, and other ailments resulting from diet and lifestyle choices.

BPA Makes Male Mice Act Like Females

Male mice who were exposed as babies to BPA, a chemical common in canned foods and plastic containers, act more like females and are seen as less desirable mates, a U.S. study showed Monday.


Read more: BPA Makes Male Mice Act Like Females

7 surprising things you're not supposed to know about sunscreen and sunlight exposure


Celestial Sun - Wikimedia Commons Image
Mike Adams
Natural News

Ask somebody about sunscreen and you're likely to receive an earful of disinformation from a person who has been repeatedly misinformed by health authorities and the mainstream media. Almost nothing you hear about sunscreen from traditional media channels is accurate. So here's a quick guide to the 7 most important things you need to know about sunscreen, sunlight and vitamin D:

#1) The FDA refuses to allow natural sunscreen ingredients to be used in sunblock / sunscreen products

It's true: If you create a truly natural sunscreen product using exotic botanicals with powerful sunscreen properties, you will never be able to market it as a "sunscreen" product. That's because the FDA decides what can be used as sunscreen and what can't, regardless of what really works in the real world. And there are really only two natural ingredients the FDA has allowed to be sold as sunscreen: Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Flavonoid Rutin May Help Obesity and Diabetes

An Australian researcher who deliberately fed his lab rats a high-sugar/high-fat diet says that a flavonoid called rutin helped block the growth of fat cells in their abdomens and kept them from putting on weight despite their bad diet. Flavonoids are plant pigments that researchers are finding have beneficial metabolic effects because of their antioxidant capabilities.

Professor Lindsay Brown, of the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, Australia, tested a range of foods on the rats he was feeding unhealthily. They included onions, green tea, olive leaf extract, purple carrots, and chia seeds. The onions and olive leaf extract contained a flavonoid called rutin (also found in buckwheat, apple peels, red wine, noni , and citrus fruits) that Brown believes prevented-or even reversed-certain metabolic changes in the rats.

Brown reported that his rutin-fed rats not only had a decreased number of abdominal fat cells by the end of the study, but lost weight as well. His research may point a way to addressing obesity and such related diseases as diabetes, fatty liver, and heart disease in humans. The hope is that even if obese persons continue to eat poorly, the addition of rutin to their intake could help offset their diets' negative effects. Read more...

People With Diabetes Protected From Discrimination

People with diabetes can breath a sigh of relief: New rules now protect them from workplace discrimination. The Obama administration has widened the definition of disability to include cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes, among other conditions.

The government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was told to revamp its rules after Congress voted to broaden federal disability law in 2008. It did so last month.

While you might expect businesses to take issue with such a change, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce welcomed the rules. (The chamber has three million companies across the country as members.) Read more...

New Study Finds Direct Link Between Vaccines and Infant Mortality

Dees Illustration
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars

A shocking new study published in a prestigious medical journal has found a direct statistical link between higher vaccine doses and infant mortality rates in the developed world, suggesting that the increasing number of inoculations being forced upon children by medical authorities, particularly in the United States which administers the highest number of vaccines and also has the highest number of infant deaths, is in fact having a detrimental impact on health.

The study, entitled Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity?, was conducted by Neil Z. Miller and Gary S. Goldman. It was published in the reputable Human and Experimental Toxicology journal, which is indexed by the National Library of Medicine.

According to his biography, “Goldman has served as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Vaccine, AJMC, ERV, ERD, JEADV,and British Medical Journal (BMJ). He is included on the Editorial Board of Research and Reviews in BioSciences.”

Miller, a medical research journalist and the Director of the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute, has been studying the dangers of vaccines for 25 years.

Acid Reflux? Eat an Apple!

By Bob Barney:
I like many people have acid reflux. Being overweight and eating too much food at one time are major triggers for the disease to occur. However, I think that like many other ailments that affect us, genetics probably also plays a role, as well as the modern "factory" foods that we consume. I read some tips on stopping the pain of acid reflux and want to share them. Try them, and let me know how you make out.


