Modern Health Therapy

Acupuncture promotes the release of natural painkillers in the body, suggests a new study, published in the journal Nature Neusroscience, providing a possible physiological explanation of how this treatment. Adenosine has anti-inflammatory and helps regulate sleep. It also relieves pain by blocking nerve signals.

He had already been shown that acupuncture has an effect on the production of endorphins (natural painkillers) into the brain. This study demonstrates its impact on the peripheral nervous system (consisting of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord), the researchers said.

Maiken Nedergaard, neuroscientist at the University of Rochester (New York) and colleagues have performed acupuncture treatments on mice suffering from pain in one leg. They were treated for 30 minutes to an acupuncture point known around the knee.

In mice genetically engineered to lack adenosine receptors, acupuncture had no effect, whereas in normal mice, it reduced the discomfort of two thirds. During and after treatment, levels of adenosine in the tissues near the needle were 24 times higher than before treatment. The increased level of adenosine, even without acupuncture, also led to the reduction of pain.

The effects of acupuncture were amplified by a drug against cancer, deoxycoformycin, which makes more difficult the removal of adenosine tissue. The drug tripled the accumulation of adenosine in the muscles and the duration of efficacy was more than tripled.

Take a break from learning promotes memorization according to a study published in the journal Neuron.

Thanks in large part to functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) to measure brain activity, researchers are finding that important activities of the brain occur at rest.

Several studies over the last decade have suggested that sleep is crucial for learning and memory. People who make a nap after a task, for example, remember better learning than those who do not.

A study by researchers in cognitive neuroscience Lila Davachi and Arielle Tambini University of New York found that the brain at rest, even when the person is awake, is pursuing an effective workforce.

“Your brain does the work for you even when you rest,” said Davachi. Some types of brain activity increase during the rest and are associated with better memory consolidation.

This study was conducted with 16 participants, the spontaneous activity in certain brain regions (hippocampus and parts of the cortex) was measured while they were at rest before and after a visual task. The participants were instructed to memorize the task and were unaware that their memory would be measured. Some parts of the cortex were more active during rest after the task. Plus they were active was the best memory.

People with chronic pain in the lower back can reap the benefits of a long-term cognitive behavioral therapy, according to a study published in The Lancet. Because the way a person thinks about this disease changes the way it adapts.

Zara Hansen and his colleagues at Warwick University have conducted the study with 701 people suffering from daily pain and stiffness in the lower back.

They were randomly assigned to receive standard therapy (medications against pain, advice to stay active) or the same treatment plus a cognitive-behavioral therapy (individual sessions and six group sessions focusing on behavior and beliefs about physical activity as well as negative thoughts).

After three months, the impact of therapy was comparable to that reported with other conventional treatments for back pain such as exercise, acupuncture, manipulation and treatment. After a year, however, those who received therapy reported improved twice as much of their pain (59% versus 31%).

Dietary supplements of omega-3, vitamins and minerals could reduce the number of violent and aggressive episodes among prisoners, according to a Dutch study published in the journal Aggressive Behavior. Ap Zaalberg, Ministry of Justice and his colleagues conducted the study with 200 young adult prisoners randomly assigned to one group taking the supplements or placebo.

Supplements containing vitamins, minerals, omega-3 and omega-6 were associated with a reduction of 34% of violent incidents reported by staff, so that during this period, an increase of 14% of incidents were reported in the group taking a placebo. The prisoners themselves do not, however, reported differences in their aggression and their overall health.

These results confirm those of an earlier study published in 2002 by Bernard Gesch of Oxford University in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers at Oxford University is currently conducting a study which should be up to 1,000 participants.

According to Professor Michael Crawford, Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University, the link between diet and aggression “has the meaning being given the links between major depression, suicide and homicide reported by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health in the United States and data showing the absolute necessity of the brain in long-chain fatty acids.

Take one cup of coffee a day, regular or decaffeinated, was associated with a 30% risk of stroke (CVA) in a large study presented at the meeting of the American Stroke Association.

Some studies have linked coffee consumption to several health benefits such as reduced risk of diabetes, some cancers, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The results of studies on the effects of coffee on the risk of stroke are contradictory.

