Edelweiss Extract and the fight against Anti Aging
Edelweiss extract comes from Edelweiss flowers, which are short lived perennials. Edelweiss is a German word which means noble and white. The Edelweiss flower is found at altitudes which range from 1,700 meters to 2,700 meters, general in areas with light soil, good drainage and southern exposure.In ancient times the Edelweiss flower was sought after by men who wished to prove their bravery. Because the flower grew at such heights and was often on cliff sides and in dangerous areas many people were known to have been injured, or even killed in pursuit of this flower, which led many men to wear it in the lapel as sort of a badge of honor. Of course, the fact that the Edelweiss flower was the favorite of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife, the Empress Elizabeth also gave it prestige. The flower became so popular among hikers that the governments of Austria, Germany and Switzerland took steps to protect it in certain parts of the Alps. Today Edelweiss is grown on many continents and is no longer in the danger it once was. It became even more popular however the 1960's when a song called Edelweiss in the popular stage play and film The Sound of Music sang its virtues and beauty.
For centuries Edelweiss extract has been believed to have positive health effects. Edelweiss teas have been popular as well as use of Edelweiss extract in hot milk, often sweetened with honey. Diarrhea and dysentery were two ailments that it was believed Edelweiss extract could cure. People also believed that it could help fight ailments such as diphtheria and tuberculosis. Today research by the pharmaceutical industry indicates that there was something to these ancient beliefs. Used in high quality anti aging and anti wrinkle cosmetics.
Edelweiss extract is an ancient folk lore remedy that modern science is making popular once again. They have also discovered that the ultra violet light absorbing chemicals this plant has developed from high altitude growth makes it a good additive to sun blocks. Pharmaceutical researchers also are interested in the way some chemicals in the plant prevent amplification of oxides, which are tied to the aging process.
The future of research into Edelweiss extract looks as bright as the high Alpine sun, and the popularity of Edelweiss extract as an ingredient in high quality cosmetics means the plant will remain popular for many years to come.
For more information visit: www.revitol.com
Breast Self Exam
Healthy Changes Through Life: Doing a monthly breast self exam is the best way to stay familiar with the cyclical changes in your breasts. You will get to know the territory better than your health care team, and will spot changes easily. Having an annual clinical exam helps document your breast health, so keep a regular appointment set up for that! Between puberty and menopause, your breasts will go through many changes, which are affected by hormones, diet, and exercise. Most of these changes are natural and healthy!Teen Years (Puberty): In the teen years, with the start of your monthly cycle, your body enters the maturing process, and you gain curves and may notice skin changes (such as acne) and even hair may change color or texture. Breast tissue is developing during this time too, and may be dense and firm to begin with, especially if you are small-breasted.Family Resemblance: At this stage, it’s not too early to know your family health history, so ask your female relatives (mother, aunts, grandmother) if they had any fibrocystic problems with their breasts, or any regular cysts. If so, it’s likely that you may experience those too. Not to worry – cysts are benign – but you want to know where they are, and if they come and go, so they can be distinguished from other features in your breasts.'
More Curves and Kids (Childbearing Years): After your body is prepared for motherhood, if you conceive and bear children, and also if you breastfeed the children, that will bring on more changes in your breasts, as well as in the rest of your body. Breasts may become larger and more tender during pregnancy, and may need more support. Don’t neglect your BSE during this time, stay familiar with the changes. Remember that pregnancy and breastfeeding will help combine to lower your risk of breast cancer.
Maturity (Menopause): Menopause also brings changes in your breasts, as your estrogen and progesterone levels drop, your breast tissue may become less firm and may drape differently than during your teen and child-bearing years. Keep up with your breast self exams in these years too, so that the normal changes are familiar to you. Less dense breast tissue will seem to have more lumps and bumps, but remember that 90% of breast lumps are benign.
