Cancer Prevention: Eat Your Cabbage?

Can eating your broccoli and cabbage help protect you against lung cancer? According to a study published in the October 29, 2005 issue of the British medical journal, Lancet, the answer is yes. 

 

This isn’t the first time that it’s been suggested that cruciferous vegetables may have a preventive effect against lung cancer, but it is the largest scale study to date. There have been a number of smaller observational studies that reported a possible link between the vegetables and lung cancer prevention, but they were considered to be too small to be definitive. This study, conducted by a group of researchers at the Genetic Epidemiology Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, compared 2,141 people diagnosed with lung cancer with a group of healthy people in the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. They chose countries where the consumption of vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts has been traditionally high.

 

“We found protective effects with at least weekly consumption of cruciferous vegetables,” the research letter in the Lancet stated. 

 

Researchers believe that the beneficial effects of cruciferous vegetables are due to the high content of isothiocyanates, phytonutrients that seem to have a strong anti-cancer effect. They are a more bioavailable form of glucosinolates, which also have been shown to have anti-cancer effects. The research conducted at Lyons takes the knowledge a step further.

 

Studies have shown that isothiocyanates neutralize cancerous cells by inhibiting cell proliferation. The cycle of a normal cell in the body proceeds from cell division, through specialization, and eventually, when the cell has either become damaged or has finished doing its job, to apoptosis - or cell death. The problem with cancer cells is that they don’t go through apoptosis. For some reason, their mutations make them resistant to the message that it’s time to die. Isothiocyanates appear to be a catalyst that triggers apoptosis. In laboratory experiments, they’ve induced apoptosis in a number of cell lines. They also seem to slow proliferation of a number of types of cancer cells, including lung cancer lines.

 

The researchers at Lyons found that there is also a correlation between genetics and the preventive effect of cruciferous vegetables. There are two genes that produce an enzyme that remove isothiocyanates from the body. The Lyons study correlated the results from a diet questionnaire with blood tests to determine whether those studied had inactive or active forms of those genes. They found that in people who had an inactive form of one of the two genes had a 37% lower risk of developing lung cancer. Those with an inactive form of the other had a 33% lower risk of developing lung cancer. In those with both genes inactive, there was a 72% reduction in lung cancer risk. In those who had two active gene types, there was no difference in risk at all.

 

Said Paul Brennan, lead author of the research letter, “, this indicates that there is a specific protective effect against lung cancer from cruciferous vegetables.”

 

Random trials to absolutely confirm the findings would be expensive and time consuming, Brennan notes. In the meantime, though, including cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli or turnips in your diet at least once a week may help reduce your risk of developing lung cancer.

Cancer Patient Beats the Odds, Hopes to Inspire Others

James Nebus, 71, never expected to walk his daughter down the aisle or see the birth of his first grandson. 

 

While the holiday time is supposed to joyful, that was not the case for the Nebus family. In December of 2000, they received the grim news that Nebus had a brain tumour and only had months to live. But with highly aggressive treatment, a fighting spirit and a supportive family, he is now a cancer survivor who is hoping to inspire other patients with his story.

 

Diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of brain tumours, Nebus took his prognosis head on and researched available treatment options. That was when he found Dr. Phillip G. St. Louis, a Florida Hospital neurosurgeon, and Dr. Nicholas Avgeropoulos, a Florida Hospital Cancer Institute neuro-oncologist, who teamed up to help give Nebus his fighting chance.

 

Shortly after the initial diagnosis, Nebus underwent brain surgery to remove the tumour and implant Gliadel Wafers. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration, these chemotherapeutic wafers are inserted directly into the cavity where the tumour was removed. 

 

Over several days, the wafers release chemotherapy and attack cancer cells. Gliadel Wafers are the only FDA-approved treatment to provide highly concentrated chemotherapy directly to the brain, while avoiding systemic side effects usually associated with chemotherapy. These biodegradable wafers are clinically proven to prolong survival without jeopardizing quality of life, as is often the case with such aggressive therapies. 

 

It has been more than five years since Nebus had this initial operation. Since his diagnosis, Avgeropoulos has carefully watched over Nebus, administering additional therapies, to provide combined benefits of the treatments.

 

"Implanting the Gliadel Wafers only added a few minutes onto the initial surgery, yet the effects have contributed to James living more than five years after surgery" said Avgeropoulos. "We are thrilled by the progress of this remarkable man."

 

Soon after the brain surgery, Nebus returned to his normal life. He played cards, travelled and spent time with his family. And although he retired, his family has maintained the family business, Rock Creek RV Resorts in Naples, Fla.

