Diet For Heartburn

Heartburn is a common digestive complaint which affects an estimated 15 million Americans every day, and 60 million once a month. Relief of mild heartburn is typically achieved through diet and lifestyle changes, although medication (eg. antacids) is usually necessary if the heartburn is caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

What is Heartburn? What Are The Symptoms?

Heartburn is a digestive problem: it has nothing to do with your heart. It occurs when small amounts of stomach acid accidentally rise up the esophagus (the food canal running from the mouth to the stomach) causing symptoms like a burning pain in the chest which rises towards the throat. Sufferers may even taste the fluid in the back of the mouth, and this is called acid indigestion. In many cases the pain and burning sensation is relatively mild, but sometimes is so severe that patients think they are experiencing a heart attack.

What Are The Causes Of Heartburn?

In general, the immediate cause of heartburn is the acidic digestive juices which leave the stomach and rise up the esophagus. The acid burns the tissue of the esophagus causing inflammation and pain - a condition called esophagitis. Heartburn may also occur in pregnancy when the baby is pressing up against the underside of the diaphragm and squeezing the stomach. An occasional episode of acid-regurgitation or indigestion is quite normal. But persistent heartburn (eg. twice a week), is usually a sign of something more serious. The two most common underlying causes of heartburn symptoms are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and hiatal hernia.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

GERD is characterized by a failure of the muscular valve, known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is located at the bottom of the esophagus. The function of this valve is to keep acid in the stomach and prevent it leaking back up the esophagus. When this valve doesn't work properly, reflux (leak-back) and heartburn can oc! cur. Fac tors that contribute to gastroesophageal reflux disease include obesity, pregnancy, smoking and, in particular, hiatal hernia.

Hiatal Hernia

Hiatus or hiatal hernia is a condition in which part of the stomach herniates (protrudes) upwards into the chest through the hiatus (opening) in the diaphragm normally only occupied by the esophagus. This puts extra pressure on the LES valve preventing it from closing properly. As a result, stomach acid leaks into the esophagus causing heartburn. The underlying cause of hiatal hernia is unknown. Contributory factors include: obesity, pregnancy, constipation, abdominal muscle strain, and smoking.

Dietary Treatment For Heartburn

In cases of persistent heartburn, dietary improvements are not sufficient. So as well as advocating a digestion-friendly diet, your doctor is likely to recommend one or more of the following types of medication. Antacids to neutralize the acid in your stomach; H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors to reduce acid production; or prokinetics to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter and expedite stomach-emptying. However, if heartburn symptoms are mild and occur only from time to time, usually you will be advised to make the following changes to your diet.

If Overweight, Switch To A Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Obesity, especially excess fat on the chest and abdomen, is a common contributory factor to GERD and hiatal hernia, and therefore to heartburn. So if you are obese (BMI > 30), take steps to normalize your weight and thus reduce your risk or symptoms of heartburn. Choose a healthy calorie-controlled diet and customize it by following the eating tips below.

Stop Eating Large Meals

A big meal distends the stomach and causes a rise in the production of stomach acid. Both these factors lead to an increased risk of heartburn. So opt for 4-6 small meals or snacks, and allow a maximum of 3 hours between eating. In addition, choose foods that are easier on the stomach an! d more m ore easily digested.

Avoid Acidic Food

Reduce your intake of very acidic foods by avoiding items such as: tomatoes, tomato-based sauces, citrus fruits, rhubarb, gooseberries, unripe fruit, vinegar and acidic pickles or relishes.

Cut Down On Fatty and Spicy Food

Fried or very fatty foods, including candy, encourage indigestion and should be avoided or eaten sparingly. So go easy on butter, mayo, sausages, salami, pate, meat pies, and full-fat cheese. The same applies to very spicy food such as: black pepper, chili peppers, curry, mustard and other hot spices, as well as raw onions and garlic.

Avoid Carbonated Drinks

Fizzy or carbonated soft drinks cause belching and upward pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), increasing the likelihood of heartburn. The best drinks include: water, herbal teas or diluted non-citrus fruit juices. Please also note that some soft drinks (eg. cocoa, coffee, orange juice) are not helpful for heartburn as they can over-relax the LES, thus encouraging the backward flow of acid from the stomach.

Eat More Fiber, Especially Soluble Fiber

Constipation can lead to extra strain on abdominal muscles and increase the risk of heartburn. To prevent constipation, eat more high-fiber foods such as: oats, apples, pears, dried apricots and vegetables. When increasing fiber intake it's also important to increase your water intake by at least 40 fl oz a day.

Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol is not helpful to heartburn for several reasons. So take steps to reduce your intake to one unit a day, or avoid it altogether. Alcohol is also a source of non-nutritious calories and can contribute to overweight.

Other Digestive Tips

For digestive disorders like heartburn, some dietitians and alternative health experts recommend patients to eat (or cook with) digestion-friendly aromatic herbs like basil, camomile, caraway, dill, fennel, rosemary and thyme. They also recommend that! you end each meal with a glass of herbal tea (eg. camomile, fennel) to reduce acidity and wind.

Lifestyle Improvements To Reduce Heartburn

There are several lifestyle changes that can help to reduce the symptoms of heartburn. One obvious one is to stop smoking, as tobacco smoke increases acidity in the stomach. Other recommended changes include:

Avoid placing extra strain on your abdomen or chest. Wear loose-fitting clothes, and do not overstretch or lift heavy weights.

Do not lie down after eating, and try not to eat anything for at least three hours before going to bed. The less there is in your stomach when you come to lie down, the lower the risk of heartburn.

To minimize night-time discomfort, raise the head end of your bed by about 3 inches by using bed-blocks or by placing a solid object under the bed-legs. This helps to prevent stomach acid from leaking backwards into the esophagus. Do not use extra pillows - you simply end up with a stiff neck as well as heartburn!

Heartburn symptoms can be caused by certain over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin, or other pain-killers or anti-inflammatories. So if you take this type of medication regularly, check with your doctor or pharmacist that it's safe to continue.

Linda Smith B.Sc., RD, aged 51, is a qualified dietitian and nutritional consultant. She is part of the editorial team at Diet-i.com which provides a range of information about diet, nutrition and weight management to more than 5 million visitors per year.

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Lung Cancerthe Ultimate Destiny of All Smokers!

BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMA :

A number of benign and malignant tumours occur in the lungs but the primary lung cancer, commonly termed bronchogenic carcinoma, is the most common. The lung is also the commonest site for metastasis from carcinomas and sarcomas. A histologic classification of various benign and malignant tumours of lungs as recommended by the World Health Organisation

It is the most common primary malignant tumour in men inindustrialised nations and accounts for nearly one-third of all cancer deaths in both sexes. Currently, the incidence in females in the United States has already exceeded breast cancer as a cause of death in women. Cancer of the lung is a disease of middle and late life with peak incidence in 5th to 7th decades, after which there is gradual fall in its incidence.

ETIOPATHOGENESIS

1. Smoking

2. Atmospheric pollution

3. Occupational causes

4. Dietary factors

5. Genetic factors

6. Chronic Scarring

TUBERCULOSIS

Tissue response in tuberculosis represents classical example of chronic granulomatous inflammation in humans.the causative agent is tubercle bacillus or Koch�s bacillus called Mycobacterium tuberculousis causes tuberculosis in the lung and other tissues of the human body. The organism is a strict aerobe and thrives best in tissues with oxygen tension like in the apex of the lung.

Mode Of Transmission

1. Inhalation of organisms present in fresh cough droplets or in dried sputum form an open case of pulmonary tuberculosis.

2. Ingestion of the organisms leads to development of tonsillar or intestinal tuberculosis. This mode of infection of human tubercle bacilli is from self-swallowing of infected sputum of an open case of pulmonary tuberculosis, or ingestion of bovine tubercle bacilli from milk of diseased cows.

3. Inoculation of the organisms into the skin may rarely occur from infected postmorten tissue.

The author is the owner of a Successful Weight loss program. Also! the aut hor maintains a blog on General Medicine.

Heartburn Find All The Information You Need About Heartburn!

Heartburn is a condition that causes severe a pain and discomfort. The condition is also known as Reflux Oesophagus. This is caused when the acid from the stomach is pushed back into the gullet or Oesophagus. The gullet is not capable of withstanding acid and this in turn causes pain and discomfort in us, which is commonly known as heartburn.

The problem of heartburn led to sever discomfort and burning pain in the chest. Heartburn is often aggravated when you are in the lying down position or bend very often to pick up things or while working in the garden.

Heartburn is also associated with intense feeling of acid and food particles in the esophagus. Most of us experience heartburn occasionally but if it persists then a visit to the doctor may be necessary. Heartburn is known as gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD. This problem affects men and women, infants and children.

In children the problem is usually acute in infants but goes away once they reach the age of one.

There are many factors that lead to the condition of heartburn. Eating large meals, fatty food, smoking, alcohol etc. are all factors that contribute to heartburn. Obesity is also one of the major factors leading to heartburn.

If the heartburn persists for a long duration then a visit to a gastroenterologist is recommended. The doctor will be able to identify the causes for heartburn and suggest suitable remedies. The treatment for heartburn could be a combination of lifestyle changes and medicines. In extreme cases even surgery may become necessary.

In case of persistent heartburn even after change in lifestyle and medications then further investigations may be necessary to identify the exact problem. The doctor may recommend you to undergo investigations like endoscopy, barium swallow radiograph or pH monitoring examination.