For more information visit: www.breastactives.com
Green Tea and Prostate Health
New research suggests that green tea may help prevent the spread of prostate cancer. Specifically phytochemicals in green tea, called polyphenols attack growth factors and proteins, interrupting growth processes of tumors, thus preventing them from spreading to other organs. Since earlier studies suggests that the same natural plant substances might also help prevent the start of prostate cancer, researchers indicate that more studies are needed on green tea’s affect on fighting this common cancer. The best way to reduce your risk of prostate cancer still lies in eating a mostly vegetarian diet.Studies on diet and cancer also show that green tea when tested with mice with an aggressive form of cancer can decrease the spread or metastasis of prostate cancer to liver, bone, and other parts of the body. Additional study of green tea may help develop a treatment to prevent the dormant, non threatening type of prostate cancer many men have in their 70’s & 80’s from becoming aggressive and fatal. Around six cups of green tea per day would contain the equivalent amount of polyphenols for individuals to help block the spread of cancer. Other data shows that the phytochemicals in green tea could inhibit the early phases of prostate cancer development.
The phytochemicals seem to increase the number of enzymes that help convert carcinogens to dormant, harmless forms. Many questions remain about the amount and frequency of green tea necessary to affect the formation of prostate cancer. Black tea has shown similar benefits to green tea, although they appear to have lower levels of the beneficial substances than green tea. Whatever the benefits of green tea, it would be a mistake to rely on tea alone for prevention. Studies suggest a variety of nutritional influences on prostate cancer risk. The use of Vitamin E may offer some protection. The antioxidant mineral selenium also seems protective. Most Americans get adequate amounts of selenium, but these studies used nutrition supplements, so the study participants achieved higher intake levels. It waits to be seen whether men can protect themselves by taking supplements, including multivitamins, with selenium. If total selenium intake exceeds 400 mcg per day, nerve damage and other side effects can occur in the individual.
Other good foods for natural nutrition are blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, flaxseed, soybeans, and tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes are actually a far better source than raw tomatoes because the cooking process releases the lycopene from cells.
For more information visit: www.prostacet.com
Premature Ejaculation
Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common sexual dysfunction in men younger than 40 years. Most professionals who treat premature ejaculation define this condition as the occurrence of ejaculation prior to the wishes of both sexual partners. This broad definition thus avoids specifying a precise duration for sexual relations and reaching a climax, which is variable and depends on many factors specific to the individuals engaging in intimate relations. An occasional instance of premature ejaculation might not be cause for concern, but, if the problem occurs with more than 50% of attempted sexual relations, a dysfunctional pattern usually exists for which treatment may be appropriate.To clarify, a male may reach climax after 8 minutes of sexual intercourse, but this is not premature ejaculation if his partner regularly climaxes in 5 minutes and both are satisfied with the timing. Another male might delay his ejaculation for a maximum of 20 minutes, yet he may consider this premature if his partner, even with foreplay, requires 35 minutes of stimulation before reaching climax. If intercourse is the method of sexual stimulation for the second example and the male climaxes after 20 minutes of intercourse and then loses his erection, satisfying his partner (at least with intercourse), who needs 35 minutes to climax, is impossible.
Because many females are unable to reach climax at all with vaginal intercourse (no matter how prolonged), this situation may actually represent delayed orgasm for the female partner rather than premature ejaculation for the male; the problem can be either or both, depending on the point of view. This highlights the importance of obtaining a thorough sexual history from the patient (and preferably from the couple).
The human sexual response can be divided into 3 phases: desire (libido), excitement (arousal), and orgasm. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) classifies sexual disorders into 4 categories: (1) primary, (2) general medical condition–related, (3) substance-induced, and (4) not otherwise specified. Each of the 4 DSM-IV categories has disorders in all 3 sexual phases.
Premature ejaculation may be primary or secondary. Primary applies to individuals who have had the condition since they became capable of functioning sexually (ie, postpuberty). Secondary indicates that the condition began in an individual who previously experienced an acceptable level of ejaculatory control, and, for unknown reasons, he began experiencing premature ejaculation later in life. With secondary premature ejaculation, the problem does not relate to a general medical disorder, and it is usually not related to substance inducement, although, rarely, hyperexcitability might relate to a psychotropic drug and resolves when the drug is withdrawn. Premature ejaculation fits best into the category of not otherwise specified because no one really knows what causes it, although psychological factors are suggested in most cases.
For more information visit: www.enlast.com
Beta glucan Lowers Blood Lipids
Barley beta-glucan reduces serum lipid levels, according to research presented in April at the First International Congress on Pre-Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.