 

Each year, the family organizes a fundraiser at the RV resort to raise money for the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute and inspire other local GBM patients with Nebus' story of survival. They want to tell other families to never lose hope, no matter what the diagnosis.

 

Nebus' tumour has returned twice since that initial operation. Both times, St. Louis removed the tumour and implanted additional Gliadel Wafers. Nebus' family cannot be certain how much time he has left, but they are incredibly thankful for the past five and a half years and the priceless memories they have shared as a family. - NU

Cancer Lies Impoverish You Before You Die

"We put the patient first." The picture of a dedicated doctor, not interested in money is no longer true - if it ever was. Nowadays the bank account rules. Even the Hippocratic Oath has fallen by the wayside. This second article of ten about health lies exposed describes how you could be callously killed by doctors interested only in your money.

 

Cancer Lies

 

Lie 1: Conventional medicine can cure your cancer.

 

Lie 2: It is criminal the way alternative medicine holds out false hope and diverts patients away from reliable medical treatment.

 

Lie 3: We put the patient's interests first.

 

You'll notice that lie 2 refers back to lie 1.

 

Conventional medicine has three weapons against cancer.

 

1. Surgery
2. Chemotherapy
3. Radiation therapy

 

Surgery is successful if the cancer is removed before it has spread. So it could be described as a cure for cancer.

 

Radiation therapy is based on the theory that your body is better at fighting the damage done by radiation therapy than the cancer is. So if you almost kill the body there is hope that you will completely kill the cancer.

 

Chemotherapy is based on the hope that healthy tissue will be better at fighting the poisons administered. All chemotherapy drugs use the patient as a guinea pig, because the drug companies argue that it would be cruel to do placebo controlled tests on patients who thought that they were getting medicine and were getting a sugar pill.

My theory about chemotherapy tests

 

When alternative medicine has 40% success the drug companies claim that it is the placebo effect. Now the placebo effect should work just as well for conventional medicine as for alternative medicine so if we subtract 40% from the success rate of chemotherapy, we will have the true success rate. 

 

That means that when chemotherapy has a 1.5% success rate the figures would work out like this.

 

Out of 200 patients:

 

• 80 are cured by the placebo effect (40%), then
• 77 of these survivors are killed by the chemotherapy leaving
• 3 chemotherapy "cures" (1.5%)

 

If these are the figures expected by the drug companies, it's not surprising that they refuse to do placebo controlled tests.

 

Money is the only consideration

 

In 1983, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D. (an oncologist and bioethicist), presented the results of a study that examined the medical records of almost 8,000 cancer patients. Dr. Emanuel found that in cases where chemotherapy was administered in the final six months of life, ONE-THIRD of the patients suffered from cancers that are known to be unresponsive to chemotherapy!

 

According to Gordon Zubrod, M.D., (a researcher for the National Cancer Institute), chemotherapy is considered to be highly effective only in these cancers: 

 

• Burkitt's lymphoma 
• Choriocarcinoma
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia 
• Hodgkin's disease 
• Lymphoscarcoma
• Embryonal testicular cancer 
• Wilms' Tumor 
• Ewing's sarcoma 
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Retinoblastoma

 

These cancers affect very few people so it isn't profitable to restrict chemotherapy only to patients that will benefit from it. So if you know of someone who died of pneumonia after being given chemotherapy for breast cancer you will know that she was killed for profit. Because breast cancer is not on the list.

 

What happened to "We put the patient first."?

 

If the cancer industry put patients first, patients wouldn't be given chemotherapy that wouldn't work.

 

If cancer patients came first, the industry wouldn't suppress successful competitors.

• A Canadian nurse invented an effective brew from four weeds. The cancer industry suppressed all sales of the weeds, and of the finished brew.
• The CSIRO (a government research organisation) in Australia discovered a native plant that cured skin cancer. So the cancer industry managed to get it made "on prescription only", and it is never prescribed.
• Vitamin B17 was shown to fight cancer. So a concerted campaign was conducted to convince everyone that it would kill them. The campaign took advantage of the fact that most people wouldn't know that the staple diet in parts of Africa is millet, which is rich in B17. Everyone is scared of cyanide, so it was emphasized that B17 contains cyanide - so does cobalamine, another vitamin that we need.

 

It looks as if the second lie is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It should be the victims of chemotherapy who are complaining about the way conventional medicine holds out false hope and diverts patients away from reliable medical treatment.