Heartburn is also known to result form indigestion. If the problem of heartburn is observed for more than a couple of times every week then it could be a symptom of G! ERD. Mos t symptoms of heartburn should disappear after a few changes to lifestyle.

However, if the symptoms persist even after taking antacids for 15 days or more then a visit to the doctor is a must. In most cases the doctor can treat heartburn with suggestions for change in diet and lifestyle. In some case medication may also be recommended. In extreme case surgery may be the only option. If you wish to avoid surgery then a new implant is available for treating heartburn, which the FDA has recently approved.

Venkata Ramana is the writer of Heartburn blog. Read his informative reports about Heartburn Cure and get rid of Heartburn forever!

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary heart disease is a condition that arises from increased amounts of atheromatous plaques that gather within the arteries. Many people who develop this condition may not begin showing symptoms until years after they have initially developed the disease. The most dangerous symptom of this disease is a heart attack, and this will generally occur after the atheromatous plaques break apart and begin restricting the flow of blood into the heart. Coronary artery disease is a common cause for sudden death.

This condition is known for having varying extremes. Certain people can be defined as being asymptomatic, and will have an early form of the disease where the flow of blood is not blocked. Doctors who perform coronary angiograms at this point may not be able to detect the disease because the lumen within the artery has not been reduced in size. However, the atheromatous plaques will grow into the walls of the arteries, and once they cause the lumen to expand, the blood flow will be restricted. Many researchers believe that this process took many years to occur, but there have been some cases where the plaque would rupture, and the progression of this disease would increase much faster than normal.

If the atheromatous plaques do not block more than 70 percent of the artery, patients will typically not begin showing the symptoms that are associated with the disease. Once the atheromatous plaques block more than 70 percent of the artery, the patient will begin showing symptoms. The heart will begin working harder to increase the amount of blood that flows to it, and the lumen may nearly become completely blocked. A patient who is in this situation will typically have suffered from multiple heart attacks, and may have angina as well. The restriction of blood flow to the heart is called ischema, and the cells will starve because they don't have oxygen.

There are a number of things responsible for the development of coronary artery disease. Smoking or being overweight is a common cause, ! while a lack of vitamin C can also lead to the development of this condition. There is also evidence that this disease is genetic in nature. Someone who comes from a family where many members have developed coronary heart disease will be much more likely to develop it themselves. People who have large amounts of triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins have an increased chance for developing this condition. Angina is defined as the pain a patient will go through when they have an advanced form of the disease.

Coronary artery disease is very common in the West, and has been called the number one killer of Americans. The best way to avoid it is to avoid smoking and reduce the amount of cholesterol in your body. People who are overeweight will want to exercise and avoid foods that are rich in saturated fats. Those who live a sedentary lifestyle will want to go out as much as possible to be physically active. It is also important to make sure you consume decent amounts of vitamin C.

Michael Colucci is a writer for Coronary Artery Disease which is part of the Knowledge Search network.

Are You Having A Heart Attack?

Heart attacks come in all sizes, from minor to major, and the symptoms of a pending heart attack can be deceiving in many cases. Some symptoms of a pending heart attack may have been showing up for quite awhile and were ignored as something else.

Pending heart attack symptoms mask themselves as indigestion, being overworked and tired all the time, and taking naps several times a day.

During a real heart attack, you may feel feverish, have a nauseous sick feeling, shortness of breath, labored breathing, sweating, tingling in arms, chest pain, heaviness in the chest area like someone is pushing on your chest and various other indications.

Your life may depend on you making the right decision within minutes, is what you are feeling a heart attack... as a quick response time in calling for help... 911... could be the determining factor that saves your life. Its better to be wrong, than to be right and not get help on the way ASAP!

One of the major causes of a heart attack is the restriction of blood flow to the heart muscle, which causes any number of symptoms. But the bottom line is, how severe is your heart attack. That will in many ways determine what symptoms you experience. The more severy the blockage, the more severe the heart attack symptoms in most cases. The blockage may occure due to a blood clot, or material buildup inside the artery walls that breaks loose.

Many hospitals are not fully equipted to deal with heart attack victims, and will transfer the patient by air to a hospital or medical center with a heart attack specialist who can determine how bad it was, and one who has the skill to repair the damage caused by the heart attack.

The quicker the blood flow to the heart muscle is restored, the better your chance for a complete recovery from your heart attack.

The Author: George Phillips is the webmaster of http://www.cashbuilder.com and
Natural Health Remedies Website.

Get Heartburn Indigestion and Ulcer Relief Using DGL

In the 1940?s licorice was discovered to be useful in treating peptic ulcers. Unfortunately it had side effects that lead to high blood pressure, potassium loss, and fluid retention.

Researchers discovered that the ingredient in licorice that caused those side effects was ?glycyrrhizin.? They were able to remove 97% of this chemical and the result was a product call ?deglycyrrhizinated? licorice, DGL. DGL maintained its healing properties but had no side effects.

DGL was first used to heal ulcers in the stomach and duodenum without suppressing stomach acids. DGL worked just as good as the drugs Zantac or Tagamet that are designed to suppress stomach acid.

As more people used DGL, they found they got relief from a variety of stomach issues ? heartburn, acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, and gas. In addition, they found using DGL was better than using antacids or acid blockers.

DGL works by improving and restoring the integrity of the esophageal, stomach and duodenum lining. It does this by promoting mucus release and cell rebuilding. The mucus released provides gastrointestinal lining protection from acids and gives the lining time to rebuild and regenerated. The result is healing and strengthening of the affected tissue.

Here?s how to use DGL. DGL comes in large tablets that you place in your mouth and allowed to melt. You can chew them slightly but not swallow them since it is your salvia that helps activate the DGL.

By allowing DGL to melt in your mouth the resulting liquid will now run along your esophagus and start the healing process where ever there is tissue inflammation or damage.

Use two tablets 3-4 times a day on an empty stomach. Do not use any water when you are taking the tablets. You can take the tablets at least an hour before you eat and an hour after you eat.

Although DGL provides relief for heartburn, acid reflux and other stomach disturbances it does not totally provide a cure. It does provide recover from damaged gastro! intestin al lining as occurs with ulcers, but does not change the level of stomach acid.

In some cases Heartburn is caused by to little or to much stomach acid. When too little acid is causing heartburn or acid reflux it makes no sense to use antacids or acid blocking drugs which decrease your stomach acid even more. Low levels of stomach acid leads to serious illnesses.

Because so much is still unknown about the cause of acid reflux or heartburn, it is known that DGL can give you some acid reflux relief and in some case mild cases cure it.

Use DGL for mild or severe cases of heartburn or acid reflux and you will be surprised at the results you get.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. For more tips and information on Acid Reflux and Heartburn go now to his site: http://www.acidreflux-relief.info

The Eight Week Cholesterol Challenge

When I first started down this path I was looking for something to reduce my cholesterol levels without giving me a heart attack. My doctor recommended Lipitor, but I had read an article in the American Heart Associations web site that indicated Lipitor and other statin drugs may possibly be worse for me than my high cholesterol. (The article that I read is here: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3001036 )

Subsequent research led me to two compounds that have been clinically proven to improve cholesterol levels without side effects. Being a chemical engineer myself, I was skeptical about any claim that did not have sufficient research behind it. However, the two compounds that I found have been clinically verified to be effective in improving cholesterol levels. It was these two compounds that have dramatically changed my condition, and motivated me to solicit this challenge.

What are the two compounds? Well, the first is niacin. That?s right, the inexpensive mineral that is occasionally listed on the food label of our bread, breakfast cereal, sports drinks, or other enriched food. The other compound is pantethine. Strangely enough, pantethine is a compound that our body makes as it created Co-Enzyme A which eventually creates cholesterol.

Between these two chemicals, extensive research has demonstrated dramatic, statin-like, effects on cholesterol levels. In addition, because they are already needed by your body, the two compounds don?t create the dangerous side effects that have been demonstrated with statins.

The two compounds act together to balance out the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Clinical trials have demonstrated that niacin is effective in reducing the level of bad cholesterol in your blood stream. In addition, clinical trial on pantethine in Japan have demonstrated that the compound significantly improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Subsequently, the combination o! f the tw o may have an amazing effect on your overall cholesterol level.

So what is the challenge? If your doctor have recommended that you lower your cholesterol level or worse, is threatening to put you on a statin drug. Try using these compounds instead. For eight weeks, on a daily basis take 500 mg of pantethine and 400 mg of niacin and see what effect it has on your cholesterol level. I know you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was

These compounds are effective, and there is data to back up that claim. However, a word of caution, with niacin. When you go to the drug store or natural foods market, make sure you buy niacin that is labeled time-release. Niacin is effective on cholesterol, but niacin supplements have a harmless side effect known as a niacin flush. This is the equivalent to a vitamin hot flash. Although harmless, a niacin flush can be uncomfortable for about a half hour. If the form of niacin that you take is not in a time-release dosage, a niacin flush may ensue. So be wary. Other than that, with any supplement do not exceed the recommended dosage.

If you have questions about the two compounds, do what I did. Start with research on the net, then move to reading clinical abstracts and reports. Just remember the challenge. I challenge you to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level without using a statin drug. Good health and good luck

About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal of IP Ware http://www.freetrainer.com and a technical associate of Compound Solutions http://www.compoundsolutions.com in Escondido, California.

Heart Attack: Are You At Risk?

If you?re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease.

I know, I know, you feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones!

Ladies, don?t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any form of cancer.

This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are now working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there?s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the ?work? out of work. We are less active and it?s killing us!