An Apple a day?
We have all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That may be true, as apples seems to be one of God's most nutritious foods one can consume. However, after meals or even after the first signs of acid reflex- eat an apple! There are a lot of over-the-counter and prescription options available for treatment of acid reflux, but apples are easy to find, incredibly inexpensive, and for some individuals---an easy fix. Acid reflux generally produces a burning sensation in the individual's upper abdomen, chest and/or throat areas. At one time, this condition was called acid indigestion. Apples work because they help neutralize the stomach acids, which in turn, help strengthen the LES valve. (Read more: Acid-Reflux Cure Using Apples | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/way_5329848_acidreflux-cure-using-apples.html#ixzz1PjcLbE6Q)

Curing acid reflux with apples is simple. Just eat one-to-two apples a day. Try eating apple slices before going to bed and in-between meals. That being said, the old-time saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," is starting to sound more valid for many individuals experiencing acid reflux. You can also try adding apple slices or pieces to unflavored yogurt. Yogurt also naturally fights acid reflux. Eating this mixture once or twice a day should produce results in just a few days. Many individuals find that eating the mixture with
dinner is particularly beneficial.
According to Dr. Brian Fennerty, who is a gastroenterologist, stick with organic apples, as they tend to be more easily digested.

Apple Cider too?
Apple cider vinegar can also be extremely helpful when it comes to fighting acid reflux. It's sort of like fighting a hangover with "hair of the dog." In other words, using acid to fight acid. Some individuals find that drinking two teaspoons of organic apple cider vinegar three times a day is very helpful with acid reflux. Other tips to remember include watching and maintaining a healthy weight and eating smaller meals. Make sure your final meal is at least three or more hours before bed. Avoid lying down after a meal or eating. Raising the head of your bed may also be beneficial if you experience acid reflux during sleep. This can be accomplished by placing wooden or cement blocks under the feet of the head of your bed. You can also raise the head of your bed by inserting a foam wedge between the mattress and the box spring in order to elevate your body during sleep from the waist up.


Other remedies:
Ginger also helps with acid reflux, and stewing ginger to make a tea works great just before bedtime. Chewing gun (with Xylitol) during the day works wonder in aiding digestion. Most do not understand that digestion is a process where enzymes and bacteria in your body, along with your own "stomach juices" breaks down food into a form of energy that your body can use to fuel itself. These juices, enzymes and bacteria are not only found in the stomach, but much are produced in your mouth! Chewing food slowly, or chewing gum, produces enzyme rich saliva that aides you stomach and makes it work a lot less refining your food into energy!

Why Organic?
Have you ever cut an apple and watched it turn brown? We all have! That natural process is a foe to the food industry! People don't want to eat what looks to be rotten apples! People cut apples, serve them and within minutes they are brown, un-appealing and thrown away. Food companies have spent a fortune to stop this from happening. From genetically modified apples, to radiation and other ways to stop the process. The reason why the browning occurs is that the apple supplies it's own unique enzyme to help your body turn it into fuel! Without this enzyme (which you do not produce) the apple can't be digested! Eating such apples are no better for you than eating a Big Mac! Organic apples (or for that matter any apple that turns brown within minutes) are what you must consume to fix acid reflux. So eat apples and foods in general as close to the state God made them for the best results.

Burzynski, The Movie

A much watch video in your education on cancer research and treatments that your government is trying to suppress:

How Much Sun Exposure Do I Need for Vitamin D?

I like to go out in the sun, but I don't want a sun burn so I use lots of sunblock. How much time in the sun do I need to get enough vitamin D? Can I get enough vitamin D from my diet or do I need to take supplements?

Answer: Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. You probably need from 15 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) three times per week. The older you are the longer it takes the sunlight to do the work. BE CAREFUL not to allow yourself to burn, as it has been associated with skin cancer, but sunscreen SHOULD NOT be used when you are trying to get enough Vitamin D from the sun.