 

One cancer specialist resigned from his work because he could no longer live with his conscience. He said that it was usual to get half a million dollars out of each patient before they died.

 

Prevention

 

Although the record of conventional medicine for curing cancer is deplorable, it is non-existent when it comes to preventing cancer. The only preventive treatment that I ever heard of was the suggestion that all women should have their breasts removed to prevent breast cancer.

 

Alternative medicine excels at prevention. Many of the treatments are every day foods for some cultures and others are readily available.

 

Have you heard of any of these powerful cancer fighters?

 

• Garlic
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Curry
• Selenium
• Curry
• Apricot Kernels

 

That's not an exhaustive list but this page is about health lies, not about proper treatment.

Cancer - The Real Facts

Cancer has a fearsome reputation. Not without reason either. It is a disease that has not yet fully yielded to the skills and intelligence of medical scientists and doctors. And, as if the pain from the disease is not enough, the treatment for cancer, too, inflicts heavy suffering on the body. 

 

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled and abnormal cell division. Cancer spreads in the body and destroys tissues when the cancer cells travel through the blood stream or the lymphatic system. The runaway growth of cells is caused by mutations to the DNA in the cells that makes the cells unable to control cell division. This mutation can either be inherited or acquired. The mortality rate in cancer depends on the type of cancer and where it develops. 

 

Among cancers, lung cancer is the biggest killer, causing up to 3 million deaths every year worldwide. It affects the above-50 age group population most and is one of the most common types of cancers that occur in the Western countries. The main risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. Cigarette smoke, especially, contains several carcinogens. It is estimated that 80 per cent of all lung cancers are caused by smoking. The role of passive smoking in causing lung cancer is also being recognized by studies.

 

Another carcinogen that causes lung cancer is asbestos. This substance, which is widely used because of its fire-resistant qualities, causes a rare type of cancer called mesothelioma cancer. In mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer or asbestos cancer, malignant cells develop in the pleura, the outer lining of the lungs and the chest cavity. 

 

The problem with asbestos cancer is that diagnosis is difficult. For one, the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer occur only 30-50 years after the exposure to asbestos. Second, the symptoms of asbestos lung cancer, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, are similar to those of many other medical conditions.

 

The incidence of mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer has increased in the last two decades. Still it is considered a relatively rare form of lung cancer, because the incidence rate is only 1 per 1,000,000 people. This could be as high as 7-40 per 1,000,000 in the industrialized nations. By contrast, the incidence of lung cancer is 1,000 per 1,000,000.

 

The common lung cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However, the conventional treatment methods have not been very successful in the case of asbestos cancer, yielding only a median survival rate of 6-12 months after the presentation. 

 

Again, surgery does not have much effect on small-cell lung cancer. A treatment method for lung cancer that has become increasingly popular in recent years is radiofrequency ablation. This technique is especially effective in destroying the cancerous cells inside the tumours. These cells are 'cooked' by inserting a small heat probe into the tumour. This technique is also non-toxic and causes very little pain for the patient.

 

However, there is hope for the cancer-affected. Scientists are developing new techniques of treatment, such as molecular targeted therapies, for lung cancer. Better and more effective therapies can be expected as scientists and researchers coax out more secrets from the human cells.

Cancer - Courage and Love

By Lorraine Kember

 

Every day, we hear of people dealing with incredible sadness and loss and we wonder; how do they do it? Where do they find the courage the strength? We may even ask ourselves how we would cope under the circumstances. Sadly, we only become aware of the answer, when tragedy visits us and our own lives are thrown into turmoil.  

 

When someone we love is diagnosed with a terminal cancer, life as we knew it changes forever. Suddenly we enter a new world, a world filled with helplessness, despair and fear of the unknown. We no longer walk aimlessly around shopping Malls; we walk the Hospital corridors and sit in chemotherapy waiting rooms and are shocked by the number of people afflicted by cancer. We cannot help but wonder if one day we too may be a patient and we fear for our own mortality. 

 

Sitting in a Chemotherapy ward is an experience not to be forgotten. Cancer has no respect for gender, age or wealth. There are people from every race, colour and creed; rich, middle class and poor; and none of this makes the slightest difference.  They are all untitled in their suffering, fellow human beings on the same sad journey.

 

One cannot bear witness to the incredible courage of those who have cancer, without being deeply affected. My husband’s courage in the face of his terminal mesothelioma cancer held me in awe and I decided to do everything within my power to help him.

