Two handfuls of cashews is the therapeutic equivalent of a prescription dose of Prozac. Inside you, the essential amino acid L-tryptophan is broken down into anxiety-reducing, snooze-inducing niacin. Even more important, tryptophan is also made into serotonin, one of your body’s most important neurotransmitters. Serotonin gives a feeling of well-being and mellowness, or as the Australians would say, “no worries.” This is such a profound effect that Prozac, Paxil and similar antidepressants usually either mimic serotonin or artificially keep the body’s own serotonin levels high. You can do the same thing with your food. And no one can tell us that beans, peas, cheese, nuts and wheat germ are toxic if you eat a lot of them! Plenty of carbohydrates (starches) in your meals help tryptophan get to where it does the most good: in your brain. In order to cross the blood-brain barrier to get in, carbos are required. So cheese and crackers provides a better effect than the cheese standing alone. An egg or two on toast is better than just the egg. Beans, peas, and nuts already contain carbohydrate, so you are all set there. Consider that five servings of beans, a few portions of peanut butter, or just one big handful of cashews provides one to two thousand milligrams of tryptophan, which will work as well as prescription antidepressants… but don’t tell the drug companies. Some skeptics think that the pharmaceutical people already know. Here are two quotes in evidence: “Pay careful attention to what is happening with dietary supplements in the legislative arena… If these efforts are successful, there could be created a class of products to compete with approved drugs. The establishment of a separate regulatory category for supplements could undercut exclusivity rights enjoyed by the holders of approved drug applications.” (Source: FDA Deputy Commissioner for Policy David Adams, at the Drug Information Association Annual Meeting, July 12, 1993) Here are 15 other Amazing Health Benefits Of Cashew Nuts Who doesn’t know about cashew nuts? Caju is what we call them in India. We use them mostly in sweets and children love to eat them as they are. They are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals which are required for the normal functioning of the body. They actually belong to Brazil but Portuguese brought them to India in the 16th century. The kidney shaped or bean shaped nuts have many health benefits, a few of which are presented below: 1. Prevents Cancer: Proanthocyanidins are a class of flavonols which fight against tumor cells by stopping them to divide further. These proanthocyanidins and high copper content in cashew nuts help fight against cancerous cells and keeps you away from colon cancer. This is one of the major cashew nut benefits. 2. Healthy Heart: Cashews contain low fat content when compared to other nuts and that too in the oleic acid form which is very healthy for heart. They are cholesterol free and the antioxidants present keeps you away from heart diseases. 3. Lowers High Blood Pressure: Cashew nuts lower your blood pressure with the help of magnesium present in them. 4. Helps Hair: Copper is the mineral which helps your hair get that color. So if you take cashews which are full of copper content, you can get that black hair that you always wished for. 5. Healthy Bones: Like calcium, magnesium is also important for bone health which is the main content in cashew nuts. 6. Healthy Nerves: Magnesium is stored on the bones surface which prevents calcium from entering the nerve cells and thus keeps the blood vessels and muscles relaxed. Insufficient amount of magnesium can lead calcium to enter the blood vessels leading them to contract. It also leads to high blood pressure, migraine headache etc. 7. Prevents Gallstones: Daily intake of cashewnut can reduce the risk of developing gallstones up to 25%. 8. Helps in Weight Loss: Even though cashew nuts are considered as fats, it contains good cholesterol. So contrary to popular belief, those who eat cashews at least twice a week gain less weight when compared to those who eat less. 9. Anti-oxidants: Selenium, copper, magnesium etc. act as co-factors for many enzymes. 10. Helps Digestion: Cashew nuts help in growth and development, nucleic acid synthesis and digestion. 11. High on Vitamins: Cashew nuts are rich in vitamins like riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, niacin etc. These vitamins keep you safe from sideroblastic anemia, pellagra, etc. 12. Healthy Gums and Teeth: As mentioned before, the magnesium content present in cashew nuts is very good for bones. So it gives healthy teeth as well as strong gums to hold them. 13. Pleasant sleep: After menopause, these cashew nuts can give you relaxed and pleasant sleep during nights. 14. Free Radicals: Cashew nuts help our body to utilize iron properly and eliminate free radicals which cause health problems. 15. Macular Degeneration: Cashew nuts have the ability to filter Sun’s UV rays and protect us from macular degeneration. Now that you know the health benefits of Cashew nuts, ensure that you eat a few once every week I am sure you already love them.
