The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft.
Experts admit that aloe ointment actually did regenerate skin tissue. Apart from that unexpected endorsement, aloe vera is also unexpected endorsement, aloe vera is also widely acknowledged for its use in helping to treat digestive problems and boost your immune system and well being.
The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. The plant is also reputed to regenerate skin tissue, treat digestive problems and boost immune system and well being.
But do you know aloe vera plays a role in keeping your mouth naturally clean and healthy? It enhances defence mechanisms, provides nutritional support, increases the regenerative potential and has an anti inflammatory response.
Now, it seems that aloe vera can bring all of these health benefits to your mouth. A study published in General Dentistry found that aloe vera gel worked as well as regular toothpaste to clean teeth and eliminate pathogenic oral micro flora disease causing bacteria in the month. However, this has been a point of contention for some dental professionals.
The AGD article study mentioned in AGD compared the germ fighting ability of an aloe vera tooth gel to two commercially popular toothpastes and revealed that the aloe vera tooth gel was just as effective, and in some cases more effective, than commercial brands at controlling cavity causing organisms.
Dr Wynn cited the study as showing that oral health problems can be treated with aloe vera. ‘Aloe vera can be taken both as the aloe vera juice and aloe vera gel. These are the two modes of delivery recognized by the FDA, SAYS Dr Wynn. Aloe vera also accelerates healing and reduces pain associated with canker sores, which are blisters on the lips or mouth.
Aloe gel contains anthraquinones, which are chemical compounds that are used in healing and arresting pain because they are anti-inflammatory in nature. But, because aloe vera tooth gel tends to be less harsh on teeth, as it does not contain the abrasive elements typically found in commercial toothpaste, it is a great alternative for people with sensitive teeth or gums.
But before you rush to your local health food store to buy aloe vera toothpaste, beware that aloe must not be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effects of certain essential compounds, such as enzymes and polysaccharides.
One more thing to look out for is that not all aloe vera tooth gel contains the proper form of aloe vera. Products must contain the stabilized gel that is located in the centre of the aloe vera plant in order to be effective.
Looking after your teeth and gums is not just matter of vanity, but neglecting your oral health poses real health risks. Many studies have shown that good general health is directly linked to healthy gums, and gums disease has been linked to several medical conditions such as stroke, diabetes, heart attack and worsening lung disease.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tapeworm in brain causes epilepsy
Meat should be properly cooked. Experts have warned that eating undercooked meat from pigs exposes people to the danger of contracting pig tapeworm, whose eggs can mature into larvae which travel to the brain and induce epileptic fits.
Good hygiene, like washing hands before eating, can prevent epileptic seizures that are
caused by tapeworm eggs that get lodged in the brain. This is a cheap solution to preventing cases of epilepsy caused by an avoidable food-borne parasite, which the World Health Organization (WHO) said accounts for almost one-third of the world’s epilepsy cases.
Despite the fact that epilepsy is the most common of the brain disorders, it remains both feared and misunderstood. In epilepsy, there are disturbances in the normal activity of the brain, causing strange sensations and seizures. The terms seizure, fit and convulsion are often used to describe the same thing. And although the seizures will cease in half of childhood cases, it’s a life-long disorder for the rest. However, epilepsy has many possible causes, such as abnormal brain development, stroke, illness, brain damage, illness of the mother during pregnancy and meningitis, among other causes.
Roughly one person in every 200 will experience a seizure at some point in their life. Seizures can occur at any stage, but are more common in the first 20 years of life and in elderly people. More than half of all those who develop epilepsy have their first attack by the age of 15.
The infections that most commonly affect the brain are AIDS, meningitis and tuberculosis. However, scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Maryland, USA, in 2008 discovered that a tapeworm may cause epilepsy in a slightly different way. The larvae of tapeworm from undercooked infected pork become lodged in the brain, and here they can form dead, calcified cysts. This is known as neurocysticercosis.
Neurocysticercosis (NCC), an infection of the brain, is the most common cause of seizures and epilepsy in developing countries, where pig tapeworm is endemic. This infection of the brain is common in areas with poor sanitation. This parasite can live for years, sometimes for entire life-times, in the brains of humans who can be free of symptoms, but in general the most common symptoms include epileptic attacks, headaches, visual and skin problems, and psychiatric manifestations.