 

I learned about the stages and symptoms of his disease; the pain he would experience and ways to bring it under control, so that I could work with his doctors, to achieve for him, the best possible quality of life for whatever time he was granted.  It was incredibly hard to wake each day with the knowledge that my husband was dying; my anticipatory grief often overwhelmed me but somehow I managed to carry on. One day a lady said to me, “You are such a strong woman.” and I wondered what had made her say that. I didn’t feel strong, I felt like I was breaking.

 

Despite a prognosis of three to nine months, my husband survived for two years and was not bed bound until three short days prior to his death. My journey beside him as he travelled to the end of his life, has taught me many things, above all the true meaning of love and the strength of the human spirit.  

 

Deep within ourselves there is strength and courage to sustain us in times of personal tragedy. I have come to realize that during my husband’s illness, I was indeed strong. I may have staggered with the burden of my grief but I did manage to help my husband achieve a quality of life few thought possible considering the nature of his disease. And, thanks to the expertise and dedication of the Palliative Care Team, I was able to fulfil my promise to him that he would not die in hospital. His death at home was as loving, sharing and peaceful as anyone could wish for. 

 

I have witnessed courage; that of my husband as he battled his disease and of my own as I stood beside him, determined to improve the quality of his life. The knowledge that I was successful in this has brought me much peace. My husband’s illness and death have wounded me deeply yet I have emerged far stronger than ever before and gone on to achieve things I never thought possible. 

 

My experience has taught me not to take life for granted and to live each day with thanks for the wonderful gift that it is. I have witnessed death; my awareness of the fragility of life, despite the strongest of wills strengthens my determination to grasp everything life offers me, with both hands.

Can Periodontal Gum Disease Be Reversed?

Can periodontal gum disease be reversed? The answer is yes, if you begin early enough and are diligent. More advanced periodontal gum disease may still be reversed, but it will take some special cleaning provided by your dentist to give you a fighting chance. 

 

Adopting a strenuous daily oral hygiene routine now can go a long way to reversing periodontal gum disease. 

 

1. Brush thoroughly when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed each night. Brushing or at least rinsing with water after meals and snacks will also help remove food and bacteria trapped between teeth, helping in reversing periodontitis. 

 

2. Rinse your mouth with a good antibacterial mouthwash for at least a full thirty seconds twice each day. This will help reach bacteria trapped in pockets below your gum line, aiding in reversing periodontal gum disease. 

 

3. Floss every single day. Pay special attention to flossing just below the gum line for reversing periodontal gum disease. 

 

4. Even better than flossing or rinsing is the use of one of the powerful oral irrigators on the market, which blast food particles out from between your teeth and clean the gumline. High-end irrigators can be purchased with special tips to reach deeply into any pre-existing pockets and clean them out. These special tips are necessary for effective cleaning if your periodontitis has already established itself. 

 

While a conscientious oral hygiene routine can go a long way in aiding the reversal of periodontal gum disease, sometimes the infection is too far advanced, and it is necessary to get professional help. 

 

If the problem is becoming severe, your dentist may see fit to perform a periodontal cleaning. If x-rays show deep pockets of bacteria surrounding any of your teeth below the gum line, your dentist can choose from special procedures known as debridement, scaling or root planning to go in and scrape the bacteria out and make the tooth less hospitable to germs. He may also order a prescription antibacterial mouth wash to be used daily that will also help in reversing periodontal gum disease. 

 

If more is required, he may perform actual periodontal surgery, which involves lifting the flaps of the gum to enable deep cleaning and suturing them back in place. After the procedure, you will have several appointments to check on the success of the cleaning. Still, there's good news for patients that have to suffer through surgery -- a 2001 study found that roughly 50% of patients with moderate to severe periodontal disease showed measurable improvement from surgery, while those trying non-surgical options enjoyed less success. 

 

The important thing is to seek help as soon as you notice any signs of trouble with your gums. The good news is, periodontal gum disease can be reversed if it's caught early enough.

Can Alzheimer's Be Prevented?

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition affecting up to 4.5 million Americans. While there is no known cure, studies have been conducted that indicate there may be ways of preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. 

 

The disease is characterized by symptoms such as forgetfulness, memory loss, and reduced ability to concentrate, and in later stages the sufferer may display anxiety and delusions, loss of speech and inability to sit up or walk. It is a slow disease with symptoms manifesting and worsening over the period of many years. 