So what are the risk factors for heart disease?
Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can?t be changed. It?s important to know that you only need to have 3 of these to be at risk. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially.

Risk factors that can?t be changed:

• Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease.


• Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause.


• Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups.

Risk factors that can be changed:

• Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries.


• High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet.


• High Blood Pressure: Just like with high choleste! rol ther e are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it?s at a dangerous level.


• Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference.


• Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest.

I might be at risk, what should I do?
If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day (30 minutes is better but anything is better than nothing!). You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up.

Even if you don?t have many risk factors it?s a good idea to visit you doctor for a check up each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course at Symptoms of Heart Attacks and Diabetes

The Killer in Your Cupboard

In this high-tech, security-conscious society, it may come as a surprise that the same people who religiously lock their doors and set their car alarms are letting a more subtle and dangerous criminal into their homes everyday. Obviously this fiend is not of the flesh and blood type, but one who lurks in cupboards and refrigerators. It has received a lot of attention in the past year, but many still are not aware of what it is exactlly and the harm it is capable of...I'm talking of trans-fatty acids, of course. Trans-fats, or hydrogenated oils, are simply vegetable oils that are put through the hydrogenation process to become solidified. And while we are now seeing many product labels that scream No Trans Fats!, they are still lurking in most of the food in our cupboards, including cookies, chips, and snack crackers.

Hydrogenation turns a perfectly safe oil into an unnatural substance that our bodies are incapable of processing. Although its main purposes are to increase shelf life and cut costs, it is used in everything from frying doughnuts and french fries to making an artificial butter. Its effect on arteries is rather common sense: given that it has gone through a process to become solid, once ingested it leads to clogged arteries because it attaches to the cell wall. As a matter of fact, the molecular structure of a hydrogenated oil very closely resembles that of Stearic Acid (used to solidify wax in the candle-making process). We might as well swallow lard.

Herein lies the danger that hydrogenated oils possess: being chemically altered, unnatural ingredients, are bodies are confused by their presence and don't know what to do with them. They end up basically just taking up space that should be occupied by an essential component that performs a critical function, which means they are blocking a natural process. They also increase weight gain due to their inability to be processed out of the body quickly. Their danger is so well-known and understood that many European countries have b! anned th eir use altogether.

While their contribution to cancer, heart disease, birth defects, inflamation and joint pain, and diabetes is widely accepted, many people are still not being educated on the importance of cutting them out of their diets. It is known that Type II diabetes did not largely appear until after the introduction of hydrogenated oils into our lives, and the Harvard Medical School reports that their consumption could be linked to approximately 30,000 premature coronary heart disease deaths annually. (1) In 2002 the United States Academy of Sciences issed a statement arguing that there is no safe level of trans-fatty acids to be consumed. (2) Trans-fatty acids can be found in ingredients labels under hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Both are equally bad, and the higher up they are on the ingredients list, the higher their content in that particular food. The good news is that such an obvious culprit is relatively simple to eliminate, thus increasing the quality of your health many times over. By looking for foods with short ingredients lists (the shorter, the more natural) and avoiding anything containing hydrogenated oils, we can reduce our chances of developing several serious health problems not to mention gaining an increase in energy and immune function. Because short-term deprivation is the key to long-term wellness, taking the steps to remove this dangerous ingredient will pay off for many years.

(1) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/reviews/transfats.html/

(2) http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Body/hydro.html/

Brianna Stanley has turned her passion for health and wellness into her business. To find out more about the Freedom Project's simple 3-step process, click here: http://www.miniofficeoutlets.com/stanley

Cure Heart Burn Naturally

It is possible to cure heart burn naturally or relieve the symptoms of heart burn. There are natural cures for heart burn that have been handed down from generation to generation. There are natural cures for heart burn originating from the native people of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, as well. Practically everyone has experienced occasional heartburn. Chronic heartburn may be caused by how much or what foods a person chooses to eat, what he or she chooses to drink and other lifestyle issues, but it can also be a symptom of more serious medical conditions. If you watch what you eat, when you eat and what you drink, but you still experience heartburn once or more per week, you should have your symptoms evaluated by a physician.

In order to cure heart burn naturally, you may need to add a few items to your pantry. Fennel tea is one of the natural cures for heart burn. Fennel seeds are available at most grocery stores and can be ordered online from companies that sell herbs and other natural products. A tea is created by seeping one or two teaspoons of seeds in eight ounces of boiling water. Gingerroot and/or rhubarb may cure heart burn naturally. Chewing on a small piece of either may relieve the symptoms. Gingerroot is available at many grocery stores. Rhubarb grows wild, can be purchased (when in season) at some grocery stores and can be grown in your own garden. Rhubarb stalks reach maturity in early summer or late spring and can be frozen in chunks for later use. These natural cures for heart burn may neutralize the stomach acid that causes the burning sensation or saliva produced by the chewing action may neutralize the acid. Saliva in the mouth and throat naturally neutralizes stomach acid. Smoking, which dries out the mouth and throat may worsen or bring on symptoms of heart burn.

If you have an herb garden, be sure to include peppermint. You can cure heart burn naturally by chewing on the washed leaves or adding a pinch to your fennel tea. Peppermint oil is! one of the well known cures for heart burn and indigestion. It is an ingredient in many over the counter products sold for relief of heartburn and gas. Other mints may work as well.

None of the previously mentioned natural cures for heart burn carry any risks unless you have allergies. If you have allergies, you should check with your allergist before using a natural product that you have not used before. Natural does not always mean safe. Some herbal remedies said to cure heart burn naturally may cause serious side effects and should be used with care and caution. Pregnant women should not use products that contain slippery elm and should always consult there doctor before using anything to treat heartburn that is not a common food product. Heartburn is fairly common during pregnancy because of the extra pressure on the stomach. Chewing on a chunk of rhubarb should help.

For more information about heartburn, indigestion and other digestive problems, visit www.digestive-disorders-guide.com.

Patsy Hamilton writes informational articles for the Digestive Disorders Guide. Visit us at http://www.digestive-disorders-guide.com

Hawthorn For a Healthy Heart

One of the safest of all the herbal heart remedies, Hawthorn is said to be one of the best herbs for the cardiovascular system. Because of the research that has been conducted in Europe on Hawthorn, it has become fully recognized as a heart remedy; These studies concluded that Hawthorn helped to strengthen the contractions of the heart, it helped to normalize an irregular heart beat, and increased coronary circulation. Although, it's affect on lowering blood pressure are mild, when combined with other hypotensive herbs such as ginkgo, and dandelion leaf, Hawthorn is on the most popular herbs for reducing blood pressure.

Research suggests that by dilating the coronary arteries which increases oxygen and blood flow, Hawthorn helps to reduce angina and relieves cardiac hypoxemia, which is a reduced amount of oxygen to the heart. It is also highly recommended in the early stages of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Because it contains very potent flavonoids that protect the heart from oxidization, Hawthorn has shown much success in treating those recovering from heart attacks. Known as a tonic herb for the heart, Hawthorn nourishes the cells of the heart and is beneficial in any degenerative condition relating to the heart. These potent flavonoids also help to reduce inflammation and therefore, help to lower cholesterol levels. Although, it's effects are not rapid, Hawthorn has proved to be safe when used for an extended period of time. Often times it is recommended for the prevention of heart disease.

In conclusion, with all of its benefits, there are no known side effects from this herb. Hawthorn has proved to be a safe an effective alternative to many cardiovascular medications which pose additional risks because of their side effects. With additional research, Hawthorn may prove to have other benefits that have yet to reveal themselves.

Natalie Vickery is a Certified Family Herbalist and a doctoral student in Naturopathy. Her primary philosophy is ?The Doctor as the Teacher?, as she ! works to educate others on the benefits of healing naturally and taking responsibility for individual health. Natalie is a member of the American Herbalist Guild and provides consultations focusing on nutrition and herbal medicine. If you would like to learn more about Natalie or her practice you can find her on the web at http://thefamilyherbalist.com

Warning: Lack of Exercise Is Detrimental To Your Health

You just put in a good 10 hour day in front of your computer screen, and the last thing you want to do is exercise. Let's see, exercise, and improve your fitness level, or sit down with a glass of wine and watch your favorite evening television show. What would you do?

Seventy percent of individuals know they should exercise, but choose the wine and the television program instead.

Do you know this simple daily decision can end up being detrimental to your health? According to the USCDC, 54.1% of adults don't do the minimum level of exercise or physical activity recommended for wellness. The slogan use it or lose it has never been more true.

The simple innocent choice of not exercising has shown, in studies, to promote 10 serious health conditions you don't ever want to develop. The bottom line is physical inactivity has a lot of unhealthy implications even at our bodies cellular level. At the cellular level, inactivity decreases the ability to transfer oxygen from your blood stream to your cells, and also decreases the number of power activating mitochondria. However, the worst cost of not exercising or being physically active can result in the following 10 devastating conditions:

1. CANCER - Studies have shown that fitness enthusiastic men and women who are physically active have a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of colon cancer compared to individuals who are inactive.

2. DIABETES - Studies show lack of regular physical exercise increases insulin sensitivity. Diabetes is considered the sedentary disease which is striking people at an alarming rate. If it is not controlled, it can destroy the body's organs.

3. HEART - Lack of consistent physical activity, over time, decreases the function of the heart muscle, affects the blood vessels, including the large aortic artery to the veins and small capillaries. According to many studies, scientists have good reason to believe that regular exercise protects the heart.

4. STROKE - Regular exercisers are 25% less likely! to have a stroke than their sedentary counterparts. Being fit lowers blood pressure, raises HDL cholesterol, and reduces the risk of blood clots.

