Healthtips , Health News, Health Care and Fitness,Health and Nutrition Tips

A healthy heart is the most sought after goal for most of us with heart disease striking all – young or old. One of the synergistic contributors towards achieving it is selecting the right cooking medium. Even the right choice may not result in a healthy heart, if we do not regulate the quantity of cooking oil consumed per person per month. Maintain your total oil intake to 500 gms per person per month. (Check your oil consumption by dividing total oil bought per month by the total number of members in the family) What are the essentials one should keep in mind, while selecting the right cooking medium? The fatty acid, which predominates in the oil. It is a determinant of the effect on lowering the bad cholesterol    and protecting the good cholesterol. Additional protective factors like phytosterols, anti oxidants and specific phytochemicals present which help in creating a Good environment that lowers the production of destructive factors in the body. Compatibility of the...

A heart surgeon this week called for butter to be banned to help cut deaths from heart disease. London-based cardiologist Shyam Kolvekar's motive may be spot on, but this simplistic approach misses the point. It's true that we eat too much saturated fat, high levels of which are found in butter. It's also true that too much saturated fat contributes significantly to the 200,000 premature UK deaths each year from cardiovascular disease. Men should eat no more than 30g and women no more than 20g of saturated fat a day, yet government research shows we're eating on average nearly 20% too much.  This fat, derived mainly from animal sources, increases cholesterol, clogging up arteries and putting us at risk of heart disease and strokes. The real enemy However, singling out butter isn't the answer. A couple of decades ago dairy foods were our main source of saturated fat but now there are lots more processed and fast foods around, many of which are also high in this type...

Ritha nuts  is a traditional remedy for hair fall. Soak approximately quarter kilo of ritha nuts in water {approximately four glasses full}overnight. Boil the nuts in the soaked water the next day for twenty minutes. Let cool naturally. Mash the nuts, strain and use the solution just the way you would use shampoo to wash your hair. Follow this treatment regularly, twice a week to get effective results. Coconut Milk  is believed to be a valuable cure for hair fall. Take approximately five tablespoons of thick coconut milk. Add juice of one lemon to it. Mix well. Rub the mixture into the scalp 45 minutes to an hour before hair wash. Use the treatment once a week to arrest hair fall. Fruity Mocktail  comprising juices of alfalfa, carrot and lettuce consumed every day, promotes hair growth claim the naturopaths. This fruity mocktail is rich in nutrients that benefit the roots of the hair. Petha  (ash gourd)  seeds and peel when boiled in coconut oil transform i...

Some  foods that lower cholesterol  include items such as nuts, oatmeal, fish and olive oil. Soluble fiber is known to reduce low density lipoprotein or LDL. This is referred to as bad cholesterol. This type of fiber is found in many places such as apples, certain beans such as kidney beans, pears, prunes and barley. Everyone knows that good nutrition is essential for healthy living but did you also know that there are actually  foods that lower cholesterol  levels effectively? Proper nutrition plays a vital role in cholesterol levels and as a result promotes overall heart health. By simply changing a few areas of their diet a person might be able to lower their cholesterol to healthy or at least acceptable levels without ever having to take bothersome prescription medications. Most people don’t fully grasp the effects of what we eat. Everything that we put into our bodies has a direct impact on our health. Some specific areas this is seen include the heart and bloo...

Afraid of flu and other respiratory aliments which often resemble swine flu? Use ginger, tulsi (basil) and black pepper as part of traditional preventive measures suggested by experts of Indian systems of medicine.  The Jammu and Kashmir government's department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) has set up a group of experts to suggest remedies useful in the prevention and treatment of flu-like diseases.   Participating in a workshop here Monday, the group of Ayurveda experts, physicians from local government hospitals as well as private practitioners and from research councils here said that viral epidemics come under the "Vaata Kaphaja Jwara" discipline of Indian system of medicine, a release said.   The ayurveda experts have advised some preventive measures for building immunity and protection from such diseases which are often seen in autumn and spring with seasonal changes and in moderate climate conditions. "The people should avoid ...