 

The now famous, ground-breaking “nun study” went a long way toward identifying characteristics that would indicate the likelihood of Alzheimer’s onset later in life. 100 nuns have been studied over a period of fifteen years, beginning in 1991. Over the course of those years, their genes have been tested and analysed, physical balance and strength charted, and cognitive tests run to determine how many words the women could remember several minutes after reading them, how many animals they could name in a minute, and if they could correctly count coins. The research shows that people who scored lower on cognitive ability tests when young were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. Early cognitive ability was measured based on writings done by the nuns while in their early 20’s. Those showing more “idea density” - the number of ideas expressed in the fewest number of words - and better linguistic and grammar skills had a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s later in life. Scientists are of the opinion that good cognitive skills early on creates a sort of “neurocognitive reserve” which will be drawn on later, effectively preventing Alzheimer’s. Exercising and improving cognitive skills via writing, reading and learning - anything that stimulates the brain - may go a long way toward active, clearheaded and graceful aging.

 

There are a number of other things, as well, that you can do to help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. Many of these prevention techniques involve limbering the mind and working on memory skills long before Alzheimer’s onset is a danger. Just having a mentally stimulating job that involves creative thinking or manipulation of data is shown to have a connection to lower incidence of Alzheimer’s later in life. Doing crossword puzzles and playing card games were found to have a significant positive impact on later mental dexterity. Employ memorization techniques used by actors. Actors don’t merely memorize a series of words. They also combine appropriate movements, and evaluate the intent behind the words to be delivered. This “active-experiencing” method of memorization was shown to also improve the memory and cognitive skills in older people who were taught the technique. Limbering your mind now may promote a limber mind in your latter years. 

 

Proper diet and exercise promote good health in general and may ward off countless problems including Alzheimer’s onset. The addition of fish oils, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C to the diet have all shown to contribute to a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s. Keeping cholesterol at a healthy level prevents build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain - a characteristic in Alzheimer’s. Finally, physical activity has been shown to prevent deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Exercise your mind and body, and make good lifestyle choices, as the only “cure” for Alzheimer’s as yet, is prevention. While there is believed to be a genetic component which would predispose someone to the risk of Alzheimer’s, awareness, early planning and mental exercise, and smart dietary choices may aid to reduce your likelihood of developing this mysterious and debilitating disease. A healthy mind and a healthy body now will make for a healthy mind and body later.

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized by the inability to regulate emotions. According to various online sources, this disorder affects women primarily with an onset during adolescence.

 

Patients with BPD demonstrate constant emotional instability and distress that leaves them in a constant state of despair. The goal of Borderline Personality Disorder treatment is to help patients eventually gain stability over their illness and lead productive lives. Men and women who receive treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder usually require extensive mental health services throughout their lives, including regular psychotherapy sessions and periodic re-evaluation by a psychiatrist  and adjustment of psychotropic medications when necessary.

 

The most significant goal of Borderline Personality Disorder treatment is to help the patient gain control over urges to inflict self-harm or even commit suicide. These patients have great unstable emotional mood swings in response to stress or significant life events and should always be monitored closely during an episode. Often short periods of psychosis accompany the mood swings, and the patient loses touch with reality at this point. Narcissism is also a cardinal feature of Borderline Personality Disorder, and maintaining interpersonal relationships is difficult and self-esteem suffers greatly. BPD patients are very controlling and are constantly insecure and questioning of people they meet. They are quick to start relationships but soon become disappointed and make great demands, when threatened with abandonment the symptoms accelerate, which can lead to self-injury or suicide attempt. Borderline Personality Disorder treatment attempts to decrease number of episodes and stabilize mood swings and erratic behaviour.

 

The exact cause of Borderline Personality Disorder is unknown, but is thought to be the result of a combination of factors, such as a traumatic life event or genetic influences. Psychotherapy is an absolute for Borderline Personality Disorder treatment, which can be very difficult for the therapist at time because there is always the threat of self-mutilation or suicide. 

 

Successful Borderline Personality Disorder treatment also involves the right medications to control mood swings. Various anti-depressants have been shown to be effective, and at time, inpatient hospitalization may be required at times during an acute episode. For more information on BPD visit www.psychcentral.com or www.remedyfind.com, as well as the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org. Borderline Personality Disorder treatment can be successful and patients can achieve stability in their lives with better medications and advanced therapies, but they can’t do it on their own.

Bone Breaking Disease - Osteoporosis

It is normal for the bones to erode as we age. But for some people, the bones become so fragile that they break down under the body’s own weight. This causes hip, spine and forearm fractures. This disease is known as osteoporosis. This disease is more common amongst women than men. This is due to the fact that the women have lighter bones and after menopause, they experience rapid bone loss due to decrease in oestrogen. Also women opt for heavy dieting in order to lose weight, where they skip highly nutritious food items. This results in weaker bones in the body. Men too can suffer from this disease if they smoke, drink or take steroids.