5. BRAIN - People who are physically active, according to solid evidence, are at lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

6. MUSCLES - If you don't exercise on a regular basis, you are at risk of losing some 6 percent of your muscles mass every decade of life from the age of 30 on. This also translates into a 10 - 15 percent loss of strength per decade. Once again, if you don't use the muscle, you will lose the muscle quickly.

7. OSTEOPOROSIS - Fragile bones cause more than 1.5 million fractures each year in the U.S. Bone is like muscle, if you stress it, it responds. If you don't, you gradually lose its strength, and increase your chances of breaking them. Regular weekly strength training can help prevent osteoporosis, and decrease your chances of breaking a bone.

8. MENTAL HEALTH - People who don't exercise on a regular basis are more prone to develop depression. According to a recent study, people who were more active were nearly 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next five years than less active people. Fitness conscious individuals also generally display an improved self esteem, or self image.

9. WEIGHT - If you are inactive, year in and year out, you will eventually gain weight and lose fitness which increases the chance of a heart attacks, and diabetes.

10. IMMUNE SYSTEM - Moderate amounts of exercise reduces the risk of upper respiratory infection. Regular exercise may boost immune function.

Now I would like to ask that same question I asked above. What would you do? Wine and television, or physical activity?

Now for the good news! In as little as 30 minutes of exercise or fitness work each day, you can significantly decrease your chances of developing any of these horrible conditions mentioned above. This is the best medicine any doctor can possibly prescribe!

I hope ! I have e ncouraged you to become more physically active today, and beyond. Your quality of life depends upon it. Consider these the most important words you will hear today!

Remember, you have a choice. Make the fitness choice.

For information on how to develop a fitness program which delivers twice the results in half the time, visit Wellness Word Multimedia Newsletter at http://www.WellnessWord.com

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder,or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O'Connor, Beverly Hills celebrity fitness consultant, has conducted thousands of personal fitness consultations with celebrities, business executives, and highly motivated individuals throughout Los Angeles. He is the Chief Exercise Physiologist for Wellness WORD, LLC, a health, fitness, and nutrition promotion company. Jim is the author of a well known, world wide multimedia newsletter called Wellness WORD, published online every other week promoting the health and fitness truth. He also is the author of a popular ebook called Home Gym Shopping Secrets. Get The Wellness WORD Multimedia Newsletter delivered every other week for NO CHARGE to your inbox, and find out what the neat multimedia tricks Jim uses.

http://www.WellnessWord.com
http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com

Try a Natural Cure for Heartburn

It is possible to find a natural cure for heart burn symptoms. There are natural remedies providing heartburn relief that have been handed down from generation to generation. Practically everyone has experienced occasional heartburn. Chronic heartburn may be caused by how much or what foods a person chooses to eat, what he or she chooses to drink and other lifestyle issues, but it can also be a symptom of more serious medical conditions. If you watch what you eat, when you eat and what you drink, but you still experience heartburn once or more per week, you should have your symptoms evaluated by a physician.

Fennel tea is one natural cure for heartburn. Fennel seeds are available at most grocery stores and can be ordered online from companies that sell herbs and other natural products. A tea is created by seeping one or two teaspoons of seeds in eight ounces of boiling water. Many people find that fennel tea provides heartburn relief. Fennel is an ingredient in some over the counter medications for heartburn relief.

Gingerroot is a natural cure for heartburn. Gingerroot is available at many grocery stores. Ginger or gingerroot is also an ingredient in some over the counter medications for heartburn relief.

Rhubarb was used by Native Americans as a cure for heartburn and indigestion. Rhubarb grows wild, can be purchased (when in season) at some grocery stores and can be grown in your own garden. Rhubarb stalks reach maturity in early summer or late spring and can be frozen in chunks for later use. Rhubarb is not typically found in over the counter medications for heartburn relief. It is what is known as a ?folk remedy? for heartburn relief. Many people are turning back to the ancient remedies and even pharmaceutical companies have begun to investigate the medicinal properties of botanicals or plants. This natural cure for heartburn may neutralize the stomach acid that causes the burning sensation or saliva produced by the chewing action may provide the heartburn relief! . Saliv a in the mouth and throat naturally neutralizes stomach acid. Smoking, which dries out the mouth and throat may worsen or bring on symptoms of heart burn.

If you have an herb garden, be sure to include peppermint. Peppermint has been used traditionally as a natural cure for heartburn, gas and indigestion. Many people have found heartburn relief by chewing on the washed leaves and stems. It can be added to fennel tea, both to improve flavor and to help relieve the gas and soothe the throat. Peppermint oil is a well known cure for heart burn and indigestion. It is an ingredient in many over the counter products sold for indigestion and heartburn relief. Other mints may work as well. Some less common mints are used in products sold by companies that specialize in natural remedies for common ailments, including heartburn relief.

Before you try a natural cure for heartburn, investigate the ingredients. If you are unfamiliar with an ingredient and you have allergies, check with your allergist before using. Natural does not always mean safe. Some herbal remedies sold as a cure for heartburn may cause unwanted side effects and should be used with care and caution. For example, pregnant women should not use products that contain slippery elm and should always consult there doctor before using anything to treat heartburn that is not a common food product, to which they are not allergic. Heartburn is fairly common during pregnancy because of the extra pressure on the stomach. Chewing on a chunk of rhubarb should be safe and may provide quick heartburn relief.

There is not a single specific cure for heartburn that works for everyone. Even prescription medications designed to prevent heartburn do not always work, which is why there are several different prescription medications on the market. People who suffer from chronic heartburn or acid reflux sometimes have to try different products before they find one that works well for them. Lifestyle changes may prevent or provide heartbur! n relief . Eating smaller meals in a relaxed environment, avoiding caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, as well as spicy and highly acidic foods may prevent the need for a heartburn relief medication. Sometimes the best cure for heartburn is prevention.

Patsy Hamilton writes informational articles for the Digestive Disorders Guide. Visit us at http://www.digestive-disorders-guide.com

Stay Fit to Conquer the World Part Two

Begin the day with stress free mind in a pollution free atmosphere and sprinkle exercise and a healthy diet to feel the bliss.

Exercise increases the metabolic rate, strengthens the leg muscle, and energizes the body. One form of exercise is brisk walking. Almost 30 minutes brisk walking makes the mind and body alert and working through out the day. The other form of exercise is aerobics. It includes movement of rapid steps done in line with the beats of music provided by the trainer. Aerobic became popular in 1980 and gained popularity mainly in celebrity. Aerobics are two kinds. First of its kind is freestyle and the second one is Pre-choreographed Aerobics.The main aim of aerobics is to increase the consumption of oxygen in the body. Aerobics are very intensive work out but never stress the joints and legs when compared to jogging or running.

Aerobics has innumerable health benefits such as intake and utilizing oxygen more effectively by the body. This in turn makes the fat depletion rapid. Risk of diabetes and obesity decreases. Helps in great muscle recovery and energizes body fast. Aerobic is a good stress reliving exercise. It provides beautiful fit body, stress free mind and maintains overall health. Advantages of exercise: Improves cardiovascular system and respiratory system - it improves the circulation of blood through out the body including blood vessel. It helps in smooth flow of the blood. It decreases the high-density lipoprotein and cholesterol in the blood. Exercise increases the good cholesterol level. Manage ideal body weight- by maintaining an ideal body weight many weight related disorder can never harm you. Maintain strong and healthy bone and muscle. The exercise increases the bone density and bone mass. Eases stress and depression- Exercise activates neurotransmitter such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which communicates between the nerve cells and avoids depression. It helps in getting a peaceful and deep sleep due to a heavy work out. Reduces risk o! f few ty pe of cancer.

Always remember- Apple a day keep the doctor away!, Plenty of fruits and veggies help replenish the body and are advantageous in cell growth and blood production, daily energy production, strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve function, Healthy skin, good eyesight, effective use of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, formation of red blood cells, maintaining nervous system health. Always begin the day with a health breakfast to keep your mind and body healthy and active. Select your food in such a way that it provides energy and be a brain food. Avoid fried foods. Products such as butter, mayonnaise, nuts, cheese, high fat milk cream, sandwich meats, margarine, and sauces should be consumed in limited amounts.

Keith Londrie II is a successful Webmaster and publisher of cardioaerobics.info A website that specializes in providing information about cardio aerobics information about cardio aerobics that you can research on the internet in your pajamas from the comfort of your own home. Visit cardio aerobics Today!

Treatment of Heart Disease with Coenzyme Q10

Since its discovery in the late 1950?s Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has received much attention as a necessary compound for proper cellular function. It is the essential coenzyme necessary for the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) upon which all cellular functions depend. Without ATP our bodies cannot function properly. Without CoQ10, ATP cannot function. This connection has made CoQ10 a very important object of study in relation to chronic disease.

In many cases the presence of chronic disease is associated with inadequate levels of CoQ10. But no area of study has received more attention than the relation between CoQ10 and heart disease. That is because CoQ10 is believed to be of fundamental importance in cells with high metabolic demands such as cardiac cells. A further reason the connection of heart disease and CoQ10 has gained so much attention is because heart conditions of many kinds are associated with chronically low CoQ10 levels.