Day: 09/10/2015
Antenatal Iron Use in Malaria Endemic Settings Evidence of Safety?
Anemia related to iron deficiency during pregnancy occurs in 19% of women worldwide and in 20% of women in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Findings from observational studies reveal a linear, inverse relationship between maternal anemia and risk of maternal mortality across the entire distribution of hemoglobin concentrations, although confounding may be an issue.2,3 Severe anemia in pregnancy may result in maternal death due to cardiac failure. The current World Health Organization (WHO) guideline is to provide 30 to 60 mg of elemental iron and 400 µg of folic acid daily throughout pregnancy. This recommendation is mainly based on the proven effects of supplementation in reducing maternal anemia, iron deficiency, and low birth weight.4 In addition, approximately 35 million pregnant women, nearly all of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, are at risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection annually.5 Across Africa, the prevalence of infection among children aged 2 to 10 years has declined from 26% in 2000 to 14% in 2013.5 Still, in 2013, an estimated 437 000 malaria deaths occurred in children younger than 5 years, representing 83% of all deaths due to malaria in Africa.
Here’s everything you need to know about the newly discovered hominid species.
One of the biggest discoveries in decades.
Researchers have discovered a brand new species of human ancestor buried deep inside a South African cave system. The fossils uncovered included 15 partial skeletons, making it the biggest single discovery of its kind in Africa.
But what’s most exciting is that this new ancestor, named Homo naledi, may have been one of the first members of our genus, and may change our understanding of human evolution forever. The mass discovery also suggests that the species may have been ritualistic – a trait thought to be unique to humans.
Although there’s still a lot to be learnt about the new species, the team – which was led by National Geographic explorer and University of the Witwatersrand researcher Lee Berger, and involved Australian scientists from James Cook University – believes that H. naledi could have lived in Africa up to 3 million years ago.
Here’s what we know so far:
- The species walked upright at a height of around 150 centimetres.
- Despite their height, they also had a tiny brain only slightly larger than a chimpanzee’s, with a volume of around 450 to 550 cubic centimetres.
- The skeletons suggest that H. naledi wasn’t carrying much body weight, with researchers estimating an average weight of around 45 kg. Their bodies also appear to have been built to walk long distances.
- H. naledi had small, modern-looking teeth and feet similar to humans, but more primitive fingers.
- It’s believed the bodies of these individuals were buried in the chamber intentionally, possibly as some type of burial ritual. No evidence of that kind of behaviour has been seen in such a primitive human ancestor before.
- The fossils were discovered inside the Rising Star cave system, 48 km northwest of Johannesburg. They were named after the Dinaledi chamber where they were found.
- Currently the researchers believe that H. naledi may sit between Homo habilis and Homo erectus on the family tree.
The researchers are avoiding the term ‘missing link’ at all costs, but Berger told Pallab Ghosh from the BBC that the species could be thought of as a “bridge” between primates and modern humans.
“What we are seeing is more and more species of creatures that suggests that nature was experimenting with how to evolve humans, thus giving rise to several different types of human-like creatures originating in parallel in different parts of Africa,” Berger told the BBC. “Only one line eventually survived to give rise to us.”
The results have been published in two concurrent papers in the journal eLife, and a story on the discovery appears on the cover of the October issue of National Geographic, which included the beautiful reconstruction at the top of this story showing what the species might have looked like.
The researchers are now working to find out more about the lives of these mysterious hominids, and are incredibly lucky to have a huge amount of fossils to work with. The bones recovered include nearly every age group, from infants and teens to adults and the elderly.
