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

Researchers from the University of Western Ontario Canada have found that exercise can help people quit smoking.  A combination of nicotine replacement therapy and exercise works best, according to Dr. Harry Prapavssis, director of the Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory. In a recent study, 70 percent of women had stopped smoking at the end of the 12-week program, but after one year, only 27 percent remained abstinent. "Our physical fitness and weight data supported the abstinence data. This suggests that exercise needs to be maintained for individuals to continue to kick the habit," Prapavessis said. "It is important to determine whether inexpensive home and community-based lifestyle exercise maintenance programs can maintain exercise, fitness and weight after cessation program termination, and hence prevent (reduce) smoking relapse," he added. 

Exercising in your 40's, 50's and 60's is like saving for your retirement, experts say. Starting early is money in the bank, but even late bloomers can reap astonishing benefits. "The game isn't over, even if you haven't been active," said Dr. Angela Smith , past president of the American College of Sports Medicine  . "Aerobic fitness, bone health , agility, you may be able to catch up. It's remarkable to see the things people can actually do." Smith, a physician at Philadelphia Children's Hospital, said studies have shown that even octogenarians can double their strength with weight training. "There's good evidence that among people who have arthritis, the stronger have less pain, and that getting fit decreases the chance of having cancer," she said. But if you're a former high school athlete who became sedentary as your temples grayed, don't expect your history to save you. "Some of the benefits yo...

Participants who were recruited in the largest study of the Arthritis Foundation's Tai Chiprogramme, have shown improvement in pain , fatigue, stiffness and sense of well-being.  Their ability to reach while maintaining balance also improved, said Leigh Callahan, the study's lead author, associate professor in the   University of North Carolina   at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of UNC's Thurston Arthritis Research Center.   "Our study shows that there are significant benefits of the Tai Chi course for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis," Callahan said.   "We found this in both rural and urban settings across a southeastern state and a northeastern state."   In the study, 354 participants were recruited from 20 sites in North Carolina and   New Jersey   . They were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received the 8-we...

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have found that Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet reduces obesity risk in adolescent girls.  DASH diet emphasizes increased intake of low-fat dairy products, fish, chicken, and lean meats, and nuts, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. They found girls who followed the DASH diet pattern had a lower incidence of excess weight gain as measured by body mass index (BMI) over the 10-year period of their adolescence.   The researchers, led by Jonathan Berz, an assistant professor of medicine at BUSM, used data from the National Growth and   Health   Study to examine the effects of adherence to a DASH-style eating plan and its components on the change in (BMI) in a racially diverse sample of adolescent girls.  

A sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, stress and overdependence on technology could leave you with a constant backache. But experts say sometimes the problem can be easily sorted out with the right diagnosis and a little care. Experts point out that the problem of lower back pain is fairly common. About 80 per cent experience pain at some point in life. "The major culprits of back pain, especially in young adults, is stressful and long working hours stretching up to 12 hours and more, lack of properphysical activity, bad habits such as reading while lying down, slouching in front of the TV, etc, coupled with weight issues," B.K. Dhaon, head of the department of orthopaedics at Sharda Hospital, said. What comes as a surprise is that fitness-conscious youngsters, who are regulars at gyms, also suffer from it. In such cases, bad sitting posture is often to be blamed, says Amit Kumar Mishra, an orthopaedic surgeon.

A new study has found that consumption of more omega-3 fatty acids, a main compound present in fish oil, reduces both inflammation and anxiety in healthy young people. The findings by a team of researchers at Ohio State University suggest that if young participants can get such improvements from specific dietary supplements, then the elderly and people at high risk for certain diseases might benefit even more. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have long been considered as positive additives to the diet. Earlier research suggested that the compounds might play a role in reducing the level of cytokines in the body, compounds that promote inflammation, and perhaps even reduce depression.

An international team, led by an Indian-origin scientist, has suggested that vitamin A found in foods such as carrots and broccoli could help combat pancreatic cancer, which has the lowest survival rate of all cancers.  Once diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, most patients do not survive more than 1 year. Dr Hemant Kocher of Barts Cancer Institute inLondon and The London NHS Trust, who led the four-year joint project with Cambridge University and the Hub-recht Institute in Holland, found that raising levels of Vitamin A in healthy cells around the cancerous ones can inhibit cancer growth.

We all know that fish and chips wouldn't be the same without salt. However, scientists have now claimed that the yearning for salt stimulates the brain like addiction to hard drugs or cigarettes.  They found that the craving triggers the same genes, brain cells and brain connections. The finding could help explain why many find it so hard to cut back on salt, despite warnings about dangers to blood pressure and heart health. For the study, Australian and American scientists kept some mice on low-salt diets and gave others a salt drip. Activity in the creatures' brains was then compared with that in mice fed normally. They also studied the brains of mice that had been starved of salt for three days and then given salty water to drink freely.

