Testing It Up

Antioxidants are proven to be beneficial in maintaining our body’s health and normal functions. They protect the cells of the body from free radicals as well as helps in their repair. Antioxidants are also administered as medications to treat various forms of brain injury and degenerative diseases.

It is important for us to get ample amounts of antioxidants in the food that we eat to take advantage of the health benefits that we can get from them. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants. Of these food sources, there are five that are said to contain the highest levels of antioxidants.

These five food sources are berries such as strawberries and blueberries, small red beans like kidney beans and pinto beans, nuts like pecans and hazelnuts, tea, and green-leaved vegetables like lettuce and spinach. Other good sources of antioxidants are garlic, carrots, broccoli and tomatoes. These food sources help greatly in fighting against illnesses.

For full version of this article, please visit “Top 5 Anti-Oxidant Foods that Can Benefit Your Health“.

Some rather frightening news has come to light about older shower heads and it isn’t pretty.

Apparently bacteria grows inside the head and the space inside is a great place for it to develop and grow, getting worse.  When researchers tested the germ levels of the gunk that sits inside the head and the water both before and after it went through it they found that the levels of  Mycobacterium avium was at least 100 fold higher than any other bacteria in the water. While there isn’t much known about the microorganism it does pose a threat to patients with illnesses that affect the immune system such as AIDS and lung diseases like emphysema.

One of the larger concerns is that many of these microorganisms (along with pathogens and microbes) are small enough to be breathed in, an issue that becomes twice as worrisome when you consider that the shower makes them aerosolized making it even easier for them to get into the body as we shower.

Researchers suggest that if you’re concerned about these contaminants you should take down your showerhead and look for higher levels of grit and grime. If you find that there’s a lot then it’s a wise idea to buy and install a new head. While healthy people aren’t likely to developed problems, those with lung and immune diseases should skip showers all together taking baths instead.  The study was conducted in an effort to see what household factors could be affecting the health of those that lived there.

For most of us, blood types are important only for medical reasons. They are not actual determinants of who we are as a person. However, some cultures believe that a person’s blood type is an indication of his or her personality. The precursor of this belief is thought to be Adolf Hitler, who had extensive research done on blood typing to cull out Jews and to build a better army.

This belief that blood type determines personalities is taken to a higher, more serious level in Japan. Dating services match potential mates using blood types, schools adapt teaching methods to fit students’ blood types, and even employers decide on potential hires by judging them on their blood types. However, even the Japanese do not agree with this belief about blood types prevalent in their country. They see this as a form of stereotyping and a person is free to shape his or her own personality.

For full version of this article, please visit “Superstitious Beliefs about Blood Types in History and Today“.

Because of the swine flu pandemic, many people have come to wear facemasks whenever they go out in public. This, they believe, is to prevent them from inhaling the virus and getting sick with the swine flu.

On the contrary, facemasks are not really that helpful because they are not designed to filter out really small particles from the nasal track. Since they are worn loosely, they leave gaps for the airborne virus to be inhaled. Respirators work a lot better because they are fitted more snuggly over the face, but they are not foolproof ways of preventing infection with the swine flu virus.

Experts say that rather than wearing facemasks or respirators, you should instead avoid touching public surfaces that may be contaminated with the swine flu virus. You should also wash your hands frequently. You only need to wear a facemask if you are sick or caring for the sick and you need to be in public for a prolonged period of time.

For full version of this article, please visit “Do Facemasks Work in Preventing Swine Flu?“.

Many people worry about contracting HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. Even today, there is somewhat of a stigma with this disease that can be caught through blood or body fluid transmission. Many people are afraid to take a test to see if they have the disease.  They do not want to go to the doctor for such a test because they are afraid of the doctor passing judgment against them. This can be especially true if the person lives in a small community and knows their family doctor very well.

There are home testing products that you can use to help clear your mind about getting the AIDS virus. These home testing kits are easy to use and very discreet. You can purchase a home testing kit for HIV and mail in your test in discreet packaging to a processing center. After your test has been processed, you will then receive your results in an equally discreet manner.

Many people who use the HIV home test are very relieved to take the test and know that they do not have HIV. Those who do have HIV can see their doctor for medication. Thanks to the many advances that have taken place over the past decade when it comes to fighting AIDS, there are medications that can treat this condition. There have even been cases where those who were diagnosed with HIV managed to rid their body of the virus.

Instead of worrying about whether or not you have HIV and fearing the trip to the doctor, you can take a home testing kit that can give you the results that you want and, in most cases, rid your mind of worry.

Diabetics are notoriously non-compliant when it comes to taking their medication and keeping track of their blood sugar levels. Home testing kits make it easier than ever for those who may be on the brink of Type II diabetes or those who already have this disease to keep track of their blood sugar levels.

There are monitors that can not only test the blood sugar levels, but also keep track of the readings. This is important information for any diabetic and should be revealed at the doctor’s office. Regular doctor visits with a history of readings are essential for anyone who has diabetes. This way, the doctor can make sure that the medication is working to keep the diabetes under control. If controlled properly through diligent diabetes home tests, people who have diabetes can control their condition with drug therapy instead of resorting to insulin.