In the six-week study, 76 men and 79 women with hypercholesterolemia, aged
25 to 73, completed a four-week lowfat diet prior to baseline. At the beginning of the trial, test subjects were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups or a control group and assayed for blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers. During the course of the study, test groups were administered 3 g and 5 g doses of low molecular weight (LMW) or high molecular weight (HMW) barley beta-glucan (from Cargill) twice daily, in cereal and juice.
Posttreatment assessment of blood lipids and other CVD biomarkers revealed improvements in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, markers of glycemic control
(glycosylated hemoglobin, HOMA model) and a key marker of inflammation
(hs-CRP).
The researchers concluded both doses of LMW and HMW barley beta-glucan improved blood lipids over a six-week treatment period.
For more information visit: www.optimumdiabetics.com
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Why Quit Smoking Cigarettes?
Nicotine is the source of the addiction of smokers. Smokers definitely find if very hard to quit this bad habit because nicotine is incredibly an addictive drug. To others it is as hooking as heroin and cocaine. It takes a lot of trial to finally stop smoking. Quitting would take a lot of hard work and effort.What are the good benefits of quitting? Being able to start now is the best decision that you will do for yourself. You will have the chance to live a healthy and longer life.
Quitting will decrease the opportunity of diseases to hit you like heart attack, cancer or stroke. Pregnant women should start quitting for the chance of having a vigorous baby. Your relatives and your children that are you live with will be in good health. Rather spending your cash on availing cigarettes you will have the funds to spend it with other useful things.There are 5 ways to start quitting and these will help in quitting for good. First, you need to get ready. Then you need the support of family and friends. You should learn new talent and activities. Then you should seek help from physician to give you medications and don’t abuse it. And last is to be ready for setback or difficult instances.
With getting ready, you have to plan your quit date, and you definitely need a change of environment. This means to remove every cigarette and ashtrays wherever you are. And you shouldn’t permit anyone to smoke at your house. Choose the people around you that will be helpful in encouraging you to quit smoking. Tell the people around you to not let you smoke and to avoid smoking too. Learn new ways to distract yourself from the cravings of smoking. Try to do something to relieve you from stress. Reading a book, hot bath and exercise will do. Take a lot amount of fluid. When you are in medication to help you quit smoking you should use it properly. The approved medications to help you stop smoking are Nicocure available at www.niocure.com, nicotine inhaler, nasal sprays and patches which can be availed by prescription and over the counter products like nicotine gums.
For more information visit: www.smokedeter.com
Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors. In general, all men are at risk for prostate cancer. However, there are specific risk factors that increase the likelihood that certain men will develop the disease, including the following:Age is a risk factor for prostate cancer, especially men age 50 and older. More than 80 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. Race: Prostate cancer is nearly twice as common among African-American men than it is among Caucasian-American men. Japanese and Chinese men native to their country have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
Diet: Data suggests that the diet consumed in Western industrialized countries may be one of the most important contributory factors for developing prostate cancer. The following information regarding diet and its effect on the risk for prostate cancer include men who eat a high-fat diet may have a greater chance of developing prostate cancer. Dietary fiber intake may decrease the progression of prostate cancer. Soy protein lowers fat intake, and the isoflavones in soy have been found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Vitamin E and selenium Vitamin E, an antioxidant, combined with selenium, has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. Carotenoids Carotenoids containing lycopenes have been shown to inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer cells in tissue cultures. The primary source of lycopenes is processed tomatoes in tomato juice and tomato paste. Obesity Obesity not only contributes to diabetes and high cholesterol, but has also been associated with some common cancers including prostate cancer.
Vasectomy, BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), or STD (sexually transmitted disease) Researchers have looked at whether men who have had a vasectomy, BPH, or those who have had exposure to STD’s are at increased risk for prostate cancer. Some studies suggest a link, while others don’t. Family history of prostate cancer. A father or brother with prostate cancer doubles a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. The risk is even higher for men with several affected relatives. Geneticists divide families into three groups, depending upon the number of men with prostate cancer and their ages of onset, including the following: Sporadic - a family with prostate cancer present in one man, at a typical age of onset. Familial - a family with prostate cancer present in more than one person, but with no definitive pattern of inheritance and usually an older age of onset. Hereditary - Five to 10 percent of prostate cancer cases are considered hereditary. Genetic Approximately 9 percent of all prostate cancers and 45 percent of cases in men younger than age 55 can be attributed to a cancer susceptibility gene that is inherited as a dominant trait (from parent to child).
