Topic: Health & Healing

Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors.

Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat vegetarian diet also resulted in weight loss but without the additional cardiovascular benefits.

New natural treatments may help improve the quality of life for more than 21 million osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers, according to new research presented at the 2009 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo. Studies show that a novel, natural chicken derivative is more effective and longer-lasting than traditional chondroitin and glucosamine treatments.

Osteoarthritis causes localized joint inflammation, often with crippling effects. Conventional medicines used to treat OA include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, which can cause gastric injury. Alternatives such as rofecoxib and valdecoxib increase the rise of cardiovascular dysfunctions, including stroke. The new natural arthritis treatments do not have these side effects, making them more appealing to those with arthritis symptoms.

A health related web site has released the results of a survey on the preventative effects of over the counter health products on swine flu. Results show 45.75% believe health products are not preventative while 54.25% feel they do help prevent swine flu.

According to the latest survey released by ConditionNutrition.com, 45.75% of respondents believe that taking over the counter heath products have no preventative effect on swine flu. The informal survey so far has gathered 1248 responses where 571 people, or 45.75%, felt health products had no effect and 677 individuals, or 54.25% believed that these products do in fact prevent the onset of swine flu. With growing reports daily of new swine flu cases in numerous states, Joseph A. Sochet, President of Condition Nutrition, is surprised that more respondents don't feel that "taking health products would be a great preventative measure by increasing peoples' immune system and encouraging a healthy lifestyle."

Leading dermatologist Dr. Joshua Fox warns that marks, blemishes, blotches and discolorations can alert to internal problems.

While moisturizers and make-up, facial peels and Botox can make our skin look beautiful and young, sometimes the external skin discolorations, blemishes, blotches or other unsightly marks we seek to remove are actually signs of an underlying internal disease. And your dermatologist may be the critical first line of defense against serious illness such as cancer, lupus, high cholesterol, pulmonary and cardiac disease, among others.

Dr. Mirzakarim Norbekov's method has received huge acclaim and recognition, especially in overcoming chronic conditions and illnesses. Using the analogy of "vision improvement" as a vehicle, Norbekov has set out his system in an easy colloquial manner.

Dr. Mirzakarim Sanakulovich Norbekov is the creator of a unique healing methodology which has allowed millions of people to regain the joy and vigor of returning again to living a healthy and fulfilling life.

Several recent studies show that yoga helps alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and even post traumatic stress disorder. Safe, affordable, and accessible, yoga is a natural solution to the stress response.

The impact of the current economic recession on our mental well-being is clear: we're stressed out. Here are just a few examples:

• Nearly one in five women said their work hours have increased during the recession, and half feel more stress because of the economy. (Adecco Group North America, April 22-24, 2009)
• In one poll of more than 1,000 Americans, 25% said they were more likely to eat high-calorie food because of the economic downturn. In one example, a nurse who couldn't find a job found her way to her refrigerator more often instead, gaining 30 pounds in two months. (Forbes Woman, Feb 20 2009)
• In a recent poll, 80 percent of the population surveyed reported the economy is causing them significant stress, up from 66 percent last April. The National Sleep Foundation said 27 percent of people surveyed last fall had sleeplessness because of economic anxiety. (American Psychological Association, September 2008)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls jumped to 50,158 in January 2009 from 39,465 a month in January 2008, and economic stress more frequently "played a central role," said Richard McKeon, the group's federal project officer. (New York Times, April 8 2009)

Chinese researchers have unlocked the mechanism of an emerging mind-body technique that produces measurable changes in attention and stress reduction in just five days of practice.

Integrative body-mind training (IBMT) was adapted from traditional Chinese medicine in the 1990s in China, where it is practiced by thousands of people. It is now being taught to undergraduates involved in research on the method at the University of Oregon.

The major polyphenol found in turmeric, an ingredient used in curry, appears to reduce weight gain and suppress the growth of fat tissue in mice.

Curcumin, the major polyphenol found in turmeric, appears to reduce weight gain in mice and suppress the growth of fat tissue in mice and cell models. Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA) studied mice fed high fat diets supplemented with curcumin and cell cultures incubated with curcumin.

Salad dressing aside, a pile of spinach has more nutritional value than a wedge of iceberg lettuce. That's because darker colors in leafy vegetables are often signs of antioxidants that are thought to have a variety of health benefits. Now a team of plant physiologists has developed a way to make lettuce darker and redder - and therefore healthier - using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes.

The dark red tinges on a leaf of red leaf lettuce are the plant kingdom's equivalent of suntan lotion. When bombarded with ultraviolet rays from the sun, the lettuce leaf creates UV-absorbing polyphenolic compounds in its outer layer of cells. Some of these compounds are red and belong to the same family that gives color to berries and apple skin. They help block ultraviolet radiation, which can mutate plant DNA and damage the photosynthesis that allows a plant to make its food.

Primary care physicians with a "special interest" in managing back pain are actually less well-informed about the latest research-based evidence on back pain treatment.

Primary care physicians with a "special interest" in managing back pain are actually less well-informed about the latest research-based evidence on back pain treatment, reports a study in the May 15 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.