“We are going to know everything about this species,” said Berger. “We are going to know when its children were weaned, when they were born, how they developed, the speed at which they developed, the difference between males and females at every developmental stage from infancy, to childhood to teens to how they aged and how they died.”
Watch the video. URL: https://youtu.be/LK4aNi8gaG4
NASA Created A Material That Can Heal Itself In Less Than A Second From Hurtling Space Debris.
Scientists at NASA’s Langley Research Center are studying new materials that can self-heal in seconds under extreme temperatures and from flying space junk.
The research is a combination of work from a student on fellowship at NASA from the University of Michigan and nearly a decade-and-a-half of study on self-healing materials for both aircrafts and spacecrafts.
NASA scientists said it works much like a puncture healing in the body, but faster. The organically designed polymers respond to energetic events such as space debris – or bullets – rapidly hitting the material. The material’s chemistry activates on impact to help plug a hole or leak to repair the craft potentially within less than a second.
It was gratifying to see as we actually test this material on the field it actually works.
Testing actually involves shooting a bullet through the material to see how it reacts after penetration. The small molecules of the polymer substance the material is made of flows around the bullet when it hits the matter, but the structural integrity of the material stays intact.
This is because the polymer reacts to heating. “As the bullet goes in it actually raises the temperature around the region,” NASA scientists Mia Siochi explained in a video about the project. “It was gratifying to see as we actually test this material on the field it actually works.”
This substance not only has life-saving applications for astronauts, but also future use in consumer products as well. Imagine getting a dent in your car and it immediately popping back to its original structure.
NASA told TechCrunch this is still early days and it is working to improve on the tensile strength of these polymers, but there is progress here. The material works well enough that it could be used on the next human space mission.
Watch the video.URL:https://youtu.be/JVWFvKxrcLg
Did U.S. military labs mishandle bubonic plague?
The U.S. Department of Defense is looking into possible mishandling of bubonic plague and equine encephalitis samples at its laboratories, a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday.
The new inquiry is part of an investigation into the mishandling of anthrax at Department of Defense labs, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.
The department hasn’t determined whether samples containing plague bacteria and specimens of the deadly virus were shipped from its labs, Cook said.
“One of the things they’re doing right now is trying to assess whether any of these substances, first of all, pose any sort of threat; second of all, whether these substances were shipped to any other laboratories,” he said.
UK received live anthrax from Pentagon
He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined there is no risk to the health of workers or the public.
Pressed by reporters for more answers about the investigation at a briefing Thursday, Cook said he was revealing everything he could.
“We’re trying to be as forthcoming as we can be right now without alarming the public,” he said.
Labeling, storage raise concerns
The latest investigation started after CDC inspectors found a sample of the plague in a freezer outside of a containment area on August 17 at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland, Cook said.
Investigators are working to determine whether the sample posed an “infectious threat,” Cook said. Army tests found it was not infectious.
“That’s the scientific work that’s being done at this particular time, determining exactly what happened there, and whether or not … there was mislabeling,” he said.
Investigators are also looking into whether samples of equine encephalitis were labeled properly in logs, he said.
Anthrax shipments sparked inquiry
Earlier this year the Defense Department began an investigation after determining live anthrax samples had been shipped from Pentagon labs to 86 research facilities in the United States and at least seven foreign countries over the last several years.
Last week, the secretary of the Army directed an immediate review of safety procedures at all Defense Department labs and facilities involved in the handling of toxic agents, such as anthrax.
The review ordered by Secretary John McHugh follows the discovery of anthrax contamination at a facility in Utah along with instances of incomplete record keeping at two other facilities in the United States.
Bacteria, virus can be deadly
Cook didn’t provide details about the samples in question. A report in USA Today said the investigation involved specimens of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, and also two viruses that can cause serious illnesses: Eastern equine encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis.