For more information visit: www.prostacet.com
Menopause Symptoms and Memory Loss
While you may experience the misery of hot flashes and mood swings as you enter menopause, one thing you can't blame on the "change" is memory loss.
In the latest study that exonerates menopause as a cause of impairing the ability to recall, Taiwanese researchers compared the memory of hundreds of women before they had any menopausal symptoms to their memory as they entered menopause.
They found the women who were going through the menopausal process scored as well or nearly as well on five different cognitive function tests. Results of the study are to be presented Oct. 4 at the American Neurological Association annual meeting in Toronto.
"When women go into perimenopause, they don't need to worry about cognitive decline," said Dr. Jong-Ling Fuh, an attending physician at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and an associate professor of Yang-Ming University School of Medicine.
The researchers said the myth of memory loss during menopause is a perception some women have because as they went through menopause, they felt their memory wasn't as sharp as it had been before. Studies suggesting that hormone replacement therapy might protect against dementia strengthened that belief. However, a large study later found that in older women, hormone replacement therapy not only didn't help protect women from dementia, but could actually increase the risk.
To try to answer the question of whether menopause did have any effect on memory, Fuh and her colleagues studied nearly 700 premenopausal women living on a group of rural islands between Taiwan and China. The Taiwanese government restricted access to these islands until the 1990s, so the authors report that the study's population was nearly homogeneous, which would help rule out other potentially causative factors of memory loss.
The women were between the ages of 40 and 54. None of them had had a hysterectomy, and none took hormone replacement therapy during the study.
All took five cognitive tests designed to assess their memory and cognitive skills at the start of the study, and then again 18 months later.
During the study period, 23 percent of the women began to have symptoms of menopause.
The researchers then compared the memory of the women who had entered menopause to those who had not, and found very little difference. In four of the five tests, there were no statistically significant differences in the two groups of women.
Only on one test was the difference statistically significant, and that difference, said Fuh, was very slight. This test was designed to assess verbal memory and involved showing the women 70 nonsensical figures. Some of the figures were repeated during the test, while most were not. The women were asked whether they had seen the figure earlier.
"For women, menopause does not mean you'll develop memory loss," said Dr. Raina Ernstoff, an attending neurologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. As you're going through perimenopause and experiencing symptoms like hot flashes, she said, you may feel lousy and have trouble sleeping, which might temporarily affect your cognitive skills.
"I don't think declining estrogen levels are what causes memory loss," said Dr. Steven Goldstein, an obstetrician/gynecologist at New York University Medical Center in New York City. "It's not like your memory is bopping along, doing fine and then takes this big dive during menopause, like bone density can."
Both Ernstoff and Goldstein said they weren't aware of many women who believed that menopause might cause significant memory loss. They also both felt that results from this group of women who were so homogeneous might not apply to different groups of women, such as those living in more industrialized society. And they both said that other factors that weren't studied could play a role in memory loss, such as hypertension, which can contribute to vascular dementia.
Ernstoff also pointed out that the education backgrounds can play a large role in memory loss. Fuh acknowledged the researchers did attempt to control the data for educational differences.
SOURCES: Jong-Ling Fuh, M.D., attending physician, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and associate professor, Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Steven Goldstein, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist, New York University Medical Center, and professor, obstetrics/gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; Raina Ernstoff, M.D., attending neurologist, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich., and member, Alzheimer's Board of Detroit; Oct. 4, 2004, presentation, American Neurological Association, Toronto.
For more information visit: www.menozac.com
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Cause of Hair Loss in Teens and Adults
Cause of Hair Loss in Teens and AdultsThere are many causes of hair loss. Both men and women can obtain it. It can be because of nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, stress, and diseases. But generally the most common cause of it is called adrogenetic alopecia. It is the medical term for hair loss or baldness.Adrogenetic refers to the influence of androgens (male hormones), and genetic predisposition to balding can be the reason of such a hair loss.Genetic is not that simple, and also the hair loss case. Just the presence of someone in your family of balding is not enough to predict that you will also become bald. It is really hard to predict who will go bald and how fast will it be. That is why planning for hair restoration will be very important for those people who gets alarmed about it.
