Good News For All Breast Cancer Patients

Now there is this interesting story which you must know. This is the time of the year that poachers in Goa carrying torches and bags, venture into the open to hunt for frogs for their meaty hind legs. The Indian bullfrog has been renamed as jumping chicken in Goa. But the forest department has warned eating frogs could cause cancers, paralytic strokes, kidney failure and other deformities.

Moving on to our topic, a drug used to treat osteoporosis has shown to stop the growth of breast cancer, even the resistant ones. The name of the drug is bazedoxifene and this drug has been approved by the European Union. Before I start to talk, let me tell you what is meant by estrogen and estrogen receptor.

Dr. Ananya Mandal explains that estrogens are steroid compounds that are important for the development and functioning of the female species. They are primarily produced by ovaries. Estrogen receptors are a group of proteins which are inside cells. They are activated by estrogen hormone.

Hope you are clear with the above. Bazedoxifene our wonder drug prevents estrogen from fuelling breast cancer cell growth. And at the same time it also gets rid off the estrogen receptor. Due to this action the cancer cell does not develop resistance. In case of bone tissues this wonder drug copies the action of estrogen and helps it to protect from destruction.

To conclude, bazedoxifene has passed the safety tests and is already used for the treatment of osteoporosis. According to the researchers, this may become a best option for those suffering with advanced breast cancer tumors that have become resistant to other treatment options.

Take care,

Swarnam

Photo by Boians Cho Joo Young

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Can Healthy Diet Increase The Lifespan of People Suffering From Prostate Cancer

This is bit shocking news. Science Daily says that nearly 2.5 million men in US are suffering from prostate cancer. Another quarter million will be added this year. It is said that one in six men living in US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their life time. The statistics points to US we do not have sufficient data for the rest of the world.

Now what is prostate cancer? It is the cancer which develops in the tissues of prostate, a gland found in male reproductive system. These cancers mostly grow slowly and mainly affect older men. Genetics and diet play a role in the development of this disease. We are going to deal with diet in this post. Some studies say high meat consumption is a higher risk factor. Low levels of vitamin D in blood can also increase the risk of prostate cancer.

A new study has found that by making simple healthy changes to the diet, people suffering from prostate cancer can increase their lifespan. Curious to know more about it let me tell you. Fats obtained from olive and canola oil, nuts, seeds and avocadoes are considered healthy ones. If you substitute them in your diet instead of animal fats and carbohydrates, then you stand a chance to lower the risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.

The study points out that if you add 1 tablespoon of oil based dressing per day, it cuts the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 29% and the risk of death by 13%. Similarly one serving of nuts that is one ounce of nuts on a daily basis reduces the risk of prostate cancer by 18% and the risk of death by 11%.

The researchers advise that a heart healthy diet which consists of unsaturated oils and nuts is a wise choice for those affected with prostate cancer. Another research study points out that exercise may lower the risk of death in men suffering from this disease. Talking about healthy fats it is found that vegetarian diet lower the risk of death. Vegetable oils obtained from soy, corn and canola contain good amounts of linoleic acid which helps to lower heart disease.

Try making healthy alterations to your diet to lead a happy long life.

Take care,

Swarnam

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Lead Poisoning Can Trigger Schizophrenia

An article called “The killing mines” by Matteo Fagotto made me think. He reports that the gold miners in northern Nigeria are caught in a cruel paradox, to provide food for their family they have to keep on mining the very activity that is killing their children. In March 2010 an epidemic of Lead poisoning swept through Zamfara which took away 400 innocent little lives with it. This is due to gold mining and processing. If you want to know more about it just click the you tube video below.

When lead continues to build up in the body over a long period of time, say months or years it can lead to lead poisoning. Lead even in smaller amounts can cause serious harm to our body. Scientists have found that lead acts to trigger schizophrenia. When mice engineered with human gene for schizophrenia were exposed to lead during their early life, they exhibited behaviors and changes in brain structure similar to those of schizophrenia.

Earlier research studies pinpointed a connection between prenatal lead exposure in humans and increased chances of schizophrenia in later life. But Tomas R.Guitarte the senior author of this research study says lead directly inhibits a receptor which is known as N-methyl-D–aspartate receptor which is very important for brain development, learning and memory. Now for heaven’s sake don’t ask me what it is. My job as a blogger is to raise social awareness about various health issues. Your doctor would be the best person to answer this.

Scientists believe that lead is only a part of the whole subject that inhibits the development of brain, learning and memory. There could be other environmental toxins such as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which may cause harm to our development. The best way out to be healthy from all these problems is to go and be green.

Take care,

Swarnam

Photo by Ranjith Krishnan

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A Breakthrough - Antibiotics Can Cure Backpain

Do you suffer from chronic back pain? If your answer is yes, then sit tight this post may be your godsend. A recent study found that 40% of chronic back pain could be caused by bacteria. Some people may suffer from pain in their lower back caused by herniated bulging discs and swelling in the spine.

Mayoclinic says that herniated discs mean the problem with the rubbery cushions, between the individual bones that make up your spine. This condition occurs when the soft jelly pushes out through a crack in the tough bone exterior. This may irritate nearby nerves and result in pain and numbness.