Eating raw or undercooked meat from pigs infected with tapeworm larvae allows the worm to develop in the intestine and shed eggs, which are passed in human faeces. The eggs are ingested, either by pigs or humans, through contaminated food. They then mature into larvae which travel to the brain and cause cysts, inducing seizures.
But the size of the link has surprised experts. A preliminary finding of a WHO-sponsored review of the global burden of epilepsy resulting from NCC infection found that 30 per cent of all people suffering epilepsy in countries where tapeworm is common also suffer from NCC.
Dr. Bola Orimadegun, a peadiatricain with the Institute of Child health, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, declared that many worms that people contract through contaminated food or water wreak havoc in the human body and that one of them is tapeworm.
Explaining why worms like tapeworm can cause epilepsy, he declared: “What usually happens is that that the worm migrates to the brain and then settles down in a part of it, causing a problem in the functioning of the brain.”
According to him, although epilepsy is an abnormal functioning of the brain that many people misinterpret as just someone jacking and foaming from the mouth, however, tapeworm is just one of the rare causes of epilepsy.
“Most epilepsy cases are of unknown origin in Africa, but for children, the majority of epilepsy cases are traceable to events around the time of their delivery and I think this is what efforts should concentrated on in a bid to reduce new cases of epilepsy,” he stated.
He explained: “Events during pregnancy, at the time of labour and immediately after birth, can predispose a child to developing epilepsy later in life. For instance, during pregnancy, if the mother is exposed to infections like rubella, it can cross through the placenta, the cord attaching the baby to the mother, to affect the unborn baby. During labour and birth, if delivery is unsupervised by a trained expert, the child may be delivered with some birth injury to the immature brain. The brain injury could be as a result of the child suffering deprivation of oxygen. So that may be the origin of epilepsy in some situations.
“In addition, infections like jaundice and meningitis, an infection of the covering of the brain, could be responsible for epilepsy in children, as a complication of these diseases. So, there are several things that are purely preventable, which cause epilepsy.”
Dr. Ike Lagunju, a consultant pediatrician at the UCH, Ibadan, said much as tapeworm could cause epilepsy, it is, however, rare in Nigeria. According to her, “it is a known fact that you can have tapeworm moving from the intestine going into the brain, but you see more of it in South Africa and other parts of Africa.”
She declared that sometimes when the worm is in the brain, ”it behaves like a tumour. It sits in the brain, takes up space, exerts pressure and then you find the patient coming down like a patient with a brain tumour.”
In addition, she pointed out that it was also a major cause of epilepsy in some developing countries, particularly, adult onset epilepsy. “You find this tapeworm in the brain and then the patient develops fits or convulsions that occur repeatedly, which we know as epilepsy. We have seen a few cases and you are able to make diagnosis when you do medical tests such as brain scan, computer tomograpy scan and magnetic resonance imaging.”
Although, this is rare cause of epilepsy, Dr. Lagunju stated, once such is detected, the individual would be treated with medicine and the invading parasite in the brain removed by surgeons.
Meanwhile, head injuries during road accidents could turn out to be a primary cause for the increasing incidence of epilepsy and that is why people riding two-wheelers should wear helmets. Also, a precautionary measure to prevent epilepsy should include adequate pre-natal care during a delivery to help rule out new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injuries. Epilepsy can be treated with the help of anti-epileptic drugs, so prompt medical examination and treatment should be a priority.
It is not only tapeworm that wants to “eat” the human brain, causing epilepsy. Others are Naegleria fowleri, a freshwater amoeba and Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan found in cats and rodents.
Good hygiene, like washing hands before eating, can prevent epileptic seizures that are
caused by tapeworm eggs that get lodged in the brain. This is a cheap solution to preventing cases of epilepsy caused by an avoidable food-borne parasite, which the World Health Organization (WHO) said accounts for almost one-third of the world’s epilepsy cases.
Despite the fact that epilepsy is the most common of the brain disorders, it remains both feared and misunderstood. In epilepsy, there are disturbances in the normal activity of the brain, causing strange sensations and seizures. The terms seizure, fit and convulsion are often used to describe the same thing. And although the seizures will cease in half of childhood cases, it’s a life-long disorder for the rest. However, epilepsy has many possible causes, such as abnormal brain development, stroke, illness, brain damage, illness of the mother during pregnancy and meningitis, among other causes.