There are some home testing kits that include everything that is needed for blood glucose level testing. These include the meter as well as the sampling devices. Newer kits do not require you to prick your fingers to test your blood glucose levels.

Diabetics should look for home testing supplies that are easy for them to use and understand. By using home testing products to treat the condition of diabetes, someone with this disease can live a longer and more productive life.

Many people worry about contracting HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. Even today, there is somewhat of a stigma with this disease that can be caught through blood or body fluid transmission. Many people are afraid to take a test to see if they have the disease. They do not want to go to the doctor for such a test because they are afraid of the doctor passing judgment against them. This can be especially true if the person lives in a small community and knows their family doctor very well.

There are home testing products that you can use to help clear your mind about getting the AIDS virus. These home testing kits are easy to use and very discreet. You can purchase a home testing kit for HIV and mail in your test in discreet packaging to a processing center. After your test has been processed, you will then receive your results in an equally discreet manner.

Many people who use the HIV home tests are very relieved to take the test and know that they do not have HIV. Those who do have HIV can see their doctor for medication. Thanks to the many advances that have taken place over the past decade when it comes to fighting AIDS, there are medications that can treat this condition. There have even been cases where those who were diagnosed with HIV managed to rid their body of the virus.

Instead of worrying about whether or not you have HIV and fearing the trip to the doctor, you can take a home testing kit that can give you the results that you want and, in most cases, rid your mind of worry.

Diabetics are notoriously non-compliant when it comes to taking their medication and keeping track of their blood sugar levels. Home testing kits make it easier than ever for those who may be on the brink of Type II diabetes or those who already have this disease to keep track of their blood sugar levels.

There are monitors that can not only test the blood sugar levels, but also keep track of the readings. This is important information for any diabetic and should be revealed at the doctor’s office. Regular doctor visits with a history of readings is essential for anyone who has diabetes. This way, the doctor can make sure that the medication is working to keep the diabetes under control. If controlled properly through diligent diabetes home testing methods, people who have it can control their condition with drug therapy instead of resorting to insulin.

There are some home testing kits that include everything that is needed for blood glucose level testing. These include the meter as well as the sampling devices. Newer kits do not require you to prick your fingers to test your blood glucose levels.

Diabetics should look for home testing supplies that are easy for them to use and understand. By using home testing products to treat the condition of diabetes, someone with this disease can live a longer and more productive life.

While the majority of factors that affect the inability for couples to conceive can be attributed to female deficiencies, almost 50% can be attributed to either male factors or a combination of factors from both partners. This is still a significant percentage, which is why male infertility still warrants the same attention and study as female infertility.

This month, the Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield opened a new fertility and in vitro fertilization center. The center boasts of the ability to provide holistic programs with the intention of finding ways to assist infertile couples. In addition to offering treatment programs designed to address female infertility as well as couples programs, the SIU Fertility and IVF Center also offers expertise in the field of male infertility.

Men who have been diagnosed as the cause of a couple’s inability to conceive have a number of treatment options at the center. These include drug or medicine-based therapy, non-surgical sperm aspiration, therapeutic testicular biopsy, intracytoplasmic sperm injection with IVF and vasectomy reversal.

Fertility medication, while common to women, is not as common or as effective in men. As little as 5% of males who take fertility drugs actually benefit from the therapy. Fertility drugs normally correct hormone imbalance, and it is for the same reason that these drugs are prescribed for men. Depending on the patient’s medical condition – such as unexplained infertility or low sperm count – therapy with gonadotropins, antiestrogen agents, bromocriptine and testosterone may be administered.

Testicular biopsy, while mainly used for diagnostic purposes, can also be used as a treatment method. Its techniques are applied for sperm retrieval to assist in conception.  If the patient prefers a non-invasive method of sperm retrieval, non-surgical sperm aspiration may be used instead. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which is used for in vitro fertilization, is the most common procedure used to overcome male infertility.

We often hear that ‘one man’s cure may be another’s poison’. This may be true not just among people, but between humans and the environment he lives in.

A study funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the St. Lawrence Action Plan and Health Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan on the St. Lawrence River downstream from the sewage treatment facility in Montreal found traces of medication in the water.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Montreal, the study found quantities of high blood pressure and cholesterol drugs in water samples which were taken half a kilometer from where treated wastewater from the sewage facility flowed into the river.

Although the quantities are minimal, there is no knowledge yet about how this build up will affect the environment according to Prof. Sebastien Suave, an environmental chemist who led the study. They are nevertheless not taking these observations lightly as it shows that there may be a buildup of compounds and pathogens in the environment because sewage processing systems fail to neutralize them.

The team tested for the presence of five different drugs, which included two kinds of chemotherapy drugs that are known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic, cholesterol drugs statin and bezafibrate, and the hypertension medication enalapril.

With the exception of statin, the team found traces of drugs in the waste water entering the treatment facility. After treatment, only the chemotherapy drugs were no longer present in water samples taken downstream. Bezafibrate and enalapril were still present. Other studies have reportedly also found traces of antidepressants, estrogen and antibiotics in bodies of fresh water.

The next logical step after this will be to study the effects of these observations to marine life. The team likewise cautions communities further downstream to subject water drawn from the river to further treatment before using.