 

But there is no need to worry. It is possible for you to slow, stop or reverse this bone loss. Though women have used ERT or Estrogen Replacement Therapy to overcome this problem, you can follow the tips below to overcome or prevent this problem.

 

Build up your bones: It is highly recommended that you do aerobic exercises for about 20 minutes a day at least three days a week. Exercise has been shown to stimulate bones to lay down new tissues. It is advisable to do the exercise that you can continue doing over long periods of time. Walking is the best form of exercise but you can also choose biking, swimming or aerobics.

 

Walk in water: If you have suffered from fracture, walking in water is the best form of exercise. You can do this exercise three times a week for up to 30 minutes a day. The water will support body weight and ease the stress off the bones and joints.

 

Use a chair and the floor for exercise: Complement water walking by doing some muscle strengthening exercises like abdominal curls, shoulder blade squeezes and back extensions. You can do these exercises on a chair or on the floor.

 

Eat calcium: Doctors recommend that you get about 1000 milligrams of calcium a day, even though you have not yet reached menopause. If you are not getting an ERT treatment, increase your calcium intake by another 200 to 500 milligrams a day. This means that you can drink a quart of skim milk a day or have two cups of low-fat yogurt or four cups of low-fat cottage cheese to get 1000 milligrams. You can take the remaining requirements from supplements.

 

Go for maximum absorption: Spread out your calcium supplements throughout the day rather than take all at one go. Food supplements should be taken with a meal. Doctors recommend you to take calcium carbonate which is relatively inexpensive and is easily absorbed when taken in divided dosages at mealtimes.

 

Increase your Vitamin D: Get the maximum protection by consuming 400 international units of Vitamin D each day, especially if you do not get enough sunlight. Milk contains about 100 international units of Vitamin D, hence it is recommended that you take four cups a day. But other dairy products like cheese, yogurt etc cannot be taken into account since they are not fortified with Vitamin D. But do not exceed the recommended dosage of 400 international units since this vitamin is highly toxic in excess.

 

Eat different types of food products: Bones do not contain calcium alone but contain an amalgam of boron, zinc and copper along with other minerals. You can get these trace elements by eating variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other unprocessed foods.

 

Stop smoking: Smoking has been shown to accelerate bone loss. It accelerates the rate at which the body metabolizes oestrogen and thus cancelling the benefits of ERT. It has been shown to cause bone loss in men and postmenopausal women too.

 

Control your medicines: Some drugs have been shown to hasten bone loss. The most common types of drugs are corticosteroids taken for variety of conditions like rheumatic, allergic and respiratory disorders, L-thyroxine a thyroid medicine and furosemide which is a diuretic used against fluid retention associated with high blood pressure and kidney problems.

 

Avoid fizzy drinks: Cola and other carbonated soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which contains phosphorus which is a mineral, when taken in excess, causes your body to excrete calcium.

 

Ease salt intake: Excess intake of salt throws the calcium out of the body. Hence do not include salt more than necessary. Avoid processed and junk foods.

Bird Flu Vaccines: What is Taking So Long?

This article explains how the bird flu vaccines is made. It also explains why the bird flu virus is taking a long time to develop.

 

With the current development of a vaccine for the H5N1 strain of the Bird Flu Virus still 2 to 3 years away. We don’t have much of a choice but to really be very cautious that the H5N1 strain does not mutate with a human flu virus.

 

If the outbreak we fear does happen without the vaccines ready yet, all we can possibly do is just quarantine the geographical area where the virus is rampant. Give them the vaccines that have been developed and prevent them from spreading it further. This will only work if the outbreak is limited geographically. When the outbreak does happen to 10,000 places, we’re in Big S*%T. 

 

The development of a vaccine is so slow because we still use methods dating back 50 years ago. Ironically this is because they still use chicken eggs to develop the vaccines. New methods are on the horizon, instead of using chicken eggs, they may be able to use mammal cells.

 

Scientist would be storing the mammal cells in large numbers. So that when a flu strain or threat develops, they can just inject it to the cells. The injected cells will then burst and die. The scientist will then harvest the proteins of the influenza and distribute them as vaccines already. 

 

Vaccines made from DNA are really appealing because they could be made and administered quickly. However this kind of vaccine is still being tested on humans. DNA vaccine works by attaching itself to a segment of our DNA. It contains the coded information of the flu virus’ protein. 