Normal man and women produce androgenic hormones. Dihydrotestosterone, androsteinedione, testosterone (DHT) is the most common. For men Testicles and adrenals are the one to produce it. For women ovaries and adrenal glands are the one to produce. These hormones are important for both sexes. But have different concentrations, and this is more predominant for males than females. This in part, differentiates the genders. Exposure of hair follicles to DHT, in a susceptible person, in a period of time leads to male and female pattern to baldness or the so-called adrogenetic alopecia. There is no exact age for balding occurrence.
Balding is a process, simple yet this fact is often ignored. This process can be slow or rapid. It usually starts at late teens. Illnesses and medical conditions is one of the causes of hair loss. Such as thyroid disease and diabetes, can cause hair loss. Those people with liver and kidney diseases and lupus can also have baldness. Adult women and teen girls can have hair loss due to hormone imbalance in polycystic ovary syndrome.Medications such as acne medicines cause hair loss. Amphetamines in diet pills can also cause hair loss. And the very known medication that causes hair loss is chemotherapy.
Alopecia areata is a skin disease than causes hair loss on the scalp and sometimes on the body. It is an autoimmune disease. The own immune system is the one to damage the hair follicles. Alopecia areata starts as small bald patches and can progress to total baldness.Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls his/her own hair that can also lead to hair loss. Hair treatments and styling the hair gives tension to scalp and hair becomes damaged and leads to hair loss. Nutrition is also one factor of baldness because of lack of protein, vitamins and minerals that sustains the hair. Disruption of hair cycle growth is also a problem. Like delivering a baby, getting anesthesia, or having surgery.
For more information visit: www.provillus.com
Breast Implant Dangers
Occasionally, breast implants may break or leak. The saline fill is salt water and will be absorbed by the body without ill effects. Older implants with silicone gel can leak also. If this occurs, one of two things may occur. If breakage of the implant shell that has a contracture scar around it, then it may not feel like anything has happed. If the shell breaks and there is not a contracture scar, then leakage into the surrounding tissue results in a sensation that the implant is deflating. The leaking gel may collect in the breast and a new scar may form around it. In other cases gel can migrate through the lymphatic system to another area of the body. Breaks may require a second operation and replacement of the leaking implant. If the gel has migrated it may not be possible to remove all of the silicone gel. This silicone gel is the what some say is related to the initiation of connective tissue disorders.
For silicone gel and saline-filled implants, some causes of rupture or deflation include : damage by surgical instruments during surgery, overfilling or underfilling of the implant with saline solution (specific only to saline-filled breast implants), capsular contracture ,closed capsulotomy , stresses such as trauma or intense physical manipulation ,excessive compression during mammographic imaging, placement through umbilical incision ,site injury to the breast, normal aging of the implant ,unknown/unexplained reasons.
FDA completed a retrospective study on rupture of silicone gel-filled breast implants. This study was performed in Birmingham, Alabama and included women who had their first breast implant before 1988. Women with silicone gel-filled breast implants had a MRI examination of their breasts to determine the status of their current breast implants. The 344 women who received a MRI examination had a total of 687 implants. Of the 687 implants in the study, at least two of the three study radiologists agreed that 378 implants were ruptured (55%). This means that 69% of the 344 women had at least one ruptured breast implant. Of the 344 women, 73 (21%) had extracapsular silicone gel in one or both breasts. Factors that were associated with rupture included increasing age of the implant, the implant manufacturer, and submuscular rather than subglandular location of the implant.
The most common complication of breast implants is capsular contracture, a tightening of the scar tissue that the body produces around the implant as a natural part of healing. Additional surgery may be required either to remove the scar tissue or to remove—and perhaps replace—the implant. In a prospective clinical study of saline-filled breast implants conducted by Mentor, the cumulative, 3-year, by patient rates of a first occurrence of capsular contracture Grades III and IV were 9% for the 1264 augmentation patients and 30% for the 416 reconstruction patients. In a prospective clinical study of saline-filled breast implants conducted by McGhan, the cumulative, 3-year, by patient rates of a first occurrence of capsular contracture Grades III and IV were 9% for the 901 augmentation patients and 25% for the 237 reconstruction patients.
For more information visit: www.breastactives.com
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