Yersinia pestis, the same type of bacterium that was responsible for the plague pandemic that wiped out 60% of the European population between the 14th and 17th centuries, maintains a foothold in the United States and around the globe in rodents and the fleas that live on them. Today, the infections are treatable with antibiotics if they’re caught early enough. Since 1970, there have been anywhere from a few to a few dozen cases of plague every year in the United States, most of them occurring in Western states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eastern equine encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis are viruses that can be spread to humans by mosquitoes. According to the CDC, only a few cases of the illness are reported in the United States each year, but it’s one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the country, resulting in death in roughly a third of cases and causing significant brain damage in most survivors.
METEOR EXPLODES OVER BANGKOK AND IT LOOKS AMAZING
watch the video. URL: https://youtu.be/3RavHx9peVM
REAL-TIME MAP REVEALS CHINA’S DEADLY AIR POLLUTION
Using Google maps and new data on China’s air pollution, Berkeley researchers created a real-time map of the country’s appalling air quality. The map is based on findings that the scientists published last month in the journal PLoS One. Using hourly air pollution data from more than 1,500 sites, researchers concluded that air pollution is responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.6 million people in China every year, or about 4,400 people a day. That’s roughly 17 percent of all deaths, or put another way, nearly 1 in 5 deaths can be attributed to the country’s toxic air pollution.
“Earlier studies put China’s annual air pollution death toll at one to two million, but this is the first to use newly released Chinese air monitoring figures,” says South China Morning Post. The authors of the study are members of Berkeley Earth, an independent nonprofit devoted to “expanding scientific investigations, educating and communicating about climate change, and evaluating mitigation efforts in developing and developed economies.”
Though pollution in China’s northeast corridor running from Beijing to Shanghai is “particularly intense,” the problem is widespread.
Consistent with prior findings, the greatest pollution occurs in the east, but significant levels are widespread across northern and central China and are not limited to major cities or geologic basins,” said researchers.
They found that during a four month period from April to August 2014, 92 percent of the population experienced more than 120 hours of “unhealthy air” based on the standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And 38 percent experienced long-term average concentrations that were unhealthy.
“[The] map provides near real-time information on particulate matter air pollution less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5),” researchers said. PM2.5 is microscopic particulate matter that is small enough to “lodge deep inside a person’s lungs and cause health problems in the long term,” saysSouth China Morning Post. “Under typical conditions, PM2.5 is the most damaging form of air pollution likely to be present, contributing to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, respiratory infections and other diseases,” say the researchers.
Today, the map shows the areas around Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nantong, Nanjing, Yichang, Luzhou, Qíngdao and Laiwu as having “unhealthy” air quality. Large portions of the map fall under the category of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and the vast majority of the mapped area falls under the “moderate” health category. Only a very few small areas fall under the category of “good.” The most unsafe air quality index (180.9) can be found near the city of Yichang, a major economic hub for the region. Its PM2.5 air pollution concentration is 113.4.
To put China’s air pollution problem in perspective, look at Madera, California. The American Lung Association lists Madera’s air pollution as the worst in the country. And yet, “99.9 percent of the eastern half of China has a higher annual average for small particle haze than Madera,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Robert Rohde. “In other words, nearly everyone in China experiences air that is worse for particulates than the worst air in the U.S.”
Earlier this year, a documentary exposing China’s abysmal air quality went viral within days of its release. The film was hailed by some government officials, but was ultimately banned by the state.
Watch the video. URL: https://youtu.be/T6X2uwlQGQM
10 BEST CANCER KILLING PHYTONUTRIENTS TO EAT
Thirty years of research reveals 10 of the best food phytonutrients to ingest to protect against and even treat the root cause of most cancers.