High levels of phosphate in sodas and processed foods can accelerate the aging process in mice and contribute to age-associated complications such as chronic kidney disease, claims a new study.  "Humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity," said M. Shawkat Razzaque, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. "Avoid phosphate toxicity and enjoy a healthy life."   To reach the conclusion, Razzaque and colleague examined the effects of high phosphate levels in three groups of mice. The first group of mice was missing a gene (klotho), which when absent, causes mice to have toxic levels of phosphate in their bodies. These mice lived 8 to 15 weeks.   The second group of mice was missing the klotho gene and a second gene (NaPi2a), which when absent at the same time, substantially lowered the amount of phosphate in thei...

A new British research suggests that a simple blood test could lead to a 'new era' of tailored therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disabling autoimmune disease in which the  immune system   attacks the body''s own joints.   Studies   have shown patients with certain immune system antibodies may respond more to an advanced form of treatment.  Almost 80 per cent of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are believed to have one of the two antibodies. Results of the new study demonstrate the "biologic" drug rituximab, also known as MabThera, which targets the immune system, can help them. However, the drug may not benefit 20 per cent of patients who test negative. "This is an important breakthrough in the treatment of this chronic and debilitating condition, heralding the beginning of an exciting new era for patients, physicians   and indeed the entire RA community," the Independent quoted Prof John Isaacs, from the Universit...

Diabetes is linked to a 40 per cent greater risk of developing atrial fibrillation— the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, found a new study.  Led by Dr. Sascha Dublin of   Group Health Research Institute  , the researchers also found that this risk rises even higher the longer people have diabetes and the less controlled their blood sugar is.   For three years, the researchers tracked more than 1,400 Group Health patients who had newly recognised atrial fibrillation. They compared these cases with more than 2,200 ‘controls.’ The controls were matched to the cases by age, sex, year, and whether they were treated for high blood pressure; but unlike the cases, they had no atrial fibrillation.  

A glass of hot lemon water and honey (with empty stomach) early in the morning is good for health.If you are planning to lose weight then honey should be replaced by one or two pinch(es) of salt, as honey is as caloric as sugar.Lemon water is more agreeable to drink than plain water and lemon has a high content of vitamin C.You don't get any result if u take it in cold water.When taken with a meal it causes early satiety thereby decreasing the need to eat more.Taken early in the morning, it is refreshing and a good and inexpensive source of vitamin C, to start the day energetically.Due to it's high acid content it is not advisable in persons suffering from high gastric or duodenal (i.e.stomach) acidity problems

When you're under stress, your muscles tense, and your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. one of the simplest (and best) ways to stop this stress response is to breathe deeply and slowly. It sounds simple, and it is. Most of us, however, do not breathe deeply under normal circumstances, so it may help to review the mechanics of deep breathing and how it helps us to relax. Breathing Under Stress: When prehistoric humans were in danger of attack, their muscles tensed and their breathing became rapid and shallow, as they prepared to run or fight. Their high level of tension was a means of preparing their bodies for optimum performance. Today, the causes of our "stress" are different, but our stress response is the same. However, since we're not running or fighting, our tension has no release and our stress response builds. One way to counteract the stress response is to learn how to breathe deeply and slowly -- the opposite of how we breathe when under stres...

Vitamin B12 Deficiency:  A deficiency of Vitamin B12 primarily causes anemias the body is unable to make sufficient quantities of normal red blood cells. Severe cases can lead to permanent nervous system problems. The vitamin B12 deficiency can result from absorption problems, insufficient  dietary  intake, certain medications (e.g. metformin), inherited conditions (e.g. transcobalamin deficiency) and certain chronic parasitic intestinal infestations. Causes Vitamin B12 deficiency is caused by an inability of the body to absorb vitamin B12 or a lack of vitamin B12 in the  diet. Vitamin B12  is essential for many aspects of health, including the production of red blood cells in the blood. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be serious if untreated, because it can lead to decreased production of red blood cells in the blood. Healthy amounts of red blood cells are necessary for the proper delivery of necessary oxygen to the body's cells and tissues. A lack ...