Yangmei Li of the University of Cambridge (England) and his colleagues conducted the study with 9.978 men and 12.254 women (average age 59 years) in the United Kingdom participating in European Prospective Investigation Study Into Cancer (EPIC) -Norfolk. They were followed for 12 years on average.

The risk of stroke (stroke) was reduced by 30% among participants taking a cup of coffee per day. Greater consumption did not increase the protective effect. Among those who smoked the risk reduction was 61%.

The researchers can not identify a mechanism explaining the beneficial effect, but they suggest that substances in coffee may be beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity, inhibiting platelet aggregation and reducing endothelial dysfunction. The cafe also has antioxidant properties.

Antipsychotic drugs (neuroleptics) atypical (or second generation) would present a risk of tardive dyskinesia almost as important as conventional antipsychotics (or 1st generation), according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The symptoms of tardive dyskinesia are uncontrollable movement disorders (tics, muscle spasms, incoordination …) of the face, lips, tongue and sometimes the limbs or trunk.

Secured by a reputation for better security for the second generation antipsychotics, physicians are prescribing antipsychotics such as Abilify (aripiprazole), Zyprexa (olanzapine) and Seroquel (quetiapine) for the treatment of several disorders other than schizophrenia, which is the classic indication for these drugs, the authors mention.

But the reputation of being associated with a lower risk of tardive dyskinesia is based on studies in design problem, they say. The fact that atypical antipsychotics cause fewer symptoms such as akathisia (urge to move) and tremors in the first three months of treatment, gives the false impression that they cause less tardive dyskinesia, they add .

Dr. Scott Woods and his colleagues at Yale University conducted the study with 352 people taking antipsychotic medication for at least three months. They were followed every six months for 3.9 years. Their symptoms were evaluated with the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale Scale (AIMS).

In this period of almost four years, 19.7% developed symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. Taking into account in the analysis of prior exposure to certain participants in the first-generation antipsychotics, exposure to second-generation was a third lower than the first-generation antipsychotics.

Participants who were taking these drugs for affective disorders had a lower risk than those who took them for the treatment of schizophrenia.

“It is definitely sad news for patients,” says Dr. Woods. It is important that these risks are known, so that patients and doctors can make informed choices, they conclude.

A diet against cancer may consist of simple foods. The red color of tomatoes makes them juicy, makes it look ripe, so it is difficult to resist, and made it a potential weapon against cancer of the prostate.

The red color of tomatoes comes from a phytochemical called lycopene (a powerful antioxidant). The latter is present in highest concentration in tomatoes. Many studies suggest that diets rich in lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, researchers do not yet know for certain whether this effect is directly related to lycopene itself or with another compound. Read also our recipe for stuffed tomatoes.

In laboratory tests, lycopene has stopped the growth of other types of cancer cells, including those of breast, lung and endometrial cancer (also known as cancer of the uterus). Researchers hypothesize that lycopene protects cells from damage that could lead to cancer by stimulating the immune system. Researchers at the American Institute for Cancer Research cons believe that lycopene stops tumor growth by interfering with the abnormal growth of cells.

To make the most of the benefits of lycopene, eat cooked or processed tomatoes (like tomato juice and pizza sauce). The processing of tomatoes makes the cancer-fighting compounds in your body longer because the heat breaks the cell walls of plants. Also, add the tomatoes processed food containing oil (pizza, pasta with sauce) makes the lycopene more available. Want more? Bite into a watermelon or pink grapefruit take the red peppers.

All parents dream of accustom their children to eat healthy and do sports. There are tons of fad diets, programs to lose weight, support groups for adults who want to offload a few pounds. But what is there for children who are obese or overweight? Else to turn their children when their weight prevents them from assessing the activities for children every day? How to get kids used to eat healthily and exercising?