A new medical model is fast emerging in line with ancient wisdom: one that aims to strike to the root cause of disease and resolve it permanently, and which some call “functional medicine.” In cancer treatment, this highly rational approach involves targeting the cancer stem cells (CSCs) at the root of cancer malignancy. Because we now know that CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and may even increase in number and invasveness when exposed to these outdated therapies, it is no longer ethical to continue with the conventional oncologist’s “standard of care.” Clearly, unless a cancer treatment is capable of selectively killing and/or inducing suicide programs (apoptosis) within cancer cells without harming non-cancerous cells, it is not going to produce a cure.
In light of this, we are excited to report on a new review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences titled, “Phytochemicals as Innovative Therapeutic Tools against Cancer Stem Cells,” which evaluated the evidence for what natural compounds within various foods and spices make for the most compelling treatments for targeting CSCs.
According to the review of 30 years worth of literature on the topic, the following 10 natural substances have been demonstrated to be the most effective chemopreventive dietary agentsagainst CSCs:
-
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): A green tea extract
-
Curcumin: The primary polyphenol in turmeric root
-
Resveratrol: A phytochemical found in grapes, peanuts, Japanese knotweed
-
Lycopene: A red carotenoid found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, and tomatoes
-
Pomegranate extracts
-
Luteolin: A flavonoid found in peppers and various green vegetables
-
Genistein: A phytochemical found in soy, red clover, and coffee
-
Piperine: A phytochemicals found in black pepper
-
β-carotene: An orange carotenoid found in various vegetables
-
Sulforaphane: A sulfurous phytochemical found in Cruciferous vegetables
The researchers described the discovery that phytochemicals can selectively target CSCs as “a milestone in the improvement of cancer treatment because the synthetic anticancer drugs that are currently used are often highly toxic for healthy organs and weakens the patient’s immune system.”
They also pointed out that the phytochemicals or extracts identified above, due to their “low levels of toxicity for normal cells,” can be used in combination with other phytochemicals, “yielding powerful synergistic effects.”
They identified several key areas of focus for the future:
-
Finding a way to combine these compounds into “very active cocktails of phytochemicals” to address the multiple areas of treatment resistance often found in CSCs.
-
Compare the effects of natural phytochemicals with synthetic drugs, the latter of which they anticipate will be found to be less efficient.
-
Further research should be performed on CSCs to better understand the signaling pathways that govern their self-renewal and survival.
The authors concluded, “[T]he use of phytochemicals may be a true therapeutic strategy for eradicating cancer through the elimination of CSCs.”
If you have followed GreenMedInfo.com news, you know cover the complex terrain of modern cancer treatment and its failures in various exposes on cancer overdiagnosis, the misunderstood nature of cancer, the reality of chemo and radiation resistance, the sorcerer-like power that doctors have over the health destiny of their patients, and the corruptpharmaceutically-driven medical system that sacrifices ethics for profit. It is clear that while this is a harrowing task and topic, often fraught with darkness, the discovery that natural substances are superior to highly toxic chemotherapy and radiation in selectively killing the root cause of cancer is extremely promising and should help to usher in a new era of cancer prevention and treatment that looks at our dietary decisions as the most important factor in our health destiny
Carbonated Drinks Associated With A High Risk Of Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Carbonated beverages have been linked to yet another health problem.
Popping open a can of soda is pretty standard behavior for a lot of us. Yes, we know it’s chock full of sugar and calories, and the artificially sweetened ones have been accused of being linked to everything from depression to metabolic syndrome. Sometimes you’re just craving one of the fizzy, refreshing beverages, but a new study suggests yet another reason we should be ditching the soft drinks.
According to research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Conference earlier this month, carbonated beverages are associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of cardiac origin.
“Some epidemiologic studies have shown a positive correlation between the consumption of soft drinks and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke, while other reports have demonstrated that the intake of green tea and coffee reduced the risk and mortality of CVD,” said principal investigator Professor Keijiro Saku, Dean and professor of cardiology at Fukuoka University in Japan.
Saku says that while sodas have been linked to an increase in metabolic syndrome and CVD, this study was the first to make an association between drinking large amounts of carbonated beverages and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) of cardiac origin.