CoQ10 is highly concentrated in heart muscle cells because of their high energy requirements. Add this to the fact that heart disease is the number one killer in developed and developing countries and one can see why the bulk of scientific research on CoQ10 has been concerned with heart disease. Specifically, studies on congestive heart failure have demonstrated a strong correlation between the severity of heart failure and the degree of CoQ10 deficiency. The lower the levels of CoQ10 in the heart muscles the more severe the heart failure. If indeed CoQ10 deficiency is a primary cause of congestive heart failure then, in such cases, the remedy is simple and cost effective; CoQ10 supplementation.

Congestive heart failure is a condition where the heart does not pump effectively resulting in an accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing when lying flat and leg or ankle swelling. Causes include chronic hypertension, cardiomyopathy (primary heart disease) and myocardial infarction (irreversible inj! ury to h eart muscles). Heart muscle strength is measure by the ejection fraction which is a measure of the fraction of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat. A low ejection fraction indicates a weak heart.

Several trials have been conducted involving patients with enlarged weak heart muscles of unknown causes. For those of you who like difficult phrases this condition (or variety of conditions) is known as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. In these trials CoQ10 supplementation was compared to placebo effects. Standard treatments for heart failure were not discontinued. The results were measured by echocardiography (a diagnostic test which uses ultrasound waves to make images of the heart chambers, valves and surrounding structures).

The overall results of CoQ10 supplementation demonstrated a steady and continued improvement in heart function as well as steady and continued reduction in patient symptoms including fatigue, chest pains, palpitations and breathing difficulty. Patients with more establish and long-term cases showed gradual improvement but did not gain normal heart function. Patients with newer cases of heart failure demonstrated much more rapid improvement often returning to normal heart function.

Papers numbering in the hundreds from eight different symposia have been written and presented on the effects of CoQ10 on heart disease. International clinical studies have also been conducted in the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy and Sweden. Together these studies and the papers that have been derived from them demonstrate significant improvement in heart muscle function while causing no adverse effects.

One particular area of study involves diastolic dysfunction which is one of the earliest signs of myocardial failure. Diastole is the phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart is filled with returning blood. Because this phase requires more cellular energy than the systolic phase (when the blood is pushed out of the heart) it is more dependent on CoQ10. Diastolic dysfu! nction i s a stiffening of the heart muscle which naturally restricts the heart?s ability to pump. This condition is associated with many cardiac disorders. Hypertension is among these disorders. As the heart muscles become stiff there is often a corresponding rise in blood pressure. When the diastolic dysfunction is reversed, blood pressure tends to lower as well.

In one study involving 109 patients with hypertension, CoQ10 supplementation was added to normal hypertension treatments. In an average of 4.4 months 51% of the patients were able stop using at least one blood pressure lowering medication. Some were able to stop using up to three medications. Another study produced similar results. In that study 43% of 424 patients were able to stop using between one and three cardiovascular drugs because of CoQ10 supplementation.

These examples are just a drop in the bucket. Diastolic dysfunction (and by proxy, hypertension) includes only a small sampling of heart conditions that respond favorably to CoQ10 supplementation. Other areas of research show great promise for CoQ10 treatments. Among these are cancer and AIDS. But such conditions are beyond the scope of this essay. CoQ10 is essential to the proper functioning of all cell types. It is not surprising, therefore, to find a diverse number of diseases that respond favorably to CoQ10 supplementation. Since all metabolically active tissues are highly sensitive to CoQ10 deficiency, we can expect to see CoQ10 research expand to many other areas of chronic diseases.

Greg holds degrees in science, divinity and philosophy and is currently an I.T. developer.

http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/coq10.html

High Blood Pressure And Your Heart

Hypertension can wreak havoc on many body organs. Its effects on the heart are especially damaging. High blood pressure and heart disease are closely connected.

Moderate to high blood pressure significantly increases the load on the left side of the heart. Arterioles are often diseased or constricted, which increases resistance to blood flow. When this happens, the heart has to work much more to pump blood into the arterial system including the aorta.

When any muscle is overused, it tends to increase in size and bulk. The heart muscles react the same way. An enlarged heart is a sign of trouble.

Heart enlargement can be detected in several ways. A chest x-ray can reveal it. So can an electrocardiogram or even a physical examination.

In many high blood pressure patients, the walls of the left ventricle thicken. This increases the workload on the heart. Eventually, the heart falters and the left side of the heart no longer pumps blood adequately.

When this happens, major organs and tissues of the body are denied sufficient blood supply. The affected person becomes lethargic and weak.

Because of the higher pressure in the left ventricle, blood from the lungs cannot drain into the top compartment of the heart (the atrium). As a result, the lung tissues get congested which brings on bouts of breathlessness and coughs.

The patient may have a dry cough or even frothy phlegm with blood stains in it. This is a very scary experience to the sufferer and onlookers. In an acute attack, it seems to the patient that he or she is choking to death.

Breathlessness due to heart problems may be first noticed during prolonged physical exertion. If the condition has progressed further, breathlessness may occur even while resting.

This is a serious situation and needs to be tacked immediately. If this damage worsens, the right side of the heart will be affected as well. When pressure builds up in the right atrium, it will be difficult for veins to drain blood into it.

!

When the heart's condition deteriorates to this stage, the external jugular veins may become enlarged and more prominent. These veins are anyway close to the skin and may be visible even in healthy adults, but stress on the heart can increase their protrusion.

There are several other symptoms of right side heart failure. They include an enlarged liver, swollen ankles and feet, loss of appetite, swollen abdomen and lower urine flow.

High blood pressure and heart disease frequently have a cause and effect relationship. Making necessary lifestyle changes can help combat both.

Jane Peters is a researcher and has written on several topics. For must-have articles on natural remedies for high blood pressure and on lowering blood pressure with exercise, see the foregoing links.

Six Reasons Why Doctors & Nutritionists Are Turning To The Mediterranean Diet

In recent years, doctors, researchers, scientists and nutritionists have taken a close look at the Mediterranean diet. Nearly universally, these experts and professionals have come away from their examination of the Mediterranean diet with positive perceptions of the dieting scheme.

There are a number of reasons why experts of all sorts -- from doctors to researchers to nutritionists -- look favorable upon the Mediterranean diet regimen. By considering the benefits of the Mediterranean diet that have been identified by experts, you will be able to better determine if the Mediterranean diet is right for you.

1. Low in Saturated Fat

On the surface, a person giving only a cursory review of the Mediterranean diet might conclude that it is not a healthy diet plan because it is ?high in fat.? Concluding that the Mediterranean diet is high if fat and harmful is an erroneous conclusion.

While it is true that the Mediterranean diet does derive a significant percentage of its calories from fat (around thirty percent daily in most instances), the calories come primarily from olive oil and consist of unsaturated fats. In other words, being low in saturated fat, doctors are recommending the Mediterranean diet for their patients.

2. A Plentiful Array of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Doctors are recommending that their patients eat at least six servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the course of the day. Many of these same doctors are turning to the Mediterranean diet because as a matter of routine people who follow this diet program are eating more than the minimum recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, rather than using processed fruits and vegetables, the Mediterranean diet features an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. Low in Red Meat

Many doctors can be found encouraging their patients to limit the amount of red meat that they include in their diets. Limiting red meat in a diet can assist in lowering the levels of! ?bad ch olesterol, helping to reduce the indigence of heart disease and some cancers.

4. Low in Fatty Dairy Products

Another reason that doctors favor the Mediterranean diet is found in the fact that the diet plan is low in the consumption of fatty dairy products. More and more doctors are encouraging their patients to use only low fat or non fat dairy products. People who follow the Mediterranean diet actually use very little dairy on a day to day basis. For example, a heavy egg eater on the Mediterranean diet eats for eggs a week. Many do not eat eggs at all.

In addition, milk is used within the diet in limited fashion. Heavy creams and sauces are not on the Mediterranean menu at all.

5. Helpful in Preventing Diseases

One of the primary reasons that doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet for their patients rests in the fact that the diet program has been demonstrated as being helpful in reducing the risks of certain diseases, including:

-- cancer

-- heart disease

-- cardiovascular disease

-- hypertension

-- diabetes

-- obesity

6. A Ready Source of Fiber and Whole Grain

Finally, doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet for their patients because it is high in dietary fiber and whole grains. Both fiber and whole grains have proven important in preventing disease and in maintaining an overall sense of wellness and good health.

Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken - You can gain much more detail from Ray's sites along with other relevant information at The Mediterranean Diet or http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/wordpress/

Avoid the Breakdwon Syndrome

Wealth is nothing without health, yet most of us would rather jeopardize our health for wealth, worrying and working so much that our body begins to either revolt or get stressed out, crash like an overloaded computer hardware.

We take little or no care of our bodies. We carry on till breakdown point when we get hospitalized and forced to service our body system. This then is the only opportunity our bodies get to be given any treatment at all.

All the while before breakdown point, we pile pressure on our bodies? system, under-nourished with none nutritional diets, impure air and water.

IRONY OF LIFE

Ironically, people find it more expedient to service their engines: Cars etc, making sure that machines do not break down, while neglecting the bodies that are to make use of the machines.

Cars are regularly taken to the garage for service ? flushing out impurities, replacing and oiling engine parts. Generally replenishing the engine system, etc. from the rigors that would have eventually caused it to break down, but most people seldom give the same care to their bodies on a regular basis.

NOW PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Just like the car, your body system requires:

1. Cleansing of wastes, pathogens and toxins.
2. Nourishing and replenishing of lost nutrients
3. Strengthening or boosting of the immune system and
4. Balancing or revitalizing of the endocrine systems to produce balanced hormones.