The amount of exposure also depends on the time of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the UVB is more intense during the summer months and less intense during the winter months. In fact, if you live north of the 42-degrees latitude, you will have a difficult time getting enough vitamin D from the sun from November through February. If you live north of a line drawn on a map from the northern border of California to Boston, Massachusetts, you will probably need additional vitamin D from the foods you eat during the winter.

The intensity of UVB rays is also reduced by clouds, pollution and UVB will not travel through glass, so sitting next to a window will not give you enough sunlight to make vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish like tuna and salmon and vitamin D supplements. Most people can easily tolerate 1-4,000 Units per day of the vitamin, but the more sun you expose yourself to safely, the lees vitamins you will need. Ideally, we should try to get all of our nutrients from our food and from our environment - not pills!

Vitamin D is necessary for absorption and utilization of calcium, so you need adequate amounts of vitamin D for healthy bones. A deficiency of vitamin D in children will cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Research studies also suggest that getting enough vitamin D may help to prevent high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, and some forms of cancer.

Cannabis use 'damages the brain in early teens', frightening new study reveals

Children who smoke cannabis before their 15th birthday perform much worse in mental tests than those who start at a later age, warn researchers.

A study of chronic cannabis users found those who started in their early teens struggled with a range of neuropsychological tasks.

But those who started later did not have the same difficulties, says a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

The findings add to growing evidence that the drug damages the developing brain, with greater harm caused by early exposure.

Marijuana is the most common illicit drug among adolescents in the UK with more than four in ten admitting having taken it.

Research carried out at the Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil looked at the mental functioning of 100 cannabis users after around ten years of consistent use, and almost 50 non-users.

They found 49 ‘early’ users whose habit began before the age of 15 were much worse at sustained attention, impulse control and executive functioning.

We should all have a beef with factory farming

Antibiotics are widely used on livestock, and humans are paying the price, says Geoffrey Lean


It is the stuff of nightmares. What if the antibiotics that we have for so long taken for granted were to lose their power to fight infections, throwing us largely back on folk remedies and the body’s own defences?

Back in 1900, just two infectious diseases, pneumonia and tuberculosis, accounted for a quarter of all deaths in America. By 1990, they caused just four per cent – thanks largely to antibiotics. These apparently miraculous medicines have also beaten back a host of other plagues, from meningitis to syphilis, and revolutionised recovery from surgery and burns. Few of us do not have cause to be deeply grateful: only this week, one of my family was rushed to hospital with an infection that could well have proved fatal a century ago, only be to be safely discharged after two days of intravenous antibiotic treatment. MORE>>>>


See What the Bible says: Is all Foods Fit to Eat?

Magnesium Offers Strong Radiation Protection

(NaturalNews) One would not normally think that magnesium deficiency can increase the risk of cancer yet we will find that just as severe dehydration or asphyxiation can cause death, magnesium deficiency can lead directly to cancer. It is known that carcinogenesis induces magnesium distribution disturbances, causing magnesium mobilization through blood cells and magnesium depletion in non-neoplastic tissues. Magnesium deficiency is carcinogenic, and in the case of solid tumors, a high level of supplemented magnesium inhibits carcinogenesis.

Researchers from Japan's National Cancer Center in Tokyo have found that an increased intake of magnesium reduces a man's risk of colon cancer by over 50 percent. Several studies have shown an increased cancer rate in regions with low magnesium levels in soil and drinking water. In Egypt the cancer rate was only about 10 percent of that in Europe and America. In the rural fellah it was practically non-existent. The main difference was an extremely high magnesium intake of 2.5-3g in these cancer-free populations, ten times more than in most western countries.

For all of these reasons and a hundred more, magnesium oil remains the number one item in my cancer protocol and thus number one for radiation exposure. Magnesium is our first line of defense against both.



It is in a list of medicinals that prevent and treat
cancer that we find helpful substances that treat
and strengthen us against radiation contamination.