Some bacteria such as the P. acnes which reside on the skin get into our blood stream. These bacteria hate oxygen rich environment and does not colonize inside our body. The spine does not have lots of oxygen when the disc gets damaged, blood vessels sprout into it. The bacterium moves in and settles down. There they flourish and spit out chemicals and acid. The acid corrodes the bone near the disc causing more pain and swelling.

Are you clear about the herniated disc and the cause of back pain? Now this research is considered a breakthrough and some neurological specialists have called the findings as the stuff of Nobel prizes. Danish researchers found that a combination of antibiotics amoxicillin and clavulanate for three months provides lasting relief from back pain. This treatment cured 80% of people or in other words greatly reduced their suffering.

Though the findings may definitely be considered a breakthrough, some doctors are quick to point out there may be various other causes that leads to back pain. Prof Piddock of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection says that specific tests should be carried out before antibiotics are prescribed for back pain. This prevents people from needlessly being exposed to drugs and gaining resistance to them. Becoming resistant to antibiotics increases the risk of future infections. 

Now turning our attention to your back pain, buy yourself a good ergonomically designed chair. Still if the problem persists, then it is time you visit your doctor.

Take care,

Swarnam

Photo by Stuart Miles

Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Calcium Increases Lifespan in Women

Calcium the wonder mineral can help women live longer. That is so nice to hear is it not? Researchers have found that taking calcium supplements of up to 1000mg per day increases the lifespan of women.

You can get the 1000mg of calcium either from dairy foods, non dairy foods or supplements. The source of calcium does not affect the longevity benefit associated with calcium. The study shows that taking calcium supplements lowers the risk of death by 22% over a 10 year period, on comparison with women who do not take supplements daily.

To give you some idea of calcium rich sources, it is found in milk, yogurt, cheese, kale, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, breads, pasta and tofu. You can go in for calcium supplements upon your doctor’s advice. Insufficient amounts of calcium in the body may lead to reduced bone mass which increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Calcium has some important functions in the body. It is stored in bones and teeth and supports the structure and hardness. It helps in muscle movement and helps nerves in transmission of messages between brain and other body parts. So make calcium your best diet buddy to enjoy a longer life.

Take care,

Swarnam

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Top Tips To Delay Ageing of Brain

This blog is all about spreading positive vibrations. I read about life coach Aravind Devalia’s six key rules which give you a 20/20 vision to move forward in your life. The key rules are stop wasting time, stop collecting clutter, stop being miserable, stop wasting money, stop abusing your body and stop ignoring key people in your life.

You know what? These six key rules are invisibly connected to our topic.  Wikipedia says that ageing involves physical, chemical, biological and psychological changes. This occurs to our brain as it sails near its dusk. MRI studies have found that as the brain ages there is decrease in cerebral volume.

There may be many causes that lead to ageing of brain. Out of these oxidative stress can also be blamed. When compared to other tissues the brain is unusually sensitive to oxidative damage. A new study has found that cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption expose the brain to large amounts of free radicals. These free oxidative radicals injure the neurons and other cells that makeup the brain. And the end result? The person has problems with memory, thinking, efficiency and problem solving skills. This becomes more pronounced with age.

Now let us discuss the methods to slow down the ageing of brain. Physical activity especially aerobic exercise keeps your brain young and healthy. Alertness can be increased by reading and enjoying mental activities. William Speed writes in Reader’s Digest that fit people have sharper brains and people who are out of shape but then get into shape, sharpen their brains.

If you have a wide circle of healthy friends and not the partying kind, it can help you in keeping the brain young. And finally eating healthy foods especially the ones that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants will keep your brain sharp and fit.

Take care,

Swarnam

Photo by Victor Habbick

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Can Fish Oil Help You To Become Slim

I read an amazing fact about fats by Stephanie Karl, a nutritionist. She says you get good fats from eggs, nuts, avocado, butter, cheese, coconut, nut oils, coconut oil, olive oil and flax seed oil. She advises to avoid all trans fats from processed food corn, soy, safflower, sunflower oil and margarine. Hope you got my point.

Coming back to fish oils, it is derived from tissues of oily fish. It contains omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Science has found that high fat diets could disrupt new nerve cell formation in the brain. Let me explain this process more clearly.

When you eat high fat diet inflammatory molecules called triglycerides are increased in the blood stream. They prevent hormones from passing into the brain. Now these hormones are secreted from body tissues, they protect neurons and stimulate nerve cell growth.

In animal studies scientists found that omega 3 restores the normal functioning of the neurons by suppressing the production and activity of these triglycerides. The omega 3 does not have a direct effect in this process but it indirectly plays its role. So go ahead and give the fish oil its deserved place in your diet.  

Simply put, fish oil increases the efficiency of brain’s control on the body’s intake of food. In this way it helps you to become slim. On the other hand you should do proper exercises and eat a healthy diet to notice a slimmer version of yourself.

Take care,

Swarnam

Photo by Victor Habbick

Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net