For a sickness free life, the following require regular detoxification and nourishment:

1. THE HEART SYSTEM: heart, small intestines, tongue and the respiratory glands
2. THE LIVER SYSTEM: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, eyes.
3. THE KIDNEY SYSTEM: kidney, bladder, reproductive system
4. THE SPLEEN SYSTEM: spleen, stomach, mouth, digestive glands, the lungs, large intestines and the immune system.
5. THE BRAIN SYSTEM: brain and the nervous system.

All the above are the visceral organs, your sound health is dependent on t! heir wel l-being.

Did you know that sound health is the status of complete physical, mental and social well-being of an individual, not merely the absence of diseases and sickness?

The World Health Organization states that health is impaired by 10% social conditions, 5% climatic conditions, 15% genetic factors and 70% life style choice.

Because of the foregoing statistics, only 5% of the estimated six billion inhabitants of planet earth are of sound health, 15% are at the breakdown point with illness while 80% are in the sub health sector, neither sick nor of sound health. 90% of sudden death occur in this group.

Now, think about your health, treat your body better than your car; cleans your body, nourish it, boost and balance it for a sickness free life.

Remember this always:

You might live to be 100 years old; keep your body well and fit for that eventuality, don't let your body fail you while you are alive - it is hell on earth.

Keep checking us out for more information

Neshah is a Tianshi health and wealth consultant ? http://tianshi-success.tripod.com

Heart Health: Five Things You Need To Know About Your Heart

The heart is one of the most important organs in your body, and in some ways the most familiar; we know we have to keep it healthy to live well, most of us know someone who has had a heart problem or even a heart attack, and it?s one of the few organs that we can actually feel as it functions (just put your hand in the middle of your chest!). But there are some things that you may not know about your heart that can help you understand why it?s so important.

1. Athletes actually appear to have smaller hearts. The heart is a muscle, as are your biceps. But while striving for big muscles might be an athlete?s visible goal, on x-ray a really good athlete?s heart looks SMALLER than average. That?s a sign of an efficient heart ? a heart that pumps blood well squeezes very hard to send as much blood as possible to the body with every beat. An enlarged heart, in contrast, may indicate that the heart?s having to work too hard because of muscle damage or the increased effort of moving blood through clogged arteries.

2. The ?lub-dub? that your heart makes when beating is the sound of heart valves closing. The human heart has four chambers with valves ? little one-way doors ? between them. If the heart is working correctly, you hear ?lub? when blood first enters the heart and ?dub? after it leaves. If doctor hears a ?swish? or ?gurgle? - murmurs - instead of a thump, that may be a sign that the valves aren?t working as well as they should. Extra sounds (lub-dadub) sometimes indicate uncoordinated valve action (indicating heart injury) but it may be just be the sign of a young and athletic heart.

3. The heart needs blood, just like all your other organs. The heart fills with blood and then pumps the blood to the body about once a second or more. But it doesn?t take nutrients and oxygen directly from the blood before pumping it; instead it pumps the heart through a series of blood vessels called arteries. Each organ has groups of arteries that deliver oxygen and nutrients to it ? including the hea! rt! Thes e are called ?coronary? arteries; if these arteries are narrowed or damaged, the heart may have trouble receiving the nutrients and oxygen it needs to live.

4. Heart cells (myocytes) are precious. Unlike skin, which quickly heals after most injuries, if heart cells are injured or killed during a myocardial infarction (or ?heart attack?) they are difficult to repair or replace. For many years, in fact, it was believed that you only had one set of myocytes, and once damaged, they could never be replaced. Recent research suggests that there may be cells in the heart (stem cells) that can develop into myocytes if needed, but how they are triggered and how long it takes them to repair damaged tissue isn?t known. It is known however that heart damage is difficult to overcome, so prevention is an important part of taking care of your heart.

5. Your heart is a piece of electronic equipment. Myocytes use electrical signals as a means of communicating with one another and coordinating the beating of the heart. The flow of electricity is recordable by an electrocardiograph (ECG). An ECG of a damaged heart can be comparing the flow of electrical waves in the heart to waves in the normal heart to determine what sort of damage has been done. In addition, if there is significant damage to the electrical communication between heart cells, an artificial pacemaker (usually called a pacemaker) may be implanted in the heart to coordinate the electrical signals used and keep the heart beat regular and coordinated. Many hospitals request that cell phones not be used in certain locations in the hospital because of artificial pacemakers - in rare cases, cell phones have been known to interfere with the functioning of pacemakers. Pacemaker users are recommended to use their cell on the opposite side from where their pacemaker is implanted.

Kajstura J, ?Myocyte growth in the failing heart,? Surgical Clinics of North America Volume 84, issue 1, p 161-177, 2004

von Harsdorf, R. ?Regenerative capacity of the ! myocardi um: implications for treatment of heart failure,? Lancet, Volume 363, issue 9417, p 1306-1313, 2004

Myerson, S. and Mitchell, A, ?Mobile phones in hospitals,? British Medical Journal, Volume 326, pages 460-461, 2003

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Ian Mason, owner of Shoppe.MD, your source for Online Prescription Medications, drug information and support forums.

Ian is a fat-to-fit student of health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind.

Quit Smoking A Losing Battle?

Quitting was never easy. I had a hard time, I told Dr Holmes, the community health consultant serving in Springville. I was tense, finding difficulty to sleep and I broke out in sudden cold sweats.

Fortunately, this is temporary and passed in a couple of weeks. But the psychological dependence lasts much longer.

It was a breezy cold Christmas eve when I first met up with Dr Holmes in his little practition located behind the fast food corner. He told me that I left no choices: Lung cancer or stop smoking IMMEDIATELY !

I couldn't. Smoking was the biggest thing in my life, more important to me than food,esteem,career and children adding together. I smoked almost constantly. I would even walk around my house or work place with an ashtray in my hand.

Quitting is no picnic. But once succeeded, it is just delightful and rewarding ! So do it. Do it for yourself, for your self-esteem, for your health, for your children's health. Do it also for the comfort and health of those around you.

Those who have quit know nicotine withdrawal is no easy task. Yet the millions of tobacco-related cases of illness and death every year are powerful incentives to quit. But for the majority of smokers the incentives are not as powerful as the addiction impelling them to continue.

The habitual intake of nicotine, as discovered by medical research, is equivalent to the use of amphetamines, cocaine and heroin. Nicotine meets the technical criteria of an addictive drug in laboratory studies by affecting brainwave, altering mood and serving as a biological reward that draws out certain behavior from both laboratory animals and human volunteers.

Have you struggled in vain for many years to quit smoking ? And you feel very DISCOURAGED ? Do not give up! Others, many others who have been just addicted to nicotine, have succeeded in quitting.

After each resolution to quit, I would end up scouting around for cigarette butts. Or I would get dressed at night and go out to buy some. Only therea! fter fin ding myself extremely disappointed and upset over yet another losing battle to tobacco.

But things need not necessarily be the same to you if you have the knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

How do you apply this into your struggle against tobacco ?

Consider the following hard facts:

• LUNG CANCER: Smokers make up 87% of lung cancer deaths
• BREAST CANCER: Women who smoked 40 or more cigarettes daily have a 74% greater chance of dying from breast cancer.
• HEART DISEASE: Smokers have a 70% greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
• LEUKEMIA: Smoking appears to cause myeloid leukemia.
• HEARING IMPAIRMENT: Infants of smoking parents have greater difficulty processing sound.
• DIABETIC HAZARD: Diabetics who smoke or chew tobacco are at higher risk for kidney damage and have more rapidly progressing retinopathy.
• COLON CANCER: Two studies involving more than 150,000 people show a clear link between smoking and colon cancer.
• ASTHMA: Secondhand smoke can worsen asthma in youngsters.
• EXERCISE INJURIES: According to a U.S. Army study, smokers are more likely to suffer injuries while exercising.
• MEMORY: High doses of nicotine may take a toll on mental dexterity while a person is performing complex tasks.
• DEPRESSION: Psychiatrists are investigating evidence of a link between smoking and major depression as well as schizophrenia.

Stein Ellen is a feature writer for a number of off line magazines and periodicals.

What We Don't Know Can Kill Us

I have a true story to share with you. This is one article that states the meaning and reason for my endorsement of health and well being of all people I come in contact with. Wether it be by personal contact or through my writings.

In the cold of a January ,1994 Michigan winter morning I received a phone call from my sister. Her voice sounded scared and nervous though trying to get out the facts at hand to the best of her ability.? Dad has had a heart attack and is on the way to the hospital in an ambulance?she said. He was being taken to a small town facility near the country home where he and my mother lived. The paramedics said they would have to get him stabilized before he could be transported to a city hospital with the staff and state of the art equipment to give him the best care and chance for survival.

At the end of the first call my sister tried to assure me that the outlook was good and not to worry. She told me not to rush down to the hospital where they had first taken him because by the time that I could get there he would be en route to the bigger hospital. The doctors tried to get him set to be transported to a cardiology unit in the city of Grand Rapids, which was about a 20 minute ride by aeromed helicopter. The chopper was there and ready to transport my father as soon as the doctors thought he was stable enough.

Fifteen minutes after the first call I received, which seemed like hours, I got another call from my sister. She sounded very frantic and almost crying.? He was doing fine? she said.? And all of a sudden Dad said he felt hot and the monitor started beeping and the doctors rushed us out of the room.? She didn?t know anything more about what was happening at that point.? I?m leaving for the hospital right now ? I said.