 

Now you would want to ask why we would vaccinate everyone instead of just treating them.  This is because giving vaccines is cheaper compared to treating everyone. With a vaccine the person only needs one or two doses in total. Compared to giving two doses a day for a period of time to treat the viral problem. It is also pretty stupid to wait for someone to suffer before treating the person. The person might not even live to see the day just to receive the medication. 

 

The current stand of some people however is that why waste precious money on a threat that may never materialize. The best answer here is it’s better to be prepared than be sorry. 

 

In the last 87 years we have had three pandemics. So it’s better to prepare for something that could be really catastrophic. The longer our world goes without a pandemic; there is more chance that it could occur in the upcoming years.

 

That’s why we should be very thankful for every company out there trying to create a vaccine for a pandemic that might hit us. Rather than be worried of money that might get wasted.

Bird Flu No Risk To Poultry Consumers

News about avian influenza--often called bird flu--is everywhere these days. But American consumers needn't worry. Experts at the American Meat Institute in Washington, D.C., say they can continue to enjoy their meals with confidence because U.S. poultry is among the healthiest and safest in the world. 

 

"Multi-Firewall" Strategy 

 

Protects U.S. Poultry 

 

Multiple U.S. "firewalls" are in place to prevent the high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus now making news from crossing our borders--and to detect, contain and destroy it rapidly if it does occur here. They include: 

 

Import controls. Americans consume poultry from North America. Strict import restrictions prohibit imports of poultry from nations with the high pathogenic H5N1 virus. 

 

Surveillance. The U.S. government and industry have aggressive surveillance programs in place that aim to detect the virus if it does enter the U.S. This surveillance is currently on "high alert." 

 

Target and destroy. If the virus were to occur here, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would isolate and humanely destroy affected flocks. 

 

U.S. Production 

 

U.S. poultry is produced in secure farms where bio-security is the top priority. These controlled systems protect poultry from a host of viruses that can threaten their health. In some regions of the world, however, community-raised poultry can move through towns and streets freely and come into contact with each other and with people. As a result, the high pathogenic H5N1 virus has spread rapidly from bird to bird and in some extreme cases, to people who have come into close contact with live birds. 

 

Americans rarely come into contact with live poultry and those who work in poultry facilities receive special training. Together, U.S. firewalls and secure production systems have helped keep the U.S. free of the high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza strain. 

 

No Food Safety Issue 

 

Leading animal health experts say that the chance of an infected bird entering the food supply is virtually zero. Poultry that do become infected are detected through surveillance or become noticeably sick and cannot survive transportation to a processing plant. All birds that do arrive at plants undergo health screening by federal veterinarians, making the chance of infected poultry entering the food system extremely low, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

 

Consumers should be reassured, however, that ordinary safe handling practices, like - hand-washing, separating raw and cooked foods, and cooking thoroughly as measured with a thermometer - destroy viruses like avian influenza in the same way they destroy bacteria. Experts say unequivocally that properly cooked and handled poultry products do not pose a risk of avian influenza.

Bird Flu Information and Update

Laboratory tests have confirmed that bird flu was the cause of death of a middle-aged Indonesian male in November 2005. The man was the 14th fatality of bird flu infections in Indonesia, and the ninth bird flu case confirmed by the World Health Organization after the case was sent by local health officials to Hong Kong for verification. 

 

The confirmation brings to 70 the number of people in Asia who have died in the last two years from the H5N1 strain, now considered the deadliest avian influenza virus subtype. Antiviral medications such as amantadine and rimantadine, which are usually given to treat influenza, do not work on the avian flu virus. Drugs are being developed and temporarily used on patients who appear to have succumbed to the avian flu disease. Although they appear to be responding to treatment and are showing improvements, further tests need to be done to ensure the effectivity of these new drugs.

 

With avian influenza, birds could transmit the disease to humans. Birds carry the bird flu virus in their intestines when they migrate for the winter. The virus, which does not affect the carriers, is deadly to those who come in contact with birds carrying the virus. When chickens, birds or geese come in contact with a bird carrying the virus through the bird’s saliva, nasal secretions or faeces, they can become infected, fall ill and die in 48 hours.

 

Humans infected with the avian flu have symptoms that include a fever, sore throat or muscle pain, which are similar to symptoms of human influenza. Thus, it is easy to mistakenly diagnose an actual avian flu as human influenza. However, humans infected with avian flu would have worse symptoms - eye infections and respiratory problems that could become life threatening.