"In the years leading up to Chernobyl, some dairy farmers in Austria were using remineralization as a part of their operations. They added rock dust to liquid manure as well as combining it with compost, thereby removing odors and greatly increasing soil biota. As a result, cows had twice the normal lifespan and produced much more milk. Amazingly enough, after Chernobyl, the cheeses that were remineralized (as well as biodynamic cheeses) measured no radioactivity whatsoever. Austrians would stand in long lines in order to buy these safe, remineralized products," writes Joanna Campe.

Iodine is obviously not the only substance that we should run to in the face of increasing radiation threats. Magnesium is a vital mineral whose lack leaves us open to not only radioactive damages but also those from heavy metals and thousands of chemicals, which we are commonly exposed to. Mercury and now a long list of radioactive particles are floating in the environment like invisible clouds that have spread out everywhere. They are raining down on us, damaging and damning our future. We can no longer be passive about building our defenses against the toxic onslaught.

Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely.

Just about everyone who is writing protocols for radiation toxicity is forgetting about the importance of magnesium salts. Worse still are governments and the entire institution of medicine that are purposely ignorant about magnesium, so they cannot possibly be trusted for valuable health and medical information that will help us in our time of dire need. The need was dire before Fukushima but they did not want to admit that; they let the public get obsessed with CO2 emissions and said nothing about the mercury. Now with radioactive nuclides steadily building up in the background, we are in trouble than any of us care to admit. Today the situation has gone nuclear and there has never before been a need so great for detoxification and chelation.

Magnesium is a crucial factor in the natural self-cleansing and detoxification responses of the body. Magnesium is also necessary for effective chelation. It stimulates the sodium potassium pump on the cell wall and this initiates the cleansing process in part because the sodium-potassium-ATPase pump regulates intracellular and extracellular potassium levels. The healthy cell wall favors intake of nutrients and elimination of waste products.

The involvement of free radicals in tissue injury induced by magnesium deficiency causes an accumulation of oxidative products in heart, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle tissues and in red blood cells, leaving them more vulnerable to oxidative stress caused by radiation exposure. Both radiation exposure and heavy metals produce oxidative stress through the creation of increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS -- oxygen free radicals, peroxides, and singlet oxygen). It is known that these increased levels of intracellular ROS are sufficient to trigger apoptosis (cell death).

Glutathione is Magnesium-Dependent

Glutathione protects the cells from oxidative-stress-induced apoptosis and glutathione levels are magnesium dependent! "Glutathione is a very important detoxifying agent, enabling the body to get rid of undesirable toxins and pollutants. It forms a soluble compound with the toxin that can then be excreted through the urine or the gut. The liver and kidneys contain high levels of glutathione as they have the greatest exposure to toxins. The lungs are also rich in glutathione partly for the same reason. Many cancer-producing chemicals, heavy metals, drug metabolites etc. are disposed of in this way," says Dr. Patricia Kongshavn, former professor, department of medicine at McGill University.


Glutathione is a polypeptide,
C10H17N3O6S, of glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.


Glutathione synthetase requires γ-glutamyl cysteine, glycine, ATP, and magnesium ions to form glutathione. In magnesium deficiency, the ss y-glutamyltranspeptidase is lowered. There is a direct relationship between cellular magnesium, GSH/GSSG ratios, and tissue glucose metabolism. Magnesium deficiency causes glutathione loss and this is unwelcome as the clouds of radiation are touching down across the northern hemisphere. Magnesium deficiency causes glutathione loss, which is not at all healthy because glutathione helps to defend the body against damage from cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, cancer chemotherapy, and toxins such as alcohol and just about everything else.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, low magnesium is associated with dramatic increases in free radical generation as well as glutathione depletion and this is vital since glutathione is one of the few antioxidant molecules known to neutralize mercury. "For every molecule of pesticide that your body detoxifies, you throw away or use up forever a molecule of glutathione, magnesium and more," says Dr. Sherry Rogers who goes on to say that, "Your body uses nutrients to make this glutathione and it uses up energy as well. Every time we detoxify a chemical, we use up, lose, throw away forever, a certain amount of nutrients."