Roughly one person in every 200 will experience a seizure at some point in their life. Seizures can occur at any stage, but are more common in the first 20 years of life and in elderly people. More than half of all those who develop epilepsy have their first attack by the age of 15.
The infections that most commonly affect the brain are AIDS, meningitis and tuberculosis. However, scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Maryland, USA, in 2008 discovered that a tapeworm may cause epilepsy in a slightly different way. The larvae of tapeworm from undercooked infected pork become lodged in the brain, and here they can form dead, calcified cysts. This is known as neurocysticercosis.
Neurocysticercosis (NCC), an infection of the brain, is the most common cause of seizures and epilepsy in developing countries, where pig tapeworm is endemic. This infection of the brain is common in areas with poor sanitation. This parasite can live for years, sometimes for entire life-times, in the brains of humans who can be free of symptoms, but in general the most common symptoms include epileptic attacks, headaches, visual and skin problems, and psychiatric manifestations.
Eating raw or undercooked meat from pigs infected with tapeworm larvae allows the worm to develop in the intestine and shed eggs, which are passed in human faeces. The eggs are ingested, either by pigs or humans, through contaminated food. They then mature into larvae which travel to the brain and cause cysts, inducing seizures.
But the size of the link has surprised experts. A preliminary finding of a WHO-sponsored review of the global burden of epilepsy resulting from NCC infection found that 30 per cent of all people suffering epilepsy in countries where tapeworm is common also suffer from NCC.
Dr. Bola Orimadegun, a peadiatricain with the Institute of Child health, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, declared that many worms that people contract through contaminated food or water wreak havoc in the human body and that one of them is tapeworm.
Explaining why worms like tapeworm can cause epilepsy, he declared: “What usually happens is that that the worm migrates to the brain and then settles down in a part of it, causing a problem in the functioning of the brain.”
According to him, although epilepsy is an abnormal functioning of the brain that many people misinterpret as just someone jacking and foaming from the mouth, however, tapeworm is just one of the rare causes of epilepsy.
“Most epilepsy cases are of unknown origin in Africa, but for children, the majority of epilepsy cases are traceable to events around the time of their delivery and I think this is what efforts should concentrated on in a bid to reduce new cases of epilepsy,” he stated.
He explained: “Events during pregnancy, at the time of labour and immediately after birth, can predispose a child to developing epilepsy later in life. For instance, during pregnancy, if the mother is exposed to infections like rubella, it can cross through the placenta, the cord attaching the baby to the mother, to affect the unborn baby. During labour and birth, if delivery is unsupervised by a trained expert, the child may be delivered with some birth injury to the immature brain. The brain injury could be as a result of the child suffering deprivation of oxygen. So that may be the origin of epilepsy in some situations.
“In addition, infections like jaundice and meningitis, an infection of the covering of the brain, could be responsible for epilepsy in children, as a complication of these diseases. So, there are several things that are purely preventable, which cause epilepsy.”
Dr. Ike Lagunju, a consultant pediatrician at the UCH, Ibadan, said much as tapeworm could cause epilepsy, it is, however, rare in Nigeria. According to her, “it is a known fact that you can have tapeworm moving from the intestine going into the brain, but you see more of it in South Africa and other parts of Africa.”
She declared that sometimes when the worm is in the brain, ”it behaves like a tumour. It sits in the brain, takes up space, exerts pressure and then you find the patient coming down like a patient with a brain tumour.”
In addition, she pointed out that it was also a major cause of epilepsy in some developing countries, particularly, adult onset epilepsy. “You find this tapeworm in the brain and then the patient develops fits or convulsions that occur repeatedly, which we know as epilepsy. We have seen a few cases and you are able to make diagnosis when you do medical tests such as brain scan, computer tomograpy scan and magnetic resonance imaging.”
Although, this is rare cause of epilepsy, Dr. Lagunju stated, once such is detected, the individual would be treated with medicine and the invading parasite in the brain removed by surgeons.