The study involved tracking the various beverage consumption of almost 800,000 patients between the years of 2005 and 2011. The analysis focused on cases of OHCA that received resuscitation, 55.4 percent of which were of cardiac origin, and 44.7 percent were of non-cardiac origin. Researchers compared the age-adjusted incidence of OHCAs to the consumption of different beverages, and found that expenditures on carbonated beverages were significantly associated with OHCAs of cardiac, but not non-cardiac origin.
Expenditures on other beverages, including green tea, black tea, coffee, cocoa, milk, mineral water, and fruit and vegetable juice were not significantly linked to OHCAs of cardiac origin. The data on beverage consumption was obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.
“Carbonated beverage consumption was significantly and positively associated with OHCAs of cardiac origin in Japan, indicating that beverage habits may have an impact on fatal CVD,” said Professor Saku. “The acid in carbonated beverages might play an important role in this association.”
Saku also said that the team’s data is based on expenditure, and that the association with OHCA is not casual. The findings do, however, indicate that limiting consumption of carbonated beverages could benefit health.
Source: Saku, K. Carbonated beverages are associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of cardiac origin: from the All-Japan Utstein Registry. European Society of Cardiology. 2015.
Acupuncture’s Benefits Include Lowering Blood Pressure: How The Ancient Chinese Therapy Treats Hypertension
The needles might seem intimidating, but acupuncture actually relieves pain.
Acupuncture — the ancient Chinese treatment of inserting very thin needles into your skin as a therapy for chronic pain — has for a long time been seen as a traditional form of medicine without any real scientific benefits. However, more and more research has been proving that acupuncture has viable health benefits, from improving skin to reducing pain and stress — and now, even lowering blood pressure.
The latest study, published in the journal Medical Acupuncture, examined the effects of acupuncture on 65 hypertensive patients who weren’t on any hypertension meds. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group received electroacupuncture (low-intensity electrical stimulation on different needle points in the body) on their inner wrists and below their knees, and 70 percent of the participants saw a reduction in blood pressure, an improvement that lasted over a month. This group also saw a reduction of blood concentration levels of norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter that constricts blood vessels and elevates blood pressure.
Interestingly, it appears that the location of electroacupuncture — such as whether it’s in the wrists, arms, or legs — plays a large role in determining its efficacy. The second group received electroacupuncture on their forearm and lower leg, but they didn’t see the same lowered blood pressure as the first group.
“This clinical study is the culmination of more than a decade of bench research in this area,” Dr. John Longhurst, a cardiologist and an author of the study, said in the press release. “By using Western scientific rigor to validate an ancient Eastern therapy, we feel we have integrated Chinese and Western medicine and provided a beneficial guideline for treating a disease that affects millions in the U.S.”
Traditional Chinese physicians believe that acupuncture is a matter of balancing energy flow throughout the body. This energy or life force, known as “qi,” flows through certain points in the body known as meridians. When the acupuncturist inserts a needle into the meridian, the qi will rebalance itself. The science behind it, of course, is still being investigated, but generally acupuncture has shown the ability to stimulate nerves in these points, releasing chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. The cascading release of chemicals and hormones can have an impact on chronic pain and even overall mental health.
Acupuncture has been used to treat oral pain, headaches, muscle tension, and even menstrual cramps. Other studies have shown acupuncture’s effects can be seen in brain activity changes — especially in areas that process pain. But whether acupuncture truly relieves pain or allows a placebo effect to take hold is still being debated.
And when it comes to blood pressure, acupuncture may reduce your hypertension — but only if you’re not taking any other hypertension medicine. The researchers note that further research will need to be done before they can claim acupuncture works well as a supplement to other medications.
Source: Peng L, Tjen-A-Looi S, Ling C, Dongmei L, Jeannette P, Sivarama V. Long-Lasting Reduction of Blood Pressure by Electroacupuncture in Patients with Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial. Medical Acupuncture. 2015.
ARYAN'S BLOG 