 

It’s important to note that humans will not usually get avian flu unless they have been in close contact with infected poultry. Since the number of people that has been infected with the disease is still low and confined to a few children and adults, there is no serious cause of alarm yet. However, scientists and the health community are concerned that the disease, which usually affects poultry livestock, may evolve into something that will adversely affect humans.

 

Before the bird flu, there was a disease that came from bovines, commonly known as mad cow disease. This disease came about from the practice of feeding cattle with processed foods. Later on, the cows developed an infection in the brain. The infection caused cows’ brains to produce sponges, which made the animals go wild and die. Humans who ate meat from infected cattle fell sick and died. To rid of the mad cow disease problem, entire livestock were slaughtered, killed and burned. This prevented the outbreak from reaching other farms. Slaughtering infected cattle was done in many countries in the Asian region, including parts of Eastern Europe and Russia.

 

The bubonic plague killed millions of people in the 14th century. Transmitted by rats, the disease originated from China and spread on to Europe through merchants who came back from the long voyage from China. The same disease was also transmitted by fleas, which proved fatal when it was passed on to humans. The disease dragged on for years, killing millions more. The bubonic plague happened centuries ago, when medical science was not yet developed to cope with the epidemic and save lives of millions. 

 

However, with the advances in technology today, scientists will be able to study the avian flu disease further. By closely watching the migratory patterns of birds and understanding the disease, scientists may help prevent avian flu from becoming another global outbreak.

Bird Flu and You: How Will The Flu Affect You?

Flu is a common disease nowadays, with most people having developed the antibodies to fight against the disease. So the mention of "flu" doesn’t really create any alarm. However, say "bird flu" and there’s likely to be a pandemonium. 

 

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a highly pathogenic virus of 15 types. The virus spreads to poultry through direct or close contact with nasal secretions, saliva and faeces of infected birds. What is alarming about this virus is that it has the ability to rapidly mutate into different forms that can affect human beings. Believed to be worse than the SARS outbreak, the bird flu outbreak brought millions of dead birds worldwide and at least 70 people dead in Asia.

 

From a not-so-harmful H5N2 virus strain, it can mutate into a killer virus with a low spread rate once the virus is transmitted to a bird. The virus has an incubation period of six to nine months before it becomes a full-blown, deadly pathogen. A bird that has been infected with the virus but has survived the disease continues to carry the virus in its body for more than week. When this happens, the bird passes on the disease to other birds that come in close contact with its secretions, saliva and faeces.

 

Bird flu and ordinary human flu have the almost the same symptoms. These symptoms are fever, muscle pains and cough. This is the reason that a person who is actually infected with bird flu may be mistakenly diagnosed as simply having ordinary flu. However, bird flu symptoms can escalate into several life-threatening conditions. Some of these life-threatening conditions are lung inflammation, eye infections and pneumonia. 

 

Because of the severity of symptoms of bird flu infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) is in the midst of a widespread effort to prevent the virus from infecting humans, particularly those whose who depend on poultry and livestock as their livelihood. 

 

Bird flu virus and its subtypes can easily mutate into other forms. For example, the virus that was transferred from one animal to another is the H5N2 strain. However, the virus mutated into the H5N1 strain, which has been responsible for the death of at least 50 people. It is a very surprising discovery how these viruses can mutate itself from pathogens that can harm humans as it had started with birds.

 

In Asia, the countries plagued by the avian flu are Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand. In Europe, Turkey, Romania and Croatia are the hardest hit by the disease.

 

WHO has issued a warning to travellers to these countries to avoid going to live poultry markets, getting close contact to any farms and having direct exposure to feathers, faeces or droppings, eggs and poultry meat products. Travelers need to know that most contamination occurs during the slaughtering of poultry and being in direct contact with faecal matter.

 

No travel advisory has been issued restricting anyone from going to countries with the H5N2 strain. Travelers coming from afflicted countries are also not being screened. However, precautionary measures are in place, particularly in the media. Information is being disseminated in order to make people aware of the bird flu, its effects and what to do to avoid getting infected. 

 

To date, no vaccines have been developed or available to fight the illness. However, anti-viral medicines are being used as alternatives in helping alleviate the severity of symptoms on those infected. While M2 inhibitors would be helpful, the body tends to develop resistance to those, diminishing the efficiency and effectivity of inhibitors.

 

The bird flu problem is both a government and global issue. Governments are in charge of making reliable declarations, initiating studies and putting objective measures in place. There is no reason to panic if the virus has not reached your area yet. The best thing you can do is to take practical steps in taking of your body and helping it build resistance to any kind of illnesses.