Meanwhile, head injuries during road accidents could turn out to be a primary cause for the increasing incidence of epilepsy and that is why people riding two-wheelers should wear helmets. Also, a precautionary measure to prevent epilepsy should include adequate pre-natal care during a delivery to help rule out new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injuries. Epilepsy can be treated with the help of anti-epileptic drugs, so prompt medical examination and treatment should be a priority.
It is not only tapeworm that wants to “eat” the human brain, causing epilepsy. Others are Naegleria fowleri, a freshwater amoeba and Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan found in cats and rodents.
Monday, December 14, 2009
With fruits, you can eat more and still lose weight
Most people who willingly embarked on weight losing exercise hardly complete it. This is because some see it as a big task. Unfortunately, losing weight seems natural. Do you want to loose weight fast? Enough of thinking of eating less and food. No more diet slash and burn or feeling denied, so you give up.
Why not eat more for weight loss and weight maintenance, instead of less?
Nutrionist say the trick to eating for weight loss is not really so tricky to eating for weight loss is not really so tricky but as simple a seating more colourful, good for you fruits and vegetables.
Now we all know we are supposed to eat fruits and vegetables for their vitamins and minerals, their roughage, and powerful disease-fighting benefits. But apparently good nutrition just isn’t alluring enough for most of us. Unfortunately, only few people eat as many as five pieces of fruits and vegetables a day.
If you are sincere about loosing weight, it is time you turn the tables and instead look at fruits and vegetables as a delicious way to cheat on a healthy weight loss diet. Eating enough produce seems to be one of the key elements in weight loss and weight maintenance.
So how does eating more food actually help you weigh less?
The first secret of fruits and vegetables is simple. They are nutrient dense. This means that for their weight, most produce is low in calories; so you can eat a lot more when your diet is rich in vegetables and fruits and still not consume a whole lot of calories. The second secret: Satiety. All produce, from juicy pear to a crispy bunch of red lettuce is packed with water and fiber and both of these not only keep the calories down, they make you feel fuller longer. This means you could be satisfying cravings for something sweet or crunchy everyday and still lose weight.
The real fruit and vegetables bonus
Along with helping in a weight loss diet, don’t forget the ultimate boon when you enjoy crisp vegetables and succulent fruit: you are getting disease fighting nutrition with all that taste, too.
Why not eat more for weight loss and weight maintenance, instead of less?
Nutrionist say the trick to eating for weight loss is not really so tricky to eating for weight loss is not really so tricky but as simple a seating more colourful, good for you fruits and vegetables.
Now we all know we are supposed to eat fruits and vegetables for their vitamins and minerals, their roughage, and powerful disease-fighting benefits. But apparently good nutrition just isn’t alluring enough for most of us. Unfortunately, only few people eat as many as five pieces of fruits and vegetables a day.
If you are sincere about loosing weight, it is time you turn the tables and instead look at fruits and vegetables as a delicious way to cheat on a healthy weight loss diet. Eating enough produce seems to be one of the key elements in weight loss and weight maintenance.
So how does eating more food actually help you weigh less?
The first secret of fruits and vegetables is simple. They are nutrient dense. This means that for their weight, most produce is low in calories; so you can eat a lot more when your diet is rich in vegetables and fruits and still not consume a whole lot of calories. The second secret: Satiety. All produce, from juicy pear to a crispy bunch of red lettuce is packed with water and fiber and both of these not only keep the calories down, they make you feel fuller longer. This means you could be satisfying cravings for something sweet or crunchy everyday and still lose weight.
The real fruit and vegetables bonus
Along with helping in a weight loss diet, don’t forget the ultimate boon when you enjoy crisp vegetables and succulent fruit: you are getting disease fighting nutrition with all that taste, too.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Home remedies for diarrhea
Most of us have experienced the pain and distress caused by diarrhea. That overwhelming desperation to get a toilet accompanied by the horrendous dread of not being able to make it in time. If that wasn’t bad enough there’s also the painful stomach cramps to contend with. Fortunately there are ways to cure both acute and chronic diarrhea naturally with home remedies.
Even though it is a common problem, it’s not one that many people are comfortable discussing. However, it is important to know what bowel movements are considered normal and when you should see your doctor, as repeat or prolonged episodes of diarrhea could be masking a more serious problem.