Mineral Deficiencies

Deficiencies in basic minerals like magnesium and selenium can make all the difference between health and disease, between being able to withstand chemical, heavy metal and radiation exposure. Dr. Rogers has indicated that there is as much as a 500-fold difference in the ability of individuals to detoxify the same chemicals and much of that will be true for radiation as well. A key marker of this difference is each individual's magnesium level. Deficiencies in magnesium will wreak havoc with our body's ability to detoxify and chelate heavy radioactive particles and explains much of the difference between one person withstanding radiation exposures and another person falling to radiation sickness.

Dr. Leslie Fisher has treated in excess of 35,000 patients where mineral therapy was prescribed as the sole form of medication. He has conducted research within his own clinics and the Department of Psychiatry, Austin Hospital, Melbourne. Mineral therapy is the foundation upon which chelation treatments and protocols are built. Magnesium does protect cells from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel, which explains why re-mineralization is so essential for heavy metal detoxification and chelation as well as radiation protection. Magnesium is essential for the survival of our cells but takes on further importance now where our bodies are being bombarded on a daily basis with heavy metals and radiation.

Radiation and Diabetes

Read More
: http://www.naturalnews.com/032596_magnesium_radiation.html#ixzz1OPiWQ4ER

Does Psoriasis Put Me at Risk for Heart Disease?

The risk to your heart from psoriasis may be greater than you think. Here's how to lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

Scientists Discover 'Ultra-Bad' Cholesterol

FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) — A new, "ultra-bad" form of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol has been discovered in people with a high risk for heart disease, according to British researchers.

They found that the cholesterol, called MGmin-LDL, is super-sticky, making it more likely to attach to the walls of arteries and form fatty plaques, which could lead to heart attacks and stroke.

The discovery provides a possible explanation for the increased risk of coronary heart disease in diabetics and could help researchers develop new anti-cholesterol treatments, the researchers suggested.

In the study, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation, University of Warwick researchers created MGmin-LDL in a lab through glycation, which is the adding of sugar groups to normal LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol. The process changed the cholesterol's shape, making it stickier and more likely to build fatty plaques, narrow arteries and reduce blood flow and turning it into what they called "ultra-bad" cholesterol.

The findings, released online May 26 in Diabetes, could have significant implications for the treatment of coronary heart disease, particularly in older people and those with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the researchers said, the results of their study shed light on how a common type 2 diabetes drug, metformin, fights heart disease by blocking the transformation of normal LDL into the super-sticky LDL.

"We're excited to see our research leading to a greater understanding of this type of cholesterol, which seems to contribute to heart disease in diabetics and elderly people," the study's lead researcher, Naila Rabbani, an associate professor of experimental systems biology at Warwick Medical School, said in a university news release.

"The next challenge is to tackle this more dangerous type of cholesterol with treatments that could help neutralize its harmful effects on patients' arteries," she said.


SOURCE

Is Your Sunscreen More Harmful Than Being in the Sun?

Martha Rosenberg
AlterNet

Most people have enough fear of skin cancer and photo-aging to give tanning salons wide berth, pun intended. But how safe are sunscreens themselves? Weeks after the New York Times exposed the caprice in assignment of sun protection factors (SPF) last year, Sen. Charles Schumer (D- New York) called on the FDA to investigate reports that an ingredient in most sunscreens — retinyl palmitate – actually causes cancer.

In one FDA study on animals, dismissed by a dermatologist consultant to sunscreen companies as “very premature to even cast doubt about the safety of this chemical,” retinyl palmitate accelerated tumors and lesions in the sun by 21 percent! (Similar studies on humans not animals would be “unethical” say scientists)

Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise

A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses - from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest - has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment.

"It's just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we need to save a patient's life and we find out there isn't any," says Dr. Eric Lavonas of the American College of Emergency Physicians.


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