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Zinc Supply Affects Cardiac Health In addition to essential metabolic functions, the level of zinc in the body also affects the heart muscle. When oxidative stress occurs, it may be due to a shortage of zinc, which can be determined by examining the heart muscle. A study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) shows the relationship between the total amount of zinc in the body and cardiac function. Oxidative stress occurs when more free radicals are generated in the cell than can be intercepted by antioxidants such as vitamin E. It has already been proven that a severe lack of zinc, which promotes obvious clinical symptoms is also associated with increased cellular stress. However, such an extreme shortage is very rare. Short-term and latent shortages of zinc occur much more frequently. So far, research is sparse on whether this is also linked to oxidative stress. Due to its high metabolic activity, the researchers have focused on studying the heart muscle. A particularl...

Magnesium Could Prevent Fractures Bone fractures are one of the leading causes of disability and ill health especially among the aging population and this increases the burden on the health care system. It is well-known that calcium and vitamin D play an important role in bone health.Magnesium is an essential nutrient and is an important component of the bone. Though there have been suggestions that magnesium may have a beneficial effect on bone health, no study has been able to show its effect on bone fractures. Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Eastern Finland followed 2,245 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. They found that men with lower blood levels of magnesium had an increased risk of fractures, particularly fractures of the hip. The risk of having a fracture was reduced by 44 per cent in men with higher blood levels of magnesium. None of the 22 men who had very high magnesium levels (> 2.3 mg/dl) in the study population experienced a fracture dur...

What is Alternative Medicine? Labels, as common as they are in society, can often be deceiving and health care offers a prime example. The term alternative medicine is often used to describe non-pharmaceutical approaches to health and wellness, but when you attempt to construct a black-and-white definition, there seems to be a lot of gray. US News and World Reports recently ran an article titled “What is Alternative Medicine?” where it spoke to National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Deputy Director David Shurtleff. The report explained that the Center considers the use of “alternative” medicine in that sense as very rare. “The organization defines alternative medicine as any non-conventional interventions that are used instead of conventional treatments, not in conjunction with them. Interventions like yoga, acupuncture, herbal remedies and massage therapy may be alternative treatments, but are considered alternative medicine only when they’re used in place ...

The Importance of Vitamin D to the Immune System You might be surprised to learn that a low blood level of vitamin D increases the risk of developing a thyroid illness known as Hashimoto’s disease. . Indeed, in some medical studies vitamin D supplementation may help to reverse this disease. In these studies, robust supplementation significantly reduced the blood markers for Hashimoto’s disease. Hashimoto’s disease (HD) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks and slowly kills the thyroid gland. It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in technologically advanced countries. The symptoms of HD are quite variable depending on how badly the thyroid has been damaged. Early in the disease there is often an increased release of thyroid hormone. Symptoms may resemble that of hyperthyroidism such as weight loss, high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. Blood tests at this time may suggest, but not always, a hyperthyroid state. As the disease progre...

Does Nutrition Play A Role In Recovering From Cosmetic Surgery It’s no secret that the right nutrition with the right diet can make us all much healthier human beings. Eating well and keeping up with balanced food habits should be a regular part of our routine, but does it really make a difference when it comes to recovering from cosmetic surgery? Whether you’ve gone under the knife for a breast augmentation, or you’ve had a hair transplant, recovering from your procedures properly is just as important as any medical treatment, but can nutrition really make a difference to your recovery? We’ve decided to take a deeper look. Yes, Nutrition Can Help! For all intents and purposes, yes. Nutrition can, and does, help recovery from surgery in the same way that a nutrition-rich diet can aid your body in any of its processes. Healing is another bodily process, so giving your body the right nutrients it needs to complete said process is important. At its essence, healing involves cel...

Cycling does not damage men’s sexual functions Cycling is increasingly popular for transportation, exercise, and leisure, and its impact on sexual health has received a great deal of media attention, especially regarding erectile function. In a new report in  The Journal of Urology ®, researchers found that contrary to some previous studies, neither recreational nor intense cycling appear to have a negative impact on men’s sexual and urinary function. “This is the largest comparative study to date, exploring the associations of cycling, bike and road characteristics with sexual and urinary function using validated questionnaires,” explained lead investigator Benjamin Breyer, MD, MAS, of the Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco. “We believe the results will be encouraging for cyclists. Cycling provides tremendous cardiovascular benefits  and is low impact on joints. We believe the health benefits enjoyed by cyclists who ride s...