People's bowel movements vary a great deal while going three times a day is perfectly normal for some, others may average just three times a week. The important thing isn’t how often you’re going but that your stools are solid yet easy to pass when you do.
In the case of diarrhea bowel movements become more frequent than usual and are either loose or liquid. They may also be accompanied by painful stomach cramps, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting. An episode can either last for a short period, in which case it is labeled acute, or if it goes on two or more weeks it is defined as chronic.
You should see your doctor after a few days if acute diarrhea is severe and doesn’t settle, especially if you are dehydrated(symptoms of dehydration include excreting small amounts of dark urine, drowsiness and excessive thirst). The elderly and very young (under two years) are particularly at risk of dehydration resulting from diarrhea and should see their doctor at the earliest opportunity.
You should also seek immediate medical help if your stools contain blood and/or you are losing weight. These symptoms, in addition to prolonged or repeated bouts of diarrhea, can in some cases signal an underlying condition like ulcerative colitis or bowel cancer (for more examples please see the box below) which obviously needs specific treatment.
In cases where an underlying condition isn’t present, doctors routinely recommend drugs like diocalm, immodium and lomotil for diarrhea. However, they can cause nausea constipation and bloating and their long term use can be dangerous, since they can delay the expulsion of toxis substances from your bowel.
How to successfully overcome acute cases of diarrhea without drugs
In cases of acute diarrhea you should drink more fluid (3-4 litres a day). In order to avoid dehydration, take ready-mixed rehydration sachets, which can be easily obtained over the counter from most chemists.
A cheaper and equally as effective alternative to these to these rehydration preparations is to boil some rice in plenty of water, and theb drink the water containing the juices of the rice water contains maltodeztrins and L-histidine, which act on the inside linning of the bowel and reduce the inflammatory processes that cause diarrhea.
Herbs rich in dietary fibre, such as slippery elm and ispaghula (psyllium), have also been found to be effective in the treatment of diarrhea, as they absorb any excess fluid in the bowel and help give consistency to stools.
Even though it is a common problem, it’s not one that many people are comfortable discussing. However, it is important to know what bowel movements are considered normal and when you should see your doctor, as repeat or prolonged episodes of diarrhea could be masking a more serious problem.
People's bowel movements vary a great deal while going three times a day is perfectly normal for some, others may average just three times a week. The important thing isn’t how often you’re going but that your stools are solid yet easy to pass when you do.
In the case of diarrhea bowel movements become more frequent than usual and are either loose or liquid. They may also be accompanied by painful stomach cramps, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting. An episode can either last for a short period, in which case it is labeled acute, or if it goes on two or more weeks it is defined as chronic.
You should see your doctor after a few days if acute diarrhea is severe and doesn’t settle, especially if you are dehydrated(symptoms of dehydration include excreting small amounts of dark urine, drowsiness and excessive thirst). The elderly and very young (under two years) are particularly at risk of dehydration resulting from diarrhea and should see their doctor at the earliest opportunity.
You should also seek immediate medical help if your stools contain blood and/or you are losing weight. These symptoms, in addition to prolonged or repeated bouts of diarrhea, can in some cases signal an underlying condition like ulcerative colitis or bowel cancer (for more examples please see the box below) which obviously needs specific treatment.
In cases where an underlying condition isn’t present, doctors routinely recommend drugs like diocalm, immodium and lomotil for diarrhea. However, they can cause nausea constipation and bloating and their long term use can be dangerous, since they can delay the expulsion of toxis substances from your bowel.
How to successfully overcome acute cases of diarrhea without drugs
In cases of acute diarrhea you should drink more fluid (3-4 litres a day). In order to avoid dehydration, take ready-mixed rehydration sachets, which can be easily obtained over the counter from most chemists.
A cheaper and equally as effective alternative to these to these rehydration preparations is to boil some rice in plenty of water, and theb drink the water containing the juices of the rice water contains maltodeztrins and L-histidine, which act on the inside linning of the bowel and reduce the inflammatory processes that cause diarrhea.
Herbs rich in dietary fibre, such as slippery elm and ispaghula (psyllium), have also been found to be effective in the treatment of diarrhea, as they absorb any excess fluid in the bowel and help give consistency to stools.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)