Two tips to keep your children from an optimal fitness and good health, getting used to eating healthily and exercising, without even noticing:

1) Operate subtle changes in dietary habits of the child to eat more healthily
Advertise suddenly the children there will be more sweet cakes, sweets and fried foods will certainly do not like a letter in the mail. You can accustom your children to eat healthily by making subtle changes such as choosing low-sugar syrup or pastries lighter in fat at the beginning. Try replacing the sugar in fruit juices and soft drinks added with water and flavored drinks without sugar. Healthy eating is a delicate balance, which leads us to the next.

2) Concealment of healthy foods to eat healthy children
For children to enjoy eating healthy foods, you will probably use some tips. Try to keep the new healthier food in containers that do not raise suspicion. Put the cookies without sugar in a jar and discard the old colored packaging. Add a drop of food coloring in the flavored water and keep refrigerated in a pitcher. Pour the reduced syrup into another container and discard the bottle of syrup.

The body will stop wanting more sugar and fat after a few days of adjustment. Typically, the body will experience some symptoms of craving for a few days, then he will adapt to change. You may find that after accustomed to eating healthy, your children will want more sweet and fatty foods.

Some foods show anticancer properties, although nobody is yet able to say that a particular food can stop the cancer when it is developing. Still, experts suggest that a generally healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables of all colors is the key to ward off heart disease, diabetes, and probably to prevent cancer as well.

In fact, scientists have much more knowledge about what not to eat (processed meats, salty foods, sugary drinks, huge portions of red meat, etc..) On which fruit and vegetables you should put on your plate . Researchers know very well, however, that these healthy foods have a role in preventing cancer or other diseases.

Strawberries: Rich in antioxidants
Berries sweep for the fight against diseases. Studies indicate a possible protection against heart disease and memory decline. The berries also play a role in cancer prevention. In a recent study, the berry extracts slowed the growth of cancer cells. The extracts of strawberries and black raspberries had the greatest impact on colon cancer cells.

Strawberries are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and ellagic acid. In lab tests, ellagic acid appears to have anti-cancer by stimulating enzymes that destroy cancer-causing substances, and slow the growth of tumors.

Strawberries are good for preventing cancer because they also contain flavonoids. They suppress an enzyme that damages DNA and is linked to lung cancer. Other types of berries, all rich in flavonoids, also deserve a place on your plate: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cranberries. Blueberries are loaded with anthocyanin. Experts consider the berries and cruciferous vegetables such as foods most effective to make you immune to disease.

Eating fruits (including berries) probably reduces the risk of lung cancer and may prevent cancers of the mouth, esophagus and stomach in a magazine of hundreds of studies conducted by the Global Research against Cancer and the American Institute for Cancer Look cons.

Cancer prevention can go through a careful diet. Appropriate choices of food to prevent cancer do exist. Have your reach super foods details below to maximize your chances of avoiding cancer and retain optimal health.

A bowl of steamed broccoli green. Either you exclaim “Yum!” or you say “Where is my double burger slices?”, but in both cases the broccoli is good for you, especially without cheese. The question is “How much is this food good for you?”. Or go straight to the point, is that a broccoli or other healthy food can help prevent diseases (eg cancer prevention)?
This foods are low in calories and fat. Moreover, they are rich in phytochemicals, which may help reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Broccoli: provider of phytochemicals
“Eat your broccoli, you always told your mom, and she is right. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale and cauliflower contain phytochemicals called glucosinolates. They produce enzymes which are released benefactors when you chew the raw vegetables, thus breaking the cell walls. Your body also produces these enzymes in the gut, and when the broccoli (raw or cooked) pass through this area, enzymes are activated.

One of the enzymes that protect the most is sulforaphane. Broccoli is the best source of sulforaphane. Scientists are now investigate how sulforaphane could reduce cancer risk: it could detoxify harmful substances (such as smoke and other environmental pollutants) in the body, or operate as an antimicrobial agent in s’ attacking the microbe Helicobacter pylori.
The broccoli and its cousins are the foods most protective against cancers of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, according to a review of hundreds of clinical studies conducted by the Global Research against Cancer and by American Institute for Cancer Research cons.

Then do what your mother told you. Cook your broccoli steamed and season with garlic and olive oil to prepare a dish healthy, need to add the cheese sauce, greasy. You can either chew some raw florets.