Mushrooms for Good Health Modern scientists are discovering some fascinating healing properties of mushrooms. And more than a hundred species of mushrooms are currently being studied across around the world  today for their potential health benefits. Below is information on three of the more popular varieties: Chaga ( Inonotus obliquus ) Chaga mushrooms are rich in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, amino acids, zinc, selenium, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium,  manganese, and calcium. It is believed they can slow the aging process by reducing oxidative stress, which is responsible for physical signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin, and gray hair. Exposure to sun, pollution, and other sources of damage create too many free radicals for the body to neutralize, which accelerates the aging process of the skin. Reishi ( Ganoderma lucidum ) Often referred to...

Seeking a Quality Supplement Feel Great and Lose Weight Spring is here—and summer is just around the corner. The changing of seasons is a popular time for us to get in shape, purge unwanted items from our homes, detox, and make overall healthier choices for ourselves and our families. With that being said, spring cleaning our bodies in preparation for summer could use more than a boost from a new exercise regimen or change in diet: If you’re taking nutritional supplements, it could be time to examine your current brands to be sure they’re actually delivering the nutritional punch you’re expecting. How to Choose a Quality Supplement The first step you’ll take on the journey to finding a high-quality product is to look for those brands that have an established track record of selling such products, says Michael A. Smith, MD, in his newest book, The Supplement Pyramid. Dr. Smith, the senior health scientist for Life Extension and a specialist in nutritional supple...

One weird trick to cut belly fa t Do you wish you could decrease your waistline? Reducing abdominal obesity can lower health risks — but despite claims you may have seen on the Internet, no trending diet can help you specifically eliminate belly fat, according to an article in  ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® . “There is still no miracle diet, food, nutrient, or bioactive component that will target abdominal fat,” writes Kari D. Pilolla, PhD, RDN, of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. But a heart healthy deithigh in fiber and low in saturated fats is a great way to prevent and reduce abdominal obesity, according to the article, part of a special theme issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal , focusing on Nutrition. What’s New in Nutrition? New Updates for Health and Fitness Professionals Amid the ongoing obesity epidemic, there is increasing attention to the health risks associated with abdominal obesity — excess fat store...

Is Sugar a Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease? 0 0 0 Abnormally high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycaemia, is well-known as a characteristic of diabetes and obesity, but its link to Alzheimer’s disease is less familiar. Diabetes patients have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy individuals. In Alzheimer’s disease abnormal proteins aggregate to form plaques and tangles in the brain which progressively damage the brain and lead to severe cognitive decline. Scientists already knew that glucose and its break-down products can damage proteins in cells via a reaction called glycation but the specific molecular link between glucose and Alzheimer’s was not understood. But now scientists from the University of Bath Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy and Pharmacology, working with colleagues at the Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, King’s College London, have unraveled that link. By stud...

Could Omega-3 Prevent Alzheimer’s disease? The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to triple in the coming decades and no cure has been found. Recently, interest in dietary approaches for prevention of cognitive decline has increased. In particular, the omega-3 fatty acids have shown anti-amyloid, anti-tau and anti-inflammatory actions in the brains of animals. In a new article published in the  Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , researchers have found that for patients with high omega-3 levels, blood flow in specific areas of the brain is increased. “This study is a major advance in demonstrating the value of nutritional intervention for brain health by using the latest brain imaging,” commented George Perry, PhD, Dean and Professor of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Editor-in-Chief of the  Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease . Single photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT, can measure blood perfusion in the brain. Images acquired...

                      Transparency and Responsibility: Using CBD Oil   Cannabis is more than a cash crop, as the plant contains a wealth of medicinal benefits and a bounty of scientific information. The value of these things is neither a product of inflation nor inflated rhetoric. What is overinflated are the claims by the unscrupulous, whose obsession with profits comes at the expense of the spirit of science; whose gains cost an individual his integrity—and consume his soul—because he seeks to conquer the world by cornering the market; whose lack of vision causes so many businesses to perish. We cannot afford to have greed compromise the strides of a multi-billion dollar industry. Nor can we allow the absence of standards to be standard operating procedure, since the bad actions of one can destroy the good—and the physical goods themselves—of so many. We must be transparent in our words and in our deeds, so there...