Eggs may be even better for us than previously thought with twice as many antioxidant properties as an apple, a new research has found. While eggs are well known to be an excellent source of proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, researchers at the University of Alberta recently discovered they also contain antioxidant properties, which helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Jianping Wu, Andreas Schieber and graduate students Chamila Nimalaratne and Daise Lopes-Lutz of the U of A Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science examined egg yolks produced by hens fed typical diets of either primarily wheat or corn. They found the yolks contained two amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine, which have high antioxidant properties.

The debate on global warming heats up, the agenda is clear: A non-polluted environment and good health. Deny as much as you do, but there's a hidden concern amongst today's generation on where we are heading and in what condition. In our own ways, we are looking for ways to healthy living. Here's a viable option that's also an enjoyable one!  Remember the old days where we could just ride away with a bicycle to almost any part of the town? If you visit a place like Puducherry (Pondicherry) and Chennai, there are still a good number of people riding bicycles. It's not just fun, but also healthy.  This is not only the best form of exercise, but also eco-friendly. If you are dreaming of a healthy future for the next generation, then perhaps you would consider this.  

Weight loss isn"t the only reason to lead a healthier lifestyle. By building healthy eating habits, you"ll be lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes while making your body feel stronger and more alert. Lots of people have a naturally high metabolism and don"t need to watch their weight, but this doesn"t mean they ought to live off chips, cookies, and chocolate milk every day. Heart Health Narrow people can be in danger for heart disease as well. because you don"t have a spare tire around your midsection doesn"t mean you shouldn"t worry about health issues such as diabetes and high cholesterol. in the event you don"t get any exercise, healthy eating is something that ought to be kept in mind for people of all shapes, weights, and sizes.

Teeth whitening is about over looking great, it is also about having confidence & a healthy smirk. There's lots of different at-home teeth whitening products available as well as the choice of seeing a cosmetic dentist to have your teeth professionally whitened. But, what in case you are looking for a way to naturally whiten your teeth? There's products & ways to whiten your teeth naturally without harsh chemicals or pricey professional treatments. Useful Herbs for Whitening of Teeth Babul (Acacia arabica) The importance of babul in whitening of teeth cannot be expressed in words. It is a lot important in Ayurveda for this purpose that the ancient Indians used nothing but the twigs of the babul (the other tree used for this is neem) as disposable toothbrushes. The tannin present in babul is effective in increasing the whiteness of teeth. The aerial roots of the banyan may even be used as disposable toothbrushes. The banyan roots have astringent properties, ...

Coffee drinkers enjoy not only the taste of their coffee but also a reduced risk of cancer with their cuppa, according to a research.  It showed that drinking coffee specifically reduces the risk of antiestrogen-resistant estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. Swedish researchers compared lifestyle factors and coffee consumption between women with breast cancer and age-matched women without. They found that coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of breast cancer than women who rarely drank coffee. The group from Karolinska Institutet explained that, "There is often conflicting information about the beneficial effects of coffee – when we compared our results to that of a German study we discovered that their data showed the same trend, but the relationship was much weaker. We suggest that this may have something to do with the way the coffee was prepared, or the type of bean preferred. It is unlikely that the protective effect is due to phytoestrogens ...

It is said that coffee is harmful to health, unlike tea. But it's important to know why tea is beneficial to health. Black tea, for that matter, has many health benefits.  Black tea (just like green tea) is plucked from a plant called camellia sinensis. The leaves of black tea, are steeped such that it can give a dark colour when used as a beverage. Also, the leaves are mature dry and processed such that it has a dark colour. Black tea has extremely low caffeine content, which is great for circulation. Fluoride is another content of black tea and thus allows oral and bone health. Black tea, contains flavonoids which are also found in apples. Unlike green tea, black tea, once processed eliminates all antioxidants existing in it. Black tea not only helps to fight bacteria but also strengthens the immune system. As one knows, drinking tea hydrates the body, thus a cup of black tea helps moisturise the skin. Black tea also balances the hormone ...

 Chocolate is healthier than many fruit juices and is a 'superfood' in its own right, says a new study conducted by a US-based chocolate company.  Superfoods are high in anti-oxidants and compounds that help prevent damage to healthy cells. Researchers from the Hershey Centre for Health & Nutrition in the US found that powdered dark chocolate had more anti-oxidants and polyphenols, believed to protect us from cancer and cardiac conditions, the  Chemistry Central Journal  reports. They compared single servings of dark chocolate, cocoa, and hot chocolate mix with fruit juices including acai berries, cranberries and pomegranates, according to a Hershey statement. The research showed that both dark chocolate and cocoa had more antioxidant activity and more flavonols than fruit. Debra Millar, who led the study, said chocolate should be labelled a "superfruit".