About 20 minutes later I arrived and ran through the emergency doors to see my sister with tears in her eyes and the worst look on her face that I had ever seen before. I walked up to her and she said ? he didn?t make it?, in the sad! dest sou nding voice. I was in disbelief and I just started saying ?no,no,no,? as I searched through the halls to find him. A nurse stopped me and guided me to a room where my mother sat crying. At that point, I felt so helpless and sad at the same time. I hugged my mother and we cried together. The reality of what was happening is a hard thing to comprehend when you just don?t expect it. You see, my father had just had a full physical checkup just a few weeks earlier .But still he was only 54 years old and had just suffered a massive heart attack that took his life suddenly.

This was the worst day of my family?s life. But since I have come to realize how sudden precious life can be plucked away and have wanted to prevent such loss of life from happening at a young age. My fathers oldest grand child was only 3 years old. Barely old enough to remember him at all..

Don?t let the silent killer of heart disease catch up with you or your loved ones. If your family has a history of heart problems, get checked regularly by a doctor and ask about a stress test if you are over 30. Also, stay away from tobacco products and excessive alcohol . My father quit both over 10 years before he died. But maybe it was just too late for him.

This article was written from the bottom of my heart and it?s not a made up sales pitch or scare tactic for what I am about to tell you.

There is a product that is available today which I believe may give us all the edge we need to combat this killing disease of our time. It?s a whole food vitamin formulation that you have to see and read about. There isn?t enough that I can say about it other than visit my website and see all the detailed information and facts about this amazing new supplement. If I can?t do anything more than eat right, exercise, and give my body the nutrients it needs to fight off disease. Than that is what I will do. And I will encourage others to do so also. I want to see my grand children grow and I want them to remember me.

Please check thi! s websit e today! You?ll be glad you did.

Thank You and Good Health To You,

R.J.Davis

My Website Link- http://SuperSupplementsRD.com

Lighthearted Meditation: Playing With Mindfulness

I often meet people who say things like, I've been working on mindfulness for over twenty years.

My response is always this: Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried *playing* with mindfulness? It's very effective, and much more fun!

They tend to look at me like I'm some kind of kook, and then ask the million-dollar question: How can you play with mindfulness? Glad you asked....

We tend to think of mindfulness as something that develops only after years of dedicated meditation. We must sit for hours, contemplate in silence for days, go on retreats for weeks, practice daily for years. Okay, that can work.

The unfortunate thing is that it IS work, and consequently, it's about as appealing to most folks as lying on a bed of nails. Sure, they want to develop a clearer perspective on life. Yes, they want to become calm and contemplative. Of course they want to live more meaningfully and with greater joy. But does it have to be so hard?

Absolutely not. You see, while most people knock politely on that front door of meditation in order to get inside the House of Mindfulness, I like to sneak people in the back door to steal a few cookies. Why can't we play with mindfulness, dance with it, treat it like our favorite goofy cousin who happens to be brilliant instead of our strict uncle who happens to have a Ph.D?

Why can't we tiptoe toward mindfulness through eyes-wide-open exercises that are engaging, uplifting, informative, and--dare I say it--fun?

Mindfulness should be like a big game of mental hide-and-seek: Where am I now? Gotcha!

As a student of Buddhism for nearly 30 years, I have the greatest respect for the Buddha and the philosophy that developed around his teachings. I have tremendous admiration for those who have dedicated themselves to a regular meditation practice.

But it's disturbing to me that mindfulness is seen as belonging to Buddhism and that meditation is seen as the only vehicle that will take us there. This sounds a bit like, oh, attachment? ! Clinging , perhaps?

I just can't find it in my heart to believe that the Buddha would be ticked off about the idea of developing mindfulness in whatever way works best.

Not everyone likes the idea of meditation, but here's the cool part: those who start off with easy, enjoyable exercises often find themselves seeing the value in sitting still. In fact, many clients say they'd never have started with meditation, but they so enjoyed playing with mindfulness that they have begun a regular sitting practice!

Sneaky? Sure, but that's part of playing. Fun--in whatever form that takes--is what keeps us going back for more. If you're not grinning, you're not winning in this big ol' game of life. If working on mindfulness isn't working for you, try playing instead.

Throw open the doors. Let your inner monk go out and play. It's recess!

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she offers creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com.

Preventing the First Heart Attack

Healthy people who want to prevent heart attacks also find support at the Y. Motivated, often, by the illness or sudden death of a close friend or relative, they sign up for rigorous stress testing and blood tests to determine the health of their hearts and arteries and the risk of future trouble. Those who pass the tests with flying colors are sent on their way, says Bronz. 'Whatever you're doing, we tell them, keep it up!' Those with a medium to high risk of heart disease - about 10 per cent of the people tested - are invited to join the programme. Like the cardiac patients, they receive individually designed exercise schedules, advice from the nutritionist, stress counseling from the social worker and encouragement from the nurse.

'That's why the programme works so well - it doesn't just come at prevention from one aspect,' says nutritionist Gail Levely. 'It's comprehensive.' Participants, she adds, seem uncommonly receptive to nutritional advice. 'Some come to see me periodically for counseling on weight loss or to see if their diets are OK. I encourage a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, .lots of whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables, less beef and more chicken and fish. They are really open to change.' Barbara Eisenstein, whose years as a coronary care unit nurse have taught her the need for programmes like Downstate's, is particularly enthusiastic. 'Once someone gets into the physical aspect of the programme, it becomes a way of life,' she says. 'It gives him or her a wholly different outlook, and it's all to the good.' That, in effect, is the fundamental idea of the Downstate programme - to start both patients and non-patients on the path to a healthier, more vigorous lifestyle. 'All we try to do is form a lifetime habit of exercise,' says Charles Bronz. 'We encourage people to be on their own.' More than a few of his patients have, in fact, become 'enthusiastic exercise addicts', Dr Stein says. But what about risks? Everyone has heard tales of stress tests interrupted by fatalit! ies, and of apparently healthy middle-aged men found dead on the side of the running track.

One study that Dr Stein likes to cite shows the likelihood of death or serious complications in the course of a stress test to be 1 in 200,000. In a good, modem centre, he speculates, the risk may be even less. 'We do very careful screening before exercise testing, we always have a doctor and a nurse trained in ECG and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and there's always a full set of cardiac-arrest equipment. With better monitoring devices, we can pick up early warning signs of when to stop a test.' Exercise itself, Dr Stein grants, does involve some increased risk for a heart patient. 'We minimize it by bringing your heart rate higher, when we test you on the treadmill, than it will be when you train. And overall, we lower the daily risk of the individual by putting him in a training programme.

If you exercise enough to train, in other words, then running for the bus on a windy day will involve less physical stress than it would otherwise.' In the years since the programme began, he adds, 'we've found out that people's hearts and bodies are much sturdier after a heart attack than we had thought. We're comfortable prescribing' more exercise than we used to - we seem to do it safely.' Similarly, he says, much of the anxiety about running for healthy people is - exaggerated. For a vigorous, active person under 40, without symptoms or significant risk factors (such as overweight or smoking), 'a stress test may be an unnecessary precaution. If you're in your late 40s, though, a stress test would be appropriate every three or four years.' And the 'competitive nut' who pushes himself the extra two mile$, or who ignores the heat of summer, may be moving into a high risk zone, Dr Stein adds. 'And if you feel an irregularity in your heartbeat or you start to have chest pains you've never had before, be prudent and see your doctor.'

Subodh Jain is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health c! are prof essional. He is a contributing editor to home remedies, a site dedicated to the home remedies for common ailments.

Are You Insulin Resistant?

Have you ever felt like you just keep putting on weight no matter how hard you try to lose weight? Insulin resistance may be the problem. Insulin resistant people will feel like they gain weight fast for example more than 20 pounds in a year. If you are insulin resistant you may also find that no matter how much you exercise you just can?t seem to lose weight.

Resent studies have shown that there may be over 4 million Americans weighing over 300 pounds. Many of these frustrated people may be suffering from a very manageable case of insulin resistance. Statistics indicate that it may be as high as 1 in 3 overweight people are suffering from insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance also known as syndrome X, metabolic syndrome and metabolic syndrome X is commonly overlooked by health care professionals. With the proven model of eat less and exercise more it is easy for health care professionals to overlook the possibility that your weight problem may be related to insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is more than just a casual problem. Studies have shown that insulin resistance adults are more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes. The way this syndrome (insulin resistance) works is that your body is unable to process all the insulin that is being manufactured by the pancreas. This is usually caused by diet.

Once your body begins to develop insulin resistance you are unable to properly process the glucose which cause the pancreas to produce more insulin.

Glucose serves the purpose of fueling cells for energy. If you have an excess of glucose your body turns that excess into fat. This is what is happening in insulin resistant patients.

Insulin resistance contributes to increased fat as well as many other health related issues. If you are insulin resistant you may also be at risk to develop hypertension, heart disease, hypoglycemia and menstrual imbalances.

If insulin resistance runs in your family this may be the cause of your problem if not it may be as si! mple as lifestyle. Often time?s adults will develop insulin resistance after years of eating high starch foods as well as processed foods and too many simple sugars. Lack of exercise, smoking and high stress rates also lead to insulin resistance.

If insulin resistance is a problem for you there are a few quick steps to take that will help control your insulin resistance.

1.Exercise each day
2.Increase your water intake
3.Omit starches, sugars and processed foods
4.Limit caffeine intake
5.Eat more vegetables

By implementing these five simple steps you will be well on your way to managing or eliminating your insulin resistance and losing weight.