The connection between hypothyroidism and depression is well known, and most psychiatrists will test patients' levels of thyroid hormones before prescribing antidepressant medications, believing that even mild cases of low thyroid function can cause major depression. What is the Connection Both hypothyroidism and depression appear to have a common basis in terms of physiological chemistry . Specifically, the same portion of red blood cells that takes up the thyroid hormone T3 also takes up the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is critical in depression. Low levels of L-tryptophan are associated with depression, and low levels of T3 are associated with hypothyroidism, so it is the common starting point on the cellular level that explains why the two conditions often exist together. Because of this, evidence has shown that adding thyroid hormones to a treatment regimen for depression often helps to alleviate the condition, even if a clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism h...

Among the effects of hypothyroidism is its potential effect on sexual desire and performance. The connection between low thyroid function and libido can be both physical and psychological. Since people with a sluggish thyroid are often overweight and chronically tired, they often do not feel like having sex or may have a poor body image that interferes with sexual desire. In addition, like other hormones, thyroid hormones affect sexual desire and performance, so low levels of these hormones may decrease libido. While it is not known how many people with sexual dysfunction have underlying thyroid disease, low libido is a common complaint among people with hypothyroidism. The good news is that there are a number of things that can be done to increase sexual desire, especially when a connection between low thyroid function and libido is suspected. To begin with anyone with sexual difficulties of any kind should consider having his or her thyroid hormone levels checked. TSH leve...

Hypothyroidism and hair loss go hand in hand. Yes, unfortunately when you develop this medical condition hair loss is one of its chief symptoms.  Hair cells are some of the fastest growing cells in the body, and when they begin to slow down or stop growing, it is a good indication the body is in trouble. Thyroid Disease and Hair Loss Thyroid disease is a large contributor to hair loss with its numbers rapidly growing—almost 0.5% of the U.S. population has some sort of thyroid problem, with women and elderly people being affected most often.  If the disease develops during the first few months of pregnancy permanent developmental damage can occur physically and mentally to the fetus.  The fetus needs to get the thyroid hormones from the mother. Thyroid hormones play a key role in normal brain development and deprivation of such hormones can lead to low IQ and impaired psychomotor development. The lack of iodine is one of the causes of hyp...

Medical researchers know that there is a connection between high cholesterol and thyroid disease though many of the general public and even members of the medical community remain unaware of this reality.  An estimated 98 million Americans have elevated cholesterol levels, and the reasons behind the condition vary. While most people with high cholesterol believe that heredity, diet or lack of exercise is to blame, these common causes of the elevated cholesterol levels are not always to blame. In fact, a recent survey found that nearly half of adults who had been diagnosed with high cholesterol did not have any idea if they had ever been tested for thyroid disease, and nearly 90 percent of them did not know about the connection between thyroid disease and high cholesterol. There may be tens of millions of Americans with undiagnosed thyroid disease as the underlying factor that results in elevated cholesterol levels. It is thought that low thyroid function is second only t...

Did you know that hypothyroidism is the most common under-diagnosed condition? It's estimated that about eleven million people in United States alone are hypothyroid. Many of these people are iodine deficient and don't know it. Iodine, an essential mineral that promotes good health and functioning of the thyroid gland can easily be added to your diet ... No, we are not talking about salt.  Most people think iodine comes from salt, and while there is iodine in common table salt, most of the salt in our diets comes from processed junk foods that often don't contain iodine. So where can you find this essential element? In all sea plants; because they grow in the salty ocean water, these plants contain iodine. There are many seaweeds that can help boost thyroid function and maintain a healthy thyroid gland. But that's not everything. An added bonus  of using seaweeds to help boost thyroid function is that many sea plants are not...