Shauna Hanus is a work at home mother that discovered after having children she had gone from a slender size 8 to a size 16. Once she decided to do something about her weight she began to tell others what she has learned. Shauna?s site http://www.buydietfood.com is dedicated to real people who want to lose weight and lead a healthy life style. Shauna offers tips on weight loss, healthy diets and guides you through selecting a diet that will work for you. Visit http://www.buydietfood.com to see how you can start leading a healthy active life today.

Dizziness

Have you ever felt like the floor is tilting up towards you and is going to hit you smack dab in the middle of your forehead?

Have you ever looked around you and suddenly felt as if the room was spinning around, or have images swirled and spun around you?

If so, you have experienced a bout of dizziness...

Dizziness can happen for a variety of reasons. I?ve gotten it plenty of times when I forget to eat for an extended amount of time. I know that sounds silly. How does someone forget to eat? But I?ll bet lots of you reading this article have done it as well. In fact, when men with diabetes don't take in the correct calories, dizzyness is often a result.You can also suffer from dizziness if you?re sick. An ear infection will really give you a good dose of dizziness because the liquid in your ear helps you to keep your balance. You can also have a viral infection and because your body is under attack and very weak, you may feel dizzy and this could cause vomiting. Strangely enough, sinus attacks can also trigger bouts of dizziness. An acute stroke can give you nausea and dizziness as well. If you suffer from a loss of speech or numbness in any part of the body along with the dizziness, you may be suffering a stroke and it is critical that you see a doctor immediately. Drug use and alcohol use can cause dizziness. Most of you have probably learned this first hand already. I know I have.

Sometimes you might feel dizzy, then light-headed and before you know it you?ve passed out. If this has happened to you, I hope for your sake that nothing was in your path when you went down like a sack of potatoes. You can also suffer from dizziness while exerting yourself. There is a good reason why exercise machines all have that warning label on them that reads ?if you?re feeling any dizziness, stop and take a rest? or some other similar warning. When your body is starved for oxygen, it doesn?t have the resources to power the muscles and brain, so you feel dizzy. It?s basically your body delive! ring a w arning sign that says ?dude, stop whatever it is your doing, or else I?m shutting you down.? Dizziness is more common in older adults than it is in children or people who are in the prime of their lives. However, it is important to remember that no one is immune to dizziness. It can happen to anybody at any age especially with the presence of heart disease. Dizziness should be reported to your doctor. If you feel dizzy for prolonged periods, or you have frequent dizzy spells, then you should definitely see your family doctor. If you have other warning signs such as numbness in any part of your body, confusion or a loss of sight, you may be suffering a stroke and it is imperative that you contact the hospital immediately.

Don't forget... dizziness is not a disease, it's always a symptom of something else.

As a website dedicated to advancing the understanding of men's health and male sexual performance issues facing men everyday, 4-Men.Org is considered a leading authority on the issue of male health.

Diabetic Complications Can Benfotiamine Help Prevent Them?

Diabetic complications contribute too many life threatening diseases globally. The root cause of diabetic complications is elevated glucose levels which contribute to blood vessel damage. Diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, or neuropathy are caused by damage to small blood vessel in the eyes, nerves and kidneys, etc. The bottom line of this damage is the lowering of the life expectancy of millions of diabetics worldwide.

What Can Be Done About It?

Few therapies are available today that treat diabetic complications. Most healthcare professionals recommend that their patients monitor their blood sugar by taking several blood readings a day to determine the amount of sugar in their blood. Blood sugar readings are generally higher from one to two hours after a meal.

It is suggested by these professionals that keeping blood sugar readings as close to normal as possible will reduce the onset of diabetic complications. Research has shown that there are four, chemical pathways that lead to diabetic complications. Instead of trying to explain these rather difficult chemical pathways, let the reader understand that diabetic complications are mainly caused by excess sugar in the cells, a condition known by the term advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) formation.

The research that was released in 2003 by a team of researchers from the Albert Einstein Collage of Medicine opened the possibilities that it may be possible to actually prevent and/or contain diabetic complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy and heart/circulatory conditions brought about by the presence of advanced glycation endproducts.

What Did This Research Suggest?

The Einstein researchers? work showed that a substance called, ?benfotiamine?, could reduce the effects of AGE by increasing the amount of an enzyme called transketolase. The research indicated that transketolase was increased by 300% which was enough to make a serious reduction of three of the four chemical pathways that open the door for di! abetic c omplications in terms of vascular damage in diabetics. This vascular damage is directly responsible for the diabetic complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy and heart/circulatory conditions that lead to heart attack and stroke.

Can Benfotaimine Be Considered A Prudent Preventative?

Current research suggests that benfotiamine could possibly reduce the chances of diabetics developing the aforementioned complications. Many healthcare professionals readily recommend patients to add this nutritional supplement to their toolkit in the battle to prevent these insidious conditions that shorten the lives of thousands of diabetics annually.

Where Can I Find More Information About Benfotiamine?

More information about benfotiamine can be found by visiting the web site below and following the links. These links will give the reader a good base to make an informed decision about the use of benfotiamine in the battle against diabetic complications brought about by the presence of advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) which is excess sugar in the blood.

Research:

Hans-Peter Hammes, Xueliang Du, Diane Edelstein, Tetsuya Taguchi, Takeshi Matsumura, Qida Ju, Jihong Lin, Angelika Bierhaus, Peter Nawroth, Dieter Hannak, Michael Neumaier, Regine Bergfeld, Ida Giardino, Michael Brownlee. Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy. Nature Medicine 9, 294 - 299 (01 Mar 2003).

Michael Brownlee. Biochemistry and molecular cell biology of diabetic complications Nature 414, 813 - 820 (13 Dec 2001).

Roya Babaei-Jadidi, Nikolaos Karachalias, Naila Ahmed, Sinan Battah, Paul J. Thornalley. Prevention of incipient diabetic nephropathy by high-dose thiamine and benfotiamine ? Complications. Diabetes. (August 2003).

Zach Malott is CEO of Brentwood Health International, a nutritional supplement company involved in distribution and supplying wholesale, retail and end users.

Mr. Malott is available to discu! ss the r esearch as it applies to benfotiamine in the treatment and prevention of diabetic complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy.

He can be reached at:

Phone: 505.354.0526

Website: http://www.emuhealthproducts.com

Alcohol and High Blood Pressure Fact or Fiction?

Alcohol and High Blood Pressure - wow, this is a good one (he says putting down his pint ? only joking). Consuming Alcohol and High Blood Pressure as an issue is a real conundrum.

One the one had, the odd wee drink now and then (he says picking his pint glass up again) is actually quite beneficial and can act as an aid and part treatment for cardiovascular purposes but it is like everything, taken to excess, therein lies the downfall.

The relationship between Alcohol and High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) has been recognised for nearly a century and especially the link between Hypertension and the excessive consumption of alcohol i.e. more than just the correct recommended intake of a few units (14 for women and 21 for men) a week.

There have been several scientific studies over the last 100 years that have confirmed that Alcoholism is ONE of several causes of Hypertension. Originally it was suggested that alcoholism was a cause of hypertension irrespective of a whole range of other associated socio economic factors such as economic status, your age, race, weight, serum cholesterol levels or even tobacco use

If you drink excessively, your blood pressure will rise.

Hmmnnn?... It is quite a sobering experience when you look at it like that doesn?t it?

The Pro?s and Con?s of drinking are not for this article and it is not for me to make valued pronouncements about the virtues of abstinence from alcohol but the simple fact is inescapable. Alcohol is a drug. It affects the way you feel and affects every system in your body.

When you know the facts and effects of alcohol, then you will be in a position to decide what is best in the long term for you.

In a nutshell the principle behind the relationship between alcoholism and High Blood Pressure lies in the following basic premise.

When Alcohol is present in the blood stream it covers the blood vessels and artery walls thereby increasing their tension and thereby increasing the blood pressure. This is the ! basic ve rsion and there are more complex definitions and explanations in existence but these are for the Medical Textbooks!

As in all things moderation appears to be the key and this arises (apart from common sense) largely from a report in 1994 in The Journal of the American Medical Association which published an editorial that suggested that if the entire population of the United States stopped drinking it estimated that there could be up to an additional 81,000 deaths due to Heart Disease each year.

OK, sounds interesting, and the article went on to ascertain that abstaining from alcohol may be no better than drinking in moderation.

At the same time over in Europe, researchers in Denmark were putting the final touches to a study that analysed the drinking habits of thirteen thousand people over the period of a decade. To everyone?s amazement the study found that those who downed three to five glasses of wine daily had roughly half the risk of teetotallers dying.

At this point enter the Harvard School of Public Health who stated that their research had shown that the benefits of alcohol consumption (i.e. the enlargement of the blood vessels) disappear after as little as two drinks. It would appear that the generally accepted consensus is that moderation in drinking rules. Consuming one or two drinks a day helps prevent heart attacks and stroke it would seem.

The really sad thing about all of this is that most Medical Professionals will tell you that the abuse of alcohol is one of the fasted growing areas of treatment within today?s Healthcare system. Not only that but the fastest growing section of the population found to be most at risk from the effects of this abuse of alcohol are now under the age of thirty and sadly an alarmingly large percentage of these sufferers are female.

Shame they never told us about that at school.

Or perhaps they did, but we were just too young and stupid to listen.

Stephen Morgan launched the site High Blood Pressure (http://www.hig! hbloodpr essure.name) as a result of being diagnosed with acute High Blood Pressure and is also the founder of the Living with High Blood Pressure Net (http://www.livingwithhighbloodpressure.net). More information on the above article can be found at http://www.highbloodpressure.name/features/alcoholandhighbloodpressure.html